DM Kathy Sunday July 8th, 2012 9:13:45 PM
You doze (or not) on your way to Gnowsy Thornton. Soon, you arrive at the other school, and have a vague impression of red brick, high walls, and green lawns. It looks different in daylight. And from the ground.
You are welcomed by the Gnowsy Thornton headmaster, Lord Elril Grambly, and taken on a brief tour of the facility. It's a nice school, intended for the wealthy scions of the surrounding landowners. Some of the students and staff are welcoming, a few look as if they would call you "riff-raff" if they thought they could get away with it.
After the tour, you sit down to a delicious lunch. You catch a glimpse of Gnowsy, being petted and fawned over by a group of girls in Gnowsy Thornton red-and-gold.
From further down your table, Zeliak Hawk takes a moment to glare at you. "I don't know how you did it," he says, low enough not to be overheard by the professors, "but this isn't over."
Vaniime AC 18/14/14, HP:23/23 d20=15 ; Monday July 9th, 2012 7:15:40 AM
Van enjoys the meal and watches Gnowsy being petted and smiles. As Zeliak whispers, she turns and looks over at him staring directly in Zeliak's eyes, with a confused look upon her face.
"What ever are you talking about "Z". Did What? By the way thanks for coming to support us. Believe me it means soooo much to us.
Bluff attempt DC 15
Tuck HP 28/28 AC 16/16/12 Monday July 9th, 2012 3:59:24 PM
Tuck is glad to see the school grounds in the light. "This is pretty."
He ignores Zeliak at lunch, not trusting himself to speak without resorting to taunts.
Wilma; AC16 (chain shirt); HP 25/25 Monday July 9th, 2012 8:55:11 PM
Wilma grinned momentarily at Van's response to Zeliak's veiled threat, but she had to interrupt her amusement with a yawn. She was still a bit tired after the events of the previous night. The redheaded cleric could only hope that she'd be able to maintain her concentration during today's events.
Still, it was rather nice to see that Gnowsy was being treated like a king. Clearly the dog was in his element with all the attention he was receiving.
DM Kathy Monday July 9th, 2012 10:21:10 PM
Zeliak scowls at Vaniime's reply, but says nothing. His friends, the others who were beaten out, give you various glares and dirty looks. Royse, on the other hand, looks very pleased with himself. When you see him up closer, you can see a definite black-and-blue "mouse" under one eye.
After lunch, the athletic types are taken out to the fields to warm up, while the academic competition gets underway. Five Maplehurst students square off against five Gnowsy Thornton students in their red-and-gold. Gnowsy is among the spectators, although he seems to be doing more sleeping than spectating.
Wilma and Carver, I need knowledge checks from each of you, please. You can each make up to 10 checks; no more than 3 can be in the same subject.
Emrys (ac14, hp18) d20+9=26 ; Monday July 9th, 2012 10:40:57 PM
(BTW, Gnowsy still understands and can read the Common Language. The Share Language spell Emrys cast on him from the night before is still active. Lasts 24 hours. :)
With joyous exuberance, and the graceful posturing of a courtier, Emrys raises his glass and toasts, "To it not being over ... Yes, yes, it's only just begun!" With a little laugh, he pauses for the rest to join him in the toast before taking his drink. He sets his glass down and takes his napkin to dab his smiling lips. Though for the briefest of moments, while he looks upon Zeliak, he continues to smile but his eyes betray an omen of repercussions yet to come.
(Intimidate: 26, a veiled intimidation directed at Zeliak who knows the true context of Emrys' meaning.)
Benedict Carver - AC 18/14/14 - HP 27/27 d20+12=17 d20+12=15 d20+12=23 d20+11=13 d20+11=24 d20+11=13 d20+12=24 d20+12=19 d20+12=28 d20+12=23 Monday July 9th, 2012 11:28:34 PM
Knowledge Arcana 17, 15, 23 Engineering 13, 24, 13 Local 24, 19, 28 Planar 23
Ariach AC 23/14/19 ; HP 24/24 Tuesday July 10th, 2012 3:31:17 AM
Ariach is close to loose his calmness after hearing Zeliak's words. But Vaniim's response takes away a his anger. Vaniim seems to be a very smart girl, Ariach figures out. Then Ariach wishes Emry and Benedict "Good Luck" and prepares mentaly for his own competition.
OCC: i am on vacation and the net connection is not great. i cannot promise i am able to post every day.
Tuck HP 28/28 AC 16/16/12 Tuesday July 10th, 2012 2:14:12 PM
Tuck claps Benedict on the back and squeezes Wilma's shoulder. "Good luck."
He begins to stretch and warm up for his own event. As he goes through his exercises, he focuses on his breathing.
Wilma; AC16 (chain shirt); HP 25/25 d20+10=11 ; d20+10=14 ; d20+10=19 ; d20+8=17 ; d20+8=11 ; d20+8=14 ; d20+6=21 ; d20+6=22 ; d20+6=10 ; d20+6=8 ; Tuesday July 10th, 2012 4:13:39 PM OOC: Wilma's checks are for the following subjects: Healing: 11, 14, 19; Religion[b]: 17, 11, 14; [b]History: 21, 22, 10; Spellcraft: 8
The redheaded acolyte smiled at Tuck. "Thank you--best of luck to you, too!" She looked around at her teammates.
"Best of luck to all of us..!"
Between the escapades of the night before and her lack of sleep, however, Wilma found that she wasn't able to concentrate on her quiz subjects as much as she would have preferred. This annoyed her but she possessed the wisdom to realize that the last-minute mission to prevent her group from being framed for something they didn't do was something that couldn't have been avoided.
It was all in the hands of the gods now. At least Wilma was doing her very best while competing--and she smiled as she recalled that her mother always said that doing her best was all that anyone could ask for, win or lose.
Of course, her father would simply have started beating things up...and that was always an option for later...
DM Kathy d20+7=22 ; d20+7=23 ; d20+7=15 ; d20+7=23 ; d20+7=22 ; d20+7=13 ; d20+7=21 ; d20+7=13 ; Tuesday July 10th, 2012 9:23:41 PM
The competition begins with a head-to-head test of knowledge. Well, actually it begins with speeches from Lord Elril and Headmaster Roww about fine young people and good sportsmanship.
Then a panel of two Gnowsy Thornton professors and an uncharacteristically stern-looking Professor Silver begin asking questions to test the students' knowledge. Some are specific questions for one school or the other; others are toss-up questions, with points awarded to whichever school answers first correctly.
Answers fly. One of the Gnowsy Thornton students, a cool-faced brunette girl, seems well-nigh unbeatable Carver is able to edge her out on a question or two, but she scores point after point for her team. Almost as good is a big blond kid who looks like he should be out on the athletic field, but who proves to be smart as a whip.
Wilma doesn't do as well as she did at tryouts--perhaps she's nervous--but Carver is steady and your three teammates prove to be very solid competitors. When the final question has been scored, Maplehurst has beaten Gnowsy Thornton 110 to 102.
There is applause, and there are special ribbons awarded to the best from each team--Carver and the brunette, who still hasn't cracked a smile. There are congratulations, some of which even sound sincere, and then the entire group troops out to the athletic field.
Vaniime, I need 5 Ride checks; and Grell, 5 Swim checks. Ariach, when you get a chance, 5 shots (if you can't get a post in right away, we'll "delay" the archery competition). Tuck, roll initiative (if you remember how, LOL) and then roll 5 Grapple checks.
I haven't forgotten about Emrys; the song competition will be last. :)
Grell AC 21/14/19, HP36/36 d20+9=14 ; d20+9=13 ; d20+9=12 ; d20+9=15 ; d20+9=27 ; Wednesday July 11th, 2012 12:49:33 AM
Grell cheers loudly (probably a bit *too* loudly) for his sister, and grumbles a bit when she doesn't get a ribbon, but seeing that Carver beat her out softens the blow a bit.
Finally the time rolls around for the "real" (ie athletic) competitions. Grell wishes Vaniime, Tuck and Ariach luck but he finishes the statement with "But we're not really going to need luck, because we're going to pound their sorry butts into the ground, right?!" After sharing fist bumps, Grell heads over to the swimming area and dips his tow in the water. He smiles at the delightfully chilly water. Perfect temperature for a swim. When the time comes, Grell slices into the icy water, but right away, he can tell that last nights games have robbed him of much of his skill. He watches as others begin to inch their way in front of him, and just when he is about to lose all hope, Grell catches his second wind and begins to cut through the waves. Not daring to look over his shoulder to see how close his competitors might be, Grell focuses on his breathing and making the most of his kicks as he claws his way toward the finish line.
Swim checks: 14, 13, 12, 15 and 27.
Ariach AC 23/14/19 ; HP 24/24 5d20+6=69 ; d20+6=23 ; d20+6=19 ; d20+6=11 ; d20+6=19 ; d20+6=20 ; Wednesday July 11th, 2012 3:26:04 AM
Ariach is very nervous about the upcoming task. He prays to Domi that the god will give him the strength to perform a good competition. Ariach is very happy about the great perfomance of his friends in the knowledge competition. Now it is very important that Grell, Tuck and Ariach can win their taks as well. Talking to himself he always repeats the same words. "Be strong and concentrated!"
OOC:(Forgett the first roll. I thought it will show me 5 times the d20 result)
Emrys (ac14, hp18) Wednesday July 11th, 2012 7:06:37 PM
Emrys stands behind the staging area and practices with his lute, allowing his fingers to warm up and become more limber. This is to be the performance of his academic career, and he better perform and look the part. He unfolds his Maplehurst tabard and carefully incorporates it into his outfit. He casts Prestidigitation to give his ensemble a good cleaning and polish.
In the background, he can hear the muffled questions from the professors as they test the students during the competition. He quietly corrects each wrong answer as he hears it and smiles when Carver secures the win. "That's good, good ... no pressure on me," he keeps telling himself to shake off whatever nervousness he feels.
DM Kathy d20+7=22 ; d20+7=18 ; d20+7=8 ; d20+7=11 ; d20+7=20 ; d20+7=22 ; d20+7=15 ; d20+7=12 ; d20+7=21 ; d20+7=24 ; Wednesday July 11th, 2012 10:10:14 PM
The athletic competitions begin with swimming. You gather along the shore of the lake, looking at a buoy floating a few hundred feet away.
Grell, setting a few female hearts a-flutter in his swimming costume, wades out to the start, which is not quite knee-deep on him. His opponent, a weedy little kid who looks as if Grell could break him in half, is already waiting there. Facing you both is a short, muscular woman in Gnowsy Thornton colors.
"Around the buoy and back to this line," she says. "Ready--GO!"
You both take off, and that weedy little kid swims like a fish. Before Grell quite knows what's happening, the Gnowsy Thornton swimmer is ahead and opening up his lead. Grell surges forward, but the kid is almost to the buoy, and if anything is farther ahead.
Rounding the buoy, though, the other swimmer seems to tire. His stroke isn't as clean; his breathing pattern is off, and Grell closes the distance almost as rapidly as the other kid opened it.
The swimmers are nearly even as they approach the line. The other kid puts on a burst of speed, but Grell puts on a bigger one. He splashes across the line, and stands up with a few seconds to spare. Both swimmers are cheered with enthusiasm, because it was a very exciting race!
The footraces are next. None of you are entered in any of them, but of course you are on hand to cheer for your school. Gnowsy Thornton picks up a few wins here, so their spectators are in a more festive mood as you all troop over to the archery range.
Here, Ariach is facing off against a petite blonde girl who looks as if she may have some Elven ancestry. She watches the scarred fighter with a thoughtful frown, but she doesn't seem put off by his scars the way many are.
She shoots first, and puts five very good shots into her target. Ariach follows, and also fires five very good shots. There are a tense few moments as the shots are measured and evaluated. But alas, when the name of the winner is announced, it is Lady Calynn Dryden who has carried the day. So Gnowsy Thornton wins another one, and you move on to the next contest.
[This whole malware thing has played merry hell with everybody's posting, I know. Post when you feel comfortable. I still need checks from Vaniime and Tuck. Emrys, you can go ahead and roll now, too. I'll need one roll for whatever skill you're using to compose your song (you can use Perform, or you can use something else if you prefer), and a Perform check to actually perform it. ]
Emrys (ac14, hp18) d20+9=16 ; d20+16=30 ; d20+16=23 ; Thursday July 12th, 2012 12:48:55 AM
Full of confidence and swagger, Emrys strolls out onto the stage. His beaming smile is infectious, especially among the young ladies in the crowd. When he spots a group of them, the bard gives them a wink. (Diplomacy: 16)
After bowing to the crowd, and then the judges, he pauses for silence for dramatic effect. Suddenly with an extravagant flourish, Emrys gracefully takes his darkwood lute from his shoulder and immediately begins to play.
Ariach AC 23/14/19 ; HP 33/33 Thursday July 12th, 2012 5:07:02 PM
Ariach is very satisfied with his shots. Of course, his opponent has the advantage of elven blood flowing in her veins- the blood of the best archers known in the country. But as far as Ariach can tell, they are about the same. Waiting for the final result he steps nervously from one foot to the other.
"The winner is Lady Calynn Dryden from Gnowsy Thornton!"
*He lost! He lost! He really lost! What a shame! Domi - if you are a really merciful god, let me die immediately*
But then Ariach shakes off these thoughts and considers which reaction the codex demands. He shakes off his paralysis, swallows hard for a few times and goes to congratulate the winner.
With a deep bow he begins to speak.
"Lady Dryden! I must congratulate you on this victory. You are a worthy winner and a great archer. "
He knees down and hands over his long bow to Dryden. "Please take this bow as your trophy and be assured that I will honor your victory by not bending a bow for a year."
DM Kathy d20+7=16 ; d10=4 ; d20+7=16 ; Sunday July 15th, 2012 7:16:10 PM
Lady Calynn looks a little discomfited by Ariach's concession speech. "Well...that's all right. You did fine," she says, clearly not sure how to respond. "Anyway, you need to bend a bow, right? Don't you have exams in a few weeks? I'll take your bow if it makes you feel better, but really, it isn't necessary."
That evening, Emrys steps onto the stage, along with a rather severe-looking dark-haired girl from Gnowsy Thornton. She performs first, a very complicated piece about some obscure historical battle. She's clearly trying to impress the professors with her technique and obscure knowledge, but alas, the end result isn't very entertaining. Even her Gnowsy Thornton classmates are looking a little glazed by the time she wraps up to polite applause.
Then Emrys performs his piece, and honestly, the contest isn't even close. Not only is Emrys vastly more entertaining, but his piece is just as technically complex without being inaccessible. And his chorus is downright toe-tapping. Nobody is surprised when he is declared the winner; even the dark-haired girl seems to be expecting it.
[I still need checks from Tuck and Vaniime. The site seems safe again, so let's get back into the habit of regular posting! :) ]
Grell AC 21/14/19, HP36/36 Monday July 16th, 2012 12:48:46 AM
Grell grins and slugs the skinny kid cheerfully on the shoulder in acknowledgment of his effort. "Not bad, not bad. Course, not good enough, but not bad..."
The warrior frowns a bit as Ariach is beaten out in his competition, but seeing that Ariach looks like he's taking it hard, Grell is all smiles when he heads over to his friend. "Hey, you did well out there. Takes a lot more than a few arrows to determine a battle...she got a few lucky shots in, but I've seen you in real action. And like they say...action speaks louder than words!" Grell winks at his friend as they head over to watch the bards do there thing. Music not being his thing, Grell finds himself literally nodding off during the Thornton student's performance. After all, it was a loooong night and that combined with the swimming...the warrior was feeling more than a little tuckered out. Then Emrys takes the stage and Grell finds himself actually enjoying the performance. He pounds his fists on the table in rhythm with the beat and let out a loud bellow of excitement at Emrys is determined the winner. Coming over, he give Emrys a hearty slap on the back and grins.
Then, he heads off to watch the wrestling and horseback riding. He can feel the anticipation building, knowing that these last few competitions will determine who wins the cup.
Wilma; AC16 (chain shirt); HP 25/25 Monday July 16th, 2012 5:10:17 AM
Wilma watched the rest of the competition unfold, cheering and even whistling loudly when Grell won his particular contest. That brother of hers didn't know the meaning of surrender!
Ariach's actions after losing his archery match surprised the acolyte of Gargul--especially the vow to not bend a bow for a year. A year? That was rather excessive...and what purpose did it serve to deprive oneself of archery practice for all that time? All the better to let one's arrow-shooting skills deteriorate even further? Wilma shook her head and made a mental note to ask Ariach about the custom later.
Wilma shifted in her seat, craning her head around to look for wherever Van, Tuck and Emrys were located. Their respective competitions would be coming up soon and she was anxious about whether or not Maplehurst Academy would prove to be the overall winner of the day.
Vaniime AC 18/14/14, HP:23/23 d20+10=29 ; d20+10=18 ; d20+10=30 ; d20+10=16 ; d20+10=13 ; Monday July 16th, 2012 9:47:28 AM
Vanime heads intothe riding ring and her nerves begin to get the better of her as she knows that her riding was never her strong suit. And not knowing the horse was going to be even more difficult.
As she mounted up the horse sensing her nervousness, jigs a bit to the side nearly dumping Van on the ground, but with the use of her thighs and calves, not only manages to stay on but gains the determination to do her best.
As the riding begins, she feels extremely confident and finds herself riding above her ability. DC 29, 18, 30 (natural 20) for a good part of the competition. Then she looks around as she rides to check her competition, and see that they are doing a good job as well and her nerves take over, stiffening up a bit the last part of the competition is nowhere near as smooth a job for her DC 16, 13.
Tuck HP 28/28 AC 16/16/12 d20+3=11 ; d20+8=21 ; d20+8=20 ; d20+8=10 ; d20+8=19 ; d20+8=17 ; Monday July 16th, 2012 5:37:56 PM
As Tuck prepares to wrestle, a powerful wave of anxiety and lethargy sweeps over him.
Oh man! I don't think I can beat him!
As he crouches into his wrestling stance, his breath comes quicker to him. His right knee starts to shake.
I'm going to look like the biggest fool! In front of not one but two schools.
Ariach AC 23/14/19 ; HP 33/33 Monday July 16th, 2012 5:58:31 PM
Although still very depressed, Ariach cheers for his friends during the competitions. He enthusiastically applauses Emry after the minstrel had won his competition. The hope that Maplehurst still has a chance to win the event makes him feel a little better. He then moves to the area where the riding competition takes place and eagerly follows Vaniimeīs perfomance.
Emrys (ac14, hp18) d20+6=25 ; Monday July 16th, 2012 8:40:33 PM
Emrys bows respectfully to the crowd, then his competition and finally the judges. After blowing a few kisses to the fawning female masses who have left their seats and gathered at the front of the stage, the young bard exits the stage only to be assaulted by Grell with a celebratory slam against the back. Being able to keep from crumbling to the ground (dex check 25), he joins in the celebration with giving Grell his own jovial thump on the back, only to hurt his own hand ... "Oww!"
DM Kathy d20+7=12 ; d10=10 ; d20+7=8 ; d20+7=24 ; d20+7=16 ; d20+7=8 ; d20+3=16 ; d20+7=22 ; d20+7=11 ; d20+7=24 ; d20+7=16 ; d20+7=12 ; Monday July 16th, 2012 10:55:19 PM
As Vaniime is preparing for the equestrian competition, her opponent approaches her. He is a tall, dark-haired, good-looking lad with a ready smile. "Jassen Norgold, at your service," he says, extending a hand. "I see I'll have to be at my best, if I'm to ride against an elf! May the best rider win!"
Your horses come from the Gnowsy Thornton stables; you draw lots to see who gets which one. Once you are both mounted, the horse-master signals and the race begins.
Vaniime absolutely leaves her foe in the dust, setting a bruising pace. He tries gamely to keep up, and seems to be gaining at one point, but you cross the finish line several lengths ahead. It is a rout.
However, Jassen is laughing as he dismounts. "What a rider!" he exclaims. "I wish you could have more like you on our hunts!"
Tuck, preparing for his match, has grave misgivings about letting his team down. His opponent is every bit as lithe and wiry as Tuck himself, so it's going to be a difficult bout.
Tuck is a little slow off the mark, and the other wrestler takes the fight to him. Before Tuck is quite aware of what has happened, he's been taken down, and he's one point down in the match. He comes back, and manages a takedown of his own to tie it up. The two scramble about for a while, then Tuck is again taken down, and is again behind. But he has his opponent's measure now, and has shaken off his pre-match jitters. He takes his opponent down and pins him, ending the match. Maplehurst has won again.
At the end of the day, Maplehurst has beaten Gnowsy Thornton in 7 of 11 contests. Congratulations are exchanged, and you are invited to sit down to dinner.
And it is at dinner where you--or at least most of you--crash. You've been up all night, followed by what little sleep you were able to snatch on the way here. Excitement and exertion were enough to keep you going this afternoon, but now that is over. Whether mentally or physically, you have worked hard today. And now, you are sitting down in a comfortable, candle-lit room and the fatigue hits you like a brick wall.
Wilma; AC16 (chain shirt); HP 25/25 Tuesday July 17th, 2012 4:23:59 AM
Wilma's applause and enthusiastic two-handed whistles for her teammates was wild and uninhibited. It didn't matter to her as much that Maplehurst had lost the overall competition--everyone involved had given the various contests their level-best efforts. Of course, there WAS that one small but important fact that Maplehurst's perfomance may have been better had she and her immediate teammates not been the targets of an attempted frame-up, but life had a way of throwing a person Kokpars that flipped instead of flopped. She couldn't resist the impulse to slip over to where Gnowsy the bulldog was sitting in state and give the dear old canine a rub of his head.
"You're SUCH a good dog!" she said sincerely, grinning at him. "Congratulations! And thanks for everything!" She skipped off to go congratulate Van in person and never could quite remember how they managed to get to their rooms before she fell asleep...
Vaniime AC 18/14/14, HP:23/23 Tuesday July 17th, 2012 7:00:07 AM
Van thanks Jassen for his congratulations and wishes him luck in the future and after watching and cheering on her classmates in their respective events, joins them afterward congratulating the entire team on their victory.
Dinner was probably not as rowdy as it might have been had they not been so tired, and Wilma was extremely out of it, even thinking that Maple hurst had lost the competition. During dinner, as tired as she was she couldn't help poking the bear by searching out each of the conspiritors and sending a smile and a wave their way during the night's festivities.
After the meal she can barely keep her eyes open and after finding her room, makes sure it is locked and and falls into her bed.
Tuck HP 28/28 AC 16/16/12 Tuesday July 17th, 2012 5:29:12 PM
Tuck holds his breath until the ref calls the pin. He rolls from atop his opponent and holds his arm aloft in triumph.
"Woo-hoo!"
His muscles tense in ecstatic disbelief as the adrenaline continues to race through his body. He roars again.
Turning back to his opponent, he shakes his hand. "I thought you had me. That was a great match. Thank you."
Dinner finds a much different Tuck. At this point, the lack of sleep and hectic pace of the last few days have caught up with him. He can barely keep his eyes open as he pathetically attempts to enjoy his meal. He is mostly unresponsive to those who attempt conversation, simply because he has trouble noticing anything through his haze of fatigue.
Ariach AC 23/14/19 ; HP 33/33 Tuesday July 17th, 2012 6:53:28 PM
Ariach is overjoyed after Maplehurst is the declared winner. He is hopeful that his defeat now fades away more quickly from the memories of the spectators. At the dinner he forces himself to celebrate, hoping to displace his gloomy thoughts. He congratulates his teammates and doesnīt forget to congratulate the opponents of Gnowsy Thornton as well. But soon he begins to yawn more frequently and isnīt able to follow conversations. Afraid of falling asleep at the table, he asks Lady Brightseeker for the permission to retire.
Emrys (ac14, hp18) Tuesday July 17th, 2012 10:19:47 PM
After a wonderful meal, Emrys raises his glass for a second toast of the day. However, this one is meant for his friends.
"Everyone, lift your glasses. I have a toast." He pauses for dramatic effect. "To Fighting, Stealing and Killing! Fighting for what you believe in. Stealing victory from the teeth of defeat, and Killing one last bottle with my friends before we take our sleep. We all won this day and may we never forget it. Cheers!" He smiles warmly to everyone and takes a hearty mouthful.
Grell AC 21/14/19, HP36/36 Tuesday July 17th, 2012 10:25:29 PM
Loading up his plate with 2nds and then 3rds, Grell's eyelids get heavier and heavier until he finds himself face first in his plate of chicken. Loud snores erupt as bits of stuffing are snorted across the table.
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