DM George Monday December 6th, 2004 12:01:55 AM
A cold chill brushes the cheeks of the group as they step down the trail towards the farmhouse. It is almost like someone stepped on their graves and the entire group gets goose bumps.
After about an hour of hiking, you start to notice where the land has been sculpted by some kind of intelligent life. Organized fields start springing up. Some contain row after row of a golden brown tall plant. Others have rows of small plants with leaves shaped in balls. You see large round melons on others still. As you come around a corner, you can see 2 large buildings and several more outbuildings surrounding it.
You see some strange birds running around with funny looking heads but no other sign of life.
OOC Need spot checks, listen checks, and marching order please. Good to be back folks. Hope you have enjoyed your rest.
Jake d20+1=21 d20+5=21 Monday December 6th, 2004 2:39:36 AM
Led away, Jake finds himself outta the range and shakes his head in embarassment and amusement. Some girls are just so grabby, he thinks to himself. Then there's ones like Tishe, obviously high maintenance...WHat he needs is a few, maybe three or four, all of whom appreciate all of his good qualities... As his mind wanders to other chauvinistic subjects, he somehow catches sight of things out of place and keeps his ears sharply attuned without thinking about it. In marching order, he's probably lagging to the back, keeping watch on the rear of the group. (Spot 21, Listen 21)
Mac d20+5=19 d20+1=13 Monday December 6th, 2004 8:05:10 AM
Volunteering, Mac takes the lead, with his axe leaned over his shoulder. [spot:19, listen:13]
Trellus d20+8=23 d20+8=10 Monday December 6th, 2004 9:22:35 AM
Now that they're away from the three miniMacs, Trellus happily returns to the weaving at hand. At least, he's happy until he remembers the weaving at hand is a thousand mile march.
The cleric works himself into the center of the group, behind Anuk and in front of Tishe and Gilan.
"Dudes, when we get a chance at the farm, we need to take a look at the goodies we pulled outta the treadle hive," he reminds the group.
He goes silent a bit later. The farm doesn't feel right, and Trellus is beginning to trust his feelings quite a bit. He looks around with growing caution.
[Listen 23 Spot 10]
Anuk d20+10=16 d20+10=13 Monday December 6th, 2004 1:57:34 PM
After the pleasant meal and rest, Anuk expected to feel confident and full of life as they moved through this new place, but the sudden chill he experiences puts him on his guard. He checks his bow and quiver to be sure he has quick access to them if the need arises. He doesn't want to be separated from his friends again.
(Spot 16, Listen 13 -- 18 and 15 respectively if it involves orcs (favored enemy))
Gilan d20+7=14 d20+7=22 Monday December 6th, 2004 2:48:07 PM
Gilan waves goodbye to the satyrs, though he is sure they have other reasons for staying behind. He stays near the middle of the group but does do his best to keep the group moving in the right direction.
Then the area opens onto what must be the farm and he shakes his head. Something does not feel right about this. "Ahh...maybe we should call a stop for a few." He glances in the direction of the farm and wonders where everyone is at.
Tishe' d20+1=20 d20+1=14 Monday December 6th, 2004 4:16:21 PM
Tishe' nods at Mac's comment, that was sort of where she was weaving, but the rest of the party is here, and it's time to march.
The small woman moves with Gilan, learning as much as her curiosity allows about the Wold around them. Crossing to the farmland, she gets a sudden chill and becomes extremely vigilant while following Trellus. (Listen: 20, Spot: 14)
Tishe' readies her crossbow and asks Trellus, "If this is where the dwarfs are from, where are they? I could conjure a animal to scout ahead?"
Flea d20+8=27 d20+10=23 Monday December 6th, 2004 7:48:00 PM
Flea moves up towards the front. As she passes Trellus she acknowledges his comment about the formian loot. "Yah. I didn't want to get into it with those troublemakers back there." Flea puts her hands by her head, and sticks up one finger on each hand, grinning foolishly. She lets her friends know that she'll scout ahead. (Spot=27, Listen=10).
Affected by a sudden chill, the gnome simply pulls her bedraggled Cloak of Comfort a little tighter around herself.
(OOC: DM George, did you get my updated Flea level 6?)
Sure did...thanks
Grymash d20+2=21 d20+4=23 Monday December 6th, 2004 9:46:29 PM
The half-orc doesnt understand what's going on. Why was Jake acting so strange. He's never understood. His head hurts and hadn't noticed all the drama unfolding. Whatever it was, he decides to walk along the rear of the group. Just in case Jake tries to make a run for the tree girl.
(Listen 23, Spot 21)
DM George Monday December 6th, 2004 11:12:25 PM
OOC OK I am getting back onto my normal posting schedule. I will most likely post between 9 pm -11 pm EST. I will go earlier if able and see everyone has posted.
The group moves carefully down the trail towards the dwarven farm. The don't see any dwarves but as they get closer they do see more of those strange birds running around. The make a strange clucking sound and walk funny.
Suddenly the group is assualted by a vile smell. It is incredibly powerful. It doesn't quite smell like death but it is close. The group can hear a strange grunting from behind one of the outbuildings as they close in on the house. The grunting seems to be coming from several different sources.
Flea d20+23=38 d20+8=25 Monday December 6th, 2004 11:32:46 PM
Holding her finger up to her lips to signal the party to be quiet, the rogue pulls her short sword. Her back against the out-building, the better to hide in the shadows, (Hide=38) Flea eases around the corner to learn what is making the strange grunting sound. (Spot=25)
Jake d20+5=16 d20+1=5 Tuesday December 7th, 2004 8:01:53 AM
Jake jokingly says, "Grymash, ya didn't eat too mucha that deer stuff and then lay an unexpected smell upon us, didja?" as he draws his shield and sword out. He keeps his senses peeled... (Listen 16, spot 5)
Gilan d20+7=13 d20+7=16 Tuesday December 7th, 2004 10:55:34 AM
Gilan looks to the others as Flea slips off to check out the situation. He looks to Trellus and shakes his head. "Shouldn't she have a little cover...from a closer person??" It is easy to tell what he has in mind without even asking...his wildshape is invaluable at times.
Anuk d20+10=23 d20+10=21 Tuesday December 7th, 2004 11:10:08 AM
The strange grunts and awful smell are too much for the ranger. Anuk draws his bow and nocks an arrow. "Careful, Flea," he whispers as he trains his arrow on the area before her, watching for any creatures that may suddenly jump out at his small friend. He is all seriousness and silence until he overhears Jake's comment to Gry. Despite his best efforts, a snicker escapes his otherwise determined face.
(spot 23, listen 21)
Trellus d20+8=15 d20+8=28 Tuesday December 7th, 2004 11:38:52 AM
Trellus makes a pained expression as Flea slips around the corner. He really wishes she'd wait just a second before weaving these picks. Domi's Ward could be very useful.
Gilan is thinking the same thing, it sounds like.
The cleric nods at the druid. "Go ahead," he whispers.
A half smile crosses his face at Jake's comment. I love that dude, he thinks. Nothing is ever serious with that elf.
[Listen 15, Spot 28 (nat 20)]
Tishe' Tuesday December 7th, 2004 3:02:07 PM
The small woman sees Flea slink off, and decides a magical scout would not be of much more use. Better is her crossbow, and as the others are looking forwards, the mage turns around to watch the rear.
Crawling from her satchel, Wart, the horned toad familiar pokes his head out to see what's going on.
Grymash Tuesday December 7th, 2004 3:15:18 PM "Huh!?" remarks the half-orc. Not understanding what Jake just said, Gry asks, "Uhh, yooz just call Gry uh dear?!" Grymash thinks Jake must be the one confused, again! He decides not to hit him this time. He could still be under the influence of magic.
After catching a wiff and hearing the grunts, he pulls out his bow and readies an arrow. A smile forms across his face. They may get to eat again. Everything in this land tastes pretty good so far.
Mac d20+5=13 d20+1=5 d20+3=18 Tuesday December 7th, 2004 3:26:36 PM
Mac looks at Trellus and then around to the out buildings."I'll circle 'round slow an' quiet."
Mac tries to stay alert as he does so.
[Spot:13, Listen:5, Move Silently:18]
DM George "Ham anyone?" Tuesday December 7th, 2004 5:43:59 PM
Flea will circle around a building and see a low pen with at least a score of animals in it. Some are smaller but most are huge. The stand on four legs and have squashed in noses. The smell from their pen is horrific!
When Mac circles around, he will immediately realize he is seeing pigs and know they aren't dangerous. As he looks around, he sees more chickens and a farm house that looks deserted.
Tishe' Wednesday December 8th, 2004 3:22:23 PM
The small woman takes one hand to put a strand of wavy brown hair behind her ear to get it out of the way. She continues to scan the rear of the party until an 'all clear' is called or a ruckus starts.
Wart sniffs the air and grunts before snuggling once again in his mage's satchel.
Gilan Wednesday December 8th, 2004 3:54:43 PM
Gilan takes to his waspform in a flash as he takes off after Flea. He easily rides the small amount of wind that blows. He follows along behind Flea though he does not let her know that he is present. When she comes to a stop he will land on the side of the building about six feet up.
He takes in the sight of the animals and then shrugs, if a wasp can shrug that is. He keeps his wasp form and waits patiently.
Mac d20+5=25 d20+1=20 Wednesday December 8th, 2004 3:54:59 PM
Mac tries to catch Flea's attention. "Shaedee." he says with the thumb of his right hand facing her and pointing up. He continues to look[Spot:25!] and listen[Listen:20] as he waves up the rest of the pack.
[OOC: My maternal grand-parents ran a diary and pigery up until I was 6 or 7. I still remember that smell! : ) ]
Flea d20+8=21 Wednesday December 8th, 2004 6:04:09 PM
Flea stares in awe at the animals, some quite as large as herself. Still holding her shorsword, she scratches her head with her free hand, and tries to remember...there is something kind of familiar about the beasts.*
Spotting Mac (Spot=21) she whispers, "they don't look like they're going to attack, but we should be careful just the same. Jake may want to try and ride one, and Gry may want to eat it."
*Flea didn't grow up in Rattledam and she had outside experiences.
Grymash quickly determines the animals arent wild, being pined up and all. But after the "conditioning" he's had over the past couple of days, Grymash cant help but drool a little at the sight of them. He tries hard to resist snatching one of the smaller animals up. (Will 17)
DM George Wednesday December 8th, 2004 10:27:12 PM
The group comes to the conclusion the live stock is not dangerous, at least while its penned up. The group upon further searching finds a cousin to Mac in a big outbuilding. At least it has horns like him, but it also has the deepest brown eyes anyone has seen.
It seems to be mooing alot and looks to be female by the udders underneath.
The group searches the farm house but finds no one home. The pack can tell that the inhabitants seemed to have left in a hurry. Clothes are spread about, half eaten meals are on the table and the place seems to have a disordered air to it.
The furniture seems to be made a little short for the average bloodpack member as it is sized for dwarves.
OOC OK guys, I want to get any unfinished business done by the end of the week. Take the next couple of days to look at treasure, heal etc and then we go on to the real module.
Jake d20+4=22 d20+8=19 Thursday December 9th, 2004 1:27:00 AM
"Hey, those are real piggies! They're like...like...giant slugs with hair and stuff!" Jake marvels at the extraordinary things he's seeing, then joins the others down at the end. "And that! That must be a horse!" Before anyone can react, Jake moves over to the 'horse' and swings about to jump on the back of it! As one or two might know, it's always been his dream to ride one of the majestic creatures... (Handle animal roll of 22, ride check of 19.)
Trellus d20+8=25 d20+8=12 d20+8=18 d20+8=15 d20+8=22 d20+8=19 d20+8=11 d20+8=22 d20+8=25 d20+8=10 Thursday December 9th, 2004 9:38:21 AM
"Looks like the dwarfs all left with their cousins in the cave," Trellus observes.
"OK, dudes. Let's hole up here for a thread and see what we got from the ants.
Flea, whadda we got?
Anuk, what's loaded in that spell stone of yours?
Anybody not fully healed?"
After Flea spreads out the goodies, Trellus casts a DETECT MAGIC spell, and tries to identify everything he can about the items.
[Not sure how many spellcraft checks I'll need, so here's ten: 25 12 18 15 22 19 11 22 25 10]
Tishe' Thursday December 9th, 2004 11:10:30 AM
Relaxing on hearing they are 'pigs', the small woman moves with the others.
"Jake!", she calls, "We didn't have any 'pigs' in Hook City, but the nobles did have horses, and that's not a horse!" She considers the beast critically, and admits "I really don't know what it is, though."
Once the pack is settled in a house, Tishe' has to admit that the others must be right: the dwarves didn't stick around.
"With that pearl, I can identify one item. It will destroy the pearl, but I'll find out even trigger words with my Identify spell."
Giving the offer, she waits for Trellus to decide what needs doing.
Flea Thursday December 9th, 2004 12:13:50 PM
Flea doesn't require much prompting. She pushes discarded items off one of the low tables inside the farm house, and spreads the items looted from the formians upon it. "There's a wooden box with a ring in it, a pair of boots, a quiver, a wand of some sort, a horn, a pearl, and a large red ruby." The rogue's eyes glow in anticipation of fooling around with the stuff. "What do you make of it, Trellus?"
Anuk d20+12=30 Thursday December 9th, 2004 1:42:22 PM
Realizing that the only dangerous thing about the penned-up creatures seems to be that you can't smell anything else, Anuk relaxes a bit while he and the pack inspect the rest of the farm.
When Trellus asks about the ioun stone, Anuk says, "Almost forgot...umm...it's got a curing spell, one of your holy warding spells, a spell to get us through somewhere undetected, and one to just get us away quickly. Plus a couple of empty slots."
(stone contains: Pass without Trace, Shield of Faith, Expeditious Retreat, Cure Light Wounds)
Searching through his cloak pockets, he brings out a few magical seals as well. "I've got these, too. They may be of some help. If, uh, anyone wants to keep any of them, please do."
(Holds out the following seals:
Seal of Sunlight that lightens any room and will counter most types of magical darkness.
Seal that adds a +1 to hit for your entire group for one round. It may not be used in the same round as another seal exactly like this one.
Seal of Night Flying. It lets you fly for 2 rounds, at night, as per the Fly spell, outdoors, and only by the light of the 2nd moon, Wardd.
Seal of Curing. This seal allows any and every character in the party to cast Cure Minor Wounds one time for a duration of one round as a standard action.)
While Flea and the others look through the Formainian items, Anuk finds himself wondering more and more about where the farms occupants may have gone. He wanders about the farmland looking for clues. (Track 30 (32 if orcs were involved))
Grymash Thursday December 9th, 2004 3:15:50 PM
Grymash looks at Flea with a little confusion. "Whut Flea! Yooz not see whut da stuff be. Dat be boots, dat a horn, a ring in uh box, a stick, dat be uh quivers an uh big shiny rock."
The barbarian looks hard at the treasure. The horn catches his fancy. "Gry wonder whut dis thingy sound like!" He takes the horn from the table and goes outside to give it a good hard blow.
Mac d20+5=7 Thursday December 9th, 2004 6:58:42 PM "Jake! That would be another cu!", Mac chuckles out aloud before checking in on how the 'haul' looks and maintaining a watch. [Spot: 7]
DM George Thursday December 9th, 2004 9:33:35 PM
Jake jumps up on the strange animal and it turns and looks at him quizzically. It takes a few steps around its stall but doesn't seem very exciting to ride. It looks at him soulfully and says, "MOOOOOOOO"
Flea spreads the items out on the table and everyone is able to take a look at all the goodies they have earned defeating the formians.
Trellus spends several minutes staring and studying the items with his detect magic and this is what he discovers.
The Ring has a faint abjuration The wooden box has a faint transmutaion The boots have a faint abjuration The quiver has a moderate conjuration The horn has a moderate evocation The Pearl has a strong transmutation The ruby has a strong abjuration and evocation The wand has a moderate conjuration
Tishe offers to destroy the magic pearl to identify another item.
Grymash tells the others what each item is and then picks up the horn and goes outside with it. He blows hard into it and a beautiful and clear note comes out....but that is all that happens.
Mac keeps an eye out but is distracted by the loot and gives a quick jump when he feels something against his leg. It is a small furry animal and it is pushing itself against his legs over and over and making a low humming sound.
Gilan Thursday December 9th, 2004 10:11:57 PM
Gilan slips into the room that the group chose to look over the loot and shifts back into his human form. He takes a seat on one of the chairs and finds it a little uncomfortable, but not that bad. "I also have those scrolls that I bought for the group." He slips his hand into the pack that he layed at his feet and produces the case that holds the scrolls. "There are eight of them altogether and that will allow Tishe' to save her pearl for later." He gives her a warm smile as he does not want her to spend her money unless needed to.
He listens and waits as the others talk over their current situation. He lays the case on the table so that Tishe' can have access to it's content if she needs them. "Anuk lets replace that pass without trace spell and curing spells with something a little more powerful." He ponders what he has and smiles as he shakes his head. "I can set you up with a more powerful Pass Without Trace and a Cure Moderate Wounds...how about a Dispel Magic in one of those free spots??"
Trellus d20+2=20 Friday December 10th, 2004 8:26:28 AM
Trellus relays what he's discovered. "I think using the Pearl is a bright idea," he chuckles, "That's one of the more powerful items here."
Gilan's offer sounds good, but... "Maybe we can figure a couple out without the spell, and save some of those scrolls."
The blond man ponders. "Lets leave that ruby alone. We know somebody is in there, and we don't know how to find out who, and we'd better wait."
"Conjuration could be healing. Let me mess with that wand."
"Evocation blows stuff up." As he finishes the sentence, Grymash blows the horn. Trellus cringes in anticipation of something extraordinarily sunbaked happening, relaxing only slightly when nothing does.
"Hey Gry, I think Jake has a belt he'd like you to try on," the man says half-jokingly.
"Abjuration is usually some kind of protection, so the ring and boots should be shady."
"We can use Gilan's scrolls on the rest."
Trellus gets busy trying to prove the wand is a healing wand. He compares it against the other healing wands he's possessed, looking for similiarity (he's had CLW thru CSW). If that doesn't work, he does it the old fashioned way. He cuts his forearm with his dagger, and starts rolling through the standard command words to activate a healing wand.
And, if none of that works, he tries to think about any other kind of feel the wand may be giving him as he attempted to get it to work.
[Int check - 20]
Jake d20+4=5 d20+4=19 Friday December 10th, 2004 8:31:00 AM
Jake awww's when the horse doesn't take off...maybe it's hungry or something? He eyes it...cows...that's right, this could be a cow, he thinks to himself. Cows are another thing he's always wanted to see. For some reason, though, he always imagined them about half this size...It'd be hard to herd a dozen of these things, no matter what. He hops off it and examines it some more. Though he can't remember anything else about farming life, by spending a few minutes he takes care of the cow. Then, he wanders over to that strange furry creature at mac's feet, gives it some food. Finally, he feeds those snorting things in the pens...perhaps they'll just apprecitate anything, he thinks to himself.
(I'm using that original 22 for handle animal...going to milk/feed/water the cow. And the cat unsuccessfully (probably try to feed it cow stuff), and the pigs (19 check), and whatever other animals are around.)
"Ah really wish it had been a horse," he mumbles as he goes baout feeding the animals.
George Friday December 10th, 2004 9:04:25 AM
OOC Thought I would list the loot from the formian battle again. Thought the more mundane things might interest some people.
The first chest contains mounds of treasure neatly organized by compartment. The group takes some time to count it and discovers they have 1000 pps, 2000 gps, 3 opals,1 diamond, and 20 pearls.
Examination of the second chest reveals several items:
a wooden box with a ring in it a pair of boots a quiver a wand a horn a pearl 2 large red rubies
Grymash d20-2=1 Friday December 10th, 2004 12:46:44 PM
Grymash looks at the horn and says, "Hmm, dat sounds pretty!" He returns inside and sets the horn back down. "Hey, let Gry try out da boots!" In response to Trellus (Int check 1), Gry says, "Uhh, where be dis belt? Gry want ta sees it!"
(sigh!)
Tishe' Friday December 10th, 2004 1:50:58 PM
"Conjuration also summons and creates things", says the small woman, "and is my specialty. It would be nice if the wand were for healing. We certainly get in enough fights where that would be handy!"
With Trellus stating what should be good to try, Tishe' lays out the list. "That leaves the Wooden Box, the Pearl, and the Quiver."
"The pearls can be party treasure and I can use them for Identifying all magic items in the future."
But for now, the brown haired mage uses three of the scrolls to Identify the Wooden Box, the Quiver, and the Pearl.
She spends some of the next two days scribing a Dispel Magic scroll and a Summon III scroll. [Tishe' uses 8xp and 100gp of her portion of the treasure in scribing the two scrolls]
Mac d20+3=16 Friday December 10th, 2004 5:43:09 PM
"Jake. I swear when I next see a horse I'll point it out to you."
Mac spends a few minutes finding out if the cat is of the holding kind. "where's the rest of your family?" he asks the cat, not really expecting a reply. [Sense Motive:16]
[OOC: the cat is a near perfect familiar for delivering touch spells... It wanders up, rubs against your shin, and your toast! I think Unquo should have a riding cat!]
Gilan d20+12=16 d20+14=28 d20+12=19 d20+14=20 Friday December 10th, 2004 7:59:06 PM
Gilan nods to Trellus and leaves the group to take care of the treasure. He knows that it is in good hands and he can step out for a few.
He checks out the west edge of the forest for odd things that he knows will help out in his potion making that he intends to do over the next few days (knowledge[nature] 16 and survival 28). Not exactly satisfied with what he finds he moves to the north side of the forest and scavenges around the farm to see if he can find anything different (knowledge[nature] 19 and survival 20).
He will slip back into the house that they are staying in to see how things are going. "I collected some items to work on potions while we are here." He looks around and shrugs his shoulders as he furrows his brows. "Maybe a little food gathering is in order...hunting Gry??" He flashes the big half-orc a smile as he mentions one of his favorite things.
DM George "Domestic life" Friday December 10th, 2004 11:07:01 PM
Jake enjoys feeding the animals and milking the cow. What is Jake gonna do with the milk?
Tishe gets busy with the magic identifying. She quickly discovers some very interesting magic. The box is a boat of folding. She is able to determine the command words and astounds the group when she makes two different boats appear at seperate times. The command words are "foam" for the smaller boat and "sea spray" for the larger.
She finds out much that the pearl is a pearl of power 3rd level and its command word is "Domi's fist."
The quiver is a quiver of ehlonna.
Trellus is able to determine that the wand is a healing wand and he believes it is of the cure serious variety. He feels it has been used but has no idea how many charges are left. With some experimentation he discovers the command words are, "Feel better!"
Mac discovers a new friend. When he stoops to pick up the furry fuzz ball, it licks him on the nose forever stealing Mac's heart. It looks seriously at him and says, "Meow"
Gilan has a great time romping around the forest, exploring and finding components. He is amazed at the variety of life and Jake has to pull him away from staring at a slithering black snake who captured a mouse and was consuming it.
Grymash demands to see the belt but his more intelligent friends talk him out of it. He spends some of his time hunting, though he wonders why as he looks at the tempting pigs. He is alarmed to see some larger tracks with clawed feet but never sees the creator of the tracks.
OOC You have 3 peaceful days, but anymore than that and other things might happen. Let me know if you want to stay longer and what potions and scrolls you make in that time.
Tishe' Sunday December 12th, 2004 8:37:43 AM
The brown-haired mage tells and shows the information she has learned, and thinks quickly.
"With Trellus getting the wand, I say Gilan should get the Pearl. And I suppose Anuk with his arrows would be best for the quiver?"
"We can't use the boat for many purposes, so would it be wrong to have the boat as part of the pack's treasure? And maybe the pearls as well, for I could use them for more Idenitify spells."
With three days to rest, Tishe' will scribe the Dispel and SummonIII scrolls as well as a Spider Climb scroll (for an additional 5xp and 75gp)
Since the scribing doesn't take her entire days, she spends the rest of her time with the pack, learning about them and the Wold around them.
And maybe listening to where they are going from here. "Downstream to wherever it leads, I guess."
Gilan Sunday December 12th, 2004 1:54:09 PM
Gilan moves off to a part of the kitchen that is not being used and sets up his gear at the table. Within a few minutes he has a fire going and is crushing roots and berries that he had found earlier.
Over the next three days he works almost nonstop on making up three potions for the packs use. It is the night of the third day as he is packing up his gear after making a good cleaning of it all. Entering into the room that the rest of the pack is at he sits down at the big table and smiles wearily.
"Well it is done." He lays out three bottles on the table as he leans back in the chair. "An armor boosting potion and a pair of healing potions that may come in handy for the group." He closes his eyes as he sighs. "I wish that it could be more but with limited time..." He simply shrugs as he waits to see what is said. With a thought he lays out three more potions on the table and smiles a bit more at the sight.
"Are there any of those berries left over that I picked and brought back...or did Gry eat them all." He smiles at the big guy as he asks. If there are any left over then he will lay them out before himself and look them over. "I have another idea for food..though it will take two for Mac, I think."
[barkskin potion and cmw potions(5)]
Mac Sunday December 12th, 2004 4:06:37 PM
Mac looks the furball in the eyes. After a few moments he leans his head a little to the left and softly says "Galea?"
When not attending to his other duties, he plays simple games with Galea, and watches the cat at play. He asks Jake for a small portion when he milks the cu, and encourages everyone with the interest to spend time with Galea.
Mac, after some observation, fashions a rudimentary walled bed on the top of his backpack (with cloth from her own bedding), and encourages Galea to sleep there.
When everyone gathers their magical produce from the last couple of days, Mac adds 5 potions to the pool - 3 CMW, 1 CSW & 1 Fox's Cunning.
"Did someone say we 'ad a boat? We've had practice on boats an' the river is going that way anyhow."
Jake Sunday December 12th, 2004 10:33:44 PM
Jake keeps the milk in a bucket, somewhat suspicious of eating it without experimenting first. When Mac asks some for his cat, Jake grins and lets the cat try some. If it enjoys it, he'll try some, he figures. He wanders over to Trellus. "Hey, ya know...the family that owned this place vanished. Right? Ah mean...we've been staying here and it's nice and all...but empty. And also, when we leave, what're we gonna do with the animals? Take 'em with us? Eat 'em?"
When Anuk or Gil wanders by with some spare time, Jake chats with them about what how he's hoping to find more interesting girls at this river town or whatever.
Flea d20+12=29 d20+8=16 Sunday December 12th, 2004 11:44:28 PM
After scouting around to make sure the place really is abandoned, Flea reports back to Trellus. "I figure this is the farm the dwarves kept. When released from the formian's control, they probably made their escape." Flea rubs her nose a little. "I'm all for staying and resting up a couple of days, but no longer."
Flea will check out the rooms and test the beds until she finds one that is just right, then claim that room as hers. The rogue will seek out Tishe' and get some advice on how to mend her Cloak of Comfort and other burnt clothing. She will rummage around the farmhouse looking for suitable material for repairs, and any other interesting things she might find. (Search=29) If she locates any abandoned clothing or enough fabric for a spare tunic, she will take it.
Flea will spend her mornings in exercise, running a route around the farm-yard and doing a recon of the area (Spot=16) She will clean and inventory her weapons, spending a fair amount of time practicing with her short bow until she is happy with the speed and accuracy of her shot.
If Mac is willing, Flea will try to get to know the kitten who has adopted the big taur. She will even try to speak with it, using the language of burrowing animals (Speak With Animals) although she doubts she'll get a response.
She will show interest in the treasure, but wait for the others to make their claims first, since she was, after all, a recent recipient of a rather nifty set of new boots.
Trellus Monday December 13th, 2004 3:37:00 PM
Trellus busies himself with the identification and fair distribution of treasure.
First he asks Flea, or anyone else, if they can figure out the market value of the gemstones (3 opals,1 diamond, and 20 pearls).
He asks Tishe to Identify the Horn.
He puts on the ring and boots, and experiments, getting into a nice friendly combat with Jake, taking a couple shots, jumping around, running around, trying to get up in the air and stay there.
If all that fails, he asks Tishe to Identify those items as well.
All Identifies are to be done off the scrolls Gilan provided.
His list so far: a wooden box - Boat of Folding a ring a pair of boots a quiver - Quiver of Ehlonna a wand - Cure Serious Wounds a horn a pearl - Pearl of Power (3rd)
After that, he throws all the volunteered items into another pool getting an additional - 8 Potions CMW 1 Potion Barkskin 1 Potion CSW 1 Potion Fox's Cunning
Anuk Monday December 13th, 2004 4:25:48 PM
Anuk spends the three days relaxing, keeping watch, and joking with Jake. Truth be told, he's still a bit jealous about the dryad choosing Jake over him.
He spends some time with the quiver and is amazed at how much it can hold. "If no one else claims this, I'm really interested in using it," he tells Trellus.
He also spends some time with Gilan, refilling the ioun stone with spells. "Still room for one more spell here," he tells the group.
(the stone now contains: Gilan's upgraded Pass without Trace, Shield of Faith, Expeditious Retreat, Cure Moderate Wounds, and Dispel Magic)
Gilan d20+14=17 Monday December 13th, 2004 9:17:58 PM
Gilan watches as the group takes the time to mess with the last bit of unidentified treasure. He takes the time to relax and spend some time with Jake and Anuk. He also spends time with Tishe' when she is not messing with treasure, to continue her education on nature and the Wold itself.
That night as he is sitting in one of the chairs he smiles as ideas for claiming the treasure is thrown out. "I could very well make use of that pearl, but only if it will do the most good with me." If there are no berries left from his earlier pickings then he will make his way back into the forest to get some more (survival 17).
[Spent 1400gold on the potions that I made. Not sure if we want to start the group treasure thing to help in paying for these or not. Still I subtracted it from my treasure already.]
[I also plan on casting some goodberry spells on the berries that I pick. That will make them good for quite awhile...well seven days anyways.]
[Anything that Gilan can cast into the stone that the group thinks will be good, let me know. Any ideas will be appreciated as I just need to memorize the spell to cast it in.]
DM George Monday December 13th, 2004 11:18:25 PM
On the early morning of the 4th day, the group hears the chickens making a bunch of noise and seem to be flapping around alot more than normal. Then the group hears the pigs squealing in fright and pain.
OOC Is Tishe going to try and identify the rest of the items?
Jake d20+5=17 Tuesday December 14th, 2004 1:27:31 AM
Jake wakes up and yammers out, "Whatsat ruckus?" Grabbing his sword, he rushes outside before even looking around for his armor. He heads to the pens and outside, keeping an ear peeled for anything else strange. (Listen 17)
Mac d20+5=8 Tuesday December 14th, 2004 1:29:30 AM
Hearing the animals, Mac steps to the doorway and takes a look at what's causing the fuss.[Spot:8 - hmmm...] Not picking anything out of the ordinary, he continues towards the sty.
It's been quite, so Mac isn't toting the axe.
Tishe' Tuesday December 14th, 2004 11:38:32 AM
On Trellus' suggestion, Tishe' uses three more Identify scrolls and Identifies the Horn, Ring, and Boots.
She also thinks boating down the river is a good idea. "I do know a thing or two about boats", she reminds the pack.
"We can't eat them all, nor transport, nor leave them." Tishe' thinks several days on the animal problem. "The best thing to do is to let them go and let them go feral. Perhaps in years to come, another farm will start here, and the people will have animals that can be domesticated once more."
.............. The fourth morning gives the mage a shocking wake up call. Animals in panic means there is something out there they don't like. Quickly getting dressed, she knocks a crossbow bolt and looks to Trellus and Gilan for direction.
Trellus Tuesday December 14th, 2004 4:34:48 PM
Trellus waits impatiently for the identification process to end so he can distribute the loot. Over the course of three days, he does his best to get everything passed out.
[ooc - will do via email once last three items id'd]
Having no experience with domestic animals, he agrees with Tishe's recommendation to let them all go when they leave.
At the screaming of the pigs, the cleric waves for Tishe and Gilan to follow him, and he goes out after Jake and Mac to see whats up.
Unlike Mac, Trellus is fully armed.
Anuk d20+10=23 d20+10=19 Tuesday December 14th, 2004 4:49:51 PM
The pigs' screaming pulls Anuk's attention away from his continued inspection of the farmland. (spot 23, listen 19) He turns and hightails it to the pen where he joins the others.
Flea d20+9=28 Tuesday December 14th, 2004 6:44:39 PM
"Uh, sure" answers Flea when Trellus asks her to figure out the market value of the gemstones (3 opals,1 diamond, and 20 pearls).
The rogue hunches over the small treasure spread out on the table and pokes at the items with her index finger. She rubs each pearl against her teeth, then takes the diamond to a nearby window and holds it up the the light.
The whole process takes about 10 minutes, after which Flea gives Trellus her honest estimate. (Appraise=28)
...
Awakened by the noise in the barnyard, Flea quickly dons her boots. Grabbing her pack, and equipment she hastens after her pack calling, "Gry! Wake up!" as she passes his room.
Grymash d20+2=19 d20+4=24 Tuesday December 14th, 2004 8:04:09 PM "Uhhh, huh? Wha?!" mumbles the half orc. His eyes awake and become sharp. "Hmmm, battle," Grymash thinks. He grabs his double axe and heads out the door behind Flea. "Who will it be this time? An ant piggie, a big buggin' creeper, stink meat giants, tasty furry beasts, or another battle bird!!" Grymash hopes its one of the last two.
(Spot 19, Listen 24, nat. 20)
Gilan d20+6=16 d20+6=20 Tuesday December 14th, 2004 9:19:32 PM
Gilan is up early as usual this morning and has to take little prompting from Trellus to follow him out the door. Though he is not adept at sneaking around he does keep as near the buildings as possible. He hopes a little cover is better than none.
As he glances around to the others that have followed them out or went out ahead he speaks lowly. "What have we got...anyone spot anything?" He glances and listens himself to see if he can even get a direction on anything.
[listen 16 and spot 20]
DM George Scavengers Tuesday December 14th, 2004 9:31:04 PM
Jake rushes out the door and comes to a quick halt when he sees creatures that sort of look like Grymash. They resemble him but are more bestial in some way. Two look like they were chasing the strange birds that wanders around the yard
Jake sees several of them near the barn and one who is holding a slaugtered pig walking from the pigpen. None are closer than 30 yards
When they see Jake, two of them will smile evily and start moving towards him, taking out their weapons. The screech to a halt when Mac follows Jake out and then they turn and run. One blows a horn as it runs away.
Tishe is able to identify the other items before the raiders bothered the group. OOC Steve looking at your character sheet, I am not seeing any scrolls of identify. Where did you get them?
The boots are boots of resistance +3
The horn is a horn of blasting. Its activation word is a phrase "Clear the way"
The ring is a lesser ring of energy resistance cold.
Flea has no problems appraising the gems. The opals are 500 gps, the diamond is 1,500 gps and the pearls are worth 50 gps
Jake Wednesday December 15th, 2004 12:50:08 AM
"Hey! Minotaurs killed our pig!" Jake yells out after 'em. "Go on, run away! Shoo! I mean, wait, come back! Maybe we should talk to 'em..." Jake belatedly says. "Oh well, too late. Hey, Mac, didja see those guys? Recognize any of 'em?"
(So, what's the division of treasure/items for the previous game? Are we doing it the same way as the previous time, ie., each person gets money or the item/cash equivalent? Jake wouldn't mind having the boots of resistance or the ring of cold resistance...I looooove those items!)
stephen ooc Wednesday December 15th, 2004 1:01:52 AM
(boots of resistence?! what happened to the bracers of minute seeing? :)
Mac Wednesday December 15th, 2004 4:20:34 AM
"Jake!" Mac taps one of his horns a few times. "They werenae Minotaurs. No where near enough horns... Not enough horns and too much of the running away." "Hmmm. I'd better grab my stuff. Looks like a good time to unpen the animals."
Inside (assuming we aren't in combat time) mca grabs his pack and axe and "Galea, do you want to come along?"
-----
OOC Stephen? In the same bag as the slippers of fire breathing : )
Tishe' Wednesday December 15th, 2004 3:21:00 PM
[OOC: Gilan got eight Identify scrolls from the Rattledam Catacombs before we left. He presented them to us during last week's posts. Should be on his sheet.]
Tishe' stays on Trellus' left flank with her crossbow ready as they come out. Hearing the description of the humanoids, the small woman shakes her head. "Don't know what they are, but they didn't seem to be the night soil, do they?"
The mage is all for gathering their stuff, opening the pens, and start walking down stream. "The boat may be faster, but I don't want to practice with a boat while there are enemies around."
Anuk d20+12=26 d20+5=8 Wednesday December 15th, 2004 4:08:13 PM
Anuk comes skidding to a halt, too late to see the intruders, but he sure gets an eyeful of the carnage they left behind. "Whatever they were, I'm guessing they liked frightening these poor beasts as much as they liked killing one of them," he says, gesturing to the remaining pigs.
He follows the trail of the creatures a short way to see if they approached the farm from the same way they left and to get an idea of where they were headed (track 26 (28 if they were orcs (favored enemy)).
He then returns to the pen and tries to help calm the frightened animals, but can't seem to sooth them. (wild empathy 8)
Trellus Wednesday December 15th, 2004 4:49:26 PM
"time to go, dudes," Trellus remarks. "Before those orcs bring their friends." [ooc - the pack should be familiar with orcs given Grymash's past history]
The cleric helps the others collect their stuff.
"Keep an eye out Gry," he says, as the pack gets ready to depart.
Grymash Wednesday December 15th, 2004 5:38:58 PM "There be orcses in dis land too?!" mumbles a dumfounded Grymash. Grymash never gave his heritage much thought until now. He not once thought orcs existed outside the Sargrass. He always believed they sprang out from the grasses, like the manfri, according to the stories he's been told all his life.
Grymash then interjects with his own idea. "Gry and 'Nuk can goes an tracks them down. Gry an 'Nuk can move fastest (as long as he uses a Longstrider spell on 'Nuk. Base move 40'). "Weez follow thems ta see how many thay be an where thays go, an then come back."
The barbarian goes back in the house to retreive his armor and gear. He emerges two minutes later at the front door pressing his helmet on over his matted hair. After three days of restlessness, he is eager to go. He looks to have fashioned a leather harness with a long leather strap to the horn (from party treasure). He hangs it off his right shoulder and crosses it over to his left side for easy access when necessary. (just like the way Boromir, from LotR, wore his horn)
(ooc: One of you suggested that one of the front fighters take the horn for now. I can carry it if no one else objects. We can easily sell it for more spending money if necessary, no difference to me. Id rather upgrade my weapon. Just one thing, I wont be able to activate it when raging.)
Flea Wednesday December 15th, 2004 7:23:08 PM
"Yah! Your daddy's a beater, and your momma eat's grass!" shouts Flea as she pulls up behind Jake.
When Grymash suggests the party chase the intruders, Flea isn't so sure, and looks at Trellus, and nods. "Lets pack up and head...South?"
Gilan d20+14=15 Wednesday December 15th, 2004 9:03:42 PM
Gilan takes the time to look over the area as well to get an idea of numbers, wanting to be sure that their were not more than they saw (survival 15). He comes back to report whatever he found out while looking around.
After hearing Trellus he shakes his head in agreement. "It would be a good time to leave." He then looks to Grymash as he speaks up and shakes his head again. "Lets put as much distance between us as possible." He looks around and smiles some more as the others start to get ready. "I would rather pick a better place to make a stand if we need to."
Looking to Trellus he motions to Anuk and shakes his head. "It maybe a good idea to use that pass without trace spell that I cast in there...it will allow several of us to leave no trail as we move along." He then slips into the house to gather up his gear and make ready to leave.
[Anuk - Fill the last slot with a CMW from Gilan in your stone. That should come in very handy as we can always use healing.]
DM George "Leave taking" Wednesday December 15th, 2004 10:55:55 PM
The group organizes and decides it is time to leave the area. Jake releases the animals and hopes they all do well. Is Mac bringing the kitten?
The group heads south following the stream. One look and they easily can tell that no boat would be able to navigate it. At this point they will be using there feet.
The pack marches all day, wondering at all the different animal life they see. Multiple kinds of birds flit over head, small furry animals run through the trees chittering at the group. Graceful long legged brown creatures bound away as the group comes near.
The group has left the valley far behind and hasn't seen any sign of the orcs. Night approaches and the group sets up camp. As the party lounges around the fire, Grymash sits up with a start. He sees glowing eyes watching the party from the trees.
Jake Thursday December 16th, 2004 4:09:50 AM
Jake points at the long legged brown creatures and nudges Mac. "Hey, is that a horse there???" Upon finding out they aren't, he looks frustrated and disappointed. That night, Jake slumps his backpack to the ground and yawns cheerfully. He decides to tell a joke. "So, two orcs walk into a bar...ya'd think the second would have learned. Oh, wait... Ah got a better one. A wizard, a dwarf, and a half-orc end up shipwrecked on an island. As they all's wanderin' 'bout, suddenly the magey-guy spots a shiny golden lamp lyin' on the ground. Rememberin' some legends, he rushes over an' picks it up ta rub it, and sure 'nuff, a Djinn 'ppears intonin' 'You have one wish!'. Barely pausin' ta think, the mage guy, 'I wish I were in the best magical library in the world!' And suddenly he's surrounded by shady books of magic, all eye-catchin' an' new, and scrolls with golden runes emblazoned on 'em. "Seeing this, the beardguy rushes on over an' polishes the lamp with a rag. The Djinn appears, givin' him a wish, an' the dwarf says, 'I wish I were in the finest inn, with a dragon's horde in my sack.' And sure 'nuff, he appears in this great mead hall, beards and beers overfilling it, his pockets and packs filled with jewelry and gold, happier 'n a prairie pig in a puddle. "The half-orc goes over to the lamp and looks around the island, then rubs it. The Djinn appears in a clap of thunder, granting him a wish. The half-orc says, 'Well, I miss my friends...so can you bring those guys back?'"
Jake goes on to let another one tell jokes if they wish, till Gry hears that noise. Then, seeing the warrior look alert, he falls silet and watches the dark...
Anuk d20+10=15 d20+10=19 Thursday December 16th, 2004 10:26:22 AM
"heh, heh, heh," giggles Anuk while Jake tells his jokes. He's thoroughly enjoying himself and still finds the new creatures, new surroundings, and the cool weather of this place a delightful novelty.
When Gry suddenly turns his attention away from the pack, Anuk knows something is up. He turns to look in the same direction that Gry is looking. (spot 15, listen 19 (17 & 21 if orcs))
Grymash (darkvision) d20+9=25 d20+2=10 d20+4=14 Thursday December 16th, 2004 12:17:08 PM "Who go theres?!" says Grymash to the figures up on the trees. As he rises to his feet, he takes hold of his double axe. "Show yooz self to da pack, real friend-like, an Gry not bring no hurtin' to ya!"
(Intimidate 25, Spot 10, Listen 14)
Tishe' Thursday December 16th, 2004 4:04:44 PM
After a long days walk, the brown haired mage is happy to relax and massage her toes. She holds her own in the campfire banter and laughs appreciatively over Jake's humorous stories.
Grymash shouting into the night makes the small woman nearly jump out of her skin. She quickly stands and readies a web spell for any attack.
Trellus d20+13=14 Thursday December 16th, 2004 4:29:21 PM
Trellus marvels at all the shady stuff growing in this new land. He does breathe a sigh of relief that these trees aren't as confining as the one they just left. He finds he prefers some open sky above him.
Once the dark rolls in, and Jake starts up the joking, it almost feels like they're back home.
The cleric's reverie is interupted by Gry's warning. He scrambles to his feet and gets ready for a fight, just in case. [Ready Action - if attacked, cast Prayer on the defensive. Concentration check 14. Sigh. Make that, if attacked, tries to cast a spell but loses it]
Mac (Large, 10' Reach, 60' Darkvision) d20+5=22 Thursday December 16th, 2004 7:07:59 PM
Galea must have nestled up in the crook of Mac's arm during the night. He gently pours the kitten back into her packtop bed, and placing a hand on his axe, turns to look behind him. [Spot:22]
The one thing more disconcerting that Gry looking at you as he raises his voice is the realisation that his eyes are focussed behind you!
Gilan d20+7=8 d20+7=23 Thursday December 16th, 2004 8:43:06 PM
Gilan sits off to the side of the group so that he can have some privacy. Under his breathe he mutters some words of power and then goes on about his work that he has laid out before him.
Not having been paying any attention to Jake or those things around him he is startled by the sudden cry of Grymash into the dark. He looks down at the object lay lays at his knees and sighs, at least he had been done with the last one. Making to stand he stashes it into his pack and looks about. "What is it?"
DM George Thursday December 16th, 2004 8:56:53 PM
Grymash bolts forward holding his axe in a threatening manner. Mac almost falls over backwards trying to get out of his way.
As Grymash declares his challenge and moves closer, he will hear a hiss from the tree. When he moves away from the firelight, his night vision takes over and he realizes he is shouting at somekind of animal.
It is small, around 30 pounds and is staring at Grymash from around the tree. Its face almost seems like it has a mask on it.
Mac turns and immediately recognizes the creature and chuckles...."Its a raccoon."
The group relaxes once again and enjoys the night until Trellus, who is on watch, is startled to see the bold little creatures invade the camp. They make a strange grunting noise and seem to be after the scraps from dinner.
Trellus is only able to chase them a short way, but they keep seeming to come back to the camp disturbing everyone's sleep.
Flea d20=17 Thursday December 16th, 2004 10:48:33 PM
The gnome will look carefully at the creatures to see if they look like any of the animals from back home*. If they appear to be burrowing animals, she will try to have a little conversation with them. (Speak with Animals) She will ask them about the area and if there are any towns or cities nearby(Gather Info=17).
"Do we set watches tonight?" she asks, seeking an assignment from Trellus.
*(Flea isn't from Rattledam)
Grymash Thursday December 16th, 2004 10:48:37 PM
Grymash turns to Mac, "Is dat beastie gute eatin'? Or should Gry just wears it like uh hat?"
Oh well, he thinks and returns back to the fire. He continues carving runes into certain choice pieces of bones that he has collected. Then it finally hits him. He turns to Trellus and says, "Gry knows whut ta do wit dat big shiny red rock wit da trapped soul. Gargul be tellin' Gry how ta figures out if lettin' it goes be uh gute or bad thing!! Da bones will tell ... these bones will say!"
Jake Friday December 17th, 2004 6:02:40 AM
"DIdja see his face??!? It was so neat!" Jake grins and makes little faces of his own at the others in imitation. Jake will spend his time cleaning weapons and other such htings...ainly to avoid actual work.
Trellus Friday December 17th, 2004 8:30:23 AM
Trellus spends a lot of time shooing the little creatures. "Pesty treadles, aren't they?" he says.
"Dudes, we're getting lax. We'd never leave food scraps around at home." The thought makes him shudder. All the creatures of the Plains can smell a really long way. "Let's weave the same threads we do there, in case something brighter than these little dudes show up."
Gry's idea is great! Why didn't Trellus think of it. "Shady Gry! I've got a waxed spell for talking with Domi, too. Let's both try, and that should give us the answer."
That morning, Trellus takes his spells.
During breakfast, he uses one to ask a question of his god. [Divination - "Will freeing the soul from the red stone free a good being trapped, or release an evil upon the Wold?"
Spells Prepared: 0 - Create Water, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Guidance, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic 1 -- Bane, Bless, Prot from Evil, Remove Fear, Shield of Faith 2 - Hold Person, Owls Wisdom, Silence, Spiritual Weapon 3 - Dispel Magic, Prayer, Searing Light 4 -- Air Walk, Divination*
Domain Spells: 1st Level: Sanctuary 2nd Level: Bull's Strength 3rd Level: Protection from Energy (fire) 4th Level: Spell Immunity
Grymash Friday December 17th, 2004 9:22:27 AM "Yes!" Grymash will prepare the Augury spell in the morning.
Mac d20+2=21 Friday December 17th, 2004 4:01:51 PM
"...yes, like Bears..."
If there is any fresh meat Mac cuts it into short thin slivers with his dagger and checks that Galea eats it and drinks some water, other wise he will crush down some ration and soak it until it is soft.
After talking with those not preying or learning, Mac repacks the backpack and after some consideration [Int Check: 21] he adds some more stability to Galea's nest by strapping the large steel shield to the visible side of the pack, providing protection and shade to her bedding.
He then assists with breakfast and awaits the outcomes of the clerical spells.
Gilan d20+7=14 d20+7=10 Friday December 17th, 2004 4:11:22 PM
Gilan tries to spend the rest of the night concentrating on the surrounding area and watching for danger. He has little luck as his mind wanders back to his little surprises that he is working on. He smiles as he sits his watch.
Early in the morning he is up and going about his morning prayers to Mother Wold. Within a few minutes he is eating breakfast and waiting to see what Trellus and Gry can tell them of the stone that they carry.
DM George Friday December 17th, 2004 4:21:44 PM
Trellus will sit and cast his divination spell (Please mark of the component cost on your character sheet) and this is how his spirits answer.
Dangerous and evil in mortal form, insidious in spirit.
Grymash's response to his aurgury is "weal and woe"
The Pack wakes up from last nights sleep and is glad to see that the raccoons are gone. They grunted and hissed around the camp all night long.
The group continues down the trail following the stream marvelling at the beauty of the landscape.
Suddenly they realize they are on a trail that has been used before. It is obvious that somekind of heavy humanoid with booted feet has travelled on this trail with many companions.
OOC I am sorry for the early post but I have to bring the kids Christmas shopping tonight and the weekend is packed.
Grymash Saturday December 18th, 2004 1:10:33 AM
The pack awakes to a half-orc with his face painted to look like a skull. He's mostly naked if it wasnt for his loin cloth, a rapke skull cap decorated with feathers from the battle bird, his jaw-bone necklace, a Gargul holy symbol and other pieces of handmade bone jewelry.
He asks two other packmates for help to perform the ritual. Gry gives them each a set of long femurs to tap together in time with his chanting in order to evoke and excite the spirits. Grymash throws two fist fulls of incense into the fire. Puffs of white smoke billow upward with a sudden whoooshh! The cleric of Gargul begins to dance wildly around the fire, grunting a chant not intelligible to anyone else. He too also strikes a pair of bones together in time with his words. He combines his dance with stoking the fire with his bare foot. Sparks fly up with the smoke with each little nudge. It isnt clear but the scene becomes even more surreal as the half-orcs words begin to echo. Its not certain, but other voices from beyond seem to be joining Gry's in a chilling chorus?
After a minute or so and several laps around the fire, Grymash comes to rest and kneels next to a bowl with a collection of bone chips. The bone chips are the ones that Grymash had been carving celestial runes into for the past couple of nights. He takes them all up into his hands and holds them high. A few more words of power are spoken and they begin to glow. He rolls them into the bowl, like dice, and spends a moment quietly examining them. An aggrivated expression, mixed with confusion forms across his face. "Da bones says dat lettin' da spirit go will brings both gute an bad things to da pack an to da Wold! It be confusin'! Whut do yourz god say, Trellus?"
Grymash looks a little disappointed with the results. With all the combined knowledge of the dead at his disposal, he thought he would've gotten a more definite answer. Oh well, it was his very first try. He begins to feel lucky he got an answer at all. The dead arent always cooperative.
Trellus Saturday December 18th, 2004 9:14:46 AM
Trellus kneels on one side of the grove, his glowing holy symbol stretched out in front of him. Eyes closed, his mouth moves as if talking, but he makes no sound. Other than his mouth, the cleric remains completely motionless for a good ten minutes, entranced.
Finally, he comes out of it. Turning to Gry and the rest of the pack, he replies, "Mine said, 'Dangerous and evil in mortal form, insidious in spirit'. I'd say that means 'sunbaked'. Let's leave it alone, dudes."
Tishe' Saturday December 18th, 2004 12:30:12 PM
The brown haired woman feels embarrased about the campsite. Not being born on the Sargrass, she feels sure that it is she who is attracting the animals. She resolves to be better and learn even more quickly about Mother Wold.
Tishe' will watch but not participate in Grymash's communing with his diety; Pantheon and Mother Wold are enough for Ilka's little girl!
And the mage agrees with Trellus. "Sounds like if we let this gem soul go, it will not be good. I only wonder what it can do trapped in the gem like Father Dreem?"
Despite her musings, it doesn't affect her getting ready for the day's march.
Mac Sunday December 19th, 2004 6:08:09 AM
The news from Gry and Trellus is what he close to his original feelings, but it's Tishe's words that stop him dead in his tracks. He pauses to see if anyone else groks what he thinks that means.
"Does anyone know any tales about a place torn out of the Wold? You call a place 'The Scab', then you'd think there would be stories about what it's a scab from..." On another thought entirely, but running seemlessly with what Mac has just said he adds, "Have we been here before?"
Flea Sunday December 19th, 2004 2:35:25 PM
Flea carefully packs her share of the divided treasure. Most of it will sit in a plain sac at the bottom of her pack, with a few coins and stones distributed amongst her pockets and pouches. As she shuffles her goods about, her hand fumbles over a vial, which she pulls out.
Holding the potion out, she volunteers, "I won this strange potion for diviniation in a contest of chance. It will enable the one who consumes it to Detect Thoughts. Maybe we can find out something about the being inside the stone?"
Turning to the others Flea holds out the vial. "Would someone like to try it?"
Anuk d20+12=29 Monday December 20th, 2004 11:48:09 AM
In the morning, Anuk helps Gry perform his ritual. "Definitely sounds like we ought to leave that gem alone," he says after Gry and Trellus get thier answers.
He finds his new quiver in with the rest of the treasure and is still amazed at how much it can hold. His arrows and his bow are both inside, but he seems able to retrieve whichever he needs whenever he needs it -- amazing.
After some time in thought (prepares entangle) he begins cleaning up the campsite, making sure that everything is back the way it was when the pack found it, when he sees the trail of boot and footprints. He crouches low to the ground to get a better idea of what may have been here before. (track 29 (31 if orcs))
Gilan d20+7=22 d20+7=16 Monday December 20th, 2004 9:30:50 PM
Gilan knows very little about the rituals that are about to be played out and his timing with a drum is poor. He sits back and watches as the other two go about their business to talk to thier respective gods.
He does keep his eyes and ears open for sign of toruble as they go about thier business though.
DM George Monday December 20th, 2004 10:04:28 PM
The Bloodpack wakes up and does the divination spells on the red gem. Unfortunately, the answers they received only opened up more questions.They decide to leave the gem for another time and resume moving down the trail.
Annuk checks the tracks and realizes that orcs have been on the trail but so have many other creatures. Some large and some small.
After several hours of travel, the sun is overhead and their stomachs are telling them lunch time is near by.
Suddenly screams of pain and the sounds of battle can be heard from the trail ahead. Everyone can hear the sounds of deep gruff voices crying out in fear and pain. They also hear the voices of some kind of monsters roaring in glee.
Flea (AC 19, 41 HP) d20+13=18 d20+23=38 d20+12=20 d20+8=10 d20+10=16 Monday December 20th, 2004 11:25:00 PM
"Shall I scout ahead?" the 3 ft. 3 in. gnome asks quietly, looking up into Trellus' face. If given the okay, Flea will click the heels of her boots* together and move forward on silent feet (Move Silently=18), blending with the shadows at the side of the trail (Hide=38).
She will keep her eyes open (Search=20, Spot=10) and ears tuned in to unusual sounds (Listen=16).
The rogue will hasten back to her pack to report what she learns.
*Boots of Speed-p. 250 DMG guide-act as though affected by a Haste Spell...p. 239 PHB) 1/10 rounds (not required to be consecutive rounds)
Jake d20+5=17 Tuesday December 21st, 2004 1:45:37 AM
Drawing his sword and shield, Jake looks around, keeping his ears peeled. He does'nt say anything, not wanting to fowl up any of his senses or disrupt Trellus' plan... (Listen 17)
Trellus Tuesday December 21st, 2004 11:25:40 AM
"Go," Trellus answers Flea.
The gnome moves pretty quickly, the young man notices.
"Let's keep moving," he whispers to the others. "I don't want her getting to far ahead."
Trellus waves Gry and Mac on ahead, and follows when they move. He keeps his hands free, anticipating the need for some fast spellcasting.
Tishe' Tuesday December 21st, 2004 3:12:37 PM
Hearing the sounds of battle brings the mage's wandering mind to the here and now. "This is the only trail we've found, and so the dwarves must be ahead of us. How much do you want to bet its they as needs rescue?"
While continuing to move forward, the small woman taps Grymash with a wand and clearly speaks "Colossia".
Instantly, the half-orc Enlarges. [Grymash gains a +2 size bonus to Strength, a --2 size penalty to Dexterity (to a minimum of 1), and a --1 penalty on attack rolls and AC due to his increased size for five minutes]
She then looks to Trellus to see what else may be done to prepare.
Grymash (ac18, hp81, enlarged) d20+2=12 d20+5=21 Tuesday December 21st, 2004 6:25:30 PM
Grymash grabs his axe and rushes forward toward the screams. He grins wickedly as he feels himself enlarge.
(Spot 12, Listen 21)
Mac d20+3=16 Tuesday December 21st, 2004 6:29:02 PM
"Would someone like to mind Galea?" If there are no takers Mac will be doubly cautious, but either way he advances with big-Gry when he's ready. [Move Silently:16]
Anuk Tuesday December 21st, 2004 6:46:02 PM
The battle-noise grabs Anuk's attention and he moves toward it along with the rest of the pack.
"Galea can stay with me," he tells Mac while drawing his bow and nocking an arrow. "Don't worry."
DM George "Leg anyone?" Tuesday December 21st, 2004 9:42:01 PM
Flea moves forward trying to use the terrain to her advantage while utilizing the boots of speed at the same time. They don't work together very well but she somehow manages.
As she moves closer to the sounds of battle, the trees see to thin out into a clearing. She sees some of the same horrible creatures that the Bloodpack battled in formian caves. The ones that kept getting back up even after Grymash hacked them down.
She sees two of the trolls playing tug of war with something. She realizes that it is a dwarf but he must be dead. The body splits in half as the trolls tear its legs off. The trolls start to feed ravaging the body.
She then sees another dwarf with his back to a tree and 3 more trolls menacing him. He can't last long against those kinds of odds.
Farther down the trail Grymash grows as he charges down the trail, quickly after Flea. He soon comes upon the scene, only to see one of the trolls grab the living dwarf and rip its head from its shoulders.
Mac hands the kitten off and lumbers after Grymash with the rest of the pack following him.
The trolls easily notice the huge half orc and they rush forward to do battle.
OOC You have 1 round to do something before they close. Remember they have a 10' span as well so you will not get AOO
Jake (AC 24, haste) Tuesday December 21st, 2004 11:11:02 PM
Jake takes up and drinks a potion he's been saving a long, long time for these odds. A speedy potion...though he doesn't trust magic, this sorta thing makes perfect sense. Speedy magic! As the energy flows through him, he grins and will meet the troll standing next to his big buddy Grymash. (This round, I'll move up behind Grymash after drinking the potion. Next round, I'll move around the trolls and advance on one, flanking it with one of the others after provoking an attack of opportunity from it, then attack it... I figure I don't roll the attack right now in any case)
Gilan[HP: 57/57, AC: 19](dodge vs troll) d20+7=17 d20+7=16 Tuesday December 21st, 2004 11:32:20 PM
Gilan watches as he pulls up and the trolls start in thier direction. He does take the time to glance around and make sure they are not being surrounded or anything. With a smile he calls upon the powers of nature. "Ram en naur." His free hand is engulfed in flames as he looks to the others with a bigger smile. "Lean from our mistakes they say...and they hate fire."
He takes the time to move a little and give himself a better aim at a troll.
Grymash (ac18, hp81, enlarged) 5d6(3+1+5+6+5)=20 2d6(4+1)=5 Wednesday December 22nd, 2004 12:01:07 AM
Grymash steps in front of any of his packmates, if any are in front him, and takes the horn of blasting up to his lips. He holds until the trolls get close enough and says the words, "CLEAR DA WAY!!" He blows the horn as loud as he can. Waves of sonic energy pour out of the horn and pummel the charging stink-meats. (40' cone. 20 points of sonic damage. 5 rounds of deafness. Fort save DC 16 or take full effect. Half damage and no deafness if they make the save.)
He lets the horn fall to its side when done and readies his double axe for their final approach. Grymash yells, "COME AN GETS IT! YOOZ BE BURNIN IN DA FIRE SOONS ENOUGH!"
Flea (AC 19, 41 HP-Boots of Speed (Haste), PB Shot, Prec. Shot) d20+23=31 d20+12=25 d20+12=16 d4+3=7 d4+3=7 Wednesday December 22nd, 2004 12:36:18 AM
Flea stops in her tracks and feels her stomach clench at the gruesome sight before her. As her packmates move past her, she steps off the trail and into the shadows at the edge of the clearing (Hide=31) where she readies her bow.
The rogue is able to get off two shots using 2 of her newest magic arrows. (Hit AC 25 and 16, for 7 pts. dmg + 7 pts dmg)
Boots of Speed-p. 250 DMG guide-act as though affected by a Haste Spell...p. 239 PHB) 2/10 rounds (not required to be consecutive rounds)
Shortbow(+1), PB Shot, Precise Shot, +1 Arrows
Trellus (ac 20, Prayer[1]) Wednesday December 22nd, 2004 9:42:00 AM [Prayer: +1 luck bonus to hit, damage, saves, and skill checks. -1 penalty on enemies for same. Range: 40' radius around Trellus]
Gilan's idea with the balls of fire is totally shady. Trellus thinks of his own fire producing ability, and comes up empty.
"Dudes, once the fighters put these treadles down, anybody got something to burn 'em up?" he asks.
The cleric takes up position behind Gry, Mac, and Jake and casts a spell.
Tishe' (AC 16 HP 29/29) d20+4=8 Wednesday December 22nd, 2004 12:07:42 PM
Continuing with the pack, the small woman hesitates upon seeing the trolls. Grymash's shout is clear enough however; she holds her ears and waits for the sound to pass.
Once that is done, however, she takes aim with her crossbow and fires wildly. (AC 8)
Anuk [HP 34, AC 21 - Entangle] Wednesday December 22nd, 2004 1:15:30 PM
Anuk gently takes the kitten from Mac and places her safely in a pocket of his robe. He moves up to the edge of the clearing across from Flea's hiding place. Hoping to slow the oncoming trolls--and maybe add some extra kindling for Gilan's fireballs--he concentrates on the area of the clearing around the oncoming monsters, mutters a few words and casts entangle, causing the grasses around the trolls to suddenly grow.
(Affects 40ft area around trolls. The trolls can break free and move half their normal speed by using a full-round action to make a DC 20 Strength check or a DC 20 Escape Artist check. A troll that succeeds on a Reflex save is not entangled but can still move at only half speed through the area. Each round, the plants once again attempt to entangle all creatures that have avoided or escaped entanglement.)
Mac Wednesday December 22nd, 2004 4:20:36 PM
Catching up, Mac forms a defensive line with Gry, awaiting the incoming Trolls.
Gilan[HP: 57/57, AC: 19](dodge vs troll, prayer) d20+9=11 Wednesday December 22nd, 2004 5:46:19 PM
Taking aim at the leading troll he lobs a ball of flame at it (hit: and damage: 11). He grimaces as his aim is not what he had wanted and he can only hope that he hits a troll.
DM George d20+11=21 d20+11=14 d20+11=21 d20+4=7 d20+4=19 d20+8=27 d20+8=22 d20+8=23 d6+5=10 d6+5=7 d6+5=10 Wednesday December 22nd, 2004 8:21:31 PM
Grymash steps forward and sounds the horn catching the first 3 trolls in its blast. All are effected but T2 shakes his head and seems worse for wear than the others.
Trellus castes his bless helping all and hindering the trolls
Anuk castes his entangle but the first 3 were to close to his comrades but he does snare the second group of 2. T4 failed its saving throw and is stuck this round. T5 made his saving throw but was slowed enough to not reach the group this round. He will arrive next round.
Gilan hurls a ball of fire but misses. He does singe some hair off Mac but nothing serious.
Mac moves up after securing the kitten and joins th battleline
Jake joins on the other side.
Flea slinks off to the side and puts her bow to work, hitting t3 for 7 points
Tishe shoots but misses badly.
remember when you shoot into melee, you have to take the -4 unless you have the correct feats.
Trolls 1-3 rush forward and all attack Grymash the author of there pain.
Grymash takes 27 points of damage
I am sending a map via email. I made it in MS Word. Sorry for its crudity
Grymash (hp81/54, ragehp95/68, ac16, rage, enlarge) d20+13=27 d20+8=19 2d6(3+2)+24=29 2d6(4+1)+24=29 d20+13=33 d20+13=21 2d6(6+4)+24=34 2d6(6+4)+24=34 2d6(3+3)+24=30 Wednesday December 22nd, 2004 11:06:02 PM
Rage wells up in the half-orc and explodes into the "stink meats"! The fury of the barbarians double axe brings its wrath down upon the center troll (T2).
(Full attack. Power attack+5, two handed+10. HitAC: 27 and 19. Damage: 29+29=58 points. If this attack drops T2, Gry will follow up with a Cleave attack on T1. Cleave attack. HitAC: 33 crit threat, HitAC: 21 critical hit. Damage: 34+34+30=98 points.
Grymash bellows out a blood-curdling battlecry while foamy drool pours and spits from his mouth. With eyes that are bloodshot red, Gargul's champion looks upon the trolls like a feral beast about to pounce on his prey.
Jake (AC 24, hp 52/52, Haste, Prayer) d20+10=20 d10=4 d6=6 Thursday December 23rd, 2004 6:50:46 AM
After the initial rush, Jake moves in around the trolls that are attacking Grymash, though it likely means that the next rushing group will choose him as its target. If the first troll is still standing, he will move in with Grymash on the other side. As he does so, the Troll gets a chance to scrape him with its claws once (provoking an attack of opportunity. But Jake will try to approach at an angle so that only this one troll will get that chance. In any case, then he takes a swing at the troll, attempting to skewer it with his freezing sword, putting just a bit of momentum behind the swing. (Adding a +2 power attack) (With the addition of the prayer and haste spells, I hit AC 22...AC 24 if I'm flanking it. I do 16 damage to it.)
Flea (AC 19, 41 HP-Boots of Speed (Haste), Bless, PB Shot, Prec. Shot, Rapid Shot) d20+13=31 d20+13=15 d20+13=20 d4+3=6 d4+3=6 Thursday December 23rd, 2004 7:42:11 AM
Flea waits until T5 is within 30 ft., and then looses 3 arrows towards the troll working his way out of Anuk's entagled area. (Hit AC 31, 15 (miss?), and 20 for 12 pts. dmg)
Boots of Speed-p. 250 DMG guide-act as though affected by a Haste Spell...p. 239 PHB) 3/10 rounds (not required to be consecutive rounds)
Trellus (ac 20, prayer[2], spiritual wpn[1]) d20+10=22 d8+3=8 Thursday December 23rd, 2004 8:22:29 AM [Prayer: +1 luck bonus to hit, damage, saves, and skill checks. -1 penalty on enemies for same. Range: 40' radius around Trellus]
Trellus cringes at Gry's ferocity, again reminding himself never to make the half-orc mad.
"Gilan, chuck those at the ones that are down," he says.
Time to help out Flea. The cleric casts a spell, bringing a warhammer of pure force into existance above T5. It slams down on the struggling troll. [Spiritual Weapon - hit ac 22 for 8 hp damage]
Trellus reaches back into his magic backpack, drawing out a healing wand. He figures he'll be needing it soon.
Tishe' (AC 16 HP 29/29) Thursday December 23rd, 2004 3:00:35 PM
Not wanting to accidentally shoot her friends, the small woman stows her crossbow and grabs her Enlargement Wand. She moves to right behind the front line and strikes Mac with the redwood shaft. "Colossia!" she commands, Enlarging the minotaur to Huge size.
Mac (Huge, AC:16, HP:62/62) d20+7=25 4d6(5+4+3+1)+23=36 d20+7=27 4d6(4+6+1+6)+23=40 d20+7=27 8d6(6+3+1+6+2+3+6+5)+46=78 Thursday December 23rd, 2004 7:45:18 PM
Mac grows, bringing T3 into reach as well. Mac swings mightily [PA:-5/+10] at T3, hitting AC:25 for 36 damage. If he's lucky enough to drop T3, he'll Cleave T2 (no, he's down...) T1, hitting AC:27 for 40 damage. Crit check hits AC:27 (You're kidding me!) for an additional 78 damage.
If T3 fell Mac advances (30' move action) on T5, pulling up with T5 in Mac's 15' reach, but outside T5's 10' reach.
Mac thought about joining in the blood-curdling screams, but he considers it unfitting for the moment.
Gilan[HP: 57/57, AC: 19](dodge vs troll, prayer) d20+9=14 d6+5=11 Thursday December 23rd, 2004 8:04:56 PM
Gilan will slip up to try and touch the troll that just dropped at Grymash's feet (hit: 14 and damage: 11). He hopes that this will be enough flame to fry it for the final time.
(produce flame: 5/7balls, 1d6+5, ranged touch or melee touch)
DM George "Ambush" combat round 2 d20+6=14 d20+10=25(jake) d6+5=7 d20+10=30 d20+10=11 d20+10=27 d6+6=12 d6+6=11 d20+8=16 Thursday December 23rd, 2004 10:54:45 PM
The front 3 fighters work welltogether quickly taking down the first 3 trolls with devestating attacks.
(Stephen I think your bonus on damage is 23. I think you round down, not up)
Flea shoots her bow hitting T5 several times and wounding it.
Trellus aids Flea summoning a magic hammer to pound into the troll damaging it further.
Gilan hits T1 with a ball of fire setting it a flame.
Annuk pulled his bow but is amazed at the savage attacks of the first three fighters and stands in awe as they crush their foes.
Tishe enlarges Mac making him a stupendous size.
T4 struggles to get out of the entangle but fails as more branches grab him and hold him fast.
T5 emerges from the entanglement and launches an attack on Jake's flank hitting and doing 7 points of damage.
Suddenly the woods around the group errupts with more trolls. 2 spring out and attack the bemused Annuk and 1 on the other side springs out to attack Flea.
Two more can be seen coming down from the north area and will be there next turn.
Annuk is attacked twice. He is hit with a possible critical hit but it misses on its check. Annuk takes 23 points of damage.
Flea has one take a swing at her but it misses.
Tishe' (AC 16 HP 29/29) Friday December 24th, 2004 6:44:11 AM
The small woman is horrified as trolls appear out of the forest and fall on the rear. More coming from thier front only confirms what her racing mind has already thought up...
"There must be a whole band, and they separated to chase down the dwarves!"
She turns her back on the front three fighters and weaves her hands in a complex tapestry of magic; summoning an Celestial Bison beside the ranger to face off against the trolls.
Celestial Bison (AC 13, HP 47, A: 1@+10, D: d8+11) Smite Evil (Su): 1/day +5 damage against an evil foe. Damage Resistance: 5/magic Resistance: 5/electric, cold, acid
Trellus (ac 20, prayer[3], spiritual wpn[2]) 3d8(4+8+6)+5=23 d20+10=13 Friday December 24th, 2004 10:00:31 AM [Prayer: +1 luck bonus to hit, damage, saves, and skill checks. -1 penalty on enemies for same. Range: 40' radius around Trellus]
There's trolls all over the place! Trellus takes a quick look around, and starts barking orders.
"Mac! On your right! Flea needs help!"
"Gil, keep burning the dropped ones."
He doesn't bother with Gry. The shuttlecocked barbarian is gonna go kill something, and telling him which one is too complicated a message right now.
Trellus steps in behind Anuk and the bison. He taps the ranger with his healing wand, helping close the man's wounds. [Cure Serious Wounds - 23 hp healed]
In the meantime, Domi's Hammer keeps swinging at T5. [hit ac 13 - yuck]
Jake (AC 24, hp 45/52, prayer, haste) d20+13=16 d20+13=24 d20+8=12 d10=4 d6=3 d10+7=15 d6=4 Friday December 24th, 2004 1:29:05 PM
Jake wishes he could go to help the others, but if he moves away, these trolls will just catch up with him...or probably make things worse. That, and Trellus had no instructions for him... So, he turns his attention to the nearest troll to him. Probably the one that Gry and he flanked, if it's still standing. If not, then the one who attacked him. Moving with the speed of the potion, he's a blur of movement. If somewhat innacurate movement, despite his trying to keep his sword slashes quick and accurate. His first swing bounces off the troll's side ineffectually (unless AC 16 hits :P), while his third jab misses the creature altogether. But somehow, a second overhand chop granted by his heightened speed comes down straight on the troll's shoulder, hacking deep. The troll's body begins freezing, and he's curious to see if that part regenerates just as quickly, but doesn't pay too much attention to such details. Gotta watch out for these guys' right hooks. (I did 11 and 3 damage, plus 1 from the prayer, so 15 damage total)
Jake hits with ac 16 so he does damage for that roll. I rolled damage for you. Also you forgot to add in your str bonuses on damage for hte first roll so I added them in as well.
Mac (Huge, Reach:15', AC:16, HP:62/62) d20+7=19 4d6(4+6+1+3)+23=37 Friday December 24th, 2004 1:50:38 PM
Mac looks over at Trellus with a smile. "Tis already on the top o' my T'Do List." He steps right until he is above T8 on the map, and then south until T8 is in reach, and swings down hard [PA:-5/+10] on the head of the troll - hitting AC:19 for 37 damage.
OOC: The Cleave description states that the additional attack is "against another creature within reach." If this is predicated on the notion that a down opponent is no longer a threat, i.e. not going to regenerate and get back up again, then I seek a decision allowing Cleave attacks against the downed opponent where the character is aware (from past experience or relevant Knowledge) that the creature will return to pose a threat.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
I have no problem with you taking a cleave into a downed troll.
Anuk [HP 23, AC 21 (22vsT6 - dodge)] Prayer, Point Blank Shot, Bracers of Archery d20+13=27 d8+5=10 Friday December 24th, 2004 5:46:41 PM
The pain from the trolls ripping into him certainly breaks Anuk's reverie. As suddenly as the pain appears, it disappears thanks to Trellus' healing.
Facing T6 and T7 and muttering "Thanks," to Trellus, Anuk suddenly breaks left and moves 30ft away (provokes AOO) as quickly as he can. Stopping short, he turns and sends an arrow back into T6's chest.
(hits AC 27 for 10pts - Attack +1 prayer, +1 mw arrows, +1 point blank shot, +2 bracers of archery; Damage +1 Prayer, +1 point blank shot, +2 str bonus, +1 bracers of archery)
(ooc: sorry 'bout the missed post--thought I'd be able to get to a computer yesterday :-S)
Flea (AC 19, 41 HP, Bless AC 23 vs giants) d20+13=31 d20+5=18 d3+1=4 3d6(1+5+6)=12 Friday December 24th, 2004 7:36:50 PM
Flea dodges the approaching troll and tumbles behind it when she sees Mac coming to her aid [Tumble=31]. Reaching into her quiver she extracts a single arrow and drives it into the troll's leg, behind the knee, hoping to slow it down and inflict maximum damage [Hit AC=18 for 4 hp + 12 HP sneak attack damage (took -4 penalty for using arrow as melee weapon)]
Grymash (hp81/54, ragehp95/68, ac16, rage, enlarge) d20+13=19 d20+8=26 2d6(6+6)+23=35 2d6(2+6)+23=31 Friday December 24th, 2004 8:33:49 PM
Grymash spies the stink meat attacking Jake out of the corner of his eye. That's all it takes for the beast to receive barbarian's wrath. The 13-ft tall Grymash swings his massive axe over the head of Jake to strike the troll that flanked him.
(Full attack. Powerattack+5, twohanded+10. HitAC: 19, 26. Damage: 35+31=66. I cant open the map, so Im not sure if there are any trolls nearby.)
DM George combat round 3 d20+8=26 d20+8=10 d6+6=8 d20+6=14 d20+4=16 d20+4=21 d20+4=5 d6+5=8 d6+5=10 2d6(1+1)+8=10 d20+8=16 d20+8=28 d20+8=19 d20+8=20 d20+4=5 d20+8=24 d20+8=27 d20+3=17 d6+5=9 d6+5=7 d6+5=6 d6+5=7 2d6(5+5)+8=18 2d6(3+3)+8=14 d20+8=25 d20+8=18 d20+3=8 d6+5=10 d6+5=11 2d6(4+2)+8=14 d20+8=10 Friday December 24th, 2004 9:36:17 PM
Jake and Grymash conspire to chop T5 to pieces
Tishe summons a bison to protect her this round but only has it standing by her so far.
Trellus scoots over to heal Annuk with the wand but is surprised when Annuk repays the favor by running away, leaving the poor cleric to face two angry trolls. He does draw two AOO from his withdrawal though. One scores a hit doing 8 points of damage.
Gilan loses concentration for the round and stands idly as he watches his friends do combat.
Mac chops into the T8 but doesn't put it down so isn't able to cleave anything this round.
Flea tumbles behind the creature, and sticks an arrow in it, causing it to roar in anger but it still is standing.
T4 is still thrashing around in the entangle but is held fast.
Grymash is looking at T5 with satisfaction when he cries out in pain. T3 has come back to life and clawed into his leg He hit with both claws but rolled a natural one with the bite. He does 28 points of damage do to rending.
T9 comes over and tries to attack Jake but misses.
Tellus is torn into by the T6 and T7. Both hit with both claws,(one missed with a critical hit chance)but both rend him. Trellus's world turns to pain and blood and the darkness. He takes 61 points of damage and falls unconcious.
T8 tears into Mac again hitting with the 2 claws and rending Mac's flesh. He misses with the bite but does 35 points of damage
T10 closes with Mac, invoking an Aoo but misses
(Mac please roll your AOO on your next round.)
OOC Guys, I will be travelling on Monday and might not be able to post. If everyone can post on Sunday, I will do the post for Monday on Sunday night. If everyone doesn't post, I won't. Have a Merry Christmas.
Mac (Huge, Reach:15', AC:16, HP:27/62) - last round'sAOO d20+7=23 4d6(4+5+6+5)+23=43 d20+9=29 4d6(5+1+4+4)+23=37 d20+9=26 8d6(6+1+1+3+4+6+2+3)+46=72 Saturday December 25th, 2004 4:37:43 AM
AOO from last round:
With searing claw gouges across his chest, Mac reacts to the inbound Troll (T10) - pivoting nearly 3.25 short tons around with axe at full extension. Hits AC:23 for 43 damage.
If this yields a Cleave then Mac completes the full turn (one good turn deserving another), slicing into T8. Hits AC:29 (Nat 20 & Flanking) for 37 damage. Crit Check hits AC:26 for an additional 72 damage.
OOC: Sorry George, but I need to know how that fared before Mac acts this round. Flea would probably also find it useful.
Sorry you do tremedous damage to T10 but don't put it down, so you don't get a cleave this round. Do roll your for your cleave next round and I bet it will be successful as both are badly damaged. Merry Christmas
Mac (Huge, Reach:15', AC:16, HP:27/62) d20+12=28 4d6(6+2+3+2)+13=26 d20+12=25 4d6(5+6+3+6)+13=33 d2=1 Saturday December 25th, 2004 1:23:47 PM
Mac attacks T8, hitting AC:28 for 26 damage. Turning, Mac cleaves T10, hitting AC:25 for 33 damage. "Flea, wait for some to make you space and help Trellus. Nice work with the arrow!" The taur fumbles around in his backpack for a potion, grabbing the CMW, as he moves 30' towards T7.
Gilan[HP: 57/57, AC: 19](dodge vs troll, prayer) d20+9=27 d6+5=7 Saturday December 25th, 2004 4:32:50 PM
Gilan decides to stay right where he is at this time and lob the flaming ball at the next closest troll that fell (hit: 27 and damage: 7).
He spots Trellus as he falls and makes a slight move in his direction, trying to avoid the trolls that dropped him. "Need some help over here with Trell...get the trolls and I will get him back up." He hopes that one of the big fighter types will hear him and take the initiative.
(produce flame: 4/7balls, 1d6+5, ranged touch or melee touch)
Jake (AC 24, hp 45/52, Prayer, Haste) d20+13=23 d20+13=15 d20+13=25 d20+8=25 d10=8 d6=3 d10=3 d6=3 d10=8 d8=7 d6=3 Sunday December 26th, 2004 7:31:20 AM
(Btw, for me the pictures don't load, but l e a free punk kin...
Again, Jake doesn't know what to do. On one hand, others in the group are being attacked, and Trellus, the leader, is down! He needs to go over and help save the leader, and yet, he's most effective when he's not moving as much around the area. Especially since, if he leaves here, the troll will just follow him and beat him up some more... "Ah'llgettoTrellinjustasec!" he yells out, the words tumbling out a bit too fast for others. It seems that there's only a few around him and Gry, and only two are really up (one who's on the ground, #3, and attacking, and #9 who just came up to attack Jake). He figures, this round, he can start off this one and Gry can at least take care of these trolls down into nothing, and next round, Jake can head off to heal Trell while Gry charges mindlessly at something else. So it is that Jake steps forward at the troll who just missed him, grim determination in his eyes. "Ah'vegotnotimeforya," he mumbles as he brings his sword across in a careful thrust. He feels totally satisfied seeing the long trail of blood it leaves across he the chest of the creature. He starts to bring the sword back down in a chop...but remembers that's what he did last round at the last second. That's what the troll would expect he figures. So, spinning all the way around, he cuts into it with the exact same motion in a great twirl of a move, spinning like a top. And he keeps on going, and even the last cut is well-aimed and hits the troll hard. He comes to a stop in his unexpected twirl just in time, and marvels to himself at the move, which he'd never try while not sped up. (Spent a hero point to reroll the 2nd die...and thought it was an interesting image to make it a spinslash... anyways, did 15 slash, 3 icy, and 1 prayer damage first attack, 10 slash, 3 icy, 1 prayer damage 2nd attack, and 15 slash, 3 icy, 1 prayer damage 3rd attack. Accidentally hit d8 button, no mmeant to. Total damage is a whoppin' 52 damage this round! I'm almost a mini-Gry!)
Tishe' (AC 16 HP 29/29) d20+10=23 d8+11=14 d20+10=21 d8+11=16 Sunday December 26th, 2004 10:37:54 AM
[OOC: Tishe' can make a summoned creature appear anywhere within 35 feet. In addition, while it takes one round of casting time (Tishe' can't do anything else) "It appears where you designate {Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)} and acts immediately, on your turn." Tishe' should be able to summon the bison right beside Anuk and it should be able to attack the troll.]
The small woman sees the two trolls ignore her bison and ravage Trellus, leaving him a bloody mess on the grass. She has no time for worries, but immediately weaves an identical spell, and a second Celestial Bison arrives to attack.
(Casts Summoning III, augmented)
The first Bison gores a troll, and smites the evil one (AC 23, Dam: 19 14+5smite) and the second appearing in front of the green monsters likewise attacks and smites (AC 21, Dam: 21 16+smite)
Celestial Bison [5 rounds](AC 13, HP 47, A: 1@+10, D: d8+11)// Smite Evil (Su): 1/day +5 damage against an evil foe// Damage Resistance: 5/magic //Resistance: 5/electric, cold, acid
Celestial Bison [4 rounds](AC 13, HP 47, A: 1@+10, D: d8+11)// Smite Evil (Su): 1/day +5 damage against an evil foe// Damage Resistance: 5/magic //Resistance: 5/electric, cold, acid
I understand you can have the bison attack in the same round as they appear. Tishe didn't. She just summoned it and had it stand there. I have to admit I misread the post, and thought you were having it come to your side but still the trolls could have attacked Trellus.
Grymash (hp81/36*, ragehp95/48*, ac16, rage, enlarge) d20+13=30 2d6(3+4)+23=30 d20+2=13 d20+13=18 d20+13=33 d20+13=21 d20+8=23 2d6(4+6)+11=21 2d6(3+4)+6=13 2d6(3+3)+6=12 2d6(5+6)+6=17 2d6(5+6)+11=16 d20+12=28 2d6(4+2)+25=31 Sunday December 26th, 2004 4:28:38 PM
(Standing up from a prone position draws an attack of opportunity, pg 141. If I deal enough damage to drop him again, I was never attacked by him and took no damage because my AoO happens first.)
Grymash notices the troll come back to life and attacks him brutally. (AoO attack. Powerattack+5, twohanded+10. HitAC: 30. Damage: 30.)
Grymash also notices the trolls behind him where the little weak man-meat (Trellus, he's raging :) is lying. (wisdom 13)Oddly, Grymash recognizes the little man, and doesnt feel anger toward him. But the trolls are another matter! With his trusty two-headed cleaver, the barbarian slices into the two stink-meat (T6 & T7) standing over the little man.
(Five foot step, for better position. Since I cant see the map, Im assuming Trellus is still behind me since he said he was when combat started. Twoweaponattack-2, three attacks. powerattack+2. HitAC: 18, 33threat/21crit, 23. Damage to T6: 21+13+[12+17,crit]=63. Damage to T7: 16.)
(If T6 drops, Gry will cleave into T7. Powerattack+6, twohanded+12. HitAC:28. T7 Damage: 31.)
I didn't have the troll try to stand up. He attacked you from the prone position. I took -4 because of it. You don't get an attack of opportunity. If you leave, the troll does get an attack against you. Please check your hitpoints, I see you at 26 normal and 40 raged.
Trellus (-3hp,prayer[4], spiritual wpn[3]) d20+10=14 d100=77 Sunday December 26th, 2004 5:32:26 PM [Prayer: +1 luck bonus to hit, damage, saves, and skill checks. -1 penalty on enemies for same. Range: 40' radius around Trellus]
Trellus' surprised, "Nuk?" is the last sound he makes before he's shredded and collapses to the ground.
Domi's Hammer swings ineffectively again at T5. [atk ac 14] [OOC - What Tishe' said. The bison should have been there.]
rolled to see if you stablized
Flea (AC 19, 41 HP, Bless AC 23 vs giants) Sunday December 26th, 2004 6:34:12 PM
Flea notices the turn of events near Gry and Trellus and immediately recognizes the importance of making sure that "once a troll has been killed, it stays killed". The gnome quickly (hasted) reaches into her pack and finds two pints of oil which she liberally splashes over the two dead / unconcious trolls that Mac has just defeated.
"Can anyone set fire to these treadles?" she yells out.
Anuk [HP 23, AC 21 (22vsT6 - dodge)] Prayer, Rapid Shot, Point Blank Shot, Bracers of Archery d20+11=18 d20+11=14 d8+5=6 d8+5=10 d20+11=16 d20+11=26 d8+5=13 d8+5=12 Sunday December 26th, 2004 9:00:26 PM
Anuk watches in horror as the trolls tear into Trellus. Light...what've I done..., he thinks. They were supposed to chase after me...get between us...
"TRELLUS!" he screams. "Get away from him you white-faced prairie pigs!!" Two more arrows race from his bow toward the troll he just attacked, but in his anger the shots go astray.
(AC 18 for 6 pts and AC 14 for 10 pts. Used 2 hero points for rapid shot re-rolls - AC 16 for 13 pts and AC 26 for 12 pts)
Attack +1 prayer, +1 mw arrows, +1 point blank shot, +2 bracers of archery, -2 rapid shot; Damage +1 Prayer, +1 point blank shot, +2 str bonus, +1 bracers of archery
[b] Since you don't have the percise shot feat, you have to take -4 on your rolls. Bison are there {/b}
DM George Combat round 4 d20+6=18 d100=49 d100=82 d20+8=15 d20+8=9 d20+3=23 d20+3=19 d6+6=10 d6+3=8 d6+3=9 d20+6=12 d20+6=25 d20+3=7 d6+6=10 d20+4=20 d20+4=16 d20=18 d6+5=11 d6+5=10 2d6(6+6)+8=20 d6+2=6 d20+4=19 d20+4=12 d20=15 d20=2 d20=20 d6+5=6 d6+2=3 d20+4=5 d20+4=24 d20+4=10 d20=5 d6+5=8 Sunday December 26th, 2004 10:35:57 PM
Mac chops into both T8 putting him down and then follows through and puts T10 down as well. Mac takes off his backpack and pulls out a potion. He has done his movement this round and cannot move towards Trellus until next round.
Jake slashes into the T9 hurting it badly but not putting it down.
Grymash slashes down at T3 at his feet putting it back into the realm of the nonmoving and then cleaves into T9 twice literally tearing it to pieces. It won't be able to fight for a while. (ooc Trellus is to far to help this round being around 25' away. He moved away to help Anuk and then was attacked. Please check post above and check your hitpoints.)
Gilan lobs a firebomb at T3 setting it aflame.
Tishe summons her second bison and sends both into the attack. Bison 1 attacks T6 and gets its attention Bison 2 attacks T7 and does some damage as well. These creatures are fighting right on top of Trellus. I am going to roll a 20% chance for Trellus to be trampled each round. He was lucky this round.
Trellus lies on ground bleeding. (Did not stabalize -3 hps)
Anuk realizes to his horror that the trolls didn't follow him and sees Trellus fall. He shoots 1 arrow into the T6 further wounding it. He misses with the other. (-4 without percise shot)
Flea pulls out her oil and starts sprinkling it on the two downed trolls. She can see the flesh knitting back together. Imagine her surprise when both sets of eyes open up.
T6 slashes and bites at Bison 1 doing 27 points of damage to it. Critical hit on the bite.
T7 only manages to slash his Bison 2 once for 10 points of damage.
T2 comes back to life at Grymashes feet. It doesn't get up but attacks while prone. It rips into Grymash with horrible effect. Both claws hit tearing deeply into Grymash's legs. it rips out chunks of flesh delighting in the spurting blood. It then bites down savagedly onto Grymash's foot. Grymash takes 47 points of damage. (By my figuring, Grymash is at -7)
Flea feels her armed grabbed as the troll digs its fithy claws into her. It misses with the second swing but connects with vicious bit to her thigh. (T8 attacked while prone)Flea takes 9 points of damage.
T10 attacks Mac also from the prone position hitting once for 8 points of damage.
OOC thanks for getting the posts in. I will try and check them tomorrow but this officially counts as Monday's post.
Tishe' (AC 16 HP 29/29) d20+10=20 d20+10=13 d8+11=14 Monday December 27th, 2004 6:28:33 AM
"We need to weave fast, Wart," the mage tells her horned toad familiar, "Get that summoning scroll!"
The horned toad dives into his travel satchel and produces the SummonIII scroll Tishe' scribed but a couple days before. A quick command word and the spell is complete, causing a small fire elemental to appear behind the two towering trolls.
"Burn the dead ones!" the mage commands.
"Bison, attack from the side!" she also commands her great herd beasts in Celestial, hoping to keep Trellus away from the sharp hooves.
The bison take the troll hits, some blocked by thier damage reduction. They move to the sides of the two trolls and continue to attack with sharp horns. (#1 AC 20 Dam:13, #2 AC14 miss)
The small fire elemental hisses and sputters, delaying its attack until a troll goes down.
Small Fire Elemental [5 rounds] waits to burn downed trolls
Celestial Bison #2 [4 rounds](AC 13, HP 42/47, A: 1@+10, D: d8+11)// Smite Evil (Su): 1/day +5 damage against an evil foe// Damage Resistance: 5/magic //Resistance: 5/electric, cold, acid
Celestial Bison #1 [3 rounds](AC 13, HP 25/47, A: 1@+10, D: d8+11)// Smite Evil (Su): 1/day +5 damage against an evil foe// Damage Resistance: 5/magic //Resistance: 5/electric, cold, acid
Trellus (-3hp,prayer[5], spiritual wpn[4]) d100=53 Monday December 27th, 2004 9:52:08 AM [Prayer: +1 luck bonus to hit, damage, saves, and skill checks. -1 penalty on enemies for same. Range: 40' radius around Trellus]
[First? stabilization roll fails - 53]
------
Trellus lies on the ground, Domi's Hammer hovering uselessly above his head.
Anuk [HP 34, AC 21 (22vsT6 - dodge)] Prayer 3d8(6+2+8)+5=21 Monday December 27th, 2004 11:36:29 AM
Realizing that his arrows are having little effect and hoping the trolls' attention is now fully turned to Tishe's bison, Anuk charges back toward the body of the fallen cleric. Placing himself between the trolls and his friend, Anuk snatches Trellus' healing wand from the ground where it lies and taps the body of the young pack leader. A short prayer to Domi escapes his lips, just for luck.
(cure serious wounds -- 21 hp healed)
(ooc: I'm not sure if I can use the wand or not. If I can, I'm hoping it still has a few charges left and so have used the same roll that Trellus used in healing Anuk earlier. Forgot about the penalty for firing into melee--my bad. Also, I have corrected my HP as the 23 was a typo. My aplogies.)
Tishe' (Illegal Second Post) Monday December 27th, 2004 2:06:24 PM
Small Fire Elemental [5 rounds] (AC 15, HP 13, A 1 +5, D d4+1 and d4 fire) Dodge, Darkvision, Burn: hit need Reflex save or catch fire.
Flea (AC 19, 32/41 HP, Bless AC 23 vs giants) Hasted d20+8=20 d20+8=22 d6+1=6 d6+1=7 3d6(4+2+2)=8 Monday December 27th, 2004 5:22:46 PM
Flea cries out when the trolls at her feet come back to life and rip at her with their claws. She drops her bow and draws her gnome's hooked hammer. With all her might she slams it home into the troll's ugly face [Hit T#8 AC 20 for 6 dmg]. She slams down again, yelling "and stay down!"[Hit AC=22 for 7 HP; 15 HP if the first blow rendered the troll unconcious and thus exposed it to sneak attack].
"Get some fire over here...FAST!" Flea yells out above the battle noise.
Boots of Speed-p. 250 DMG guide-act as though affected by a Haste Spell...p. 239 PHB) 5/10 rounds (not required to be consecutive rounds)
Grymash d100=100 Monday December 27th, 2004 6:26:52 PM
After a feral shrill, Grymash falls to the ground motionless.
(George - Grymash is either -7 or -19. It all depends if his Rage ends when he falls unconscious. If his rage ends when he falls unconscious, which the book does not cover in the Rage section, his hit points drop an additional 12 points. He would be dead. That's why i post both normal and rage hit points.)
(Stabilization roll = 100. Im dead for sure!)
Gilan[HP: 57/57, AC: 19](dodge vs troll, prayer) 2d8(4+1)+7=12 d8=4 Monday December 27th, 2004 7:48:35 PM
Gilan changes direction and heads for Grymash as he falls. With a curse he looks around at all the trouble that is going on and wonders how many will survive this fight.
He will try to avoid the trolls that are near Grymash as best he can as he lays a hand on the big man. "Poika tuulo kshapsae mod." He sends some healing into the big man (heal 15hp) as he watches the trolls around them. "How many are dead and how many alive?" As he listens to people to sing out he has another thought. "How many are down for at least a few?"
(produce flame: 4/7balls, 1d6+5, ranged touch or melee touch)
Jake (AC 24, hp 45/52, haste, prayer) d20+13=16 d20+13=32 d20+13=20 d20+8=17 d10=6 d6=1 d10=6 d6=4 d10=4 d10=7 d6=5 Monday December 27th, 2004 8:41:51 PM
Jake tries to knock the one that recovered and claws Grymash back into unconsciousness. (Being prone gives a bonus to hit, right? Well, the base roll is 16, plus whateverthat bonus is.) If he hits, he does some more damage... 14 and 1 freezing. He then proceeds to swing at some more of the fallen trolls...whichever ones seem to be closest to recovering and within reach. (I hit AC's 32 (20 if crit confim) and AC 17, I did 18 (30 if it criticaled) and 14 (plus 5 cold)...those two attacks, as I said, will be to try to hit any trolls nearby that are going to recover very soon, if possible.)ASD
DM George "Unofficial post" Tuesday December 28th, 2004 3:30:37 PM
Hey guys, I am on vacation this week and will be posting less on my regular schedule. I am holding off while waiting on Mac as his character is a little important tonight.
Grymash isn't dead yet. He is at -7 but he is in bad shape.
Tishe Nice move on the summoning of the fire elemental!
DM George Combat round 5 d20+8=24 d6+5=7 d20+4=19 d20+4=19 d20=13 d6+5=11 d6+5=7 2d6(2+1)+8=11 d20+8=26 d20+8=23 d6+5=6 d6+5=9 d20+8=28 d20+8=10 d20+8=26 d20+3=16 d6+5=9 d6+5=8 2d6(3+6)+8=17 d20+8=15 d20+8=10 d20+3=10 Tuesday December 28th, 2004 9:32:43 PM
Tishe summons a fire elemental which hangs back to start much to the happiness of the trolls. Bison 1 attacks T6 wounding it. Bison #2 misses T7
Anuk runs up to the Trellus and rummages for his wand. He finds but can't make it work.
Flea brutally sticks her hooked hammer into the troll's eye rendering T8 unconcious again. Her follow up strike, puts it down even farther.
Gilan runs up to Grymash and trys to cure him. T2 gets an AOO on him and hits for 7 points of damage. Gilan must make a DC check of 20 for a concentration check to have the spell work.
Jake then steps up and cuts down T2 putting him unconcious and follows up with a cut on T5 putting him farther down unconcious.
Mac decides to look around and holds back his strike this round. T10 takes full advantage and tears into Mac's legs still fighting from the prone position. Mac takes 29 points of damage as both claws hit and rend him. He falls unconcious.
Anuk draws 2 attacks of opportunity trying unsuccessfull to help Trellus and takes 15 points of damage.
T6 tears into bison 1 doing 19 points of damage
T7 strikes out at the bison2 3 times but misses with all three strikes
OOC sorry for no map but away from my own computer. Only 3 trolls still standing. t10 by Mac and Flea and T6 and T7 who are by Anuk and Trellus
Mac (Huge, Reach:15', AC:16, HP:19/62) - PA, Prayer, etc d20+11=28 4d6(4+6+3+1)+23=37 d20+11=25 4d6(3+3+2+3)+23=34 Tuesday December 28th, 2004 10:26:15 PM
OOC: back home and posting!
"Fire here - oiled and ready!"
Standard Action: Mac swings hard[PA] at T10, hitting AC28(target prone) for 37 damage, and cleaves T8, hitting AC25(target prone) for 34 damage.
"Flea?", Mac points at the potion on the backpack on the ground. "Can you get that into Gry? Get ready and I'll distract the Trolls shortly!"
Move Action: Mac moves to the left, bringing & keeping T2 just into 15' reach, whilst getting as close to the Bison fight as he can.
Carla to George Tuesday December 28th, 2004 10:34:20 PM
I'm going to defer posting until you rule on Mac's late post. I thought there was a bit of a holiday amnesty on posting until after the New Year since lots of folks are vacationing and don't have access to computers, etc.
Jake (AC 24, hp 45/52, haste, prayer) d20+14=21 d10=4 d6=4 Wednesday December 29th, 2004 2:04:21 AM
"Gil, help Gry, ah'll be right back..." Jake charges at the troll still fighting next to Flea and Mac. Giving a harsh battle cry, he lumbers in with all the strength behind his swing, hacking downwards into the troll's skull with all his might. Bits of stuff go all over... it's quite gruesome, Jake must admit. He gasps out to Flea, "Hey, baby, light my fire..." (and giggles out of character) (Hit AC 21 with a power attack -5, +4 to attack while prone and +2 while charging, did 17 damage and 4 freezing damage to the down guy)
Grymash (dying. ragehp-8. rage4, enlarge) d100=20 Wednesday December 29th, 2004 3:48:02 AM
Grymash continues to hemorrhage and convulse on the ground. His wounds are mortal and extremely bloody. So much so that he couldnt possibly still be alive, but yet he is. His furious spirit fights against Gargul's pull. There is still more blood to spill before he's ready to go. So Grymash continues his struggle but not for much longer.
(Thank goodness for rage. Without rage, Grymash is currently at -20 hitpoints. Stabilization check 20%, close but no cigar. Either 2 to 4 rounds of life left.)
Mac (Huge, Reach:15', AC:16, HP:-10/62) - Repost. Wednesday December 29th, 2004 5:03:53 AM
OOC: Sorry, didn't see DM George's post. Mac is at -10 Hit Points...
Trellus (-4hp,prayer[6], spiritual wpn[5]) d100=93 Wednesday December 29th, 2004 8:11:20 AM [Prayer: +1 luck bonus to hit, damage, saves, and skill checks. -1 penalty on enemies for same. Range: 40' radius around Trellus]
[Stablization check fails - 93] ---------
Trellus keeps bleeding
DM George "Casulity list Wednesday December 29th, 2004 1:09:25 PM
Grymash -8 Tellus -4 Mac -10 and dead
:: sigh :: my first kill
Tishe' (AC 16 HP 29/29) d20=2 d20+10=20 d8+11=12 d20+10=21 d8+11=18 Wednesday December 29th, 2004 4:02:20 PM
The small woman silently urges her summoned creatures on as she stops casting and whips her light crossbow out, loading [free action], and fires at a troll. Aiming high to miss her creatures, she aims too high and the bolt sails away (AC 2 +4 to hit, -4 in melee)
The first heavily wounded bison resists some damage and continues to occupy T6 (AC 20, Dam 12)
As the second bison dances with T7 (AC 21, Dam 18)
The fire elemental again delays its action awaiting when one of the trolls falls in order to burn it.
Celestial Bison #2 [3 rounds](AC 13, HP 42/47, A: 1@+10, D: d8+11)// Smite Evil (Su): 1/day +5 damage against an evil foe// Damage Resistance: 5/magic //Resistance: 5/electric, cold, acid
Celestial Bison #1 [2 rounds](AC 13, HP 11/47, A: 1@+10, D: d8+11)// Smite Evil (Su): 1/day +5 damage against an evil foe// Damage Resistance: 5/magic //Resistance: 5/electric, cold, acid
Small Fire Elemental [4 rounds] (AC 15, HP 13, A 1 +5, D d4+1 and d4 fire) Dodge, Darkvision, Burn: hit need Reflex save or catch fire.
Flea (AC 19, 32/41 HP, Bless AC 23 vs giants) Hasted 2d8(6+2)+2=10 Wednesday December 29th, 2004 5:41:54 PM
Despite the shock of seeing Mac go down, the gnome recognizes that he is beyond her help. She takes the taur's potion and races behind Jake and towards the bleeding half-orc. Blood pulses from Gry's gaping wound and she knows that life still courses through his veins. Flea pours the potion (CMW = 10 HP) down his throat and starts to search for the cleric's 'Feel Gud Stick'.
"TISHE!! get some fire over to those two downed trolls by Jake and HURRY! A mere spark will set the oil on fire!"
Boots of Speed-p. 250 DMG guide-act as though affected by a Haste Spell...p. 239 PHB) 6/10 rounds (not required to be consecutive rounds)
OOC: If someone sets Trolls #8 and #10 on fire they should take an additional 1d3 points dmg. each round for the next two rounds. (PHB p. 127)
Gilan[HP: 50/57, AC: 19](dodge vs troll, prayer) d20+4=19 d20+9=27 d6+5=6 Wednesday December 29th, 2004 6:19:13 PM
Gilan feels the bite of claws and feels his spell slide from him as he tries to help Gry. With a howl of desperation he looks around for a second and then Flea is there. "Thanks little sister." He looks to the downed trolls and shakes his head. "I got those two trolls just fine." His eyes narrow and he lobs the fire in his hand at the two downed trolls covered in oil (hit: 27 and damage: 6).
He glances to Mac who has fallen and he shakes his head again. He holds out his CLW wand for Flea to take as he gets ready to move on. "This is costing us dearly right now." He quickly stands as Flea takes care of Gry, but he points at the troll that Jake just downed. "What that one sister." He then starts to move towards Trellus where he lays on the ground. "I am coming Nuk."
Anuk [HP 19/34, AC 21 (22 vs T6 - dodge)] Prayer Wednesday December 29th, 2004 10:09:59 PM
Anuk fights through the pain of the trolls' attack, concentrating on helping his friend. Remembering a healing gift he received once long ago, he touches a small seal attached to his cloak, then casts the spell that leaps into his mind on Trellus.
He stands up protectively over Trellus' body, longsword in hand, and yells out to the pack members who are still conscious, "A healing spell should be in your minds...use it now on the injured!!
(heals 1hp)
(Activates Seal of Curing. This seal allows any and every character in the party to cast Cure Minor Wounds one time for a duration of one round as a standard action. (This lets anyone stabilize a character who has fallen unconscious in combat.)
DM George End of combat Thursday December 30th, 2004 3:31:30 PM
The bisons finish off their trolls and Jake hacks down Mac's slayer.
The elemental gets busy setting the downed trolls aflame.
Grymash and Trellus are stabilized. All you have left is to figure out what to do with Mac's body and belongings
Grymash (ragehp2, normalhp-10, rage5, enlarge) d20+2=19 Thursday December 30th, 2004 8:43:59 PM
Grymash's eyes flicker open and he greets the world again with a feral roar. He slowly rises to his feet. His body still has mortal wounds that would kill any other living creature. Only his rage keeps him in the Living Wold. He looks to his left and right at the field of battle. Stink meats set aflame, the big demontaur still down, the little man still down. He begins to step forward and a part of his innards falls and dangles out of one of his gapping gut wounds. He forces it back in. He growls at the weakness of his body for not staying together like it should (touch self with charged Cure Minor Wounds ability from Anuk's seal, 1hp added to his current 2hp which would give him 3hp. You may or may not allow. Gry can't cast spells while raging, but he of course didn't cast this spell).
(Wisdom 19) Grymash, seeing no more hostile threats, staggers over to the little man ... "he be trelllie," gry thinks. Gry's bloody mass kneels down, shaking with adrenaline from his rage, and yells at the unconscious cleric to take away the pain.
(Grymash isnt out of the woods yet from dying. If Gry couldnt deliver the CMW charge to himself [from Anuk's seal] when raging then he will still die when his rage drops. If Flea searched Gry's hewards handy haversack for his wand, she would have found a CLW potion instead. Gry's wand expired in the last module.)
Flea d20+9=20 d20+8=22 d8+1=7 d8+1=6 d20+1=16 Thursday December 30th, 2004 8:47:31 PM
(Free-posting, since not in combat)
Flea presses down on the chest of the great barbarian, willing extra healing into his bleeding body ( 1 HP-Anuk's Seal of Curing) Flea accepts the wand from Gilan, taking note that the druid intends to minister to the bleeding cleric, she closes her eyes and activates the wand twice (UMD=20, 22) pointing it at Grymash (CLW restoring 7+6 HP). Using what strength is left to her (Str=16) the gnome tugs at the half-orcs body, and places him on his side, in a safe recovery position before returning to Jake, where he stands over the bodies of the dead and burning trolls, near the corpse of Mac. She does not witness the still wounded barbarian rise.
Tears start to course down the gnome's cheeks, cleaning rivulets through the dirt and spattered blood. Flea falls to her knees, tugging and pulling at the dead taur's body as if setting it to rights would somehow restore the great taur to life. A high pitched keening emits from the rogue's body, as she continues her useless ministrations. All the while, scenes of the friendly beast's many small kindnesses to her run through her mind.
Gilan[HP: 50/57, AC: 19] 2d8(7+8)+3=18 2d8(8+8)+3=19 Thursday December 30th, 2004 11:01:50 PM
Gilan slips on over to Trellus's side and kneels by him. He looks to Anuk and holds out his hand. "Here...I can use that." When and if he is given the wand he will activate it twice for Trellus to get him back in the sorta pink.
He then looks over to Flea as she is near Mac's body and shakes his head. He lets it droop into his hands as he lets the wand slip to the ground. For once he lets go and just cries for a fallen comrade.
Tishe' Friday December 31st, 2004 7:12:04 AM
"Yes!" exults the small woman as her summoned creatures down the two large trolls. She lets the bison and fire elemental hang around until they dissapate at the end of her spells.
Some tough moments, but it looks like Gilan and Anuk have Trellus taken care of, and all the other trolls must be down or they would've been at her back, so the others must have done just as well. She pushes her brown hair away and turns around,
and stops.
And runs to the fallen minotaur. "Machesthai!" she yells. Pressing her hand on his chest, she wills Anuk's healing spell into the inert body. Kneeling in the bloody grass, she rummages madly through her satchel until shaking hands come up with the cure moderate wounds potion. But the great chest isn't rising, the warm brown eyes are fixed, and the small woman slumps over a great arm, lost in weeping.
Two bison and a fire elemental slowly disappear from the grassy hillside.
Jake Friday December 31st, 2004 8:59:30 AM
Using a stick, Jake continues the burning of the trolls, going from creature to creature, glancing at the others as they mourn Mac's passing. Unlike the others, he isn't feeling remourse...but guilt, though his stoic face doesn't display it. Instead, he just seems to be angry, kicking the trolls and muttering as he destroys them permanentl. He keeps on wondering several personal questions to himself...looking at the poor minotaurs dead body, and feeling really bad...at the same time knowing that people die, he can't help but feel the inevitability of the death. Why woulda nyone worship that danged god, he can't help but feel as well, looking at Grym's unconscious body with annoyance for another second...then just goinjg on to blame himself again.
Trellus (hp 33/59) 3d8(3+1+3)+5=12 d8=6 3d8(8+8+8)+5=29 Friday December 31st, 2004 9:19:57 AM
Trellus eyes open and he takes several deep breaths as he slowly focuses on Gilan standing over him.
"Shouldn't this be the other way round?" he asks his friend with a wry smile.
Grymash is screaming something. Without even getting up, the cleric pulls out his other healing wand and taps the barbarian twice. [CSW - 46 hp healed]
Trellus climbs to his feet, and notices Tishe and Flea weeping over the fallen minotaur. A look at Gilan confirms the worst. Light.
For one brief moment, the young man shoots Anuk a look of pure rage. The thought comes, unbidden and unfair, but comes nonetheless: This is 'Nuk's fault
Very delibrately, Trellus looks down at his feet, gazing at nothing, breathing heavily in an attempt to control his emotions.
And then he stands there, trying to think of what to do. The Manfri could do something, but they're far away. Trellus waits. He's going to have to talk with the cleric of Gargul, and that won't happen till Gry warps down.
Until then, the man can do little but look on helplessly.
Anuk [HP 19/34] Friday December 31st, 2004 10:29:52 AM
Anuk quietly and sadly hands Gilan the wand, then surveys the carnage as Gilan heals Trellus. He realizes for the first time that Mac has not gotten up. He watches Flea as she sobs over the minotaur's body, and Tishe's weeping over her friend.
He looks up at Trellus, glad to see him alive and moving, but something in Trellus' eyes tells Anuk that their friendship has changed...things are different now. Anuk looks away.
After a moment, he slumps to the ground as the memory of his dream back in the manfri cave comes to him. In is mind, he finds himself submerged in Rattledam's pool, unable to reach the surface and watching his friends die one by one. He recalls his father's death, remembering how he thought he was helping, but was actually the cause of the great man's demise. Lost in thought, he pulls his knees to his chest and sobs, "I...I tried. I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..."
Mac [deceased] Friday December 31st, 2004 8:35:58 PM
...eventually the Enlarge Person concludes - Mac's form resuming its more usual size.
-==-
The tranquility, the bright sunlight from a cloudless sky, and the steady undulation of a raft on the ocean...
DM George Sunday January 2nd, 2005 10:11:20 AM
The beautiful day seems a little bleak suddenly, as the wind whips over Mac's body. The air stinks of burning troll bodies as the fire elemental gleefully bounces from one to the next before he disappears.
Grymash still is raging and is unable to calm down enough to cure himself. (ooc I think the seal gives you the ability to cast the spell. While raging you can't cast spells).
The group heals its wounded but seems to be in shock as they realize one of their own has fallen. Feelings of anger and guilt rear their ugly heads as the Bloodpack mourn their friend.
Decisions need to be made. Will they bury Mac here or try have him raised or resurected.
Flea (AC 19, 32/41) Sunday January 2nd, 2005 10:16:01 PM
Flea stops her shrill cry of mourning when she witnesses Tishe's heart-rending response to the death of her great friend and protector. "I dunno what to do," she whispers, stroking the dense shaggy fur matted by blood. "His body's till warm..." the gnome lets her words trail off. Looking over her shoulder at the Bloodpack, she sees a range of emotions in the espressions on their faces.
Flea climbs unsteadily to her feet. Trellus' has an angry not now kind of look on his face, so she seeks out Gilan. Resting a hand lightly on his shoulder, she waits for him to look at her. When he does, she points to Anuk, a troubled look on her face.
Jake Monday January 3rd, 2005 2:56:11 AM
Jake trots over to the dead body of the great warrior. He silently admits to himself, he never knew the big guy very well. It was just so hard talking to anybody but his closest friends, he silently wonders... Even Tishe, he could barely talk to. And Flea, he's sorta gotten used to her... He looks to Trellus, Gilan, Anuk, Grymash. Packmates since they were kids. He wishes he could say a prayer or something, something to the guy who fought beside them and helped them out so much. Someone he barely knew, and yet was dependant upon, who must have saved his life by now at least once or twice. But nothing is coming to his lips, and he just feels horrible. Jake finally walks over to Trellus and says softly to his close buddy, "If.. if ah ever die, please, jes leave me to the plains. An'...an', don't go through some big ritual, or nothin. Ah..ah dunno if ah could handle it, ya know?" He halfheartedly smiles and then wanders away, heading to pick up some stuff he must've dropped or something.
Trellus Monday January 3rd, 2005 10:54:56 AM
Trellus claps Jake on the shoulder, his hand lingering for a moment out of a need for more contact with his friend.
Like Jake, Trellus can't bring himself to grieve deeply for the minotaur. Death is a constant in Rattledam, and he just didn't know Mac that long.
As the fighter walks off, he looks again at Anuk. There's a talk that needs to happen, but not yet.
Gry seems to be calming down. Trellus waves Gilan over, and goes to the half orc for an impromptu meeting.
"There are spells," he says, quietly. "We can preserve him until we find a Catacombs branch. Carry him along in a stretcher or something. Sell a bunch of stuff, get a scroll, and try to bring him back from Gargul." Trellus looks at Grymash, gauging his reaction to the idea.
Gilan Monday January 3rd, 2005 11:47:17 AM
Gilan looks up to Flea and shakes his head as he dries his own tears away. "You are quite right...other work needs to be taken care of." He stands and makes his way to Nuk's side and then kneels by the man. "Snap out of it man...there is little that any of us could have done." He looks to the big minotaur and shakes his head. "Now we see to getting him back or burying him as his spirit decides." If he has to he will slap Anuk across the face to wake him up.
Catching the signal from Trellus he stands once again and makes his way over to their leader. "Gargul will not be too willing without somekind of sacrifice...remember that." He says this not to persuade the group from not doing it just to warn them of what they face. "He will also gauge our part in this battle and our ability to have saved Mac...lets hope he finds us deserving." He nods along with Trellus's idea, figuring that he can chip in a few gold for the cause...it is the least he can do. "I am in."
With a thought he speaks up. "I could reincarnate but......." He leaves it hanging not really liking the idea at all. The frown on his face tells you that it is not a option that he wants to take.
Tishe' Monday January 3rd, 2005 2:18:09 PM
It takes time, but the mages tears lessen. Though they do not cease thier flowing, her sparkling eyes fill with more than her sorrow at the loss of so noble a warrior.
"We met while sailing across the Plains to Rattledam." she tells the air about her. She continues speaking as if to herself, though she knows the 'pack is listening as well. "I told him of my land, and he told me of his. Such a gentle soul to be lost so far away from his home."
"If we can preserve his body to a future time to perhaps bring him back even from the Shadow Realms, I will help all I may."
"If not, I think to bury Machesthai would be a disservice. He is a smith and from a family of smiths. We are not on the Plains, and so a fitting funeral would be a pyre."
Her quicksilver attention ever looks at different aspects of a situation, and she ends almost wistfully. "Mac didn't even show me his homeland..."
Anuk Monday January 3rd, 2005 4:30:18 PM
Anuk blinks back the remaining tears. "You are right, Gilan. The past is past," he tells the druid. He thanks his friend and stands to be among the pack.
He approaches Trellus. Putting his hand on the cleric's shoulder, he simply looks his friend in the eye and sends a heart touch to him in apology. Then he turns and walks over to Mac's body. He knows he and Trellus will have words later, but the pack's needs must come first.
Listening to Tishe', he responds, "If it's a pyre he needs, we should move him if we can...I don't think he should leave the Wold with his ashes mixed with the ashes of those who took his life." He gestures to the burning remains of the trolls.
Grymash Monday January 3rd, 2005 10:18:17 PM
When Grymash finally calms he falls down to his hands and knees (I dont know how much healing he's received) and regrugitates his morning breakfast. Still slathered in blood, a frothy sweat and other bodily fluids, Grymash does his best to regain his composure. When he finally gets to his feet, the sickly pale half-orc slowly makes his way over to his demontaur friend. Casting aside his helm and buckler, he kneels down next to the tauran goliath. With filth still stringing from his mouth he begins to pray to Gargul. A shaky hand reaches for his belt pouch. Grymash pulls out a small vial of sweet smelling oil and begins to anoint Mac.
Grymash hopes it works again. It worked twice before. He brought back the druid girl. He brought back Flea, just a few short days before. He hopes he's still in Gargul's favor. Will he give him the power this time. With a deep and raspy voice, he calls forth the power of his god. "Gargul ... it be me, Grymash Mountainback, yooz most favored servant. Give Gry da power of life, as yooz give Gry the power of death. See fit ta brings Mac back to us." Then Grymash looks down at Mac and commands, "Mac, wake up! Come back now! WAKE UP, GRY SAY! DIS NOT TIME FOR RESTIN'!"
DM George Monday January 3rd, 2005 11:10:59 PM
The group huddles around the body as Grymash starts his ritual. He bathes the body in oil and calls out to his Gargul. Nothing happens. Mac is still dead and doesn't seem to be coming back.
As the group looks around and starts to compose themselves, they remember that Mac wasn't the only victim to the trolls marauding. A dwarven leg is laying in the clearing and upon inspection other things can be found. Some body parts but also equipment.
These dwarves looked to be well equipped. They had armor and weapons. The armor seems to be totally destroyed in the battle but the battleaxes seem to be in decent shape.
The air is foul with a greasy smoke coming from several different smouldering trolls.
Flea Tuesday January 4th, 2005 12:29:40 AM
Ignorant to the ways of the gods of the Wold Flea listens intently to all that her pack-mates have to say about their respective dieties. She has never heard of anyone coming back after they have died or been killed. She shakes her head when Grymash tries to awaken the dead taur.
Going over to Tishe' she suggests, "lets collect all the weapons and make a pyre for Mac out of them. Maybe if we make a really big fire the gods will see it and come to get Mac and take him home? If they come, maybe we can talk to them?"
Jake Tuesday January 4th, 2005 12:38:09 AM
Jake looks over at Anuk.. Why's the guy blaming himself? He wasn't paying attention to that side of the fight, but still, that can't be all Anuk's fault... He walks on over and pats his friend on the shoulder. "'nuk, it's not all your fault... ya can't do everything right all the time. Heck, remember that time ah was supposed to keep watch for the elders and ah fell asleep? or the first time we drank too much of the glass grass and who was the one who confessed first? It's them trolls that were doing the fighting and killing, not you. They're tha dry guys."
DM George "Supplementry post" Tuesday January 4th, 2005 7:55:27 AM
The group sees a figure striding towards them from a distance. As the figure nears, he looks to have some elvish blood but is large for an elf. He seems well equiped and confident in his bearing.
Trellus d20+7=22 Tuesday January 4th, 2005 10:01:02 AM
[Trellus healed Gry for 46 hp]
Trellus looks on unhappily as Grymash weaves. The cleric is pretty sure that's not the way it works.
"Its shady, Gry," he says at last. "We'll bring him along and try later."
"No fires," he tells Tishe and Flea. "We'll make a litter, and we're bringing Mac and his stuff with us. I got a spell to keep his body from getting sunbaked. Once we find a Catacombs branch, we get a scroll and try to get Mac back."
As Trellus is finishing his pronouncement, he see the newcomer approaching. Light, we don't have time for this.
"Flea, Nuk", he says quietly, giving a head bob toward the stranger, "go right"
Trellus staightens up and faces the elf (or whoever). "Many shadows!" he calls "How can we help you?"
The cleric stands ready just in case the stranger tries something. [Ready Action - cast Dispel Magic if stranger starts casting - caster check 22]
Stranger Tuesday January 4th, 2005 10:40:31 AM
The stranger continues to walk toward the group. He walks with a purposeful, confident stride, but doesn't seem to be in a rush. As he's walking, you see that he's wearing a cloak with the hood off.
At Trellus's words, he slows a bit but continues walking. As he gets closer,you can make out shoulder length light brown hair, and even from a distance, piercing blue eyes. Even though he is smiling, those eyes seem to look right into Trellus. He holds his hands out to the sides away from his swords,(is he wearing a longsword on each hip and have a sword on his back?)
He says as he gets fairly close,"I saw the fires from a distance and felt I needed to invetigate. And what is that smell from?"
He seems friendly enough, but he really didn't answer Trellus's question.
Tishe' Tuesday January 4th, 2005 3:11:11 PM
The approach of the stranger takes the small woman's mind away from her fallen friend, if only for the moment. If anybody is coming to fight, Tishe' is more than willing to bring it to them.
She stands where she is, minotaur blood and troll ash on her clothing, and readies a Web spell for Trellus' signal.
Flea d20+23=28 d20+12=17 d20+8=24 Tuesday January 4th, 2005 5:30:58 PM
Flea retrieves her gnome hooked hammer and nudges Anuk to get his attention as she reacts to Trellus' order. Making eye contact with the ranger, the rogue lifts her chin quickly to indicate the approaching newcomer. Flea tries to melt into whatever cover is available, hoping that it, and the smoke from the fires will hide her from view as she moves to flank the strange elf. Warily she looks about to make sure he is alone.
Hide=28 Search=17 Spot=24
DM George Tuesday January 4th, 2005 9:02:46 PM
OOC What happen to the posts today?
The stranger seeing the fires, moves in to investigate. Many of the Bloodpack are distraught and upset over their friend'e death. Some give a careful hello while others prepare for battle. Others are strangely silent.
Gilan Tuesday January 4th, 2005 9:29:02 PM
Gilan gives the stranger a nod as he moves further into the camp and figures that Trell has this in hand. He moves off to see if he can find some strong poles of about eight feet that they can improvise a stretcher out of. This will also allow him to move away from the others and give him a better line of attack.
Mac Tuesday January 4th, 2005 9:30:08 PM
...Mac remains strangely silent... ; )
Anuk d20+8=24 d20+11=21 Tuesday January 4th, 2005 10:40:11 PM
Anuk chuckles at the memory of the glass grass he and Jake had downed. Light, but that was a lifetime ago. A smile breaks across his face. "Yeah...you're right. When we get back to Rattledam, we're gonna have to try it again. Get it right this time, y'know? I'll make sure you're the one who confesses first this time" he says with a wink. He's glad for the friendship...Jake always seems to know how to lift his mood.
Anuk gathers up his bow just as the stranger appears in the distance. Nodding to Trellus and Flea, he moves quietly with the gnome and disappears just past the edge of the clearing.
(Move silently - 24, Hide - 21)
(OOC: Sorry, first chance to sit down and post today.)
Grymash Tuesday January 4th, 2005 11:14:55 PM
Grymash bows his head in sadness as he continues to kneel over Mac's body. He wonders what he has done to offend Gargul. Why he no longer has the power to command the dead back to life.
Flea d20-1=17 Tuesday January 4th, 2005 11:40:58 PM
Flea hunkers down and beckons Anuk to do the same. "'Nuk, what do you make of that one? You figger him for a beater?" Flea studies what she can make out of the elf with the strange blue eyes, in an attempt to discern his nature. (Sense Motive=17)
Jake Tuesday January 4th, 2005 11:46:32 PM
Jake is relieved at Anuk's improved humor and turns his attention to the newest person. An elf! he ponders. Hmmm. Elves are usually okay, he thinks to himself, remembering what he knows from books and, indeed, from what he'd been told of his mother. Regular people, but weird in certain ways... And they don't like half-elves, he thinks to himself. So, he'd better not say nuttin'. He keeps his sword ready, and makes sure that all the trolls are dead, then turns back to the guy.
Trellus d20+7=13 Wednesday January 5th, 2005 11:16:59 AM
Trellus looks uncertainly at the stranger. The dude acts like he's on a stroll in a place that's supposed to be far from civilization.
"The smell is burning troll," he answers cautiously. "They attacked us."
Taking a chance, the cleric seizes upon a possible opportunity. "Listen, if you could point us to a town, it'd be totally shady. Our packmate's thread got cut (nodding toward Mac), and we need to find a temple or something in a hurry."
Trellus silently wonders if maybe he should know this dude [Knowledge(Religion) - 13]
Stranger Wednesday January 5th, 2005 12:06:31 PM
The stranger walks on toward the group and, as he's coming in closer, he removes his cloak. The sunlight glints off mithril as he drapes the cloak over one arm. He appears to be a walking arsenal. You saw the three swords, but he also has two baldrics of jeweled daggers draped across his chest.
He responds to Trellus with a nod and says,"I thought I recognized the stench. Not much in the Wold smells worse than burnt troll. I trust that you got all the pieces? Wouldn't want an army of trolls growing from the pices left behind."
As he gets closer, Trellus feels he should remember this person, as, up close, you can tell he's actually a half elf and not full blood. He's got arms the size of most people's legs, yet moves with a grace that belies his size. He's over six feet tall, and well over two hundred pounds.
He also says,"I am not here for a fight, so your friends can come back out. You say your packmate's 'thread got cut'? That's another way of saying he's dead, I believe. I am sorry to hear that. Did he die well?
And to answer your question, I don't know where any towns are, as I'm not from this area. I teleported in here with a specific purpose and am not familiar with the area. You haven't seen a bronze dragon roaming around here, have you? I am here to track one down."
Trellus d20+2=8 Wednesday January 5th, 2005 2:40:31 PM
Trellus stares hard. He's seen this dude before, somewhere....the memory eludes him [int check 8].
Nevertheless, the blond man is certain he's a weaver, and messing with him would be a very sunbaked idea.
"Nuk, Flea - c'mon out," he says.
"Um, we haven't seen a dragon," he tells the man. DRAGON! his mind screams. Domi's Light!
"I'm sure Mac died well," he continues. "But... uh... well... You see, I wasn't really conscious at the time..." Trellus trails off uncertainly, and looks to his packmates for some help.
Tishe' d20+13=15 d20+13=22 Wednesday January 5th, 2005 2:59:15 PM
Tishe' is a little startled at this obvious warrior casually talking about teleportation and hunting down bronze dragons. To her mind, both require some serious magic. Her Spellcraft [15] and Knowledge of Arcana [22] are sufficient to impress her as to what powerful friends this elf really has.
"Trellus," she says with a glimmer of hope, "teleportation is a powerful spell. Perhaps he knows some strong cleric to bring Mac back to life!"
Then she begins looking warily at the elf. "Bronze dragons are good creatures," she whispers to the cleric of Domi. "Why does he want to hunt one?"
She keeps the Web spell firmly in her mind, perhaps the only thing to hold off the elf he decides to attack.
Gilan Wednesday January 5th, 2005 6:19:59 PM
Gilan comes back into the battle area holding four poles of at least eight feet in length. He once again looks to the stranger and listens to what is being said.
He looks up at the mention of a dragon of any kind. "Why is it that you hunt this dragon...sport, pleasure or something else?" He looks to the others and notices Trellus looking at the rest of them. "Yes, Mac did die well...without him we would have not been in such good shape." He looks to the ground for a second and shakes his head as he whispers to himself. "Though I should have been there...."
Flea Wednesday January 5th, 2005 6:54:45 PM
"I was there!" pipes up Flea as, heeding Trellus' call, she comes out of hiding. "Mac was fearless to the end," she volunteers. With hooked hammer in hand she pantomimes Mac pivoting around with battle axe at full extension. "Aaarrrggghhh!" she grunts as she 'cleaves' into imaginary trolls.
When the strange half-elf mentions his search for a dragon, Flea continues he monologue, acting out the drama "I saw a dragon egg once. In the city. I betcha Mac could wrestle a dragon, if he was here. Maybe not an adult, but surely a young one. He'd pin it back by it's wings, hold it in a head-lock, and make it cry for it's momma!"
DM George Wednesday January 5th, 2005 10:20:01 PM
The group converses with the stranger but no one has introduced themselves. Most seem wary of this confident half-elf and worried he is looking for dragons by himself.
The conversation turns to Mac and many immediately start saying nice things about the departed Minotaur. Almost reminds me of a wake.
Grymash has withdrawn into himself feeling shunned by his God. Why didn't he anwser his prayers. Why is his friend still lying dead on the ground. Has Gargul foreshaken him?
The Stranger Revealed.. Wednesday January 5th, 2005 11:02:02 PM
The stranger listens carefully as each speaks, then grins from ear to ear as Flea does her best rendition of the minotaur fighting.
He has now come within just a few feet of the group and you can see he carries a mithril shield placed somehow on his back as to not interfere with drawing that sword. That sword! From up close can be seen several jewels built into the hilt, and the visage of a dragon along the side. From the stranger's left ear dangles an earring in the shape of a miniature gold dragon. On the left shoulder of his mithril breastplate, you can now clearly make out the letter 'V'.
He walks close to Trellus and holds out a hand saying,"You should know me. We have met before at the Giggling Ghost and at our tavern in Plateau City before that. I am Valdor of the Gold Dragons. And you are Trellus. I also recognize Flea, but the others I do not recognize or know. Could you introduce me please? I will then answer your questions about why I am here."
If Trellus does so, he shakes hands with each who will return his shake.
Mac - OOC Wednesday January 5th, 2005 11:28:37 PM
A wake?! I'd rather be awake than at one. ; )
Jake Wednesday January 5th, 2005 11:52:47 PM
Tracking a dragon? Even Jake has to admit that's pretty neat. Dragons are like...all, big and stuff. He thinks. Something he knows of them, from the picture books, is that they hoard gold. That alone gives him an idea. "Y'know, if ya need help trackin' any wayward lizards hereabouts, ah think ya can trust the Bloodpack. We ain't really from this area, but from the Plains, a little south o' here. This here's our grassy packleader, Trellus, the big shady is Grymash, that little gal creepin' like a snake in the grass is Flea. Anuk and Gilan are the real grassmen of the group; ask 'em for directions and ah bet they can give ya a cool breeze. That spell-slingin' gal is Tishe, and our fallen horned friend is Mac. Mah name is Jake...ah'm the Slim Shady around here.
(Been waiting weeks to say that)
"Now, if ye're gonna be huntin' some dragon, we can sure help. Ah mean, ah've never hunted no dragon 'fore, but ah never thought ah'd be slipping outta Rattledam without bein' chased by an angry father neither."
Anuk Thursday January 6th, 2005 12:09:04 AM
Anuk emerges from his his hiding place in the trees and approaches the stranger warily with Flea. He tries to maintain a serious facade for the half-elf's benefit, but Flea's description of Mac's prowess brings a grin involuntarily to his face. "You know, Flea...I think Mac really could do it." he says.
As the group discusses tracking the dragon with Valdor, Anuk's excitement heightens. A chance to chase down a fearsome creature makes his mind race. He puts his gloved hand out to Valdor and says, "I'm Anuk...and I'm in."
Flea Thursday January 6th, 2005 1:30:35 AM
"Furtif Aeanora Flibbertigibbet," announces the gnome, displaying a gap toothed grin, offering the hand not holding the hooked hammer. If/when the hero takes it she adds, "you can call me Flea, like Jake says."
Gilan Thursday January 6th, 2005 2:36:14 AM
Gilan walks slowly forward as the man introduces himself and holds out his hand as well. "Valdor...one of the Gold Dragons...I have heard and seen you in the GG, but never had the nerve to talk to you." He looks around at the others feeling like a total idiot with heroworship on his mind.
He looks to Jake and then to Flea with a shake of his head. He then looks to Trellus to see if he is thinking along the same lines as those two and laughs lightly. "A dragon huh...think we are that ready??" He has his doubts but will support his pack as they travel. With them he has always made it through and he plans to make sure that he can repay all that he owes to them.
Trellus Thursday January 6th, 2005 10:03:41 AM Valdor?!? THE Valdor?!? Domi's Light!
"DUDE!" Trellus exclaims, pumping the Gold Dragon's hand furiously. "Of course!"
Jake's just made the introductions, so the cleric doesn't repeat them. He also doesn't worry about chasing dragons. Instead, he grasps Gilan's earlier idea and runs with it.
"Dude, it'd be totally waxed if you could help us get Mac back. You gotta know somebody who can do that."
Valdor Thursday January 6th, 2005 10:49:04 AM
Valdor shakes hands with each. He answers Gilan and says,"You can talk to me anytime. One step to getting to where I am in life, was letting go of my fears. Yes, I made several mistakes, and even embarrassed myself once or twice, but I am better for it."
Valdor then says to the group,"I am hunting this dragon because of some reports that it's causing problems in the area. I'm on vacation, but figured I could use some exercise. Anyway, I was called to come back almost immediately after I got here for an important meeting and I needed to find someone to track this dragon and find out why a bronze dragon would act in the manner it is. If you could do that, I would be most grateful.
As to your friend, I do have two scrolls of True Resurrection. Only because you obviously care for him will I make this offer. Being a strong group means making sacrifices. He obviously made one, now it is up to you to make one for him. I can sell you one, if you have the means to use it. Unfortunately, the Gods do not allow us at higher levels the leeway to give items away. They require them to be earned or bought. If you cannot read it, I can do that for you, at least. If you agree to take on the tracking and subduing or the bronze dragon for me, I will sell it to you for only 2000 in gold."
Tishe' Thursday January 6th, 2005 1:46:55 PM
Valdor, huh? The small woman remembers him from the Giggling Ghost dreams she keeps having. It's amazing that there really is a Valdor!
And Trellus knows and trusts him, so that is all right with Tishe'.
"Many Shadows", she tells Valdor, shaking the proferred hand.
"The pattern makes sense!" she exults as Valdor offers the spell scroll. She eagerly delves into her pouch and emerges with 400 golden coins. "I've also got some platnuim if we need more. Please, we would greatly miss our friend."
Gilan Thursday January 6th, 2005 3:39:54 PM
Gilan pulls out a smallish bag from a pouch at his waist and bounces it in his hand. "I have an easy three hundred in this bag for the scroll." He looks to the rest of the group and nods. "If anyone else is short funds I would gladly lend them some to help out in getting Mac back." With a last look to Trellus he gives him that look.
"You think we are up to tracking and helping in killing or capturing a dragon?" It seems that Gilan and Tishe' have already made up thier minds. "For Mac, I will chance my life...at least he will get another chance." He looks to the others to see what they have to say.
"I should be able to read it," he says, half confidently.
To Gilan - "Hopefully it won't come to that. And if it does..." He shrugs. "We gotta get Mac back."
Anuk Thursday January 6th, 2005 4:59:36 PM
"I would like to offer my money as well," says Anuk. "You all rescued me from a lonely existence on the Plains. I feel I need to be of more help here than I have been since my return." He produces 200gp and136pp for the group.
Flea Thursday January 6th, 2005 7:01:03 PM Tracking and subduing a renegade bronze dragon for Valdor? Is he sunbaked? thinks the rogue, all astonishment. Get Mac back and go on a shady quest?
Flea digs into a pouch containing some of the loot from the formian raid, then offers a perfect opal (500 GP value) to the hero. She wonders briefly if she would be of any help to Trellus' in reading the scroll*, but the thought doesn't remain long in her head when she sees the look on Anuk's face. Her back to Valdor and the others she squeeks, "can you beleive it! A dragon quest!"
*(OOC: I'm thinking Aid Another but I have to do some reading to figure out the combinations of Decipher Script and Use Magic Device that would be needed to be effective.)
Grymash Thursday January 6th, 2005 7:22:31 PM
The barbarian's pointed ears perk up when he hears Valdor's deal. Grymash realizes what he must do. The big hulk of a half-breed orc stands to his feet, shoves on his buckler and helmet on, and grabs his double axe and pushes his way forward to stare Valdor in the eyes (well, he has to look down a little bit too :). "Which way dis dragoon be? Gry will kill'em for yooz an Gargul. Ta win back favor of Gargul an get Mac's soul back. If dis be Gry test, Gry will rip dis dragoon in two bits wit bare hands if Gry must!"
DM George "Lets make a deal!" Thursday January 6th, 2005 8:51:22 PM
Valdor graciously grants life back to Mac for an absurbly small fee and a quest. The group quickly pony up the cash before the Gods change their minds and up the price.
The prospect of chasing down a dragon is daunting to some but seems like a great time to others.
Grymash seems more than eager to prove himself but doens't realize that maybe his God is granting his prayers.
Flea d20+13=29 Thursday January 6th, 2005 10:17:06 PM
As folks get to work mending Mac's broken body, and recovering his roaming soul, Flea watches. She watches the smooth moves of the remarkable hero as he goes to work, all efficiency and perfection as he competently performs the required magics.
The rogue performs a visual inventory of the half-elf's weapons. The jeweled daggers staggered across his chest, plainer ones on his back. Rings, likely magical, adorn his fingers. The swords at his side, and the one at his back! It's jeweled handle intricately wrought and encrusted with gems of every sort! The rogue creeps closer. Just to get a better look. (Move Silently=29)
Flea does a double take. Is that an image of a red dragon she sees in the mosaic of jewels? Ruby red... Flea gets an idea.
Siddling up to Trellus' the rogue hopes the cleric is in a good mood. She beckons him down, to her level, and whispers, "do you think we should show you-know-who that bright you-know-what?"
Valdor d20+30=45 Thursday January 6th, 2005 11:36:18 PM
Valdor decides not to chance a mess up on the scroll. And, since he's been so involved in politics and 'un-fun' stuff like that lately, he will cast from the scroll for them. It gives him great pleasure to be able to help a younger group on their way. Hopefully, even if they already are, they will learn a lesson about being unselfish and always taking time to help others...but only time will tell.
He says,"Hopefully, you won't have to squish the dragon. Bronze dragons are normally good, or at least lean that way more than evil. If it were not a chromatic, being gold, silver, bronze, or even brass, I'd say kill it without reservation. However, I don't know what is wrong with this one.
Of course, I wouldn't want any of you to risk bodily harm or death by not killing it. So, just be careful."
He sits down to rest after casting the strnuous spell. The concentration needed always wears him down a bit and gives him a small headache.
SteveH Thursday January 6th, 2005 11:38:29 PM
OOC:Graham, he's been adventuring for about 18-20 years now. It is unlikely that he would, but you can roll a d100 and let George decide what to do with it.
Jake Thursday January 6th, 2005 11:49:49 PM
Jake watches the guy and his fellow packmates' reactions. Though he has no clue who this Valdor guy is, obviously so far he's been acting real shady. But, jealousy or perhaps just oneupmanship drives Jake to say, "Thanks for the help. Say, those are nice daggers...and Gry's axe is weavin', but check out this sword! Ah made it mahself...then ah got it all magickified, so it's frozen solid. See? It chills anything... except me, 'cause ah also got myself a ring that makes me all hot 'n stuff. Betcha've never seen stuff that waxed." Jake wonders about the dragons... "Bronze, huh? Ain't those ones breathe something weird? Ah know red ones breathe fire...and white ones breathe that snow stuff..."
Graham d100=17 Friday January 7th, 2005 2:20:33 AM
17%
Anuk Friday January 7th, 2005 3:15:26 PM
While Valdor settles into his ritual, Anuk starts thinking about what he's just committed himself to. He bends down on a knee and turns to Flea. "A bronze dragon, eh? Wow...I've never really seen a dragon before. Have you? What do you think this one will be like? Can it fly? Can it talk? Think it'll have a hoard? Maybe something worth...uh...'borrowing'?" He grins, wondering if Flea might be looking forward to a little purloining.
Trellus Friday January 7th, 2005 3:59:01 PM
Trellus sort of hears the talk about dragons, but finds what Valdor is doing a lot more interesting.
The cleric watches the Gold Dragon closely as he performs the ritual that will bring Mac back to life.
Tishe' Friday January 7th, 2005 4:20:55 PM
The young woman is pleased at the immediate response from the others over getting Machesthai back from Gargul's grip. The gold piles up and Valdor takes it, makes his preparations, and casts the spell.
The last weeks have brought Tishe' more in tune with living and dying and all that is around her in the Wold. As such, a younger Tishe' would not have concerned herself with divine magic. But this more experienced woman watches carefully, feeling the powers as well as observing the results.
And she waits for a sign of life.
Mac Friday January 7th, 2005 5:27:04 PM
Wounds and scars knits and clear, and after 10 minutes Mac's chests begins to slowly rise and fall in time with his breathing, and his heart again moves the blood that moves the body. His eyes slowly flicker and open. He sees the party and the new halfelf. "What jus' happened?"
Sorry Graham, not sure your up and about yet. You and the Bloodpack have to go through a meeting with Gargul to see if your worthy. Please don't post until you get my go ahead.
Gilan Friday January 7th, 2005 7:09:25 PM
Gilan watches Valdor as he goes about his work with the scroll and shakes his head. This kind of magic is beyond his abilities...unless he was to become a cleric. He reaches to his pack and pulls out a watersking as he moves over to Valdor where he sits. "Thanks you for what you have done." He offers the skin to the man with sincerest thanks.
How do we want to do the split for bringing back Mac. Just asking so that I can take the money off my character sheet.
The Death God
DM George "Supplemental post" Sunday January 9th, 2005 11:24:20 AM
Everyone crowds around Mac, hoping and wishing for their friend to come back to life. In their wishes, they can swear that he starts to breath. They think he opens his eyes. Flea even swears she heard him say something, but alas it was only their imaginations, hoping for the best.
Mac still lays dead on the ground before them. The look up and at each other with tears in their eyes when everything around starts to change. Grey mist rises up from the ground around them and suddenly everything gets dark.
OOC Jerry will be taking the next couple of posts. You can post reactions to mine but please wait for him before taking any definitive actions. Thanks George
Tishe' Monday January 10th, 2005 3:50:39 PM
The young woman finds she is holding her breath, waiting to see what will happen next; to see how the magic will work.
Unconsciously, she puts a hand into her scroll satchel and strokes the bumpy skin of her familiar. Wart grunts and pushes back against the hand.
Flea Monday January 10th, 2005 4:38:15 PM
The rogue stands behind the hero Valdor, transfixed by the elegant hilt of his bejeweled sword. She wonders what is up with Mac, but is unable to get a clear view, with all the big folk in front of her...and then the mists engulf the small gnome.
Gilan Monday January 10th, 2005 6:54:27 PM
Gilan just about drops the watersking when he notices the mists start to rise around them. He glances to the others with some concern but is unable to say anything as his voice is lost.
Then everything goes dark and he opens his mouth to scream...though he hears nothing from himself.
DM George Monday January 10th, 2005 11:00:50 PM
OOC Sorry Guys, waiting on Jerry.
Anuk Tuesday January 11th, 2005 11:58:02 AM
Anuk quietly watches Valdor. Resurrection...can it be possible? As the proceedings continue, he be begins to wonder who else in his life might be returned to him. A whisper escapes his lips as he begins to grasp the idea.
"Father?..."
Gargul [DM Jerry] Tuesday January 11th, 2005 4:25:38 PM
For about half a minute, nothing happens. Then The Wold around you fades and all is shadow. A reddish meandering shadow. Quickly you realize you're not in the Wold anymore, but someplace--else.
As the Shadowlands continue to form around you, tinges of reddishness form into a rivulet, then a stream, then finally a small river.
It smells of magic and death--but mostly of blood.
Your breathing is ragged due to the thickness of the air. Clothes become damp. Time seems to slow down--unmeasurable. You taste your salty sweat.
Then a Boat comes into view, slows, and stops nearby.
A small implike figure holds the tiller fast, staring straight forward.
[Jerry: Sorry folks. Dad had surgery yesterday. I'll be daily after this until we're done.]
Trellus Tuesday January 11th, 2005 4:51:51 PM
Its hot, and sticky - not the dry heat like home.
Trellus grimaces with discomfort as his breathing sounds slow and ragged in his ears. He looks around for the comforting presence of Valdor, but doesn't really expect to see him. This is after all, their pick, not his.
The boat floats on the red stuff - blood? Light. - just like the Grass Boats of home.
The cleric can think of only one reason it'd just stop in front of them like this. After looking at each of his friends, he takes a deep breath, and steps into the vessel.
Tishe' Tuesday January 11th, 2005 5:08:11 PM
Cloak and tunic drag across the plain-faced woman's shoulders as the very air around her feels like the worst summer humidity from her river city home. The red river surprises her, but Trellus walked in, so there really is nothing to do but follow.
"I don't see Mac anywhere." she says to noone in particular.
Grymash d20+2=16 Tuesday January 11th, 2005 7:45:38 PM
Grymash has never looked upon this land of mist and shadow with his eyes wide open. He's visited this place in his dreams and other times when his soul retreats back to his dark place. The sweet scent of blood enters his nostrils and fills the cleric of Gargul with renewed vigor. He pulls out his Gargul holy symbol from under his armor and displays for all to see. Not to just his packmates or the imp in the boat, but to all the others in the shadows whom have not let themselves be known. He can feel them. Hears their whispers. Voices of those who are long past life. The spirits are far more couragous when harrassing the barbarian while he's in land of the living. Now that he is in their realm, the voices are careful not to provoke the barbaric Eye of Gargul.
With a voice uncharacteristic of Grymash, the barbarian cleric speaks very calm and soothing tone. "Fear not, my Bloodpack. What you see and smell is the stuff of all life. Believe me when I say that all blood flows back to Gargul. We shall follow these crimson currents and be in the presence of a god!"
His glamoured armor transmutes into a long flowing black robe, befitting a priest of Gargul. Underneath his hood, all you're able to see are two glowing red eyes and a crooked smile. Grymash approaches the imp and greets him warmly.
(Wisdom 16)
Gilan Tuesday January 11th, 2005 8:10:01 PM
Gilan looks around as his breathing gets labored. He feels like passing out as he tries to get more air into his lungs. The smell of blood fills his nostrils and he finds his stomache reeling from the scent. "Light." He looks to the boat as it floats towards them and he shudders. Not sure if she will hear him or not in the world of the dead god, he sends a silent prayer. "Wold Mother watch over me and give me the strength of the land."
As Trellus and then Tishe' moves forward to get into the boat he takes another deep breathe, as best he can. He looks to Gry as he starts his little speech and shakes his head. "For Mac." He follows and steps into the boat as he tries to keep his stomache settled.
DM George Tuesday January 11th, 2005 9:45:11 PM
The group decends into a new reality. The smell of blood is on the air and death is all around them.
The thought has to cross the minds of all the pack. "Is this is what is in store for us when we pass? Is Mac's soul being tormented even now?"
As these thoughts enter there minds, they gather onto the boat and realize they will soon be in the presense of a god.
Flea Tuesday January 11th, 2005 11:57:35 PM
Flea doesn't like the place one bit. Despite her high level of fitness her breathing is hard and laboured, and she feels hot and sticky. Sticking out her tongue, she licks her upper lip. Is it salty sweat, or blood? And where's that Valdor guy? Wasn't he going to help them get Mac back?
The rogue embarks on the boat with the rest of her pack-mates, but she tries to stay out of sight amongst the taller folk. Her curiousity getting the better of her, she goes over to the imp-like figure holding the tiller, and asks, "you wouldn't happen to be Grey Eye would you?"
Jake Wednesday January 12th, 2005 12:01:54 AM
Jake looks around and feels uneasy. If anything, Grymash's words make it worse; the guy sounds too much into his 'priest' mode. Very uncharacteristic for my dumb buddy, Jake thinks. The guy who jumped down his own grappling hook, or did that thing with the belt...Jake grins momentarily, thinking he still has that squirrelled away. Then, remembering where they are, the grin fades, and the half-elf watches the guy on the boat. He nudges Gilan on inspiration. "Is it me, or does it stink to death in here? Ah mean, ah'm dying here. Interesting color in that water, huh? Someone musta put a lotta tomatoes in the water over there. Or maybe not...that guy on the boat doesn't look too well fed. All skin and bones...'cept for the skin part."
Anuk Wednesday January 12th, 2005 10:14:22 AM
When the trappings of the Wold fade and disappear, Anuk's thoughts of his father fade away with them. He wrinkles his nose at the stench of this place. Gry's sudden eloquence unnerves him--he loves the big guy, but Gry's rages have always frightened him. Anuk suspects this place is where the rage comes from.
Thinking of Mac and hoping for the best, Anuk joins the others on the boat. Looking down at the red, viscous liquid on which the boat rests, he says, "I guess this is a fitting trip for the Bloodpack."
The Look [DM Jerry] Wednesday January 12th, 2005 12:48:15 PM
All step into the boat except for Jake who watches the imp on the boat.
The imp slowly turns his head to stare at Jake. Then he grins showing his teeth as if telling a great truth that he finds humorous.
As he does so, the boat slowly begins to move, picking up speed.
He speaks in a raspy voice, steam issuing from his lips.
"Coming Master."
Trellus Wednesday January 12th, 2005 1:30:51 PM
Trellus isn't very happy, but is determined to make a strong showing as a representative of Domi. He stands, keeping his growing fear in check, and watches the creature in the boat.
Gry's words register, as do Jake's.
"And since we're meeting a god," he adds, pointedly looking at the elfin fighter, "we're going to be very, VERY polite. Truly."
Gilan Wednesday January 12th, 2005 6:56:15 PM
Gilan just keeps his mind on the mission at hand...to get back Mac. He does not let his thoughts or gaze stray too far away as he fights back nausia.
He does turn his head to gaze at Jake and shakes his head at him. "Jake...come on...this is not time for jokes." He points to a spot in the boat and motions him to quickly get on.
DM George "Row row row your boat,, gently down the river of blood!' Wednesday January 12th, 2005 10:22:17 PM
The pack gathers on the boat and it leave the shore behind. It drifts quickly down the steam towards the Pack's and Mac's destiny.
Flea Wednesday January 12th, 2005 11:38:11 PM
Flea finds a seat next to Anuk, and squeezes in close to avoid having to look over the edge of the boat. She studies her fine boots, and then, digging out one of her sets of thief's tools (she has 3!) selects a slim pick, and proceeds to clean the grime from under her fingernails. The rogue avoids making eye contact with any of her pack-mates.
Jake Thursday January 13th, 2005 12:33:45 AM
Sitting down, Jake can't help but look apologetic at the others. Whenever things get scary or rotten, he automatically makes jokes about the situation. He has a bad feeling about meeting this Gargul fellow...he just knows he's gonna crack a joke at him. Then, a thought occurs to him. If he's gonna crack a joke, it might as well be a good one... So, he starts contemplating what sort of joke to use on the god of death. He doesn't pay much attention to their surroundings, instead seeming lost in thought to the others.
Before the Throne [DM Jerry] Thursday January 13th, 2005 12:07:54 PM
The trip is quick and uneventful. The river grows wider and more swift as it proceeds. Eventually it empties out into a narrower body of water somewhat like a moat. The moat circles the huge island beyond.
The boat crosses the circular river and lands upon the shore. In front of you is the rear shell covered portion of an amphitheatre facing the opposite direction overlooking a beautiful meadow.
The half-sphere is black and no light reflects from it's surface.
The Imp races off around to the other side of the amphitheatre.
Following you circle the half-shell around to the open end facing the meadow and away from the Circular River of Blood.
Sitting on a huge black throne is the God of Death. A line of the dead stand before him. Each pauses for a moment and then is quickly dispatched in diferent directions.
With a wave of his hand, the line of the dead are gone and it is just you standing before him.
"COME!"
Tishe' Thursday January 13th, 2005 2:31:37 PM
The imp. The boat ride. The island and half dome.
And the Throne.
Curiosity has been overcome in the small woman by awe. All around her her whole life, Tishe' has seen divine magic and clerics and miracles, but she never REALLY believed in gods. Until now.
She has no will of her own, her mind frantically trying to come to grips with her new reality. Silently, meekly, quite unlike the plucky little mage, Tishe' moves forward at the command.
Anuk Thursday January 13th, 2005 3:06:23 PM
Anuk nudges Flea a little during the boat right and tries to flash a grin at her, but it comes off as more of a grimace. He feels nervous and agitated here, but he's grateful for the company of his small friend.
When the boat lands, Anuk is awed by the sight of the amphitheater. In the darkness of this realm it's difficult to tell if the blackness is the surface of an object, or some kind of infinite abyys. "It's like someone punched a hole in the night sky," he says in a low voice.
The command of the death god rings in his ears and Anuk finds he really has no choice but to obey. He approaches the throne.
Trellus Thursday January 13th, 2005 4:52:23 PM
The voice of the God of Death rings in Trellus' mind like a hammer.
Great Domi, grant me the strength to overcome my fear, he silently, fervently prays.
Trellus quickly, but respectfully, approaches the throne, drops to one knee, and bows his head. "We come, Lord Gargul," the cleric of Domi intones.
The dude is a Woldian God, after all. The gestures of respect seem proper.
Flea Thursday January 13th, 2005 6:11:23 PM
As the party follows the imp, and then responds to the command to approach the Woldian god, Flea tries to keep a low profile. She had heard about gods, and was even a bit interested in her friend Trellus' god, Domi, owing speedy recovery from a couple of scrapes to that one. But, reality is another matter. Gods can see you. All the time. All those times you don't want to be seen. Like snooping through Gilan's dresser drawers back home in Rattledam or pinching Gry's new dagger at the solstice party or nicking some extra rations. The idea unnerves her.
Nope. Flea isn't too happy to be in the presence of the Grey One.
The rogue sticks close to Anuk, but averting her head, keeps her eyes on the meadow.
DM George Thursday January 13th, 2005 7:44:45 PM
The group goes before Gargul with fear and guilt in there souls. Self doubt and wonderment are also present.
The Death God calls to them. Will they be willing and able to match his price?
Gilan Thursday January 13th, 2005 8:00:20 PM
Gilan notices little of his surroundings as they move along. When the boat makes land he is unable to do anything but follow along with the rest of the group.
Then before them stands the Gray One...the God of Death himself and he suddenly feels rather self conscious. When the call comes to move forward he cannot help but follow along and go to one knee before him. "Wold Mother...help me." He feels his knees quake even after hitting the ground and he suddenly wishes to be fighting off a pack of lethal rapke.
Grymash Thursday January 13th, 2005 8:52:46 PM
Grymash rushes forward as soon as steps off the boat and kneels at the feet of Gargul. "My god ... Lord Gargul. It be Grymash Mountainback, your most devout servant. What would you have of Gry?"
The barbarian cleric of Gargul continues to humble himself in front of his god, according to the traditional ways of the Eyes.
Jake Friday January 14th, 2005 12:33:34 AM
Jake finds himself looking up at the huge guy on the big throne and feels himself somehow distanced from his body, like he's not really there. It's just soooooo ... huge! And, evil-looking, and stuff. Well, not evil, just sort of...weird. Obviously, it's all unreal...And, when confronted with the unreal, his tenuous grip on reality is only maintained through the humor of the situation... What should he say? 'Greetings, dead dude.' 'What's shaking, mister bones?' 'The situation is very grave, sir Gargul.' 'Looking lively!' 'You look good in black...' 'Hello, Lord Gargul? We're here about an overdue book you checked out from a library...'
Thoughts race through his mind, but thankfully, the fighter keeps quiet and stiff.
Gargul God of Death and Life [DM Jerry] Friday January 14th, 2005 12:18:03 PM
He looks at each in return.
His eyes stare into your hearts and souls revealing everything you ever did.
He nods toward Grymash.
Then he speaks.
"CUT IT TO ME STRAIGHT."
He doesn't crack a smile, but there is amusement in his eyes.
The imp's mouth drops wide open in surprise.
Tishe' Friday January 14th, 2005 2:49:22 PM
...STRAIGHT."
And Tishe's jaw opens wide. This is a god. THE god of life and death. Do they talk like that? Well he did and he's the god so they must talk like that sometimes.
Knowing that everything she has ever done is revealed as a book to the Grey One, makes Tishe' feel a little bit better. After all, if he knows everything, there is nothing to hide or pretend, now is there? Courage often comes when there is nothing left to lose...
"Gargul," the mage begins matter-of-factly, "our dear companion, Machesthai the Minotaur warrior, was killed by trolls in a recent battle. We would like him to be alive again."
All the love and worry and everything else, Tishe' doesn't speak, for the god knows about it anyways, and she doesn't know exactly how to talk about that anyways.
Gilan Friday January 14th, 2005 7:53:26 PM
Gilan lets the others talk as the God of Death looks to each of them. He has not known Mac that long and what little he knows of the minotaur, is that he is a good man.
He knows that the god has already looked into his heart and read everything there. Looking to Tishe' as she speaks up he nods his head in agreement. "I have not known Mac that long sir...but he has proven himself to be worthy of our help in requesting his return." He lets his eyes sink to the floor for a few seconds as he draws a breathe to steady himself. "If it is your will and we are worthy for this boon...we would very much like for Mac to come back to us." Tishe' had already spoken the circumstances behind the death and that Mac had been brave in his sacrifice. Gilan only has one concern and that is that he did not do enough to keep Mac alive. For that reason he finds himself unable to meet the god's eyes after speaking.
Flea Friday January 14th, 2005 8:53:07 PM
The god's words cause Flea to wince. Straight isn't the kind of design a rogue weaves, and the gnome's pattern is pretty twisted and complicated.
This isn't about me. It's about Mac. Visions flit through her mind, and Flea sees Mac...giving her a boost, and carrying her on his great shoulders so that she didn't have to run to keep up with the pack...Mac fighting through the formian's, trying to protect those behind him...Mac taking the brunt of the troll attack so that Flea would be unharmed...Mac holding out a potion he should have taken himself in order that the gnome could take it to another...
A small match is lit in the gnome's small brain. Stepping out from behind Anuk, and moving to stand beside the humbled form of Grymash, Flea speaks, unaware that the god has read her thoughts already. Her face is flushed, and her eyes burn as if with fever.
"Mac is Bloodpack. He is one of us like a finger to a hand. Cut off the finger, and the hand will still funtion to some degree, but never again will it weave cloth or wield weapon." Flea looks down at her outstretched hand. Unable to maintain eye contact with the god, she mumbles "it wasn't supposed to be him."
Jake Saturday January 15th, 2005 12:29:06 PM
So, death has a sense of humor...somehow I've always known, Jake thinks to himself. He cuts in, "Yeah, what they said..." before anyone can elbow him.
Anuk Saturday January 15th, 2005 6:21:42 PM
Anuk's heart is an open book to the god before him. Thoughts of Mac's demise and Trellus' near death float through his memory. His feeling of guilt floats back to the surface -- if he had not run at the wrong moment, things might...no. No use running through it again. What's done is done. But, Anuk knows there must be a price to pay for Mac's return.
He looks briefly up and intones, "We wish the return of our friend. What would you require of us, o master of life and death?"
Trellus Saturday January 15th, 2005 7:40:19 PM "CUT IT TO ME STRAIGHT"
A quick reactionary grin flashes across Trellus' face. Gargul is a Weaver, truly.
The grin disappears as quickly as it came as the blond cleric feels his soul open up, and remembers the situation. Weaver or not, its still the God of Death he's talking to.
"Great Gargul," he reponds, "As my packmates have said, we've come to ask if Mac can come back to the land of the living."
GARGUL [DM Jerry] Monday January 17th, 2005 11:44:34 AM
The God looks upon Jake. He frowns.
"ALL THINGS HAVE HUMOR! DEATH AND LIFE ESPECIALLY. THEY ALSO HAVE MEANING... AND IMPORT. WORDS AND THOUGHTS SPOKEN HERE MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
"I WILL RETURN YOUR PACKMATE TO YOU! YOU ARE HONORABLE AND DESERVING! YET SOME OF YOU DOUBT THE GODS WHO PROVIDE THIS BOON!
"ACCORDING TO THAT OBSERVATION, I DO INDEED HAVE A TASK THAT MUST BE COMPLETED IN DEED BEFORE I RESTORE YOUR COMRADE.
"IT IS SIMPLE TO ACCOMPLISH PHYSICALLY, YET MENTALLY COULD BE A CHALLENGE FOR SEVERAL OF YOU.
He pauses.
"YOU MUST BOW BEFORE ME NOW WITH WORSHIP AND RESPECT!"
The god of life and death seems to rise to an enormous height before you looking terrible as well as holy, dark as well as light. He waits.
Tishe' Monday January 17th, 2005 1:35:58 PM
Tishe's thoughts have ever reflected on her face, and anyone can read what follows in her mind.
Words and thoughts make a difference? Anyone who works magic knows the power of words, and the will to use the power of those words. And thoughts...
Tishe' is in the midst of what will be known generations and worlds away as a Significant Emotional Event. Her lip service to 'the gods' and the respect of clerics for what they can do has been drastically, irrevicably altered. There are gods and by the great weaving, she is standing in the presence of one right now.
The average looking woman BELIEVES in gods. She SEES the important events and cycles those gods command, and never, EVER again, will she doubt the existance of these beings so vital to life.
Not a word passes her lips, but the brown haired mage does the most respectful thing she can think of. With awe and amazement in her eyes, the woman who has always rebelled against the role's of women performs for the Grey One her best curtsy.
Gilan Monday January 17th, 2005 4:54:04 PM
Gilan looks to the God of Death with a look of confusion for a few seconds. He has no problems with the gods in general and to give one honor is not a big deal. The one question that runs through his brain is...Is Gargul a part of the Wold or the other way around?? He does not look to the others as this is a decision that each person must make upon their own will.
With a slight smile he nods once and then falls to one knee before the God of Death. "You have the power of life and death in your hands my Lord...it is the cycle of all things that you control...that is very much nature's way." With a wiley smile that he directs towards Grymash he laughs lightly. "Though I have never said your name in my prayers...I serve you as much as the Wold itself or the Wold Mother as most like to call her." He brings his head down to touch the ground in respect to the "Giver and Taker". "From now on...you will also be spoken in my morning prayers." He silently wonders why he did not see this connection before this...maybe the meeting brought it to the front and made him think. In many ways this meeting would make them all better people and a stronger pack...he had to believe that.
Anuk Monday January 17th, 2005 7:47:13 PM
Anuk is struck silent with the force of the death god's command. He thinks for a moment of all those he knows have passed into Gargul's realm. This is truly the master of life and death in the Wold -- how can he not respect that? Worship? That's another story -- Anuk has never bowed before any God. More from indifference than anything. Just as the thought "What have you ever done for me?" begins to enter his mind, he recalls an image of Gry cradling and burying the body of a tiny bird. Gry knows. Gry worships with purpose. And Anuk trusts that.
He bows low to the ground. "Thank you, lord Gargul."
Grymash Monday January 17th, 2005 8:16:06 PM
Grymash, remaining down on one knee, continues to humble himself before his god. He reaches behind to take his double axe off its harness and presents it to Gargul. "Gry have nothin' ta give Gargul but Gry's life in service to ya an Gry's mostest bestest prized possession. Gry gives ya me double axe. Wit one end it protects da lifes of da honored and da other end takes da lifes of da wicked. It give life an death, just like Gargul. Gry's double axe have served Gry very gute. May it serve Gry's master and lord better than it serve Gry." With those last few words of praise, the barbarian cleric lays his beloved double axe down at Gargul's feet.
Trellus Monday January 17th, 2005 8:17:27 PM
Trellus has got no problems. Worship and respect are due all Woldian Gods. In fact, he's a bit miffed that after a lifetime of hanging out with him and Gry, Jake still hasn't figured that out.
Well, this pick oughtta do it, he tells himself fervently.
The blond haired cleric remains planted on one knee, head bowed. The position he assumed upon first entering. "Thank you, Lord Gargul" he responds.
Flea Monday January 17th, 2005 9:21:05 PM
As the god of life and death manifests his puissance, towering over the Bloodpack both beautiful and horrible to look at, the gnome falls to her knees. Reaching her arms forward, she lowers herself to the ground, pressing her face into the soil at the god's feet.
Forgive me, all-seeing Grey Eye, my vanity and insolence...
The rogue wimpers, prostrate and trembling before the god.
Jake Monday January 17th, 2005 11:26:31 PM
Okay, this guy is impressive, Jake realizes as the god looms over them threateningly. And while he's never particularly thought about deities, even Gargul whom his buddy worshipped, he's now gotta admit that this guy is damn powerful. Like, one of the most powerful things ever...with stories and stuff written about him. A legend, like one of his heroes in the tales he heard as a child. Worthy of all the respect Jake can give him. So, Jake bows in deference to the god's powerful nature and fearsomeness.
GARGUL [DM Jerry] Tuesday January 18th, 2005 11:45:20 AM
"Now rise! You have passed the test of pride. Remember what you have in each other. That you are indeed pack and even family. Protect one another always. Do your best to be the most effective member of the pack that you can be.
"I see in your hearts that some of you hold back. Even when your friends are in mortal danger. This is unacceptable. Everyone must know their role in all things within the pack. Negotiation role. Religious role. Role in combat as well as in friendship.
"I charge you to improve. To raise the bet and take life by both horns and ride it to the end.
"Now, go meet your friend. He is awaiting you in the Meadow of Dreams."
He points behind you to the beautiful meadow beyond his temple and to a copse of trees there next to a bubbling brook.
There you spot your friend lying on the soft grass as if asleep.
Tishe' Tuesday January 18th, 2005 4:20:05 PM
The brown-haired woman keeps her curtsy as the Grey One instructs the Bloodpack further. And the truth of his words flows through the mage. The Pack is one, and all parts work the best they can for the good of the whole. She vows to the depths of her being to be worthy to her friends, her pack.
He is waiting? The thought at last tugs Tishe's head up, and she runs towards the meadow.
Stopping quickly, the small woman whips back to the Grey One, and tears of joy are streaming in her eyes. "Thank you, Thank you, Great One."
And with a happy shout, she runs and throws herself on the solid minotaur.
Trellus Tuesday January 18th, 2005 4:34:07 PM
Trellus couldn't agree with Gargul more.
He rises, smiling happily at the generosity of the God of Death.
"Many shadows, Great Gargul," he thanks the god.
He bounds into the meadow to greet Mac. "Dude! How're you feeling?"
Gilan Tuesday January 18th, 2005 6:50:13 PM
Gilan nods once to the god as he speaks his mind. It is something that he had been pondering himself. Though his thoughts had been about him not doing everything for the group. "Thanks for the blessing my lord." With that he moves off with the others to welcome back Mac. Then another thought hits him and he starts to cry, now he can give Mac that present.
Flea Tuesday January 18th, 2005 7:12:38 PM
Her face pressed into the soil, Flea doesn't see the god point to the sleeping figure in the meadow, but she hears the rumble of his voice...
"Now, go meet your friend. He is awaiting you in the Meadow of Dreams."
Pulling herself up, the gnome turns around and see's Tishe' and some of the others running towards the large taur dozing in the grass. Staggering forward, Flea crumples at the feet of Grey Eye. Bringing her lips to the hem of his dark cloak she sobs out, "I'm not worthy, but I will try hard to improve."
Backing away, the rogue slowly regains her feet. With one last fleeting look at the giver and taker of life, she turns and runs stumbling towards the figures in the meadow.
DM George Tuesday January 18th, 2005 7:32:45 PM
The group runs into a beautiful meadow. Wildflowers dot the area and tall grasses wave gracefully in the wind. The smell of blood is much diminished but still in the background.
Mac is laying on his back and his massive chest rises up and down. He is breathing again and his wounds are gone. He seems to be asleep.
Suddenly the scene changes and you find yourselves back to the Scab at the battle site with the still smoking trolls. Mac is still sleeping and Valdor is looking on with something mysterious in his eyes.
Grymash d20+2=22 Tuesday January 18th, 2005 9:07:19 PM
Grymash remains knelt at Gargul's feet. He's hesitant to leave his master, his god. His heart skips a beat or two as each of his packmates leave for the meadow. He fears why Gargul hasn't accepted his gift. Every insecurity he has darts across his fragile little mind. He stares down at his beloved double axe and then looks up at the face of his god, hoping for some kind of sign, some kind of recognition. Each passing second of silence feels like a whip across back, a sword in his gut, a club across his head. Grymash trembles slightly as a single tear rolls down his cheek. Grymash painfully wonders why he's fallen out of favor with his god.
(Wisdom 22, nat. 20)
Flea Tuesday January 18th, 2005 11:07:10 PM
Flea smells something. Something really bad. She looks askance at Grymash, and then she sees the smoke from the fires, and the burning trolls. The rogue rubs her eyes. Gargul...Grey Eyes...the imp...the river of blood...and the meadow...was it all a dream?
Looking up the gnome sees Grymash, huddled in a miserable pile, his wonderful axe laid out in front of him, and his cheek wet, as if the barbarian had been...crying? The words come back to her, echoing inside her skull,
"Everyone must know their role in all things within the pack. Negotiation role. Religious role. Role in combat as well as in friendship."
Laying a hand gently on the half-orcs shoulder, Flea speaks quietly, although there is an undertone of excitement. "He heard you, Gry. He heard you, and I saw him smile at you. And, look!" Flea points to the sleeping Mac, watched over by Valdor.
Jake Wednesday January 19th, 2005 12:58:56 AM
Coming out of the dark realm, Jake wipes his brow. He looks around, then sits down on a patch of grass and stretches, luxuriating in the sense of the wild, of living, all around him. "Woo-ee. That was one heckuva trip. Ah hope we don't do that again."
The Axe [DM Jerry] Wednesday January 19th, 2005 12:53:15 PM
[Didn't see that you gave your axe to him. Sorry.]
Suddenly the axe appears in mid air above Grymash. A distant voice says. "It is returned with honor. Use it well."
[Ok folks. That's it for me here. Thanks for the great time.]
Tishe' Wednesday January 19th, 2005 1:04:58 PM
The brown haired woman is dwarfed by the large minotaur, but she hugs as much of him as she can anyways. "Thank you, thank you Gargul."
She falls back into a kneeling postition, brown eyes shining with new found knowledge, and... and... yes, and wisdom. "Welcome back, big brother", she chides. "We still need you."
And the spark of curiosity is back in her eyes as she sees Valdor. "So, any instructions on finding this dragon friend of yours?" Her eyes dance in tune to the smile on her face, lightening the brusque words.
Mac - de ja vu ]: ) Wednesday January 19th, 2005 3:36:48 PM
Wounds and scars knitted and cleared, and after it all Mac's chest slowly rises and falls in time with his breathing, and his heart again moves the blood that moves the body. His eyes slowly flicker and open. He sees the party and the new halfelf. "What jus' happened?" He asks, focussing on the eyes of those nearest.
Gilan Wednesday January 19th, 2005 4:55:38 PM
Gilan slips over to where Mac is laying and cannot keep the smile off his face. He stands there waiting with the rest for Mac to come too.
When he finally does he sighs a big sigh of relief and shakes his head again. "Mac...stay near me next time for a few...I will make sure your defenses are boosted." He looks as if he is about to start crying again as he wipes at his eyes. "Plus I have something to give to all of you later tonight." He then turns to wait and see if Valdor will give them anything to go on.
Trellus Wednesday January 19th, 2005 4:59:25 PM
Trellus beams innocently at Mac.
"Oh, let's review," he says mischieviously.
"First, you got your thread cut. Then, Valdor the Dragonstone his totally shady self (outstretched arm toward the hero) pops in and sells us the means to try and get you back. Then, we all had a long talk with the very God of Death and asked him (very politely) to let you come back. And HE said yes. And here we are, about to start weaving a search for a crazy bronze dragon."
The cleric pauses, trying to keep a straight face for several heartbeats before continuing.
"Other than that, not much."
Trellus can't restrain himself any longer. He breaks out in laughter, and offers a hand to the taur to help him up.
"Welcome back, dude!" he cries happily.
DM George Wednesday January 19th, 2005 10:21:39 PM
Valdor walks over to Mac and extends his hand and helps him up easily. He claps him on the shoulder and says, "You have fine companions who love you. You are honored to walk among them."
He then turns to the others and says, "Remember our bargain. Try and find out why the bronze is on a rampage. Bronzes are normally good and loyal friends. Be careful or you might all be standing before Gargul soon. Dragons can be terrible foes."
Valdor says his goodbyes and shakes everyones hand. He then simply disappears from the group with a popping sound.
The group looks around at the still smoldering trolls and wonders what to do next.
Flea Wednesday January 19th, 2005 11:00:55 PM
"Bronze draggon!?!? I don't know nuthin' 'bout bronze draggons!" cries an astonished Flea when Valdor pops out.
Anuk Wednesday January 19th, 2005 11:33:41 PM
As the nether realm disappates and the Wold returns, Anuk blinks and squints in the sudden light. As his vision clears, his first sight is of Mac's body -- breathing this time, thank Gargul. Anuk's toothy grin covers his face. He tells the minotaur, "You look great for a dead guy. Mac, I'm sorry I haven't gotten to know you better...that will change."
As the pack welcomes back their friend and discusses their next adventure, Anuk looks for a private moment to approach Trellus. When he sees his opportunity, he approaches the young cleric. "Trel..I...I'm sorry about what happened during the fight. I thought the trolls would come after me, not you. I was wrong." He pauses for a moment looking for words of explanation, but find there are none. Finally he looks his friend in the eyes and says, "Are we shady?"
Jake Thursday January 20th, 2005 12:40:07 AM
Jake lies where he is, comfortable and staring at the sky. Thinking. About dragons. He's always wanted to see a dragon...everything about them always spoke to him of the greatest parts of all those heroes. And now they're going off to see one. He wonders how it will really look like, at how large it will really be. Bigger than Gargul? Probably just as big. And as fearsome, maybe. Jake finds himself wondering. He realizes something...he's gonna need some new gear, to face a dragon. Shinier armor, for one...and a better bow... Jake also wonders about the adventure so far, as he lies there. Since leaving Rattledam, they've faced a few weird magic things, a giant, an army of ant creatures, scared off orcs, beaten up some trolls...oh, and then there were the good things. Like those dwarves they probably helped...and that dryad...a wide smile comes across his face. And he finds himself pondering what they'll find after this. Maybe, he thinks to himself...just maybe there'll be more exotic women. Maybe this bronze dragon will have like, a beautiful elven maiden who he serves...or even a really evil sorcereress who will capture the group and then toy with them. The possibilities are endless. And so Jake continues to lie there, a goofy smile spread across his face as he stares into the deep blue sky.
Tishe' Thursday January 20th, 2005 1:38:32 PM
"But, but.. oh Piggies!" says an exasperated young woman, "he didn't even tell us the dragon's name or where she lives or... or... anything!"
She folds herself into a tailor's seat and looks around at the others. One hand remains always on the big minotaur, just to ensure the small woman that Mac is still there.
"Well, where do we go, and what are we going to do once we find this dragon?"
Mac Thursday January 20th, 2005 4:01:48 PM
The big taur takes things in in small bites. It takes Trellus and Valdor to get him to his feet, and with trying to keep up with Trellus' summary he doesn't get a chance to thank the halfelf before he disappears. He wraps his arms around everyone in reach in a big hug and he has a tear in his eye as he lets the embrace fall away. "Thank ye for this gift. Nae sure that I am worthy of such a boon, but I'll do my best to become so... I was a silly centaur - I should have had the trolls covered." He nods at Gilan's suggestion, and with a smile through the tears he adds, "but it had better be fast - I can't leave Gry out in front there by himself!" Mac's left hand has come to rest over Tishe's hand. "I feel good for a dead guy, Anuk. Thank you for keeping Galea out of harm's way." A word that his mind has been omitting from the conversation finally breaks through:
"DRAGON!?!"
Trellus Thursday January 20th, 2005 4:51:35 PM
The cleric takes Anuk's hand with a grin. "We're shady," he answers. "Just remember to stay put next time. I can keep all you dudes patched up as long as I can move around. You just need to keep 'em off me."
Having made peace with Anuk, Trellus turns to Mac.
"Yeah, dragon," he chirps in reply. "Which reminds me."
"What's a dragon?" . . The Rattledam native doesn't recall anybody ever talking about dragons at home. Which isn't surprising. Nobody talks about the outside world period back home.
Gilan d20+12=20 Thursday January 20th, 2005 8:08:40 PM
Gilan nods to Mac. "It will be the first thing I do." He looks to Gry and shakes his head. "Maybe Gry would like a little armor boost as well before he enters combat." He looks to the others as Valdor disappears and shakes his head, a gesture he seems to be doing a lot lately. "Dragons...read something about them back at home...not Rattledam, my original home." He starts to pour through all his knowledge to see if he can come up with anything.
Grymash Thursday January 20th, 2005 8:18:42 PM
Grymash stares up at his axe hovering in mid air above him. He springs up from the ground and takes hold of the double axe. The barbarian cleric suddenly feels a rush of ecstasy in knowing that he is touching something that was once held by his god. His eyes roll back showing only grey. After a few minutes of breathless chanting he finally come to. Grymash turns to see Mac alive and well again. He charges the demontaur and gives him a very constricting hug. "See Mac, Gargul be gute! Gry saw Gargul! Weez talked! Gargul gave yooz back! See, ya standin' ... Yooz standin'!! Breathin' too! WOW! Gargul do it all!"
Chains and Steel
DM George Thursday January 20th, 2005 10:21:06 PM
The group celebrates as their friend is returned to them. They ponder what a dragon is and how to find it.
Many of the Bloodpack have never even heard of the magical beast.
A wind comes from the east, kicking up the troll smell and it isn't good. Now that the stress of battle is over, the group takes stock of their situation. Do they want to stay here or move on?
Jake Friday January 21st, 2005 2:29:18 AM
Getting up, Jake pipes up excitedly, reverting almost to a more childish voice, "Aww, Trellus, ya never listened to old Nary and his stories, didja!? Ah know all about dragons from him. He told me a buncha stories about dragons, and all sorts of monsters." Realizing he sounds a bit weird, Jake gets a bit gruffer and more serious. "That is... Dragons are big, scaly lizards. Really big, like the size of ships. They gather huuuuuuge piles of treasures, like, everything. They can do all sorts of neat tricks, like breathe stuff, and cast magic, and change into rabbits, and turn invisible, and fly around. They eat just about everything, including dwarves, trees, anything they can shove in their mouth, but as they get older they prefer virgin creatures. Ummm...they live in big old rock mountains. They can speak every language, and can read your mind, and do anything they want to your thoughts if you ain't careful. Lessee... no magic can touch 'em, and only guys on horses with big old spears got a chance, but usually they gotta charge in and then go hand to hand with the big old thing. Every story I know of 'em they guard some entrance or something, too."
Tishe' Friday January 21st, 2005 1:47:09 PM
"If that is all true, I certainly hope that this bronze is a good creature like Valdor says most metallic dragons are." says the small mage fervently.
"But first, perhaps we should move from this area. And maybe find any lost dwarves that had gotten away from the trolls?" Her eyes looks around worriedly, hoping that some of the little folk were able to get away.
She stands, holding her staff. Keeping close to the big minotaur, she waits for the leaders to decide what to do.
Trellus Friday January 21st, 2005 2:21:01 PM
Taking a good whiff of the surrounding area, Trellus nods rapidly at Tishe's suggestion.
"Truly. Let's weave, dudes. We'll see if we can find some dwarves, then worry about this dragon."
The cleric grandly motions for Flea, Anuk, and Gry to start moving, and he falls into the middle of the group. Thinking.
Mostly about dragons. Sure, Jake is always happy to impart his knowledge - Trellus grins to himself - which mostly is totally bright (Guys on horses with spears. C'mon.) Still, Tishe' is weaving the same pick. The blond haired man walks with his pack, wondering what kind of pattern they're all working on.
Gilan Friday January 21st, 2005 8:29:36 PM
Gilan wrinkles his nose at the smell and then has to roll his eyes at Jake. Some of what he said may have a basis in fact, but a lot of it is not.
With a nod to the rest he smiles a little. "Moving out maybe a good idea." He wrinkles his nose again. "This smell is awful." He is ready to move out and look for dwarves, if there are any alive. Then they must look for a dragon and he swallows hard.
Flea d20+8=24 d20+12=32 d20+10=21 Friday January 21st, 2005 11:20:00 PM
"I was just joking back there," laughs Flea. "I studied dragons a bit. They're kind of like the drake we helped a while ago. I even learned a few words, so I can talk to them in their own language."*
Catching the cleric's signal, Flea says, "south then? I seem to remember bronze dragons like it warm." The rogue will lead the way, and report any interesting findings to the party. She keeps a particular look out for anything that might tell her that the pack are not the only intelligent beings in the area.
Spot=24 Search=32 Listen=21
*Flea knows draconic, go figure!
DM George Travels Sunday January 23rd, 2005 2:00:38 AM
The Pack travels in a southern direction for about a week. They hunt along the way and are astounded on how easily they can find fresh water.
Around every bend is a new adventure in fauna and wildlife. They see deer, rabbit and even a black bear from a distance. Wildflowers and towering trees become everday occurances and the pack seems to be getting used to their new surroundings.
The campfires at night are enjoyable as the group feels a new closeness that can only be brought about from sharing danger together and the joy of overcoming obstacles.
The group finds no more dwarf sign and begin to wonder if the dwarves they found battling the trolls were from the same group liberated from the formian. The continual scan of the sky only reveals birds and clouds, but not a hint of dragon.
Not all is fun and games though. Strange insects seem to love feasting on there skins. The occassional rain storm soaks them to the skin and leaves them cold and shivering in the mountain air.
Their new cat seems to find mischief as it assualted a strange looking creature and was rewarded by being sprayed with a horrible smelling spray. The entire pack is revolted by the smell which just won't go away.
The pack falls across a path that makes travelling easier. Close inspection reveals it has been used recently by several different sizes of humanoids. One small, one large but the rest normal sized. The tracks look fresh and heading in the same direction the group is going.
Jake Sunday January 23rd, 2005 1:41:12 PM
The trip along the way... Jake, of course, takes opportunity to cheer up the rest of the group through some jokes. For one, he seems to be cultivating what he'll say to the dragon if he has to fight it... STuff like, "You know, you seem to be draggin' along there, bud." "For a member of a majestic, wise race of ancient beings, you sure smell bad and look a bit chunky, if you know what ah mean." "Looks ta me like this lizard ain't no wizard." He tries to get to know Mac and Tishe, asking where they're from, what they used to do before coming to the plains, and also some fun practical questions, like what their favorite color is, what their parents were like, what their favorite food is... One day, Mac wakes up and his cat is cuddled to him particularly close for warmth. Why? Well, his hair seems to be mostly shaved off. Some of the smell is gone, though... (Jake once did the same to Grymash, getting him really drunk and then having the half-orc barbarian wake up shaven and slumped in the communal pool) When Flea and Tishe take the moment to go bathing, they discover to their horror their clothes have mysteriously vanished. Back at camp, of course, they are found in their packs, miraculously. Trellus seems to develop weird feet, though that's only appreciable in hindsight, of course. Every day, his feet seem to be getting bigger, and bigger, 'cause his shoe just seems to be getting tighter on him just slightly. It's almost imperceptible. Then, suddenly, it goes back to normal. Perhaps the best time for Jake is when he gets to experiment with his cooking. Having brought a heap of spices with him from the Plains, he experiments with all the new foods in the area. He quickly overcomes his distaste for eating non-insect meat, and perfects the art of marinating. (I imagine for some reason that Plains food has something like guacamole but in grass form...so something like carne asada venison or rollo pollo rabbit is made...) In any case, his food is generally spicy and challenging to the taste buds, and he seems to enjoy it immensely. Perhaps it's a sort of challenge to him, to eat his food without wimping out, while others, even Trellus and Anuk, who should be used to his food, seem to gasp for breath and quickly reach for the bread, fruit, or wine to die down the taste. That day, as they're traveling along, Jake listens to the description of the tracks...then grins. "Hey, Anuk, you sure we're going in a straight line? Ah mean, those tracks sound a lot like us..."
Tishe' Sunday January 23rd, 2005 4:42:22 PM
A week is an amazing time to learn many things, and Tishe' loves to learn more about thier surroundings and Mother Wold. With the recent experience with Gargul (Thank you!), the small mage can easily believe the validity of the divine Mother.
Each night, the brown haired woman weaves a set of magical alarms around thier camp to sound at the arrival of any large sized being or greater that breaks the perimeter of the camp. [Extended Alarm for 10 hours]
Tishe' accepts Jake's invitation to talk and is more than happy to tell the pack about Hook City, the great town on the north border of the Sargrass Plains. "I grew up with my parents and two elder sisters in a weaving household", she tells them. "My mother was from Rattledam, and my Da was a wandering merchant. It was a happy surprise when I was found with the magical gift; wizards are much respected in Hook City you know."
Never being a girl that others gawked at, Tishe' is mildly irritated at misplacing her clothes, but thinks nothing of walking into camp starkers to get a fresh change.
Sitting in the mornings with her spellbook and horned toad, she keeps her mind full of spells to help the pack.
The sage and buff clothed mage nods seriously at Jake's thoughts, for there is something to his observation, but she waits for Trellus to make a decision.
Flea Monday January 24th, 2005 12:32:30 AM
Each morning, before breaking camp, Flea packs and unpacks her belongings, making a mental inventory of her possessions, and fretting at the lack of civilization. The gnome hopes their path leads to a sizable town, one with a franchise of the famous Catacombs in order that she might be able to do a little shopping. She invites Anuk and Mac to participate in some playful sparing, in order to keep her sword arm in shape, and her reflexes sharp. Flea will ask Trellus and Gilan if she can examine the healing wands in order to be familiar with them. If the need arises, she wants to be able to back up the party.
Flea is glad for the unfussy female companionship of Tishe'. She teases the mage about her mini-taur admirer. The rogue tries to learn if the tight lipped woman fancies any of the Bloodpack guys. Definitely one to hold a grudge, Flea waits for a quiet night when the pack is sitting around the campfire, to cast Ghost Sound. She recreates, as best she can, the voice of the dryad calling to her "Jakey".
Jake's way with spices results in a bit of gastric distress for Flea. Unable to sleep, she sits up with those on guard. She will try to talk with Grymash, to learn a little more about his relationship with the god of life and death.
Flea practices some of the draconic phrases she learned from her mentor in order to be prepared should the party actually come upon a real live one. She mentally kicks herself for not paying more attention to her lessons, but they really didn't seem important at the time.
Trellus Monday January 24th, 2005 11:14:38 AM
Trellus walks with his packmates, like them marvelling at the abundance of plants, animals, and especially fresh water. It takes several days before the young man stops taking three steps away from each newly discoverd water source.
Over time, he also has some long talks with Anuk, renewing their bond.
Its not until day three that the cleric figures out why his feet keep hurting. And it is not long thereafter, when Jake is brushing aside a branch, that a large quantity of water suddenly inundates the elf. A good 14 gallons, in fact. [Create Water spell]
Trellus' shoes are soon back to normal size.
The food remains adventuresome, though.
Upon falling upon the new path, Trellus checks with Anuk to make sure they aren't going in circles. He doesn't think so - Mac and Gry make pretty distinctive tracks - but Anuk would know better.
Once they've confirmed the prints belong to somebody else, the cleric waves everyone in the direction they lead. "Maybe we can find somebody after all," he comments.
Gilan d20+14=26 d20+12=24 d20+7=10 d20+7=25 Monday January 24th, 2005 1:21:20 PM
Gilan is enjoying all the time that he is getting to spend outside. The new sights and sounds that he encounters brings him to a single thought, that maybe he should buy a journal of his own.
Strangely he seems to escape Jake's little practical jokes, though the last time it happened he left something suitable in his bed. Rolling over on a porcupine in the middle of the night is not something someone wants to repeat he is sure. The food is a different story and he does find himsef drinking a little more water lately as Jake uses the spices.
The sudden appearance of a garbage trail leads him to suspect that they are following something, well not really following but going in the same direction. "Remember the last time with the racoons...we have been leaving nothing behind or out." He looks to Anuk and moves around the area himself looking for sign and the like to try and help the group out. When he finally is done he will compare notes with Anuk to see if they both came up with the same things or maybe help each other out.
[survival 26] [knowledge(nature) 24:for identifying tracks or the like] [listen 10 and spot 25]
Spells to Come.
Tishe' [Second Post] Monday January 24th, 2005 1:47:47 PM
The brown eyed mage loves the female companionship that Flea brings to the campfires. Two women who are equal with the males because of the skills they bring, and not due to any 'fairer sex' myth. However, she smiles in denial of 'fancying' any of her pack members.
"Each are like the brothers I have never had. Trellus, Anuk, and Mac are as stalwart and steadfast as a stone wall. Grymash has surprising gentleness and wisdom behind his crude facade. Jake's humor keeps everyone remembering the lighter side of things. Gilan is an amazing font of knowledge of Mother Wold; I'm learning so much from him!" Her eyes glow, whether from talking about the druid or his knowledge it is hard to tell.
When it comes to teasing about Larri, the small mage becomes flustered. The experience has been too new to have a male (any male!) adore her. Blatant advances she can handle, but this... All the average looking woman can do is blush.
Mac Monday January 24th, 2005 5:53:17 PM
"It's okay Galea - it will grow back..."
Mac shares tales of his upbringing and family in Heranmar, his time working in the family forge, his working as a weaponsmith and part time armourer for the Heranmar militia, or Polismen as they were known in the region, before becoming a polisman himself. Those paying attention to Mac talking about his family note a curiosity: He speaks of his great-grandparents with reverence bordering on awe, and it is clear that the wanderings that led him to the Sargrass were inspired by their adventures. He speaks of their son [his grandfather] and his wife, with the reverence of one who has been taught to respect his elders. He speaks of their sons [his father and two uncles] and each of their wives [his mother and aunts], and their sons [his cousins, brothers and himself], over half of whom have taken wives. In past discussions Mac has mentioned his extended family are the only Minotaurs around Heranmar... For every tale Mac has about his journeys, he has half-a-dozen or more about his great-grandparents. {OOC: Given most of the players are American, imagine some stories that 3rd and 4th generation Americans whose predecessors fled Europe seeking life in the new world might tell, and you would be beginning to get the idea.} Mac spars with Flea, but with the head of the axe covered and bound. Despite Flea's devastating sneak attack, the early bouts are at quarter speed, progressing to half speed near the end of the week. It is clear Mac is holding back, but if pressed he just replies "I donnae know - some'n's just wrong." For most of the time Mac revels in being alive, being with his new family (including Galea) and generally trying to come to grips with what's just happened... a week ago.
Anuk d20+10=30 d20+10=14 d20+12=26 Monday January 24th, 2005 10:24:12 PM
It's a good week for Anuk. When the pack isn't traveling, he spars playfully with Flea, listens attentively to and asks questions of Tishe' and Mac as they weave about their homes and their past, and he begins to feel a renewed sense of trust and companionship with Trellus. When they are traveling, his sharp eyes and ears are attuned to changes in the surroundings...as much to take in the beauty of this place as to watch for danger. (spot 30 - natural 20!, listen 14)
Jake's joking brings Anuk's toothy grin out often, but Jake's spicy food is another story. Anuk puts on his best game face while eating, though it's always with plenty of water. "Shady eatin, Jake. *gulp*...*glug, glug, glug*". He wipes a litte water across his brow as well, both to cool off and to hide the fact that he's sweating so much.
Looking for a bit of playful payback, the next time Jake disappears behind a tree to "talk to an elf about a horse", Anuk makes sure everyone's a good distance away and then casts entangle on the area.
On the day that they encounter the tracks, Anuk peers down closely at them. "I'm not sure these are ours," he says to Gilan, Jake, and Trellus. "Lemme look a bit closer..."
(survival/track - 26)
DM George Monday January 24th, 2005 11:07:19 PM
Annuk easily tells that the tracks they are following aren't the Bloodpacks. The pack has to many members to it for the tracks to be theirs. These tracks look to have 5 or 6 members to them.
The pack crests a hill and can see clearly for several hundred yards around them. They look down and see a group of adventures ahead of them around 75 yards away. They will see a human male, dressed in chain, a female human, without armor or apparent weapons dressed in traveling clothes. A large ogre dressed in platemail with a huge sword, a slight looking humanoid with a cloak pulled over its head, and a 7' tall humanoid dressed in leather. They also see a young looking elf who has a chain dangle from his neck and being led by the first human.
The humanoid notices the pack and points at them saying something to his friends. They all look up and then starting running into the trees and are lost from sight.
Grymash Monday January 24th, 2005 11:28:38 PM
Grymash is silent and somewhat withdrawn. He relives every second he spent with his god. Wonders how he could have done better. He walks along, occasionally mumbling to himself.
Trellus (AC 20, Prot from Fire) Tuesday January 25th, 2005 11:09:00 AM
Trellus takes in the exchange down below with a growing frown. "That looks kinda bright, don't it?" he asks rhetorically.
"Nuk, Flea - see if you can find those dudes. Everyone else, let's get off this road. Stay shuttlecocked."
The cleric gives the ranger and rogue a little lead time, using the interval to cast a protective spell on himself. [Protection from Energy (Fire)]
"Let's weave," he tells the rest of the pack.
He leads the group off the trail, heading to the same side the other group went. Flea and Anuk are given a slight lead, and Trellus waves the rest following into two lines -Jake, Gry, Mac up front, followed by Tishe, Trellus, and Gilan.
Tishe' Tuesday January 25th, 2005 4:48:55 PM
The small woman rubs her hands against her beige trousers and moves off the path. Once hidden from casual observation, she strings her crossbow and knocks a bolt. Following the front three, she prepares to backup whatever may come.
Flea (Hasted) d20+23=33 d20+12=13 d20+8=25 d20+10=18 Tuesday January 25th, 2005 7:36:02 PM
Flea uses all of her skills to move quickly, but inconspicuously in a line designed to intersect the run-away pack. Having activated her special boots*, she checks to see that Anuk is keeping pace. If they spot the group they are seeking, she will remain hidden and try to learn of their plans.
Hide=33 Search=13 Spot=25 Listen=18
*Boots of Speed-p. 250 DMG guide-act as though affected by a Haste Spell...p. 239 PHB) 1/10 rounds (not required to be consecutive rounds)
Anuk d20+11=22 d20+12=25 d20+10=29 d20+10=24 Tuesday January 25th, 2005 9:56:55 PM
With a nod to Trellus, Anuk moves out with Flea, keeping a quiet pace with the little gnome. "First sign of anything and I think we oughtta head right back to tell Trellus," he whispers to the rogue.
Anuk peers ahead into the woods and watches for signs of a trail on the ground, looking for clues about the strangers.
Hide 22, Track 25, Spot 29, Listen 24
DM George d20+13=31 d20+13=21 Tuesday January 25th, 2005 10:27:08 PM
The others stay behind as Anuk and Flea try to move forward together. They scoot from tree to tree move quickly. They seem to hide themselves very well but they don't seem to concerned with moving quietly and step on several twigs and leaves as they move forward. (OOC Guys you guys forgot about moving silently?)
They come upon a clearing and only see one individual in it. It is a female, who is looking in their direction and leaning against a large boulder. She is weaving some grass together as she says, "Who are you and why are you following us?" She adds with a smirk, "You might as well show yourselves...a herd of cattle would make less noise."
The woman is around 50 away from Anuk and Flea who are 50' ahead of the others.
From a distance behind her, you here a muffled voice yell something uninteligable.
Gilan d20+7=14 d20+7=12 Tuesday January 25th, 2005 11:26:47 PM
Gilan looks around to the rest of the group and sighs. As the two scouts move out he looks to those that remain and shakes his head. "Should we not be moving out to follow." He looks around at all of the surrounding and then thinking to what he saw earlier. "I have a bad feeling that we are in trouble here...Anuk and Flea possibly more than us." He starts to move out in that general direction, with out without the others.
[spot 14 and listen 12]
Flea (Evasion, Uncanny Dodge, Trap Sense +2) d20+5=20 d20+12=18 d20+8=17 d20+10=22 Tuesday January 25th, 2005 11:59:08 PM "Shhhh! 'Nuk, stay hidden and cover me...she doesn't know how many we are!" whispers the gnome.
Flea steps into the clearing to face the woman, and answers brightly, "why, Lady, it is only me in these woods! I have run away from my group to see if you are real or a mirage! My pack, I think you spotted us earlier, and I have been lost in these woods, and we haven't seen anyone in ages!" (Bluff=20) Flea keeps her hands palm out, a little out from her body, in a sign of peace.
Dispite her friendly demeanour, the rogue is no fool. All of her senses are on alert as she stays primed to evade a trap.
Search=18 Spot=17 Listen=22
Grymash d20+5=20 d20+2=4 Wednesday January 26th, 2005 12:00:56 AM
Grymash breaks his silence and whispers back to Trellus. "Uhh, whut goin' on ahead? Do yooz hears dat?!"
(Listen 20, Spot 4)
Jake Wednesday January 26th, 2005 2:11:24 AM
Jake draws his sword and readies his shield, just in case a fight is coming up. Most situations like this seem to of late have drawn into a big fight... And they're way off in the middle of nowhere now...
Trellus (ac 20, prot vs fire) d20+8=22 d20+8=25 Wednesday January 26th, 2005 10:36:01 AM
Trellus nods, agreeing with both Gilan and Gry. The blond haired man indicates for Gry and the rest to keep following after Flea and Anuk. "Don't get too far ahead of me," he quietly cautions the faster moving half-orc.
The shuttlecocked cleric moves steadily forward [double move - 40'], keeping his eyes and ears open, looking for signs of the other group.
Listen - 22 Spot - 25
Anuk (AC 21) d20+8=18 d20+10=19 d20+10=22 d20+11=29 Wednesday January 26th, 2005 11:26:50 AM Careful, litte friend, thinks Anuk as the tiny rogue steps into the clearing. Remaining hidden in the bushes, Anuk QUIETLY draws an arrow, nocks it, and trains it on the stranger, alert for any sign of danger. As he watches the woman, he strains to make out the sound in the distance.
(move quietly 18, spot 19, listen 22, hide 29)
TIshe' d20+3=23 d20+3=17 Wednesday January 26th, 2005 3:45:19 PM
Tishe' pushes a stray wavy brown lock of hair away from her face and continues to follow Jake through the woods, crossbow in hand.
"Wart", she says quietly, "watch my back, sweetie, we don't know if these strangers have black or white hands."
Spot: nat 20 Listen: 17
Mac d20+5=17 d20+1=4 d20+3=15 Wednesday January 26th, 2005 5:25:34 PM
Maintaining pace with the main of the Pack, Mac tries to blend in a little more.
Spot:17, Listen:4, Move Silently:15
Grymash d20+3=15 d20+3=10 d20+5=23 d20+2=14 Wednesday January 26th, 2005 7:36:51 PM
The barbarian takes his mighty bow and draws an arrow. He moves forward slowly (half movement 20ft. Double movement 40') He does his best to keep quiet and hidden. He continues to listen and keep his eyes peeled.
(Move Silently 15, Hide 10, Listen 23, Spot 14)
Gilan Wednesday January 26th, 2005 10:16:50 PM
Gilan looks around at the group as they begin to prepare for the worse. He cannot blame them and he is curious as to what is going on. Was that girl a prisoner, captive or just a lure to get them off guard.
Moving over to keep pace with Trellus he shakes his head. "A trap maybe?" He looks to Mac and taps the big guy. "If things go bad I will hit you with a barkskin spell first as you will most likely move to melee." He glances to Gry as he strings his bow and smiles. "I will get you next with the barkskin spell...as you seem ready to fire off that giant bow of yours." Looking back to Trellus he shakes his head again. "Anyone else you think may benefit before they join battle totally?"
DM George Wednesday January 26th, 2005 10:57:27 PM
Flea tries to bluff the strange lady as the Bloodpack moves forward to support her and prepares for battle.
"You lie little one. We saw your group crest the hill. Now you are coming forward to spy on us. I don't appreciate that. We are not looking to make new friends. Go now in peace but if you follow me and my friends again, know you will find blood...your own."
The woman starts backing away towards the treeline but keeps her eyes on Flea and the surrounding woods.
Flea and Anuk easily hear a muffled yell of someone in distress.
Flea d20+12=32 d20+8=27 Thursday January 27th, 2005 9:21:32 AM
The gnome doesn't move. She keeps her hands away from her weapons, and observes the strange woman, wondering how she was able to see through the rogue's ruse.
Flea knows her ranger friend has her back. She hopes the rest of the pack are close behind.
The gnome doesn't say a word, but scans the clearing quickly to see if she can pick up any information, before her eyes return to watch the suspicious female. (Search=32 (nat. 20!), Spot=27)
What would Trellus do? thinks the gnome. She struggles to keep a serious face as despite the precariousness of her situation the thought of what Jake might do crosses her mind.
Trellus (ac 20, prot vs fire) d20+8=11 d20+8=13 Thursday January 27th, 2005 9:37:10 AM
Trellus nods at Gilan, but doesn't say anything. From the way the cleric is peering through the woodline, its obvious he's concerned about somebody moving around the group as well.
With a wave of his hand, he encourages the pack to keep moving forward. He stays 10' behind Gry while continuing to head toward Flea and Anuk. [Double move - 40']
Listen - 11 Spot - 13
Tishe' d20+3=13 d20+3=11 Thursday January 27th, 2005 12:46:40 PM
Maintaining her hold on her crossbow, the small woman tries to keep her eyes and ears open while she keeps up with Trellus.
Spot: 13 Listen: 11 Double Move 40 feet
Grymash d20+5=22 d20+2=10 Thursday January 27th, 2005 7:47:08 PM
Grymash tried his best to be quiet as they advanced, but since no one else was doing so, he saw no need to continue. The barbarian wonders, "Whut would Gry do?" He quickly recalls, "Oh yeah, Gry knows!" He stomps forward, toward Flea and 'Nuk, having little to no regard for anything in his path (including Thumper!). He moves forward until he breaks into the clearing (total double movement 80ft). As he does, his tree-sized bow is lowered slightly in order to not appear so threatening. But not too low, if you know what Gry means.
(If he sees the woman) "Flea, who dat be?" Grymash turns to the stranger, "Who be yooz?" His ear perks up. "Whut be dat?"
(Listen 22, Spot 10)
Mac d20+5=7 d20+1=10 Thursday January 27th, 2005 7:55:40 PM
"Thanks Gilan."
Mac maintains pace with the group, though possibly not with Gry. this should be a surprise for them he thinks to himself Gry playing the diplomat!
Spot:7 Listen:10 ::sigh::
Anuk (AC 21) d20+8=11 d20+10=27 d20+10=27 d20+11=29 Thursday January 27th, 2005 9:28:08 PM
Anuk remains hidden and tries to remain quiet -- he will not leave until Flea can leave safely.
His arrow remains trained on the woman and he watches and listens for signs of the woman's companions.
(move quietly 11, spot 27, listen 27, hide 29)
Gilan d20+7=21 d20+7=25 Thursday January 27th, 2005 9:40:23 PM
Gilan moves on with the rest, keeping his ears and eyes peeled for trouble. He acknowledges Trellus's nod with one of his own as he can tell the cleric is worried.
He lets Gry go on ahead of them figuring that he can catch him if needed. With a smile and nod to Mac he lets the big man know that he heard him. Otherwise he is keeping an eye out for Flea as well. Worry creases his face for his litte sister...as it does for all his pack.
DM George d20+16=17 Thursday January 27th, 2005 10:45:40 PM
The lady keeps moving back and says, "Stay away from us. You have been warned." She slips away into the trees moving very gracefully and with poise.
The group hears several crashes and a gutteral yell. Through the trees, the elven boy can be seen running towards the pack. He looks behind him and suddenly is jerked from his feet onto his pack. He yells out "Help!" in common but is quickly dragged back out of sight.
This occured across the clearing but around 15 yards to the left of the lady who was talking to Flea.The elf was around 20' into the woods but still visible. The lady looks to be trying to hide behind a tree but see can be seen easily by most of the pack.
The pack has moved up and rejoined Flea and Anuk. Grymash has joined Flea out in the open but the others have stayed more discretely in the woods.
Jake (AC 23, hp 52/52) Friday January 28th, 2005 1:00:28 AM
"This has gotta be a trap, guys. Trellus, let me set it off, so that the rest of ya can take care of whatever it is. Ah can take whatever they throw at me."
When Trellus gives his permission, Jake then moves forward into the woods, chasing after the elven boy. He gets as close as he can, trying to get a better view and hopefully closing in on whatever's grabbing the boy. But if Trellus does not, Jake merely keeps his position in the pack or follows his pack leader's advice...
Gilan Friday January 28th, 2005 12:31:07 PM
Gilan glances to Jake as he makes the offer to set off this trap. Though he realizes that it will be dangerous he knows that this maybe their only option. He moves forward to get near Jake and lays his hand upon his shoulder. "Vara tel seldarine." He nods to Trellus and then grasps Jakes shoulder more firmly. "I have boosted his protection as best I can...we can also cover him with missile fire pretty well." He waits to see if Trellus will agree to this little plan.
Tishe' (AC 16 (20); HP 37/37) Friday January 28th, 2005 1:32:19 PM
The brown-haired mage keeps pace with Trellus (move up to 30') and pauses to give herself some more protection, weaving the pattern for a magical shield.
"Looks like we're weaving a fight." she comments to no one in particular. The deadly crossbow never wavers from the other side of the clearing.
Spells Shield: [50 rounds] +4 AC tower shield
Trellus (ac 20, prot vs fire, owls wisdom[1]) Friday January 28th, 2005 4:13:44 PM
"No need, Jake," Trellus responds wryly. "I'm pretty sure Gry'll take care of that part."
The young man quickly looks left and right. His mouth sets as he realizes it will simply take too long to go around this clearing. There's nothing for it but to blast on through.
"OK dudes, let's get across this thing quick!" he calls out. "Gry, get that lady as fast as you can." Trellus pauses long enough to cast another spell on himself [Owls Wisdom] and starts hurrying across the field. [20' move]
Mac d20+5=7 Friday January 28th, 2005 5:29:06 PM
The taur keeps pace with Gilan, who he hopes is keeping up with Trellus. With expectations of a trap, Mac is looking for individuals that are lying in wait or posing a threat.
Spot:7
...of course, the trees are quite lovely this time of year...
Flea (Hasted, AC19+1, +4 vs Giants/HP 41, Evasion, Uncanny Dodge, Trap Sense +2 ) d20+13=24 d20+12=26 d20+8=21 Friday January 28th, 2005 9:17:22 PM
Flea tastes the bile rise in her throat when she sees the elven youngster yanked off his feet. She runs pel-mel (up to 2x normal speed of 20 ft.) across the clearing, tumbling past the lithe female (Tumble=24) in an attempt to get behind her. The small female keeps her eyes peeled for any others from the foreign pack (Search=26, Spot=21) as she rises, pulling her hooked hammer from her belt. From her flanking position she watches her companions rush forward through the clearing.
*Boots of Speed-p. 250 DMG guide-act as though affected by a Haste Spell...p. 239 PHB) 2/10 rounds (not required to be consecutive rounds)
Grymash d20+11=29 d20+6=26 d20+6=12 d8+6=12 d8+6=14 d8+6=7 d8+6=10 Friday January 28th, 2005 10:04:18 PM
Grymash snarls menacingly when Trellus says, "Get the lady!" His bow instantly rises and off goes one of his large arrows. As soon as the first arrow cuts through the air and lands with a thud, a second one quickly follows.
(full round attack. 1st arrow, HitAC: 29. Damage 12. 2nd arrow, HitAC: 26 crit threat, 12 crit hit [a miss, im sure]. Damage 14. Total Damage: 26. If a critical: 43 damage.)
Anuk (AC 21, HP 34) - Dodge (AC 22 vs woman) Friday January 28th, 2005 11:32:41 PM
Springing from his hiding place, Anuk races with Flea across the clearing, stowing his bow and drawing his longsword as he goes. Whoever these people are, they clearly intend to harm the youngster. He stops short of the woman, flanking her with Flea.
"Let the lad go," he snarls.
DM George Combat round 1 d20+16=22 3d6(5+6+1)+18=30 d20+14=20 d20+9=18 d20+11=23 d10+5=15 4d4(1+3+4+1)+4=13 Saturday January 29th, 2005 12:58:55 AM
The clearing is an oval in shape deepest at the middle where the main group is. Here it is around 70' deep. The clearing extends around 200' wide and slowly gets more narrow towards the end.
I will try and make a map this weekend but this is how I see the groups. Flea and Anuk raced across the clearing. Flea is in the lead with Anuk not far behind.
Grymash was about 20' into the clearing when he takes his shots. Trellus, Mac, Jake, Gilan and Tishe are all slowly moving into the clearing and are about 10' after this round.
Jake offers to spring any traps but only can watch open mouthed as the littlest member of the Bloodpack races across the clearing to confront the strange lady.
He looks back as he feels a touch on his arm as Gilan casts a spell on him raising his AC.
Tishe casts a protective spell and moves up into the clearing staying with the main group.
Trellus casts a spell as he too moves up.
Mac is to stunned by Flea's brash behavior to notice much detail but that oak tree over there is just beautiful in this light.
Grymash takes careful aim but Flea jumps into his sights just as he is about to shoot. He pulls the shot up and just misses the lady. He notices that she has some cover from the trees and carefully plans his next shot. He hits here for 12 points of damage (ooc The lady got a +4 due to Flea and +4 for cover)
Anuk charges into a mess as he is suddenly hit with a huge sword. A large ogre armed with a very large great sword becomes visible around 8' away from him. The ogre follows up with two savage strokes but Anuk is able to avoid both of them. Anuk take 30 points of damage and is feeling decidedly unwell. He knows if he takes one more hit from this brute, he will be pleading his case in front of Gargul.
The lady turns towards Flea and smiles an evil smile even though she was hit with one of Grymashes arrows. She dances forward incredibly fast and kicks Flea in the chest for 15 points of damage.
Mac is struck by four missiles coming from the woods to the left. They zoom in on an angle and do 13 points of damage.
Trellus (ac20, prot vs fire, owls wisdom) Saturday January 29th, 2005 12:29:06 PM
Trellus sighs, wondering when the gods are going to stop forcing the pack to attack prepared defenders.
Looking about, his mind rapidly goes over the situation. Anuk and Flea are engaged with the lady and the ogre on the far side of the clearing. Just to their left is where the chained elf got yanked back by another dude (treadle #3). To the left of that, a mage (treadle #4) just shot a spell across the formation to nail Mac. Gry is 50' from the combatants, and everyone else is about 60' away.
Treadle #5 is still unaccounted for.
Trellus starts barking orders.
"Nuk! Drop back!" "Gry - help Flea!" "Jake and Tishe - the ogre." "Gil - wrap up that wizard!" "Mac, stay with me."
The cleric sprints across the clearing, pulling out his healing wand as he runs.
[Run - 60' move. Trellus will not outrun either Gry or Jake. He expects to end up linked up with Anuk, some 5 feet behind a battle line of Jake and Gry and whatever Tishe does.]
Gilan [HP: 57/57, AC: 18] d20+7=10 d20+7=26 Saturday January 29th, 2005 3:57:09 PM
Gilan lays his hand upon Mac's shoulder and says a few quick words. "Vara tel seldarine." He smiles as his spell goes off and increases Mac's defense even higher.
He then takes off at a run in the direction of the missiles that were fired upon Mac. "On it Trellus." He quickly goes through the spells that he has left to use in a magic fight. He does his best to hear or spot the mage as he moves along.
Anuk (AC 21, HP 4) - Dodge (AC 22 vs ogre), rapid shot, point blank shot Saturday January 29th, 2005 5:38:31 PM "Unngghhh..." Anuk feels the bite of the ogre's blade as it slashes through him. The sudden spray of blood gets in his eyes as he turns to face the huge assailant. Suddenly, he wishes he had Gry's ability to lose himself in a rage. Instead, he feels fear welling up inside him.
Somewhere behind him he hears the voice of Trellus. Gotta remain focused, he thinks to himself. If I run, he's gonna tear me apart. In a split-second, he makes his decision - a quick step backwards to get himself outside of the ogre's reach (5' step back). As he does so, he drops his longsword to the ground, draws his bow and fires two arrows into the hulking creature.
Anuk OOC d20+10=17 d8+4=9 d20+10=16 d8+4=8 Saturday January 29th, 2005 5:41:38 PM
(OOC: accidently hit submit before rolling. 1st arrow hits AC 17 for 9pts, 2nd arrow hits AC 16 for 8 pts. *sigh*)
Jake (AC 25, 23 due to charging, hp 52/52, barksin +3 (but wearing an amulet of natural armor +1)) d20+9=23 d10+10=16 d6=5 Saturday January 29th, 2005 10:14:22 PM
Time ta follow the plan, Jake thinks to himself. Wish that Flea had done so, he sighs. Gathering his energy, he yells menacingly, "Face me, ya mudfaced dunglicker!", charging straight at the ogre who just clubbed his bud 'nuk. He hacks into the thing with full force, swinging with all of his strength behind his sharp steel. (The ogre might get off his attack before I charge in. I don't think Jake got his new armor yet...if he did, his AC will be a whopping 32 with the barksin. But if he didn't he's a bit more vulnerable... Power attack at full +5, which I found was on my character sheet btw George, hit AC 23, did 16 damage on this first attack plus 5 freezing damage)
Flea (Hasted, AC19+1, +4 vs Giants/HP26/ 41) d20+13=14 d20+10=18 d20+10=15 d6+1=2 3d6(4+3+5)=12 d6+1=4 3d6(6+4+6)=16 Saturday January 29th, 2005 11:18:13 PM
Flea's eyes cross as the woman kicks her in the chest, and momentarily winds her. The gnome stumbles past the lithe female in an attempt to get behind her.(Tumble=14) Gathering her wits about her, she strikes out with her gnomish hammer once (Hit AC 18, for 2 pts dmg, +12 Sneak Attack dmg) then a second time (Hit AC 15 for 4 pts dmg, +16 Sneak Attack dmg).
*Boots of Speed-p. 250 DMG guide-act as though affected by a Haste Spell...p. 239 PHB) 3/10 rounds (not required to be consecutive rounds)
Tishe' (AC 16 (20); HP 37/37) Sunday January 30th, 2005 8:58:51 AM
The violence of the trap sprung on the Bloodpack gives Tishe' a moments pause, but then Trellus' clear orders rings out.
"Shuttlecocked!" she answers the cleric's instructions.
The first pick is to take that monster off his feet. Jake is close, and Anuk nearby, so the small mage has to target the ogre carefully. Her hands rise and her voice weaves a spell while she casts a handful of ground mica into the air.
Suddenly, centered five feet behind the ogre, a cloud of golden particles surrounds the beast, getting into its eyes and trying to blind the beast. (Will Save DC 17 {10+4[int]+2[sp lvl]+1[sp focus]} or blind for spell length [5 rounds]
Spells Shield: [49 rounds] +4 AC tower shield Glitterdust: [5 rounds] 10 foot radius, -40 Hide, blinded DC 17
Mac [AC:21, HP:62/75] Sunday January 30th, 2005 5:28:59 PM
The taur keeps easy pace with Trellus (60' - double move) with greataxe at the ready.
Grymash (ac18, hp81) d20+13=32 d8+19=26 Sunday January 30th, 2005 11:37:22 PM
Grymash growls as Flea goes charging off in front of him. "Flea think she Gry again," thinks the barbarian to himself. He drops his bow (free action) and charges toward the "lady" who just kicked Flea. His speed is swift and daunting. Along the way, he draws his double axe. With one wild and deadly stroke, he brings death upon his victim.
(Charge+2hit/-2ac. Max movement 80'. Powerattack+5, +10 twohanded. HitAC: 32. Damage: 26.
DM George combat round 2 d20+15=35 d20+15=19 3d6(3+3+5)+18=29 d20+11=14 d20+2=15 d100=30 d20+14=22 d20+21=29 d20+21=36 d20+16=22 d100=80 d100=39 d100=22 3d6(4+1+2)+10=17 3d6(1+1+2)+10=14 d20+15=19 d20+15=34 d20+15=25 d20+9=21 d20+15=17 d20+15=35 d20+15=26 d20+9=10 d8+8=14 d8+8=14 d8+8=9 d4+8=11 d4+8=10 7d6(2+5+4+1+4+6+1)=23 Monday January 31st, 2005 5:51:02 PM
Trellus barks several orders and moves up with a double move to support Anuk careful not to get into range of the Ogre and his huge sword.
Gilan goes to cast Barkskin on Mac but Mac doesn't wait around for the spell to be cast doing a double movement to stay with Trellus. (Gilan can cast the spell on himself or save it and take a double movement instead. Let me know which.)
Anuk steps back and hastily tries to shoot the Ogre but misses with both shots. Still he is out of range of the lethal sword being at 13 feet.
Jake charges forward to his friends aid. He comes within the Ogre's range for an AOO and the ogre swings at him connecting and doing 29 points of damage. Jake is staggered but swings back and does 16 points to the ogre.
Flea tries to tumble past the mean looking lady but fails. The lady takes a swing at her with an AOO but misses. Flea swings twice but because she failed her tumble, she doesn't get her flanking bonus and missed with both swings.
Tishe casts her spell on the ogre. Unfortunately she affects Jake with it as well and Jake must make a saving throw as well. (OOC Since Jake is in combat range with the ogre, I gave Tishe a 50% chance to effect him too and she did)
The Ogre blinks his eyes several times and screams in anger and rage. He seems to swell up as he does and even looks more intimidating but he obviously can't see his opponents.
Grymash was around 50' away from Flea and the evil lady Flea is fighting. He drops his bow and draws his axe but can't swing this round. He will be able to next round.
There turn:
Katrina tumbles away from Flea and Grymash and gets up and runs. She is incredibly fast and move 60' in one turn, disappearing into the thick woods.
The Ogre slashes around with his sword slashing into Jake twice doing 31 points of damage. Jake falls to the ground, glittering but pumping blood at -8. (I don't see where blinded creatures get minuses to hit. I gave Jake a concealment bonus but it didn't help. If anyone can enlighten me where some minuses are, I will take them into consideration.)
Grymash roars in surprise when he is attacked by a whirlwind of swords, expertly swung by a man who materializes beside him. He is armed with longsword and dagger. (I gave Grymash his normal ac of 20 because he couldn't charge last round) Grymash gets hit 3 times 2 of them being critical hits. One critical hit does 28 points of damage, the second sword strike does 9 and the dagger hit that was critical does 21. Grymash takes 58 points of damage.
Gilan is looking for the wizard and sees a dark skinned elf standing by a tree. His attention is brought to the elf when a lightning bolt leaps from his fingers and hits Gilan for 23 points of damage 12 points if reflex save of dc 16 is made.
Carla to DM George Monday January 31st, 2005 7:19:50 PM
With all respect, I don't feel capable of posting wisely for Flea during this combat without a map.
Stephen ooc Monday January 31st, 2005 7:28:45 PM
Again, as I have said before and have posted page number and verse from the book, one can draw their weapon along with their move action as long as they have a +1 Attack bonus or greater. Page 142 in the players handbook, in the section called "Draw or Sheathe a Weapon." I quote: "If you have a base attack bonus of +1 or higher, you may draw a weapon as a free action combined with a regular move."
Second, in a charge you can double your movement and get off a single melee attack. You get a +2 to hit, and a -2 to AC. Its all on Page 154. Grymash can charge up to 80 feet and get off an attack. If the "lady" has an AC 32 or less, Grymash does hit and deals full damage as stated in my post.
Third. From the last round. Flea would have had to attack the Lady first before you apply penalties to ranged attacks on the target. Flea had only moved into position and not attack the lady in the last round. Both arrows should have hit.
Gilan [HP: 45/57, AC: 21] {barkskin} d20+6=18 7d6(2+4+2+4+3+1+1)=17 7d6(5+6+4+4+3+6+1)=29 Monday January 31st, 2005 9:18:19 PM
Last Round
Gilan slips the spell onto himself as he moves, seeing as Mac moved sooner than he had expected.
This Round
Gilan feels the lightning pass over his body and he shudders with the feeling, but it brings some amount of pleasure more than pain. He even laughs at the mage for a few seconds as his natural abilities allow him to shrug off most of the damage. He nods to the mage as he flicks his wrist in his direction as he speaks. "Pelekta yassen runya!" He grins even wider as his spell finishes.
A sudden gout of flames slams down upon the mage with devastating effect upon the area. When the smoke clears what will be left for the druid to deal with, that is his one question now.
[reflex 18] [flame strike - 29 damage, DC 19 for half, used HP]
George Monday January 31st, 2005 11:53:06 PM
Hey folks,
I realize with the frustration of some of the players lashing out both here and the DM board that I am not doing the job you need to have a good time.
I feel it is time for another to step forward and take over the DMing of this game. Mike you can stay. I will go.
Stephen, I have to admit that your post hurt me deeply. Yes I am not the rules guru that you are. I freely admit it. Still I post everyday, more than I can say for some of you and give it my best effort. I didn't need your nasty and hateful post. Good luck with you next DM
The Battle Ends [CDM Jerry] Tuesday February 1st, 2005 4:50:30 AM
Suddenly overhead there is the sound of wings. Huge powerful wings. Looking up, you see the incredible form of a dragon. Goldish bronze in color, it ROARS!
The ogre, seeing the huge beast, screams like a baby without it's momma!
OOOOHHHHEEEEEIIIIIHHHHH!
Immediately it runs. The party gets several attacks of opportunity upon it as it leaves injuring it further. Squealing in pain it doubles it's effort to escape the FEAR!
Jumping off a nearby short cliff it impales itself upon a sharp upturned stump of a tree, broken off from recent lightning.
It is dead.
The dragon wheels and with a popping sound, disappears.
[Don't read alot into all this folks. I'm simply ending the combat. ADM Carla will now take over the game for the moment. George has resigned for now. Trust that I am working on things.]
Temp ADM Carla Tuesday February 1st, 2005 7:53:21 AM
The Whump...whump...whump... of great wings beats the air and waves of warmth and humidity wash over the party. For a brief moment it is as if you are not alone with your thoughts. There is the sensation of a hand brushing back a curtain, the fog lifting from the ground in the morning as the sun shines through. There is the sensation of an intelligent curiousity, and then the sensation is gone as the beast wheels through the air a second time.
The human sword brandishing male, the female monk, and 7ft. tall humanoid dressed in leather run through the forest and disappear, abandoning their captive.
The young looking elf, a chain still dangling from his neck stands alone on the edge of the forest and turns towards the pack, his eyes shining with excitement. "Naa lle ele ya?"*
*Did you see that?
Flea Tuesday February 1st, 2005 8:01:12 AM
Flea rocks back on her heels as the dragon soars overhead. The sensation of a gentle probe into her mind causes her to resist at first, but as she feels no fear, she relaxes, and then it is gone.
Looking about the clearing she briefly notices the young elf, but then her eyes are rivetted by the gruesome sight of the bleeding fighter and she screams.
"Jake!"
Trellus 4d8(3+8+8+5)+7=31 Tuesday February 1st, 2005 10:50:08 AM
Trellus stares open mouthed at the form of the retreating dragon. That was REALLY big- is about all his mind can come up with.
Flea's cry brings the young man out of his reverie. In two quick steps, he is beside the fighter and laying his hands upon him.
[Cure Critical Wounds on Jake - 31 hp healed. (cast over Inflict Critical)]
Anuk (HP 20) 2d8(2+8)+6=16 Tuesday February 1st, 2005 12:29:48 PM
Anuk can barely contain himself at the sight of the dragon and the retreating enemies. A real dragon! he thinks. What a magnificent creature!. However, all that comes out of his mouth is "Shady."
He watches Trellus working over Jake's body and realizes he's still losing blood himself. He sinks to his knees, takes a moment to gather his strength, and then fishes through his pack, eventually producing a vial of liquid which he opens and drains into his throat. (potion of cure moderate wounds - heals 16 hp).
Feeling his strength returning and watching his wounds knit, he turns to Gilan. Holding another vial he says, "You look a little singed, Gil. Need this?" If Gilan (or anyone) needs it, he offers a potion of Cure Light Wounds, or will cast Cure Moderate Wounds from the ioun stone.
Tishe' Tuesday February 1st, 2005 3:56:28 PM
Readying another spell, the weaving dies on Tishe's lips as the clearing is swept by the wind of the magnificent reptile's passage. Standing in awe (and a little fear) the small woman watches breathlessly as the dragon flies about and disappears.
Moving slowly as if coming out of a trance, she tucks an errant brown tress behind her ear and moves to retrieve her crossbow then see if she can help with Flea.
"And Valdor wants us to track down something like that?" she wonders aloud when she comes near the lady-gnome.
Mac (HP:62/75) d20+5=20 Tuesday February 1st, 2005 4:05:37 PM
Mac ignores his wounds as he watches the dragon in more than a little awe. He hears the elf's words and though he does not understand them, he agrees with the sentiment. With a burst of speed he gets as near as he can to the point the dragon 'popped' away. "We have to find that dragon again. I cannot ignore the debt." Spot:20
Gilan [HP: 48/57, AC: 21] {barkskin} d8+1=3 Tuesday February 1st, 2005 6:48:10 PM
Gilan looks to Anuk as he offers up the potion and just shakes his head as he holds out his hand. The shadow that had passed over them earlier had unnerved him to say the least. He drinks the potion without choking, somehow, even with his trembling hand.
Looking to Trellus he shakes his head and swallows again. "And we agreed to hunt one of those down?" He looks again to the sky and shakes his head. "Wold Mother preserve us."
Grymash d20+10=18 d8+21=26 2d8(6+1)+3=10 2d8(6+2)+3=11 d8=6 d8+3=8 d8+3=8 Tuesday February 1st, 2005 9:42:37 PM
The barbarian takes a wild final swing at the human (the one fighting with the two weapons) as he makes a run for it. Grymash nashes his teeth and growls at the coward and prepares to chase the treadle down. The sudden rush of wind and a shadow from above draws his attention instead. He eyes grow wide at the sight of the flying lizard. He pulls off his helmet and casts it aside to get a better look. He's totally confused and dumbfounded. He's never seen anything like that in all his life. Except for the giant birds of the Sargrass. When Nuk calls it a dragon, Grymash totally loses it. "Wha!! DA DAT BE WHAT?! YOOZ SAYS DRAGON! DAT BE UH DRAGON?! DAT BIG BEATER UP THERES ... UH DRAGON! DAT HALF-HUMAN VOIDOR SENT PACK AFTER DAT!? BRIGHT BURNIN' SKY BEATERS OF of uh, err ... PIGGIE DUUMMPPSS!!"
Grymash paces back and forth cursing in orc. Stopping only momentarily to point at the sky and growl and spit. His frustration gets the best of him and he sits down on a log to catch his breath and calm down. After a short moment, a calmer Grymash says, "Gry say ta Voidor dat Gry will rip dat dragon apart wit me own hands. How Gry gonna do dat?" He sighs and casts two cure moderate wounds spells on himself.
(Rerolled the 1 on my cure moderate roll, house rule. Healed Gry for 26 points.)
Still injured from the short battle, Grymash decides to spontaneously cast two cure light wound spells. (Healed 16 more points) Grymash feels much better but his wounds are still not completely healed. He sighs again. He wonders if this is one of his tests from Gargul. Just days ago the half-orc could command the dead back to the living and now he cant even heal himself completely. He tries not to let that bother him but his expression reveals his disappointment.
Temp ADM Carla Tuesday February 1st, 2005 10:47:12 PM
"Vedui! Mae govannen!"* calls the elven lad. He continues to speak in his language, using his hands to make his points as he waves first in the direction of the run-away outlaws, and then into the sky where the bronze dragon had suddenly appeared and then just as suddenly disappeared. (Those who understand elvish Highlight to display spoiler: {understand that he doesn't remember what happened to him, but woke up in the care of those who ran away. He had the collar on his neck with the chain attached. The woman with the group said they were transporting him to his new master. })
The youth isn't much younger than those in the pack, maybe a little closer to Trellus' sister Jenny's age. He is dressed in very well made clothes of fine fabrics in subtle colours as well as a padded leather vest. He doesn't appear to carry any weapons. His hair is cut to shoulder length with bangs that are a little long, but do not hide his green eyes.
As the boy carries on, the pack members tend to themselves and each other, and the healing process commences. The impact of their promise to Valdor unsettles some.
*Greetings! Well met!
Flea Tuesday February 1st, 2005 11:07:17 PM
Flea turns away from the males, and gingerly lifts her shirt to show Tishe' her bruised chest and side. "I heard a crack when she kicked me, and it is hard to breath. Can you mend broken ribs?" asks the gnome hopefully.
As the elf chatters on, Flea asks the curly haired mage, "do you know what he's going on about?"
Jake Tuesday February 1st, 2005 11:37:57 PM
Jake wakes up from Trellus' touch and gets up quickly, somewhat ashamedly from falling down so suddenly. "Battles over already?" he asks Trell, then looks around puzzled by the lack of carnage or bodies. Then, hearing the others talk of the dragon and stuff, he sighs. "Shucks, ah missed seein' it..."
Grymash d8+3=10 Wednesday February 2nd, 2005 2:02:50 AM
Grymash turns to Flea, just now realizing she is injured. "Flea, Gry got one mores feel good magik in me. Comes here an Gry gives it to ya."
(Cast Cure Light Wounds: 10 points of curing.)
Grymash then whispers in Flea's ear, "Do Flea knows whut pointy ears over theres be talkin' 'bout?"
Trellus d8+5=11 d8+5=8 2d8(1+1)+7=9 2d8(8+1)+7=16 d8=3 4d8(5+6+1+7)+7=26 d8=6 Wednesday February 2nd, 2005 10:26:09 AM
Trellus keeps healing his friends. As he does so, he calls out to the elf in the lad's tongue.
"Please wait young one. I attend my friends, and then we may talk." Ignoring his own advice, the young man continues speaking. "Do you know how to return to your people?"
Meanwhile, the blond cleric of Domi makes with the healing: He casts a healing spell on Flea [CLW (over Bane) - 11 hp healed]. Another on Gilan [CLW (over Bless) - 8 hp healed]. Another on Grymash [CMW (over Silence) - 18 hp healed (rerolled a bunch of ones)]. And another on Jake [CCW (over Spell Immunity) - 31 hp healed].
And he hands Mac a potion [CMW (CL3)].
"Anybody else?" he asks with a grin.
Tishe' Wednesday February 2nd, 2005 1:06:56 PM
The small woman spreads her hands at Flea's question, and is very happy Grymash and Trellus come to her aid. "I've got a potion, but I think we should save those for dire circumstances." She shrugs again. "Never know when we'll have an opportunity to get more."
With the dragon and enemy gone, the brown-haired girl focuses on the most interesting thing in the clearing: the elf. Not understanding the language, she stands near the conversation absolutely facinated at the musical language between the elf and Trellus.
"Why was he a prisoner? Does he know where is home is? If we brought him there, would he be able to help us?" The questions pour out as curiosity brims over her brown eyes.
Gilan [HP: 56/57, AC: 21] {barkskin} 2d8(2+5)+7=14 Wednesday February 2nd, 2005 1:14:30 PM
Gilan justs continues to shake his head until Trellus comes over and hits him with some healing. "Thanks Trell...did we really agree to hunt that thing...I guess we did at that." He seems to be rambling a bit as he moves over to stop Mac from taking the potion. "My magic is easier to replace and that potions easier to use in combat." He lays his hand on the minotuars arm and starts his own chant. "Poika tuulo kshapsae mod." Looking to Mac he smiles. "If you need more than I have one more spell."
Mac (HP:75/75) Wednesday February 2nd, 2005 3:48:45 PM
Mac thank Trellus for the potion, but doesn't get it unstoppered before he is thanking Gilan for the healing. "Thank ye, noo - tha' were plenty. So wha' are we do'n' 'bout the dragon?"
Anuk (HP 20/34) d20+10=24 Wednesday February 2nd, 2005 7:53:34 PM
Anuk's ears perk up at the elf's words. It's been many years since he heard the language, and even then it was more book learning than really used. But it was always beautiful to hear it spoken well.
As everyone gathers together, Anuk approaches the boy and says in halting elvish, "I'm Anuk. What is your name?" While they speak, he looks the collar over to see if it can be easily removed. (spot? 24)
Temp ADM Carla Wednesday February 2nd, 2005 9:26:57 PM
Those with the innate gift of healing tend to the wounded. (OOC: Please keep all potions intact during this transition period) As hurts are healed, and the adrenaline rush of combat recedes, the pack starts to ask questions.
Tishe', Flea, and Gry wonder at the strange elf-boy. Jake, Gilan, and Mac ponder the logistics of snagging a dragon. Trellus' and Anuk occupy themselves with the boy.
As Trellus' translates for the party, Anuk introduces himself to the lad and makes some discreet enquiries. The boy's green eyes cloud for a moment, and then he hangs his head mumbling something in elvish. Those who are familiar with the language understand that the kid can't remember much, not even his name. He thinks he was struck with something, and winces when he touches a sore spot at the back of his head. When he woke up he had the collar around his neck. Suddenly the darkness lifts from his eyes as he remembers something, and brushing the shaggy bangs back from his face, he smiles lopsidedly. Pointing at the ranger he says, "Ah-nuk" then, thumping his own chest, he adds, "Shaai-dee!"
The lock that attaches the chain to the collar is quite simple (DC 20) but the collar is another matter. It is an apparently seamless band of metal fitting close to the boy's neck. There are etchings and something that looks like runes inscribed all over its surface.*
*(OOC: Please post languages known by the character if s/he is going to attempt to read the collar.)
Jake Thursday February 3rd, 2005 4:25:55 AM
Jake grins at the elven boy. "Yeah, he's nukky allright. I'm Jake, and that's Trell." He examines the locks, appearing to do so with great pontification, but really has no clue what they say.
Trellus Thursday February 3rd, 2005 12:33:48 PM
Trellus happily takes back the CMW potion. "For next time then," he grins.
The elfin boy is likable enough. "Dude wants us to call him 'Shady'?" he asks with a laugh. "That could be confusing."
The cleric peers at the collar [langs - elf, orc]. "Looks like writing," he comments. If he can't read it, he'll ask "Anybody make sense of this?" Trellus casts DETECT MAGIC and gives the collar the once over. If its magical, he'll try READ MAGIC to see if that clears up the markings.
"Flea - can you do anything about this chain and collar?" he asks the nimble rogue.
Breaking back into elfin, he asks Shady, "Do you remember anything about your home? Where it is? How to get there?"
Tishe' d20+13=14 Thursday February 3rd, 2005 3:44:12 PM
The small woman keeps out of the immediate activity around the elven boy, not wanting to crowd anyone. Seeing Trellus perform a spell, she becomes suddenly interested in a hopping insect among the grass and doesn't hear the debate on the collar (Spellcraft: nat 1!)
Flea d20+13=28 Thursday February 3rd, 2005 5:58:29 PM
Flea smiles broadly when Trellus' calls upon her to help out with the chain and collar. She takes out her tool-kits, all three of them. Squinting at the mechanism where the chain is attached to the collar, she decides to use the special tools (masterwork). The lock is easily picked. (Open Lock=28)
The collar is another matter. The rogue will study the markings on the metal to see if there is anything to learn about it. (Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Gnome, Orc)
Gilan [HP: 56/57, AC: 21] {barkskin} Thursday February 3rd, 2005 6:41:17 PM
Gilan listens to what the boy has to say but does not reveal that he can personally understand him. He looks on as the rest of the group go about thier business with the elf lad and the collar.
If given a chance though he will move in close enough to at least get a look at the collar. He will take a look at the writing on it but is sure that he will not know any of it.
Mac Thursday February 3rd, 2005 10:15:20 PM
Mac takes a look at the ring around the elf's neck - his family tradition of smithing making it somewhat relevant. [speak: Common, Minotaur, Tauric, Dwarven]
Grymash Thursday February 3rd, 2005 11:11:48 PM
Grymash watches Flea work with the collar and chain. He's never seen her perform this task before. Gry finds it fascinating. "Ya know Flea, if ya has troubles wit da lock, Gry gots me double axe! Gry sure ya can hack it off da elf. If Flea wants ta use its."
Temp ADM Carla Friday February 4th, 2005 12:25:56 AM
Jake makes introductions and the youth ducks his head in acknowledgement. Hooking a thumb at his chest, he repeats, "Shady". Trellus can tell the collar is magic, all right, but he can't read the inscription. Neither can Gilan, or Mac, although the taur recognizes that he who created it was a very fine craftsman.
The lad looks at Grymash in trepidation as the half-orc thrusts his great axe at the rogue picking the lock. The chain falls to the ground, but the gnome is unable to find a way to prise open the collar. She can however read the inscription on the collar. It is Draconic.
Remove not this hasp of steel, Or die before the morn. Teeth and claws you will feel, If this advice you scorn.
The elf retrieves the chain from the ground, and holding the bulk of it in one hand strings out a length in the other. With measured flicks of his wrist he starts to whirl the chain in a small circle. It grows larger as he feeds more chain from one hand through the other. The whipping chain starts to make a whistling sound in the air, and then the whirling circle slows down, and stops. The youth picks up the chain smiling at the barbarian, and wraps it loosely around his waist.
The boy's face crumples when the cleric asks about his home. He informs the man that he doesn't remember where his home is, but he does remember the route the kidnappers took, and can backtrack. He points in the direction of the mountains from whence the pack has come...the opposite of the direction in which the group was heading.
Flea Friday February 4th, 2005 12:30:30 AM
With a worried look on her face, Flea will translate the inscription for the pack. She will keep her voice low, and speak in Common, since the kid doesn't seem to understand that language.
Jake Friday February 4th, 2005 1:12:19 AM
Jake watches the kid whirling the chain and grins. "Shady, allright. Ya know, we ain't headed in his direction right now...but maybe he can tag alon' with us a while, till we get a-done with that draggin, then we'll help him return to his land. Well, Trell?" Jake then explains to the kid what he said in elvish, though he finds it hard to copy his drawl over to that unfamiliar tongue.
Anuk d20+12=17 Friday February 4th, 2005 10:37:57 AM
Anuk smiles at the boy as he listens to Flea read the inscription. Turning to face the pack and replying in Common, he says, "You know, when that dragon was here a few minutes back, all I could think to say was 'shady'." He turns for a moment to grin at the boy again at the mention of his name. "You suppose Shady here overheard me and he's trying to tell us something about himself? He seems like a nice enough kid, but that collar makes me a little nervous."
As the discussion goes on, Anuk spends a little time looking in the direction that Shady indicated, seeing if he can make out the trail of the kidnappers. (track 17) Looking the area over he finds Gilan and asks, "What do you think? Anything worth following here?"
(languages - elven, common)
Tishe' Friday February 4th, 2005 12:36:21 PM
The brown-eyed mage soberly listens to Flea relate the inscription.
"Try this weave", she tells the others, "what if Shady is under the protection of the Dragon we're supposed to find? Dying with teeth and claw and written in draconic sounds like a Dragon pick."
"So if we help Shady back to where he came from, we'll find the Dragon and ask her to be nice!"
Her face falls. "And if she doesn't, I don't know how we'll twist her thread..."
Trellus Friday February 4th, 2005 3:24:58 PM
Trellus leans in close to Grymash. "Dude," he whispers confidentially, "if you whack the collar, your axe will go through the elf too. Could be messy. And bright for the elf."
Concealing a grin, the young man turns to think on Jake's idea. His mouth sets. Babysitting Shady like Jake wants seems sunbaked.
He nods at Tishe's comment.
"I think she's right," he says. "Shady here is the only thing we've found in days web and weft with dragons. I say he gets to steer."
Gilan [HP: 56/57, AC: 21] {barkskin} d20+14=27 d20+5=15 d20+12=15 d20+15=28 Friday February 4th, 2005 5:41:48 PM
Gilan glances to Anuk and nods his head in understanding. "I will have a look...though you know more of what to look for." He slips around the area to find any other tracks that he can find. He also looks for traces of dragon as well.
He thinks back to what Flea said about the collar as he slips around the area. As he thinks he has an idea. As he moves back to the rest he slips up to Trellus and whispers in his ear. "I had a thought...what if this lad is really a young dragon, transformed." He looks to the elf lad and shakes his head with another thought. "That would explain a good dragon going mad." He also ponders the idea of amnesia that the boy may have. "His lack of memory could also be something called dragon's bane...I hear it does strange things to dragon and dragonkin."
Spells Memorized 0th(6): create water, detect magic, mending(2), read magic(2) 1st(6): entangle, pass without trace, speak with animals(2), produce flames(2) 2nd(4): barkskin(3)**, bull's strength 3rd(3): call lightning, cure moderate wounds(2)* 4th(2): dispel magic, flame strike * used spell
Mac Friday February 4th, 2005 6:12:49 PM
"Back up into the mountains... okay..." Mac take the moment to wet and grind some dried meat/rations for Galea.
Grymash Friday February 4th, 2005 11:07:48 PM
Grymash answers Trellus, "Pluzzt! Gry wuz'nt gonna swing it dat hard. Gry knows better thun dat."
The barbarian looks at the chain belt the elf boy gave him. At first he thinks its shady, then his eyes go wide in terror. He vigorously pats himself down, making sure all his body parts are the right ones for his gender. Grymash sighs with relief. All is good! The embarrassed half-orc forces a big smile and says, "Gry say thanks for belt ... good belt!"
Jake Saturday February 5th, 2005 1:07:54 PM
"Well, whatever ya guys think... ah really don't know what ta do, ah was jus' thinkin', he don't seem so bad or nuttin'. It'd be kinda nice, havin' a short stalk aroun' named Shady." Jake shakes the kids hand and shows him to the others in the pack, and sees how he speaks elvish. "Ah'll be the Slim Shady, he'll be Kid Shady...we'll have Gry be the Big Shady..."
Jake Saturday February 5th, 2005 10:22:09 PM
(Just a note to our new DM; I placed an order in the catacombs recently and since we were almost simultaneously thrust into an encounter I haven't received the goods yet in character. I dunno at what point I'm supposed to receive them; if it's between adventurers or after encounters, but that's up to you. Thanks)
(OOC: Looking into this. Will try to have an answer this week.-Temp ADM Carla)
Temp ADM Carla Sunday February 6th, 2005 6:08:53 PM
The Bloodpack muses over the meaning of the collar and the cryptic inscription warning against it's removal. Theories are advanced regarding the nature of the rescued youth. Anuk wonders if the boy might somehow be linked to dragons, while Tishe' speculates he might be a dragon's ward, and Gilan suggests he might be an actual dragon transformed.
Grymash proposes a solution that would free the collar from the boy, but has his energies directed elsewhere by Trellus' admonition and the boy's display with his makeshift weapon. (OOC: The youth wrapped the chain around his own waist, not that of Grymash. Sorry for any confusion.)
Anuk and Gilan have no trouble locating the tracks of the group that attacked them. By backtracking the ranger and druid can see they meander individually through the forest, then regroup in a place not far from where the Bloodpack first spotted the other party. Just as the elf had said, they lead back towards the mountains from whence the pack has descended, and continue in a northerly direction.
At the sight of Mac feeding his kitten, 'Shady' grins widely, and hunkers down reaching out a hand to pet the small beast. He looks at Mac and asks, "Aa amin tyava aiea?"*
The sun is directly overhead, and the day is half spent.
*May I touch the little one?
(OOC: There remains a moratorium on purchases in the Catacombs until the DM instructs otherwise. Appears there aren't any franchises in The Scab)
Mac d20+1=14 Sunday February 6th, 2005 6:58:33 PM
Sense Motive:14 Looking up, Mac catches the last part of Shady's question (pitch going up at end of words?), and given he doesn't appear to want to eat Galea, he beckons the elf-lad closer. Galea is now standing on Mac's closed left fingers, eating the chewy paste out of the depression in his palm. "Galea." he says in common to the lad.
Tishe' Monday February 7th, 2005 3:05:34 PM
The brown haired mage nods at the wise words of Gilan, they very well could be right. "If Shady is under some drug, time will help get it out of his system."
She shruge her shoulders and settles her backpack, and prepares to leave in whatever direction Trellus suggests.
Trellus [Temp SteveK] Monday February 7th, 2005 3:13:44 PM
The blonde cleric sees just about everyone is ready, and glances at the sun moving across the sky.
"Dudes, let's get walking. We can help Shady and us by going back to where the elf dude's from. Don't want to hang around here for the white hands to come back, either."
"Jake, you stay with Shady. Flea out front. 'Nuk, watch our backtrail for those beaters and if you can obscure our trail...?"
Smiling at the 'pack, Trellus shakes out into line near Shady to get any information while moving.
Gilan {barkskin} Monday February 7th, 2005 6:45:47 PM
Gilan looks to Trellus as he starts to give orders and then smiles. "I can do you one better there Trell." He gathers all those near him that he can and closes his eyes as he communes with Mother Wold. At last he opens his eyes and starts to speak as he moves around to touch each person. "Quella tuulo elea." with a last smile he looks around at those that most likely feel no different. "This will allow some of us to leave no traces as we move along."
Spells Memorized 0th(6): create water, detect magic, mending(2), read magic(2) 1st(6): entangle, pass without trace, speak with animals(2), produce flames(2) 2nd(4): barkskin(3)**, bull's strength 3rd(3): call lightning, cure moderate wounds(2)* 4th(2): dispel magic, flame strike * used spell
Anuk d20+12=23 Monday February 7th, 2005 7:12:29 PM
Anuk feels Gilan's spell move through him and then presses forward, still awed by what magic can do. "No footprints...nothing...glad I'm not trying to track us." He focuses on the task of following the trail of the other party.
(track 23)
Jake Tuesday February 8th, 2005 12:31:31 AM
"Allright, Trell," Jake grins. "Hey, Shady, sella tann-me..." ---translated: "Hey Shady, Hang out by my side." (Jake's elvish is a bit weird, since he never really studied his verbs well.) "Essell sudemain thello benn, Shady? Nosestrada thello the Plains...san bellam ess beullantrell ress, nenochs, ent sule messer cannts." -"So, where do you lounge in, Shady? We're packguardians of this area called the Plains... Totally beautiful with grassystuffs all over, no trees like here at all." Jake basically tries to get a few things outta the kid...really quite silly, fun chatter; where the kid's from, what his parents are up to in life, whether or not he can use a sword like jake's, isn't jake's sword nifty, did he know jake had beaten like ten guys with his sword, or that his sword has the ability to freezify things, which is better; pie or cake, what his favorite song is, and so on. Jake tries to keep up the elven kid in some good chatter and buddy up with him.
Flea (Pass Without a Trace) d20+13=19 d20+12=15 d20+8=17 d20+10=22 Tuesday February 8th, 2005 1:36:28 AM
Flea sets out to scout ahead, but before she does, she accepts the gift of magic from Gilan. The gnome sticks pretty close to Anuk as he follows the tracks made by the group that had taken the boy.
Move Silently=19 Search=15 Spot=17 listen=22
Temp ADM Carla Tuesday February 8th, 2005 1:43:01 AM
Mac senses only a natural attraction for the tiny creature as the youth gently strokes the soft fur of the fuzz ball. (Mac and Tishe', Listen DC 10 to Highlight to display spoiler: { hear the lad speak to Galea not in the musical language he had spoken earlier, but in a quiet throaty guttural sounding language. })
When Trellus establishes the marching order, the boy bows politely to Mac, and then takes the place he is directed to. He looks expectantly at the dark haired druid as Gilan moves through the pack casting his spell. With the magic cast upon most of the party, they will be virtually untraceable as they make their way back into the mountains.
Walking beside the lanky fighter, Shady, listens to what he has to say, looking appropriately impressed when Jake tells him about his sword, and jaws on about his adventures. Unfortunately the boy doesn't seem to remember much about his past. As he converses openly in elvish, those who understand the language pick up that he thinks he lives somewhere back in the mountains in a temperate valley dominated by a deep blue lake. He seems to remember a tune his mother would sing to him, but can't remember the words. He doesn't have a clue what cake and pie are.
With no need for him to obscure the party's tracks, Anuk backtracks over the trail made by the party that had held the young elf captive. Flea scouts, but doesn't notice anything out of the ordinary.
Tishe' d20+3=22 d20+3=21 Tuesday February 8th, 2005 1:24:35 PM
The small mage is near enough that she hear the elvish boy speak to the cat (Listen: 22) and her eyes open in surprise, then narrow in speculation. Whatever thoughts she has she keeps to herself, but during the afternoon's march, she keeps watching the elf for, well, for anything (Spot:21).
Trellus [Temp SteveK] Tuesday February 8th, 2005 1:26:12 PM
"Dude" and Trellus smacks himself lightly in the forehead with his heel. "I shoulda remembered your picks."
The rest of the afternoon, Trellus enjoys some good work and great company.
Mac d20+5=7 d20+1=10 Tuesday February 8th, 2005 4:42:14 PM
[Spot:7, Listen:10]
Falling into the travelling order, the taur tries to keep one eye on Shady whilst keeping the other on the surroundings. Eventually, when Galea is on his should he softly asks (in common) "What did the boy say to you? Hmm?", not expecting an answer but paying more attention to the kitten than where he is putting his own feet.
Gilan{barkskin} Tuesday February 8th, 2005 7:14:13 PM
Gilan follows along with the rest of the group. He keeps his eyes and ears open for signs of trouble.
He pats Trell on the back and laughs lightly. "Hey...it is my specialty." He knows that Trell knows his own strengths better than he knows the rest of the group. It is that way with all of them and that is to be expected
Spells Memorized 0th(6): create water, detect magic, mending(2), read magic(2) 1st(6): entangle, pass without trace, speak with animals(2), produce flames(2) 2nd(4): barkskin(3)**, bull's strength 3rd(3): call lightning, cure moderate wounds(2)* 4th(2): dispel magic, flame strike * used spell
Flea Tuesday February 8th, 2005 7:28:07 PM
All the while keeping a vigilant eye on their route, Flea wonders where the party are going to end up and what they're going to get themselves into.
"'Nuk?" she asks the ranger, "ever want to go back? Home? Your real home?"
Anuk d20+10=16 d20+10=29 d20+12=29 Tuesday February 8th, 2005 11:10:18 PM
"Home?..." Anuk pauses. "You must have read my mind, Flea. Talking with Shady brought back a lot of memories. My father used to teach me elven--he wanted me to learn spells...I was never very good at it, though." He tugs absent-mindedly at the fingers of his worn leather glove as he speaks. "For a long time after I left, I never wanted to see Floating City again. But now...I dunno. It doesn't sound so bad anymore. Maybe someday..."
They continue the trek forward and after a while Anuk asks, "How 'bout you, Flea. Got any roots you wanna return to?"
(listen 16, spot 29, track 29)
Jake Wednesday February 9th, 2005 1:31:45 AM
Jake tries to explain what cake and pie is, but gives up somewhere along the way. He wonders at the lake, saying he's only seen a river once, and some pool, never a lake. And he tries a few songs, whistling a tune or so, trying to catch the song the kid likes. He explains what the kid said to Mac, and then starts telling the kid some fun stuff about the others. Like, how Grymash tried to climb down a rope that he was holding. Or, how Grymash put on this belt they found and turned into a woman...and so on.
Temp ADM Carla Wednesday February 9th, 2005 8:05:14 AM
The party makes their way through the woods without incident. After conferring with Tishe' (who clues in right away) and Galea, Mac understands that the elf was talking to the cat in its own throaty purring language. Although they don't understand the 'words' they recognize that the lad can speak with animals. (OOC: Sorry for the obscure hint. My bad.) Mac can also sense that his little fuzzy friend does not fear the kid.
Flea and Anuk keep the party on track and talk of home. Trellus and Gilan relax secure in the knowledge that they've done their duty to the pack. Jake continues to gab with Shady, who looks back over his shoulder at the half-orc drawing up in the rear.
After several long hours of eventless travel, the shadows start to lengthen as the sun moves across the sky. Shady makes a sign to Jake and asks him if he's got anything to eat.
Trellus [temp SteveK] Wednesday February 9th, 2005 1:42:50 PM
The blonde cleric looks around as the shadows lengthen. "Hey, Grymash and 'nuk. Pick a good spot for us to rest. Let's weave a fire and some grub!"
Trellus gets busy at the campsite by getting a good sweat on and gathering wood.
During the evening, he makes sure to get Gilan and Tishe' alone at some point. "Since Shady is still here, perhaps we can find out more about his collar or past if you have some special spells to study in the morning."
Tishe' d20=16 Wednesday February 9th, 2005 1:48:45 PM
The mage takes off her pack with relief at the campsite. Tying her wavy brown hair into a tail, she helps make the dinner tonight. (16 to cook dinner or assist another)
Listening to Trellus, Tishe' nods and plans. "An identify spell may find more about the collar. I'll cast a Detect Magic on the collar to see what kind of dweomer it contains."
The next morning, Tishe' will study Identify instead of her glitterdust spell.
Grymash d20+8=28 Wednesday February 9th, 2005 7:34:10 PM
Grymash growls a little bit at Jake for recalling things he wish everyone would forget. He almost had!
The barbarian looks for a good place for the night. A nice small clearing where they can put up their tents and build a good campfire, but secluded enough to not draw unwanted attention. (Survival 28, nat. 20! woot!)
Satisfied with what he found, Grymash looks to his pack for approval. Then a question begins to gel in his brain pan as he begins to think about what to have for dinner. "Uhh, has nobody asked da elf if der be towns nearbys?" He normally wouldnt be concerned but his keg of green gnomish is getting low.
Flea Wednesday February 9th, 2005 10:18:16 PM
Flea shrugs her shoulders in response to Anuk's question. "I kinda' like it at Gilan's place back in Rattledam. It would be great if it wasn't for the beater monks, and the Black Pack," she says, adding, "but I don't like that there isn't any singing or story-telling, you know, bards?"
When a site for a camp is picked out, Flea will help by gathering lots of deadwood for the fire. She secretly hopes Jake won't be doing the cooking, and is glad to see that Tishe' is hovering around, looking ready to help.
Gilan{barkskin} d20+7=25 d20+7=11 Wednesday February 9th, 2005 11:20:29 PM
Gilan spends his time watching the surrounding area and taking in the new plants/animals that he is seeing. With a look to the sky he shakes his head knowing that they will stop before long. When they do finally stop he drops his pack lightly on the ground and then meets up with Trell and Tishe'. "I believe that I may have a spell to help out...you will have to let me do some thinking on it." It is easy to see that the druid is tired but he still pitches in to help out around the camp.
That night as everyone sits to eat, he brings out his pack and opens it. Looking to each of his packmates a smile breaks out across his face. "I have something for each of you...something for Giving Day, but I missed it with all the excitement." He makes his way around to all of the packmembers and hands them a wooden box.
Spells Memorized 0th(6): create water, detect magic, mending(2), read magic(2) 1st(6): entangle, pass without trace, speak with animals(2), produce flames(2) 2nd(4): barkskin(3)**, bull's strength 3rd(3): call lightning, cure moderate wounds(2)* 4th(2): dispel magic, flame strike * used spell
Each box is a foot long, five inches wide and four inches deep. It is made of black cherry with a removable top that fits on solid. On the top of each is the persons name carved in common and sylvan.
Anuk d20+12=26 Thursday February 10th, 2005 12:00:12 AM
Once a suitable campsite is found, Anuk heads out into the forest, looking for edible roots, plants, and critters (survival 26). Returning with his catch, he tries his hand at a stew, but finally asks Jake, "uhh...mind lending a hand here?" He hopes the half-elf doesn't remember the little jokes played on him over the last week.
Munching dinner happily, he tells Flea, "It's true...the monks sure are a sober bunch. Honestly, I think having to deal with Jake over the last few years has done 'em a world of good. I even saw Brother Riscus smile once when he thought no one was looking."
When Gilan presents his gift, Anuk is quite touched. "Thank you, Gilan," he says and tentatively opens the lid.
Jake Thursday February 10th, 2005 12:18:41 AM
Jake pats Shady and says he'll whip up some food in a jiffy...or whatever the equivalent is in Elvish. He looks around Grymash's choice of a campsite and seems pretty satisfied, studying it more for the possibility of a fight than anything else. "ah'll get ready with the cookin'!" he announces, probably to some consternation. But he doesn't seem to notice, or takes a secret glea in it... While the others get wood and stuff, he takes out his good ol' cooking pan and begins preparing some of those greens they've been finding along the way that are pretty good... he gives the elvish boy a knife and has him peel a few of those orange root things of their coarse outer skin and cut them up. After boiling up some water, he tosses in the carrots, some meat, and the vegetables. He sets it in the kettle to slowly cook and produce a stew that he's pretty sure won't get any complaints. But unable to really stay complacent with just that, he also begins to fry up some sticks of crumb-covered meat with those little spicy grasses over the fire directly, occasionally dipping it into the remaining juices in the pan for flavor. Then, he suddenly is presented with the gift. He takes it and grins, patting good ol' Gil on the shoulder. "Hey, a box...." In reality, he has no clue what to do with it...but he's sure he'll find something. This time around, his food is rather good; the stew is excellent and fulfilling, probably some of Jake's finest. While the sticks of pepped up meat, which he calls Rapke's Delight, are fiery, crunchy, and juicy, they do need something not there to cool the taste down. (Like some dip or bread) Jake asks the elf if he saw any villages or anything while they eat, and then tells the others his response. Then, Jake gets out some cards and plays a few hands of solitaire on the grass, relaxed and content...
Grymash d20+8=14 Thursday February 10th, 2005 12:36:04 AM "Ohh, Gry want gooey spider kabobs. Gry no have dat for long ago! But no make them too much spicy dis time." Grymash begins to look around for some juicy spiders.
(Survival 14)
Tishe' d20+3=12 d20+3=5 Thursday February 10th, 2005 3:59:45 PM
Helping with the cooking, Tishe' tries to see which grasses Jake uses for the hefty taste sensations (Spot: 12) "They certainly are a bright tapestry across the mouth!" she tells the warrior while reaching for a new mug of sweet water.
At the gift from Gilan, the small woman beams with pleasure and immediatly studies the box for an opening catch to see what is inside. (Search: 5)
Temp ADM Carla Thursday February 10th, 2005 5:40:17 PM
Grymash does a wonderful job locating a clearing at the base of a rock wall. A narrow trickle of fresh spring water trails down the face of the rock creating a clear pool in a small natural basin. While the barbarian searches for spiders, Anuk locates some wild tubers and onions, ripe berries, and catches couple of conies.
Camp is established and Trellus and Flea gather armloads of deadwood sufficient to keep a campfire going all night.
The young elf tries to make himself useful, but the pack get the impression he's not likely been in a situation where he's had to fend for himself. The youth becomes quite animated when the ranger returns with his harvest, but when he spots the dead rabbits, his eyes well up with tears, and he turns away.
As folks dig in to the victuals, Shady picks out a few vegetables, then pushes the remains of his stew away, looking like he might get sick. He hangs around the spring and drinks a lot of water, and later eats a few berries.
As the night stars make their appearance in the sky, the youth moves closer to the group and joins them around the campfire.
Mac d20-1=0 Thursday February 10th, 2005 9:35:29 PM
"Thanks Gilan!" Mac examines the box {the craftsmanship, etc} and after some consideration (and a goodly portion of dinner) he sets about getting the gem, platinum pieces and as many gold pieces into the box as he can - expecting to still have a good deal of gold amongst his silver and copper in the pouch.
He talks away the pre-watch evening and hums an old tauric tune from his childhood [Perfomance:0, nat.1], but guaging the reaction of others he falls quiet, and plays a game with Galea and Shady if he's interested.
Flea d20+8=24 Thursday February 10th, 2005 10:45:22 PM
"Did you make it?" asks the rogue, when Gilan presents her with the cherry-wood box. The gnome's eyes shine with pleasure, as she gently turns the box this way and that, examining the fine craftsmanship. When the druid moves off, Flea will take out her two spare sets of theives tools, her remaining opals, and the platinum and gold coins, and fit them neatly in the box.
As she rifles through her pack she comes across two slightly crumpled scrolls* in one of the secret pockets on the side of her pack. Slapping her forhead in remembrance, she brings the rolled parchment over to Tishe'. "I totally forgot I had these. I had meant to give them to you earlier," she says apologetically.
Noticing the elf doesn't seem to like the stew, (Spot=24) Flea offers him a small sack from her trail rations containing a mixture of nuts and dried fruit.
*(OOC: The scrolls are Mage Armour.)
Jake d20+8=22 d20+5=23 d20+5=15 Thursday February 10th, 2005 10:51:01 PM
Jake picks up Mac's song, humming it, grinning at the minotaur. His joking voice carries the tune surprisingly well for a bit, and he adds just a little bit, then stops humming, turning his attention carelessly back to the cards. "Ah know there's a queen behind one of these piles..." Jake offers to take the usual middle watch, since his sharp half-elven eyes can usually catch shifting shadows pretty shadily. (During the night, Jake will concentrate on his fine ears, but also keep watch, too. Listen 23, Spot 15)
DM MikeK Friday February 11th, 2005 11:51:23 AM
Watch order and spot/listen checks please.
Trellus d20+8=15 d20+8=19 Friday February 11th, 2005 1:37:58 PM
Trellus beams as Gilan hands him the box.
"Shady!" he remarks happily, before hastily telling Shady, "No, not you. This." The young man eagerly opens it to see what's inside.
As people are bedding down, Trellus offers up shifts. "How 'bout Tishe and Mac, Jake and Me, Gry an Gilan, and Anuk and Flea?"
With that, the cleric removes his gear and hits the sack.
[Listen 15 Spot 19]
Mac d20+5=13 d20+1=2 Friday February 11th, 2005 3:50:52 PM
Mac does a double take as Jake briefly runs with the tune. "How do you know that?"
Mac settles in for the watch with Tishe, and they speak of things barely above a murmur as the opportunities permit. Spot:13, Listen:2{Nat.1} Galea curls up near Mac's left ear and proceeds to purr well beyond her lung capacity.
OOC: Adding the Lotto won bow to Mac's list of pending items.
Tishe' d20+3=6 d20+3=23 d20+3=20 d20+6=23 d20+6=16 Friday February 11th, 2005 3:54:45 PM
The small woman nods at Trellus' watch suggestion, first watch suits her fine.
She uses the watch time to talk quietly with Mac and study the box to try and open it. (Search: 6)
She is much better at looking at the surrounding countryside (Spot: nat 20, Listen: 20) along with her horned lizard, Wart (assist other: 23, 16)
Gilan d20+7=26 d20+7=26 Friday February 11th, 2005 7:16:34 PM
Gilan is happy to see that his gifts went over so well. With a nod to Flea he speaks. "One of my spells and then some carving that I am proud of." He slips off to get his gear ready for the night and nods when his watch is mentioned. "That watch will work out just fine with me." He eats some of the stew as he listens to those around him.
His watch time is spent in silent comtemplation as he leans against one of the many trees. He smiles at Grymash as he sits some ways away.
[listen 26 and spot 26]
Spells Memorized 0th(6): 1st(6): 2nd(4): 3rd(3): 4th(2): * used spell
The boxes open easily but the lid will not fall off if turned upside down. The lid is almost seemlessly hidden with the rest of the wood of the box. They are currently empty of any contents.
Sorry for no post yesterday...have a sinus and ear cold. With the medicines I was in no condition to do much of anything yesterday. :)
Anuk d20+10=30 d20+10=25 Friday February 11th, 2005 8:57:27 PM
Anuk sits examining his new box. "Gilan, this will be perfect for holding pens and inks. I'm hoping to find paper to start a new journal if we ever find some civilization here. Thank you again."
Before settling in for the night, Anuk approaches Shady. He brings out his best elvish and says, "I am sorry about dinner...I didn't realize the coney's would be a problem. If you'll let me know what you like to eat, I'll see what I can find next time." He hesitates for a moment then asks, "Were the rabbits friends of yours?" Inside, Anuk wonders if he may have somehow harmed a special companion of Shady's in finding food for the pack.
Early the following morning, following a solid rest, Anuk wakes and joins Flea for the final watch.
(spot 30 (nat 20!), listen 25)
Flea (second post) d20+8=14 d20+10=30 Friday February 11th, 2005 11:34:27 PM
Knowing she has to be up early in the morning for her shift at watch, Flea makes a comfortable nest with her bedroll and Cloak of Comfort. She falls asleep to the sounds of Mac and Jake making a little night music.
Flea is surprisingly quiet during her watch. She stares into the low flames of the campfire, and doesn't see much past the circle of the camp (Spot=14), but no sound escapes her slightly pointed ears (listen=30, nat. 20!)
Tishe' Saturday February 12th, 2005 4:18:27 AM
{OOPS} And Tishe' is delighted at the gift of scrolls from Flea. "Thank you, sweetie! I can use these to help a little before a battle!"
Bumps in the Night (DM MikeK) Saturday February 12th, 2005 10:38:14 AM
Shady gratefully takes the rations from Flea, and looks at Anuk with sad eyes. "They are not friends. But.." The elf struggles to find the words. "They were living things," he says with empathy.
Everyone thanks Gilan for his generosity. Soon, each falls into their accustomed camp routine.
That night, the first three watches are without incident. However, on the last watch, both ranger and rogue start at the same moment.
Flea sees nothing, but her ears pick up noises - a slightly misplaced footfall, the soft brush on cloth on vegetation. Anuk hears nothing, but his eyes spot a shadow crossing a small patch of moonlight, a branch moving slightly out of place.
Something, possibly two somethings, is very carefully circling around open face of the campsite. Both adventurers wonder at their luck to pick it out, for it is moving far too quietly and carefully to be an animal. It is about 60' into the woodline, moving parallel to the camp.
Flea(AC19, 41 HP, Low Light Vision) d20+12=32 d20+8=27 d20+13=32 Saturday February 12th, 2005 11:31:16 AM
When her ears tell her something is out there, Flea's head jerks up and she scans the spot where she thought she heard the sound (Search=32, nat. 20! and Spot=27, big rolls!)
Figuring that whatever is out there can see her by the campfire, she remains at her station, but hisses out a warning, "Bloodpack! We are not alone!" hoping that those near her will wake up.
Ever so quietly (Move Silently=32) she reaches for her hammer.
Tishe' (AC 16, HP 37) Sunday February 13th, 2005 1:52:14 PM
Tishe' sleeps through Flea's hurried whisper, but Wart awakens, and the horned lizard climbs onto his wizard and nudges her cheek until her eyes open.
"Bouncing Insect says to wake up, the clutch is not alone." Wart informs Tishe'.
Tishe' is now wide awake. (No alarm, so nothing attacking right now, she thinks, therefore I should be subtle.) Trying to maintain some secrecy, she turns over as if in her sleep to see where Flea is looking, readying to spring into action if the need arises.
Gilan d20+7=15 Sunday February 13th, 2005 5:52:11 PM
Gilan shifts in his sleep and looks up at the sky with half open eyes. It had been nearing his time to get up anyways to commune with the Wold Mother.
He continues to keep up the act of sleeping as he listens to what is going on around him.
[listen 15]
Spells Memorized 0th(6): 1st(6): 2nd(4): 3rd(3): 4th(2): * used spell
Mac d20+5=14 d20+1=2 Sunday February 13th, 2005 8:20:47 PM
With as little motion as possible Mac looks out into the near forest. Spot:14(Darkvision 60') Listen:2 (Nat. 1 AGAIN!)
Anuk d20+10=15 d20+10=11 d20+8=28 d20+11=13 Sunday February 13th, 2005 9:55:06 PM
Anuk sees the sudden movement, but remains motionless for a moment, hoping not to give away the fact that he has seen something. Suddenly yawning and stretching his arms, he turns to Flea with a wink and says, "Well, 'bout time for me to turn in. I'll wake Jake for his watch."
He rises and shuffles toward the sleeping packmembers as if to wake the half-elf, but somewhere along the way he disappears into the shadows (hide 28 - nat 20!).
From his hiding place he tries to get a bead on who or what he may have seen earlier, but the night noises and the sudden change in light make it difficult for him to make anything out (listen 15, spot 11 - nat 1 :-(
Remaining hidden, he draws his bow, but accidently drops a couple of arrows that clatter to the ground (move silently 13). He picks up an arrow and nocks it, chiding himself and hoping he hasn't given away his position.
Jake d20+8=13 Sunday February 13th, 2005 10:26:13 PM
Waking hearing the hiss, what with his keen breed ears, Jake comes to without a snort. He reaches out and grips his sword in its sheath next to his bedroll, and concentrates on his hearing for anything to happen. (Pick up an item, as an action if I can for this premature round) (Listen roll of 13)
Trellus d20+8=11 Monday February 14th, 2005 9:05:00 AM
The cleric's eyes pop open. He could have sworn he heard someone say something, but he's not sure.
Trellus remains motionless, trying to figure out what is happening.
Spotted (DM MikeK) d20+12=30 d20+12=22 d20=11 d20=5 Monday February 14th, 2005 9:23:09 AM
Concentrating hard, Flea scans the leafy forest. In a few moments, she finds she can pick out the curved shape of a cloaked head. The figure strides easily, if somewhat noisily, through the underbrush. As the gnome reaches for her weapon, she sees it is not approaching any closer.
Anuk tries to be casual as he starts walking toward Jake before ducking low and semi-steathily moving to a hopefully unseen position. After some difficulty with his arrows, the ranger hurriedly scans the woodline with drawn bow.
The rest of the pack silently wakes. Hands slowly move for nearby weapons, and eyes watch Flea for any signal.
As soon as Anuk ducks into the underbrush and starts messing with his bow, Flea sees the figure freeze. Moments pass, with nothing but heartbeats filling the silence.
The noises resume, and everyone can hear the figure moving away from the campsite. Leaves and twigs crunch as it pulls back. Both Flea and Mac can just make out the retreating shape, now some 90' from the campsite and fading into the darkness. Anuk, unfortunately, cannot make it out, and has no target to fire at.
[DM Note -- except for Anuk and Flea, I'm assuming everyone is not wearing armor.]
Tishe' Monday February 14th, 2005 3:42:41 PM
One hand on her dagger, and another on Wart, Tishe' thinks about spells and wishes she had cast Alarm tonight.
Flea Monday February 14th, 2005 5:32:27 PM
Flea watches the figure disappear into the gloom of the forest, thinking it might not be wise to follow on her own or with the pack unprepared.
"Whoever it is knows we're out here now," says the gnome pointing out the direction taken by the cloaked and hooded figure. She tells the party as many details as she can remember about the appearance of the figure. Flea then points at the pack's new ward, and in common says, "I wonder if that is someone looking for Shady, over here?"
Grymash d20+5=9 Monday February 14th, 2005 7:27:13 PM
Grymash remains partially asleep by the fire. A watchful eye is always weary of possible dangers. The barbarian appears peaceful and docile, but unbeknownst to most, this half-orc sleeps with deadly bedfellows. Grymash's bedtime dagger, Stabby, is aways in his tight, slumbering clutches, ready to strike like a uhh ... err dagger!
(listen 9)
Gilan d20+7=19 d20+7=11 Monday February 14th, 2005 7:39:19 PM
Gilan rolls up and out of his bedroll and looks around. "This maybe trouble." He shakes his head as he slips his hands down to pull up his armor, he starts to put it on.
He glances around at the rest of the group as he shakes his head. "Seems that we may have to be more careful in the future."
[listen 19 and spot 11]
Spells Memorized 0th(6): 1st(6): 2nd(4): 3rd(3): 4th(2): * used spell
Anuk d20+8=17 d20+10=18 d20+10=16 d20+12=17 Monday February 14th, 2005 11:28:31 PM
Anuk moves into the firelight from his hiding place. "Sorry about the noise...I was hoping we might surprise our friend in the woods. I'll see what I can find out about him. Or her...Or it."
Anuk quietly moves out to where he first noticed the stranger, looking for prints and clues as to who or what it might have been, and what direction it left in. He does not move more than 60' from camp.
(move silently 17, spot 18, listen 16, track 17)
Jake Tuesday February 15th, 2005 2:55:57 AM
Someone in the darkness...moving after them...now moving away... The others seem to have stopped, and rationality tells Jake that staying put may be the best course. There is no real danger, and it could be a trap. Still, he gets up, shield ready, sword drawn, wearing merely some cotton undershorts with little shiny sword-badges sewn into it. It's very chilly, so he also grabs his cloak and pulls it about himself. (Plus, those shorts are embarassing.)
Trellus Tuesday February 15th, 2005 8:10:10 AM
Like Gilan, Trellus pulls off his bedroll, yawns, and starts pulling on his armor as he watches Anuk look for tracks.
"We're gonna have to weave cold camps for a while," he says, annoyed with his own decision.
The young man rubs a hand over his short blond hair and gets a look at Jake.
"Dude," he remarks. "Nice pants."
Daybreak (DM MikeK) Tuesday February 15th, 2005 9:30:31 AM
Anuk tries to find the intruder's trail, but is thwarted by the darkness. The ranger looks up at the lightening sky. It will be dawn in about an hour, he can try again then.
Given that the day is practically upon them, many of the pack start to rouse themselves. However, some, including Shady, seem determined to get those last few moments of shuteye.
---
Time passes, and the sun gradually makes its appearance in the East. Nothing else bothers the pack in the meantime.
Shady gets up, practices swinging his chain around some more, and looks around to see who's doing something interesting. Right now, that's Anuk, who is carefully searching the ground at the camp's perimeter. The elf tramps through the vegetation to join him. "What are you doing?" he asks politely in elvish.
Anuk -- Survival (Track) DC 17 -- Highlight to display spoiler: { The ranger finds one set of humanoid prints. They approach from the northeast, stop about 60' from the camp, move southward along the perimeter, and then move away -- again toward the northeast.}
Tishe' Tuesday February 15th, 2005 4:04:39 PM
False dawn sees the brown-haired mage stretching and settling down to munch a cold roll while studying her spellbook. Two spells she studies are
After breakfast, she casts Detect Magic and studies the collar. Then, she crushes two pearls in some wine. Drinking, she touches the collar to Identify its properties and history.
Wart, the horned lizard, looks unblinkingly on.
Gilan Tuesday February 15th, 2005 5:10:29 PM
Gilan finishes donning his armor and slips off to the side for a few private moments. He settles on the ground to commune with his mistress. He smiles as he listens to the sounds of nature around him.
After what may seem like hours to most, he stands and makes his way back to the camp. He steps up to Trellus and shakes his head. "I have no spells that will help with the collar...I am sorry." He looks to Tishe' and smiles as she seems to be ahead of the game in that department. "I think that is more your area and the mages."
Grymash Tuesday February 15th, 2005 8:01:02 PM
Grymash wakes completely after everyone starts making noise. He sighs when he notices that he sliced another small hole in his blanket. He holds Stabby up to his face and chews it out. "Gry tells yooz not ta dooz dat no mores. Augh!"
He looks around and notices everyone all tense and nervous. "Whut wrong?"
Anuk Wednesday February 16th, 2005 12:42:41 AM
Anuk rises from studying the tracks on the ground. Still looking at them he tells Shady in elvish "Something came by early this morning to get a closer look at us." He points the tracks out to the elf. "See, it came from that direction, kinda made it's way around the camp, then went back where it came from. Don't know what it was, but it certainly walks on two legs. If it didn't want to see us, we need to be wary. It might be scouting us and looking to see if we've got any weak points." He looks Shady in the eye seriously, then breaks out in a grin. "Luckily, we don't have any weak points," he laughs. Inside, though, he's still a little nervous about the tracks.
When he and Shady return to camp, he reports his findings to Trellus and Flea. "It's humanoid, but I'm not sure what it was. It came in from the northeast, checked us out out for a bit, then followed it's thread back the way it came. Only one set of tracks...could be a scout."
Flea Wednesday February 16th, 2005 3:09:53 AM
Flea nods when Anuk shares his information. "That's the direction we're heading in, right?" she says, adding, "it seemed to move pretty fast."
Without much ado, the gnome breaks camp, packing what needs to be stashed away, and generally getting ready to hit the road. Her stomach rumbles, and she secretly hopes Jake won't be making breakfast.
Trellus d20+8=10 Wednesday February 16th, 2005 8:04:40 AM
Like the other spellcasters, Trellus spends the early morning hour receiving his daily allotment of divine spells.
Rising from his out of the way place near the rock wall, he greets Anuk and Flea with a grin. The grin fades as he hears about the visitor. "We're gonna hafta be more shuttlecocked," he responds to the gnome. "You and Anuk should scout out ahead, but stay together. Jake, you take rear guard when we move. And Mac, you and kitty stay in the middle with Shady."
Partially out of interest, and partially to delay eating whatever Jake is calling breakfast, the young man moves over to Tishe. He waits impatiently while she goes through the spells. He tries to get an idea of what she's doing, but is too distracted by the weird frog to pay proper attention [Spellcraft 10].
So what is this thing? (DM MikeK) Wednesday February 16th, 2005 9:49:46 AM
Shady is attentive and curious as Anuk shows him the tracks. The elf compares his footprint to the one the ranger points out (it smaller), and retraces the path several times. Eventually, he tires of the game and ends up next to Mac, playing with the cat.
Tishe and Trellus go over to inspect the boy's collar. As the cleric looks on, Tishe' casts a DETECT MAGIC spell and concentrates intently. The collar radiates an aura of strong abjuration. Following that spell, the sorceress crushes a pearl and casts IDENTIFY.
The collar has been magically fortified so as not to break. It also magically shrinks to maintain a tight fit even if the wearer becomes smaller. It takes a password, which Tishe' recognizes as the draconic word for "Freedom", to make the collar expand. Otherwise, there is no provision for the collar to expand if the wearer gets larger.
While all this is going on, the rest of the pack readies themselves for the day. By the time Tishe has completed her detections, it is mid-morning.
Mac Wednesday February 16th, 2005 3:57:50 PM
Mac and Shady tire Galea out and Mac puts her to bed at the top of his pack. When all are readied (he helps those as want some) he takes up a near rearguard position in the party order.
Tishe' Wednesday February 16th, 2005 4:52:12 PM
Tishe's brown eyes sparkle at the answers and mysteries revealed from her spells. She tells the others about the collar and prepares to move out.
"I can weave Shady's collar open right now, but should we do it? If he's the dragon, or even a dragon, removing the collar should bring a lot of gratitude. If Shady is the servant of a dragon, removing the collar may bring vengeance."
Her buff colored horned toad nudges her hand from his satchel and looks at her with its large eyes. And Tishe's eyes soften.
"I think we should open that collar now. Anyone who will collar another being is a big bully!"
Anuk Wednesday February 16th, 2005 7:14:13 PM
After reporting to Trellus and Flea, Anuk finds a few moments to wander off by himself and meditate.
(prepares entangle)
Flea d20+2=18 Wednesday February 16th, 2005 7:58:36 PM
Remove not this hasp of steel, Or die before the morn. Teeth and claws you will feel, If this advice you scorn.
Flea remembers the draconic words inscribed upon the collar, and reminds Tishe'. Tugging open a buckle of her own leather shadow armor so that it is not so tight around her neck, she volunteers, "I'm not happy that Shady here has to wear that collar either, but we're not leading him around by a chain attached to it, and he doesn't look like he is in any immediate distress."
Flea rolls her eyes, "I'm more worried about our night visitor. Maybe someone looking for the kid. I think we should try to hide him, maybe with a disguise? He looks about Jake's height, eh?"
If the party is in agreement about disguising Shady, Flea will help, possibly by loaning the kid her Cloak of Comfort (Disguise=18, Aid Another?)
Jake Wednesday February 16th, 2005 9:18:39 PM
"Ah think we should let him go..." Jake says from where he is, finishing up his little meal stewy rabbit goodness.. Even he is loath to experiment with food that early in the morning. "No real reason not ta...ah mean, comeon, 'Trell, he may be a bit funny, but he's just a kid. Hey, Shady!" (still in Common) "Tell me," Jake smiles, "who your buddies are... Bloodpack, right? Right." Jake gives the elven boy a hair tussel and grins, then turns his attention to some exercises that he does every morning...y'know, stuff ta make the chicks all gasp and oo and ah.
Gilan Wednesday February 16th, 2005 10:15:34 PM
Gilan shakes his head as he listens to the pack talk. "It would not be a wise idea to do either at this point." He had also thought of the warning on the color and was not really ready for that thought. "He is better off with us than he is by himself...at least this way we can protect him." Silently he thinks also that they can keep an eye on him as well.
Moving over to stand by Trellus he leans in close and whispers in his ear. "You have heard of lycos, I would suspect...or werewolves and thier like." He looks to Shady and shivers some as his thoughts take shape in his head. "That collar may suppress his needs to kill and turn." He glances to the rest and waits to see what Trell has to say. Speaking back up so that all the pack can hear him, knowing that some will know of what he speaks. "My Master that tought me the druid ways always said....'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.' and that is sound advice." He does not want to offend anyone but he will not endanger the pack for those less naive and not sure of what that warning could mean. He hopes to be safer than sorrier.
Trellus Thursday February 17th, 2005 8:22:32 AM
The young man lips make a thin line as he thinks about Shady being trapped, but he's forced to agree with Gilan and Flea.
"Just like the gem," he says, half out loud. Trellus' eyes pop open. "Oh Light, I don't have that spell!"
"OK, dudes. Let's leave the collar on today. Tomorrow I'll get the right spell to ask Domi--Like I did with the gem. That should tell us."
To Flea he grins and bows. "Disguise away."
Moving Out (DM MikeK) d20+12=15 d20+17=34 Thursday February 17th, 2005 10:07:39 AM
Several members of the group have a quiet discussion about what to do with Shady's collar. So far, it remains on the elf.
Flea loans Shady the use of her Cloak of Comfort, and goes about trying to disguise him as well. Part of this involves dirt, and Shady happily darkens the color of his face and hair with any material the rogue provides. What a great game! He stands there, beaming happily. "Pak Shai-dee!" he chirps in response to Jake.
Eventually, the group breaks camp and heads back up the trail toward the mountains. [marching order?] Shady moves about, hanging mostly with Mac (well, the cat anyway) and Jake.
The day passes as the trail gradually climbs through rolling hills. The trees bordering the trail gradually make way to evergreens. The high branches seem to have an effect on the ground vegetation, as nothing but brown needles cover the forest floor.
Everyone please make a Spot check DC 15 -- Highlight to display spoiler: { As the trail passes under a low rock cliff rising 20' to the right, a cloak covered humanoid head is spotted looking down upon the party. The head quickly pulls back from the cliff's edge.} and a Listen check DC 34 -- Highlight to display spoiler: { As the trail passes under a low rock cliff rising 20' to the right, movement is heard from above. It sounds as if something is quickly running away from the cliff edge to the northeast (same direction as the party's movement).}
Tishe' d20+3=23 d20+3=23 Thursday February 17th, 2005 12:19:53 PM
The small mage doesn't like the decision to keep the collar on Shady, and a stubborn pout crosses her face. This is followed by a surprised look, for Tishe' realizes that with her knowledge she can pop the collar by uttering the command word. And she can do it right now!
But no, (comes the resolution on her face) she is part of the Pack, and she will abide by the decisions.
To take her mind off the collar, Tishe' moves ahead of Mac and Shady, and keeps an eye on the surrounding wilderness
Spot: nat 20
Listen: nat 20 (wow!)
As the party passes under a low cliff to the right, Tishe's head swiftly moves to the cliff top and she gasps.
She grabs the nearest packmate by the arm. "There was a cloaked person looking at us from the cliff-top! I think we're getting close to Shady's home."
Flea (Hasted) d20+8=28 d20+10=29 d20+13=21 d20+12=29 Thursday February 17th, 2005 1:30:35 PM
The rogue takes her usual place, scouting up ahead of the pack with her ranger pal. As the trail passes under a low rock cliff rising on their right, she spots (Spot-28, nat 20!) a cloak covered humanoid head looking down upon the party. She grabs Anuk by the arm, and raising a finger to her lips to signal him to be quiet, she points to the head at the cliff's edge. When the head disappears, she clicks her heels and quickly takes a path through the forest. The pine needles littering the ground muffle her footsteps. (Move Silently=21) Hearing nothing but her heartbeat, (Listen=29) the gnome peers through the gloom of the shadowy forest (Search=29) for clues to what might be trailing them.
(*Boots of Speed-p. 250 DMG guide-act as though affected by a Haste Spell...p. 239 PHB) 1/10 rounds (not required to be consecutive rounds)
Mac d20+5=13 d20+1=20 Thursday February 17th, 2005 3:48:39 PM
[Spot:13, Listen:20]
Mac maintains a steady pace - hearing a good deal of the local sounds but oblivious to the specifics ahead.
Gilan d20+7=20 d20+7=27 Thursday February 17th, 2005 7:43:37 PM
As he travels along near the middle of the group he keeps his eyes and ears open for signs of trouble. He also spots the thing on the cliff and narrows his eyes as he takes a better look around. "That does not bode well...maybe." He looks to the rest of the group as some move off to scout.
"Remember to stay near me some of you so that I can armor you for battle...Gry especially if you will be seeing your rage." He goes over his spells in his head as he moves along slowly with the group. "Keep an eye out for traps of all kind."
Grymash d20+5=6 d20+2=18 Thursday February 17th, 2005 9:20:40 PM
Grymash takes Gilan's advice. However, the barbarian isnt himself today. He has the sweats and he holds his gut. He is seen taking frequient little trips into the overgrowth. Maybe those spiders from the night before weren't as good as the ones from back home.
(Listen 6, Spot 18)
Anuk d20+10=24 d20+10=29 d20+12=14 d20+8=19 Thursday February 17th, 2005 9:58:33 PM
"I see him," Anuk whispers to Flea. When the cloaked figure disappears, Anuk follows the little gnome into the forest, but sees and hears little to clue him into the identity of the stranger.
Anuk Thursday February 17th, 2005 9:59:49 PM
(OOC: whoops, that should read "Move Silently 19 :-S)
Jake d20+5=12 Friday February 18th, 2005 1:00:21 AM
Jake doesn't catch sight of the guy, probably 'cause he's busy in teaching Shady many well-kept secrets passed from generation to generation: of how to belch out interesting songs, how to make farting sounds through one's armpit, the art of spitting, and a dozen other interesting things that the poor kid probably hasn't had anybody teach him. Silly elves. This stuff is USEFUL. "Someone watching us...? Cloaked, too, huh? Hey, do ya think it was a woman?" Jake has a sorta sixth sense about these things...at least he hopes he does.
Trellus d20+8=26 d20+8=14 Friday February 18th, 2005 7:57:57 AM
Listen 26 Spot 14
Trellus is too busy watching Jake and wondering how he's going to explain this to Shady's family to notice anything.
But Flea and Anuk taking off gets his full attention. "Careful!" he hisses to them as they depart. "Jake, stick close to Shady. Keep shuttlecocked."
She looks familiar (DM MikeK) Friday February 18th, 2005 11:50:29 AM
Flea activates her boots. With a burst of speed, she races ahead of the group, dashing into the forest once she passes the end of the low hill. Anuk hurries to keep up, while the rest of the Bloodpack braces for what may come.
The little rogue enters the woodline. Her feet pad silently on the brown needles and soft loam of the earth, while her eyes pierce the half light of the wood. She sees movement. Some 50 to 60 yards ahead of her, a human female races away to the northeast, parallel to the footpath the pack is using. The woman is fast, really fast. Unaware or unconcerned with pursuit, she quickly disappears behind the trees.
Flea recognizes her. It's the lady from the clearing. The one with the hands and feet that hit like hammers. The chances of the rogue catching the lady are slim. Anuk is some 60' behind the rogue, and approaching quickly. He can't see anything but Flea.
The rest of the group, still beside the cliff wall, see nothing at all.
Mac d20+5=21 d20+1=5 Friday February 18th, 2005 5:39:34 PM
The taur start paying more attention to his surroundings, but only he knows he is on the look-out for a lion. [Spot:21, Listen:5] As he slows up, he drift back down the party order to nearer Gilan.
Flea (Hasted) Friday February 18th, 2005 6:35:43 PM
Flea runs back towards the pack as fast as her boots allow her. "It's them!" she cries as she runs by the ranger. "We've got to tell the others!"
No longer sensing any need for stealth, Flea calls to the pack as soon as they are within view. "It's them! The ones the dragon chased away! The ones that had Shady!"
(*Boots of Speed-p. 250 DMG guide-act as though affected by a Haste Spell...p. 239 PHB) 2/10 rounds (not required to be consecutive rounds)
Gilan Friday February 18th, 2005 11:13:39 PM
Looking in every direction as Flea comes running back he shakes his head. "We know that at least one is dead...but that still leaves that large ogre one." He looks to the group and waits to see what the battle plan will end up being.
Jake Saturday February 19th, 2005 12:59:33 AM
Jake will hesitantly, but soothingly, try to talk to Shady about what's happening...after all, ya can't leave the poor kid completely in the dark. He comradely puts his hand on the elf's shoulder and explains to him, (e) "Those fellows who had you earlier? It seems they're following us. But don't worry, you're like one of the pack now... we won't let them elfnap you again. Not as long as Trell's in charge. 'sides, 'tain't nobody can take the pack down." Jake turns his attention to Flea as she gets back. "So, was ah right, it was a woman, huh? Ah swear, ah've got a sense about these things."
Tishe' Monday February 21st, 2005 10:49:54 AM
"This pattern is looking bad", worries Tishe', "I think we need to be ready for the next few hours."
With that, she takes one of the Mage Armor spells Flea just gave her and casts it on Mac. "You keep healthy this time, sweetie."
The small woman smiles at Jake's confidence about women, but it doesn't stop her from double checking the loaded bolt in her crossbow and readying for anything.
"Perhaps we should stay away from cliffs and other ambush sites?" she suggests. "And maybe Shady can tell us more about the folk who had him captive?"
Spells Mage Armor [5 hours] +4 AC to Mac (doesn't stack)
Trellus Monday February 21st, 2005 2:46:00 PM
This sounds sunbaked. Trellus wishes he felt as confident as Jake is. Tishe' is right, though. The pack is likely to get jumped up there, again.
Getting the story from Flea, he ponders.
"Maybe if we followed the lady instead of weaving down this trail, we might twist their plans," he muses. "Nuk, can you and Flea follow where the lady went?"
The cleric plans for Flea and Anuk to track the lady, with the rest of the group 60-90' back or so. That ought to keep things quiet enough so the two scouts can find those treadles without getting spotted this time.
Now What? (DM MikeK) Monday February 21st, 2005 9:15:35 PM
Flea quickly returns, a startled Anuk in her wake, and relays her discovery. The fact that one or more of Shady's captors is nearby generates some intense planning by the Bloodpack.
At Tishe's suggestion, Jake asks Shady if he remembers more about his captors.
Out of nowhere, a cool breeze passes down the trail, bringing with it the fragrance of wildflowers in full bloom. None of the pack have noticed any flowers hereabouts. Shady looks blankly at Jake and replies, but not in Elven. The language is lyrical, musical. [Anyone who knows Sylvan -- Highlight to display spoiler: {"Nature senses her own"}]
The breeze passes. Shady blinks his eyes and passes his hand in front of his face, as if brushing away a cobweb. As if the last minute or so didn't happen, he answers Jake, in elven, that he doesn't rememeber much about his captors.
[DM Note - The pack knows the ogre is dead. The other four ran off.]
Gilan Monday February 21st, 2005 9:56:30 PM
Gilan looks to Shady as he comments and his eyes narrow. When the young lad seems to come as if out of a trance he looks at the boy closer. "That is a strange thing to say." He looks to the others as he tries to ponder exactly what those words could mean and then shakes his head in defeat. "Nature senses her own??" With another start he shakes his head and returns to what he knows and that is the score against them so far.
With a look to Trellus he smiles slightly. "The ogre died remember...so that leaves us with the female and that mage...who I have a score to settle." His smile turns more wicked as he cannot help but wonder exactly how that last encounter would have turned out.
Grymash Monday February 21st, 2005 10:13:40 PM
Grymash rises up from being down on one knee. The spasms in his gut hit him with sharp pains and nausia. Drool and mucus flow from his snout and mouth. He spits and snorts to clear them. Doing his best to purge the sickness from him. After clearing this throat, the barbarian mumbles, "Wha .. wha wuz dat yooz say? Wha be dat?!"
Flea d20+23=30 d20+10=18 d20+13=27 d20+12=19 d20+8=19 Monday February 21st, 2005 10:47:12 PM
The rogue shrugs her shoulders when the youth goes all mystic, and starts talking in another language she doesn't understand.
"You want us to follow that white-handed witch?" asks Flea incredulously when Trellus suggests she and Anuk scout out the speedy human female. Shaking her head, a habit she's picked up from Gilan, Flea hustles after the ranger muttering something about, "eating grass."
Anuk d20+10=25 d20+10=24 d20+8=16 d20+12=18 d20+11=29 Monday February 21st, 2005 11:54:07 PM
Anuk returns several seconds behind Flea. Huffing and puffing, he listens as Trellus offers up his plan. "Sounds shady...you got it, Trellus," he gasps. Then he turns back in the direction from which he just arrived. Touching the rogue on the shoulder he grins and says, "Little slower this time, huh Flea? Some of us haven't got the legs on us you've got."
Jake Tuesday February 22nd, 2005 2:25:05 AM
(e) "Little guy, you confuse me," Jake shakes his head at Shady. Turning back to common, he explains Shady as not remembering, then asks Trellus, "Hey, Gry looks a bit green... perhaps you can do something for him? Also, Gilan, do you know what's going on? I'm a bit confused by all this nature actin' up..."
Trellus d20+8=15 Tuesday February 22nd, 2005 10:44:20 AM
Trellus' head swivels from Shady to Gilan and back again. "Dude," he replies to the druid, "if you don't know what he's weaving, the rest of ain't got a chance."
Gilan's remarks about the number of treadles left sparks a memory. "There were five," he points out. "The lady, the ogre, the mage, the dude with the swords, and whoever was holding on to Shady."
Flea's reaction is puzzling. Lot of twisted stuff going on here. "Why not sneak up on them instead of letting them sneak up on us?" he asks the air as Flea and Anuk set off.
The young man takes the moment available to give Gry a once-over [Heal 15] "You OK Gry?" He looks at Jake. "Probably something from breakfast," he teases lightly.
Once Flea and Anuk have gotten a decent 90' lead, Trellus leads the pack after them. "Mac first, then me and Gry, Gilan and Tishe, and Jake and Shady. Mac, stay close enough so you can reach them in a hurry."
Tishe' d20+13=24 d20+2=18 d20+2=9 Tuesday February 22nd, 2005 3:07:47 PM
The small woman tucks a stray hair behind her ear. "Nature senses her own? What language was Shady weaving? And that smell of blooms is too much of a coincidence. I wonder if there was magic?" (Spellcraft: 24, Know: Nature: 18)
"Gry, sweetie, if you can find some mint leaves, they can settle your stomach. At least that is what my mother always said."
Whatever the answer is, it will have to wait, for the pack is moving out. Tishe' takes her place to the right of Gilan, and scans the woods to the right while they move out.
(Spot: 9)
Gilan d20+7=13 d20+7=16 Tuesday February 22nd, 2005 5:54:29 PM
Gilan moves out with the rest of the group as he ponders what he just heard. Turning his head slightly to Tishe' he shakes his head. "It was sylvan...the forest language...but as to the meaning..." His only finishing reply is a shake of his head as he is not sure. "I think the flower scent along with the phrase was an omen of sorts....or a portent of things to come." He looks to the small mage and smiles slightly as he shakes his head again.
He lets his mind slip back to the things at hand as he moves along though. He figures that he will have time to figure this out later. It is clear that he is still trying to figure out the portent than anything else.
Daffodil Hill (DM MikeK) d20+13=27 d20+13=25 d20+15=23 Tuesday February 22nd, 2005 8:37:17 PM
Anuk and Flea take off, shortly followed by the rest of the group.
The rogue leads the ranger to where she last saw the lady, and Anuk is able to pick up her track in the soft loam fairly easily. The chase is on.
Mac finds he can't let the two out front more than 60' before he loses them among the trunks of the many pine trees. The minotaur closes the distance, with the rest of the group fanned out behind him.
The trail doesn't go more than a few hundred feet before veering left and making back toward the game trail. Anuk sees it leads straight up another small hill overlooking the trail. The top of the hill is bathed in bright sunlight and inexplicably covered in daffodils.
From the center of those daffodils, on the top of the hill, two voices break out in startled conversation. Anuk can't make out the words, but he can tell something is up there.
No one else hears or sees anything.
And then, Anuk hits a hidden twig. It snaps.
On top of the hill, a female voice hisses "Shhhh!"
And then, movement. Something is descending the hill. The ranger can hear the scrape of feet on the flowers as the unseen whatever comes southeast down the hill to a position just west of he and Flea.
The rogue, despite Anuk's obvious interest in the west, sees and hears nothing.
Jake notes that Shady is looking around curiously, but sensibly making as little noise as possible.
Grymash d20+2=18 d20+5=21 Wednesday February 23rd, 2005 12:02:59 AM
Grymash feels his stomach twisting and churning with great discomfort. Those around him can easily hear his gut moan and squeal. "Uh oh!!" mumbles the barbarian as his eyes go wide with panic. He turns his head, away from his packmates, and up comes a spewing vomitous mass. After a series of spitting and clearing his throat, Grymash turns back to his pack with a disgustingly drool-filled smile and says, "Gry feelin' betters now ... Whoooh!!"
He takes his double axe in both hands and starts off after the rogue up the trail, staying in the formation Trellus suggested. After his little evacuation, his stomach quiets down and he is able to move ahead quietly as possible.
(Spot 18, Listen 21)
Jake Wednesday February 23rd, 2005 1:30:08 AM
Jake keeps pretty quiet, waiting for Nukky and the Flea to get back to their group. He puts a finger to his lips, motioning to Shady to be quiet. He draws his sword and shield as quietly as he ca...
Anuk (AC 21, HP 34) d20+10=28 d20+10=21 d20+8=15 d20+11=18 Wednesday February 23rd, 2005 2:35:54 PM
Anuk freezes at the sound of the voices. Getting Flea's attention, he motions toward the hilltop with his gloved hand, hoping she might see something he can't.
When the twig snaps he curses under his breath and draws his bow immediately. As quickly and quietly as he can he disappears behind a pine tree, but tries to keep a good view of the area from which he hears the sounds.
Spot 28 Listen 21 Move Silently 15 Hide 18
Tishe' d20+2=16 d20+2=3 d20+2=11 Wednesday February 23rd, 2005 3:09:57 PM
Still moving behind Mac and beside Gilan, the small woman keeps trying to move as silently as possible and watching the woods to the right.
Move Silently: 16 Spot: nat 1 Listen: 11
Trellus d20+8=10 d20+8=13 d20-4=-2 Wednesday February 23rd, 2005 3:54:44 PM
The cleric keeps moving forward, hoping his idea isn't gonna get them all creamed...again.
His breastplate clanks with every step.
[Listen 10, Spot 13, Move Silently -2]
Gilan d20+7=14 d20+7=9 Wednesday February 23rd, 2005 4:55:05 PM
[listen 13 and spot 16]
Gilan looks around and smiles at the change in surroundings. This will be just fine as far as he is concerned. Turning his head slightly to look at Tishe' he speaks. "Let Trell know what I just did." He hands a potion to Mac before he makes any other moves. "Barkskin and my only one...use it well." As he walks his body slowly begins to melt until he is once again in his wasp form. He takes off at a faster pace now and buzzes right by Trellus's ear. If it was possible for a wasp to laugh he would be doing just that. He silently wonders if he should be flying alittle higher so that his view is not blocked so much, but the flowers are pretty and smell good.
[listen 14 and spot 9]
[barkskin potion is one of my old ones and caster level is 6th]
Flea d20+23=39 d20+10=28 d20+13=26 d20+12=23 d20+8=16 Wednesday February 23rd, 2005 6:01:03 PM
Flea takes in Anuk's move and cautiously heads up the incline towards the yellow flowers. She tries to stay out of sight as she makes her way from tree to tree. She will try to catch the attention of the other Bloodpack members and after first holding a finger to her lips in the universal sign of silence, she will point out the direction of anything of significance.
Company (DM MikeK) Wednesday February 23rd, 2005 10:31:08 PM
Anuk frantically tries to get somebody to understand the group is not alone. Flea tries to get Trellus to stop sounding like a walking forge to pay attention, before turning and heading very stealthily up the hill. The others are too far away to pick up the ranger's signals.
Gilan goes wasp and buzzes towards the flowers on the hilltop.
The rest of the Bloodpack continue to advance upon the stationary Anuk. They are nearly upon the duo before Mac finally stops, and the rest with him. Except for Shady. The young elf has stopped, and is sitting cross legged on the ground, with his back resting against a nice pine. He is playing with three pinecones, laying them in a row over and over and over again -- horizontal, vertical, diagonal -- he arranges and rearranges the row of three pinecones.
A voice pierces the forest. The voice of the lady. "They're behind us!" she cries. Both Anuk and Flea could swear the woman must be within 30' of them - Anuk to the west, Flea to the southwest - but neither see her.
Gilan sees the flowers on top of the hill flatten, as if someone was stomping around on them. "Where?" A male voice hisses in reply from the hilltop, practically in front of the druid/wasp, but unseen. Footprints form in the flowers, indicating slow movement in the direction of the party.
Flea hears the man on the hilltop. In fact, it sounds as if something is come right at her and is nearly on top of her. She also hears movement of something approaching around the north end of the hill, and another something approaching from the south end. The gnome is convinced all four sounds are close enough that she should see whatever is making them, but nothing but empty forest, and daffodils loom before her.
Mac, Grymash, Trellus, Tishe, and Jake hear only the "They're behind us!" cry of a woman. They place it somewhere around 30' -- 40' to their northwest.
Jake d20+5=22 Thursday February 24th, 2005 1:35:15 AM
"What's going on...?" Jake asks confusedly. "They're over there!" He moves towards the sound of the voice, using his shield to push the area ahead of himself, just in case it hits anything. He's trying to go by sound, to the source of the woman's talking. (Listen, DC 22)
Anuk (AC 21, HP 34) d20+2=8 d20+2=5 d20+2=7 d20+2=14 Thursday February 24th, 2005 2:49:42 PM
As the sounds and voices get louder, Anuk points his bow this way and that, searching for a target.
Light!...Can't hit what I can't see! he thinks in frustration.
Then, he recalls the ioun stone. Quickly, he lowers his bow and draws the stone out of his cloak. Concentrating on the area around Flea, he mutters a few short words of incantation then hopes for the best.
(Casts Dispel Magic - area dispel: 8, 5, 7, 14
Not certain if multiple spells are active in the area, so I made 4 checks in total (effect described below). Sadly, my rolls are, of course, abysmally low *sigh*)
Area Dispel: When dispel magic is used in this way, the spell affects everything within a 20-foot radius. For each creature within the area that is the subject of one or more spells, you make a dispel check against the spell with the highest caster level. If that check fails, you make dispel checks against progressively weaker spells until you dispel one spell (which discharges the dispel magic spell so far as that target is concerned) or until you fail all your checks. The creature's magic items are not affected. For each object within the area that is the target of one or more spells, you make dispel checks as with creatures. Magic items are not affected by an area dispel. For each ongoing area or effect spell whose point of origin is within the area of the dispel magic spell, you can make a dispel check to dispel the spell. For each ongoing spell whose area overlaps that of the dispel magic spell, you can make a dispel check to end the effect, but only within the overlapping area.
Tishe' (AC 16, HP 37/37) d20+13=17 d20+3=16 d20+5=20 Thursday February 24th, 2005 2:57:55 PM
The small mage thinks why voices would come from the air (Spellcraft: 17), and quickly determines a possible answer. "They're all invisible! Remember how the ogre appeared out of nowhere?"
Tishe' moves 30 feet towards the flower-covered hill and looks for tell-tale movement through the white and yellow blooms (Spot: 16) Identifying what she thinks is movement, the brown-haired Tishe' weaves her hands in a complicated pattern, casting an area Dispel Magic (Dispel Check: 20)
Flea (AC 19, 41 HP) d20+12=25 d20+8=17 Thursday February 24th, 2005 5:34:37 PM
When folks decide to let loose with their magical effects, Flea tries to stay out of the way and backs up. Instead of looking up and around, she looks at the ground in front of her to see if she can spot a pattern of depressed flowers or grass which might indicate someone is nearby. She unconsciously reaches for her hooked hammer and prepares to defend herself.
Search=25 Spot=17
Trellus (Prayer[1]) Thursday February 24th, 2005 7:51:30 PM
Trellus walks forward, keeping pace on Tishe's right side. When she casts her spell, he does likewise. The Bloodpack immediately feels the inspiring power of Domi flow into them.
"Get ready, dudes," he growls.
[Prayer - +1 Atk, damage, saves, and skill checks w/in 40' of caster. -1 to enemy for same.]
Gilan d20+7=18 d20+7=15 Thursday February 24th, 2005 7:54:27 PM
Gilan buzzes off to the side of the mashing grass and lands on one of the flowers nearby. He watches the grass and flowers to get an idea of the person's location. He buzzes and wiggles his antennae as he casts a spell of his own.
Grymash (ac22, hp81, prot. from evil, blind fight feat) d20+2=10 d20+5=13 Thursday February 24th, 2005 8:51:17 PM
Grymash hears the words "invisible" and remembers how those treadles just appeared out of no where. This time he knows and is ready for the beaters. He keeps his senses wide open, waiting for them to strike. The barbarian can feel them getting closer. He mutters a few words of power and calls upon himself protection from his god. (Casting Protection from Evil)
Grymash humms a continuous deep moan as he concentrates on his prey. Anticipating their every movement*.
(*Blind Fight feat: Gry doesnt lose his dex, nor does his attackers receive any bonus for being invisible with melee attacks. Gry also gets to reroll hit/miss chances.)
Visibility (DM MikeK) d20+10=29 d20+10=19 d20+5=17 d10+5=15 d10+5=8 d10+5=7 Thursday February 24th, 2005 9:05:52 PM
Jake pushes forward, seeking the lady he hears speaking.
Flea backs up to Anuk, searching the ground in front of her for any sign of an approaching enemy.
Trellus moves forward and casts a spell to strengthen his friends.
Gilan moves to the side and casts a spell.
Grymash casts a spell and waits, senses alert.
Anuk and Tishe both cast Dispel Magics. Anuk's spell is ineffective. Tishe's spell succeeds in spectacular fashion. Around the hill, three figures pop into existence. On the north side, the man with the two swords -- on the east side, virtually underneath Gilan, the hooded mage -- and on the southeast side, a bugbear dressed in leather armor and wielding a Morningstar appears before Jake.
The three suddenly visible attackers react immediately to the new situation.
The mage (S) casts a spell, sending a bolt of electricity at Anuk. [Lightning Bolt -- Reflex DC 16 or 7d6 hp damage]
The bugbear (C) casts a spell, and Jake feels his limbs getting heavy. [Hold Person -- Will DC 14 or can't move]
Two swords (R) advances on Anuk, and is quite surprised to find Flea standing there in the way. [Flea gets an AoO]
Trellus lets out a yelp as he's pummeled by an unseen opponent. The lady (L) appears just as she's finishing off a nice roundhouse kick into the cleric's jaw. [hit ac 29 for 15 hp hit ac 19 for 8 hp hit ac 17 for 7 hp]
Flea (AC 19, 41 HP-Bless) d20+8=16 d6+2=6 d20+14=26 d20+8=22 d6+2=8 Thursday February 24th, 2005 11:07:56 PM
Flea swings her hammer at the fellow in front of her (Hit AC 16, for 6 dmg) before tumbling (Tumble=26) past him into a position directly behind him and opposite Anuk. The rogue swings her hammer again (Hit AC 22, for 8 dmg).
"Lets squeeze 'im good, 'nuk," calls the rogue.
Notes: -Bless from Trellus -Anuk gets +2 flanking bonus if he steps 5ft. into square vacated by Flea
Jake (AC 23, hp 50/50, prayer) d20+2=13 d20+11=28 d10=5 d6=6 Thursday February 24th, 2005 11:55:50 PM
Jake feels his limbs become leaden. His eyes close halfway and he wavers on his feet, whobbling as the world is suddenly so heavy. it is only that divine pulse of energy filling him that barely keeps back the force of the bugbear's spell. (That +1 to my check saved me! Whew!) Suddenly his eyes snap open, and he smiles at the --whatever the thing is. Not a gnoll, or an orc. Must be something else. "Nice try, wormface!" he cheerfully announces, then swings himself into action. He decides not to test his luck with wild swings, but this time aim carefully, jabbing forward with his sword precisely at just below his midsection, at around his belt where the leather armor ends. (Hit AC 29, with the prayer bonus. Did 13 slashing damage and 6 freezing damage)
Tishe' (AC 16, HP 37/37) d20+5=22 d8+11=14 Friday February 25th, 2005 12:39:54 AM
Tishe's first thought is to take out the mage, but the appearance of the weaponless fighter beating on Trellus is more important.
She raises her hands and weaves a golden pattern flanking the enemy assaulting Trellus. And her favorite bison appears and attacks.
The bison immediately tries to gore the monk (Ac 22, Dam 14)
Spells Augmented Summon; Celestial Bison [5 rounds] AC 13 HP 45 A +5 D d8+11 (Darkvision, Resist Cold/Electricity/Acid: 5, Damage Reduction 5/magic, Smite Evil 1/day +4 damage, Spell Resistance 9)
Grymash (ac20, hp81, prot. from evil, prayer, blind fight feat) d20+2=14 d20+12=28 d100=89 d100=39 d8+20=26 Friday February 25th, 2005 2:36:16 AM
The barbarian sees combatants suddenly appear. He then sees Trellus' head getting whipped around like a bag full of dirty undies. Trellus' face takes on a distorted, mushy pulp-like appearance. (Wisdom 14) His blood was pretty, but no one does that to Trellus and lives to brag about it!! Judging from which direction the attacks are coming from, Grymash charges forward and unleashes his own attack at the invisible beater.
Trellus (AC 20, hp 44/59, Prayer[2], Spir Wpn [1]) d20+10=18 d8+3=10 Friday February 25th, 2005 10:31:03 AM Prayer: +1 bonus to atk, dam, saves, and checks if within 40' of Trellus.
The woman's first blow catches Trellus right in the nose. "Ow!!" Instinctively ducking, the cleric lucks out, deflecting the next two off of his helm.
Still, he's very happy to see a bison on one side and especially Gry on the other. He happily takes the opportunity to get out of punching range. The young man backs up a step, and then peals around Grymash toward Anuk.
Trellus pauses a second to weave a spell toward the only unoccupied opponent. A glowing warhammer appears above the shrouded mage, and slams down upon him.
[Spirtual Weapon - atk ac18 for 10 hp damage]
Anuk (AC 21, HP 7, Prayer, Dodge) d20+9=12 7d6(5+1+5+3+5+5+4)=28 d20+11=21 d8+1=8 Friday February 25th, 2005 11:52:08 AM
Anuk is startled by the sudden appearance of so many figures. He tries to get a bearing on where to direct his attention when he is suddenly blasted by a bolt of electricity. (reflex 12, 27 hp dmg (-1 for Trellus' bless)). His teeth clench and he muscles sieze, causing him to painfully grip his bow, then drop it to the ground as the bolt of energy dissapates.
"OWWWWW!!" Smoke rises from his hair and clothes and the air around him smells vaguely of barbeque. Luckily, his glove protects his hand from his now electrically-heated longsword. He draws it, steps into the area just vacated by Flea, and meets Two-Swords head on.
Hits AC 21 (+2 flanking, +1 Prayer) for 8pts (+1 prayer) Anuk's AC is 22 vs 2-swords - Dodge
Gilan(HP: 57/57 ; AC: 18) [prayer, waspform] 7d6(2+4+4+2+4+1+1)=18 Friday February 25th, 2005 1:34:56 PM
Gilan smiles in his wasp form, well actually buzzes happily as he is being ignored. Then again who would worry about a single wasp when they have Gry out there.
He wiggles his antennae again and buzzes lightly from the flower with a growing sense of purpose. A column of divine fire slams down on the spot that the mage is standing at.
[flame strike: Ref DC 19, 18 damage] [call lightning: 6min 50sec, Ref DC 18, 7/7bolts]
Battle Royale - rd1 (DM MikeK) d20+10=18 d20+9=16 d20+12=23 d8+5=12 d20+10=13 d20+10=27 d20+5=9 d10+4=11 d20+9=28 d8+5=11 Friday February 25th, 2005 8:32:46 PM
Flea swings her hammer at Two Swords. He flicks the weapon away with his longsword. She dives between his legs, and comes up swinging. He flicks the hammer away again.
Anuk follows the gnome, driving his sword at the man. He almost effortlessly deflects blow away with the dagger in his off hand.
[Two Swords is actually armed with one longsword and a dagger. His AC is 24]
Jake fights off the effect of the spell, and steps into the bugbear. His sword flicks out and draws a red line across the beast's belly, eliciting a hiss of pain.
[Bugbear is AC 20]
Tishe summons a bison. It appears next to the startled monk and rips into her shoulder with its horn. Grymash also arrives next to the beleaguered cleric, and rips into the suddenly defensive woman. She barely manages to turn in time to avoid a fatal blow. But the half orc barbarian should be quite satisfied at the splashing blood all over the place.
[Monk is AC 18]
Trellus looks to pull around Gry and starts for Anuk. The lady takes a swing at him as he goes, but misses. [AoO - hit ac 18] His glowing hammer crashes down on the mage with a solid "thunk".
[Mage is AC 14]
Gilan casts a spell. The druid notices a very odd effect. Instead of the normal pillar of fire, the spell comes down as a row of three smaller columns. The result looks about as expected though. The fire catches the mage full force, blasting the cowl off his head.
The stunned, smoking mage looks over at Gilan. Without his cowl up, the druid can see he has elfin features, but his skin is the color of night. Understanding crosses the features of the white haired mage, as he figures out the large wasp isn't what it seems.
[Gilan can only turn into a Small or Medium animal. So this wasp is about two and half feet long.]
Two Swords gives Flea a superior grin. "Nice move," he allows. The man steps to the side to keep his opponents generally in front of him, and slashes at the wounded ranger with his longsword. [5' step -- no AoO] [Attack Anuk -- hit AC23 for 12 hp damage]
The bloodied monk is not smiling. She's not happy at all. Frantically, she launches a frenzy of chops into Grymash. One lands, ringing the half-orc's head like a bell. [atks 13, 27, 9. 11 hp damage + Fort save DC 17 or stunned]
The bugbear is also cranky. He unleashes a huge swing with his Morningstar at Jake. It connects hard as well. As it does, Jake feels a strange tingling sensation in his brain. [hit ac 28 for 11 hp damage + Will Save DC 15 or roll d100 (1-50 is bad)]
The drow mage casts a spell, and disappears. The glowing hammer, deviod of a visible target, returns to Trellus and hovers over his shoulder.
Mac (AC:20, HP:75/75, Large) d20+13=30 3d6(4+5+5)+11=25 Saturday February 26th, 2005 2:27:48 AM
...Lion...?
...Sweetie...?!
The taur paces 25' north(? - up the map!) and 5' NE, building up a swing, pulling up behind and left of Anuk, and striking hard at the ranger bothering Flea and Anuk.
Attack hits AC:30 for 25 damage.
"So, what have I missed? Let me know who needs support!"
OOC: My apologies to the pack, I've had a [insert colourful colloquialism here] of a week. Back on track!
Tishe' (AC 16, HP 37/37) d20+5=18 d8+11=15 Saturday February 26th, 2005 4:51:33 PM
The golden bison bellows in triumph and continues its attack into the monk. The horns are lowered and barely get through the agile woman's defenses (AC 18), but the horns score deeply (Dam 15). Figuring the monk is done for, the summoned creature moves to assist Jake.
Tishe' is pleased with the way the battle is going so far. Jake and the bison are on dog-boy; Mac, Anuk, and Flea are teaming up on two-swords; and ... where is the mage?
Looking at where the mage was standing, she doesn't see any flower movement, and so raises her hands and weaves a spell. A pinch of ground mica is tossed in the air, and a cloud of golden sparkling dust strikes around where the mage had been standing.
Spells Augmented Summon; Celestial Bison [4 rounds] AC 13 HP 45 A +5 D d8+11 (Darkvision, Resist Cold/Electricity/Acid: 5, Damage Reduction 5/magic, Smite Evil 1/day +4 damage, Spell Resistance 9) Glitterdust; [5 rounds] Will DC 17 or blind in 10 foot radius; -40 Hide
DM addendum Saturday February 26th, 2005 10:09:08 PM
NOTE - The monk didn't drop, and therefore, the bison stays on the monk. Jake is still on his own.
Jake (AC 23, hp 39/50, prayer) d20+2=7 d100=75 d20+11=31 d20+11=25 d10=6 d10=6 d6=5 Sunday February 27th, 2005 8:44:18 AM
Even with the holy energy infusing him, Jake feels that unnerving feeling of helplessness as the swinging flail of his opponent strikes him and infuses him with blindness. (I assume that's the effect from the descriptioN) Suddenly the world has become dark, and though it's just a barrier in his mind, Jake just can't overcome it. Dang these magicians! "Ah can't see!" he yells out frustratedly, hoping his packmates will realize his situation and help him shortly. Trusting his instincts, he feints towards the left just slightly, then instead moves to the right, swinging his sword at where the ugly guy's side should be if he moves as Jake predicts. Not only is Jake satisfied to feel his sword thunk into something, but he's startled to realize that he somehow pierced straight through the seams of his opponents' armor! (rolled the 75 on the blindness attack, nat 20 crit, confirmed against AC 25) (Did 6+7+6+7+1=27 damage plus 5 cold damage to the guy) Jake is impressed by his luck so far...but wonders what he'll do after he defeats this ugly guy. It'll be weird running around blind...
Another DM Addendum Sunday February 27th, 2005 9:27:01 AM You know what they say about people who assume...
Jake is not blind. As far as he can tell, the tingling sensation had no effect whatsoever.
Anuk (HP -5, unconscious) Sunday February 27th, 2005 7:18:21 PM
Anuk's sense of confidence is briefly shattered by Two-Sword's easy deflection of his attack. It disappears altogether along with everything else as Two-Sword's longsword pierces the young ranger.
Anuk's knees buckle and he crumples silently to the ground, bleeding profusely.
Gilan(HP: 57/57 ; AC: 20) [prayer, waspform] Sunday February 27th, 2005 9:54:05 PM
Gilan buzzes loudly as he gets a little annoyed. Well he figured that a wasp his size would not be able to stay out of it for long. Still he had hoped for a little bit more of a reprieve.
He slips up into the air and once again casts a spell into the area that the mage had been in. He tries to place it so that only the mage will be caught, maybe some of the other enemies but not his friends.
[call lightning: 6min 40sec, Ref DC 18, 7/7bolts] [entangle: 7min 00sec, Str DC 20 or Escape Artist DC 20 to break free, Ref DC 18 or be caught, can move half speed if successful]
Flea(AC19 (20 while Hasted) Bless, 41 HP) d20+14=26 d20+10=28 d20+10=30 d20+10=22 d20+10=16 d6+2=8 d6+2=7 3d6(5+3+6)=14 3d6(3+2+3)=8 Sunday February 27th, 2005 10:14:43 PM
Flea sees Anuk fall to the ground and calls out his name, before launching a furious retaliatory strike on 'Two Swords'. The gnome moves at a frenzied pace, sliding into a flanking position across from Mac. [Tumble=26 if req'd]. From her position behind the enemy she strikes a series of blows with her hammer. [Hit AC=28, AC 30 (22 to confirm critical - fail), and AC=16 for total of 37 dmg].
(*Boots of Speed-p. 250 DMG guide-act as though affected by a Haste Spell...p. 239 PHB) 3/10 rounds (not required to be consecutive rounds)
Trellus (AC 20, hp 44/59, Prayer[3], Spir Wpn [2]) 3d8(2+3+5)+5=15 Sunday February 27th, 2005 11:07:16 PM Prayer: +1 bonus to atk, dam, saves, and checks if within 40' of Trellus.
Trellus was already heading Anuk's way, and seeing his friend fall doesn't make him want to slow down any.
The cleric ducks in front of the incoming minotaur, and crosses to the southeast side of the ranger. He pulls out his wand as he hurries to Anuk's side.
Trellus taps Anuk quickly. "No worries, dude. I got you"
[Cure Serious Wounds - 15 hp healed]
Grymash (ac22, hp70, prot. from evil, prayer) d20+15=17 d20+10=24 d20+5=21 d8+20=26 d8+20=27 Monday February 28th, 2005 2:01:04 AM
Delighted by the spray of monky blood. Grymash begins to swing again when a flurry of blows slam into his face. The attack whips his head to the left and dazes the barbarian for a second. (Fort save 17, barely got it! Im glad I didnt roll a 1.) His head slow turns back to face the female monk. If eyes were daggers, she would already be dead. "DAT ALL YOOZ GOT, PIGGIE?! NOT GUTE ENOUGH! AUUGGGHHH!"
Grymash unleashes his own series of slashing attacks with his double axe.
(Full Attack. PowerAttack+5, two-handed+10. HitAC: 24 and 21. Damage: 26+27=53 points of damage.)
Battle royale? - rd 2 (DM MikeK) d20+9=26 d20+6=8 Monday February 28th, 2005 9:09:46 AM
Mac shakes off a very weird daydream in which his kitty, and her two sisters, play follow the leader through a large patch of incredibly green clover. Noticing there's a fight, the minotaur takes several long strides and slams into Two Swords. Mac's weapon rips a huge gash in the stunned ranger.
The summoned bison attacks the monk, wounding her badly. Meanwhile, its summoner looks to see if she can spot signs of the invisible mage. However, the intervening trees and the difference in elevation prove too difficult to overcome. Tishe doesn't know if the man moved or not. Nevertheless, she pops off a spell encasing an area in sparkly lights. The spell effect comes uncomfortably close to Gilan, but doesn't reveal the mage.
Jake shakes off the whatever it was, and rips open the bugbear's shield arm and shoulder muscle.
Anuk collapses into unconsciousness.
Gilan hovers into the air and wiggles his antennae. The forest explodes into energetic life. In a circle some 80' in diameter, weeds, flowers, grasses, and even small shrubs erupt through the needle covered forest floor like speeded up Plains Grass. Even a portion of the hard packed game trail disappears within a frenzied, lashing, explosion of plant life. The druid's aim is good, as both Flea and Jake watch a wall of green matter rise up within a few feet of them.
The bugbear is caught up in the grasping grasses, but manages to sidestep the entangling vegetation.
Flea takes a step to line up Two Swords. The gnome finds herself right beside the crazy acting plant growth, but maintains her concentration. She slams her hammer into the man's knees, which buckle under the blow.
Trellus steps around Mac, and hits Anuk with a healing spell.
Grymash clears the ringing in his ears, and launches a furious assault upon the doomed monk. By the time his axe stops swinging, his opponent is barely recognizable and very, very dead.
Bleeding and limping, and now isolated against four of the Bloodpack, Two Swords makes a run for it. He avoids as many blows as he can, and only Flea gets the opportunity to hit him as he pelts northward. If she doesn't bring him down, he is soon hidden by the intervening trees. [Flea AoO. 6 hp drops him.]
The bugbear also tries to run, but the plant wall forces him to try and slip past Jake as he does. If Jake doesn't bring him down, the monster disappears into the trees to the west. [Jake AoO. 6 hp drops him]
Anuk (AC 21, HP 10, Prayer, Point-blank-shot) d20+8=11 Monday February 28th, 2005 3:03:20 PM
Anuk blinks rapidly, fighting his way back to consciousness. Feeling disoriented he looks up at the figure of Trellus. Realizing what's happened, he smiles weakly and says, "Thanks, Trel. I'm feeling much shadier."
Then he remembers who it is that put him on the ground in the first place. He scrambles to his knees and reaches for his dropped bow.
"Where'd he go?!" he yells and then he spots Two-Swords in retreat. Still kneeling, Anuk fires off an arrow, but it goes wildly off course and thuds into the trunk of a nearby pine.
(Hits AC11, -4 firing into melee)
Gilan(HP: 57/57 ; AC: 20) [prayer, waspform] 3d6(3+4+1)=8 Monday February 28th, 2005 5:07:29 PM
Gilan is taken by the unexpected results of his spell and nearly falls into his own entangle spell. He looks around and shakes his little wasp head. He had hoped to see the wizard but it appears that he might have gotten away.
If he spots either of the retreating forms of the other two from his aeriel position then he will call upon the powers of lightning to blast one of them.
[call lightning: 6min 30sec, Ref DC 18 for half, 6/7bolts, 8 damage] [entangle: 6min 50sec, Str DC 20 or Escape Artist DC 20 to break free, Ref DC 18 or be caught, can move half speed if successful]
Flea (AC 19, 41 HP-Prayer) d20+8=24 d6+2=4 Monday February 28th, 2005 6:42:24 PM
Flea swipes at the escaping swordsman, hitting him again with her hammer. [Hit AC 24 for 4 HP damage]
Tishe' (AC 16, HP 37/37) - Sub/Al d20+3=18 Monday February 28th, 2005 8:13:03 PM "Oh piggy." Tishe' curses under her breath as no mage appears outlined in golden glitter.
"At least we know where he's not," she shouts.
The golden bison, now bereft of its reason for being on this plane casts about for enemies to attack. Its nostrils flair as it scents the air for opponents, prepared to make off in pursuit at the slightest wiff. (Scent: if the wizard is within 30 feet, head in that direction.) Lacking no clear scent, it wanders to the west around the hill in dogged pursuit of it knows not what.
Tishe' lifts her eyes to the trees upon the hill. "I wonder ... " she muses. (Spot 18)
Spells Augmented Summon; Celestial Bison [3 rounds] AC 13 HP 45 A +5 D d8+11 (Darkvision, Resist Cold/Electricity/Acid: 5, Damage Reduction 5/magic, Smite Evil 1/day +4 damage, Spell Resistance 9) Glitterdust; [5 rounds] Will DC 17 or blind in 10 foot radius; -40 Hide
Jake d20+11=12 d20+5=9 Monday February 28th, 2005 11:01:36 PM
Jake takes a parting slash at the ugly guy, and nearly drops his sword as it awkwardly thunks into one of those wooden rising things. So the creature escapes. Jake turns to his companions and they all look okay... Gilan's that prairie-pig sized slug, Anuk's down but hopefully they've all got that covered, the others seem okay. But...where's their little elf friend? He looks around for Shady. (Spot 9)
Mac Tuesday March 1st, 2005 5:51:40 AM
"Okay - what has just happened?!" snorts the taur. "Do we pursue?"
Trellus (AC 20, hp 44/59, Prayer[4], Spir Wpn [3]) 3d8(1+3+1)+5=10 d8=7 d8=8 Tuesday March 1st, 2005 8:29:23 AM Prayer: +1 bonus to atk, dam, saves, and checks if within 40' of Trellus.
Trellus shifts a bit as Anuk scrambles for his bow, but doesn't leave his friends side. The dude is still smoking.
The cleric taps Anuk once more while calling out loudly, "Gilan! You wove the grass pick, right?" Cause otherwise, we got another problem, he finishes silently.
[CSW on Anuk - 23 hp healed.]
And then there were none (DM MikeK) d20=13 Tuesday March 1st, 2005 9:21:51 AM
Flea thwacks Two Swords as he passes. The man grunts in pain, but moves on.
Anuk scrambles to grab his bow and get a little payback, but by the time he does, Two Swords is gone.
Jake misses the bugbear, and can only watch in frustration as the creature seemingly escapes.
Gilan watches his entangle spell go nuts. The area of effect is nothing but a twisting, ever moving green mass. Maybe the mage is trapped, and maybe he isn't. There could be a giant rapke trapped in there, and the druid might not know it. Looking about, the large wasp notices the bugbear making a run for it. A quick wiggle brings an electrical bolt down upon it. Just before hitting the bugbear, the lightning bolt (like the flame strike spell) splits, forming a tine of three bolts which strike with a "Kaboom". The bugbear falls by the game trail.
Tishe looks into the trees, seeing nothing. The bison stands near the corpse of the monk. He bends down to get a hunk of grass and chews contendedly.
Mac asks for some clarification. Trellus heals Anuk. Gry gloats over his victory.
Jake looks around for Shady. He doesn't see the young elf. Neither does anybody else.
Situation - bugbear and monk down, Two Swords ran off, mage unknown.
Anuk (AC 21, HP 33 - prayer) d20+11=21 d20+11=29 d20+13=29 Tuesday March 1st, 2005 3:16:07 PM
Anuk's strength returns and his wounds knit as Trellus hits him with another healing spell. "Thanks again, Trellus."
He takes a minute to check in with Flea to make sure she's okay. "Everything shady, Flea? You all right? I...uh...kinda blacked out there for a bit," he says sheepishly.
When the pack realizes that Shady is gone, Anuk immediately begins to look for the elf's trail. If he finds anything, he brings it to everyone's attention.
Listen 21 Spot 29 Survival (track) 29
(added +1 to all rolls due to prayer spell)
Gilan(HP: 57/57 ; AC: 18) [prayer] Tuesday March 1st, 2005 5:12:43 PM
Gilan flies over and lands by Trellus as he changes back into his human form. He looks to the great writhing wall of vegetation and shakes his head. "Err...yeah, that was me...but as to what is going on..." He just shrugs at the unknown effects of his spells and lets out a breathe. "That is strange and I am just glad that it did not get anyone else."
Glancing around to see what the others are doing he shakes his head again. "Did you see my lightning and flamestrike...it split into three separate bolts." He purses his lips and shudders as he knows that something is amiss. "You think the mage is in that mess somewhere?" He looks again to the wall of vegetation and laughs lightly, though it is forced.
[call lightning: 6min 20sec, Ref DC 18 for half, 6/7bolts, 8 damage] [entangle: 6min 40sec, Str DC 20 or Escape Artist DC 20 to break free, Ref DC 18 or be caught, can move half speed if successful]
Flea d20+12=16 d20+8=23 d20+10=22 Tuesday March 1st, 2005 6:37:04 PM
Flea sticks her hammer through her belt, then answers her friend, "I'm okay 'Nuk. You?"
Looking around (Search=16, Spot=23) she tries to locate the party's ward. "Last time I saw Shady, he was playing with some pine cones. In some sort of a trance, it seemed," she volunteers, a worried look on her face.
Cupping her hands to her mouth, she calls out, "Shaaaa-deeee, oh, Shaaaa-dee!" Then listens (Listen=22) for a response.
Grymash Tuesday March 1st, 2005 7:37:58 PM
The half-orc continues to gloat. "Yeah Piggie! Dat whut ya git when ya mess wit da Bloodpack. Stupid, Stupid Piggie. Yooz grass is mine now, Piggie! Gry's an Gargul's!" He spits on her pieces parts and turns to face the pack. "Is pack ok? Weez show thems who da beaters are!!"
Trellus Tuesday March 1st, 2005 9:03:00 PM
The cleric looks from Gilan to the crazy plant growth. "Light, Gilan," he responds with a wry chuckle. "Half of Rattledam could be in there."
Trellus joins in the general hunt for Shady, but not before reminding Flea to come back afterwards and check out the lady and bugbear for goodies.
Tishe' (AC 16, HP 37/37) - Sub/Al Tuesday March 1st, 2005 9:30:11 PM
Tishe' stalks toward the bison and looks up into the cow eyes with her fists planted on hips.
"A lot of help you are." With a wave of her hand, she dismisses the celestial animal. "Go home. You did well. For a while."
Then, scratching her head, she looks around and calls out to her fellow druid. "What do you make of this?"
Jake d100=24 d100=7 d100=11 d100=77 d100=62 d100=38 d100=93 d100=30 d100=67 Wednesday March 2nd, 2005 1:47:23 AM
Jake stares off into space for a good while, seeming thoughtful. Then he looks to the others. "Hey guys, Shady's gone!" He tells them...though they've just noticed (in fact, he almost says this simultaneously with Flea's calling for the kid). He scratches his head. "So, we won pretty good there, didn't we? Ah took care of that ---" He pauses,... "---ugly guy pretty easily. Could use a little toucha---" He stops, mid-sentence, then continues after a bit, "---healing from you, Trellus."
Mac Wednesday March 2nd, 2005 7:38:22 AM
The taur shakes his head, removes his backpack and checks on Galea
Nice pinecone (DM MikeK) Wednesday March 2nd, 2005 9:54:13 AM
The Bloodpack goes about tying up some loose ends.
Mac checks on Galea, and finds the kitten is purring contently in his pack. Tishe dismisses the bison. Trellus heals Anuk. Gry gloats. Gilan wonders what happened with his spells.
Jake is acting kinda weird.
Eventually, everyone goes on a Shady hunt. After a few minutes of searching, during which Jake alternates between actively participating and just standing there, they find the boy. He is still sitting by his tree, having never charged forward with the rest of the group. It looks like Shady has been very busy playing in the dirt. For a good ten feet all around him, the collared elf has been placing objects in a row of three - three rocks, three pinecones, three flowers, three piles of squirrel poop -- repeated seemingly endlessly around the forest floor. As the group approaches, Shady looks up somewhat blankly and again spouts a phrase in that sing song language he used once before.
Gilan swears he just said "Don't forget your coat," in Sylvan.
Shady's eyes regain their focus, and he looks around in some confusion at his handiwork before looking at Jake quizzically. (In elfin) "What is happening here?".
A check of the bugbear and monk reveals the following gear:
Monk -- 350gp, 8 potions and a curious necklace with 3 pearl like balls attached to it. The balls appear to be detachable. On the monk's arm is a tattoo of strange looking symbol. [Knowledge (History) DC 15 to id as High Woldian] [Spellcraft DC 18 to id as Brahmah Tattoo]
Bugbear -- 275 gp, leather armor, an exceptionally well made pair of soft boots, an exceptionally well made cloak, a morningstar, a ring, and 3 potions
Tishe' - Sub/Al d20+13=20 Wednesday March 2nd, 2005 4:52:05 PM
"Sweetie, you've been playing triplicate out under this tree while we've been fighting and *you* ask what's going on?"
Tishe' just shrugs and walks over to where the bugbear and the monk are being examined. She casts Detect Magic and plays the cone over everything, reading their auras. (Spellcraft 20)
Raising an eye at the markings on the Monk's arm. "That tattoo," she says, "is divine magic."
Gilan(HP: 57/57 ; AC: 18) [prayer] d20+2=4 Wednesday March 2nd, 2005 7:13:41 PM
Gilan looks to the settling of three that are set out before the group and shakes his head. "An omen...like the one that he spoke earlier." He tries his best to think of what this could mean but is distracted by Shady's next words.
He runs them over in his head a few times to make sure that he got them right. "Don't forget your coat?" He looks to the rest of the group and shrugs as he thinks again. "That was sylvan again and I would say that we are going someplace cold." He looks to Shady and holds out his hand to help him up. Speaking in elven he smiles to Shady. "Come on Shady...we may need to move on along and I hope you were having fun." His smile broadens as he wishes that he could go back to those times and just have some fun and not worry about life and death.
[call lightning: 6min 10sec, Ref DC 18 for half, 6/7bolts, 8 damage] [entangle: 6min 30sec, Str DC 20 or Escape Artist DC 20 to break free, Ref DC 18 or be caught, can move half speed if successful]
Trellus Wednesday March 2nd, 2005 10:18:23 PM
Trellus' eyes watch Jake play Red Light-Green Light for a while, then briefly scan Shady's nature display, flick over to Gilan, and then take in the warm spring day enveloping the forest.
"Dude," he sighs in exasperation, "None of that makes any sense at all."
In an attempt to grasp something a tad more tangible, the cleric walks up to Tishe'. He silently watches her examination of the hard won equipment, waiting for her verdict.
Flea d20+12=24 d20+8=17 d20+9=20 d20+2=21 Wednesday March 2nd, 2005 10:21:54 PM
When Gilan translates for the boy, Flea moves in front of the elf, and reaches her hands up to grab his tunic as best she can. "And don't you forget to bring my cloak!" she admonishes. Letting go of the lad, she wraps the Cloak of Comfort more tightly around him, and then smiles, hoping she didn't scare him, but also hoping that he takes good care of her stuff.
Satisfied that she got her message across, Flea follows Tishe' over to inspect the bodies of the fallen. (Search=24, Spot=17). She casts an appraising eye (Appraise=20) over the gear and other items. The rogue pays special attention to the cloak and boots on the bugbear, comparing them to her own Boots of Speed and Cloak of Comfort.
These might fit Grymash, and if they're anything like mine... she smiles at the thought.
"I could sniff the potions, and maybe taste them," she volunteers looking up at Tishe', "but lets see if there are any labels first."
(OOC: Flea is familiar with Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Gnome, and Orc. She has +2 Alchemy, and I rolled 21. She will sniff one of the 3 potions from the bugbear, if there are no labels.)
Jake d100=94 d100=29 d100=55 d100=11 d100=73 Wednesday March 2nd, 2005 11:47:28 PM
"Ah'm not wearing any of that 'till if'n we get 'em washed, y'know? Smells like cow ta me." Jake shakes his head at the corpse of the bugbear, then looks to the others. He shakes his head at the elven boy, amused. (elven) "Whatcha got there, a game, Shady?" Then...he stops again, staring at nothing for a good little bit. After a bit, he glances around. "Say, uh, guys, is something weird going on?" Jake, by the way, has no gear for cold weather whatsoever, a fact that he's complained about these last few nights as they get into a more temperate area. It's okay as long as one has a nice blanket wrapped around one, but Jake hardly has anything like that. He walks over to the body of one of the guys and midway halts for a good while. Then he continues as though nothing happened and examines the body, curiously.
Anuk Thursday March 3rd, 2005 12:24:25 AM
While everyone starts looking in on Shady and the fresh corpses, Anuk takes a moment to rest.
He smiles as he watches the activity of his friends, and he reflects on how many times his packmates have nearly died recently.
Nearly? he thinks. He realizes that one of them did die. Mac has been to the underworld and back.
Determining to make good on his promise to get to know Mac better, he approaches the minotaur during a quiet moment.
"Say, Mac...tell me a little about that weapon of yours," he says with a grin.
Mac Thursday March 3rd, 2005 7:53:06 AM
The taur lightly scratches at the kitten's tummy, and the stretch and purr is a good sign. He drops the flap of the pack back over lightly for shade for Galea. In response to Anuk's question he takes a knee and brings the large greataxe around to show. "It's my greet-grandfather's axe. There are more stories about where it came from than I could possible remember. Now, you would be hard pressed to find 24lbs of adamantine from head to haft. One side is covered in etchings and knotwork and the plain side is mine to fill..."
Treasure Hunting (DM MikeK) Thursday March 3rd, 2005 11:44:41 AM
Back at the assembled loot, Tishe casts a spell and inspects the pieces. There's a lot of magic:
2 potions w/ grey stopper -- Faint Divination potion w/ dark green stopper -- Faint Transmutation 3 potions w/ blue stopper - Moderate Conjuration potion w/ black stopper -- Faint Abjuration potion w/ light green stopper -- Faint Transmutation potion w/ red stopper -- Faint Illusion Necklace -- Faint Transmutaion
Flea does some comparison shopping, and finds that neither the cloak nor the boots resemble items currently owned by the Pack. None of the potions are labeled. They are color coded with different colored stoppers. She tries out one of the blue stoppered potions from the bugbear. It is a clear blue liquid with an odor and taste reminiscent of almond. The rogue knows these are the characteristics of healing potions.
Shady can't remember making any of the pine cone arrangements, and is seriously confused by the whole thing. He wordlessly allows himself to be wrapped up by Flea, and led off by Gilan. The collared elf can't take his eyes of the antics of Jake.
The Bloodpack fighter is acting very oddly. He's fine for a minute or so, then just stops for a minute or so, then continues on with whatever he was doing as if the intervening empty time never occurred.
Tishe' - Sub/Al Thursday March 3rd, 2005 4:01:17 PM
Tishe' describes her findings to the others.
"The armor and the morningstar are obvious. But it will be difficult to have an exact idea of what they do unless we have them identified."
"Then," she smiles at the others, "there's always the direct approach."
Taking up the cloak, she throws it over her shoulders. "Hope it isn't cursed." Illusion, hmmm. She wills herself displaced.
Flea d20+2=21 d20+2=13 d20+2=5 d20+2=3 d20+2=16 d20+2=19 d20+2=14 Thursday March 3rd, 2005 5:54:12 PM
Hunkering down over the potions, Flea lets her curiousity get the better of her. "These ones are for Curing she calls, waving the blue stoppered vials around with a big grin." Setting those ones aside, she picks up the white stoppered one. Carefully removing the stopper she sniffs at it, then dips a finger in and tastes it. The gnome will call out her findings (smell, taste, Alchemy Check=21) in case someone else might be able to identify them.
She will continue with her experimentation to learn as much as she can about the various potions, assuming that if the enemy were prepared to consume them, they likely had some benefit.
The rogue is so engrossed with her task, she is oblivious to Jake's strange behavior.
Grymash Thursday March 3rd, 2005 6:03:10 PM "Ohhh, boots! Yeah, theze boots of Gry's are gettin' worn down," in response to Flea's statement. "Do ya knows whut all dis stuff be magiked or whut?"
Grymash looks down at all the stuff the girl had on and is a little reluctant to touch it. He isnt sure if she was a real girl or a victim of gender bending magic.
Gilan(HP: 57/57 ; AC: 18) [prayer] d20+7=25 d20+7=16 Thursday March 3rd, 2005 7:59:57 PM
Gilan wanders over to stand by Tishe' and Trellus as the look over the treasure. "Well...got anything good there?" He smiles as he looks to Shady and shakes his head. Contemplating what was said by Shady he makes a decision to get some endure elements spells for the next few days.
Looking around at the rest of the group he notices Jake and wrinkles his brow, he nudges Trellus. "I think we may have a problem with Jake...he pauses for a few seconds once in awhile, but does not seem to remember it." Looking to Trellus again he makes another suggestion. "I think Tishe' should have a few of my identify scrolls left...you think we should try?"
[listen 25 and spot 16]
[call lightning: 6min 00sec, Ref DC 18 for half, 6/7bolts, 8 damage] [entangle: 6min 20sec, Str DC 20 or Escape Artist DC 20 to break free, Ref DC 18 or be caught, can move half speed if successful]
Jake d100=35 d100=12 d100=77 d100=79 Friday March 4th, 2005 1:15:22 AM
Jake doesn't seem to take offense at Gilan's comment...instead, he stares fixedly at the corpse for a bit. Then he looks over the treasure. "Dang, we've scored out again. Ah should probably refrain from accepting any treasure...ah'm just about broke after that last trip to them cat combs. Uh...Tishe, ya shouldn't try on magic items. Ah mean, Grimmy can tell y'all why."
Trellus Friday March 4th, 2005 9:41:48 AM
"Let's see if we can figure some out, and then we can go to the Identify spells," Trellus answers Gilan.
Observing Jake, the cleric nods at the druid's words. Something is sunbaked with his friend.
He approaches the fighter. "Dude, you shady?" he asks. "You're acting pretty bright with this starting and stopping pick. Anything happen in the fight?
How 'bout you remove all you magic stuff so I can check you out?"
What's This Stuff? (DM MikeK) Friday March 4th, 2005 10:12:04 AM
Tishe throws on the cloak, and mentally tries to displace herself. Nothing seems to happen, although those watching her notice she seems to blend into the surroundings more than without the cloak.
Flea checks out all the potions, calling out their characteristics. [Gry -- Int check 10 to remember the characteristics of the potion with the dark green stopper match the Haste potion currently in his possession]
None of the other potions are familiar to any of the Bloodpack.
Stopper Color - Clear/Opaque - Color - Odor - Taste - Feel Red - Cloudy - Yellow - Peach - Peach - None Light Green - Opaque - White - None - None - Floating Sensation Dark Green - Clear - Orange -Orange - Orange - Tingling in arms and legs White - Clear - Clear - Lemon - Lemon - Tingling in feet Black - Opaque - Yellow - None - None - Lightness of body Grey - Opaque - Yellow -Ginger - Bitter(slight) - Dry Mouth
Gry thinks about putting on the boots. Past experience makes him reluctant.
Trellus and Gilan discuss Jake.
Shady watches curiously as the group messes with the equipment. The elf bends down, picks up the ring, and tries to mimic what Tishe is doing.
Mac (would be an illegal second post if the first one had appeared!) Friday March 4th, 2005 10:17:17 PM
Mac continues to talk about the axe and his family with Anuk whilst assisting with the trial and error identification of the items.
Tishe' - Sub/Al d20+13=31 d20+13=20 d20+13=32 d20+13=25 d20+13=22 d20+13=27 Saturday March 5th, 2005 9:16:06 AM
Tishe' glances down at herself. "Well, that's interesting. Flea, Sweetie, this might help you creeping about."
Then the plain and practical woman sets her mind to the potions. Flea's description of the white stoppered potion rings a bell.
"Shady, don't play with that. It may turn you into a woman. Or a cockroach. Or three cockroaches."
Knowledge Arcana to ID the Potions from Flea's descriptions:
31 Red - Cloudy - Yellow - Peach - Peach - None 20 Light Green - Opaque - White - None - None - Floating Sensation 32 Dark Green - Clear - Orange -Orange - Orange - Tingling in arms and legs 25 White - Clear - Clear - Lemon - Lemon - Tingling in feet 22 Black - Opaque - Yellow - None - None - Lightness of body 27 Grey - Opaque - Yellow -Ginger - Bitter(slight) - Dry Mouth
TTYTT, I know what the white stoppered potion is. But that's knowledge from a different character in a different game.
Jake d100=46 d100=92 d100=22 Saturday March 5th, 2005 9:30:03 AM
Jake stares pointedly at Trellus. For a good minute or so. If his young friend moves or waves his hand, the fighter doesn't seem to deviate from staring in the same direction. Then he shakes his head. "Ah feel fine. But if ya want, here." He takes off his ring, an amulet, and his sword, and puts them down. Then, he waits, staring over at Shady for the others to do their thing.
Trellus Saturday March 5th, 2005 11:31:39 AM
Trellus shares a look with Gilan. "The dude is warped," he agrees with the druid. He flashes a quick grin. "I mean, even more so than usual."
With Jake, sometimes its kinda hard to tell.
Once the fighter has removed his magic stuff, Trellus casts a DETECT MAGIC spell and concentrates intently on his friend.
If that comes up empty, he gives Jake a thorough physical. [Take 10 on a Heal check - 18]
Gilan d20+5=8 Sunday March 6th, 2005 1:20:24 AM
Gilan nods to Trellus as he speaks. "Yeah, even for Jake that is odd." He looks over to the others as they continue with the loot. Turning back as Trellus gives Jake a physical he lends a hand as best as he can.
[aid other: check versus 10 to add a +2 to Trellus's Heal check; rolled an 8]
[call lightning: 5min 50sec, Ref DC 18 for half, 6/7bolts, 8 damage] [entangle: 6min 10sec, Str DC 20 or Escape Artist DC 20 to break free, Ref DC 18 or be caught, can move half speed if successful]
Flea Sunday March 6th, 2005 3:35:23 AM
The rogue rubs her nose. All the stange sensations have her feeling a little ill, although she likes the floaty feeling the the white stoppered potion gives her.
"Gry! Mac!" she calls, "you guys have taken potions before. What do you make of these?" Flea repeats her findings.
"Let 'Nuk try the cloak," the answers Tishe. "He might need help hiding more than me."*
*(OOC: Flea has +23 to hide, due in part to +2 Shadow Armor)
Jake Monday March 7th, 2005 1:46:02 AM
"Whatchoo say, Trellus??"
(Try saying that line out loud...)
"Nothing's wrong with me...y'all are acting real weird, tho, like, under a spell or sumfin," jake complains while he's being examined by Trellus. And if he has to go through the further physical examination, he starts yammerin' typical Jakerisms.
OOC - ADM MikeS Monday March 7th, 2005 11:12:20 AM
(Just an update -- MikeK is gone for the week and I'll be DMing in his place for a few days. Unfortunately, due to server problem at my webhost I don't have access to my email this morning and so don't have the notes Mike sent to me. As soon as it's resolved, I'll do the DM post for the day. I'll try to keep to Mike's schedule of at least 24 hours between posts once that happens.
Sorry for the slowdown--I'll post as soon as I'm fully informed :-)
Anuk Monday March 7th, 2005 3:16:11 PM
Anuk listens to Mac, engrossed in the tales of his family and lands. "It must've really been a different place in your land than the Plains. Was it much like this place?" Anuk asks, indicating the forest around him.
At the mention of his name, he looks up at Flea and sees her with the cloak. "Shady idea, Flea...I'd love to use this...thank you," he says, trying it on over his regular garb. "You've always been better'n me at disappearing...maybe this'll help me play a little catchup," he says with a smile.
ADM MikeS Monday March 7th, 2005 3:35:32 PM
While Mac and Anuk talk, Gilan and Trellus look over Jake. Trellus' binds Jake's wounds and the fighter seems okay except for his sudden starts and stops. However, Trellus' detect magic spell reveals a strong aura about the half-elf. The poor guy appears to have been cursed.
Tishe' and Flea take a closer look at the goodies leftover from the fight. Tishe' spends several minutes going over the vials, checking them again for color, consistency, and flavor then comparing her results with memories of her training. After a bit, she is certain that she knows what most of them are -- all but two, in fact.
Tishe' identifies the following: Tongues - 2 potions w/ grey stopper CSW - 3 potions w/ blue stopper Non Detection - potion w/ black stopper Displacement - potion w/ red stopper Jump - potion w/ white stopper CMW - 2 potions w/ blue stopper
The identity of the green stoppered potions remains a mystery to her.
While the pack is busy with healings and identifications, the mass of plants brought out by Gilan's entangle spell begins to return to it's normal state. All appears as before, with the exception of a white, flat object lying on the ground in the middle of what had been the spell's area, about 40' away from Tishe' and Flea. It's light color stands out easily against the dark greens and browns of the forest.
Mac d20+2=15 d20+2=6 d20+2=12 d20+2=8 d20+2=16 d20+2=20 d20+2=6 Monday March 7th, 2005 3:36:37 PM
"Aye Flea!" Mac recalls as best he can the potions he has drunk (Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Enlarge Person, Cure Light, Cure Moderate, Fly), and those he is carrying (Cure Serious and two awaiting introduction to the game: Reduce Person and Remove Curse).
[ADM MikeS: For Recalling purposes I've made 7 Int checks for Mac.]
Grymash d20-2=14 Monday March 7th, 2005 7:16:09 PM
(Int check?! Gry?! Ok. 14, woot!)
Grymash looks at the green potion and a spark finally pops in his head. "Hey! Dat magik water looks like dis one!" The barbarian reaches into his belt pouch and pulls out the potion that similar in color and smell. "Dis be uh Make Swift & Speedy magik water. Gry thinks dat be da same. Takes a look, Flea."
Then Grymash gets up the courage to try on the boots. He clicks them together and tries several command words. "Make Gry speedy! Run! Shady fast! Flea, whut be da magik words ta get these boots ta workin'?" The half-orc takes a few strides around the pack to see if he's any faster.
Trellus (Subbed by Mikey) Monday March 7th, 2005 7:53:54 PM
"Looks like a good haul. Pack, Jake seems a little warped under the sun. If we continue, he'll just slow us down. It might go away, but I think I might have a spell for getting rid of it... Perhaps we should stop for the night and try to get rid of the magic in the morning." The bloodpack's leader looks to his fellows for confirmation, then eyes the bodies. "Perhaps not *here*, I mean, but not too far ahead. Next time, Gil, you keep an eye on Shady, we don't want him disappearing in one of those trances again. He could get in trouble."
Jake d100=78 d100=71 d100=87 Monday March 7th, 2005 7:56:20 PM
Jake looks absolutely stricken when finding out he's cursed. His tanned skin goes very pale, and he looks a bit off for a second. "Ah'm not gonna turn into a gal, am ah?" Upon finding out he's not, Jake breathes several sighs of relief. "Well, then, let'sall getta movin'. Hey, Shady," he switches over to elven, and asks the kid if he saw him taking on that bugbear with the mace. He very enthusiastically repeats the fight, trying to get Mac or Gry to take the part of the bugbear...about hafl the time, though, he suddenly freezes in place, mid-swing. Kinda ruins the reinactment.
Flea d20+12=24 d20+8=23 Monday March 7th, 2005 8:32:31 PM
"Shady Gry!" Flea laughs as the great half-orc dances around in the bugbear's boots. "Nah! They're not like my special boots, but Tishe' did say they're magiked." Flea scratches her head, then rubs her nose. "Try jumping around," she finally says.
When she catches sight of the white, flat object lying on the ground, Flea carefully makes her way over to check it out. (Search=24, Spot=23)
Tishe' - Sub/Al d4+1=2 d4+1=3 d4+1=3 Monday March 7th, 2005 8:51:49 PM
"Careful, Flea. We still don't know where that wizard went."
Tishe' follows Flea, though tending to the opposite side. She readies a spell that just may work to break a spellcaster's concentration.
OoC: Ready Magic Missile. Trigger: See the wizard casting a spell. 8hp damage.
Gilan d20+7=10 d20+7=19 Tuesday March 8th, 2005 1:11:26 AM
Gilan nods in understanding. "Great, Jake has a curse." With a slight smile he looks to Jake, staring for a few minutes and shakes his head. "Does he seem to be getting a little bit of a girlish figure there?" He turns to check out what Flea and Tishe' are off to before he totally cracks up.
He will move over to look at the white thing that they are looking at. He does keep his eyes open for others things as well. That wizard is still not accounted for and that does bother him.
Anuk Tuesday March 8th, 2005 3:08:05 PM
Anuk plays with the cloak for a while, trying it on and seeing if anyone else can spot him.
"Seems like a nice cloak...not enough pockets though...hafta fix that. It's got a hood...should be a good way to keep shady in the heat."
ADM MikeS Tuesday March 8th, 2005 3:25:51 PM
Mac looks the remaining potions over and realizes that one of them, the one with the light green stopper, is the same as his Fly potion. Gry's sudden flash of insight correctly identifies the potion of haste in the vial with the dark green stopper.
As Gry moves around the the packmembers, no one notices any improvement in the big guy's speed, but everyone notices that he's not making nearly as much noise as usual. Anuk inspects the new cloak, noticing that it blends well with his surroundings, and Jake is relieved to find out that his curse is not going to turn him into Janet.
While Trellus' makes plans for the pack to move on before making camp, Flea, Tishe' and Gilan move cautiously into the clearing toward the white object. No sign of the absent mage can be detected, but a closer inspection of the object reveals it to be a bleached, flattened piece of bark, about 9 inches square, covered on one side with runes and inscriptions.
Shady, meanwhile, waits patiently for the pack. He hums idly to himself and plays with a small beetle of some kind that has crawled out of the grass and on to his hand. When he tires of that he stands, yawns, and stretches. As he does so, his stomach growls loudly, and he rubs it, a hungry look covering his face.
Gilan d20+7=8 d20+7=10 d20+2=5 Tuesday March 8th, 2005 7:20:29 PM
Gilan looks to Gry and smiles. "You seem to be making less noise Gry and that cloak...I think I have heard of that kind before." He pours through what little he can remember of cloaks with that type of property(int 5), but remembers nothing.
Gilan moves a little close to the white disk and looks at the runes upon it. He tries to read it if it is in a language that he knows. He looks to Tishe' and Flea as they are next to him. "Any ideas what it could say?" He glances around a litte as he motions Trellus over.
Flea Tuesday March 8th, 2005 10:23:58 PM
Flea studies the runes to see if they are a language she knows.*
"Lets push off, and find a good place to make camp," announces the rogue. "Gry, can you find us something to cook up for dinner? I'm almost out of rations." Flea opens up one of her last packages of dried fruits, nuts, and seeds. After taking a handful, she hands the package to the party's young ward.
*Flea knows Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Gnome, and Orc.
Tishe' - Sub/Al d20+10=26 Tuesday March 8th, 2005 10:42:14 PM
"How odd, Gilian," Tishe' studies not only the runes and inscriptions, but the material itself, "written on a piece of *bark*. She gives her fellow druid a significant look.
"Look familiar to you, Flea?" Regardless of the language, it must have a pattern. Tishe' sets her mind to sussing it out. (Decipher Script 26)
Languages: Common, Draconic, High Woldian, Celestial, Druidic
Trellus Wednesday March 9th, 2005 12:38:54 AM
The blond cleric moves up to join the others at the white post. His eyes still infused with the spell, he looks over the pillar for any traces of magic. (Detect magic still up I believe?) If he sees anything, he makes note, trying to stare long enough to identify the school as well. "Strange. The mage could have dropped it...or it could be a trap. Flea, can you check for that sort of thing?"
Jake d100=99 d100=52 Wednesday March 9th, 2005 12:41:08 AM
Jake goes on over to Shady. In elven, he asks the kid, "Hungry, huh? Come along, little bro, we'll get some food in you in a bit. What sort of things do you usually eat, anyways?"
Mac Wednesday March 9th, 2005 7:57:08 AM
Caution to the wind, Mac peers over Tishe' and Flea to see if he recognises the rune.
*Mac knows Common, Minotaur, Tauric, and Dwarven.
Anuk Wednesday March 9th, 2005 4:16:56 PM
Anuk joins everyone standing near the piece of bark. "What is that?" he asks, echoing the question of the moment. He bends down for a closer look to see if he can make out any of the writing.
(languages common, elven)
ADM MikeS Wednesday March 9th, 2005 4:17:27 PM
(OOC: Sorry if my previous description wasn't clear. The white object is not a pillar, but rather a flattened piece of bark, much like a sheet of paper.)
Tishe', Flea, Gilan, Trellus, Anuk, and Mac all gather 'round the white piece of bark, curious as to it's identity. Trellus can tell that this is a magical object - much like a scroll - and Anuk sees that large portions of the inscription are written in Elvish, though he can't make a lot of sense of it.
Tishe' gets down to work studying the writing and after a while she determines that it is a spell allowing someone to be able to see in near darkness, like the elves do (identified scroll of elven sight).
Flea joins Shady, Gry, and Jake. The elf gratefully accepts Flea's offer of a snack, and munches the food greedily. But afterwards he tells Jake that he's still hungry. "Are there more of the delicious fruits the small woman gave to me?" he asks hopefully in Elvish. "If not, could I help you look for some?"
The sun is getting low. It will be night soon.
Grymash d20+8=22 d20+2=4 d20+5=6 Wednesday March 9th, 2005 7:06:56 PM
Becoming aware of the boots magical effects, the barbarian leaves them on, grabs his composite bow and treks off a little ways looking for the packs next meal. He is so concentrated on finding some food, Grymash seems completely oblvious to the rest of the world.
(Survival: 22, Spot: 4, Listen: 6)
Gilan d20+14=21 Wednesday March 9th, 2005 9:32:59 PM
Gilan can make no sense of the writing on the piece of bark. He looks to the rest of the group and just shrugs as he moves off to the side and has a look around. He has the slight feeling that not all is right with nature. His spells from earlier had been amplified or even out of control. With a last shake of his head he steps into the wooded area that surrounds the area to look for berries, nuts and other edibles(survival 21).
Tishe' - Sub/Al Wednesday March 9th, 2005 9:41:11 PM
"It's a spell," Tishe' says. "And as far as I can tell, it allows sight in near darkness. In the same way that elves can. How convenient."
"I'll need to copy this into a spell book at the first opportunity." She reaches out to lift the square of bark, then pulls back at Trellus' warning. "Well yes, Flea. I don't suppose such things just find themselves lying around like this." Tishe' steps back to allow Flea to do her thing.
Flea (AC 19, 41 HP, +2 Trap Sense) d20+12=18 Wednesday March 9th, 2005 10:19:25 PM
Flea starts when Trellus' calls to her to recon the area for traps. The pack had been out in the wilds so long, the rogue's senses for that sort of thing had become dulled.
Gingerly the rogue makes her way around the strange scroll and the area previously enchanted by Tishe'. (Detect Traps=18)
Jake d100=60 d100=50 d100=21 Thursday March 10th, 2005 1:50:34 AM
"Well, if ye're lookin' for more of them things, follow Gil around. That guy knows his slugs from his snails, allright." Then Jake takes a while to just stare in place...
Trellus (Subbed by mikey) Thursday March 10th, 2005 1:51:40 AM
"Hmmm. Who do you think would leave this sort of thing lying about? I mean, it's not the regular sort of thing those guys would be carrying, is it? Well, we won't find out by staying around here. Let's move on a bit, then set up camp. Anuk and Flea are in the lead again."
Mac Thursday March 10th, 2005 8:33:30 AM
Falling back into the more common party moving order, Mac's footfalls return to the beat of the old song he'd sung the night before (Was it only last night!?!).
Anuk d12=8 d20+10=12 d20+10=11 d20+12=16 Thursday March 10th, 2005 10:43:32 AM
As the march begins, Anuk spends a few minutes with Mac, listening to his song. "Nice tune...mind if I join in?"
He opens his mouth to sing, but what comes out could hardly be called singing. To everyone but Anuk it is apparent that he wouldn't know a tune if it came up and bit him. He squawks out a few random notes, oblivious to the aural distress of everyone nearby.
"Hmm...the bass notes are a little low for me, Mac. I'll keep working on it. Maybe tomorrow we could work out a duet?" he suggests.
Soon he joins Flea near the front of the march. "Shady night, eh? I have to say, if we ever get back to the Plains I'm going to miss this kind of weather."
As they march, he keeps an eye out for a suitable campsite for the pack, but the tune from Mac keeps going through his mind, and his continued "humming" keeps him from noticing most of the night sights and noises.
(spot 12, listen 11 (nat 1), survival 16 - d12 roll was a mis-click)
ADM MikeS Thursday March 10th, 2005 11:06:01 AM
(OOC: Since everyone has already responded to yesterday's post, I'm posting a little earlier today. DM MikeK should be back in the saddle tomorrow.)
Gry and Gilan forage for a bit, gathering enough grubs, roots, and other food for the pack's evening meal. When Shady sees the bounty, he smiles broadly, clearly looking forward to a full stomach. Gry is pleased with how quiet his new boots make him. (+2 boots of elven kind)
Flea carefully goes over the bark and it's surrounding area, finally announcing that it seems to be free of danger. Tishe' tentatively reaches for the sheet, and when she picks it up she is relieved to find that nothing out of the ordinary happens. She is able to store it away for adding to her spellbook later.
As the march toward the mountains begins, the pack moves slowly, waiting from time to time for Jake to finish another one of his "pauses". It's also noisy as Anuk tries to add "harmony" to Mac's song. Just as darkness falls, Anuk and Flea tell Trellus they have found a clearing that will provide a suitable campsite for the night.
(Need watch order for the night.)
Tishe' - Sub/Al Thursday March 10th, 2005 3:52:25 PM
A quiet camp after a day's march.
Tishe' removes the white bark from her pack and settles on a soft piece of ground to study the spell. After a cursory review of the spell as a whole, she explores each stanza, it's meaning within the whole, how it adds to the whole, how it weaves with the whole.
Later would come a study of each individual word in much the same way. And then, even later, a study of the spell's place within the universal play of arcane forces.
When Tishe' lifts her head from the bark the light is low. Her eyes burn with fatigue. And a familiar ache rests at the back of her neck.
"If you don't mind," Tishe' yawns and stretches, "I'll rest now and take last watch in the morning."
Mac d20+5=17 d20+1=6 Thursday March 10th, 2005 7:07:19 PM
Mac speaks up, "Okay, how 'bout the reverse watch to last time: Anuk an' Flea, Gry an' Gilan, Jake an' Trellus, and Tishe an' m'self?"
The taur ensures Galea is fed and tended to, getting in some play and pounce time, which everyone is welcome to join in on.
[Spot:17, Listen:6]
Gilan d20+7=17 d20+7=21 Thursday March 10th, 2005 8:17:28 PM
Gilan is happy with his bounty that he found and pulls out the old red sash that he got in a trade during the last Giving Day. He packs away part of the goodies in it and hands it to Shady, as he speaks in elvish to him. "Eat a little as you go if you are hungry...but I will need that sash back when it is empty." He smiles to the elf kid and moves out with the group.
When they finally reach the area that is indicated for sleep he smiles and sets up his own stuff for the night. "That watch sounds ok to me...you don't mind standing a watch with me do you Gry?" He snacks on some of the nuts and berries that he found earlier, adding in a little bread and water.
Anuk d20+10=20 d20+10=14 d3=3 Thursday March 10th, 2005 11:19:01 PM
"Sound good to me, Mac. I'm still feelin' awake, so first watch suits me fine."
Anuk eats from Gilan and Gry's catch, finding the sweet berries of this land to be quite tasty. "Hey, Jake...think we ought to pack some of these away? Might taste good mixed in with a little Glass Grass back home."
When it's time for his watch with Flea, Anuk settles in to a comfortable spot where he can see just outside the firelight. "That was nice, giving Shady some of your food," he tells the gnome. "You've got a good heart, Flea."
If things get a little boring during the watch, Anuk plays a game of "Rock, Scroll, Knife" with Flea to pass the time. "Rock breaks knife, knife cuts scroll, and scroll wraps rock." He tells her. He counts to three with her and then displays his pointer finger. "Knife!" he calls out.
(rock = 1, scroll=2, and knife=3 on a d3. I got a three :-)
(Listen 20, Spot 14)
Trellus (Subbed by Mikey) Friday March 11th, 2005 1:11:48 AM
"Sounds like a good idea to me. A bit of variety never hurt anyone. Someone make sure Shady knows not to wander off, especially." The sandy haired cleric goes about preparing himself for sleep and his devotions.
Jake Friday March 11th, 2005 1:13:37 AM
Jake eyes the berries. "Yeah, they're good...a bit sweet... ah dunno, wine takes those special grapes we got once in a while from traders, y'know? But let's try 'em a little..." Jake doesn't know...not much can beat glass grass, in his opinion. He goes on watch, letting Shady know about not to wander and all the rules, and the dangers of getting away from camp.
Flea d20+10=21 d20+12=24 d20+8=19 Friday March 11th, 2005 4:01:00 AM
During the watch, Flea wonders about the folks that got away. She keeps her eyes and ears open for anything unusual. But is glad to turn in when her shift is over. It has been a long day.
Listen=21 Search=24 Spot=19
Dawn (DM MikeK) Friday March 11th, 2005 6:02:12 PM
The party beds down. The weather is brisk. The sky is clear. It is obvious the group will be climbing into higher and colder elevations tomorrow. Pine scents waft silently down from tall conifers, and a peaceful darkness slides over the camp. Out in the woods, a soft "whoo, whoo" calls out. Otherwise, all is calm and peaceful. It is a quiet, content feeling, and the Bloodpack cannot help but feel they've done a good job this day.
The dual moons that hang over the Wold seem particularly bright. It is easy to imagine them as two eyes of a giant, smiling, benevolent face.
Morning creeps up on the heroes, the night having passed undisturbed.
Shady wakes up, and immediately his hand goes to the cruel collar that still encircles his neck.
During their devotions, both Gilan and Trellus find another spell offered to them. Interestingly, it is the same one Tishe found on the bark. Tishe, Gilan, Trellus: Elf Vision -- Highlight to display spoiler: { Elven Vision
Transmutation Level: Cleric 1, Druid 1, Bard 1, Sorcerer/Wizard 1, Witch 1 Components: V,S,F Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 10 min/level Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) Spell Resistance: Yes
The spell grants the spellcaster elven sight. The caster gains low light vision. In addition, he receives a +2 bonus to Spot and Search, and can automatically check for secret doors when he passes within 5 feet of one. These bonuses are similar to the elven ability and does not stack with natural elven sight. }
Gilan d20+7=23 d20+7=24 Friday March 11th, 2005 7:46:17 PM
Gilan is up early for his morning devotions to Mother Wold. He is surprised to find that a new spell has been opened to him by the powers of nature.
As he goes about his normal morning he takes time to get a bite to eat and try to figure out this turn of events. "A new spell...hmmmm." He cannot believe it really. After all how long has it been since any druid recieved a new spell.
[listen 23 and spot 24]
Spells Memorized 0th(6): 1st(6): 2nd(5): 3rd(3): 4th(2): * used spell
Grymash d20+8=24 d20+6=12 d20+6=12 d20+6=24 d20+6=9 Saturday March 12th, 2005 5:12:56 PM
During the nite, Grymash replies to Gilan, "Why yooz think Gry not like sitin' up wit ya? Yooz Gry's shady buddy." Grymash gives Gilan a playful push on his shoulder.
In the morning, Grymash gets up before most of his pack and goes out looking for some fresh eggs. He hasnt seen any of the sightless birds from the Sargrass in this land, but he figures the birds that are here have tasty eggs as well.
(Survival: 24, Climb: 12, 12, 24, 9. If necessary, to climb trees.)
Tishe' - Sub/Al Saturday March 12th, 2005 7:57:53 PM
Tishe' wakens to the monochrome world of the false dawn and sits in watch with Mac.
This forest. Such a different world. She can feel it even through the darkness. Many a prayer to the Wold come to mind as Tishe' sits through her watch.
And, when the dawn comes. There is study. Tishe's nose is in her spell book even as she breaks her fast.
Day's Spells
Divine Spells:(DC 10+1+lvl) (bonus spells (1-1st) Orisons (3): Resistance, Resistance, Guidance 1st Level (1+1): Produce Flame, Faerie Fire
Anuk Sunday March 13th, 2005 5:19:54 PM
After the uneventful watch with Flea, Anuk falls quickly into a deep sleep. He wakes in the morning slowly and comfortably, lazily drifting into the day.
"Amazing how cool the mornings are here, isn't it," he tells Gilan while eating the delicious eggs Gry brings back. "It's like swimming in Rattledam pool without getting wet."
When he finds a few minutes to himself, he spends a little time in meditation, preparing for whatever the day may bring.
(prepares entangle)
Mac Sunday March 13th, 2005 7:47:15 PM
The taur completes his watch, but remains still and silent watching the dawn... until Galea gets up and goes for a short walk to do what kittens have to do of a morning. "Are we going up into snow lands, Shady?" he asks, aware that most of the pack aren't familiar with snow that stays around, and that his own clothing isn't suited to it.
Jake Sunday March 13th, 2005 10:53:45 PM
Jake is still a bit off in the morning... (That's a weird question, but, when he sleeps, does he sleep in the times when the curse activates? Luckily, he isn't a wizard, so he won't be fatigued by it...) He probably wasn't good at keeping watch either. And when snow is mentioned, he either doesn't display an action or he's still paralyzed... "Uh...what is snow?" he asks, trying not to look too dumb. "It's like..ice stuff, right? Only not as hard?" He doesn't have any snow or winter clothes, and really not much knowledge at all that will help them in this case...
Trellus (Subbed by Mikey) Sunday March 13th, 2005 11:02:00 PM
In the morning, observing that Jake is still within the effects of that strange spell, Trellus goes about preparing a different spell than usual. After that, he goes over to explain to the pack's joker about what he's about to do, but seeing Jake paralyzed, he just goes ahead and casts 'Remove Curse'. he waits to see what the reaction will be. Afterwards, he gets the pack together and assumes the same marching order as usual. (I assume, btw, that's Flea or Anuk in the front of the group, then the group itself, which will probably be Mac and Gry in the front, Trellus and Tishe next rank, Jake and Shady following, and Gilan and Flea/Anuk (whoever isn't guiding at the time) in the back. If anyone wants to change anything, suggest it in the next post and make it so. We're probably not all clumped together, but comfortably following each other, a la fellowship of the ring scene).
"Let's keep a sharp lookout on the sky, for that one who escaped, and any other weird pieces of bark..."
Flea d20+10=25 d20+12=22 d20+8=9 Monday March 14th, 2005 9:00:02 AM
Flea is slow moving the next morning. The combats, long hikes, and strange foods area wearing a bit on the gnome and she wakes up grumpy. After breakfast, she packs up camp along with the pack. When talk turns to the weather and concerns over the cold, she glances at Shady and the cloak he is wearing. "That cloak will keep the wearer comfortable in all weather conditions, so we don't have to worry about Shady," volunteers Flea as she buttons her leather jacket up to her neck.
Listen=25 Search=22 Spot=9
The Falls (DM MikeK) Monday March 14th, 2005 1:19:02 PM
Morning dawns, bright and clear. It promises to be another glorious day.
Trellus, Gilan, Anuk, and Tishe go about preparing their morning spells.
Mac asks Shady about snow, generating some confusion among the Rattledam contingent. The young elf looks at him in confusion until Jake translates the question into Elven. Absently fingering his collar, Shady thinks for several long moments before shaking his head. "No, its not that cold" he tells the elven fighter. Trellus, Jake, Grymash, Gilan, and Tishe' have no clue. Flea and Anuk will have to decide whether they have any experience with colder climates or not.
Figuring there's gotta be some eggs around somewhere, Grymash purposefully meanders through the area. It occurs to the half orc that perhaps eggs could be found in the tall trees. He scurries up a couple and finds his guess to be correct. The long branches are not as strong as a good rope, but Gry is able to collect quite a few multicolored treasures. Gry -- Int check DC 12 to avoid climbing too far out on a branch that can't support his weight. Failure means an ignoble trip to the forest floor -- d6 damage
Regardless of how they are acquired, eggs are yummy.
After breakfast, Trellus casts a Remove Curse on Jake. The elf stops exhibiting his peculiar behavior, and is back to normal.
Gear is packed, and the Bloodpack starts up the mountain trail. As Shady predicted, the weather doesn't change much (call it high 60's -- uh Fahrenheit ). About mid-morning, the party finds themselves next to a swift moving mountain stream. A few hours later, they come upon a sight none have seen before. The woods stops at the base of a granite wall, soaring upwards some 150'. Water careens off the top of the precipice, falling downward in a solid stream, and splashing in a continuous roar into a small clear lake at the group's feet.
Shady points to the top of the waterfall. "That way," he says.
The granite wall is not completely sheer. Flea's sharp eyes can pick out abundant handholds. However, there is no convenient ledge to rest upon. A climber is going to have to go all the way up before s/he reaches safety. (Climb DC 17)
Trellus Monday March 14th, 2005 4:11:07 PM
Trellus grins at Jake as his friend walks around for several minutes without that annoying stopping. "Shady," he notes to no one in particular.
While walking with the group, he muses on the unusual addition of a new spell Domi offered him. He never had just one additional offered before, and this one didn't seem all that great. "Why would He want me to see like an elf?" he muses aloud.
The waterfall is totally shady. "Light," the cleric breathes in admiration.
Looking at Shady for confirmation that the Pack has got to scale that thing reminds Trellus of the collar.
"Flea, can you check that thing out?" he asks while waving at the cliff. "I need an hour or so to ask Domi about taking off Shady's collar."
With that, the young man pulls out his holy symbol, finds a quiet place, and starts casting his spell [Divination]. The Pack may recall that last time he did this, it took a while.
Tishe' - Sub/Al Monday March 14th, 2005 5:00:49 PM
Tishe' approaches the towering fall of water. So much water that it roars like thunder. So much water that it throws itself up into the air. The water fills the air. How long had it been since she'd seen such abundance? A touch to her face reveals a dampness not entirely from the mist of the falls.
Wiping her face with the cloth of her sleeves, Tishe' turns back to her companions.
"Do we have enough rope?" she asks? "If we do, I might be able to conjure a friend willing to fly one or two up to the top of this cliff. From there, they could fasten the rope and drop it down."
Gilan d20+7=19 d20+7=26 Monday March 14th, 2005 8:42:44 PM
Gilan takes his time to look over the waterfall as they stop. It is breathe taking and a marvel of nature. He silently thanks Mother Wold for this gift and then looking up at the higest part that Shady says they need to climb. "I can get up there easily and I have one spider climb spell as well."
He waits to see what the rest of the pack has to say. He nods as rope is mentioned. "I have fifty feet of it myself." Looking to Trell he waits for him to find out something for the collar problem.
Grymash d20-2=-1 d6=6 Tuesday March 15th, 2005 12:16:21 AM
(Int check?! Oh, ok. -1. sigh!)
CRACK!
"Uh oh!"
SNAP!
"AAUUUGGHHH!!!"
THWACCKK!
"UUUUFFF!!"
WHAACCKK!
"DOOHHH!!!"
THUUDD!!
"auuurrggghhh!"
Grymash lays motionless on the ground, still holding onto the branch he was on. He tries is best to fill his lungs with air. At least enough to say, "Gryy ... gotss, uhh, breakfast!" Later he ponders if that is how the first meal of the day got its name.
(6 points damage)
Jake Tuesday March 15th, 2005 6:31:02 AM
It takes a while for the fighter to realize that the magic's gone. He keeps expecting it to suddenly reemerge, and to notice things are different again. Suddenly, Grymash falls down...the first thign is panic, as Jake rushes over to the half-orc, but then, two steps later, as the half-orc begins to groan, he starts chuckling. He doesn't say anything at first, but the ribbing begins over breakfast. "Ah don't wanna *egg* y'all on, Grymash, ah was wonderin' 'bout our *trip* so far, if ya enjoyed our little *break* from Rattledam. Ah mean, we haven't *fallen* outta favor, and ah don't wanna *branch* off here, what with yer *wooden* disposition, it's sometimes takes a bit of a knock ta get anythin' outta ya." A while later, having mentioned all the other puns he can, Jake is ready to go over to the waterfall. It is perhaps the most beautiful thing he's seen outside of Rattledam, and he can't help but wander up to it and stick out his hat in it...watch the play of water over it, mesmerized...
Flea d20=16 d20=15 d20=18 d20=1 Tuesday March 15th, 2005 9:05:31 AM
"Sure thing!" answers Flea in response to Trellus' request, "I'll be down in a bit."
Flea drops her pack at the base of the granite wall and takes a few steps back. After a cursory examination of the surface, she is satisfied there are sufficient handholds for her needs. After a few stretches to warm her muscles, the gnome climbs about 10 ft. up, then jumps down.
Climb=16 plus modified Jump=15 plus modifier
Grymash's recent attempt at tree climbing still fresh in her mind, the rogue returns to her pack to report. "I suggest we plan this one out very carefully and use all our resources to get up to the top. It's not as easy as it looks.
The rogue returns to an examination of the rock wall to see if there is any other way up.
Search=18 plus modified Spot=nat 1
(OOC: Doh! Posting from work and don't have my PC sheet. DM, please be so kind as to add Flea's modifiers?!?!)
Anuk d20+8=17 Tuesday March 15th, 2005 11:01:43 AM
The falls are awe-inspiring. Anuk stares upward into the heavens, trying to get a clear view of the top of the cliff. The edge of the cliff, outlined by sky, gives him a sense of vertigo and he looks down to the ground again.
"Should be a fun climb," he mumbles. At Tishe's suggestion, Anuk pulls off his pack and begins fumbling through it, sorthing through the bits and pieces he's collected during the pack's adventures. Finally, he brings up a length of rope. "Here's another fifty feet," he says. "Looks like we'll need a couple more of these."
He digs back into his pack and comes up with a small kit containing bandages and a few ointments. He gets up and walks over to Grymash. "Thanks for breakfast, Gry," he says has he works to patch up a few of the half-orc's battle-wo--uh, breakfast wounds.
(heal 17)
Tishe' (Second Post)(SteveK) Tuesday March 15th, 2005 1:25:17 PM
While her pack moves in thier various directions, the small woman stares in rapt amazement at the cascading water from the stone far above. She finds herself surprisingly standing next to the quiet ranger.
"It is like the Hook River coming straight down." And perhaps a minute later, "By Mother Wold, the beautiful power of it all!" She barely breathes taking it all in.
Divination (DM MikeK) Tuesday March 15th, 2005 4:45:50 PM 50 xp to Grymash for making the DM bust out laughing at work.
While some of the group prepare for the climb ahead, and others simply admire the incredible view, Trellus prays to Domi for guidance. The last time the cleric cast this spell, he sat quietly for nearly an hour before telling everyone the answer. This time is quite different.
In only a few moments, the young man stands bolt upright. His arms are pinned to his side, his fists are clenched tightly, and he blankly stares upward. He speaks, loudly, but in a voice not his own -- a voice deep and powerful and old, very old.
Tooth and claw confined by band Will not turn on freedom's hand
Three will merge into one ring Nature rises to greet the king
Guard the portal in icy rift The children find the wedding gift
As the echoes fade from these last words, the waterfall stops. It looks almost as if the water is suffering from Jake's curse, as an arc of unmoving crystal descends to the quiet lake. [Mac will recognize that its frozen over]
Trellus' eyes snap awake. His spell is over.
After five minutes, the ice shatters, and the waterfall resumes.
Gilan d20+7=22 d20+7=23 Tuesday March 15th, 2005 8:23:14 PM
Gilan looks to Trell as he starts talking in an voice not his own. He takes a step close so that he can get a good listen to what is said. He looks around at the others and shakes his head. "Seems that we are getting into something big." He waits for Trell to finish and then moves over to stand near him.
"Well Trell, from what you said I think that we can let Shady go." He looks to Shady and nods his head in his direction, then speaks in elvish. "I am sorry for pressing to keep you in that collar Shady...please forgive me." He gives a bow to Shady as he waits to see what the others will do.
Grymash d20-2=6 d20+2=13 Wednesday March 16th, 2005 12:45:52 AM
Grymash's head hurts. A familiar feeling. Happens way too often. It aggrivates the half-orc to no end. He finally gets up and spits at the tree for dropping him. His first inclination is to take his axe the chop the darn thing down. He quickly grabs his axe to do so. But a sudden dizziness holds him back. "The tree will probably only fall on me anyway," and the idea of the added pain just doesnt sound too appealing. It's just a stupid tree after all!
Jake's attempt at humor is completely lost on the barbarian. He doesn't get it (Int check 6). Grymash feels better after a little patching up and the prize of eggs for breakfast. They taste differently from the ones back home, but they're still good!
Later down the trail and at the base of the big rocky mountain, Grymash takes in the size and scope of everything. When the waterfall freezes, Gry doesn't know what to think. "Whut happen ta da fallin' water?! Water be hard like rock?! Whut magik be dis?" The whole event sets off alarms with Grymash. His eyes dart all about trying to find the source of the disturbance.
(Spot 13)
Jake Wednesday March 16th, 2005 2:49:31 AM
Having been watching and playing with the water, Jake is shocked when suddenly, the water does that weird hard thing right over his hat! He tugs it, gently, and then the spell ends and he's tugging it again and splashing water over himself. Shaking his hat and cursing, he turns to Trellus. "Hey, watch out with your magic there, Trell..." He thinks over the words. He realizes a few things, but keeps them to himself. Instead, the fighter decides to joke, "Doesn't sound like any womin in that riddle...hey, Trell, ya think ya can cast it again?"
Flea Wednesday March 16th, 2005 8:59:40 AM
Making her way back to the pack, Flea picks up her gear. She stops suddenly, watching slack-jawed as the strange voice comes from Trellus' mouth.
Flea knows about freezing water. Ice and snow. Back home at least a quarter of the year the family burrow is covered with the stuff. Thank goodness she had so many brothers and sisters. They always made quick work of clearing the path in front of the burrow. Mother always had hot chocolate and cookies for them when the job was done.
Flea closes in with the others and listens to what folks have to say.
Anuk Wednesday March 16th, 2005 10:35:08 AM
Trellus' incantation and his sudden distantness bring back some of Anuk's old feelings about magic. It's hard to trust something that can change your friends on a moment's notice.
When the waterfall changes to ice, Anuk is astounded. He's known of snow and ice before, but he spent so much time near his home city and locked up studying dusty books that he never actually saw it before. He holds some in his hands, feeling how cold and jagged it is -- like an enchanted blade of some kind -- when the spell ends and it turns to water in his hand.
Later, when the spell is done, Anuk tells Trellus, "You know, I like it when magic helps people and stuff--healing and stuff like that--but when it takes someone over I...well...it's just not shady, you know?" After a moment he asks, "You doin' okay after goin' through that?"
As the pack discusses Shady's collar predicament, Anuk asks aloud, "Did we ever figure out how to get that thing off of the kid?"
Trellus Wednesday March 16th, 2005 10:38:56 AM
Trellus blinks several times, gathering his wits.
"Whoa," his remarks intelligently. "What was that?"
Jake breaks the tension a bit with his request to cast it again. "Are you totally sunbaked?" Trellus cries, voice rising in anger. "It ain't supposed to work....." the cleric's voice trails off as he starts to suspect the elf wasn't serious. "Uh, no" he finishes lamely.
"OK, Gilan's right. I think we can take off the collar," he says, although the 'Tooth and Claw' part is a bit bothersome. "Tishe said she knew the password."
"But what's the rest of all that? Who's the King? Shady? And what's the Wedding Gift? And what's 'Icy' mean?" Flinging out a hand at the waterfall, he adds, "and what's the pick with that?"
Rounding on Shady, Trellus asks, "Is all this, this, this stuff NORMAL around here?!?"
After he settles down a bit, Anuk asks him if he's OK. The cleric nods. To the ranger's comments regarding the brightness of magic that just takes a dude over, he nods again. "Totally" he replies. "This bites grass."
Tishe' d20+13=19 Wednesday March 16th, 2005 1:57:55 PM
The young woman whips her head around, divination spells don't do that! (Spellcraft: 19), she watches for a moment then rushes to Trellus. Knowing better than to interrupt, she waits until the cleric moves again, and then moves to steady him.
Only after the blond man is OK does his words penetrate her worry. Turning to look at Shady, the brown eyes flash with triumph. A finger points at the elf's collar and she growls in a voice that should come out of a much larger, reptilian creature. (Freedom in Draconic)
Mac d20+2=3 d20+13=30 Wednesday March 16th, 2005 3:59:02 PM
Mac slips off his backpack as he stands agog at the waternotfall, totally failing [Int check: nat.1] to take into consideration what might be happening upstream where the fluence of water is meeting a wall of ice. Enthralled, he steps out slowly onto the frozen river, expecting the ice to be thin, at least too thin to support his bulk. But it takes his weight without sound or sign of strain, so he sets about examining the scattering shards and solid column of ice - even taking to it with his axe to see how solid it is. He hears Trellus and the subsequent conversation, and everything is great.
...for 5 minutes. The ice suddenly returns to liquid and Mac's exclamation as he is dunked is drowned out by the return of the roar of the waterfall. [Swim check: 30] A short distance downstream Mac hauls his very cold and wet self onto the bank, and gathers his breath and composure before returning to the removal.
Presenting... (DM MikeK) Wednesday March 16th, 2005 4:40:00 PM
The friends discuss what happened to Trellus, and come to few conclusions but one. Its time to take off the collar.
Tishe growl/spits a phrase, and the collar expands. And keeps right on expanding until it ends up a 5' diameter circlet lying at Shady's feet.
The young elf rubs his neck and beams at the group. "Shai-dee!" he cries.
Despite the expectations of a few of our heroes, the small elf boy remains a small elf boy.
The frozen waterfall unfreezes, making for a very wet minotaur. Mac clambers onshore, and the Bloodpack is right back where they started -- at the bottom of a 150' cliff they all need to get to the top of.
Gilan's eyes pick out a patch of whiteness to his left. The young druid takes a couple steps, bends down, and comes up with a piece of white bark. Written on it is a divine spell that is becoming awfully familiar -- Elf Vision.
Gilan d20+7=8 d20+7=22 Wednesday March 16th, 2005 8:22:16 PM
Gilan looks to the piece of bark that he finds on the ground and picks it up with a start. "You think someone is trying to tell me something?" He laughs lightly as he does not seem to notice anything else.
He does finally look up to find Shady free of his collar and absolutely beaming about it. He smiles and speak in elvish. "Feel better Shady?" He looks back to the waterfall and then shakes his head. "You do of course realize that we will not get up this thing like this...right." He pulls out his own fifty foot of rope and drops it on the ground. "Now who would best make use of my spider spell?" He waits for the group to make a decision.
Jake Thursday March 17th, 2005 1:36:59 AM
Jake looks at the circlet and rolls it up. Is it made of gold? What sort of metal? Is it valuable? He doesn't know anything about this sorta thing... "Hey, Flea?? This thing worth anything? Ah mean, it must be magical too...let's keep it!" And so the fighter takes it as his personal quest to lug the thing along. He'll tie a rope around it, and when they climb to the top lug it up...roll it along up and down hills, carry it over bad terrain, and so on. He refuses not to. Inwardly, he imagines himself finding a sleeping, evil dragon and slipping this on it...
Flea Thursday March 17th, 2005 9:07:11 AM
Flea drops her pack and fishes around inside it until her hand lands on the coil of silk rope. "Lets do like last time," she says, "you know, someone gets the spell, and climbs up with the rope. The rest can climb up the rope, and those who have spells can climb or fly along beside in case..." her eyes slide over to Grymash..."there is a problem."
Flea looks at Gilan's rope and adds, "we need at least one more, and if we had a forth, I could tie knots in it to make climbing easier."
Flea locates the elf playing with the large hoop. "Jakey?" she asks, "can you find out if Shady knows anything about climbing?" The rogue looks at the 5 ft circlet, and grins, "reminds me of a game I used to play as a kid. We'd put a hoop like that around our waist and go like this." Flea moves her knees and rotates her hips keeping her upper body in one place. "We'd try to keep the hoop going around and a around."
She watches to see if Jake will give it a try, wondering what would happen to the fighter if the ring should suddenly shrink.
Tishe' d20+13=19 Thursday March 17th, 2005 1:39:30 PM
The brown haired woman also offers her memorized Spider Climb spell. "I and Gilan can bespell Mac and Grymash and I can Enlarge them. They would be able to carry each one of us up the face without the need of ropes at all!"
"Oh, and Jake sweetie," she turns to the elvish fighter, "perhaps I can look at the ring and find the word to shrink it again..."
Tishe' looks carefully at the golden ring to find a activation word (Spellcraft: 19)
Anuk Thursday March 17th, 2005 3:12:18 PM
Anuk chuckles at the sight of Mac swimming around in the stream. He offers a hand to the minotaur as he emerges from the stream, though he's not much help due to their size difference.
"Is Galea okay after that swim?" he asks with a smile.
Standing with the pack as they weigh their options, Anuk agrees with Tishe. "I think we'll get up there more quickly and in one piece if we can piggyback on Mac and Mr. Mountainback."
Mac Thursday March 17th, 2005 3:41:26 PM
"Thanks Anuk. It's not that bad once you're in! Galea should still be in the pack." he says nodding to where it sits nearer the rest of the pack. He heads over, picks it up and checks in on Galea.
"Sure! What do I need to know about the Spider climb spell Tishe'?"
Trellus Thursday March 17th, 2005 4:31:41 PM
Refocusing on the task at hand, Trellus pulls out his own rope and hands it to Mac.
"Let's cast it on Mac and let him go up with all the ropes. Then everyone go up however they can. I can walk up on the air, so I'll follow whoever's climbing, just in case."
Getting out the climbing shoes (DM MikeK) Thursday March 17th, 2005 4:34:09 PM
Discussions abound regarding the plan to get up.
Shady merely shrugs when asked about climbing. "I can't remember if I've climbed before," he answers sheepishly.
Tishe cannot find a way to shrink the very wide collar.
Grymash Thursday March 17th, 2005 9:47:35 PM "Whut ever da pack thinks, Gry have ropes in da backsack. Gry got one, twos, threes ropes. Gots climbin' hook too. If ya can make Gry big an spidery, dat be shady."
Gilan d20+7=22 d20+7=16 Thursday March 17th, 2005 10:48:26 PM
Gilan looks to Mac and nods his head as he moves over to stand by him. He gently lays his hand upon the big guy and casts his spider climb spell upon him. "Naar cam." He looks to the others and then to the waterfall. "Mac can now scale the wall as a spider."
He leaves his rope for the others to make use of and then changes into the form of a wasp. He is soon zipping around enjoying his time in a form that can fly.
Jake Friday March 18th, 2005 2:47:01 AM
Suddenly asked by the two girls of the party questions, Jake immediately becomes his confident, enthusiastic self. Though he must tell them Shady doesn't have the ability, he does try out Flea's game. It turns out to be kinda fun...except this hoop is way heavy and falls down easily. After a bit of tries, he feels aches in parts that usually don't ache... And he immediately realizes it's another great exercise option. The circlespin! It will be a good exercise, as long as they carry this circlet along. "Okay...Gil and Mac, up at the top. First you can pull up Gry, Flea and Tishe...Then, we'll send up Shady, tieing the rope around him to secure him, and after that, we'll all come up. Uh...ah've never been good at knots...anyone here wanna make little knots so we can climb up easier? Or tie up Shady so he won't fall?" Jake explains to Shady that they'll climb up the thing...he tells him that they'll have a rope to climb up, and he, Jake, will be right under the elf, ready to catch him. And, they can tie a knot around him so he won't fall so long as Mac remains strong...
Jake runs a hand along his half-elven ears..pondering. Then he starts taking off his armor, and securing everything but his sword into his pack. Luckily, he's practiced climbing at home as a kid, on just about anything around.
Tishe' d20+2=13 d20+2=16 d20+2=3 Friday March 18th, 2005 5:54:20 AM
Her eyes frown as the short woman fails to find any way to shrink the collar.
Turning back to the cliff and her companions, she sees the plans are already afoot to climb the cliff. She takes a small thing out of her spell pouches and weaves a simple spell. "Here sweetie," she tells Grymash, "swallow this and you can climb like a spider." She hands the cleric of Gargul a small wriggling arachnid.
Then with four of them flying or walking up, Tishe' waits with Jake, Shady, Flea, and Anuk for the ropes to be ready.
She idly toys with the white bark that has the arcane spell on it. "This elven sight spell is soon all around. I wonder if the scrolls are a trail to follow." She glances at Anuk and Flea, but shakes her head. "If so, it wouldn't be divinely inspired from the gods and from Mother Wold."
When the rope is ready, she looks for Trellus airwalking behind her, then she carefully if uncertainly climbs up the rope. (Climb: 13, 16, nat1! oh no!)
Trellus (Air Walk) Friday March 18th, 2005 11:21:26 AM
Trellus finds the sight of Jake wiggling around like a prarie pig to be hilarious.
Shaking his head at the crazy elf, he finally gets around to casting a spell on himself. [Air Walk]
The cleric traverses back and forth up the cliff, keeping as close to the climbers as he can.
Anuk d20+3=15 d20+3=9 d20+3=21 Friday March 18th, 2005 4:51:34 PM
Anuk looks up the side of the cliff as the rope is lowered down to him. "Well, here goes nothin'..." he says. He grabs hold of the bottom and begins to make his way up.
(climb 15, 9 (yeesh), and 21)
Mountain Climber (DM MikeK) d2=1 Friday March 18th, 2005 7:29:32 PM
Grymash and Mac are enhanced with climbing spells and start the ascent. Massive shoulders ripple as the two find the going so easy it soon becomes a race. Mac reaches the top only a few moments before the half-orc.
Each take the time to survey their surroundings before messing with any ropes. They are in a mountain valley. The land is covered in short, green grass with blossoms of white and yellow dotting the countryside. The small stream flows down the middle.
Neither warrior can find a threat, and they set to work getting the others up the cliff. It takes awhile, especially given Jake's insistance on hauling the golden hula hoop up with him. But, by the end of the afternoon, everyone is up, safe and sound.
Shady points up the valley. "We came from that way," he says (in elven). "I don't think its too far."
But, it is getting on supper time. So the Bloodpack settles down to rest from the climb and get some grub. It's looking like a very peaceful evening is descending on the Wold.
The Big Dream [CDM Jerry]
The Big Dream [CDM Jerry] Saturday March 19th, 2005 12:54:05 PM
The group settles in for a rest. The weather is nice. A slight breeze. But Shady looks restless.
Suddenly Shady looks at Jake and Jake returns the look. Surprise and wonder are on their faces.
The two of them begin to glow with extraordinary light and power!
Shady says, "Come touch and join us!"
As the party reluctantly does so, each of you are surprised to find that a blending of minds has begun.
Shady adds, "Something's happening." Some sort of collective elven effect is at work!
As you struggle to come to grips with these events, their conscious minds fade and a waking dreamlike state begins.
There is then a joining of minds. Elven minds. Minds that look at life in terms of centuries instead of years.
Nearby elves join in. Some join to a lesser extent being half-elves or other relates species.
The pool of collective thought grows until it becomes Woldwide!
The overwhelming thought becomes "Why?"
An ancient being joining the mix replies, "This has happened twice before. This is the third time."
"What has happened before? comes the overwhelming response."
"This. Prepare and listen."
A common Elven Dream begins. ---------
You are floating...in space..?
You can see The Wold turning lazily beneath you, so very far below--slow but steady, the planet rotates, basking blissfully in the light of the bright golden disk hanging above it. Sunlight dapples the large fertile brown expanses of land dotted with areas of green forest...it sparkles across the waves of the blue-green ocean.
The Wold is as it is.
Suddenly you become aware that there are three smaller discs approaching the bright one, also at a slow but steady pace...you realize that the bright disk must be the sun, and the others are the moons of The Wold.
The three new discs align to cover the sun completely, leaving it and The Wold in darkness. But there--right in the middle of the now-black sun-disk--a pair eyes blink open, as though awakened from sleep.
The almond-shaped eyes--the bright, brilliant hue of sky and sea--look down upon The Wold. They widen in surprise, as though viewing the burgeoning world for the first time in a very, very long time...then the expression in the turquoise eyes grows rather sad. A tear forms and falls from one of the eyes as it blinks.
The eyes in the black sun narrow slightly--as though the unseen person to whom they belong has suddenly begun contemplating...and then the eyes blink again, once more brightening with the enlightenment of a great idea..!
The eyes glow warmly--if there were a face to go with them, you just know that it would have a happy, friendly grin in place--and The Wold, turning in its slow, steady pace, begins to grow green. Focusing on the planet, you can see that the forests of The Wold flourish and grow lush once more, spreading their fertile growth across the faces of the both the continent of Yrth and the Fragmented Lands, as the owner of the eyes laughs delightedly.
You swoop down from your lofty perch and find yourself standing in an ancient forest, Culverwood, breathing in the good green scent of the ancient trees. There is a dark, malevolent blot at the edge of your senses whom the collective knows to be Parnoth the oppressor--then suddenly, the blot disappears from sight and you hear the great beast's agonized screams.
More screams and cries ring in your ears now--the voices of those who oppose and harm Nature, the voices of those who would hold back the elves and make them lesser beings, the voices of evil. Too long they have been allowed to run free, but now they face their just reward. Through it all, the owner of the eyes continues to laugh.
The dream ends and the personal you physically awakens with laughter still ringing in your ears.
Tishe' Saturday March 19th, 2005 3:23:53 PM
Eyes open but seeing nothing, Tishe' slowly understands that she is once more standing in the small valley above the waterfall, holding hands with Anuk and Mac.
And she is also holding her breath.
A great 'whoosh' of air escapes her mouth and the brown-haired girl begins to breathe once more. "Mother Wold", she breathes, "Panthenon and Lord Gargul preserve us. What great tapestry is being woven in the stars?"
As soon as it gets dark, she resolves to get out her starcharts and study the skies above the Wold.
And she looks with new respect at Shady and Jake.
Flea Saturday March 19th, 2005 7:01:10 PM
Flea is drawn inexplicably to the group and reaches out to take hold of Jake's hand on one side, Anuk's on the other. Crazy images flash through the uncomprehending mind of the small gnome, and flash after flash of bright light from the suns and the moons and the eyes...those eyes...until her mind's eye is blinded with the brillance.
When it is over, she drops her companions' hands, and pulls away from the group. Turning her back on the pack, she retreats a bit and falls to her knees, hands pressed to her eyes.
What does it all mean?
Trellus Saturday March 19th, 2005 9:44:43 PM
"Light," Trellus breathes in an awed whisper. Something is happening. Something totally waxed. The enemies of nature and the elves are getting cut? Does that mean the Barons?
Jake and Shady are elves. Elves are doing this. The blond man turns to his longtime friend. His hand almost frantically rubbing the back of his head, seeking comfort in the routine. "Dude," he asks Jake, "What does that mean?"
Gilan Saturday March 19th, 2005 10:45:48 PM
Gilan joins the circle as the call comes to him and he watches in awe as nature destroys all the enemies of the elves and nature herself. As the dream goes on her opens his mouth to scream but nothing comes out, so he weeps. As the vision is finally broken he looks around to the rest as he drops hands.
With a start and tears still in his eyes he moves off to be by himself for the time being. He sits against a tree holding his head in his hands and wonders. "Why Wold Mother...I do not understand." He cannot grasp onto it. The idea that nature would destroy so wantonly is just beyond him...survival has always been the norm. She has always exhisted, even with the cities growing around her and always would...nothing could change that.
He holds up the piece of bark that he found with the divine spell upon it and shakes his head. He brings it to his forehead and closes his eyes. "Wold Mother...your child is lost and cannot find his way." Looking further into the area he shakes his head and replaces the bark in a pouch but does not stand to return to the others. He just sits and cries as he tries to make sense of all this.
Jake Saturday March 19th, 2005 11:36:17 PM
"Dude, I don't know... I'm a HALF-elf..." And yet, there's a lot of him that does understand, or at least feels that something good has happened. Something part of nature, something he felt for just a few seconds, but hardly ever feels. That feeling whenever he stares out over the planes, whenever he's just sitting there relaxing and feeling the grass between his fingers. It's funny, hard to explain to his non-elf side, his side that he knows is just somehow different. The human side, that loves having fun in other ways; chasing women, lying and joking, fighting and winning at gambling. Or are they different? At that moment, he feels no real conflict between his elf and human blood, yet somehow, he is aware of it more than ever in that moment. He doesn't know what to say to his packmates... and for some reason, the whole feeling, of immense happiness and delightful success in the universe, only makes him aware that he is not whole, that his father and mother both gave him up. He has never really felt his outsider status too much, what with Rattledam's acceptance of so many races. He never felt, until now, the complete difference in his blood.
He doesn't know what to say...just that he wants to be alone. He heads off and stares over the falls...and somehow, the wonder he felt at that disturbs him, so he goes and stares at just some stupid rock, and feels uncomfortable.
Mac Sunday March 20th, 2005 4:49:45 PM
<OOC> When we saw Yrth and the Fragmented lands did we see or get any inkling as to what would happen in the Sargrass, or out in the Taur Isles? </OOC>
Mac's grip lightens, but doesn't drop. "Tis a sign o'things to come." he states awe-fully, then adds, "an' I believe we'll get a be'er handle of when we get Shai-dee 'ome. Once he is pu' right, then we may 'ave a way home, or we may have given up a few days t'do the right thing. We're not lost Gilan - we're 'xactly where she wants us to be." Mac's smile is something to behold.
Anuk Sunday March 20th, 2005 11:31:18 PM
Anuk hesitates before joining the circle between Tishe' and Flea. After watching Trellus be overtaken by magic, he's not sure he wants to surrender himself to the same thing.
But...but...Jake and Shady don't seem to be in pain. No frightening other voices...no heads spinning around. He waits a moment longer, then steps up and joins the circle.
The vision is awe-inspiring and terrifying at once. Though Anuk has once stood before a God, he did not until now understand the raw power that can be dealt out on a whim. He sees the destruction of those in opposition to nature. The indifference of nature to the fate that awaits them. Though he's glad not to feel that he is in danger, he can't help but wonder if that power will one day be turned against him.
When it's over, he simply drops to the ground. The vision plays through again in his head. As he thinks of nature's fury, he recalls that he has pledged to help protect it. He had thought he was protecting only the Plains...his home...but now he thinks perhaps the pledge was to all the Wold.
He takes the leather glove from his right arm, revealing the withered remains of his hand underneath. He reaches down and scoops up a bit of earth, holding it up at eye level and breathes out a single phrase.
"The land...my life."
Questions (DM MikeK) Monday March 21st, 2005 9:47:04 AM
Kind hearted laughter still rings in the minds of the Bloodpack as they pull back from their trance-like state. It takes a few moments for everyone to reorient themselves. Somehow, it's morning. When Shady and Jake called for their friends to join them in the dream, it was early evening. But the sun is definitely peaking up over the eastern side of the valley, and not descending in the west.
All are refreshed, as if they'd slept for nearly 12 hours. All are also hungry, as if they'd missed supper.
To the myriad of questions, Shady can only shrug. Like Jake, he has no answers as to what this dream means. Looking back on The Dream, the heroes realize a great number of those in the chorus were demanding the same answers.
Anuk's reaction reminds all of their oath to the land.
Parnoth, a great evil near someplace called Culverwood, was snuffed out in the dream. Instinctively, the group understands the same fate awaits The Baron in the Sargass Plains. And that fate awaits another - one equal to The Baron in power and intent, a rival to both The Baron and The Land. But one faceless and nameless, even in The Dream.
On the subject of Taur Isle, The Dream gave no clues.
Tishe' Monday March 21st, 2005 3:13:42 PM
The brown eyes of Tishe' narrow as she realizes that she won't be able to see the stars immediately. And that the grumble in her middle reminds her of more practical matters. "Well, you thread the needle before you sew, as my mother often said. Let's a quick bite to eat, settle our spells, and get Shady home."
As she moves off to a spot a little off to study her spells, she sends a heart-touch to the others. Reminded by Anuk of what she and the Bloodpack promised, the small woman settles in by breathing over and over, "The land, my life"
And she makes sure to take Elven Sight as a 1st level druid spell instead of Faerie Fire.
Mac Monday March 21st, 2005 6:46:47 PM
"Talki fresal, dondit liki"
"Talki fresal, dondit liki"
"Talki fresal, dondit liki"
Mac ensure Galea gets some breakfast, but partakes of the barest portion himself. "Tis good to be a wee bit hungry - keens the senses." When breakfast is done with, Mac loks about to all and sundry. "Shae-dee to get home, a dragon to call in on, and a safe passage home!" he bellows as a rallying cry!
Grymash d20-2=5 d20+2=5 Monday March 21st, 2005 7:09:09 PM "Whoah!!!" the barbarian says as he shakes his head. "Did ya all hears dat? Someones say da word, uhh da letter ... I!! Who did say dat? Whut do dat mean?"
The thought quickly leaves Gry's fragile little brain when he spots Tishe offering him a juicy spider. "Hmmm, sargrass spider! Gry not knows Tishe had sargrass spiders!"
(Intelligence check: 5, Wisdom check: 5, sigh)
Gilan Monday March 21st, 2005 7:26:09 PM
Gilan munches absently on some of his rations as he thinks over what has been seen some more and shakes his head. For some reason it still feels wrong to him that nature would rebel that much. With a look to the others he just shakes his head and says nothing for now.
Trellus Monday March 21st, 2005 8:30:52 PM
The erstwhile leader of the group looks around, pondering. Jake doesn't look happy, and Gilan doesn't look happy. Based on what they all just shared, both should be estatic. But they don't look it.
Talki fresal, dondit liki, he whispers. Is there something else the monks aren't telling him?
Tishe and her spellbook reminds him of his own need for prayers. The cleric finds a quiet spot and prays to Domi for guidance.
Then, he get his breakfast, and sends a heart touch to the pack. "We're still shady, dudes", he encourages them. "Mac's right, let's concentrate on getting Shady home. Then, we get us home. Then, we worry about the eyes."
Flea d20-1=18 Monday March 21st, 2005 10:00:47 PM
Removing her hands from her eyes, Flea sees that nothing has really changed. They are still lost in the strange area. Everything still looks the same. Her pack looks the same. Even Shady looks the same.
Flea moves back inside the circle of the group. The rogue winces a little as her friends repeat their oath to the land. She had made the pledge, but what did it really mean? The beaters were going to mess with her head if she didn't!
If you swear to protect the plains and their secrets with your life, then simply cover your heart in front of the Mankif and speak, Talki fresal, dondit liki. The land, my life."
As she munches on the very last of her trail rations, Flea studies Jake, suspicious that he might know more than he is saying. (Sense Motive=18)
Anuk d20+12=18 Tuesday March 22nd, 2005 12:34:31 AM
Anuk stares for a few moments longer at the earth he holds in his pale hand, then lets it crumble and fall back to the ground. Still mulling the vision over in his head, he finds himself comforted by the heart touches coming from his friends and sends one out in return.
While the others get ready for the day, Anuk spends a few minutes alone himself. He settles into the familiar routine of thinking of the land until he is aware that he can cast a spell (prepares entangle). He must remember to add the spell to the ioun stone tonight if it is not needed before day's end. He hopes it's not.
Then, he rises and sets out a little way from camp, looking for nuts, berries, and anything else he can bring back to the pack for breakfast.
(survival 18)
Jake Tuesday March 22nd, 2005 3:59:40 AM
Jake sighs and gets up, ready to continue. And slowly brightens. It just isn't in his nature to be moody too long. Instead, he whimsically ponders over something to say or do. Wandering next to Trell, he says to him softly, so that Flea and Tishe don't hear, "Been a while since we've seen any friendly faces, huh, Trell? Ah miss girls..." he winks, "Ah mean, y'know, real girls. Available shady femmes. Though, we have been fightin' some pretty good battles of late...ah miss home, ah think."
Homesick (DM MikeK) Tuesday March 22nd, 2005 8:52:47 AM
Thoughts of home reverberate through the minds of the lost heroes. This latest vision only serves to intensify them. Resolutely, the Bloodpack gets through breakfast and their morning observances, and again take to the trail.
Thanks to the invitation of Shady and Jake, everyone, even Grymash, fully partook in the dream. Questions remain - Who sent it? Who, besides the friends from Rattledam, received it? And, of course, what does it mean?
Lost in their own thoughts, the group makes its way across increasingly rough ground. The valley narrows and rises. Grass fields alternate frequently with rocky trails. The adventurers climb and descend, and climb some more. And always in their minds remains the vision of the elven eyes, laughing merrily as the Wold becomes green.
In the late afternoon, the group crests a hill, and in front of them is a huge mountain. It rises thousands of feet into the air and must be a good half day's journey away. Shady has been very quiet, sensing the subdued mood of his new friends, and perhaps struggling with thoughts of his own. But, at the sight of the mountain, he starts. Then he beams, raises his hands, and points excitedly at the mountain. "Home!" he cries. Shady picks up the pace, skipping from stone to stone as he hurries forward. He turns, and waves at the group, encouraging them to keep up. "Home!" he cries again. "Home!"
Anuk d20+10=25 Tuesday March 22nd, 2005 2:14:13 PM
Anuk hurries to keep pace with Shady, calling out to the boy in elven, "Shady, slow down! We can't get there until tomorrow--we'll need to rest." His plea is only half-hearted though. Clearly, Shady is excited to be so near to home.
As he follows the elf, he scans the huge mountain, looking for signs of life. If Shady is from here, there should be more elves nearby, Anuk thinks to himself.
(spot 25)
Tishe' Tuesday March 22nd, 2005 2:30:40 PM
The small woman walks with the pack and casts worried glances at Jake and Gilan. "I wonder if they got the same dream", she wonders aloud. Glancing sheepishly around, she'll explain to anyone who is listening, "can't they hear the joyful laughter, see the gentle eyes? Perhaps they know something more than we saw? I mean, Jake is part elf and Gilan is more in tune with the Wold than I or Anuk..."
When Shady runs ahead, Tishe' is ready to take some of her worry off with a pleasant jog through the valley. She lets her wavy hair blow in the wind of her passage and just enjoy for a minute. "I bet I can catch Shady first!", she yells.
Trellus Tuesday March 22nd, 2005 7:17:02 PM
Walking beside Jake, Trellus nods his head in sympathy. He wasn't after as many 'shady femmes' as Jake - Light, NOBODY went after as many shady femmes as Jake - but the young man would be real happy to see a couple members of the Black Pack right now...
They walk on, and the cleric tries to keep an eye on Gilan and Jake. The pack needs to get home. Malafret can help. She'd know what to do.
Then, Shady takes off. "Dude!" he yells, trailing off as Anuk also yells and the boy ignores them both anyway. And, of course, Tishe takes off too.
"Light," he grumbles. Trellus hates running. But Shady can't keep it up all day, can he?
The cleric picks up the pace, intent on chasing down the rest.
Mac d20+5=8 Tuesday March 22nd, 2005 7:51:40 PM
"Trellus? Imagine you are a local Elven Archer or Ranger out patrolling the woods when Shai-dee shows up running at a good pace with our Pack in pursuit. What would you do?" Mac maintains a solid walk, but doesn't run or even hustle, an keep an eye out for trouble ahead. [Spot: 8]
Gilan d20+7=15 d20+7=11 Tuesday March 22nd, 2005 8:37:47 PM
Gilan trails along with the rest of the pack still trying to make sense of what he has seen. The idea of all evil being taken care of is not such a bad thing, but what would nature or an "Avatar" of nature consider evil. His feelings of ecstacy had been tempered with the realization that things may not turn out as shady as the dream had cast.
Moving up to keep pace with Trellus he looks to his friend. "Do you think that Domi would allow such a thing to happen...the nature covering the Wold and taking out evil." He looks ahead to those that run on towards Shady's home and shakes his head. "I mean...sometimes evil is not too easily defined and all." He looks to Trellus seeing him as being wiser in this area than himself. After all Domi is a god and a good one at that, while the Wold Mother is nature herself and works by a different set of rules.
Jake Wednesday March 23rd, 2005 1:34:17 AM
The youth takes off and the others take off after him and shout at him. Jake doesn't add anything to that voluble, just laughs. "Well, we're almost there...wherever there is! Gil, you're taking it too walker. Nature's always shade...evil always grass-bites and corrupts. Ah mean, undead are like, that example, right? The ultimate evil, an' also against nature. Ah ain't never heard of no druid skeleton." Jake has never seen an undead, but in his nightmares, they're the worst. He's never really mentioned this to his packmates tho...
Company (DM MikeK) Wednesday March 23rd, 2005 5:13:35 PM
A few of the Bloodpack chase after Shady. A few do not. Either way, the young elf soon figures out that he's got an awfully long run ahead of him, and gradually slows down to allow everyone to catch up. He's a seriously excited lad for the rest of the day, though.
Near evening, Flea rounds a bend, and stops. The rest of the Bloodpack quickly halts as well. Sitting inside a small, natural ampitheater are six large, incredibly attractive humans, four men and two women. They are in the midst of an instense conversation when the group happens upon them. Their startling good looks even break through the normally dense Tishe, and Jake can't help but be jealous of all the good looking men he's happened upon. Oddly, it is hard to determine the age of the people.
Those making a Spot check DC 12 notice, with some curiosity, that they have no equipment whatsoever, just well made travelers outfits.
As the pack appears, the others size them up. All eyes remain fixated upon Shady, and slowly recognition crosses the features of each of them. One of the women stands, and steps toward the elf boy uncertainly. "Glimmer?" she asks.
Shady has been staring at the group in surprise and shock. When the woman addresses him, he responds, "Grandma?". Then, he repeats the name. Sure and strong and laced with relief and happiness. "Grandma!" he yells, and runs toward her. The two embrace.
The woman looks up. She sure doesn't look like a grandma. Flashing perfect, white teeth she turns to the group, and hugs each person in turn, and a very pleasant hug it is - Grymash ("Thank you for bringing back Glimmer"), Mac, Tishe ("We thought Brightmarous had killed him"), Gilan, Flea, Trellus("How can we ever repay you?"), Jake.
She stops at Jake. Stares at him. Looks back to her group. Stares at Jake again.
"You're an elf." she states reverently. Her voice drops to a low tone. "Tell me," she says. "Tell us. Of what event do the elves dream? We can't see it. We know something is coming, but we can't see it. But you have. You have saved my grandson, and have proved your worth. " The woman is nearly pleading," Please. You must tell us what you see in your dreams."
Grymash Wednesday March 23rd, 2005 8:13:09 PM
(You say they are large, like 8-ft or taller in height?)
DM NOTE - No. Large for a human, but not that large. The men are 6 and half feet tall, the women are a good 6'.
"Whoah!" is all an awe-struck Grymash can say. When he gets his hug, the barbarian doesn't know how to react. He looks back at his pack and gives them a raised eyebrow and a slight grin. If the barbarian's expression could speak, it would say, "Shaaddy, check her out!!"
Flea Wednesday March 23rd, 2005 9:34:22 PM
"Oooff!" is all that escapes Flea as she is squeezed by the very tall, very beautiful woman.
Taking in the incredibly tall and beautiful people, the rogue looks at Shady/Glimmer with newfound respect. Elbowing Trellus' she asks, "are they gods?"
Gilan d20+7=22 d20+7=12 Wednesday March 23rd, 2005 9:38:56 PM
Gilan looks to Jake and shakes his head. "Not all nature is shady...some of it is dangerous and unpredictable." With a smile he goes through some of the things that he knows of. "Some of the things are natural...like earthquakes and fires on the plains...but others are different, natural animals that Mother Wold has had a hand in making." He looks to hear the exclaims of excitement from not only Shady but some other people that have shown up.
Looking again to Trellus who has been silent for some time, maybe he was thinking over his questions. "Seems we have found Shady's parents." His eyes roam over the group and he shakes his head. "They carry no gear for traveling or the like...this seems strange." He looks to the others but is interrupted with the sudden hug from the woman in the group.
Trellus d20+8=25 Wednesday March 23rd, 2005 10:41:43 PM
Mac's advice slows Trellus down immediately, and he's relieved when everyone else drops down to a liesurely stroll, too.
Gilan's question about Domi allowing Nature to take over elicits the standard 'Trellus is thinking' response. Rubbing his hand over the back of his head, the cleric ponders. "Domi's realms are Protection, Strength, and War," he replies slowly. "Depends on who Nature went after I guess. Domi might oppose it, might favor it, or might not really care. He'd want to protect the weak, the innocent, and the upright. Can Nature tell the difference?"
Shortly thereafter, they run into The Beautiful People. "Many Shado-urp!" Trellus gets part of his greeting out before being engulfed by Shady's 'grandma'.
Like Gilan, the young man notes the lack of traveling gear. [Spot 25] Flea's question brings back the ol' hand over head motion. The phrase Tooth and Claw keeps rummaging around in his mind as well.
"Not sure," he answers both. "But, I think we want to be very polite." Trellus waits, with some trepedation, for Jake's response.
Jake Thursday March 24th, 2005 2:18:50 AM
Jake takes off his hat and holds it, "Half elf, ma'am...ah'm not really a true elf, just a half-elf." He looks to the others with his warm brown eyes and shakes his head. "Afraid ah can't tell ya much, other 'n what ya felt. That the Wold is.." he searches for a word. "Purgin', gettin' rid of some evil from beyond our sorta knowledge. Ah'm sorry, ma'am. But we did bring your grandson." He tries not openly admire the curves of the women...after all, it'd be really awkward if he hit on some kid's grandma.
Mac d20+1=17 Thursday March 24th, 2005 6:19:12 AM
"You are welcome." the taur replies. It is a moment or three before the least of incongruities catches his attention. "You call the boy 'Glimmer' and clearly he recognizes you, but he had us call him 'Shae dee'. Do you know why?" [Sense Motive: 17]
Anuk d20+10=16 d20=6 Thursday March 24th, 2005 12:40:37 PM
Anuk is surprised to suddenly stumble on the group. "I must be gettin' sunbaked...I gotta start keeping better lookout for signs and tracks," he says quietly to Flea. "Did you see any sign of this group before we ran into them?"
As they meet the strangers, Anuk finds their friendliness disarming, and he can't help but grin at the sight of Shady rejoining his family. Still, a few questions about who they are and how they got here (spot 16) linger in the back of his mind.
Deciding that Shady's "grandma" seems friendly and open, Anuk decides to ask the question foremost in his mind. However, it comes out more bluntly than he intends (diplomacy 6).
"Greetings, ma'am," he says, bowing low. "My name is Anuk. It's great to see Shady...er...Glimmer back with his family. I can't help noticing, though, that Shady is an elf. You're...uh...not. How did an elf come to be part of a human family?"
Tishe' Thursday March 24th, 2005 1:17:46 PM
The average looking woman takes a few moments to compose herself among the adonis. They are more beautiful than even her sisters, and a surly thought wonders if they have anything in thier heads than air. But she quickly stifles her resentment over thier beauty, 'grandma' is much too sure of herself and her hugs too genuine to be so petty.
"We don't like bullies lording it over the weaker, good lady", she tells the 'grandma'. "Was Brightmarous one of the group that held him? We were able to slay three of the bullies, but two are still at large."
Privately, she thinks that Anuk has a very good question. Half-elf surely, but how can even beautiful humans have a full elf grandson?
Who are you? (DM MikeK) Thursday March 24th, 2005 4:24:34 PM
The woman pulls back from Jake, disappointment registering on her face. "That's not good enough," she responds unhappily.
When Tishe asks about Brightmarous, and mentions killing the thugs, one of the men springs up angrily. "Kill ME!?!" he snorts. "Never! You should never have brought him back! He doesn't belong here!" He's younger than the others, although the ages are still deceiving. He stalks toward the party, but doesn't get two steps before he is grabbed by two other men. 'Grandma' rounds on Brightmarous. "You'd sell your own brother?" she hisses through clenched teeth. "Get out. Get out right now!"
Brightmarous shoots the group a withering stare, wheels about and leaves the ampitheater.
Grandma and Glimmer/Shady talk quietly a few moments about his experiences. The other folks stand, waiting for her verdict.
When the boy is done, she smiles at the Bloodpack.
"It seems Glimmer lost his memory, and only now it is returning. Have a seat, some explanations are required." Grandma invites the group to pull up a log, and her own people sit down. Once everyone is comfy, she explains, "These forms, both human and elf, are not our true selves. We merely assume them for convenience sake. Glimmer tells me you rescued him, and then brought him back here without any knowledge of who he was or where you were going. That is a noble deed that takes great courage. Your reward for that is to learn our true forms."
A couple of her people start at that, but she waves them off dismissively before returning to the group. "We are dragons," she says. "You would call us bronze. Glimmer's parents were killed in the Dragon Wars, and I have raised him and his brother. "
"I tell you this, because I must again ask this half-elf to relay to us the dream he had. We have seen signs and portents of a great upheaval, and are desperate to learn all we can about it. None of us had the dream, But we know that elves throughout the land experienced it. Please, tell us what you saw, and in return I can provide another reward.
"And finally, I've another favor, which carries a greater reward yet. But first, elf, your dream. Please."
She looks at Jake pleadingly.
Mac cannot find any reason to doubt her words.
Gilan Thursday March 24th, 2005 11:20:22 PM
Gilan nods as his first assumption about the young elf had been right and shakes his head. He did not really like getting involved in dragon matters, but in these times you helped the ones that needed it.
Looking back to the woman they call Grandma he listens as she speaks and then turns his head to regard Jake. "Just tell her all the dream as you saw it Jake." He gives his friend a smile as he does and a nod in encouragement. He had let the interplay with the one that was now banished pass by without showing great interest, though he is sure that it will come back on them later. He just smiles and sighs.
Grymash d20+8=27 d20-2=7 d20+2=6 Friday March 25th, 2005 1:04:54 AM
Grymash tenses up and places his hand behind his back, ready to grab his double axe when Brightmarous has his outburst. The barbarian can't help but return his stare with a grimacing scowl. (Trying to look as intimidating to Brightmarous as much as he can. Intimidate 27, woot!)
He can't help but admire the strength of the woman as she forced Brightmarous to leave. Strange feelings start to grow in his gut. He wonders why his heart is pounding so hard and fast in his chest. Grymash isnt raging! Why is it doing that? He doesn't care. He cant keep his eyes off her.
(Intelligence: 7, Wisdom: 6)
Grymash doesnt understand much when they start talking about changing form and shape. His only observance of such activity is when Gilan changes into bugs. And right now, he doesnt care. Maybe dragons are even more beautiful.
Jake Friday March 25th, 2005 3:34:13 AM
"Well, okay, ma'am... "First there was just a floating sensation, lahk lying on water, and then ya became aware of the Wold below ya. All arrayed out, y'know, like, a circle. Ah never thought about what it'd look like, but it was so small. Above it was the sun, shaped like up there..." he points at the sky. "Anyways, then the moons came along and tried to cover up the sun. But suddenly, ah noticed, like, some eyes there in the moons. Weird eyes...crying for some reason as they looked down. Then they started getting happy, an' all the world went green and good. "Then we swooped into a sylvan setting, the Culverwood. A malicious presence, the Parnoth, became known to us. A blight upon the land, an enemy of the elves, its presence could not withstand the pureness of the eyes. Its agonized cry rang silently throughout the cosmos, its hatred dissipating before that which was good and pure. "And all was well. Laughter, love, joy subsumed all sense of self, suddenly and endlessly a loving pull emanated from those orbs, radiant in the darkness."
Tishe' Friday March 25th, 2005 10:04:20 AM
The young woman is startled by the beautiful man's outburst. Upon knowing they are dragons, her heart begins beating faster and she gets a little weak in the knees, and thankfully pulls up a stump. Almost got into a fight with a dragon! And like it or not, the Bloodpack has made an enemy...
She sits quietly, leaning forward in silent encouragement while Jake relates the dream, nodding at the similarity to what she saw and felt. "Happy eyes and laughter. That is what I most remember."
She plays with the crimson sash at her waist, and wonders what these noble beings will make of the dream.
Trellus d20+8=27 d20+4=24 Friday March 25th, 2005 10:23:23 AM
Trellus swallows convulsively upon the realization he's in tha middle of a group of dragons. The young cleric still isn't quite sure what a dragon is, but if it took a Valdor to go hunt one down, Trellus isn't all that sure he wants to find out.
Nodding along with Jake's recitation, he notices Gry is acting totally shuttlecocked. [Spot 27] What's Gry staring at? he wonders silently. Trellus follows the stare. He's looking at Grandma. Grandma - Gry. Gry - Grandma. Bells start going off in his head [Sense Motive 24 (nat 20).
Trellus' face draws up into a pained expression. Domi's Light. Gry's gotta a crush on a dragon. The blond man stands quietly, trying to look natural, while he fervently prays to his god for Gry not to do anything too sunbaked.
Flea Friday March 25th, 2005 1:32:23 PM
Snippets of conversation re-play in the gnome's mind.
The beautiful matriarch,"We are dragons. You would call us bronze."
and Valdor, "If it were not a chromatic, being gold, silver, bronze, or even brass, I'd say kill it without reservation."
Flea looks at each beaufiful face, and at Shady/Glimmer. Could this Brightmarous be the one the half-elf had wanted them to investigate? she wonders.
Flea listens as Jake says his piece, all nice and mystic like a weaver, and she shakes her head. "Jake's going walker," she mutters to herself, "what is the Wold coming to?"
Anuk d20+12=29 Friday March 25th, 2005 2:58:23 PM Dragons?! Well, at least I know why I didn't spot any tracks, thinks Anuk.
He watches and listens to Grandma and the others intently, trying to picture in his mind what their true forms must be like.
Throughout the conversation, Anuk keeps quiet, but he also keeps glancing nervously at the sky (spot 29). The last dragon they saw was more than enough to easily frighten away the beaters that had kidnapped Shady. He's a little worried about what Brightmarous might do if he decides to return in his true shape.
I Have a Dream (DM MikeK) Friday March 25th, 2005 9:57:51 PM
Grymash's intimidating stare definitely attracted the attention of Brightmarous. The man/dragon meets the half-orc's eyes and stays fixed on him for several moments before he goes stomping off. Did the barbarian have a part in the dragon's departure? He doesn't know.
Anuk keeps his eyes peeled on the skies. He sees no sign of a highly agitated bronze dragon returning. Which doesn't stop him from continuing to look.
Grandma is far too interested in Jake's retelling of The Dream to pay either Grymash or Anuk much attention. She and her fellows listen raptly to the half-elf. When he finishes, they are all silent, deep in thought. Finally one speaks, and then another, conversing with each other in rapid sentences, spoken in Common for the benefit of their guests.
"A new power." "Related to the elves" "The power to destroy Parnoth? Inconceivable." "Does It have that power, or merely dreams of such?" "Or perhaps It needs help to achieve the power." "If It does, how do we help? To destroy Parnoth......" "The conjuction of moons and sun is key. A sign. Surely that has happened before."
"Those humans saw it, too"
The last comment is delivered by a man who's been quiet until now. Grandma asks him what he meant. "Those two (Trellus and Tishe). They knew what the elf was going to say. They've seen it."
Grandma addresses Tishe. "Have you? Did you get The Dream? How?
Tishe' d20+9=25 Saturday March 26th, 2005 4:56:31 AM
A new power? What is 'grandma' talking about? And then the man makes all the dragons' attention focus on HER.
"Ulp. Ah, yes, Great One", she begins, "I saw, we all... um, all saw the dream. Ah, um, Shady and Jake, they invited us into.." she pauses to collect her thoughts under the gaze of the dragons. "We held hands and stood in a circle", she concludes, "and saw the Dream."
Warming to something she knows, she braves two more sentences. "It was an eclipse", she tells the others secure in her knowledge of astronomy (Knowledge: 25), "an eclipse of the sun by both moons. That's when the eyes opened."
Gilan Saturday March 26th, 2005 5:41:01 PM
Gilan listens and watches in interest as the dragon talk among themselves and then the attention turns to the group. Well not all of it really just Trell and Tishe'.
He smiles as he puts his hand over his mouth to hide it. Trellus may not mind the attention but that is not poor Tishe''s thing. As he sits he waits to see what else will be said and lazily draws on the ground three small circles lining up and then he draws them interlocking as if passing over one another. Lastly he draws just one circle with almond shaped eyes in the middle of it and sighs.
Mac d20+5=16 Saturday March 26th, 2005 9:07:59 PM
Remaining observant, silent and wary Mac keeps an eye on the going on. [Spot:16]
Flea d20-1=8 Sunday March 27th, 2005 5:32:26 PM
Flea watches Shady's grandma, and wonders why the woman is so interested in the dream. (Sense Motive=8)
Anuk d20+10=22 d20+10=13 Sunday March 27th, 2005 10:50:26 PM
Anuk nods in agreement with Tishe' when she says that everyone saw the dream. He thinks back on the experience and how it was oddly comforting and frightening at the same time. He wonders if more dreams are in his future.
He continues to keep and eye out for anything out of the ordinary skyward.
(spot 22, listen 13)
Jake Monday March 28th, 2005 12:45:40 AM
Jake can't help but feel relieved now that the attention's off him. And he begins to consider what he's been told, about how they're dragons...and he looks up at them, amazed. They're dragons, really?? No. All those tales he read, of fighting dragons and stuff...he suddenly blurts out a secret wish, hoping more than anything, "Can you fly me? I mean, take me up into the air?" He looks at them with eyes full of hope, almost like a child suddenly.
Trellus Monday March 28th, 2005 10:20:12 AM
Trellus has got the feeling this is one of those 'speak only when spoken to' moments. He nods along in agreement with Tishe'.
He also keeps an eye on Gry. He's never seen the half-orc infatuated before. No telling what pick the dude might weave.
Too Much Information (DM MikeK) Monday March 28th, 2005 1:59:58 PM
Grandma listens quietly to Tishe and Trellus. "I see," she says as they finish.
The quiet, observant male is standing. The same one who noticed Trellus and Tishe knew the dream. "Wait a moment. 'Shady' invited you also? Not just the half-elf?"
Grandma tries to ignore him, instead smiling pleasantly at Jake. "Perhaps. After we've discussed your vision. What do you think the dream meant?" She awaits the fighter's response, but her comrade isn't backing off.
"None of us saw it," he persists. "Just the elves." He looks at the party. "And those invited by elves. Or half elves...." At this point, the man's voice trails off and his eyes widen as he looks again at Shady/Glimmer.
"Enough." Grandma snaps out the word, and discussion stops. "I will speak with these nobles alone." Her comrades, still looking oddly at the young elf/dragon, practically fall over themselves leaving the amphitheatre. Everyone clearly hears multiple "fwoomp" sounds, as if a series of sails suddenly filled with a strong wind. The sound repeats at disparate intervals, gradually fades, and finally disappears altogether.
[Wis check DC 12 to realize Shady ain't pure dragon]
Tishe' d20+1=15 Monday March 28th, 2005 4:21:51 PM
Something clicks in Tishe's brain. 'Grandma' and the others are dragons but didn't see the dream, but Shady saw the dream: therefore, Shady is.... "He's half-dragon?" blurts the mage incredulously.
Mac d20+3=13 d20+5=13 Monday March 28th, 2005 4:35:41 PM
[Wis:13, Spot:13] ...and in deference to Grandma, Mac silently waits for her to speak, whilst continuing to keep an eye on the surroundings.
Flea d20+13=19 d20+23=42 d20+16=22 d20+10=22 d20-1=13 Monday March 28th, 2005 8:19:07 PM
Flea's eyes flick from face to beautiful face as the 'dragons' are dismissed by 'grandma'.
This is just so twisted thinks the gnome, and she starts to back away quietly (Move Silently=19) seeking the shadows at the edge of the clearing (Hide=42).
There are the ominous sounds and the rogue cranes her neck to see over the tree tops (Search=22, Spot=22) before her gaze returns to the youth they had rescued. One should never judge a book by it's cover, she thinks (Wisdom Check=13) remembering the old saying, oft quoted by her patient teacher, and then the irrational fear returns.
Gilan d20+5=25 Monday March 28th, 2005 9:18:08 PM
Gilan watches in some amazement as the other dragons are sent off by Grandma and shakes his head. A slight smile touches his face as he thinks of another certain teacher that gets the same respect. With a start he nods his head in understanding, Shady is a half-dragon then and one of his parents was an elf(Wis 25).
Still he sits and listens to what is said as he ponders the meaning of the dream again. He has an idea but he is not sure if it is the right one and he will not make statements without knowing all the facts.
Trellus d20+4=9 Monday March 28th, 2005 10:26:44 PM
[Wis check 9] Trellus is thinking about Grymash and Grandma. The half orc falls to one knee and blurts out his undying love- no, no, that won't be it. The half orc draws his shady blade and pledges to slaughter all her enemies - possibly. The half orc...
"He's half-dragon?" Tishe blurts.
"Huh?" Trellus responds, coming out of his daydream. Where'd the other dudes go? What's up with Flea? What's Tishe talking about? He looks around. Oh light. What'd I miss?
Trellus shuts up and pays attention. Hopefully he can figure out what's going on before he does something stupid.
Jake d20+1=13 Tuesday March 29th, 2005 12:27:28 AM
Jake looks over to Shady, realizing it about the same time as Tishe says it. He suddenly feels a surge of empathy for the half-elf, half-dragon. It overcomes his desire for flying around on dragons. He goes over and gives Glimmer a pat on the back. In elven, he comments, "So, we got you home, Shady. But ya know, if ya want, ya can come along with us... ah'll even teach ya how ta fight, if ya want." Then, before the kid can give an answer, he turns his attention to the grandmother. "Now, uh, ma'am, we met this hero, a world-famous adventurer, named Valdor, and he asked us to look for this bronze dragon that was causing a problem. Apparently, it was rampaging around and stuff. Ah don't know if we've figured out what's goin' on, but, anyways, ah'm wantin' ta ask ya about it."
Anuk d20+2=20 d20+10=16 d20+10=19 Tuesday March 29th, 2005 10:34:43 AM
Anuk stops looking at the sky as grandma and the others make their hasty exit from the amphitheater. "So, Shady's got some elven blood in him, eh?" he says with a smile (wisdom 20). It doesn't really change much in his mind, as until recently he thought Shady was an elf, anyway. He's still trying to wrap his head around the idea that Shady is actually Glimmer...a dragon.
The loud sounds bring Anuk's attention back to the present and he looks skyward again (spot 16, listen 19). He watches and listens until the sounds disappear and then he ambles over to Jake.
"Hey, Jake...you still got Shady's collar? I was thinkin' maybe we oughta give it to grandma. If she finds something like that on us, she might question our...uh...intentions."
Follow Me (DM MikeK) Tuesday March 29th, 2005 1:12:03 PM
The pack reacts to the knowledge in various ways, although Flea is the only one to pull back and make herself small.
Glimmer's face is full of questions. "I...I'm not a dragon?" he asks fearfully. Grandma enfolds him in a hug. Your mother was a dragon, Glimmer. Your father, well, was not." She pulls away to hold the boy by the shoulders and look him in the eye. "You can be whatever you want. Anything you want. Never forget that."
Grandma sighs heavily, and takes a moment to gather herself.
Turning to Jake, she replies, "Take him with you?" She considers. "That may actually be an idea." She is silent for a moment, before clearing the thought away and shifting gears to his other statement. "Everybody knows of Valdor Dragonstone. The dragon he seeks is Brightmarous. Glimmer went through the right of adulthood recently, and the treasure his parents bequeathed upon him became public knowledge. Brightmarous felt slighted and became agitated. This latest revelation will not help."
Grandma glances at Tishe with a half smile. "Does it surprise you there are half-dragons. We take other forms after all." The woman turns to look directly at Grymash. "And they are fully functional." Her eyes linger in the half-orc's before she turns away.
"If you would all please follow me, we can address your half-elf's ideas. Grandma proceeds though a small crevice in the right side of the hill, wide enough for but a single person at a time. It is not the way the rest of the dragons went when they left.
Tishe' Tuesday March 29th, 2005 2:23:06 PM
The young woman has had too many surprises today, so it is understanding she completely misses 'grandma's' reference to being fully functional. she puts a hand in her satchel to pet Wart, taking comfort in his very normal reactions.
"So, is there anything you can do to help stop Brightmarous?" she asks the beautiful woman as they walk to the caves. "And do you have any ideas about what the Dream means?"
So full of questions, she pays scant attention about going into a dragon's cave.
Flea d20+10=29 d20+12=14 d20+8=15 d20+23=28 d20+13=23 Tuesday March 29th, 2005 5:17:27 PM
Confused by dreams of vengeful laughing elves, and the reality of dragons who don't look like dragons, the rogue will draw up in the rear. Flea keeps a low profile and guards the party's flank.
Grymash d20-2=0 d20+2=5 Tuesday March 29th, 2005 8:16:35 PM
(Sorry, I lost my web access for the past couple of days. Im back now.)
Grymash doesn't hear any of the conversation. His eyes transfixed on the female dragon's muscular and near perfect form. Strong arms and shoulders, Gry bets she can swing an axe with the best of them. Load-bearing ... ahh, bare back, Gry can see it would take a lot of weight to encumber her. Don't get Gry started on the legs. She could crush a man to death with those powerful legs. Not to mention kick and run. Her voice, so commanding and forceful. Gry wonders how sharp her teeth are.
Anyone near the barbarian might hear a very faint, low guttural growl rumbling within him. But its not a growl of anger, he's smiling. Like a wolf to a lamb, if he knew what a wolf or a lamb was. When she mentions, "fully functional" his axe drops to the ground with a "clang"! A small bead of drool runs out the corner of his mouth. His muscles tense up very tightly. As she walks away, the half-orc can't help but step forward to follow. His double axe remains behind on the ground, as if he hasn't yet realized he dropped it.
(Intelligence 0, Wisdom 5)
Gilan Tuesday March 29th, 2005 8:57:21 PM
Gilan looks to Gry and shakes his head. Wasn't this suppose to be Jake's thing...and now Gry is acting like a love-sick pup. He shakes his head and follows along but stops to pick up the fallen doubleaxe with care. "Gry may just need this sooner than he thinks." He cannot help but smile as he looks to Jake and shakes his head again. "Want to make a play Jake?" He laughs lightly as he looks back to Gry and the fact that the woman shows some interest. He shakes his head again as he shudders with a image of little Grymash-Dragon babies running around. "Stranger things have happened..."
Trellus Tuesday March 29th, 2005 9:48:38 PM Oh I wish she hadn't said that.
"CLANG" goes Gry's axe.
Light
Rubbing his forehead slightly, Trellus exchanges a look with Gilan, ruefully shakes his head, and follows the lovestruck barbarian into the cave.
Jake Wednesday March 30th, 2005 3:47:18 AM
Jake steps back and picks up the big hoop he has been rolling along for the time being. "Here it is," he comments to the others. Just then he notices Grymash leaving his axe behind. He's about to comment when he sees the eye wagging and exasperated looks of his companions. Ah, he thinks to himself. Gry's attracted to the woman. She's okay, he thinks to himself. Definitely one cool piece of shade. But she seems...he doesn't know how to describe it, but not his type. Nice, but like an older woman nice. Jake ponders the merits of some of the mature women in Rattledam, and smiles in memory. Perhaps he should say something...But not to this one, not when Gry's like this. He'll have to pay more attention to the other dragons. They have different customs, too. And Grandma was definitely married at one time...who knows if she's not married still. And besides, Shady's still right by them. Doesn't the dumb barbarian see the little kid is gonna probably get all weirded out? Jake decides the others are right in this case. It's not a time to be lovesick and stuff. Still... Wouldn't it be fun to see Grymash get himself into a mess? Jake decides he has to see this, so let the half-orc go. In fact, encourage him if he can.
All these thoughts go through his head in just a second or so, and a smile comes to his face. He goes into the cave, after the half-orc.
Mac d20+1=13 Wednesday March 30th, 2005 4:53:02 AM Well, it could be worse. the taur thinks to himself. [Sense Motive: 13]. He glances about the pack. Well, it could still be worse - but I'd rather not think of how! he thinks again. He says nothing, but it is not difficult for any of his packmates too sense his unease.
Anuk d20+12=14 Wednesday March 30th, 2005 10:25:33 AM
Anuk trails behind Jake as the group heads toward the cave. As they walk, he says to the half-elf in a low voice, "You know, thinkin' about it, maybe that collar would be good to keep instead. I mean, that thing was probably keeping Shady...uh...shady. You know--in his elf form. If we end up going after Brightmarous, the collar could come in handy."
Anuk slows a bit more, and spends a little time covering the tracks of the group and the trail of Gry's drool (Survival (track) 14). "No sense making it too easy for someone to figure out where we've gone," he tells Flea as he enters the cave with her.
More Surprises (DM MikeK) Wednesday March 30th, 2005 11:10:02 AM
Grandma leads the way downward through the winding crevice. Gry follows on her heels, with the rest of the party spread out behind him. Gilan carries Grymash's axe. Anuk and Jake debate the wisdom of presenting her with the collar. Trellus and Gilan debate the wisdom of the barbarian. And Tishe keeps on about the dream and Brightmarous.
To her, Grandma replies "I imagine the dream is a prophecy of something which may happen. Given that the elves received the dream, they are likely the ones who will or will not cause it to happen. Which is why we've been so interested on what your friend has to say about it. As for Brightmarous...."
She trails off as she enters a small chamber. At the other end is doorway. Floating above the doorway is a transparent sign with bright red lettering:
Welcome to The Catacombs
Grandma reaches into an alcove and draws out a large wooden chest. She sets it on the floor and opens it to reveal a whole mess of gold pieces.
She smiles at the group. "As I said before, you took a great risk in bringing Glimmer back to us. This is your reward."
"I can keep Brightmarous from causing further trouble. But, now, I won't be able to keep Glimmer out of danger." She nods to Jake. "You asked to take him with you. And now I ask the same. Will you take him back to your home? Will he be safe there?"
DM Note - The Catacombs are now open to the Bloodpack. The treasure chest contains 10,000 gp. Experience points are coming via email.
Tishe' Wednesday March 30th, 2005 12:31:44 PM
[OOC: Woo-Hoo!!! Catacombs, here comes Tishe'!]
The average-looking woman is still nervous around the beautiful people... dragons... whatever. She absently tucks a stray lock of wavy brown hair behind her ear and stammers thanks to 'grandma' for the gold.
And Shady will be going with us... "Back to our home. Back to Rattledam? That's certainly the safest place I know about, but we don't know how to get there right now." The small woman shrugs, all will come clear in time. Right now, they have other things to do.
"I've never been to the Catacombs before, I'll have to think carefully of what I should get..."
Flea Wednesday March 30th, 2005 7:46:55 PM Gold!
A chest full of little round pieces of gold. 10,000 perfect, wonderful, shiny coins.
Flea forgets about elves. She forgets about the dream. The rogue fogets about Shady, Grandma, and Brightmarous. The gnome even forgets about the Bloodpack as she rushes up to the wonderful golden pile, and falling to her knees, lays her head on the golden heap.
Gilan Wednesday March 30th, 2005 9:29:29 PM
Gilan glances to Trellus as the idea of taking Shady with them is presented. "We could very well take him with us...that is not a problem really." He shakes his head though as he brings forward another point that someone else may have pointed out. "Still I think that we do not return home right yet...I feel that we have another duty to perform farther away." Still he would not be above taking the half-elf with them, but could they guarantee his safety.
Mac Thursday March 31st, 2005 12:18:52 AM
"Thank you Grandma." he says earnestly. The Catacombs... he thinks to himself, where have I heared of The Catacombs...? Finally, light dawns in the primeval forest. "We should sit down an' work out what we've got an' what want to sell an' buy an' enhance b'fore we go in there!" Mac systematically empties his backpack, puting the purring Galea and her bedding back in the now part full pack. The contents are: 1 pole(10') 2 Large Masterwork Heavy Steel Shields 1 Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds(2d8+3) 1 Potion of Cure Serious Wounds(3d8+5) 1 Potion of Rage 1 Potion of Reduce Person 1 Potion of Remove Curse 1 Large Mighty [up to +3STR damage bonus] Composite Longbow (20/x3, 2d6[+3], 110')
"What else 'ave we?" he says with a smile.
Grymash d20+2=12 d20-2=11 Thursday March 31st, 2005 2:34:32 AM
Flea feels a warm drip on the back of her neck. When she looks up, she will notice that Grymash is now drooling out both sides of his mouth. The glint of a thousand hundredteen gold ginglies has been the only thing up till now to distract the barbarian from his desires. But only for a moment. His sultry gaze returns back to her. Grymash pulls off his helmet and slicks back his hair. In a breathless voice he says, "Thaank yyooz!"
He's trying his best to resist his natural orcish impulses.
(Wisdom 12, Intelligence 11)
(I think we should take this to email. We need to pool together all our treasure we plan to sell. We're still carrying loot from the last adventure.)
Jake d20+10=26 d20+11=16 d20+10=23 d20+8=18 Thursday March 31st, 2005 2:44:13 AM
The half-elf grins and nods at Nuk's suggestion. "Ah toldja it'd come in useful." The nice dragon lady shows them the treasure and explains about Brightmarous. Jake listens and nods, but can't help but laugh as Flea reacts to the treasure with such adoration. He follows after her and picks out a handful of gold. "Nice," he comments. "Oh, wait.." He frowns, suddenly, touching the halfling's shoulder. His manner tries to be serious, but a perceptive soul might note he's got a teasing manner.. (Bluff 16) "Something's wrong with this! Look!" Jake shows Flea the gold, frowning. "Ah coulda sworn there was.." He pulls his hand back, looking at the gold, then shows her again. "See!" She is shocked to see that he's holding half the gold he was a second go! At least three coins have vanished! (Spot/Sense Motive check DC 26 to notice he's palmin' em) He pull his hand back, looking at it... "No, wait!" He tilts his hand as he shows it back to her (Spot/Sense Motive check DC 23 to notice him tucking them inbetween a cut fold in his glove), displaying only one coin left! "You'd better keep a hold of this one, make sure it doesn't vanish!"
He walks back over to the dragon lady a few seconds later, pondering something. He starts off in elven, for the benefit of Shady. "Lady, we'll take Shady here if he wants to go, heck, he can do whatever he wants. Ah mean, the kid'd love Rattledam, but it'd be up to the Elders if they wanted him. He's a nice 'nuff kid. But ya haven't given him a chance to speak for himself." He changes back over to common. "But speaking of dreams..y'know, on the way, we asked a question about all this, and, Trell got into this weird mood..." Jake pauses, collecting his thoughts, and impersonates Trellus's voice pretty well. (Disguise 18! woo!)
Tooth and claw confined by band Will not turn on freedom's hand
Three will merge into one ring Nature rises to greet the king
Guard the portal in icy rift The children find the wedding gift
That say anything to ya, ma'am?"
(I had some real problems with the dice roller, btw.)
Trellus Thursday March 31st, 2005 12:02:50 PM
Trellus gives Jake a speculative look. He didn't know his friend could impersonate him like that. The things Jake might try with this new found ability takes Trellus to places he'd rather not think about.
The treasure and access to the Catacombs are totally shady.
Tishe's response reminds the cleric of something.
"Uh, yeah," He adds. "Taking Shady home with us would be totally, uh, shady. But, like she said, we're kinda lost. We don't know where we are or how to get back to Rattledam."
"Could you help us get home?"
Catacombs (DM MikeK) Thursday March 31st, 2005 12:24:41 PM
The sight of a trunkful of gold and The Catacombs is quite the attention getter. Flea, Grymash, and Mac start making plans for the treasure, while Jake takes his life into his hands by teasing the gnome.
Grandma responds to Grymash with a demure "Your welcome."
Tishe, Trellus, Gilan, and Jake all agree to take Shady back to Rattledam, and then present the issue of not knowing where it is. Shady/Glimmer is looking mighty confused. Speaking in draconic, he and Grandma have a very emotional discussion that ends with the tear filled boy fiercely hugging the equally tear filled woman. Tishe -- Highlight to display spoiler: {Shady wanted to know why he had to leave. Grandma explained that it wasn't safe. Many of the other dragons would consider Shady inferior. His brother would organize them, and sooner or later, they'd attack and kill the boy. He needed to leave. Neither one of them are very happy about it.}
Pulling back from Shady, Grandma tells Trellus, "Rattledam is in the Southern Continent, correct? I can take you home, and give your half-elf his wish as well. But it will take some time to prepare."
Jake asks about Trellus' prophecy. And Gilan can't help but feel something remains. "You feel the pull of the Dream," she responds to the druid. "The event foretold by the Dream is still coming, but has not been acted upon. You are well tuned to the natural Wold to feel it so."
To Jake she says -- 'Tooth and claw' I think is poor Glimmer. The Wold becoming green would fulfill the second stanza, although I don't know who the King of Nature is. The last stanza? There is no ice here, nor Rattledam. I don't know."
Grandma looks around. "This place should be safe. I will return tomorrow morning to take you home." With that, she strides out, accidentally(?) brushing against Grymash as she passes him. The half-orc will notice she smells very nice.
Tishe' Thursday March 31st, 2005 2:57:16 PM
The small mage agrees with Mac to bring all the treasure together and make a list of what needs to be sold and bought at the Catacombs [OOC: taking the treasure to email]
She listens without realizing to Grandma and Shady. The girl is concerned. Tishe' doesn't want to tell everyone what is obviously a private conversation, but what she overheard could affect the 'pack. Her indecision is obvious, but she doesn't say anything. Yet.
The riddle on the other hand... Try as she might, Tishe' can't think of anything more than Grandma has already said.
Jake and Shady (DM MikeK) Thursday March 31st, 2005 8:11:43 PM
A strange look momentarily passes across the faces of Jake and Shady.
Jake - Highlight to display spoiler: {It feels like someone stole your shadow. The feeling is odd, but not unpleasant. And it doesn't effect your abilities in any way.
Your dream self has been summoned to the Giggling Ghost. Please go there and post.}
Flea d20-1=10 d20+8=9 d20+8=25 Friday April 1st, 2005 12:10:23 AM
The rogue looks up when Jake addresses her. "Whaaa?" she exclaims when he shows her the gold. (Sense Motive=10, fail) Her eyes go big and round when half of it just seems to disappear! (Spot=9, fail) But, then she catches the prankster palming the coins (Spot=25) and her cheeks grow red.
With a growl, she launches herself at the half elf, only to skid to a stop at his feet when his face momentarily takes on a strange blank look.
"Trellus, Jake's looking at me funny," whines the gnome.
Jake Friday April 1st, 2005 1:13:20 AM
Jake's eyes go all weird and he looks confused...blank as a sleeping babe. But a moment later, he sorta recovers a bit...and as Flea has just diverted her leap to turn her plaintive voice to Trellus for support, he takes advantage. "Okay, okay, here's your gold!" Jake says, then giggles as he sweeps up the case in his hands. Grabbing the whole chest of gold coins, he upends it on the halfling in a shower! Not all at once, but enough to keep up the assault and cover the halfling in fancy little coins. (Lessee...imagine if one hundred packs of those $1 pennies started to drop on you... And you were the size of a halfling...) Jake makes sure to pour them out slowly, letting the halfling pounce on his leg or whatever if she wants, heck, it makes it easier to dump them on her. Afterwards, grinning, he sweeps the coins off her and gives her hand up. "Ah'm sorry," he says, flashing his best big puppy dog eye-look at her.
Grymash Friday April 1st, 2005 2:28:20 AM
Grymash takes advantage of all the commotion Jake and Flea are making as he follows the sweet smelling dragon woman out after her not-so-subtle invitation.
The barbarian has no concept of what a dragon really is. Right now, he could care less. All he knows is what he sees ... ahh, and smells, in front of him. The barbarian's orcish blood is boiling at this point. His "appetite" is beyond ravenous. As far as he's concerned, there's only two souls in the Wold right now.
Gilan d20+14=34 Friday April 1st, 2005 12:19:25 PM
Gilan bows to the the lady and speaks. "Maybe that is so...this is hard on one that likes completion." He moves off to the side of the cave and takes a seat as he pulls his pack closer. He pulls out a set of scrolls that he has left and holds them up. "Still have five of these identify scrolls if interested."
As he sits he ponders the meaning of the dream some more. This has happened before that is what was said so he goes back through his knowledge of nature to see if he can nail it down.
[knowledge(nature) 34]
Trellus Friday April 1st, 2005 4:26:48 PM
Trellus doesn't know what Grandma and Shady are saying, but it sure looks like a tearful farewell to him. He turns away to give them some privacy, and finds Jake burying Flea in gold.
He opens his mouth to say something, but "Dude stop pouring gold on Flea" just sounds silly. So, he stands there, open mouthed, trying to think of someway to get Jake to stop without sounding like a beater.
The cleric eventually gives up, and turns back to Grandma in time to catch an important statement. "You can take us home?!?" he cries. "Totally shady!"
Regaining his composure a tad, he adds, "And sure, we'd love to have Glimmer with us."
Many, many thanks (DM MikeK) Friday April 1st, 2005 4:33:02 PM
Jake and Shady both quickly recover from whatever. And Jake still has the energy for a joke or two, much to Flea's dismay.
While most of the pack settles in for the evening to discuss identification and division of the treasure, Grymash trails Grandma back through the crevice to the larger ampitheatre. There, the two discuss Grandma's heartfelt appreciation for Shady's return. Those discussions last for quite some time, and the barbarian isn't likely to forget them for a good long while.
Eventually, Grandma slips away.
And the Bloodpack is alone for the night. In the ampitheatre, Grymash will note the stars are especially bright and twinkly this evening.
Jake Saturday April 2nd, 2005 1:08:36 PM
Jake notices Grymash has left and spends his time coming up with a few jokes to spare for his expense. Then he has a talk with Shady, asking the kid what he wants to do, if he really wants to go to Rattledam, what it's like there, all the other kids/packs there... Since he's lived there all his life, Jake can give a wonderful account of life in the plains. Sometime afterwards, he switches back to common to ask the others if they're done shopping.
Trellus Saturday April 2nd, 2005 1:24:09 PM
Trellus notices Grymash leave with Grandma, and gets a bit anxious. Maybe its a trap. Maybe she'll go dragon and eat his friend.
The cleric actually starts after the other two, and gets about halfway to the ampitheatre when he starts hearing sounds that don't resemble combat.
Maybe I better leave it alone, he judiciously decides.
Going back to the group, Trellus avoids Jake and heads for Gilan and his scrolls. "We still don't know what this stuff is from the Shady-nappers, right?" he asks, gathering up some of the magic items. "How bout you weave your picks on these?"
Trellus points out the necklace, leather armor, cloak, morningstar, and ring.
Grymash Saturday April 2nd, 2005 5:30:31 PM
Grymash eventually lumbers back into the cave with the others. His face is frozen with a huge, toothy grin. His eyes are glazed over from euphoria. His hair is a tangled mess (just like Nick Nolte's mug shot, except happy!). After letting out a loud yawn, he gives Trellus an affectionate slap across the back and pets Gilan on the head.
"Yooz dudes doin' gute. Been playin' wit da gold ginglies, Gry sees, hee hee hee? Ahhh, Gry not says it lots, but Gry likes da Bloodpackers. Yooz all Gry's bestest friends ... even Jake."
Grymash finds an empty section on the cavern floor and lays out his bedroll. "Gry really sleepyz ... YAWNN! Yooz all can get whut ya need from Gry's backsack." The half-orc squeezes out of his armor and clothes, lays down and falls asleep almost immediately. He didn't even get out his favorite bedtime dagger, Stabby! He looks so relaxed and serene.
You're all not sure, but it looks like Grymash has grown some since you all left the Sargrass. He looks to have added 40 to 50 pounds of muscle mass. (Guess where his level 8 ability point bonus went!)
Flea Saturday April 2nd, 2005 7:46:42 PM
"Aaarrgh! Rachh! Ptewie!" Flea extricates herself out from under the pile of gold coins.
Looks like the little dude is coming along for the ride, she thinks to herself, not really seeing herself as the shortest of the bunch.
Since it appears like the pack are going to set up camp in this interesting place with it's special conduit to that most wonderful of stores, The Catacombs, Flea decides to take inventory of her loot.
Tishe' d20+10=18 d20+10=19 d20+10=12 d20+10=25 d20+10=13 d20+10=11 d20+10=18 d20+10=16 Sunday April 3rd, 2005 9:22:52 AM
Excitement creeps into her eyes about using some magic and in finding out what the Shady-nappers had on them.
"I'll use four of those scrolls, Gilan," she calls, "and I've one memorized already for the ring." Tishe' begins her casting [crushing 100gp worth of pearls for her memorized spell], and soon learns the secrets of the armor, necklace, morningstar, ring, and cloak.
She then carefully studies the potions to determine thier properties. Alchemy skill 10; will take 20 if possible, or rolls of (18,19,12,25,13,nat 1, 18,16)
Gilan d20+13=30 d20+13=29 d20+13=17 d20+13=17 d20+13=33 d20+13=14 Sunday April 3rd, 2005 6:22:00 PM
Gilan nods as first Trellus comes over and then Tishe' shows up. He hands over the four scrolls and puts the last one back. "Glad to be of help." He watches with interest as she goes about the identification of the items and shakes his head in wonder.
As she pulls the potions closer her sits across from her and helps her out. He aids in tasting little bits of the potions and comparing his ideas with Tishe'. "Well...what do you think?" He will pick up any of the potions that she was not sure of and retest them himself, trying to help out more.
[aid other: spellcraft 30, so +2 to all Tishe''s checks]
[spellcraft: 29, 17, 17, 33,14]
Anuk Monday April 4th, 2005 12:27:30 AM
All the gold and dragons and hiking and talk of home and everything gets to Anuk, and soon he's lying back against a stone stretching and yawning widely. He grins at Gry's return, then with another yawn he says, "Wake me for my watch."
He draws the cloak around him and is soon asleep.
What do we have here? (DM MikeK) Monday April 4th, 2005 11:11:38 AM
Tishe and Gilan work on identifying the unknown magic. They do a very good job.
potion w/ light green stopper -- Fly (This is the only potion that hadn't been identified)
leather armor -- Leather +2 cloak -- Cloak of Elvenkind morningstar -- Spell Storing ring -- Ring of Climbing Necklace of molasses (new magic item similar to necklace of fireball): The ball detonates an area slow spell (just like spell) but everyone in a 30' radius must make a will save or be slowed. The necklace will have 3 balls all at 5th level will save dc 18
Shady and Jake talk of Rattledam. Shady is reluctantly accepting that he must go. Jake helps with his description of the pool itself. The elf/dragon boy finds it fascinating. Shady's big question is "Will there be any mountains I can go to?"
Both elves occasionally zone out, as if distracted by something else going on in their brains.
Gry sleeps it off.
The rest of the Bloodpack seriously considers doing the same.
Tishe' Monday April 4th, 2005 2:27:48 PM
"The 'Necklace of Molasses' is interesting, but perhaps someone who doesn't cast spells should have it.", says the mage in a considering manner. "It would really come as a surprise for an arcane spell coming from an unexpected direction."
The brown haired girl isn't really interested in any of the magic items, and will be content to hold any of the potions for the party.
Once the watch is set, she cuddles up with Wart and goes to sleep.
Trellus Monday April 4th, 2005 10:16:00 PM
"Flea? What do you think about taking the necklace? It might be a shady pick if you get in a tight spot." Trellus suggests. Like you sometimes do, he finishes silently.
The cleric listens to Shady's questions and realizes the boy wants a home of his own. "Anybody know anything about any mountains near the Grass?" he asks. "I don't think the Crystal Range would be very shady."
Gilan Monday April 4th, 2005 11:52:26 PM
Gilan is content with what he has helped in doing though he did little. He looks up and shakes his head, he does not know if there are any other mountain areas near the Plains.
With a sigh he settles back against his pack and closes his eyes as he relaxes. "What kind of watch do we set?" He questions their leader as he settles more comfortably into the pillow of his pack.
Flea d20+12=30 d20+8=24 d20+10=19 Tuesday April 5th, 2005 12:21:32 AM
"Why sure thing Trellus!" Flea answers brightly. With a backwards glance at the golden pile of coins in the chest, the rogue turns to examining the other stuff.
The she picks up the ring and turns it this way and that. Not exactly what she was looking for, although a ring is on her list of 'must haves' once the store opens up.
"I'll take middle watch, since I don't as much rest as most folks, or last watch 'cause I can see when its dim." Flea will accept whatever watch she is assigned. Gazing past the flames of the campfire into the darkness beyond the mouth of the cavern.
Search=30 Spot=24 Listen=19
Grymash Tuesday April 5th, 2005 12:29:48 AM
Grymash dreams of a grand maw of teeth. Oh soo pretty and sharp.
"SNORE!!!"
Anuk d20+10=17 d20+10=13 Tuesday April 5th, 2005 10:30:51 AM
Anuk sleeps fitfully, being awakened now and then by Gry's rapke cry of a snore. When the time comes for his watch, he blinks, bleary-eyed into the darkness, looking for any unusual movement and listening for any odd sounds.
spot 17 listen 13
Tears of the Dragon (DM MikeK) Tuesday April 5th, 2005 6:42:18 PM
The Bloodpack settles in to their night routine. Watches are kept, fires are burnt, stories are told, Grymash snores like a sunfaced rapke.
Shady continues to ask about the presence of mountains in Rattledam. "I would so wish to assume my real form," he tells Jake. "Will your people let me do that?"
Other than Shady's question, the night passes uneventfully. In the morning, Grandma returns with the dawn. She is well rested, and graces Grymash with a smile. She also opens her hands to reveal eight large red rubies, which have been cut into beautiful teardrop shapes.
"These are Tears of the Dragon," she tells the Bloodpack. "They are my gift to you for sheltering Glimmer, and to cement the bind you share with each other. Place one to your chest, and it will bind with you. You will find you will be able to speak with each other over great distances."
Grandma presents each member of the Bloodpack with one of the tear shaped gem stones.
Gilan Wednesday April 6th, 2005 1:02:03 AM
Gilan is up again early the next morning and doing his daily prayers to Mother Wold. This morning he is listening to the light drip that is off to the side of the cave that they are in. His breathing slows as he slowly falls into tune with all things that are around him.
Feeling better he moves back over to sit with the group and takes out some of his rations to munch on. "I have something for you Tishe'." He pulls out the pearl that was given to him earlier in their adventures and lays it upon six small pieces of wood that he has on the cave floor.
Closing his eyes he concentrates on the image in his head as he casts a single spell. This time he mutters the words under his breathe as to not disturb his image. Anyone watching will see the small pieces of wood, about six inches long, twist and bend themselves into a druid knot. They weave themselves around the pearl as he slowly opens his eyes with a satisfied smile.
"What do you think?" The pearl is now bound in an armlet that he hopes will fit nicely around Tishe's upper arm. "Think of it as a present and if you ever need it removed." He lets the last drop as you watches the young gnome, with that stupid smile still upon his face.
When the older dragon-Grandma comes in he looks to her and nods his head in welcome. "Thank you for the safe place to spend the night...it is a rare treat." He lightly takes the gem as she offers them to the group and shakes his head. "This is a rare gift indeed." He looks to Grandma and shakes his head again. "This is way too much payment for the little kindness that we did...I mean we would have helped Shady out no matter what." He looks to the rest of the pack but knows that they will not be able to refuse the gift too adamently. "It is an honor that you bestow upon us." He absently wipes away a few tears that form at the edge of his eyes before they can fall.
[Used wood shape spell to do this. One of the spells I will put on my spell list for this day.]
Grymash Wednesday April 6th, 2005 1:54:53 AM
Grymash gets up earlier than normal. The half-orc actually "grooms" himself. Washes with water, combs his hair, brushes his teeth, paying special attention to his tusks, with a stringy stick he found earlier. Gry also polishes his armor to a brillant shine. He still finds bits of ogre here and there. While Jake sleeps, Gry sticks his hand into his backsack and fishes around for his bottle of smelly water. He cringes when he smells it. He personally never liked the scent, but Jake's girly friends seemed to like it.
When Grand Maw arives he greets her with a big toothy smile. His eyes go wide with awe when he's given the dragon tears. Grymash doesnt know what to say. For the first time in his life he feels a bit self conscious. He doesn't want to risk saying something stupid.
Anuk Wednesday April 6th, 2005 10:27:45 AM
Anuk's morning starts slowly as they all do -- he's really not much of a morning person. When he see's Gry's preening and preparations, Anuk pinches himself. "Am I dreaming?" he wonders aloud. Frankly, it wasn't a sight he ever expected to see in this lifetime.
A few minutes of contemplation alone are enough for Anuk to prepare his mind for the day ahead (prepares entangle), but when he's done he reaches into his pocket and draws out the purple ioun stone. He stares at it for a few seconds, then approaches Trellus.
"Trellus, I...uh...I think maybe this could be put to better use," he says, placing the stone in the cleric's hand. "I've not really done much with it, and I think that the pack could benefit from selling it or...I don't know...anyway, I'm not much good at making these kinds of decisions. Do you mind?"
The gift of the tear-shaped stone from Grandma is unexpected and quite humbling. "Thank you," Anuk manages to mumble. He places the stone to his chest, wondering what will happen.
Tishe' Wednesday April 6th, 2005 1:03:28 PM
In the morning, the young woman does her ministrations and ties her unruly brown hair behind her in a tail. She then sits and contemplates her spellbook and meditates over Mother Wold. Idly, she wonders if the two styles could be meshed into a greater whole...
The small human smiles as the more experienced druid sits down and together they talk of the wonder of Mother Wold. Seeing the spell move around the pear, Tishe' smiles and is amazed that the weaving is meant for her. "Why thank you, Gilan, you are such a sweetie!" She immediately tries on the armband, already feeling more druid-like.
With Grandma's gift, Tishe's eyes sparkle with gratitude and anticipation. "Thank you, Great One", she says sincerely, "we will ever walk with your generosity and wisdom."
She bares her chest, caring not a piggie for accidentally flashing her friends. Reverently, she places the tear shaped ruby between her breasts and steadies herself for anticipated heat or pain.
Gilan Wednesday April 6th, 2005 9:32:23 PM
Gilan nods to Tishe' and smiles. "You will make better use of it than me." He takes the stone given to them by Grandma and pulls off his shirt to place it against his own chest.
Looking up to the rest of the group he shakes his head. "So...is it straight to home then that we go?" He is suddenly feeling a little homesick.
Trellus Wednesday April 6th, 2005 10:29:44 PM
Trellus takes the small prism from Anuk. "If you're sure, dude," he says.
He'd probably have said more, but Grymash is acting totally sunfaced. Before the man can figure out a way to broach the subject with his normally unsanitary packmate, Grandma shows up.
Averting his eyes from Tishe, Trellus removes his armor, and sets the gem against his chest.
Surprises (DM MikeK) Wednesday April 6th, 2005 10:34:37 PM ooc - where is everybody? It ain't THAT boring
Trellus, Tishe, Gilan, and Anuk place the stone against their chests. Immediately the stone fuses with their skin, partially embedding itself into their bodies.
The embedded gems flash brightly.
Grandma looks surprised. "That's not what is supposed to happen," she says. "Are you alright?"
The four are better than alright. Almost instinctively, they understand that the gems have somehow tapped into the Manfri heart touch. But there is only one way to find out how.....
Flea (Boots of Speed-Hasted) Thursday April 7th, 2005 12:09:31 AM
Catching on to what the others are doing, Flea loosens her tunic at the throat and places the gem against the pale white skin of her small chest.
Shedding her pack and weapons in order to be as unencumbered as possible, the rogue clicks her heels and sprints off until she is just a dot on the landscape.
Turning to face the miniscule figures at the edge of her sight, Flea bows her head to be closer to the gem and begins to sing in an off key, wavery voice,
I am tired and weary but I must toil on, till Gargul comes to call me away, Where the morning is bright and the Blind Swallow is light, and the night is as fair as the day.
Without waiting acknowledgement, Flea adds, "well, does it work?"
Grymash Thursday April 7th, 2005 9:33:20 AM
Grymash takes the dragon's tear and places it on his chest like the others. He marvels at the way it "absorbs" into his skin. For some reason, he knows what it means and what he must do. Grymash sends all a heart touch with the words, "who say blind swallow, yooz gots some? Gry hungry."
Anuk Thursday April 7th, 2005 1:20:08 PM
Anuk is momentarily taken aback when the gem embeds into his skin. But rather than pain he is filled with the same sense of calm that accompanies the heart touch he learned back on the Plains.
He looks to Flea in the distance, but hears her voice in his head as though she were right with him.
"Uh...roger that, Flea," he responds. "That's a good poem...know any good drinking songs?"
Jake Thursday April 7th, 2005 1:21:33 PM
Jake takes his own gem and looks at the others. That fusing thing is REALLY weird. The fighter has sorta gotten a grudging appreciation of magic over these last few expeditions, but that is a bit overboard. He almost feels like whining that he doesn't want to, but realizes what a bad impression that would be. So, instead he watches the others curiously. "Nice poem, Flea...very shady!"
Tishe' Thursday April 7th, 2005 2:55:21 PM
The brown eyes widen as the tear-shaped gem fuses to her breast, and, instead of pain, she feels a widening of her awareness of all her freinds and... and more.
Grandma feels that the glowing gem is unusual, and does she feel something more? She can hear Flea's poem from far away, and Tishe' tries her own experiement. She thinks of the Bloodpack mentor in Rattledam so far away, and sends a heart touch and her thoughts; "Good teacher, we are well and can once again communicate with the Second Circle."
And she waits, her hands cupped around the Tear of the Dragon, and hopes for a response.
Trellus Thursday April 7th, 2005 8:29:08 PM
Trellus recoils from the initial contact of the gem, but then smiles broadly and sends a heart touch out to all the pack.
Grymash Thursday April 7th, 2005 8:44:42 PM "Well ... whoz gots da blind swallows?!"
Tears of the Dragon - part 2 (DM MikeK) Thursday April 7th, 2005 10:34:15 PM
With the heart touch, the Tears of the Dragon reveal their full powers. Judging by the look of surprise on Grandma's face, it is a bit more that she expected.
Please add this write-up to your PC sheets: The Tears of the dragon
Once the gem is "installed or implanted" into the chest the character's will have the following abilities.
As a standard action, the Tear bearer will be able to send a message like the message spell in PhB 3 times a day. The message can only go to other characters who have the tear imbedded in their chests.
Any character who has been graced with a tear will be able to tell the general health and emotional state of another tear wearing character
Once per day, as a standard action, any Tear bearer can send strength and/or hitpoints to another character with the tear. It can only be sent on a 3/1 ratio. Example would be Grymash could send 3 strength points to Anuk and Anuk would receive one. Same with hitpoints,
The recipient's temporary hit points and strength will fade after one hour.
People who send strength with get it back naturally 1 point per day. A restoration spell will restore it but only after it has faded from the character who received it. Hitpoints sent can be recovered immediately by means of healing spells/potions.
If a character dies, while implanted, all the others will feel immense pain and take 5 points of permanent hp loss. Only a wish will restore these lost hitpoints
Grandma quickly recovers herself, and indicates the crevice. "Follow me," she says. "It is time to take you home." She walks back through the crevice toward the ampitheatre.
Shady reluctantly follows.
Just before the group turns to go, Trellus makes a fast dash into The Catacombs. He returns and divides up the loot:
Gilan -- 6279gp, Leather +2 (4,000 gp) Tishe -- 8783gp, Potion CSW (750 gp), Potion Fly (750 gp) Flea -- 9883gp, Potion CMW (300 gp), Necklace of Molasses (please keep write up of what it does on your sheet) Mac -- 8033gp, Potion CSW (750 gp), Potion Haste (750 gp), Potion Displacement (750 gp) Jake -- 7033gp, Potion CSW (750 gp), Cloak of Elvenkind (2,500gp) Anuk -- 9683gp, Potion CMW (300 gp) Trellus -- 10,283gp Grymash -- 10,283gp
Gilan Friday April 8th, 2005 12:23:04 AM
Gilan is suddenly lost in the flood of feelings that bombard him through the gem. He closes his eyes and concentrates on keeping his own emotions in check. He sends out a heart-touch to all of his packmates and smiles.
When it is time to leave he follows Grandma through the crevice. He takes the time to get his money from Trellus. "Thanks...this will come in handy."
Flea (Boots of Speed-Hasted) Friday April 8th, 2005 1:12:28 AM
Flea runs back to the party. "I don't have any blind swallows, Gry. I was just singing 'bout them!"
The rogue picks up her pack, and her new treasure. The rogue forms up on Grandma, and marches out of the crevice.
Jake Friday April 8th, 2005 4:36:15 AM
Jake has been trying to sadly explain the lack of mountains to Shady in a positive way, but has been somewhat troubled. He looks to the grandma for help, explaining that there, Shady will be able to have as much time as he wants to grow up and discover himself, how nice some (not all) of the teachers are, how the packs all have fun, some previous adventures of his, and so on.
The money comes and he looks at it somewhat dumbfounded. Six thousand gold...and just after he'd spent all his cash the previous times getting the plate mail and stuff... Sigh. Which still hadn't come! So now he had to go bug the Catacombs staff. Jake trudges through that door...fearing the weirdoes he'll see there.
Tishe' Friday April 8th, 2005 6:47:44 AM
Putting her tunic back on, Tishe' is so pleased to understand the Bloodpack is growing closer through magic and friendship. She doesn't feel the least worry about the consequences of the Tears.
Shouldering her pack and happily accepting the treasure Trellus divies up, she gladly follows Grandma, thinking to see the free Plains once again.
Mac Friday April 8th, 2005 9:59:53 AM
Thanking Grandma Dragon, Mac places the tear against his chest and soon is coming to terms with the link it provides.
Thanking Trellus again for fencing... sorry... negotiating the sale of the party's gains, Mac relaxes, and is ready when Grandma calls for all to be heading home.
Trellus Friday April 8th, 2005 7:44:45 PM
The cleric touches the gem implanted in his chest once before hastily donning his armor. Shady!
He hurries out after Grandma and the pack.
Grandma, what big teeth you have (DM MikeK) Saturday April 9th, 2005 9:39:08 AM
The Bloodpack follows Grandma through the amphitheater and out the back, following the route her comrades took the other day. The opening leads to a wide, grassy plain. The party doesn't get much of a look at the plain, because the creature standing in it instantly commands their full attention.
The Bloodpack has seen their first dragon. It's a good 30' long, and it's head sits twice the height of Mac's eye level. Small horns protrude from the lower jaw and chin of a head large enough for Flea to build an apartment in. It has a beaklike snout and a small head frill, as well as a tall neck frill. Wrapped around its body, around huge wings, is some kind of box. The box is about 10' long and 7' wide. The dragon has been looking at the group, and dips its head in greeting.
"Maurantaous," Shady says in recognition. "He's a friend of Grandma's."
Grandma continues to walk forward, building some space between herself and the group.
Quite suddenly, Grandma isn't there. Well, she is, but not as a human. Another gigantic creature sits beside the first. She also has one of those boxes strapped to her back. You get your wish, elf a voice that is Grandma's, but much deeper, says. Maurantauous and I shall carry you home. He shall take the taur, the gnome, and two others. I shall take Grrrrrrymash (she purrs the name), and three others. Glimmer, you must fly.
Shady nods, and suddenly HE'S a dragon. The place is rapidly filling up with bronze scaled creatures. His coloration is just like the others, although he's smaller. About the size of a Rapke, except with wings. Shai-dee! he sings, winking at Jake.
Mac Saturday April 9th, 2005 9:59:26 PM
Mac replies to the slight bow in kind, then recalling that some folks don't consider his bowing a sign of anything but threat and straightens up quickly. When all are ready he assists Flea and the two others up into the howdah and follows them up.
Tishe' Sunday April 10th, 2005 5:02:34 AM
While not QUITE as awesome as standing in front of Gargul, the sight of not one, but THREE dragons, thier bronze scales glittering in the sun, the slightly acrid odor of a smithy in the air... all is quite enough to stop the short human woman in her tracks.
"Oh. My."
As if in a trance, she slowly walks towards the majestic beasts, instinctively moving towards the scant protection of Mac's side. As she comes to the box, she reverently touches Maurantaous' side, stroking the scales harder than iron.
"By the many souls of Pantheon", she murmurs brought to a childhood oath. "Great One, we thank you for your help. I cannot weave any way to repay you other than my heartfelt awe and admiration."
Meekly, and still filled with amazement at the dragons, she lets Mac lift her to the box and sits quietly.
Mac Sunday April 10th, 2005 8:10:48 AM Room for one more here!
Grymash Sunday April 10th, 2005 12:02:19 PM
The half-orc stares on, frozen in shock. His face making the most stupefied slack-jaw expression anyone has ever seen. After Grymash's heart starts beating again, all he can say is, "mooga baalooga!!" Grand Maw is soo big! Grand Maw is soo strong! Grand Maw can chomp Gry in half with a single bite! "OOOHH SHADDY!!" Grand Maw is the woman of Gry's dreams! He never imagined that a dragon would be like this.
Grymash climbs on her back in awe and amazement. "Gry not know yooz could fly. Gry wish me be uh dragon too. Then weez can goes flyin tagether ... without da others."
Jake Sunday April 10th, 2005 2:57:54 PM
Jake looks utterly awed by the dragons offering the chance to fly, and then laughs when Shady turns into the smaller dragon. He goes over to his friend and pats him on the back. "You know, if I were you," he says in elven, "I'd use this form to pick up the girls. They'd come in the dozens!" Then he goes over to the other big dragon, figuring that being on Grandma the focus will likely be on Grymash. So he goes up to Mauraunta..well, the other one. "Tish, ah, do ya mind, can ah sit in the front? Ah mean, ah've always dreamed of this..." Jake looks hopefully at his packmate, as wella s anyone else who joins on the second dragon.
Gilan Sunday April 10th, 2005 4:07:20 PM
Gilan will move over and take a spot upon Grand Maw's carrier. He moves towards the back of the carrier as he closes his eyes and settles back. "This should be interesting." You know that he is not talking about flying as he has done that before.
Flea Sunday April 10th, 2005 8:22:00 PM
Flea goes quite pale, but accepts Mac's assitance into the contraption secured to the back of the big bronze dragon. She crawls to a back corner. When Tishe' gets in, Flea signals her over, and whispers, "have you got anything for, you know" and the gnome points to her stomache, adding, "I'm really more into burrows, tunnels, caves, and the like."
Trellus Sunday April 10th, 2005 9:13:43 PM
"Great Domi's Light," Trellus gasps in utter shock.
They're huge!
At Gry's "Shady" and Jake's laughter, the cleric can only nod, still stupefied by the sight before him.
They want to split the party. The thought comes to him late. A distant clamoring that he should split the group up in the best possible defensive groups. But Mac has already lifted Tishe and Jake on board. And really, what are any of them going to be able to do should Grandma and Mauritany guy decide to dump them all from a thousand feet up?
Swallowing convulsively, Trellus climbs up on Grandma and sits.
Anuk Monday April 11th, 2005 11:00:08 AM
Anuk simply stands slack-jawed at the sight of the three dragons. It takes a moment for the idea that they're going to actually ride on these creatures to sink in. When it does, a big grin crosses his face. Passing the young elf/dragon he says, "So, is flying shady, Shady?"
He clambers up to Grandma's carrier and takes a place where he can stand and see while still avoiding Gry's drool.
Tishe' [2nd Illegal Post] Monday April 11th, 2005 1:18:02 PM
Tishe' graciously gives Jake the forward view, content to be kept safe with Mac and Flea.
"Don't worry, sweetie", she says to the gnome-girl, "the motion shouldn't be any different than sailing on the Sargrass."
I hope, she thinks to herself.
Please fasten your seatbelts (DM MikeK) Monday April 11th, 2005 3:24:58 PM
Awed by the sight of the incredibly large creatures, the Bloodpack quietly ascends onto the backs of the dragons.
"You might want to hold on," Grandma comments dryly. Inside each box is a series of ropes. It appears a person can tether feet, hands, and waist to the box fairly easily. The two large dragons wait patiently for the pack to secure themselves, while Shady leaps into the air and cavorts around the group.
At a sign from Mac and Grymash, the wings of each dragon unfold. They are impossibly large. Each slams downward with a deep "fwoomp" sound, rises up, and slams down again. By the time the group can stop staring at the wings, they find themselves several hundred feet above the ground, and climbing fast.
The dragons soar through mountain passes, and beat majestically across green valleys and forests. From a height of 400 feet or so, the terrain takes on a miniature, toy-like feel. The wind stings the eyes and whistles past the ears, all the while accompanied by the "fwoomp" of the wings. Those who enjoy such sensations will find it exhilarating. Those who do not are gonna want to hunker down in the middle of the box and hold on.
Shady swoops up, down, and around, flying loop-de-loops around the two elder dragons. Grandma shouts something at him, but whatever she said has little effect.
Several hours later, the younger dragon isn't nearly so energetic, and is struggling to keep up. But the two elder dragons continue to move, forcing him to follow. None of the Bloodpack is familiar with flying speeds, but sometimes it feels like they slow down for a bit, and then pick up speed again. Perhaps they really do slow down, or perhaps it's a figment of the wind. Regardless, Shady gamely stays with his elders throughout the day.
As the sun sets, the dragons set down. Yet another wonder presents itself to the Bloodpack. They are on sandy ground -- fine white granules that give way under their feet. Behind them are large green cliffs climbing up to the mountains. In front of them....
In front of them is nothing but water.
The entire horizon. From side to side and as far out as they can see. Water. Millions upon millions of gallons of it rolling in slow, small waves that crash softly on the sandy shore.
To Mac and Tishe, it is merely another beach. To Anuk and Flea, it is something they have heard of, or perhaps experienced in another life. To Jake, Gilan, Grymash, and Trellus - it is unthinkable.
Jake Tuesday April 12th, 2005 6:25:39 AM
Jake enjoys his ride, cheering at the wind at first, then enjoying the breeze quietly. He waves at Shady and cheers his acrobatics on. As the day goes on, he enjoys the feeling immensely. Towards the end of the day he finds the new terrain mysterious. "Dust!" he exclaims, seeing all the sand and the water at first. "There's more water than that river!"
He simply can't get over how big it is, till they land. He takes off his armor as fast as he can, tossing everything aside, then runs over to it and tries to run into it, splooshes into it. What fun!
Gilan Tuesday April 12th, 2005 1:12:36 PM
Gilan sits in the back of the basket, eyes closed and enjoys the feeligs of flying. This experience is different from doing it yourself and he smiles as he sighs. "Sometimes I wish I had permanent wings." He settles back into the basket even further and relaxes.
He opens his eyes sometime later, having been relaxing and also communing with the Wold Mother. He looks at the water before the group and all the white stuff. Shaking his head he climbs out of the basket and drops to his knees. "Curious." He scoops up some of the sand and it pours through his fingers with ease. He smiles as he places some of it in on of his empty pouches and makes sure it would not leak. "We have seen some great things in the past few weeks." He looks out to the water and watches the sun as it dips down, hopefully to set on the water.
[Gilan is from a big city originally. He may have seen sand before and maybe the ocean as well. He is not as big a country bumpkin that he lets on.]
Anuk d20+12=26 Tuesday April 12th, 2005 2:18:07 PM
The exhilaration of the ride is a feeling that will stay with Anuk for a long, long time. When they set down, Anuk asks Grandma hopefully, "Will we travel again tomorrow?"
While he lounges by the water, he removes his boots and squeezes the damp sand between his toes. He plays with leaving footprints on the shore and watching the oncoming waves wash them away. He is happy and thinking of home.
As the sun continues to set, Anuk goes about looking for some way to build a fire and for food for the pack (survival 26). A good meal will make a great end to a great day.
Trellus Tuesday April 12th, 2005 4:14:43 PM
Trellus likes to think of himself as a fairly intelligent, level headed kind of guy.
But this day is sensory overload.
He laughs gleefully as the wind whips through his short hair, and leans over the side of the basket or whatever to look at the ground below. He's flying! This is so shady!
The cleric just enjoys himself until he gets to the water. He stares, dumbfounded.
His first reaction is to retreat to the relative safety of the large dragons. I mean, that's a lot of water. Slowly comes the understanding he won't be eaten where he stands.
But, there is no way he's going into that. Trellus watches Jake with some trepidation, waiting for a giant water dragon to snap the elf up.
Tishe' Tuesday April 12th, 2005 4:43:43 PM
The tremendous power required to not only lift the dragons but the entire Bloodpack is incredible, and Tishe' can barely comprehend. It therefore takes a little while before she gets used to the movement of wing and wind. As it goes through the day, she begins to enjoy it, and (well tied down) even leans out to see the land move beneath them.
The beach is strange, but since HookCity is only a couple days upriver of the ocean itself, it is not as strange as the forest in the Scar. And it takes a little while before whe realizes that not everyone has her same experiences. She keeps at the shore watching Jake to make sure he doesn't get pulled in by a big wave. "Careful there, sweetie!", she calls, "ocean water is not as calm as Rattledam spring!"
If she has time this night, she goes over her newly acquired spell scrolls to begin the process of writing them in her spell book.
Mac Tuesday April 12th, 2005 5:46:46 PM
Mac recalls the other pertinent piece of information about the ocean. Jake, just don't get a mouthful. It's saltier than sweat and tears.
Mac spends some time a little ways down the beach building a sand structure (not really a castle - more half-conical and rounded at the top, some 4' or 5' tall, with the mostly flat side facing further down the beach) up near the high tide mark. When he is finished he practices with the bow at short but then incrementally greater ranges at his constructed target as his confidence with the bow returns.
Grymash Tuesday April 12th, 2005 8:39:09 PM
Grymash feels faint. So much water! He didnt know there was this much water in all the world. Is water rising and covering the lands. He's not that good of a swimmer. Eventually it will over take him. "Is dis all dat is left of da Sargrass?! Is dis Gry's home, now?! How do weez stop da water?!"
Your seats also act as floatation devices (DM MikeK) Tuesday April 12th, 2005 9:27:00 PM
Jake strips and launches himself into the small surf in the bay. Tishe's warning is unnecessary. The protected bay flattens the surf and the tide is barely noticeable. Mac's warning proves more prophetic. The half-elf surfaces spitting out salt water.
Grandma transforms back into a human, and moves to Grymash. "Its the sea," she tells him. "A huge valley full of water that lies between us and your home. We shall have to fly for many more days. And nights."
She raises her voice so all can hear. "We have many days of travel ahead, so we'll need to rest each night. Have patience, you'll be home soon enough."
The night passes, and in the morning the dragons once again take flight. This time crossing a vast expanse of blue.
Flea d20+8=17 Tuesday April 12th, 2005 10:47:39 PM
Flea is obviously grateful to have her feet on solid ground again. She carefully puts her boots in her pack, rolls up her leggings and spends some time exploring the shallows looking for rocks, shells and any other treasures that catch her eye.[Spot=17]
Flea takes whatever watch is asked of her and then settles in for the night.
The next morning the gnome reluctantly takes her place in the box atop the dragon. She finds a secure spot at the very bottom of the box, near one of the corners and straps herself in. When the dragon takes wing, Flea closes her eyes and puts her head between her knees and wills her stomach to cease it's incessant churning.
Jake Wednesday April 13th, 2005 4:35:30 AM
"Ugh." Jake says as he splashes about. "This water tastes horrible! Why is it so salty??" Jake doesn't wait for an answer, but dives down underwater more. After a while, he emerges from the water and joins the group for dinner. "Fish are so hard to catch," he complains. The next morning, he's ready to go dragon riding again. He hopes the dragons don't mind the hula hoop...in fact he's wondering if he should discard it yet. He tries a few more hula twists.
Tishe' d20+3=6 Wednesday April 13th, 2005 4:49:20 AM
The plain-faced girl watches Jake's cavorting with amusement and follows Flea on her shoreline exploration (Spot: 6) but enjoys the vastness more than any shell or animal found. "It has been ages since I've been able to actually see the horizon!" she exclaims gratefully.
After her morning studies, she climbs back in beside Mac, Flea, and Jake. But begins to worry. "Um, many days and rests? But this is the ocean, where are you going to rest? I don't know how well we float, and I don't think we have enough food in our packs to sustain you great Bronzes." Despite any soothing remarks, the small mage will worry the day through. So far away from land! If an accident should happen, the ocean could swallow the Bloodpack without a trace.
An Hour of Silence - DM Donna Wednesday April 13th, 2005 1:14:23 PM
This board will now observe an hour of silence in honor of Lynn Beck (and her husband Dave) who was taken away from The Wold before her time...
Good-bye Dave & Lynn Beck - DM Donna Wednesday April 13th, 2005 2:14:40 PM
The hour of silence is over now. Posting may resume. Thank you and let's all hope for the best for young Alex Beck.
Gilan d20+2=17 d20+8=15 Wednesday April 13th, 2005 4:17:37 PM
Gilan wanders the beach in the opposite direction of Flea. He is also combing the beach for oddities that he can add to what he has in his small pouch already. He also looks for creatures that may live nearby that he could also make a study of and wonders if he should buy a journal like Anuk. It would be nice to keep records on what he finds out here.
When the time comes to leave again he smiles and takes a seat upon the great dragon's back. Though this time he slips to the front so that he can maybe talk a little to Grandma. "What can you tell me of dragons....what I have seen of your kind so far they are extremely fascinating creatures." There is a great deal of respect in his voice as he asks his questions about dragons. He asks about breathe weapons and flying and dragon lives.
[search 17 and spot 15]
Trellus Wednesday April 13th, 2005 8:24:03 PM
The blond cleric is still somewhat dubious about all that water. He stays well up on the sand and watches the others with a worried mother expression.
After a while he settles down, and waits for Grandma's response to Tishe. Where are they going to stop in all that?
Anuk Thursday April 14th, 2005 7:55:14 PM
In the morning, Anuk wakes on the sand, feeling the heat of the morning on the beach around him. The sand and sun remind him of the Plains and of Rattledam. He spends the morning sitting and watching the other pack members playing in the surf and thinking of the pool back home.
When the time comes to fly away, Anuk eagerly climbs up into the box atop Grandma's back and secures himself. The first lurching swoops cause his stomach to drop and his head to spin -- but in a good way. "Whooooooooo!" he cheers over the rushing wind as they travel over the vast blue expanse of water.
ADM MikeS Thursday April 14th, 2005 8:28:46 PM
Flea, Tishe', and Gilan wade through the shallows, finding beautiful shells, rock formations, and interesting creatures -- tiny fish-like animals that burrow into the sand and disappear each time someone tries to get near them.
A glint of light catches Flea's eye and she reaches into the water to retrieve a strikingly beautiful, iridescent shell; wide and flat with a perfectly scalloped edge, as though carved by some master artisan. Tishe's search yields no such sparkling objects, but the plain woman is able to find numerous shells, plants, and rocks that strike her fancy.
Gilan discovers many small plants living underwater not far from shore, the like of which he's not seen on the Plains. They are strange, alien looking things and they fill him with the wonder at the variety of life provided by Mother Wold.
Jake plays on the beach, much to everyone's amusement, and the dragons seem unbothered by the hoop he swings round his hips.
The time comes to leave, and the everyone climbs again onto the backs of the dragons. For many hours the pack sails through the skies above the seemingly endless water. Grandma tries to soothe Tishe's concerns. "Do not fear, young woman. There are many such islands between here and your home. We will rest on solid ground by nightfall, and there we will find food enough to feed us all. The journey is long, but you are all safe while with us."
To Gilan she responds, "The tale of the dragons is a long one, and not something we often share. To tell who and what we are is to tell our history. I sense no malice in your question, but I do not think you are ready yet for all I would say. I would ask you first, young one -- who are you?"
As night begins to fall, an eerie red glow appears on the horizon. As the dragons approach it, the pack can see that it's another island, larger than the last. It is covered with trees and vegetation, and from its center rises a large mountain, the top of which seems hollowed out. The red glow emanates from within the crater at the top of the mountain.
The dragons circle slowly down from the sky and come to rest on another beach. "It is nearly night," says Grandma. "We are weary, but must gather food for ourselves. I suggest you do the same. We will return soon."
With a rushing of wind and sand, the three dragons leap in the air and disappear over the tops of the dense trees marking the edge of a deep jungle forest.
Grymash d20+9=20 Thursday April 14th, 2005 10:29:47 PM
Grymash whispers in Grand Maw's ear, "So, how many nights do weez have till Gry gets home?" He then gives her a wink and a goofy smile.
After the dragons leave, Grymash will do his best to find food in this strange and very watery place.
(There should probably be penalties for Gry's Survival check in this place. Survival check 20)
Gilan d20+18=25 Friday April 15th, 2005 12:46:35 AM
Taking the time he gathers up little bits of the different rock and shells that he finds. Maybe he will be able to identify them later. Though he would love to take samples of the vegetation he knows that it would never last and with a sigh leaves it.
Gilan nods in understanding to Grandma's question to his own question. He smiles as he settles back into the basket to ponder this new puzzle, but he does speak to Grandma first. "Of course you are right...to know ones' self is in essence to understand someone else. Self knowledge must come first so that you can better know those things around you." Lost in thought he does not even notice the passing of time, till they land. Simply getting out of the basket he steps out of the way to allow the dragons to go, still lost in thought.
When at last he notices his belly rumbling he shakes his head and then looks to the rest. "I will help Gry to gather what we can...I have heard that you can fish great fish out of the ocean." He looks to the water and shakes his head at the thought. "But I have none of the gear needed for that...water is so rare at home."
[survival 25]
Jake Friday April 15th, 2005 1:45:45 AM
"Nah, Gilan, that's impossible. Ah've been tryin ta catch fish for hours; they're too fast." Jake looks at this all new environment. Lotsa trees. Lots. And lots of weird plants, grass that dangles off trees sideways, weird sounds... He picks up a big brown sphere off the ground and looks at it confusedly. "What in tarnation's this?" He notices it growing on trees, ... "like some kinda fruit..." Jake decides it must be something weird. Sitting down, the half-elf pulls out a dagger and begins cutting into it. "This thing is harder than Gry's head..." he mumbles, finally cuting through and cracking the thing open, spilling weird milk all over the place. "Milk...from a fruit?" Jake looks at his friends, completely bewildered. "Is there anything to eat this place?"
Tishe' d20+8=11 d20+5=9 Friday April 15th, 2005 4:47:35 AM
The glowing mountaintop holds Tishe's attention on the long glide down to the beach. The brown haired woman is visibly disappointed that the beach is so far away from the glow that there is no way the pack will be able to explore the curiosity.
With the others looking for food, the average looking girl turns her attention to more practical matters. "If there is fish in the ocean, we need tools to catch them." The mage scours the treeline for vines or other fabric that she can weave into a net. Weighing down the ends by weaving in rounded stones, she surveys her work (Weave Craft: 11) "Adequate, but not great.", is her assessment.
However, she uses the net to try and catch the elusive fish in the shallows (Survival: 9) "Anyone else want to try?"
Flea d20-1=17 Saturday April 16th, 2005 10:45:41 AM
Flea climbs down from the box atop the dragon, staggering unsteadily as she tries to find her legs. She watches as the bronze beasts fly off in search of something to eat, and then her thoughts turn to her own stomache.
"I'll make a fire," volunteers the gnome, and she sets off to collect dead wood, twigs, and dried grasses. Flea piles the fuel carefully, encircling it with a ring of stones, before going to work with flint and steel.
As the rogue tends the fire, her thoughts drift, and she relives recent events. Wondering if the frozen waterfall was a portent of things to come, she locates her special cloak* and checks its condition, shaking her head in dismay at its shabby appearance. When no one is watching, she smoothes it out carefully, mumbling under her breath. (Prestidigitation) Pleased with her work, she folds it carefully and packs it away, before returning her attention to the fire.
*Cloak of Comfort
Anuk d20+13=28 Saturday April 16th, 2005 3:27:45 PM
Anuk climbs down from the back of the dragon, a little disappointed that the ride is over. He tells Grandma, "Thank you for sailing us through the air...I can't tell you how much I love that feeling."
When the dragon leaves, Anuk joins Tishe' and inspects the net. "Nicely woven...this is good work," he says as he runs the cords through his thumb and fingers. "Mind if I give it a shot?" He takes the net a little further out into the shallows, trying his luck at catching a few fish. (survival 28)
ADM MikeS Saturday April 16th, 2005 3:56:34 PM
(OOC: Sorry about the delayed DM post. I will not post again until Monday evening so that everyone has time to respond.)
The stars begin to appear in the cloudless evening sky as a warm breeze comes up from from the south. The chirps and chatters of many strange birds and beasts can be heard coming from the nearby jungle, but no creatures come near enough to be seen.
Grymash, Tishe', Gilan and Anuk do their best to gather food for the pack, but in this strange environment and the fading light what is food and what is not is hard to discern. They are able to gather a few small fish and Gilan locates some leaves and roots that seem edible. Cooked over Flea's fire, the meal is meager but tasty. And the strange drink that Jake finds in the plentiful round brown things washes it down nicely.
The evening has changed to night, and as the darkness increases, the chatters and squawks from the trees increase, too. The dragons have still not returned.
(If everyone decides to set up camp, I'll need a watch order)
Tishe' Saturday April 16th, 2005 5:06:45 PM
Reading by firelight is not her idea of a good time, so Tishe' finds her bedroll early. She expects to be woken for the last watch of the night like normal...
Flea d20+10=13 d20+12=29 d20+8=17 Saturday April 16th, 2005 8:34:49 PM
Not requiring as much sleep as the magic folk, Flea will accept any duty assigned, including the middle watch. Huddling under her cloak, she keeps a sharp watch.
Listen=13 Search=29 Spot=17
Mac d20+5=14 d20+1=21 Saturday April 16th, 2005 11:09:55 PM
Mac keeps the first watch company until Galea settles down after dinner, looking forward to the early rousing for the last watch. [Spot:14, Listen:21 (Nat 20!)]
Grymash d8+24=29 d8+24=31 d8+24=27 d8+24=30 Sunday April 17th, 2005 4:13:07 AM
Grymash is restless. He worries about Grand Maw and the others. So he goes a little ways off to bring back wood for the fire. Prehaps try and make a brighter fire for the dragons to see. He takes a couple of minutes to look for a suitable tree (take20 on Survival check 29). After finding a good candidate, takes his newly acquired adamantine double axe and lines up his shot (automatic hit on inanimate objects). The steely blade easily hacks off huge chunks of the soft wood (adamantine ignors an object's hardness).
(PowerAttack+7, twohanded +14. Automatic hit. Damage: 29, 31, 27, 30 = 117. Enough damage to chop through 11 inches of wood [10hitpoints per inch according to PHB pg166])
The big halforc picks up the tree and balances it over his shoulder. He then carries it back to camp (his max load is 700 lb). He plops the tree down next to camp. He then chops the tree into logs. It doesnt take much time, his new axe slices through the wood like warm piggie jelly. Then he notices at the top of the tree a score of those brown round things like what Jake had found. "Shady!"
After the fire starts roaring Grymash sits down and begins to relax. All his nervious energy he had was spent on the work he just completed. He now has no problem falling asleep. Until its time for his turn to watch, which is usually the last watch.
Jake Sunday April 17th, 2005 3:57:22 PM
Jake's stomach gets queasy after the weird foods, and Jake opens a secret skin of glass grass he's been saving and takes a few gulps to help steady his stomach. Much better. He recorks it and hides it in his pack again...eyeing a strange belt hidden in the same area with amusement. "Ah'll take the middle watch, 'cause ah've got them elfie-eyes an' all," he announces companionably to his friends. He stops by to scritch Galea teasingly behind the ear and grins in amusement as she begins to bat at his finger.. He plays with the little kitten, enjoying it trying to gnaw on his knuckles. Then he goes over to sit on the beach, staring across the big blue. So much water. "Hey guys, look at the sunset!" he announces, pointing across the water... (I'll assume, since we're traveling southeast, that the sun's setting on our side of the island). The myriad of colors reflected on water is unlike a Plains setting, unlike anything he's ever seen.
Afterwards, Jake decides to go for a little swim again. He probably doesn't get too much sleep that night, as exotic as this locale is, and as wired up as he is.
Trellus Sunday April 17th, 2005 4:03:28 PM
The sandy-haired cleric of Domi makes a tour of the beach, looking for anything weird. He eyes this strange forest with amazement and joins Grymash in a little tour of it. Now that night is settling in, he sits down near the fire, and comments, "Good. It sounds like we'll have three watches... Each person sleeps two, stays up one. Since there's seven of us, let's have Anuk join Mac and Tishe on the first watch, Flea and Jake will take the second, and Grymash and I have the final one." Trellus makes sure he will have time to get a full sleep to have time to make his devotions to Domi.
Jake and Trellus (Mikey) d20+8=14 d20+8=16 d20+6=9 d20+6=12 Sunday April 17th, 2005 4:08:50 PM
(Subbing for Trellus, I realized I hadn't rolled watch/listen for either of them.)
Gilan d20+8=28 d20+8=10 Monday April 18th, 2005 3:53:02 PM
Gilan shrugs from the spot that he is sitting at as the comments about watches are set up. It appears as though he will get a full nights rest as he was assigned no watch.
A little bit of horror fills him as Gry comes back with the tree and he winces in pain. With a silent prayer to the Wold Mother he asks her not to visit her vengeance upon the big man. He will make his way over to the tree to see if it has any seeds upon it of it's type.
Not knowing why he gets some sleep that night but wakes every once in awhile. He gives it up to the strangness of the place and being far from home or maybe it is that stir in nature that is doing it to him. Something comes and he feels that it may not be what they are looking for, but may pull the Wold together and apart at the same time. Strange throughts and dreams for sure.
[listen 28 and spot 10]
Mike - Tryning to get my Catacombs transaction completed but am waiting on a reply from JayB. Not sure if my armor thing is slowing it down or what but do you want me to send you a character sheet without my purchases for now??
Anuk d20+11=18 d20+11=24 Monday April 18th, 2005 7:30:17 PM
"First watch...gotcha," Anuk tells Trellus. He stays up late with Mac and Tishe', talking about his home in Rattledam and even a little of his life before he came to the Plains. Stoking the campfire with a bit of the wood Gry brought back, he tells his companions, "I used to think that someday I'd go back home...thought maybe I had something to prove. But..after being away from Rattledam for a while I guess maybe I don't have much to prove after all. It feels like my thread is woven tightly in with the pack now...I guess I just don't feel like I used to." He looks up from the fire suddenly. "Whoa...sorry 'bout going on all sunbaked there...sometimes I just ramble, y'know?"
Throughout the conversation, he keeps eyes and ears open to anything new or strange. (spot 18, listen 24)
ADM MikeS Monday April 18th, 2005 7:49:00 PM
The brilliant sunset is admired by all as the sun disappears below the watery horizon. Grymash hews easily through the great tree, and is quite the sight stalking out of the jungle with the huge piece of lumber atop his shoulder. Gilan's inspection of the tree yields no immediate clues as to how it reproduces, but he does suspect that the hard, brown fruits containing the milky drink may have something to do with it.
The warm breeze from the south continues throughout the night and the pack members alternate sleeping and taking watch. The time passes uneventfully except for a moment during the second watch. For a moment, the constant noise from the animals hidden by the trees goes silent. Then, Flea and Jake are alarmed to hear a low rumble followed by a shifting of the ground. The sky glows red briefly, and a cloud can be seen drifting upward into the night sky from the top of the mountain at the center of the island. This is followed by many, many birds suddenly and noisily taking flight. Soon, the chatter resumes. No more movement occurs through the night.
Near the end of the third watch Grymash and Trellus hear the familiar *thwoomp* of dragon wings in the distance. It gets louder, and then the forms of Grandma and Maurantaous appear above the treeline. They land quickly on the beach and Grandma transforms into her human shape. She rushes to Grymash, a worried look in her eye and anxiety in her voice.
"Please, tell me that Glimmer has returned to you already."
Anuk Tuesday April 19th, 2005 1:06:28 PM
Anuk wakes from his sleep with a start when he hears the voice of Grandma talking to Grymash. He had been dreaming of flying on the dragons, and it takes a moment to orient himself.
He springs to his feet and joins Gry, Trellus, Grandma and Maurantaous. "What's going on? Where's Shady?" he asks.
Trellus Tuesday April 19th, 2005 3:09:01 PM
Trellus sits, contemplating the rolling waves and breeze filled beach. Its all totally relaxing.
At least until the two dragons show up.
"No," he replies. "He went with you. He didn't come back here." Reflexively, the cleric looks around, trying to spot Shady.
Tishe' Tuesday April 19th, 2005 3:40:25 PM
Missing all the excitement in the night, the mage pulls her wavy hair into a ponytail for her morning meditations. The arrival of two worried dragons puts the thought of her spellbook right out of her mind.
She also shakes her head after quickly looking around. "Shady isn't here, Great One. When did he separate from you last night?" She worriedly thinks of her spells, but none she knows can find a lost dragon.
Flea Tuesday April 19th, 2005 4:50:59 PM
"Uh, wasn't he with you?" responds Flea brilliantly, when a worried 'grandma' asks after Shady.
The gnome siddles up to Gilan and tugs at his sleeve. "You don't think they'll leave us here if they go off looking for the dude, do you?" she whispers, a worried look on her face.
(OOC: DM MikeK, CC transactions wrapped up, and PC sheet just about ready.)
Jake Tuesday April 19th, 2005 5:02:45 PM
Jake wakes up to see the two dragons back, in the dark, and hops up quickly drawing his sword...He stops, looking somewhat embarassed at his combat reaction. "Ah haven't seen Shady...but ah did notice some weird ground-shakin's. Ah've never seen such magic power." (On the plains, I imagine earthquakes have never happened...) "Ya know, the kid's curious. Ya sure he didn't go check out that big ol mountain thing there? He likes mountains, ya know." Jake points at the volcano.
Gilan Tuesday April 19th, 2005 6:48:02 PM
Gilan wakes up with a start and shakes the sleep from his body. He rubs his eyes as he looks to the two dragons and yawns.
When Grandma changes and runs to Grymash, inquiring about Shady he is suddenly very awake. He glances around and does not see the half-dragon anywhere and groans. Great now Shady is missing and they have no idea where they are let alone where he is at.
Standing he slowly moves around to gather his gear and look to the east to see how soon the sun will rise. "Do we wait long enough for those of use that need to...to go through our morning prayers and communion?" He is worried about Shady but knows that he will be of little help without a full load of spells.
Ignore part of this post if the sun is already starting to rise or has risen. Gilan would have been up with the rising sun, going through his morning commune with Mother Wold.
Search Party (DM MikeK) Tuesday April 19th, 2005 8:53:56 PM
Grandma's face becomes even more worried as the Bloodpack answers that Glimmer is not around.
"We must find him!" she cries. Maurantaous moves in to comfort her, and she stands rigidly. Head lowered, she stares hard at a point near her feet, boring a hole into the sand.
"He would not have gone far," she declares emphatically. "Not after the last time. He has to be on the island."
"Or just offshore," her comrade adds. At this she starts, as if having just thought of something. "Yes," she agrees. Turning to Grymash, she explains. "We bronze dragons adore a good swim."
She looks at Jake, whom she still assumes is leader. "We will search the water. You must search the land. We will meet back here at sundown." A quick nod to Maurantaous, and they are both sprinting down the beach, turning dragon form, and swooping into sky.
The Bloodpack turn as one to face the teeming jungle island, and the sun peaks over the eastern horizon, bathing all in a pink glow. Even a casual inspection will reveal several game trails leading into the island's interior. Additionally, a small river empties into the sea only a half mile or so up the shore.
Grymash - Will Save DC 10. If failed,Highlight to display spoiler: { the half orc hears a small voice in his head. It sounds vaguely feminine, and far off. The voice squeaks pleadingly "Release me!"}
OOC - Once you've completed your catacombs transactions, please send me your sheet.
Grymash d20+6=18 Tuesday April 19th, 2005 9:08:02 PM
Grymash nodds with Flea's question about the whereabouts of the young dragon. He thought Glitter was with them. Though he tries to be comforting, even though he's never played that part before.
Then the suggestion of a swim! "In all dat water!!" (Will save 18) "Gry can go for swim, jus no far out. Let Gry take off da armor." The half-orc walks back to camp to deposit his armor and gear. He strips down to his loincloth, except for his favorite dagger, which he ties to his blood red sash.
Jake d20+11=13 Wednesday April 20th, 2005 5:31:45 AM
"Grym! Come on, we're supposed ta search the island, not tha water!" Jake chides his friend. "Still, ah wouldn't mind takin' a bit of a mornin' swim before we go in that jungle. Might as well." Jake's already dressed in just his skivvies, so he just hops into the water and takes a refreshing morning swim. As dawn breaks he hops out. Since Rattledam, he hasn't really 'grown out' like Grymash. He still doesn't stand even five and a half feet tall. But where before he was wiry and slim, now he's just solid lean muscle. (Like Rocky IV.) He has gained a little, and firmed up quite a bit. (+1 to strength, and probably +1 to Con when I hit 8th level). He's even more of an eyefull for the ladies. Jake heads back to shore and unpacks his stuff, asking Trellus for some help with his new full plate armor. Buckle after buckle, breastplate, greaves, gauntlets, shield, swordbelt, dagger in boot, bow on back, cloak trailing after him, Jake looks down at all of the stuff he's carrying around. "Shucks.. few weeks ago'n ah'd never 'magine ah'd have so much stuff ah'd be carrying." He combs his hair with a fancy brush and admires himself in a little mirror. I look like one of them real knights, he thinks to himself admiringly. He puts on his brand new fedora over the hair stylishly, and alltogether can't help but feel all dressed up in brand new everything. He tugs on his heavy backpack, filled with rope, flasks, clothes, and all the stuff you'd need to survive in the plains. Finally, the half-elf gets over himself and begins to move towards the forest. You'd expect with all the stuff he's carrying and the armor he's in, he'd be noisy, but no. He moves with such care and practice from watching the Flea sneak about, and his fine elven boots muffle his feet enough so that he isn't a walking marching band.
"We should zig-zag through the jungle, heading for that mountain we saw. Lahk ah said, Shady likes mountains, and maybe he saw something he wanted while he was floating around it. Or...there could be weirdoes on this island. Huh. Uh, Flea, or Tishe or Mac, you guys know what sorta stuff lives here? I mean, it's surrounded by water, so it's gotta be like, um, something that lives in water, like a lizard, right? I mean, we didn't see any boats or villages, so we know there can't be any people around...right?"
Mac d20+1=21 Wednesday April 20th, 2005 6:46:06 AM The mountain... yes. he growls. Prob'ly no people, but maybe something else. Don't be worried about leavin' tracks - if he gets back here we want him to be able to find us eas'ly. he says as he packs and gears up. Mac feels there is something odd but hasn't put his finger on it yet.[Sense motive: 21, nat.20]
Trellus (Magic Vestment) Wednesday April 20th, 2005 9:12:19 AM
Like Gilan, Trellus is worried about Shady, but senses the need to attend his morning rituals. "Go ahead and weave in the water," he tells Grymash. "I gotta pray first anyway."
The cleric finds a spot, and prays to Domi for strength and protection over the coming day. When he's done, he gets up and looks over at Jake putting on all that steel.
"Dude, you're gonna be baked when we get home," he points out uncertainly.
Like everyone else, Trellus has got some new toys. His shield now matches his breastplate. Both sport an upright warhammer emblazoned in gold upon a circle of silver in their centers. Pulling out a small rod, the cleric casts a spell on the shield. [Magic Vestment (extended): +2 on the shield for 16 hours.]
Once he's geared up, the blond man looks around at his friends to make sure their ready. They are. "Shady. OK, Mac, keep an eye on our back. Flea, Anuk, let's weave."
Trellus falls in behind Flea, Anuk, Gry and Jake, letting the rest of the Bloodpack fall in behind him.
Tishe' Wednesday April 20th, 2005 4:39:57 PM
After her meditations and spellbook research, Tishe' is ready to join the search party.
"I've seen the ocean, but I don't know everything about the animals that live there." she tells Jake. "I think we would be best to look at the mountain anyways." She looks eagerly at the glowing top, anticipating finding new information.
She also prepares by casting her divine spell, Elven Sight, and holding her new magical rod casts Mage Armor (Extended)
Gilan Wednesday April 20th, 2005 6:35:16 PM
Gilan sets up near the waters edge and goes through his morning ritual of communion with the Wold. The sun rises over the ocean and touches his face, much like a kind mother. He smiles as he nods his head and stands slowly.
As he walks back to the group he smiles again and shoulders his pack. "I am ready now...sorry for the wait." He looks to the jungle that lays before them and the mountain beyond. "It seems the mountain would be the best bet and it will be hard to track Shady if he was flying."
The good news is, we found him ... (DM MikeK) Wednesday April 20th, 2005 9:33:49 PM
Having prepared themselves for the day, the heroes plunge into the verdant jungle. Flea and Anuk choose a game trail that seems to be heading toward the glowing mountain.
The jungle is alive with brightly colored flowers. Reds, yellows, oranges, and purples decorate the green canopy. Curiously, every bloom appears in triplets - three red flowers, three orange flowers, three purple flowers. Triplets are everywhere. Three brightly colored birds flutter past. The small lizards break from three bare rocks and take cover at the group's approach. Reminders abound that some momentous event is still out there.
The mountain is a lot further away than anyone supposed. The trail is broken up by tree roots and streams and an occasional clearing. About mid-afternoon, Flea is just entering one of these clearings when she spots movement on the far side.
Entering the north end of the oval, 90' opening are three large humanoid figures. They look like hunched over humans, except they're a good 10-12' tall. Each deeply tanned giant wears little more than a loincloth, has a bag draped over a shoulder, and carries a large club in one hand. Two carry a long pole between them, and the third walks behind.
A familiar looking dragon is lashed to the pole. He hangs below it, bound to the pole by his forelegs and hindlegs. He is not moving.
The giants are walking casually, heading straight for the very trail the Bloodpack is using. As of yet, the have not seen Flea. The leader is about 75' away.
Anuk is 10' behind Flea. Gry is 30' behind Anuk, with Jake, Trellus, Tishe, Gilan, and Mac trailing along at 5' intervals.
Only Flea, and now Anuk have spotted the giants.
Flea (AC 20, 47 HP, +4 Dodge vs Giants, Tears of the Dragon) d20+23=42 d20+14=23 d20+13=16 d20+9=18 d20+11=31 Wednesday April 20th, 2005 11:42:33 PM
Flea steps off the trail and tries to blend into the vegetation (Hide=42). Lowering her head to the gem embedded in her chest she whispers, "three big guys have got Shady. I'm going to hide and wait for them to pass me by, then come at 'em from behind." The rogue is nearly breathless with excitement, but she continues to whisper into the gem, "hide in the bushes, then let's take them by surprise so they don't hurt the little dude. I'll let you know when the last one goes by."
The rogue will remain very quiet (Move Silently=23) careful not to miss any details as the seconds tick by. (Search=16, Spot=18, Listen=31)
Ever so slowly she draws her retro-fitted gnome hooked hammer.
(OOC: Sorry for missed post. Good news is, I got my updated PC sheet in, and Flea has some new toys!)
Mac d20+3=14 Thursday April 21st, 2005 3:02:29 AM Hide? How am I supposed to... he thinks as he tries to hide, but he doesn't feel very convinced about his cover. [Hide:14] To Gilan he quietly says, I cannot attack them out of the bushes - it doesn't sit well. But I can make a noisy stand further down the path. That way they are looking at me an' no' at you. He then moves back down the path some 30' and awaits the arrival of the big guys with shady.
Jake d20=12 Thursday April 21st, 2005 4:07:16 AM
Shady's captured!? Jake touches his heartstone and...well, sends out an impulse of anger, really, not much thought. Let's get them!!! is the main impulse behind it. Flea wants to wait for them, though, so Jake moves into the woods as silent as ever...but not really able to hide very well in his armor. All of his focus from Flea so far has been on learning how to move quietly like the little one. He sends another thought to the others.. Gil, Tishe, can ya make me invisible like the Flea . He depends more upon the shrubbery to disguise himself. With a quiet shnick, his sword slips out, and he straps on his shield. Sitting there, he concentrates...and sweats. Man, this armor and gear weighs a lot... (Move Silently, 12 total what with my -13 from all the stuff he carries.)
Trellus (ac23, magic vestment, prayer[1/8]) d20-3=11 Thursday April 21st, 2005 11:54:25 AM HIDE?!? Trellus thinks increduluously. Flea is gettin sunbaked.
Mentally shrugging, the cleric crashes into the underbrush and tries to conceal himself. For his very first attempt, he doesn't do too poorly. [Hide 11]
Squatting amongst the trees, he casts a spell to help in the coming battle.
PRAYER - +1 to hit, damage, and saves if within 40' of Trellus. -1 to enemies for same
Gilan [HP: 66/66 , AC: 17] {} d20+2=16 Thursday April 21st, 2005 2:23:00 PM
Gilan looks to Mac as he slips into the undegrowth (hide 16) with the rest of the group. "Ok, but wait a second." He lays a hand upon Mac and casts a spell upon him, speaking in a low whisper. "Vara tel seldarine." He watches the retreating form of Mac as he goes back down the path a ways and shakes his head.
Laying a hand over the gem on his chest he thinks to the whole group. {"We are going to have to time this perfect...Mac went back down the path...he cannot attack from ambush."} There is no accusations in his words as he says this. He knows that the minotaur race are a proud and honorable one and not given to dirty tactics very often.
He lays his pack and shield upon the ground at his feet. He breathes lightly as he calms himself and smiles. Oh yes, he has a new bag of tricks to play and he intends to try one out right now.
Barkskin - 80min 00sec, +3 to Armor
Tishe' (AC 19 [mage armor] HP 37/37) d20+2=13 Thursday April 21st, 2005 3:44:32 PM
Tishe' is startled at the message through the gem; she had nearly forgotten about the Tears of the Dragon! But it doesn't stop the brown-haired mage from reacting swiftly. Moving up to Jake she hands him a potion. "Invisibility", she explains.
And then she moves into the undergrowth and tries to find large plants or trees. It is unnecesary to see the enemies because Flea will tell her when to come out, so even being completely covered is OK. (Hide: 13)
She touches her gem and sends a message, "At Flea's mark, I'll hit the last one with a web spell if I can."
Anuk d20+12=18 d20+9=13 d20+11=15 d20+11=18 Thursday April 21st, 2005 4:09:06 PM
Anuk stops short when he sees the giant humanoids with Shady. He puts his hand up to signal Gry to stop when Flea sends her message. Touching the gem embedded in his own chest he thinks Almost forgot about this. Gotta remember that this is better'n hand signals.
He disappears into the bushes on the side of the trail opposite Flea and whispers through the gem, "Whaddya think? Shall you and I take on the last one as he passes or should we wait and both get behind the group? I'm thinking we let 'em all get between us and the rest of the pack."
He quietly draws his bow and watches the procession, hoping that Shady is okay.
(Hide 18, Move Silently 13, Spot 15, Listen 18)
Jake (Add-on) Thursday April 21st, 2005 5:17:15 PM
Instead of heading into the bush, Jake merely takes a swig of the potion and moves off the path slightly, then holds still. In plain view, if they can see invisible, but if not...
Grymash (ac24, hp94/94, protect from evil, prayer) d20+3=10 Thursday April 21st, 2005 7:39:14 PM
Grymash darts into the overgrowth and hunkers down as best as he can. (hide 10) From his hiding place, he casts Protection from Evil on himself.
Jungle Ambush - PC Actions (DM MikeK) Thursday April 21st, 2005 9:13:36 PM DM Note on those Tears -- You can whisper a message that one other person can hear. You have to point to that person. You can only do this three times a day. Please designate whom you are speaking to in future posts.
Flea steps silently into the underbrush and uses her Tear to quickly whisper a plan to Anuk. The ranger sends his own Tear message back to Gry, who waves at the rest of the Bloodpack to hide.
The barbarian crouches down in the leaves and casts a protective spell on himself.
Mac can't justify springing out of bushes into a combat. The minotaur lets Gilan know, and backs off a few dozen paces down the trail. He is plainly in sight.
Jake quickly grasps the situation, and sends out a pulse of anger that all the Bloodpack feels. He sends a Tear Message to Tishe, asking for a bit of magical help. The sorceress hands the elven fighter a potion. He drinks it, and disappears.
Trellus crashes into the underbrush, and casts a spell, imbuing his comrades with the guiding hand of Domi.
Gilan taps Mac with a barkskin spell, hardening the taur's skin. The druid fades into the calming jungle.
more coming...
Jungle Ambush - NPC actions (DM MikeK) d20+3=19 d20+3=18 d20+3=13 d20+6=23 Thursday April 21st, 2005 9:28:20 PM
Somebody was too noisy, because the leader suddenly stops. "Whazzat?" the leader grunts. He pauses, looking and listening. His companions just stop and wait.
Not seeing anything, but still not quite satisfied, the leader waves his little troupe forward. He advances cautiously to the trail head, and is beside Flea and Anuk when he spots the waiting minotaur.
"Dessert!" he cries happily.
The leader (g1) readies his greatclub and advances on Mac, while the other two giants let go of the stick. Shady slams to the ground, emitting a loud "Whoof!" when he hits.
Then, they follow their boss. G2 gets even with Flea and Anuk when he happens to glance into the trees, right where Trellus is vainly attempting to hide.
"Hey! 'nother one!" he calls. G2 tromps into the jungle, intent on bagging some nice cleric.
Grymash (ac22, hp110/110, rage, protect from evil, prayer) d20+14=34 d20+14=22 d20+9=26 d8+24=29 d8+24=25 d8+24=31 d8+24=29 Thursday April 21st, 2005 10:06:39 PM "YOOZ NO EATIN' GRY'S LIL' BUDDY!! AUUGGHH!" roars the halforc. Rage takes over and he swings into the giant as it makes a play for Trellus. His new adamantine double axe has its first taste of blood... and it likes it!
(Full Attack. Powerattack+5, twohanded+10. HitAC: 34threat, 22crit, 26. Damage: 29, (25+31crit), 29 = Possible 114 damage. If he crit, then the giant must make a Fort save DC 15 or die instantly from massive damage. Wow, thats a great first attack with a new weapon!)
Stephen: post revision Thursday April 21st, 2005 10:16:00 PM
ooc: OK, I make a revision to my post after seeing the game map. Grymash cant get off all his attacks because the giant is too far away. Instead he will charge at Trellus' attacker and get off one attack. Possible 85 points of damage. If he did crit, the giant must do the Fort save 15 or die.
Flea (AC 20/24 vs Giants, 47 HP) d20+14=30 d20+10=17 d6+2=7 4d6(4+5+1+6)=16 Thursday April 21st, 2005 11:31:08 PM
Flea slides in behind the last giant (G3) tumbling (Tumble=30) if required to get past him and taking up a position opposite Anuk. The gnome strikes out with the bludgeoning end of her hooked hammer, aiming for the tendons and sinew behind the creature's knee (hit AC 17 for 7 dmg, 16 sneak attack dmg).
Jake (AC 27, no longer invisible) d20+12=30 d10+5=6 d6=5 d6=4 d6=1 Friday April 22nd, 2005 2:42:24 AM
(Note to Gry and all; beware, since they're giants, they probably provoke attacks of opportunity unless you tumble like Flea or have reach like Mac) Looks like the battle's begun, Jake thinks to himself as Gry goes tearing off into the guy. The half-orc obviously doesn't need any help, Jake thinks to himself. Then again, it'll probably be best to help him finish off that guy if it's still standing. If the second giant is still up after Gry's gruesome hack, Jake deftly moves in. Being invisible, he doesn't have to worry about an itinerant swing. However, he probably can't get into flanking opposite Gry, what with the bush obscuring his movement. Standing on the giant's left side, just south of him, Jake suddenly becomes visible when he slashes low, cutting into delicate organs in the giant's belly, or at least trying to... (Hit AC 30. Did 6 hacking damage, 5 freezing, 5 sneak attack, 16 total damage.)
Mac (????) d20+9=27 3d6(3+2+1)+21=27 d20+4=18 3d6(6+6+1)+21=34 Friday April 22nd, 2005 7:37:55 AM Dessert am I? he snorts at the giant as he takes one good sized step towards him (5' on the diagonal) and swings his axe across, around and down upon him. ------- Full Attack, Power Attack(-6/+12) Attack 1: d20+9= AC27 for 27 damage Attack 2: d20+4= AC18 for 34 damage ------- <OOC> My situation is unusual, so let me explain. As some of you would already be aware I have lost my PHv3.5. No clue where it might be. My computer no longer runs windows so until my tech.sup. friend decides to respond to the message I left him on Monday I don't have access to Mac's character sheet - making the above rolls etc educated guesswork. Apologies for any mistakes I make. Could DMMikeK please send the updated Mac sheet back to me?</OOC>
Convergence (DM MikeK) Friday April 22nd, 2005 9:05:47 AM
The battle is joined!
And then, all feel a sudden chill as a the heretofore constant southward warming breeze changes direction and temperate. From the south, all cool breeze stirs the warm late afternoon air. Birds of the nearby trees break into cacophony of song, then silence. Everyone in the party not totally engaged in battle can pick up faint strains of some ethereal music. While the two engaged giants continue to attack, G3 actually stops in the middle of the clearing, cocking his head to pick out the sounds.
Jake does not get off his attack. He is stopped midstride (and still invisible) by the tune and the words only he can hear.
Jake - Highlight to display spoiler: { It is time! The invitation to join the dream-song and raise the sleeping king!
Starless night will cover day, the veiling of the sun, Dark sleep broken, here comes the one!
No more will you wander, on dark journey of dreams. The woods have awoken, the power of living things!
Our love for this land is deeper than the deepest sea. The bonds are sundered, and we will have our king!
Jacob, you are compelled to sing and vote. Yea or Nay?}
From the tied up form that is Shady, a strong tenor voice arises in melodious song. It joins the etheral voices, falling into tune with the joyous melody. Those who speak elven understand he is agreeing with something, although (other than Jake) no one knows what question was asked.
Trellus (ac23, magic vestment, prayer[2/8], spirtual wpn[1/8]) d20+14=15 Friday April 22nd, 2005 10:18:14 AM PRAYER - +1 to hit, damage, and saves if within 40' of Trellus. -1 to enemies for same
Trellus' ears register the singing, and his mind files it away to wonder about later. Because at this very moment, a 10' tall giant is bearing down on him. And that tends to get one's attention.
Fortunately, Gry comes to the rescue. The cleric exhales in relief. Gry is such a shady weaver sometimes.
The half-orc seems to have g2 under control. Light, that dude hits hard!
So, Trellus backs away (due south) about 10' to get out of the way, and turns to help Mac. A twist of his hands and a quick incantation, and Domi's Hammer appears above G1.
The weapon slams down. [Spiritual Weapon. Atk ac15 nat 1]
Anuk [AC 21 (ac22vsG3-Dodge), HP 43, Prayer, Point Blank Shot] d20+13=26 d20+8=18 d8+5=6 d8+5=8 Friday April 22nd, 2005 11:17:13 AM
Anuk rises from his hiding place as Flea attacks the giant. The music is distracting, but he is careful to ignore it, not wanting to lose his concentration. Taking careful aim at the hulking figure (G3), he lets two arrows fly into it's chest.
(Hits AC 26 for 6pts, AC 18 for 8 pts)
Tishe' (AC 19 [mage armor] HP 37/37) Friday April 22nd, 2005 3:29:16 PM
The sounds of battle arrive and Tishe' bursts from her concealment to see where the giants are. Looking around, she focuses where she told Flea she would.
The mage's hands raise and she begins to weave voice and hand into a tapestry of tiny strands that rapidly expand and anchor themselves in the trees around the last giant. And soon, the huge man is in danger of being ensnared by a conjured web! (DC Reflex 17)
Spells mage armor [extended] [I'm assuming 3 hours left if the afternoon] Web [50 minutes] 20 foot radius
Gilan [HP: 66/66 , AC: 17] {prayer} d20+11=22 d20+6=26 d20+6=26 d4+2=5 d4+2=3 d4+2=3 Friday April 22nd, 2005 5:01:28 PM
Gilan is able to ingnore the song but files it away to ask about later. He quickly decides to make a risky move and sends a pair of sling bullets at the giant that is heading in Mac's direction. He is hoping that it will at least give Mac some distraction time and allow him to get in some good shots.
[hit: 22/26(crit26) and damage: 5/3(crit6)]
Barkskin - 79min 50sec, +3 to Armor
DM Note Friday April 22nd, 2005 9:04:43 PM
OOC - Graham - apologies for not being more detailed. The Convergence post was an interruption, not the start of the next round.
I deleted your last post, as the combat round hadn't turned over yet.
Jungle Ambush - rd 2 (DM MikeK) d20+15=19 d20+12=22 d20+3=6 d20+15=27 d20+10=18 2d8(2+1)+9=12 d20+15=31 d20+9=24 2d8(2+5)+9=16 2d8(5+1)+9=15 d20+7=25 Friday April 22nd, 2005 10:01:16 PM
Synopsis -- (Work with me, here) The Bloodpack has been bound for home for many, many days. Grandma and Maurantaous have bourne the heroes across and endless expanse of ocean, stopping at secluded island after secluded island each night. Sights that were marvelous have become mind-numbingly boring. But, at this last stop, their young charge has disappeared.
A search effort was quickly organized, and the Bloodpack headed toward an odd glowing mountain. But, there trek was interrupted by the sight of three giants and the captured Glimmer. The pack attacked, and battle was joined....
DM NOTE -- Giants are AC 20
Shady continues to sing with the melody.
Grymash roars a feral challenge, bursts out of his hiding place, and launches himself at G2. The grinning giant turns, and swings at the approaching half-orc. Fortunately for Gry, the giant badly misjudged his speed. The club misses. Gry does not. His blade bites deeply into the stunned giant, ripping a huge hole in his side. Blood spatters for a dozen feet from the force of the blow.
Flea rolls in behind the distracted G3. She attempts to thwack him in the back of the knee, but he shifts at the last minute, taking the blow on his well muscled thigh for little effect.
In the middle of the trail, a little ways removed from g2, Jake's voice rises to join the song. He doesn't sing that badly really, although the sound of a disembodied voice in the middle of the trail at this particular point in time is a bit disconcerting. [Jake is still invisible]
Mac takes one step toward G1, and rips off a large hunk of an upraised arm with the first blow of his axe. The canny opponent is able to avoid the second blow.
Trellus steps away from G2, and tries to help out on G1. But the glowing weapon totally misses the giant.
Anuk rises from his hiding place, and launches two arrows at G3. The first draws blood. The second ricochets off thick skin.
Tishe fires a spell at G3. A sticky mass soon engulfs the giant. It threatens to engulf Flea as well. [Flea -- Reflex DC 17. If successful, you can move within the web by 5' for every 5 full points that the check result exceeds 10] The giant is totally encased in the gooey mess.
Gilan fires sling stones at G1. Shoulda named the druid David, cause both stones bonk off the giant's noggin, causing him to growl in pain.
[DM NOTE - Mac and Flea are currently outside of the range of Trellus' prayer spell and get no bonus]
G1 ignores the glowing hammer and flying stones, and gets to work on the real battle. The great club swings hard at Mac. The first blow is crushing, the second misses. [Hit ac 27 and ac 18. 12 hp damage]
G2, hissing in agony, launches an assault on Grymash. Both blows crash heavily into the half-orc. [Hit ac 31 and ac 24 for (16 + 15) = 31 hp damage]
G3 bellows in anger. The giant twists and turns and stomps, ripping himself free of the stickly webbing. [DM Note - G3 has cover from all but Flea, and if she moves, he'll have cover from her. Effective AC 24]
Awakening Saturday April 23rd, 2005 2:58:27 AM The Wold stirs....
A breeze springs up, seemingly from out of nowhere. On the Sargass Plains, the unending grasses begin to move and toss, and the rapkes pace, restless and uneasy. In the Windbourne Hills, horses whinny and break into a run for no reason. In the tunnels beneath Dirt City, sewer rats begin to flee their hiding places, running into well-traveled corridors while the people wonder what it all could mean. And in the Emerald Kingdom, the anticipation is very nearly palpable as the animals awaken and the trees stir in the wind.
Something is coming.
The Wold seems to hold its collective breath as the Sleeper stretches, turns, sighs...and awakens. Eyes the color of the sea blink and focus as the Sleeper regards the Wold around him. The expanse of New Elanna, the great bulk of Shadow Mountain, the mysteries of the Southern Continent, even the wonder that is Floating City--all of these are known to the Sleeper in a heartbeat. A frown of concentration crosses his face, then a satisfied smile as he begins to know what must be done.
The Sleeper takes a breath and stretches out his hand...
All -- Listen check DC 4. Off to the south, as if way off in the distance, there is a distinctive deep "thump". (Like a really large firework)
Jake Saturday April 23rd, 2005 3:18:34 AM
Unlike the others, Jake falls into the song. He does not know how to sing well, though his voice is okay...
Starless night will cover day, the veiling of the sun, Dark sleep broken, here comes the one!
No more will you wander, on dark journey of dreams. The woods have awoken, the power of living things!
Our love for this land is deeper than the deepest sea. The bonds are sundered, and we will have our king...
Jake pictures in his mind the hand outstretched, and his soul stretches towards it...in the middle of the path, invisible luckily, Jake falls to his knees and drops his weapons, supplicating to the image in his mind.
Tishe' (AC 19 [mage armor] HP 37/37) d20+2=11 d20+2=18 Saturday April 23rd, 2005 6:09:20 PM
[OOC: I'm really bad and never told anyone that I'm going on vacation Sunday through Thursday. :( Could someone PLEASE play Tishe' so she can help during the battle?]
The brown-haired mage hears the crack of large fireworks [Listen: 11] and it distracts her for a second. "What was that?" She looks around wildly [Spot: 18], but all she sees is the giant easily ripping away her webbing and Flea perhaps caught. Not the scenario she had in mind!
She raises her magic about her again, this time weaving with a pinch of mica, and aims her spell just above the giant in the ruined web. A 20 foot glittering cloud appears, getting in eyes and making it impossible to see. [Will DC 17 or blind for duration, otherwise blind for while in cloud]
Mikey Saturday April 23rd, 2005 6:45:42 PM
[Sure, I will take over Tishe. Since Jake is outta the fight and all, we'll need the help. Email a character sheet to me, at mikey_powell@hotmail.com, with what sorta things you'd think you'd cast as well.]
Mac (AC: 21+Gilan's Barkskin in which case less one for the Amulet of Nat.Armour, HP: 63/75 - stand-up slog fest) d20+14=33 3d6(4+6+4)+11=25 d20+14=30 6d6(3+3+1+2+6+6)+22=43 d20+9=23 3d6(2+3+4)+11=20 d20+8=22 d8+5=10 Saturday April 23rd, 2005 6:54:15 PM
Keeping his feet after the giant's club struck true, Mac continues his war of attrition. Full Attack Axe @+14 hits AC:33 for 25 damage. Crit. check hits AC:30 for an extra 43, making 68 damage from the attack - potentially warranting the Massive Damage Save? Axe @+9 hits AC:23 for 20 damage Horn @+8 gores AC:22 for 10 damage
Grymash (ac22, hp110/79, rage, protect from evil, prayer) d20+14=28 d20+9=21 d8+24=29 d8+24=31 Saturday April 23rd, 2005 7:15:30 PM
Grymash is knocked left and right from the giants bludgeoning attacks. He hit hard! Really hard! He normally doesn't feel pain when he rages. It usually only makes him meaner. For a brief moment he felt the earth move. His vision blurred. He shakes off the buzz of the attack. A massive spray of blood in the face, from the giants wounds, was all he needed. Look for blood, follow with axe, repeat. "AAUUUGGHHH!!" He hears nothing of a boom, only the beating of his enemies heart, which he has hopes to silence.
(Powerattack+5/+10. Fullattack. HitAC: 28,21. Damage: 29+31=60 points of damage.)
Flea (AC21/25 vs Giants , HP 47, Hasted) d20+9=19 d20+9=18 d20+9=25 d6+2=7 d20+1=20 d6+2=7 4d6(6+2+6+1)=15 4d6(6+2+3+2)=13 Sunday April 24th, 2005 7:37:58 PM
Flea manages to avoid Tishe's web, ducking neatly between the sticky strands[Reflex=19]. She then manages to fight off the effects of a second spell [Will=20]. As the Giant struggles to free himself from the web and fight the effects of the Glitterdust, the rogue activates her boots of speed and lashes out at her opponent. [Hit AC=25 for 7 dmg]
[OOC if the giant is blinded, Flea may have also struck with her first attempt Hit AC=18 for 7 dmg (giant loses dex bonus?) and she may also get sneak attack damage on both blows (additional 15+13 HP)for a grand total of 42 HP]
Trellus (ac23, magic vestment, prayer[3/8], spirtual wpn[2/8]) d20+8=17 d20+14=15 d20+9=24 d8+3=8 Sunday April 24th, 2005 7:48:49 PM PRAYER - +1 to hit, damage, and saves if within 40' of Trellus. -1 to enemies for same
Trellus cringes inwardly as Mac and Gry hack and slash. Light, those two dudes are nasty.
He hears the popping sound, but like the music, he pushes it out of his mind. Jake is being totally sunbaked though. What is with the singing?
Mac and Gry are getting hurt, and the blonde cleric is forced to make a choice. Figuring Gry can survive just about anything, Trellus heads for the minotaur, taking care to keep out of the giant's long reach.
The Hammer of Domi swings some more. [atk g1 - hit ac15 (nat 1) and ac 24 for 8 hp damage]
Anuk [AC 21 (ac22vsG3-Dodge), HP 43, Prayer, Point Blank Shot] d20+11=16 d20+13=31 d20+13=14 d20+8=21 d8+5=12 d8+5=12 Monday April 25th, 2005 1:06:57 AM What's that sound? Anuk thinks, hearing the popping noise in the distance. (listen 16) The question leaves his mind as quickly as it arrived...Flea suddenly disappears in a sticky mass of web.
Not certains of where she is, but able to make out the chest, head, and shoulders of the giant above the gooey mess, Anuk lets two more arrows fly.
(Hits AC 31 for 12 pts, AC 21 for 12 pts -- ignore second +13 roll as 2nd attack was only +8, not +13)
Gilan [HP: 66/66 , AC: 17] {prayer} d20+11=21 d20+6=13 d4+2=5 d4+2=6 Monday April 25th, 2005 6:46:21 PM
Gilan takes no note of the pop or any other sound as he continues to pelt the giant with rocks. He shakes his head and wonders what real good such a tiny weapon can do.
He shrugs as he sends another pair of stones at the giant's back and head. He then moves five feet closer to the giant, while keeping an eye upon Mac.
[hit: 21/13 and damage: 5/6]
Barkskin - 79min 40sec, +3 to Armor
Jungle Ambush (DM MikeK) d20+4=14 Tuesday April 26th, 2005 8:17:08 AM OOC - Apologies all for the missed post. A hectic day yesterday.
Jake sings, and joy fills his heart. The Sleeper awakes! Shady too, sings. His muffled voice emerges in complicated melody from his tied up form lying in the middle of the clearing.
Some wonder at the booming noise that came from the south. Others are far too busy to worry about it.
Tishe blinks at the noise, and at the unintended victim of her spell. She tries again. G3's hands fly to his face as he struggles to see.
Mac turns his full focus on G1. Axe and horn rip into the giant.
Grymash recovers his wits quickly after getting knocked around by G2. With another roar he rips at the giant once, and again. Two more gaping holes appear in the giant's side. He cannot recover from the fatal blows, and collapses to the jungle floor.
Flea dodges around strands of sticky webbing, and continues the risky tactic of melee with a giant. Her first swing misses, but her second strikes true.
Trellus makes his way toward Mac. His spell strikes out at G1, thumping him soundly on the skull. Combined with Mac's ferocious attack, the hammerblow is too much. G1 topples over.
Anuk sends another arrow into G3.
Gilan prepares to fire another stone at G1, but there is no need.
G3 comes down with a serious case of mortality. Blinded and alone, the giant wheels about and stumbles away from the sounds of combat. [Flea get AoO]
Pursuit of G3 is interrputed as the voices of Jake and Shady cry out in joyous accord. The Sleeper is awake! The Fey King has come!
The entire avian population of the island calls out at once and launches itself skyward. Birds of every imaginable color and size swoop and bank and roll in unison in the skies over the island. Every tree and plant blooms, a joyous panorama of violet and indigo and teal and crimson.
Nature joins the elves, rejoicing in the dawn of a new age.
A flash.
Nearly felt rather than seen. A flash in the southern horizon.
The very clouds flee from it, a semicircle of cloud racing away from an unseen point over the horizon. The clouds pass over the top of the island, bringing with them the sound of a single, echoing bass beat of a large drum.
BOOOOOM
The sound is felt more than heard, a vibration that rattles one's very bones. With the sound comes a slight movement in the land itself. Trees sway and pebbles dance on the trail, and then stop.
As one, the birds wheel and flee northward, escaping the noise.
Silence.
Jake Tuesday April 26th, 2005 12:27:02 PM
Jake gives a spontaneous, "YEEEEeeehaaaa!" and excitedly gets up and throws his hat far off... his brand new hat. But he doesn't notice. He's too excited. "We did it! Right!?" And suddenly he notices that the fight's all over. "Man, ah missed another fight? Hey, Shady!" Ignoring the giant who is still tottering around blindly, Jake gathers his sword and shield, then hurries over to the tied up dragon and begins to cut him loose. He speaks to him soothingly in elven as he does so...
Gilan [HP: 66/66 , AC: 17] {prayer} Tuesday April 26th, 2005 4:43:24 PM
Gilan looks around to the two fallen giants and then to the one making it's escape. He calls out not really caring one way or the other. "Anyone in need of healing?" He pulls out the wand he has as he asks.
Then there is the flash and boom from the south and he turns in that direction. "Now what was that all about?". He looks to Jake as he speaks and shakes his head. "How is he Jake?" He listens for anyone to speak up about healing as he waits to see what will happen next.
Looking back to the corpses of the two giants he has an idea. "You think they have anything of interest on them?" He looks to Trellus as he is the closest and then to the giant getting away. "Want we should finish him...it seems kind of unfair though...now." He will help in searching the giants and then look to the retreating one again with another idea. "I could follow him."
Barkskin - 79min 30sec, +3 to Armor
Trellus 4d8(6+6+5+5)+7=29 Tuesday April 26th, 2005 8:54:56 PM
When the nearest giants drop, Trellus gives Mac and Gry a very fast visual, and changes direction.
The cleric heads for Grymash, pulling out his new wand on the way. Reaching his half-orc friend, he taps him with the healing wand. "Its shady, Gry," he tells the barbarian in a soft soothing voice. "It's just Trellus coming with the feel good stick."
Based on what he just did to that giant, Trellus is eager to avoid any possibility of mistaken identity.
[CCW - heal 29 hp]
The blond man turns and the flash, sound, and vibration. The third giant is forgotten. "Uh, Jake?" he asks uncertainly pointing at the clouds. "Is that supposed to happen?"
Mac (HP:63/75) Wednesday April 27th, 2005 8:24:15 AM
As Trellus tends Gry Mac calls up the slope to his Packmates. If we willnae pursue the other one, then p'r'aps we should get us all back to the beach. Grandma should see we have Shaidee back away from the trees.
anuk OOC Wednesday April 27th, 2005 10:30:34 AM
As the third giant departs, Anuk springs toward the remains the sticky mass. "Flea? You in there? Everything shady?" he calls out as he tries to dig through the remains of Tishe's webbing to locate his friend.
The flash and rumble, combined with the sudden departure of all the birds gives him pause. "I've never been to a place like this island before, but I don't think that's...uh...normal. I'm with Mac...I think we ought to get back to the beach."
Gilan d20+2=17 d20+8=18 Wednesday April 27th, 2005 1:07:45 PM
Gilan does not bother with the last giant and since noone is interested he begins to search over the closest of the two giants with as much care as he can.
He only looks up at the rumbling and his eyes narrow. "That does not sound good and I have the feeling that Mother Wold is protesting or maybe rejoicing." Still he will move to the other giant to search it as well, gathering up anything of note on them.
[search 17 and spot 18]
Barkskin - 79min 20sec, +3 to Armor
Flea Wednesday April 27th, 2005 6:25:01 PM
The rogue wipes the bludgeoning end of her hammer with the end of the crimson sash tied about her waist. "Well, that was fun!" she says grinning up at Anuk, non-plused by his look of concern. Looking around at her companions, she enquires brightly, "what's next?" and then the earth moves.
The calm before...more calm (DM MikeK) Wednesday April 27th, 2005 7:56:35 PM
Jake rejoices at the arrival of the Fey King. He ignores the trembling of earth or the fluttering in the sky.
Gilan looks around for anyone to heal, but Trellus beats him to the only seriously wounded member of the Bloodpack, Grymash.
The druid wonders at nature's reactions, but is able to check out contents of each giant bag. Among the large, round rocks, half eaten pigs, and coconuts, Gilan recovers a wand, a ceramic vial, a wooden scroll case, 4 pearls, and 90 pp.
Anuk goes digging into the webbing in a frantic effort to find Flea, but the rogue is just fine.
Mac suggests getting back to the beach. Others agree.
The silence IS somewhat unsettling. Not a bird, not an insect, no sound at all escapes from the inhabitants of the island.
The last blinded giant uses the opportunity to escape northward.
The rope encased form of Shady still lies in the clearing, attached to the pole. His voice cries out in speech of the elves, Highlight to display spoiler: {"Jake? Can you get me out?"}
Grymash (ac24, hp89/94, protect from evil, prayer) d20+2=17 Wednesday April 27th, 2005 8:24:51 PM
(sorry for not posting, got in late last night.)
Grymash hacks off the head of the fallen giant for good measure. He roars in celebration as its blood sprays into the air. He spins to face the next victim and has his bloodied axe ready to strike! (wisdom 17) However the soft voice and a face that seems familiar halts his axe in mid-swing. "Trellus ... uhhhh, ohhh, Gry almost ... yooz ok? Ya need Gry ta cures any hurtin'? At that point the barbarian realizes that it is him who is injured and accepts his friends healing touch.
Grymash then hears Shady. He doesnt know what he said but even a half-orc could figure it out. He runs over to the tied dragon and begins cutting ropes with a dagger.
Jake Thursday April 28th, 2005 2:57:51 AM
Even as Grymash arrives, Jake finishes cutting free the dragon. He tries to pick up the dragon, and grunts with effort. He chatters in elvish to calm the young dragon, "Ugh...you're too heavy to pick up in this form, Shady. I'd say you've been consuming too many dragon deserts." Jake helps the dragon get onto his legs but keeps a hand settled down on his shoulder. "Just relax. If you try to move too much at first, you'll feel like you're on fire. Once, the black pack tied me up as a joke and left me in a hut for a whole day...when I was freed, I tried jumping for joy, but it didn't work out at all. Just stay still and let Trellus or Gil heal you." While he's talking, Jake motions for Trellus and Gil to come over and check the poor dragon for wounds.
Tishe' d20+5=8 Thursday April 28th, 2005 4:57:59 PM
"That boom..." the mage shakes her head out of her reverie and dismisses the Web spell, allowing everyone to be done with the sticky stuff.
She then turns to help the newest member of the 'pack, and helps untie Shady.
"I'm not sure what all this noise was (Knowledge: Nature 8), but perhaps we should find the other dragons and be ready to go just in case?"
Anuk Thursday April 28th, 2005 7:09:37 PM
Anuk joins the others near the young dragon. Using his elvish, he asks Shady, "Everything all right? Did the giants hurt you?"
The quiet jungle creeps into Anuk's bones. "This doesn't feel right. Is there anyway we can contact Grandma?"
Trellus Thursday April 28th, 2005 9:15:39 PM
The blond man looks around. Everybody's shady. Shady's shady. Gilan's got some shady stuff.
Now might be a good time to leave.
"C'mon dudes. Let's weave back to the beach. Quickly."
Trellus starts back at a fast walk.
Shady is shady (DM MikeK) Thursday April 28th, 2005 9:19:57 PM
Shady seems fine, once he's untied. He shifts into elf form. "I just lied down on some rocks for a little rest, and when I woke up, there I was," he explains to Jake in elven.
And then in common - "Not shaidee"
The young dragon/elf looks fine.
"I'll get Grandma," he tells Jake. And then, he's a dragon, leaping into the sky.
The pack starts thinking about getting back to the beach.
Gilan d20+6=25 Thursday April 28th, 2005 10:17:12 PM
Gilan is quick to gather up the stuff that he has found on the giants. He then hurries back to his pack and shield to get ready to head back to the beach. "It seems we may want to get out of here soon." He glances to the others but does head for Shady to check on him.
He will then head back to the group with the utmost haste, well he does not run.
[heal 25]
Barkskin - 79min 10sec, +3 to Armor
Flea d20+13=22 d20+9=15 d20+11=14 Thursday April 28th, 2005 11:52:16 PM
Flea tucks her hammer through the sash at her waist and heads back in the direction from which they came. As usual, she scouts ahead...just in case...her eyes peeled for traps and such. She doesn't do the best of jobs, being a little unnerved by the trembling of the ground.
Search=22 Spot=15 Listen=14
Jake Friday April 29th, 2005 1:46:28 AM
"Well, I guess we'd better go. Ah kinda wanted to see why that mountain was all rumbling lahk Grymash's belly." Jake looks at the smoky mountain curiously, but joins the others in getting ready to go back.
Grymash Friday April 29th, 2005 3:18:17 AM "Gry's belly no rumble! Oh, oohh ... huh, it do be rumblin'!! Gry hungry!" Grymash darts off with his pack, down to the beach.
Anuk d20+9=17 d20+11=26 d20+11=21 Friday April 29th, 2005 10:35:36 AM
Anuk heads down the trail after Flea, keeping a lookout for whatever else might be living on this island. "If there are giants here, there's probably more. Don't wanna get into something sunbaked before we get back to the beach." He tries to keep things quiet, painfully aware that in the silence that surrounds them, all of the pack's movements will sound that much louder.
move silently 17 spot 26 listen 21
Tishe' d20+3=14 Friday April 29th, 2005 11:00:45 AM
Unsteady on her feet and wondering when the next unusual event will happen, the plain-faced woman quickly moves with the others back down the path and towards the beach. She keeps a good hold on her crossbow and watches the forest for signs of danger. (spot: 14)
Spells Mage Armor [3 hours]
Trellus d20+8=20 d20+8=18 Friday April 29th, 2005 5:10:32 PM
Trellus hastens back to the beach with the others. Like them, he's veteran enough to pay attention as he moves.
listen 20 spot 18
Mac d20+5=9 d20+1=13 Friday April 29th, 2005 6:22:17 PM
As he heads back to the beach Mac thinks aloud, 'Tis a small island. Maybe there were only three giants here. P'r'aps not...
spot:9, listen:13
Garden Lunch (DM MikeK) Saturday April 30th, 2005 11:32:55 AM
The Bloodpack hurries back to the beach. As the time passes, normality seems to return to the island. The birds flock back. The insects and animals resume their calls. The warm south wind again flows across trees and grasses.
The heroes emerge into the open beach. Grandma, Mauratanous, and Shady, all in dragon form, are lying off to the group's left. All three are alert, and it doesn't take long to determine why. Off to the right, the beach seems to have been converted to a garden. Yesterday, it was sand. Today, its a good acre of fully grown (and blooming) fruit trees, melons, and berries of endless variety.
The veritable bonanza has attracted many critters. Small mammals, insects, birds, and monkeys have fallen upon the garden and are gorging themselves on the food.
The three dragons continue to watch. Plainly, they are considering whether to start the buffet now, or wait to see if something a bit meatier shows up.
Tishe' d20+13=30 d20+5=19 Saturday April 30th, 2005 4:37:15 PM
Moving onto the, the beach? Tishe' stops in confusion and curiosity. Her inquisitiveness gets the better of her, and the small woman quickly moves towards the Garden, touching leaves and fruit, wondering at how this bounty could have arrived at the beach. (Spellcraft: 30. Know Nature: 19)
Spells Mage Armor [1 hour]
Mac d20+1=18 Sunday May 1st, 2005 6:13:08 PM
Somewhere high on the shore Mac takes a seat. As he wonders about the Garden he looks back to their dragon friends, and gets their intentions. There'd still be at least one giant up the hill... He wonders if giants are on a dragon's menu. He's heared all sort of tales about dragons, and is still trying to determine what was truth and what was fanciful. Taking some time he get of the backpack and lets Galea out of her newly bought comfortable travelling case for a chance to roam around before having something to eat.
Gilan Monday May 2nd, 2005 12:30:26 AM
Gilan stops as he gets out on the beach a ways and stares at the growth. He shakes his head and even rubs his eyes to see if it is a figment of his imagination, but it is still there.
Watching the animals he tries to check them out at a distance, not only for type but also for sickness as they eat. "Nature seems to be..." He shrugs as he cannot find a word for it, though he does wonder if this is magical in anyway.
Barkskin - 79min 00sec, +3 to Armor
Jake Monday May 2nd, 2005 7:40:08 AM
"-a bit sunbaked?" Jake finishes for Gilan, looking at the buffet going on. Weird. "Uh...well, ah suppose one of us should try it out, see if it's poison or somethin'..." Jake reaches out, grabs a thing, and takes a chomp from it. He makes a face, looks at the thing he took a chomp of, unpeels back a layer, and then takes a little bite of the interior. "Hmmm...okay, I suppose."
Anuk d20+11=13 d20+10=28 Monday May 2nd, 2005 11:04:48 AM
Anuk does a double-take, looking up and down the beach to verify that this is indeed the place they had come from. (spot 13) Despite his final conclusion that this must be the same beach, he still has a hard time wrapping his head around the idea.
On the other hand, food is food, and this stuff looks tasty. He finds a tree containing a roundish fruit with a thin red skin that looks tempting. He takes a small bite and discovers it is crunchy and sweet. Juice running down his chin, he devours nearly the whole thing, until only the center core of it is left -- all stem and seeds.
Anuk's big grin spreads across his face as an idea suddenly forms. He waits until Jake's back is turned, then with a flick of his wrist he tosses the pulpy remains of the fruit, hitting the half-elf square between the shoulder blades. (hits ac 28)
"You're it!" he says with a chuckle.
Flea Monday May 2nd, 2005 6:53:59 PM
Flea selects one of her daggers and spends some time dissecting interesting fruits. She will take a taste of each one, before moving on to a new one, being somewhat wasteful in the process of experimentation.
Trellus Monday May 2nd, 2005 7:57:40 PM
The cleric looks about the garden. Jake is right. Sunbaked just about covers it.
He wonders for a moment if perhaps its a trap of some kind, but his friends are already sampling the goods.
Smiling wryly, the blond man takes a seat next to Mac. With a sidelong glance at the kitten, he idly pulls a wand out of his pack. If somebody starts gagging and turning shady colors, he's ready.
[Neutralize Poison wand]
This little pig went to market (DM MikeK) Monday May 2nd, 2005 8:45:16 PM
While Mac and Trellus take a seat, and Grymash just stands there trying to get his tiny brain wrapped around the concept of an instantaneous garden, the rest of the Bloodpack decide to join the smaller animals in sampling the fare.
The dragons' heads drop to the ground in dismay. With their friends in the garden, their ability to sow some widespread destruction on the area is severely curtailed.
Mac pulls the cat out of the bag, and she responds by purring fiercely and walking against his knee in a tight figure eight. Up and back, up and back Galea passes, rubbing her head against the taur. This keeps up for almost 5 minutes, until the kitten spies movement in the garden. Lots of movement. Including that of some delightfully bite sized grasshoppers. Crouching low, the feline slowly stalks her prey.
From the far side of the garden, loud grunting noises break up the cacophony of bird and beast. Monkeys scramble to the trees, while birds and insects rouse into the sky to settle down again in another corner of the garden. Flea, who is farthest out into the food filled area, is the first to catch a glimpse of four enormous creatures. They look a lot like those things Mac called 'pigs' back at the farmhouse. Except these are hairier, uglier, meaner looking, and a whole lot bigger. These things are 6 or 7' at the shoulder, and longer than the giants were tall. Using long, sharp tusks, the quartet of super-pigs is slowly but surely eating a path through the garden.
Naturally, they're heading straight for the Bloodpack's resting spot.
Jake d20+8=13 d20+3=16 Tuesday May 3rd, 2005 1:18:43 AM
Jake laughs and tosses a juicy, soft half of a tangerine back (AC 13), probably missing, but follows it up with the other half and a direct hit! (AC 16) Then he catches sight of the superpigs. "Yipe!" he gasps and runs as fast as he can away from the garden, terrified of the monstrous tusked things.
Gilan Tuesday May 3rd, 2005 1:55:11 AM
Gilan watches some of the group wander out into the garden and start to eat. He shakes his head as that was not really a good idea at the time. He was just checking out the plants and animals as a whole. After a bit he wanders back to those still seated and takes out a book to look over, smiling. "I hope that this is not a poison garden?" He looks to Trellus and his ready wand with a shake of his head.
Barkskin - 78min 50sec, +3 to Armor
Anuk Tuesday May 3rd, 2005 10:47:42 AM
Anuk manages to dodge Jake's first tangerine, but the second gets him with a satisfying *splat*. Laughing, he looks around for more fruit to throw when he spies the giant creatures.
Anuk quickly backs out of the garden. "If these things are just eating, they'll probably leave us alone as long as we stay away from the food." Unless, of course, we are the food he thinks. He pulls out his bow and nocks an arrow, but tries to keep the point down and unthreatening until absolutely needed.
Tishe' (AC 19, HP 37/37) Tuesday May 3rd, 2005 3:08:22 PM
Seeing (and feeling through the 'Tears') that the fruit is not harmful to her friends, the mage/druid happily eats some of the wonderful bounty. Not being able to read humans well, the woeful dragons are right over her head.
The appearance of the "Giant Pigs!", shouts Tishe', "they must be picks from the giant's farm. Do giants have farms?" She shakes her head. "Since we've eaten, let's pull back and let Glimmer's Family have lunch."
She moves back towards Trellus and Mac, preparing to defend the 'pack.
Spells Mage Armor [1 hour]
Mac Tuesday May 3rd, 2005 5:27:42 PM
There is something pleasing about watching a kitten chasing grasshoppers. By the same token there is something less than pleasing about the betusked quartet approaching. Dragon fodder! Cover me while I get Galea out of there! The taur then dashes over to gather up the pouncing Galea before this playground turns into an indiscriminate feeding ground.
This scene isnt right. It holds him still for several rounds before it dawns on him. It must be a trap of some kind. It reminds him of some of the traps he's left behind to catch food. He sees the dragons hiding over to the left and decides to trot on over to where they are hiding. He squats down next to Grand Maw. He whispers in her ear, "Do thems big piggies be supper?"
Trellus Tuesday May 3rd, 2005 8:37:10 PM "I hope that this is not a poison garden?" Gilan asks with a smile.
Trellus grins back. "Don't look like it," he replies. As Anuk and Jake escalate the fruit war, the cleric lies back in the sand, hands behind his head.
"Sure is peaceful right here," he remarks.
No sooner has he uttered the words than his friends in the garden are beating a hasty retreat. "Light," he growls. Trellus quickly stands, stowing his wand. This might call for something else.
Wee Wee Wee, all the way home (DM MikeK) d20+8=13 d20+8=11 d20+8=25 d20+8=24 Tuesday May 3rd, 2005 9:01:11 PM
Mac rescues Galea and joins the rest of the Bloodpack in fleeing the gardan and taking up a defensive position.
The four super-pigs continue munching their way through the garden. Eventually, they spot the heroes, and turn in unison toward them, grunting threateningly.
Grandma sighs heavily. Actually, we don't like red meat much she tells Grymash. But we can help, I think
A nod to Maurautanous, and the two enormous dragon burst from the rocks. The pigs squeal in terror as the immense reptiles crash down in front of them. Each dragon emits a cone of some kind of gas cloud.
Immediately, all four pigs turn tail and dash back into the jungle. So do the birds. So do the mammals. So do the grasshoppers and all but the most immobile of insects.
In fact, there are extremely few volunteers willing to stand their ground in the face of Grandma and Maurautanous.
Having cleared the garden, the two return to the rocks. The garden is ready for the plundering. Any type of fruit or berry is available, as much as one can carry.
Nothing else bothers the group as night settles in.
Tishe' Wednesday May 4th, 2005 7:05:15 AM
"That bronze dragon breath sure is a handy pick." comments the brown-haired girl.
Joining with Gilan, she moves back through the garden, picking fruits for the night and slightly less ripe ones for the days ahead. "There is no telling how little food we will have at the next island," she explains, "it's probably a good idea to bring some unripened fruit with us."
She takes her usual 'first-watch' and settles for the night.
Gilan 2d4(3+1)=4 2d4(1+3)=4 2d4(3+1)=4 Wednesday May 4th, 2005 3:14:24 PM
Gilan shakes his head and smiles as the dragons help them in avoiding another fight. He looks to Tishe' as she mentions the idea of food for the longrun and nods. "You maybe right, but there is an easier way." He moves through the garden only picking berries but has to test them to see if they are harmful or not.
Having, hopefully, gotten a large amount of edible berries he lays them out on the sand before him. "I have access to spells that will help out in keeping them fresh and most useful." He pulls out the rod that he has newly aquired and uses it to enhance his three spells.
Flea d20+14=17 Wednesday May 4th, 2005 6:37:03 PM
Flea backs off slowly, and carefully (Move Silently=17) when the giant pigs move in. When the dragons chase them off, she resumes her exploration of the natural feast. This time she stays closer to her pack, Gry and MAc in particular.
Anuk Wednesday May 4th, 2005 6:42:17 PM
Anuk breathes a sigh of relief as the giant pigs turn tail and run back into the jungle. He returns his arrow to his quiver and slings his bow across his back. While everyone returns to the fruit, he talks to Grandma.
"Thank you for helping us. May I ask how you did that? I had thought that your attack would kill everything in its path, but instead everything survived but ran away."
After talking with Grandma, Anuk happily settles in to collecting fruit for whatever journies might lie ahead. He experiments with wrapping the fruit in cloth and placing the package inside his magic quiver and testing to see if it can be retrieved as easily as his arrows. If it works, he tells the rest of the pack "I can store food in here if anyone's tired of carrying it."
Later that night, he volunteers for a middle watch.
Trellus Wednesday May 4th, 2005 10:20:23 PM
Trellus watches open-mouthed as the dragons drive off the monster pigs.
"Oh, that was totally waxed," he comments. "Truly"
The cleric still isn't too sure about this foreign food, and decides to stick with what he's got.
Trellus takes the late shift.
The journey continues (DM MikeK) Wednesday May 4th, 2005 10:31:26 PM
To Anuk, Grandma replies, Its a gas and an arcane spell combined together. We Bronzes don't like to kill if its not needed.
The Bloodpack gathers some extra food, and Gilan uses his recently acquired rod to preserve the goodberries further.
The night passes without incident. It is cool and clear and peaceful.
In the morning, they are off again. For several more days, the group journeys southward, flying by day and sleeping by night. Each island they stop at is teeming with ripened fruit and game. No one is hurting for food of any type. It as if the group is moving from one paradise to another to another to another.
The only damper on anyone's mood is a dark cloud that hangs on the southern horizon. It is black and ugly and it doesn't move. And since the dragons keep flying toward it, it is beginning to look like that cloud is dominating the landscape of their final destination.
[Spot and Listen checks please]
Mac d20+5=16 d20+1=17 Thursday May 5th, 2005 7:40:54 AM
[Spot:16, Listen:17]
During one of the evenings in amongst the nearly routine island hopping by Bronze Dragon, Mac asks Maurautanous, How many days are we from the Plains, and how many days in which direction would Heranmar and the Taur Isles be? Thinking not only of the place that he is beginning to call home, but both the journey he has taken to get there, and the journey he will one day need to take.
One morning Mac sits 'witness' to Trellus' prayers to Domi. After that is done and a long solemn silence, he speaks at barely above a murmur. There is a matter of a debt that I believe I owe to The Pack, the information owed to Valdor, and what I would like done if my life is permenantly taken from my body...
Tishe' Thursday May 5th, 2005 8:36:16 AM
The brown-haired woman stares grimly at the dark cloud on the horizon. "I hope that the Plains are not hurt by all we have seen." A wild thought goes through her mind. "What if these gardens of fruit are all over the Sargrass? Wouldn't that hurt the balance of the land?" She frets on and off about the possibility.
Until Mac gives her something else to think about. "We need to contact Valdor and tell him of the dragons!" she cries. "But, we're now many, many days from the Northern Continent. I know no magical pick to communicate that far."
With the closeness of the black cloud, Tishe' keeps her rain cloak about her. "Black clouds herald rain, after all." she says to no one in particular.
Jake d20+8=16 d20+8=24 Thursday May 5th, 2005 6:48:23 PM
"Rain? I would love to see that..." In his mind, Jake sees an image of an ocean...in the sky! Falling down on people, in little drops at a time. Having never seen an actual rainstorm before, he simply can't imagine it. "Why're they so dark, anyways? I mean, I never understood what clouds are. I'd only heard about them a little." He peers at the 'clouds', wonderingly. (Listen 16, Spot 24)
Trellus Thursday May 5th, 2005 7:50:33 PM
The cleric turns from his prayers one morning and sees Mac standing there. Trellus waits. This may be important, and can't be rushed.
Mac says something, but the young blond man can't make it out.
"Uh dude? Are you shady?" he asks quietly.
Gilan d20+8=28 d20+8=11 Thursday May 5th, 2005 10:00:57 PM
Gilan each morning goes through his morning prayers. This morning he moves back to the group, absently munching on one of his berries for breakfast. "Anyone want a berry...it will make you feel as if you have eat a full meal." He smiles to his fellow pack members.
He is often lost in thought these days. Mostly pondering the many things that he has seen and the question that was posed to him by Granma.
[Listen 28(natural 20) and Spot 11]
Tishe' (2nd Post) d20+3=12 d20+3=10 Friday May 6th, 2005 1:13:57 AM
While worrying about everything else, the small woman looks around at nothing in particular.
Spot: 12 Listen: 10
Mac (illegal 2nd post - conversation & no actions) Friday May 6th, 2005 3:11:45 AM
The taur nods. Shady... yes. Mostly. No. It is many things. He draws a long, deep breath - much like a long sigh in reverse. Heranmar - where I grew up - is right on the coast. I've seen storms that whips up the seas. But tha's somethin' else again. he says, staring straight out into the night black clouds. It bodes not at all well. And that's just one thing. He sits quietly and listens.
Anuk d20+11=18 d20+11=15 Friday May 6th, 2005 10:41:46 AM
Anuk spends his mornings a little lazily, as usual. He takes short walks after their rests, thinking and meditating (prepares entangle and jump each day).
Anuk accepts Gilan's offer of a berry "Delicious. Thank you, Gilan," he says as he savors the treat. Munching the treat and looking out on the dark cloud, he asks the druid, "Any ideas on what's happening out there? I hope that's not the Plains under that shadow."
Flea d20+9=18 d20+11=24 Friday May 6th, 2005 1:45:56 PM
Flea walks along the edge of the water on the beach of the latest island paradise. Her magic boots dangle from one hand as she combs the beach for interesting trinkets that might have been washed up by the sea. From time to time she looks towards the darkness on the horizon, her senses alert for danger. She remains quiet, keeping her own counsel.
Spot=18 Listen=24
ADM MikeS - Friday May 6th, 2005 7:05:22 PM
(ooc: MikeK has had a lot of extra work to do recently and asked that I step in for a few days.)
"We are still far from the place you call the Plains," Maurautanous tells Mac, "it will still be several days' journey if all goes well. However, we are nearly at the sea's end. We will soon be flying over land which is dangerous. There will be many days where we must travel after dark so as to avoid the gaze of those who would seek to harm us. As for Heranmar and the Taur Isles, my travels have not taken me there before...I am sorry to tell you I do not know how far they are or in which direction they lie."
The dark cloud on the southern horizon grows larger as the dragons approach, causing many of the pack members to wonder what it could be or might mean. Jake's keen eyes are the first to see that the dark mass is actually both a black cloud and a great mass of land shadowed underneath it. This is no island you're approaching, but something much larger -- perhaps even a continent . The black land and cloud soon stretch from one end of the horizon to the other. However, where you expect to see the sandy beaches and greenery found on the islands you have visited, there appears only to be a single mass of dark gray. Even the waters of the sea become murky and gray the closer you get to land. The air begins to stink of sulphur. Occasionally both Gilan and Flea hear distant rumbles -- was that thunder?
The dragons begin their descent and eventually land on a beach. Once you are at sea level, you realize that the gray mass you saw from the sky is actually a layer of dark ash covering everything as far as you can see. The stuff is nearly an inch thick on the sand of the beach, and it makes the water that washes up on shore black and grimy. Occasionally, flakes of ash continue to drift down from the black cloud. You can also see that whatever has caused the plentiful fruit trees to appear on the islands is also affecting this place -- underneath the layer of gray ash are more of the fruit-laden plants. Food, it appears, will not be a problem.
Grandma speaks to the pack. "We have reached the northernmost part of the continent where your home lies. The Plains are still many days' journey south of here. We will rest for a few days...the constant travel has been wearying. Glimmer, Maurautanous, and I will scout ahead. I do not know the source of all this ash and I wish to find out where it comes from before we travel further."
Once again the three dragons take to the skies and are quickly lost from sight in the gray twilight that surrounds you. It is difficult to tell what time of day it is, but your travel was the longest flight so far. It will soon be time to make camp. As before, the shoreline appears to be lined with trees marking the edge of a dense jungle.
Tishe' d20+5=17 d20+3=11 Saturday May 7th, 2005 3:23:23 AM
Many times since leaving the Plains has Tishe' been amazed; forests, mountains, Gargul, dragons, the endless seas attesting to how large the Wold actually is... it boggles the mind. And now a land of ash and gray, but with lush plants and fruit underneath. How has this come about?
Resting the day through, she thinks she has come up with an answer. "The only time I've seen ash at all is in the fire. With this much ash, that would be an enormous fire; and pretty recent if it hasn't hurt the plants below." (Know: Nature: 17) "Gilan, we should make sure the ash hasn't hurt the plants here before anyone eats the fruits."
As she helps Gilan (Survival assisting: 11) assess the fruits, she idly twirls a wavy lock of brown hair in an unconscious gesture and her brown eyes are alight with learning new things.
Jake Saturday May 7th, 2005 2:22:26 PM
"Hey, this ain't water!" Jake angrily hollers. "Goshdarnanframbulatins! Ah wanted ta see a rainstorm 'fore we up'n got back ta the plains. 'stead, we got dust here. Like that beach, all of it was sand..." He mumbles a few annoyances, picking up and sifting through some of the ashes. The lanky half-elf looks over at Flea, thinking about what she's said. He tries to wonder over the few times there'd be fires in the plains...what with the lack of water, he'd always wondered what would happen, and never really learned from the elders how they dealt with them.
Gilan d20+17=19 d20+18=27 d20+14=33 d20+8=28 d20+8=14 Saturday May 7th, 2005 8:57:50 PM
Gilan moves over to stand by Tishe' and nods in understanding. "Yes...if this is what I think it is the food maybe nonedible." He is quick to check everything out, taking bites but not swallowing of the nearest fruits and berries.
He takes the time to point out many things that he notices to Tishe' as he moves along. As he scoops up a handful of the soot that litters the ground he smells it and then gingerly tastes it. "Volcanic...I think." If the berries are ok then he will pick some more so that he can use his goodberry spell upon them.
[b]DM - How many days are suppose to have passed already. Trying to keep track of my goodberries and make more. :)
Graham Saturday May 7th, 2005 9:15:40 PM
2nd test post - please ignore again Sunday 11:16
Flea d20+13=29 d20+9=28 d20+11=28 Sunday May 8th, 2005 7:51:45 PM
Flea wears a troubled look on her face. She isn't too keen on the dragons just taking off without some sort of an agenda regarding their return. "Are we supposed to just sit and wait for them?" she whines, looking to Gilan and Trellus for guidance. The rogue eyes the lush vegetation (Search=29, Spot=28) and will point out anything of interest, to the others. She will walk along the edge, listening carefully (Listen=28) and make a report of anything she hears.
The rogue looks a little thinner than usual, not having adapted well to the travel by dragon and haven eaten mostly fruits during the past many days. The lack of clarity over their real destination, and her concern about the rumblings coming from the ominous darkness only add to her ill humour and crankiness.
If any of the pack attempt to engage her in conversation, her responses will be curt and abrupt.
Trellus d20=14 Monday May 9th, 2005 7:54:08 AM
Trellus looks about with growing concern and confusion.
To Flea, he merely answers - "I guess."
To Gilan, he asks "What's 'volcanic'?" although he's not real sure he wants to know.
The cleric tries to keep his misgivings to himself. Flea, Mac, Jake...the pack is getting warped, and somebody is gonna have to stay shady. And 'somebody is me. Light. Domi grant me the strength.
Trying to keep the tension out of his voice[bluff 14], Trellus makes his rounds about his friends, asking Grymash if he thinks there is some meat about, talking with Tishe and Gilan about the dust, encouraging Anuk to mess with Jake, and generally letting Flea have her space.
Anuk d20+11=22 d20+11=20 Monday May 9th, 2005 2:35:41 PM
Anuk shuffles through the ashes on the beach, kicking up a cloud of dust as he does so. After a moment he's coughing and sputtering. "Light--don't breathe this stuff in," he says through a fit of coughs and gasps. It takes him a moment to regain his composure.
Like everyone else, Anuk takes a moment to check out the new surroundings. Everyone seems a little on edge, and he's never sure what to do in those situations. So, taking the path of least resistance, he disappears for a bit just inside the jungle's edge to examine the plants and fruit he finds there.
spot 22, listen 20
Shades of Gray (ADM MikeS) Monday May 9th, 2005 3:16:43 PM
(ooc: it's been six days since the pack was on the island where Gilan's goodberry spell was cast.)
Tishe' and Gilan discuss the possible origins of all the ash, then they and Anuk test the fruit to see if it's edible or not. They discover that the fruit on the outer edges of the trees, where the ash rests, has become withered and inedible, but fruit found on branches deep within the trees remains relatively untouched and still perfectly edible. Clearly the ash has not been here long.
Flea makes an inspection of the place, finding ash, ash, and more ash, along with more vegetation. If anything, the bounteous fruit trees seem even more plentiful here than on the island. Flea's search also reveals that there seems to be no nearby source of drinkable water.
Jake looks at the filthy water and feels frustrated about never having experienced a real rainstorm, while Trellus does his best to keep the pack's spirits up, though nearly everyone seems to be in a somber mood.
The distant rumblings continue to roll through the gray sky, but otherwise the landscape seems oddly quiet. Most sounds seem muffled by the presence of all the ash. The sounds of jungle birds and animals die down almost as soon as they're made. Gilan, however, hears a sound that's differs from the others -- for a moment, he could swear he heard a high-pitched voice. Perhaps that of a child. And Flea briefly sees the reflection of a pair of eyes peering out from the darkness of the jungle trees a few feet into the foliage about 60 feet from where the pack is gathered on the beach.
The light fades further, and as the darkness begins to set in it becomes even more difficult to make out the differences between the different parts of the gray landscape that surrounds you.
Gilan Monday May 9th, 2005 7:55:09 PM
His head whips around as he could have sworn that he had heard a child's giggle. He scans the hungle and tries to hear it again but it seems to have gone now. With a last shake of his head he turns to Trellus and goes back to what he was saying. "I have read of this in books back in my original home...volcanoes are like large mountains with a core of molten rock. Sometimes pressure can build up inside and then it must find a way to release itself." He pinches some of the ash from the ground and runs it loosly through his fingers. "Usually the mountain blows and can send this stuff for hundreds of miles in all directions...could be more as I have never actually seen one." His voice takes on a sort of pure pleasure...err no it is a look of need. "It is one of nature's most greatest happenings."
Flea Monday May 9th, 2005 8:12:07 PM
Flea takes the edge of her crimson sash and holds it up to her nose and mouth in order to filter the air a little. Siddling up to Gilan, she removes her hand momentarily, and whispers, "I think I saw a little kid or something else small. There. Hiding in the bushes." The rogue points to where she last saw the eyes.
Trellus Monday May 9th, 2005 8:49:45 PM
Trellus gives Gilan the ol' Dude, you're interested in the brightest stuff Look, then just shakes his head and grins.
Flea comes by, but the cleric is still chuckling to himself and doesn't take the threat very seriously.
"Hey dude!" he calls out. "You in the woods. C'mon out. We're just visiting. Totally harmless. Truly."
Grymash Monday May 9th, 2005 10:24:46 PM "Gry not know 'bout whut Gilan says, but Gry think da ash come from fire ... an da smoke too!" The half-orc looks to everyone to see if they agree. He seems perplexed why Gilan doesn't know ash comes from fire. Maybe he got hurt back in the battle with the biguns?
Jake Monday May 9th, 2005 10:43:16 PM
"A kid?" Jake softly questions. He readies his shield with his left hand and nudges Trellus with his good right. "Ah'll go take a look, 'kay?"
Jake d20=11 d20+8=13 Monday May 9th, 2005 10:43:51 PM
(Btw, Spot 19, Listen 13, witht he +8 to my rolls, for Jake to find what's in the bushes...)
Anuk d20+11=26 d20+11=28 d20+9=14 Tuesday May 10th, 2005 12:57:13 PM
Anuk returns from checking the plants and fruit to see Flea pointing into the dense foliage. Following Jake, he draws his bow, but keeps the arrow tip pointed down. "Just in case it's something not too shady," he whispers to the half-elf.
Spt 26, Listen 28, Move Silently 14
Tishe' d20+3=22 d20+3=10 Tuesday May 10th, 2005 1:39:53 PM
The brown tressed woman is non-plussed at Gilan's casual remark. "Hundreds of miles. HUNDREDS?" And she mentally calculates how many days of sailing on the Sargrass would make 'hundreds' of miles. A low whistle is her answer.
Her mercurial curiosity doesn't let her ponder when there is another mystery about. "What would a child have picks so far from anywhere?" she wonders, "More like is a small humanoid like a halfling or pixie." She sobers and warns the others. "In any case, they should pretty much be able to take care of thier own threads, I'd wager."
She tries to see and hear through the lowering gloom
Spot 22 Listen 10
Mac d20+5=16 d20+1=10 Tuesday May 10th, 2005 5:24:50 PM Well, we shouldnae sleep in it. Mac walks a handfull of yards into the forest in search of one of a few good sized branches that may have fallen under the burden of inches of ash. [Spot:16, Listen:10] When he returns he begins to sweep an area of ash covered beach back to sand.
Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are...(ADM MikeS) Tuesday May 10th, 2005 9:58:36 PM
While Mac clears a camping spot and Gilan explains the idea of a volcano to Trellus and Grymash, Flea points out the location where she saw the eyes.
Trellus calls out for who or whatever it is to come out as Jake and Anuk move in for a closer look, keeping in mind Tishe's suggestion that it could be more than just a child.
As Anuk and Jake reach the jungle's edge, two small figures leap forward out of the darkness, brandishing small sharpened sticks. The taller of the two is about a foot higher than Flea and the other one is a good six inches shorter. Both are covered from head to toe in dark gray ash, making their eyes appear abnormally bright. They have matted hair and seem to be wearing only some kind of loincloths, though it's hard to tell with all the grime covering the two figures.
The taller of the two stops about 10 feet from Jake and waves the pointed end of the stick in the half-elf's direction. His voice is that of a young boy as he yells out "Hold your ground, strangers! Ummm...you'll not move closer or you'll face my spear!" He hesitates as he sees the figures of Grymash and Mac in the distance. "Wha- what do you...uh...want? We are the guardians of this village!"
"Yeah...guardians!" says the smaller one, her high-pitched voice clearly marking her as a girl. She waves her stick back and forth in what is apparently supposed to be a menacing fashion.
ADM MikeS Tuesday May 10th, 2005 10:02:03 PM
(ooc: Almost forgot - Grymash, please make a will save DC 12)
Gilan d20+14=18 Tuesday May 10th, 2005 10:51:58 PM
Gilan glances up at the sudden outburst from the jungle line. He takes in the two kids but with all that grime and ash it is hard to tell too much about them. Still he lets his memory wander to all the little tales of fey and the like that he has studied...maybe they fit.
Looking back to Tishe' as some of the others seem to be taking care of it, unless he remembers something important. "Yes and if it was...with the boom being able to be heard by us it was either close or big." He looks back to see how Jake is making out with the two kids, not wanting to startle them with a big crowd. "Of course this ash comes from a fire which has already been pointed out but it is just as dangerous if not more so than the lava that also comes out. I have read tales of something scholars call "lavabombs" that are molten on the inside and hard on the outside but can explode upon impact." Though he is talking about something dangerous he still has that intrigued look upon his face and he smiles at Trellus.
"I know...nature fascinates me...even the most dangerous things." He shrugs as if to say he cannot help it and most of his old packmates will know this to be true.
[knowledge(nature) 18*for fey and other nature related creatures*]
Flea Tuesday May 10th, 2005 11:35:13 PM
The gnome just stares at the little folks brandishing sticks. She nervously twists one of her new rings around her finger.
Trellus d20+6=19 Wednesday May 11th, 2005 11:51:00 AM
Trellus looks skeptically at the two intruders. You gotta be kidding
"Now hold on, dudes," he replies in his I'm a nice guy voice. "We just sorta ended up here. We're not gonna weave anything bad here."
He follows the gaze to Grymash and Mac. Not exactly the most peace loving looking dudes he admits to himself.
The cleric turns back to the little folk. "Truly. We're just stuck here awhile. We mean you no harm.
Uh, what village?"
[Diplomacy 19]
Tishe' Wednesday May 11th, 2005 1:07:44 PM
The brown eyes are bright with amusement as the children brandish thier sticks. The fact they are filthy only registers a little later.
"A village? And how many more of you are there, sweetie?"
Anuk d20=15 Wednesday May 11th, 2005 3:38:28 PM
Anuk relaxes on seeing the two "guards". After listening to them he puts his bow away and raises his hands into the air. Then he drops to one knee in order to be at eye-level with the children.
"Hey, you've got no problems here with us," he says, flashing a smile (diplomacy 15). "We're just wondering where we are, that's all."
Mac Wednesday May 11th, 2005 4:56:02 PM
With the camping area cleared, Mac lets Galea out to play - hoping against hope that she doesn't go playing and hiding in some many inch deep piles of ash.
Grymash d20+6=22 Wednesday May 11th, 2005 7:19:17 PM
(Will save 22)
Grymash's piercing gaze stares down at the fierce little guardians and their dire-looking pointy sticks.
His expression becomes very serious as a low growl grows deep in his throat. Then suddenly he couldn't hold it any longer. "Hahahahahaha ha ha ha ha uhh, hahahahahaha ... hee hee hee hee hee hee, ohh!! Make it stop, make it stop!! Hee hee hee!" Grymash continues to chuckle as he wipes away the tears.
(ADM MikeS) d20+1=21 Wednesday May 11th, 2005 10:31:17 PM
While Galea tumbles playfully through the dust on the beach near Mac and Gilan, the "showdown" near the jungle edge continues.
Clutching their sticks, the two children tremble as Gry pins them with his stare. At the sound of his growl, their eyes widen further. The shorter one shrieks, drops her stick and hides behind the taller one. "Griffin--make it stop!" she cries.
Clearly making a huge effort (will save 21), the taller one sets his legs in a wide stance, puffs out his small chest, points his stick at the huge half-orc and calls out in a quavering voice, "Leave us alone, monster!"
When Gry begins laughing, the young boy becomes confused. He looks warily to the faces of Trellus, Tishe', Jake, Flea and Anuk, his eyes darting back and forth between them. When they begin asking questions, all he can reply with is a nearly whispered, "Uhhhh....". He seems at a loss for words, but he continues to hold his stick fast and stand protectively in front of the girl.
(OOC: Spot and Listen checks, please.)
Jake d20+8=14 d20+8=14 d20+15=31 Thursday May 12th, 2005 12:47:36 AM
Jake has held back, unsure how to talk to these kids, letting Trellus take the initial step. Or are they kids...they could be Flea's relatives, he realizes. He walks over slowly, slouching and casual. "Aww, shucks," he drawls disarmingly, as the one shivers protectively in front of the girl, "don't worry about Grymash. And hey, we won't hurt ya little guys." Jake stretches relaxedly, to show that he's really at ease and not tense (while at the same time keeping his senses tuned for other halflings, Spot 14, Listen 14), he then crouches in front of the little guy with the stick to be eye-level. "Griffin, is it? Mah name's Jake, an' we all 're outta Rattledam. That tusky guy is Grymash, and we call our big fellow there Mac, Trell over here's our leader mosta the time, this here natureboy's Gilan, here's mah friend Anuk, an' the two gals are Tishe and Flea." He extends a hand to shake slowly. "Now, ah know y'all prob'ly don't get many visitors around here, but we're just a-passin' through. We're headed home to a place called the Plains, a land of grasses taller than trees. We don't wanna get into any fights with anyone, if ya want, we'll stay here on the beach. But if ya need some help, well, part of what we do when we're travelin' around is helpin' friendly folks; so far while away from home we've saved a couplea dwarves and helped transport a dragon-kid to his family. So, if y'all need some help, ya can feel free to ask, otherwise we won't, y'know, bug ya." Jake stays as he is, watching the youth for his response.
(Diplomacy 31. First time I've ever gotten to use this particular skill for the recalcitrant Jake...since he's a half-elf, got a good charisma, full ranks in it for picking up women, and a magic hat to boot, he's just plain awesome at that skill.)
Tishe' d20=7 Thursday May 12th, 2005 1:25:35 PM
The brown-haired woman stands in awe at her packmate (Diplomacy: 7) Jake has always been nice, taking things easy, but this time he is exuding so much charisma he is practically glowing.
"wow."
Gilan d20+8=28 d20+8=28 Thursday May 12th, 2005 1:58:55 PM
Gilan glances over to the two young people and shakes his head as Gry growls and then laughs. He stays seated as he keeps his ears and eyes open. A village of some kind had been mentioned and that could mean trouble as more could be lurking around, still he stayed relaxed.
Looking to Trellus he nods his head in the direction of the two kids. "Maybe they could use something to eat and a little clean water...I am not above sharing what I have if they would like." He dives into his pack and pulls out a waterskin, hard bread, some hard cheese and some of the fruit he had gathered before. "It all appears to be in good condition."
[listen 28*natural 20* and spot 28*natural 20*]
Well, there go my future combat rolls. :)
Flea d20+9=24 d20+11=13 Thursday May 12th, 2005 4:33:02 PM
Flea tries to look past the small-fry, since Jake and the others seem to have things well in hand.
Spot=24 Listen=13
Anuk Thursday May 12th, 2005 4:48:21 PM
Anuk stammers, trying to come up with something to say to the children to calm them down. Jake's sudden persuasive friendliness surprises Anuk not so much for it's perfect timing, but for it's sincerity.
"Jake, I've never seen you use that on anyone but girls before. And you almost look like you mean it this time," he says, grinning at his friend.
Trellus d20+8=27 d20+8=19 Thursday May 12th, 2005 5:01:32 PM
Trellus gives Jake a sideways look, and mentally files that little talent under "Picks Jake can weave, if I can get him to want to help" It does explain his ability with the girls, he admits.
Since his elf buddy seems to have covered it nicely, Trellus shuts up and waits to see what happens.
Listen 27 Spot 19
Mac d20+1=8 d20+5=13 Thursday May 12th, 2005 6:30:21 PM
[Listen:8, Spot:13]
Keeping one eye and ear on the kids, Mac watches Galea's antics.
(ADM MikeS) Friday May 13th, 2005 1:18:31 AM
When Griffin hears Jake's soothing tone, he calms down a bit and lowers his stick. The half-elf is even able to coax a smile out of the apparently human boy. "It won't hurt us then?" he asks, casting a sidelong glance at Grymash.
Griffin doesn't seem too interested in Gilan's offer of food, but he greedily slurps up the water offered, then hands what's left in the skin to the little girl. "It's water, Bek...real water," he tells her. She takes the skin and drinks as eagerly as he did.
Griffin turns to Jake. "Ever since the sky fell down a few days ago," he says, indicating the ash everywhere, "we've had no real water to drink. We get lots of juice from the fruits that grew up through our village here the next day, but no water." He takes the waterskin back from the little girl and tries to squeeze out a few more drops, but no water remains. Disappointed, he returns the skin to Gilan. "Thank you."
At that moment, Trellus hears sounds of movement coming from the foliage -- something is moving quickly toward the pack. Flea sees the silhouette of a grown human-sized figure stopping just inside the darkness created by the trees. A male voice calls out, "What are you doing with my children?!"
Only Gilan notices the other eight shadowy figures with bows and arrows drawn spread out along the jungle's edge on either side of the speaker. He can see that each arrow is aimed at a different pack member.
Trellus d20+6=9 Friday May 13th, 2005 10:20:43 AM
Trellus looks up, annoyed at the man's tone.
"We're giving them water," he snaps back. "If you're a bit more shady, we might give you some."
[Diplomacy 9]
Tishe' Friday May 13th, 2005 1:29:46 PM
Tishe' may not be the most sensitive person when it comes to personal interaction, but she thinks the man must be concerned for the kids' safety and not really hostile. Certainly the mage would be concerned if strangers were around piggies she loved.
"We're all shady here. Don't have any picks with you, just weaving time with the piggies!" she calls out reassuringly.
Gilan Friday May 13th, 2005 3:24:59 PM
Gilan glances to Trellus and shakes his head. A little louder so that those closest to him can hear he speaks up. "Keep your hands away from weapons and try to be a little friendlier...he has friends with bows and I do not want to be a pincushion." He looks back to Trellus with a look of exasperation. "You need to be a little more careful there."
He looks back to the man as he puts the skin back into his pack and pulls out another. "Hear that you have not had real water for awhile...would you be willing to share what I have left and talk?" With a thought he smiles to the man and invites him to sit by him if he wishes. "I you have storage containers I would not mind supplying you with water...maybe that in trade for information?" Diplomacy is not his fortay and he would not even try, he just speaks to the man as someone that is worried about his kids and maybe in charge at this village mentioned. "If you do not mind I have another skin of water here...may I give it to your son and daughter if they are still thirsty?"
Anuk Friday May 13th, 2005 9:00:16 PM
While Trellus is talking, Anuk reaches slowly into his backpack and pulls out his own waterskin.
"Want some more?" he offers to the two kids.
Mac - 60' Darkvision d20+5=25 d20+5=19 Saturday May 14th, 2005 4:25:02 AM
Nodding to Gilan and scooping up Galea, Mac takes a more careful look into the shadows of the trees. [Spot:25 - Nat.20] "They might not take kindly to their bairns being called 'piggies', though I hope they realise we mean them and their kin no insult nor harm." Mac looks again over to the children, hoping to discern some family resemblance. [Spot: 19] Continuing to scritch under the kitten's chin, he make no motion towards the weaponry by his backpack.
Who Are You? (ADM MikeS) Saturday May 14th, 2005 2:06:27 PM
Taking a cue from Gilan, Mac looks more intently at the treeline and sees the outlines of the figures standing silently but with weapons poised.
The center figure steps forward into what's left of the light. He is a middle-aged man with black and gray hair. Like the children, he is filthy - covered in soot from head to toe. He wears a tunic and sandals, but is otherwise unarmored. Griffin sees him and calls out, "Father! They have water with them!"
"So I hear," says the man. "Come here, children." The two youngsters run to his side. Bek, the younger one, stays behind the man, occasionally peeking out at Grymash with wide eyes.
He turns to Trellus. "When my children are in danger, I will speak to you in what manner seems best to me. Life in our village has turned upside down in the last few days. The sky is always thick with smoke...ash covers everything we have...trees have grown through our homes...we hear voices in the forest at night. An hour ago winged monsters flew overhead. But you are the first strangers we have seen since these ill signs have come to pass."
He looks over the pack for a moment, then makes a motion with his hand. The eight men step forward from the trees, lowering their weapons.
"Your offer of water is kind and I want to believe you mean to harm us. Our cleric died and we have no wizards or druids in our village. With all this ash, we have had no clean water to drink. I am Halnir and this is...was...the village of Sipton. Is there any help we can offer to you in exchange for the water?"
Trellus Saturday May 14th, 2005 9:11:08 PM
Trellus' head drops, and his cheeks flush with embarrassment. Waxed pick dude he sarcastically berates himself.
Looking up, the cleric answers. "Sorry dude. Its been a strange day for us too. We don't need anything in exchange, we'll be happy to help."
He steps forward, extending a hand. "I'm Trellus of Rattledam, priest of Domi. These are my packmates. How can we help you?"
Jake Saturday May 14th, 2005 10:58:01 PM
Jake moves back from his position to beside and slightly behind Trellus. Lack of water...that's always a problem with Rattledam, too. The secret, he thinks to himself, was under the ground, wasn't it? He nudges Gilan and speaks softly to him, "Hey, if they can't find any water, and everything's covered in ash, do ya think there'd still be fresh water underground? Do ya have a way of findin' it?" But then a thought hits him. "If we dig too deep, will we hit the ocean...or, um, will the entire island sink?"
Grymash Sunday May 15th, 2005 3:02:52 AM
Grymash looks dead serious during the whole introduction. The visor of his horned helmet casts a shadow across his face. Only the reflection of light gleams off his glassy eyes. He doesn't say a word. He just stands there with his muscles tense and solid like a statue. It's fortunate for these stick chuckers that Trellus, Gilan and Jake are good with the happy words, the half orc thinks.
Grymash pulls off his helmet and hands it and his double axe to Trellus. "Weez got more than dat!!" He removes his haversack and pulls out a keg of water. "Will dis be nuff for everyones ta wet der tongues?"
Tishe' Sunday May 15th, 2005 3:01:58 PM
The young woman's heart goes out to these hard working villagers who have had a terrible string of luck. She heartily agrees with Trellus that there doesn't need to be any talk of payment. "I don't have the right spells today, but I can be ready to create water tomorrow."
"And perhaps there are other things that we can do to help clear some of this ash and make the lives of the people better?"
Flea Monday May 16th, 2005 1:24:59 AM
A troubled looks crosses the rogue's face when her packmates start giving away all their water, after the strangers tell them of their plight. When Tishe' volunteers her magic for the morrow, Flea relaxes a little.
Unconsciously she rubs the place on her chest where the red gem is now embedded.
Anuk Monday May 16th, 2005 10:45:53 AM
Anuk looks from his small waterskin to Gry's keg. "Yeah...that oughta just about do it."
Halnir's Story (DM MikeK) Monday May 16th, 2005 8:38:23 PM
The Bloodpack quickly offers water to the men and the village. Grymash produces an entire keg, which rapidly changes the young Bek's opinion of the large half orc.
"Father, he's got a whole barrel of water!" the boy points out, in an awed voice.
"I see it," the man answers. "Why don't you two go tell mother? We'll be along in a bit." [Sense Motive DC 12 to understand the man is more interested in getting his kids out of the area than actually relying upon them to deliver a message]
The man watches the kids run off, and several of the shadows disappear to keep an eye on them. He turns back to Gilan. "Thank you for the water. But I ain't sure it'll do much more than drag things out."
He looks down, ashamed. And embarrassed of his shame.
"There's a lake overlooking the village. We've told the kids its too dirty. It's a bit dirty, but that ain't the problem. A bunch of trees grew up. Overnight. Dammed up the river just like that." He snaps his fingers.
"Priest went up there. Cleric of Domi too. He never came back. Couple of men went after him, an' they never came back either. Then me an a couple dozen guys went after them."
Halnir looks up, face pale at the memory. "Trees surround the lake now. A ring maybe 60 feet deep. Darn near see the water on the other side. We took three steps into that ring an' a high voice says 'Stop'. An I say, 'we're looking for some folks'. An it says, 'they tried to get water' An I say, 'well where is they now?' An then the head of our priest comes bouncing along the roots and stops at my feet."
Halnir looks back to the ground. "Well, we run and ain't been back."
He continues in a whisper, almost to himself, "all we gotta do is break that dam."
Gilan Monday May 16th, 2005 9:40:04 PM
Gilan looks to Trellus and the rest of the pack as he tries to not speak for all of them. "It maybe that we should help before we move on...the man is right, what little water that we could provide would be gone in maybe a week." He looks more towards Trellus as he talks, but he does glance around to the others. "I don't think it would hurt to at least check it out...but I do not speak for anyone but myself in this." He looks back to the man and nods his head in understanding. "I will at least follow you to your village and make sure you have water for awhile...more I cannot do unless our pack is unanimous." Waiting he looks to see what the others have to say. He is sure that Gry will jump at the chance, especially since a chance to prove himself in battle is present or at least looks that way.
Flea Monday May 16th, 2005 10:17:31 PM
Flea listens to the man's tale, then pipes up, "isn't there some other place you could go? Another village, or something?"
The rogue worries that even with a source of water, the future of these folks is grim. She stares up at the dirty grey sky.
Grymash Tuesday May 17th, 2005 1:03:25 AM "Whut da problem. Gry an Mac can cut down tree wit da axes, easy greazy! Like slicin' up warm nutty dodder curdles." Suddenly Grymash feels hungry.
Mac d20+1=15 Tuesday May 17th, 2005 8:16:20 AM "What could so desperately need a lakeful of water that it couldn't spare any, and would kill to protect it?" He turns to Gry, and then to Halnir [b]"We could remove the trees, but I think that the trees aren't the real problem here. Looks like there will have to be some more talking - up there." he states, not entirely sure where the village and the lake are, but confident they will see them soon enough.
[Sense Motive:15]
Trellus d20+4=7 Tuesday May 17th, 2005 11:59:23 AM
Still stewing about his last bright comment, Trellus doesn't notice the man's move to get his kids clear. So, the little speech comes as a bit of a surprise. [Sense Motive 7]
The blond man blinks at Halnir's story, and pauses a moment to get his bearings. By then, Gilan has finished speaking, and the cleric finds himself nodding along in agreement. Unlike his friend, Trellus has no problem speaking for group.
"Truly," he adds on after Mac. "Let's get up there and help these dudes out."
In an aside to Flea he adds, "These dudes are just like folks back home. Its their village. They've too much time in it to leave. The village is their identity, their strength." Trellus thinks a bit more. "Besides, look at this place. Where are they gonna go?"
Tishe' Tuesday May 17th, 2005 12:27:20 PM
Twirling a wavy brown lock of hair around one finger, Tishe' frowns at the man's story. "Someone is using the power of nature to be a bully," she states. "That alone would get my agreement to help these shady people. They are only trying to weave thier own tapestry in peace. I think the Wold Mother needs some help as much as the villagers."
Tishe' suggests to get a good night's rest before tackling the problem of the water in the morning.
Anuk d20+2=16 d20+11=16 d20+11=29 Tuesday May 17th, 2005 4:19:31 PM
Hearing of the extent of the problem faced by the strangers, Anuk wonders aloud "I imagine having the dragons back would help. Wonder when they'll return?"
He looks skyward for any signs of their friends.
(sense motive 16, spot 16, listen 29)
A Drink for Sipton (DM MikeK) Tuesday May 17th, 2005 8:55:58 PM
Halnir searches the faces of the Bloodpack, searching for something that will tell him these strangers are capable of backing up their offer of help. He pauses for a moment on the massive axe of Grymash warm nutty dodder curdles??
As Halnir evaluates them, Anuk recalls the dragons saying they would not likely return for a couple more days.
Nodding his head slowly, the dirt covered man meets your eyes. "Thank you again. Come on, I'll show you what's left."
Halnir turns and leads the group along a ash covered game path. After a few hundred yards, the party comes to a clearing. Sort of. The village of Sipton extends for a quarter mile along a dry, dust covered riverbed. It consists of perhaps twenty buildings. Several of the buildings have enormous, ash covered oak trees growing out of them. It looks as if someone planted a seed in their kitchen, only to have a 60 foot high tree spring out of the ground.
A watermill and a couple wooden docks extend over the riverbank, mute testimony that the twenty foot wide bed very recently held water.
The villagers are standing in the square, silently watching the approaching heroes. There are about 90 souls. They are covered in dirt and ash, only the whites of their eyes break up the monochromatic look of the place. The people look at the Bloodpack, and say nothing. They just stand and watch.
Halnir steps forward, and addresses his neighbors. "This is Trellus, a priest of Domi. And his friends. They have some water to share with us. Send the little ones first."
The people come forward. Slowly. They do not push, or fight, or struggle. The children come with cups, drink, and then pass the cups to older siblings and parents, who also drink. In no time at all, Grymash's keg is empty, and the people still watch.
On the far side of the village, a road extends a half mile through farmlands teeming with ash covered fruits and grains. The road ends at a green woodline. No ash covers those trees.
Gilan d20+14=31 d20+8=23 d20+13=18 d20+8=11 d20+18=27 Tuesday May 17th, 2005 11:28:11 PM
Gilan watches the faces of the people and shakes his head. His heart is hurting at the way they stand and watch...it is all he can do to keep from crying himself. When the water is gone he looks around and then speaks to the leader of this village. "Do you have other clean large containers to hold water in...I can get you near to sixteen gallons of water...fresh and clean for drinking and cooking." He waits to see if they can supply him with at least part of what he asks for and then he will cast his create water spell...he will of course fill back up the keg of Gry's as well.
Looking to the line of trees that are not covered in ash he wanders that way to have a look. "Did you clean off these fruit bearing trees?" He also takes note of the trees that have grown in the middle of some of the houses. "May I also have a look at the trees that grow within?"
*checking to see if the trees are natural, he will also check to see if any magic lingers near them and what kind*
Flea d20+9=10 d20+11=16 Wednesday May 18th, 2005 12:35:50 AM
Flea wanders off towards the area marked by the trees that are free of ash. Her curiousity gets the better of her, and she isn't particularly mindful of her surroundings.
Spot=10 (nat 1) Listen=16
Grymash Wednesday May 18th, 2005 7:36:42 AM
Grymash doesnt know what to say. Things look pretty bleak. I guess they need to find the beater going around planting trees everywhere. A tree in a house, how stupid!
Tishe d20+5=7 d20+5=25 d20+8=12 Wednesday May 18th, 2005 2:43:17 PM
[OOC: Grymash, great post! Laughed for all of my 5 minute fix!]
The plain-looking mage's heart goes out to these villagers; taking whatever comes and making the best of it. It's NOT FAIR! A very stubborn look comes over her and her brown eyes flash.
While the children line up, she weaves a white spell with her rod in one hand, and uses her prestidigitation to clean the children. Going into a house, she begins cleaning the ash out of there as well. "They may have dust everywhere else, but we can give them a clean place to sleep!"
While cleaning she looks around trying to make sense of the trees.
Spot: 7 Listen: nat 20 Knowledge Nature: 12
Spells Prestidigitation, Extended [2 hours]
Trellus Wednesday May 18th, 2005 3:41:24 PM
Trellus looks at the villagers. Tries to say something, stops, and looks again. Sweet Domi, help them! he cries silently.
At Gilan's words, the cleric nods emphatically. "I can give you sixteen more. And tomorrow..." He meets Gilan's eyes. "Tomorrow we'll really start weaving."
In concert with his friend, Trellus casts Create Water and fills every recepticle he can find.
Jake d20+15=23 Wednesday May 18th, 2005 3:56:08 PM
Jake takes in the villagers and their plea quietly, staying in the background. When they arrive in town, he takes in the ash-streaken and dust-smoted buildings, and their inhabitants, with a bit of quiet interest. Inwardly amazed at the amount of dust here, he wonders worriedly about what might have happened to Rattledam if, well, the grasses grew way high, or something. For once, he wonders if this abundance of nature thing might not be so great... Then his eyes take in one or two of the ash-covered women of the town and an upward twitch comes to his lips. Even at their dirtiest, a bit of their beauty shines through, to the half-elf's keen and discerning eyes. Whether married or not, the half-elf wastes no time in being charitable to these ones. As the others gather around for water, he inevitably finds his way over to stand near a pair of the most attractive women of the town. After Grymash has given the children all of his water, he pulls out a waterskin of his own, and offers it to one of the two ash-covered beauties.. "Here, ah'm not thirsty," he smiles, throwing her a charming smile, and inwardly reflects, at least, not thirsty for water. He talks to the two of them softly, while no doubt most of the rest of the town glances at him but he pays no heed. He keeps his voice just soft enough that only they can hear him well. "So, mah name's Jake O'Connell. Ah know your chief is named Halnir, and this village is Septon, but ah'm afraid ah don't have the privelege of knowing the name of Septon's most precious pair of treasures; two valuable jewels whose beauty is beyond compare...you two," he confirms, smiling at them. (Diplomacy 23 for the initial wooing...tempted to spend a hero point to reroll that... :P )
Anuk d20+13=20 d20+11=22 d20+11=16 d20+9=28 Wednesday May 18th, 2005 7:52:32 PM
Anuk spends time with the children of the village, playing a few games and trying to help them feel more cheerful. While Gilan and Trellus begin creating water, Anuk follows Flea out to the trees not covered with ash, searching for clues and explanations as to what caused this extreme growth, as well as food for the pack and the villagers.
Survival 20, spot 22, listen 16, search 28
The wood (DM MikeK) Wednesday May 18th, 2005 8:59:45 PM
The villagers quickly leave and return with a startling assortment of buckets and jars. Their collection easily captures all 32 gallons of water created by Gilan and Trellus. [Grymash's keg is still empty]
Between the water, and Tishe's whirlwind of cleaning, the villagers loosen up and begin talking with one another and the group.
Gilan receives permission to investigate the trees in one of the houses. He and Tishe see no evidence of anything unnatural. Its an oak. The druid figures its about 60 years old. Other than the fact that it wasn't there last week, there's nothing unusual about it at all.
Jake finds one of his marks is married, and would like to stay that way. So would her husband, who quickly joins the little party. The other girl, however, shows some real promise.
All the party hears that the ash fell from the sky about a day after a loud flash and boom was seen/heard to the south. Not surprisingly, the timing of that episode matches the flash/boom experienced by the Bloodpack while battling the giants.
In between the explosion and the ash rain, the trees grew up into the houses. The timing of this event coincides with the appearance of the garden.
Halnir calls for Anuk and Flea to take care. "Them's the trees blocking up the lake," he tells them. "Sprang up a couple days ago."
As Anuk and Flea approach the wood, the ranger notes the fields to either side of the road are overflowing with ripened produce, just like the islands he recently visited. The difference is the melons and berries and grains are covered in about an inch of dust. Still, it should be possible to brush them off and eat them. And it appears that's just what the villagers have been doing.
The wood itself appears unremarkable. It is composed of fully mature oaks, maples, ashes, walnuts, and birch. Again, the only thing odd about it is it wasn't there last week.
Tishe' Thursday May 19th, 2005 1:19:09 PM
After her spell has run its course, Tishe' has no magical means of assistance, but she will help as she is able.
She is undoubtedly dirtier by the time the 'pack settles down for dinner and planning, but she is alive with curiosity at how they will be able to help the villagers.
Anuk Thursday May 19th, 2005 2:50:51 PM
When Flea is ready, Anuk returns to the pack to report their findings and deliver some fruit he gathered. "Whole lotta trees out there...some shady fruit trees like everywhere else, but the trees surrounding the lake are like the ones coming up through the village houses. No fruit, but they're big. I was thinking maybe I'll climb one of the outer ones in the morning to see how big the forest is. Maybe help us weave our next pick."
Standing by Thursday May 19th, 2005 9:17:36 PM
Waiting for some more posts....
Jake Friday May 20th, 2005 1:07:14 AM
Jake leads Trellus on over to the side. "Okay...in the morning, we tackle those woods, right? Great. In the meantime, ah've got some business ta do...ah'll meetch'all in the morning." And Jake takes off. He's wanting to show the girl he's met the unique glass grass drink...as well as learn more about the island's beauty... Nothing like a tropical island vacation.
Mac d20+5=12 d20+5=13 d20+5=20 d20+5=21 d20+5=7 Friday May 20th, 2005 4:22:43 AM
"Day or night is fine by me. Let me know what I can do... has anyone tried felling one of these new trees?" If none has, Mac sets about finding a suitable tree with the villagers help (so it is unlikely to fall on something valuable) an sets about dropping one of them before spending the first part of the night seeing what happens.
[PHB3.5, pg165: Vulnerability to Certain Attacks; - DM's call]
Attacking once per round and keeping a full move action up his sleeve to get out of the tree's way (just in case), and with the normal Hardness, HP/", Damage and PA in play (target has AC:1 or there abouts), Mac carves through about 2' 4.5" of lumber per minute.
Once he completes the task, Mac takes up a position about 20' from the stump and felled tree, and watches to see if the magics bring regrowth to the tree. Spot Checks at regular intervals: 12, 13, 20, 21 & 7
Tishe' d20+15=25 d20+15=33 d20+15=35 d20+13=29 d20+13=17 d20+13=23 d20+13=32 d20+13=15 d20+13=24 Friday May 20th, 2005 3:30:10 PM
While waiting, the brown-haired mage looks over her spellbooks, happy to know the long dragon-journey gave her time to scribe spells...
Trellus Friday May 20th, 2005 4:31:10 PM
Trellus looks at Jake and sighs theatrically. "Try not to catch anything serious," he jokes with a smile.
To all his says, "Let's get some shuteye, and go clear out them woods in the morning. Gilan don't forget to ask for a bunch of Water Creation spells tomorrow."
The young man asks around for a place the group can crash, and assigns watches: Mac and Tishe, Flea and Anuk, Trellus and Grymash, Gilan and Jake - and be back in time to weave your turn, he warns his friend.
Morning (DM MikeK) Friday May 20th, 2005 10:46:34 PM
Mac decides to investigate a tree by chopping it down. The villagers point out one that grew up near a house but not actually inside it, and invite him to help himself. The minotaur makes like Paul Bunyan, and in no time at all, the tree comes crashing to the ground. Mac waits around for something interesting to happen, but nothing does. The tree stays down. Nothing grows from the stump. No bolts from the blue appear to zap him. Nothing at all.
Jake decides to spend the night doing what he does best.
Trellus asks for a place to spend the night, and the Bloodpack ends up in a mostly destroyed house. But it keeps out the wind, and after a couple weeks of camping on beaches, at least there is a floor.
Watches are posted, but the night passes without incident.
Morning dawns. The stump is still just a stump. And the Bloodpack sets about to prepare their assault upon the tree dam.
Tishe successfully copies all spells, with the exception of Haste, into her spell book. That one is still on the scroll (DC 18). All other spells have disappeared from the parchment.
Jake Sunday May 22nd, 2005 12:08:31 PM
Jake actually missed his watch... He's glad no one notices, as he comes in just two minutes before the end of his watch and acts like he was there the whole time. But he still feels pretty guilty about it...
As it is, in the morning, he's feeling great though. He does some of his usual exercises with the hoop, and jokingly offers some locals a try... He promises the smaller ones if he has time, he'll make a lot thinner, lighter ones for them to practice with.
Then he puts on his gear and gets ready to head out. Man, it's hot in this stuff, he thinks to himself..
Grymash Monday May 23rd, 2005 3:13:53 AM
After his morning prayers, Grymash seems eager to test his new admantine double axe on the trees.
Trellus Monday May 23rd, 2005 9:51:12 AM
Trellus notices Jake missed his watch, cause the the dude was supposed to relieve him. The cleric pulls a double watch, and glares at the elf when he comes back.
But, by then its morning, and the blond youth has to make his morning devotions to Domi. And by the time he's finished, his mind has already moved on to the tasks of the day. Jake has escaped again....
Spell List -
0 - Create Water (x5), Detect Magic 1 -- Comprehend Languages, Endure Elements, Bless, Prot from Evil, Remove Fear, Command 2 - Hold Person, Silence, Spiritual Weapon (x2) 3 - Dispel Magic, Invisibility Purge, Prayer, Searing Light 4 -- Air Walk, Freedom of Movement, Sending
Flea Monday May 23rd, 2005 12:25:43 PM
With a sigh, Flea collects some of the fruit from near the strange trees, and brings it back to the ruined house provided for the group by the villagers. She leaves the food where others can help themselves. The gnome eats a little. Just enough to satisfy her hunger, while she dreams of a roast joint of beef, cheeses, and bread.
After an uneventful watch, Flea makes ready to follow her party into the great unknown.
Tishe' Monday May 23rd, 2005 3:20:54 PM
The young spellweaver takes the rosy dawn in silence and curled up under an oak tree with her spellbook; content with all the magic about her.
Once spells are ready, she ensures weapons are likewise oiled and functioning before joining her pack and waiting for the plan to go into the wood.
Anuk Monday May 23rd, 2005 4:49:22 PM
Anuk wakes up when the sun hits his eyes through a hole in the roof. He blinks rapidly and sits up groggily, getting his bearings. "Oh yeah...the house...the village...guess it's time to get goin'..."
After inspecting his pack and other gear, Anuk spends some time alone in the nearby grove of fruit trees, eating some breakfast and meditating.
(prepares entangle, jump)
The Wood (DM MikeK) Monday May 23rd, 2005 8:37:38 PM
Morning has come, and the Bloodpack prepares for the day. Spells are learned. Fasts are broken. Small kittens are played with.
Halnir is waiting as the packmates emerge from their resting place. He walks with them toward the forest. At the edge of town, the villagers have erected a large empty wooden basin. It could easily hold Mac and Gry within its confines.
"We use it for wine making," Halnir explains. He looks about in embarrassment. "We, uh... we was wondering if maybe you could fill it up first?" The man scratches a cheek, uncomfortable with making this last request, but making it all the same.
Once the basin is dealt with, the wood remains...
Jake Tuesday May 24th, 2005 9:40:18 AM
Jake makes the calm, time-taking process of getting into his armor and checking all his weapons, sharpening and polishing where necessary. He hums somewhat offkey as he goes along.
Anuk Tuesday May 24th, 2005 11:39:14 AM
Anuk peeks over the edge of the basin and gives a low whistle. "Wine, eh? Hey, Jake...imagine how much glass grass could fit this thing..."
Trellus (Magic Vestment) Tuesday May 24th, 2005 2:13:18 PM
Trellus looks at the basin, back at Halnir, back at the basin.
"Doesn't like our odds much, does he?" he comments to Gilan. The cleric casts five consecutive Create Water spells, dumping 80 gallons of water into the basin.
That chore done, he leads the group up to the treeline. "So, do we try and talk with somebody, or do we just start cutting wood and see who tries to stop us?" Based on the irritated man's tone, its pretty easy to tell he'd prefer Option B.
But before that, he'll pull out a Rod and cast a protective spell on his shield [Magic Vestment (extended)].
Tishe' Tuesday May 24th, 2005 3:00:57 PM
With Trellus and Gilan able to provide much more water than she can, the average-looking woman concentrates on things that she can do best. Holding her magical rod, she weaves an extended Mage Armor about her. She also weaves an extended See Invisibility spell. "If there is anything invisible, I'll be able to pick it", she tells her pack.
"I vote to ask politely", she tells Trellus, "perhaps we can find the reason for the dam without destroying things we know little about?"
Spells Mage Armor [Extended] 10 hours +4 AC See Invisible [Extended] 100 minutes
Mac Tuesday May 24th, 2005 4:52:07 PM "I 'ave to agree with Tishe' - talk first."
Grymash Tuesday May 24th, 2005 7:12:45 PM "Whuh?! Yooz all think da biggie trees will tries an eats ya? Thays be plants ... too stupid ta do anythings!"
Hello? Anybody home? (DM MikeK) Tuesday May 24th, 2005 8:22:39 PM
Gilan and Trellus fill up the basin with water, while the others prepare for battle. Once the water creating spells are expended, the pack covers the rest of the distance to the woodline.
At the suggestion of Mac and Tishe, Gilan calls a few "hello"s at the woods.
There is no response.
The friends are some 60' from the towering trees, with little but grass in the intervening space. To the right is the dry streambed. At the intersection of treeline and riverbed, the trees become larger and more tightly intertwined. It is easy to see how a few rows of trees could easily block up the lake behind them.
Gilan d20+8=23 d20+8=23 Tuesday May 24th, 2005 11:01:05 PM
Gilan looks around the wooded area and shakes his head. "No answer to our hellos...do you think that maybe a different language would be more useful?" He will call out in not only elven but sylvan as well to see if he can get an answer.
He looks over the trees as he tries to make heads or tails out of what is going on here.
[spot 23 and listen 23]
I am alright with the summoning of creatures and figure that I had at least four create waters to use. Will put a spell list up with my next post, have to look up my character sheet again. My old computer got fried and I am using our old dinosaur.
Flea d20+13=20 d20+9=20 Tuesday May 24th, 2005 11:51:17 PM
Flea rubs her nose and looks about. "With all this wild food and stuff, there's bound to be critters about," Flea thinks to herself scanning the environs for some small burrowing mammal she may be able to echange 'words' with.
Search=20 Spot=20
Jake Wednesday May 25th, 2005 1:40:32 AM
"Okay, guys, here's a plan... Y'all let me get attacked. Ah mean, let's face it, whenever Gry or Mac is in front, they get hammered pretty near death, but ah've got mah fancy new armor on, and ah'm bettin' no plant can get through it." Jake pats his full plate with his big ol' shield to accent his point, and looks to see what the others think. "Ah mean, lemme just y'know, stumble on up. Ah'll be fine with a few weaves."
Tishe' Wednesday May 25th, 2005 3:18:14 PM
The mage shrugs. Someone has to go in first, and Jake is probably the best one to go and not get hurt. Just the same, she gets ready to back him up.
Keeping her crossbow at the ready, she scans the trees for movement or invisible creatures. "First thing that pokes a weapon at one of my packmates gets webbed to a tree.", she growls.
Spells Mage Armor [Extended] 10 hours +4 AC See Invisible [Extended] 100 minutes
Anuk d20+11=29 d20+11=12 Wednesday May 25th, 2005 6:15:57 PM
Anuk ranges along the edge of the treeline again, looking for any signs of life within. He does not enter the forest itself, though.
Spot 29, Listen 12 (nat 1, ugh)
Grymash Wednesday May 25th, 2005 7:43:53 PM
Grymash takes his double axe in hand and heads for the the nearest tree. "Yooz all want ta start wit dis one?"
Trellus d20+8=19 Wednesday May 25th, 2005 9:20:03 PM
Trellus pretty much agrees with Jake and Grymash. But, they've started weaving one pattern, might as well stick with it for awhile.
"Hold on, dudes," he cautions the fighters. "Let's try the talking pick first."
The cleric keeps his eyes on the woods, looking for signs of attack.
[Spot 19]
Nobody here but us chipmunks (DM MikeK) Wednesday May 25th, 2005 9:23:11 PM
Grymash and Jake are ready to go, and Trellus and Tishe are ready to let them.
But, more peaceful heads prevail for the moment.
Gilan tries a couple more languages, and still gets no response.
Flea and Anuk both note that the woods seem to be home to the same kinds of creatures that dotted the landscape up north. They both note the odd chipmunk, squirrel and several varieties of bird.
Gilan Wednesday May 25th, 2005 10:08:30 PM
Gilan glances to Trellus and shakes his head. "Nothing...I am starting to think that maybe we should maybe chop down a single tree." You see him shudder with the very idea and he seems to be thinking a little different though. "I could always try and talk to a tree if you want...they maybe able to give me some information?" He seems to like this idea better than hurting a tree...though he will do what he has to, to help those villagers.
Flea (AC 20, 47 HP) Thursday May 26th, 2005 12:06:55 AM
Flea waits, a few steps behind Grymash. She takes her hooked hammer in hand and makes a little chopping motion in the air. "Well, dude," she chides Grymash, "whats stopping you?"
(OOC: Ready when you are, MikeK!)
Jake d20+8=24 d20+8=10 Thursday May 26th, 2005 1:17:22 AM
Jake suddenly halts Grymash, grabbing upper arm and holding him back. "Yeah, Gry, lay off the cuttin' of the trees. Ah mean, that pretty gal lived in one of them...ah can't stand the idea of cuttin' one down, it might hurt another pretty fem, y'know? Still, ya can take apart as many of 'em bushes an' fake trees as ya want. Tell ya what, let me try this..." Jake steps forward, drawing his sword and shield, and begins trying to climb over/make his way through the piled up vegetation. (Spot 24, Listen 10 as he moves along... AC 26 to all them nasty attacks, AC 25 flatfooted)
Cold beyond description (Guest DM Daniel K) Thursday May 26th, 2005 11:18:40 AM
Suddenly the world of the Bloodpack is changed in almost everyway. Day becomes night, the world around you in encased by rock and most notably the temperature is far below anything you have ever experienced. Billowing clouds of steam roll from your mouth with every exhale and pours off of you skin forming a cloud above each member of the blood pack. Within a smallest fraction of time, skin tightens, blood flow constricts and muscles clench and release in an effort to maintain body temperature. But The environment is not the shift the Blood pack must deal with.
However surprised they might be from their sudden appearance, however chilled they might be from the air, eight pairs of eyes immediately scan the area. They quickly focus 4 targets. A powerful built youth, standing well over 6 feet and the largest of the small company, stands in a proud stance a double bladed axe sits easily in his hands. Wrapped in several layers of thick furs of grey and whites he almost disappears into the cave surrounds. Another larger than average human, standing at 6'2" with piercing blue ice for eyes and built of muscle, is clad in more great furs, but worn proudly outside is a fine weave of chain mail and a silvered emblem of Domi grafted into the chest piece. His black hair falls to his shoulders. A Longsword hangs to his right side, and a crossbow to his left.
Lying on the ground is what appears to be a fetchingly beautiful young woman. Her shoulders are just a bit broad for her slight frame. Her long dark brown hair is mostly kept in a braid, covering her ears, that is thrown over her right shoulder. She is covered in soft, supple furs of white with eyes closed and look of peace upon her face.
Kneeling by the woman is a young man on lanker build than the other humans, but equally tall. His skin and hair color match that of the prone woman and he seems wholly absorbed in her state. Fine brown and gray furs cover him head to toe, like the others. At his side is a curved sword and white wooded longbow.
A slight goatee has just begun to grace his chin. Standing just 3' 4" tall and weighing just 42 lbs., the last is a halfling or possibly a gnome. His tan skin, fair hair, and blue eyes hide behind his prominent gnomish proboscis, but for all of that he is not unattractive. Thick overdone furs, hat, and gloves--beguard him. A noisy, black shot bird noisily flaps upon in squawking protest to something.
Within mere seconds of their arrival, the eight foreigners begin to react, and react as a team. Minotaur, half-orc, and platemailed figure reach for weapons and step forward. They reach for a greataxe, a huge orcish double bladed axe, and longsword respectively. The gnome flows to her right, producing a curious shaped hook/hammer. The bow wielding man pulls his weapon as he moves in practiced harmony with the gnome. The cleric, the woman, and the last man begin moving their hands and fingers, in preparation of various incantations.
Game shift to Ice Vein board The Icers have responded to your arrival please post as well. You have time to take one standard action (or say something).
DM MikeK Wednesday September 28th, 2005 1:03:02 PM
OOC - Please wait for my post...
Flea d20+1=17 Thursday September 29th, 2005 5:50:33 PM
Flea stands on the platform, her eyes on the gnome from Ice Vein. Slowly, and freely a sad song escapes her lips (Perform=17) as in a thin untrained saprano she sings:
When the cold of winter comes, starless night will cover day. In the veiling of the sun we will walk in bitter rain.
But in dreams, I can hear your name And in dreams, we will meet again.
LOG ON