Harvester 9 – 17:.
Beldwyn learns how to juggle. [See also between-run diary.]
Harvester 18 – 19:
The army arrives. We spend the rest of the 18th, and half the
19th, handing the keep over to them. All keys, all information on
what we encountered, non-detailed disclosure of what we gleaned and are
taking with us. The evil guard-goblins are turned over to the
army (and we did not ask intentions, and probably will never find out
what happened to them). Even though it’s a bit short, the army
pays us for a full second week: 100gp per person, or another 600gp for
the common pot.
Harvester 19 – 22:
We head back to Marikest, taking all our gleanings (e.g., armor and
weapons) in the cart Ahb had the foresight to have built while we were
waiting. We also escort all of the ex-prisoners, because all of
them decided to accept our offer of an escort back to ‘civilization’,
even though it was further from ‘home’ for some of them, because they
felt they could arrange safer transport from town. Between cart
and all the walkers, it takes much longer than normal for the group to
transverse that distance.
Harvester 22: We
reach Marikest towards the end of the day. Drop the ex-prisoners
and never hear of them again. Taizu checks to find that we can’t
get a gig at the Flaming Ass (and Marikest is too small to have a
second inn), so the rates are (presumably) the same as they were
before: 4gp a night for two rooms, meals, and stabling. Ahb goes
off to report to Lorren, the local head of the temple of Pelor, and
sends Tarva to report to Reg Ty Djarling (the
sheriff). Reg receives Tarva’s report, including the
fact that we’ve returned three of the four ‘lost boys’ he asked us to
look for, with thanks. At Tarva’s question, he says that Ivon
Tindertwig would likely be able to do some loring of magic items for
us. After that Tarva goes by the temple for her standard offer of
helping while she’s in town.
Back at the Flaming Ass, Carrica is talking Beldwyn into paying his bar
bill and teaching her the finer point of poker (said ‘finer point’
being that Carrica always wins). She also manages to trick
Beldwyn into drinking much stronger liquor than Beldwyn is used to, so
by the end of the evening she is quite inebriated. It is only by
the fortuitous intervention of Taizu (who has otherwise been checking
with the contacts he made last time through this town) that Beldwyn
doesn’t climb up on a table to demonstrate her new ability to juggle
with three Carrica-provided eggs.
Ahb’s trip to the temple took much longer than she expected, as Lorren
has quite a lot of information about recent events to pass on, delivery
of a personal appeal for help, and a messenger to introduce her
to. This keeps her quite late; and when she does come back, she
grabs Carrica and the two of them go off.
Harvester 23:
Ahb gathers everyone together at breakfast. She has a lot of news to
impart. The most important to us as a group is that a messenger
has been waiting here in Marikest for Carrica’s return. Carrica
has been called to join the Knights of Luna, an organization of elves,
based in Celene, in which Carrica’s father holds a high rank.
[Tarva knows that Taizu’s father, Trellen, is now a valued minister and
advisor to Prince Melf, a founder of the order.] Carrica has been
expecting this call; her adventuring with Ahb has been to a large
extent something to do to pass the time, gain experience, and have an
opportunity to behave irresponsibly, before following the family
tradition and placing herself under orders. She wants to leave
tomorrow to travel to the mustering point in the city of Waybury, but
Ahb talks her into waiting a day so that all of us can go with her,
since we’re going that way anyway.
This last is news to the rest of us, so we ask what has happened to
prompt that decision on Ahb’s part. Not that we’re objecting, or
have anything we’d rather do instead, but it is rather a surprise.
As part of laying the groundwork for her explanation, Ahb calls over an
elf sitting at a nearby table and introduces her to the group.
She is the messenger sent to tell Carrica of the mustering; and she had
also carried messages for the Temples of Pelor that she passed.
Her name is Rowan [Kira Simon],
she’s a ranger, and she’s clearly an elf: pointed ears and the other
subtle elvish facial features, a tiny bit over 5’ high, blond hair and
blue eyes, wearing leather armor and a longsword. She tells us
that she has been traveling with the mustering message from Greyhawk,
but is from Geoff originally.
Introductions are made all around. [As part of this, Tarva
retroactively (and finally) discovers that Taizu has silver hair and
amber eyes. She thinks the hair is attractively exotic (and
wonders how long it is), and could stare into those adorable eyes --
the exact color of her God’s holy stone -- seemingly forever].
Taizu is paying a lot of attention to this new female elf; and so Tarva
(with just a hint of defensiveness – alright: call it pre-emptive
jealousy – because after all this is an attractive female elf; and
Tarva’s still not deep-down convinced that elves ever fall in love with
humans) somewhat later pulls Taizu aside for a word in private.
She refuses to let her self-doubts smolder, but instead confronts them,
and Taizu, directly: “Taizu, you’re watching that elf lady very
intensely. Why?” Taizu doesn’t appear to have even
considered whether or not Rowan is attractive. “Elves don’t have
blond hair and blue eyes,” he responds. “They just don’t.”
“Humans don’t have golden skin,” Tarva responds. "Exactly." He
nods, (mistakenly) glad she noticed the problem “She’s not a
half-elven,” Taizu continues, apparently too taken up with this mystery
to notice that some expression of reassurance and endearment is being
fished for. “Maybe she’s part fey,” Tarva quips, and then drops
the discussion as clearly being of no interest to at least half of
them. But she’s at least reassured that Taizu’s interest in Rowan
isn’t a romantic one, even if she can’t understand what it is: blond
hair and blue eyes on an elf aren’t a novelty, let alone a mystery,
back on Albion. "I don't think so." His brow furrows in thought.
"I don't care if she's not wholly elf. What I care about is that she's
not being honest about it. That could mean danger for us and I don't
like it."
Earlier, back during breakfast (before Tarva has a chance to catch
Taizu alone) Ahb tells us what she had learned from Lorren. Which
was rather a lot.
The good-tingly feeling we had all experienced on the morning of
Harvester 1 – which felt so similar (to them) to the Blessings Tarva and
Beldwyn had received from Arlen, Contemplator of Rao, exactly one month
earlier on Goodmouth 1 – was due to a major, world-changing
event. It seems that Hazen, a Canon of Rao, and high cleric at
Veluna, had used a God Artifact, the Crook of Rao, to vanish all fiends
from the Flanaess [a large area through which Tarva has traveled only a
small part, but only a medium-sized fraction of the entire world of
Oerth, Taizu tells Tarva].
Digby, one of the (broken) Circle of Eight (of Greyhawk) was with
him. Most of the upper ranks of Iuz’s army were thusly sent back
to Hell [most likely including “our” succubus, Illana]. King
Belvor IV of Furyondy has declared the Great Northern Crusade to
reclaim land that Iuz had taken. The Knights of Dispatch, the
Knights of Luna, and the Gran March Army of Retribution are retaking
Sterich from the giants (who previously overran both it and Geoff).
The Greyhawk Circle of Eight has been reconstituted. After Rary
of Ket turned traitor in 584 and killed Otiluke and Tenser (and all
their clones), and ran into the Bright Desert with Lord Robilar (or so
it is rumored), it remained broken until they found three new mages to
replace those lost.
Rathen the Keen, a cleric of Pelor in the town of Hamlet, has seen
visions of Evil and is circulating a request for help.
Dragons are reported to have been sighted in the Eastern Lortmils.
Merchants report that something is disturbing the Gnomes who reside in
the Kron Hills.
Entire caravans are said to be disappearing while using the Northern
Pass through the Lortmils.
Other merchants report that the Stone Raven clan of Dwarves did not
come out of their mines to trade, which has never happened before.
Carrica has been called back by her father; she will be joining a group
of the Knights of Luna who will be working as border guards in Keoland
(a country Celene used to be part of).
Taizu fills the group in with a bit more background. Some
seventy-five years ago Celene participated in the Hateful Wars that
drove most of the humanoids out of the Lortmils. Queen Yolande
engaged in this non-characteristic non-isolationist cooperation in
response to the ambush and total massacre of Crown Prince Triserron’s
party, within sight of Celene, by humanoids from the Lortmils.
Because Crown Prince Triserron was out of Celene for the purpose of
negotiating with humans, Queen Yolande has (some say irrationally)
decided that interactions between elves and others is always bad for
the elves, and while she cannot forbid it, she will not support
it. In reaction to that blind spot, the Knights of Luna came into
being and have become a political power both in Celene and among
would-be-allied countries.
Rowan is asked, since she’s recently been traveling through some of
these areas, how her experiences tie in with the rumors we’ve just
heard. They tie in much more closely than any of us
expected. The group she had been a part of for some time was
attacked by giants while coming here from Greyhawk over the Lortmils
North Pass. The giants left the entire group for dead, mistakenly
so (but only just) in Rowan’s case. A merchant caravan, fortunate
enough to not run into the giants (or anything else) while taking the
Pass, found them, buried the others, and nursed Rowan back to
health. There’s an understated desire on Rowan’s part to see – to
cause – many dead giants.
All of which discussion, with backgrounds and tangents, was leading up
to Ahb stating that she wants to go to Hamlet because Ahb knows the
cleric of Pelor there, and wants to find out more about his vague
statement, and to provide help if she (we) can. Since Waybury is
on the way of one of the better routes to Hamlet, she suggests that we
travel to Waybury first, and do so with Carrica as she goes there to
muster in.
Rowan is asked what her plans are now, since her message is delivered
and her group destroyed. When she announces she has none, Ahb
asks her if she’d like to join our group, as we’re about to lose a
member and would find it useful to have another ranger with us.
Rowan accepts. [And if Taizu has any doubts about the wisdom of
this rapid courtship, he keeps them to himself.]
We sell off all the non-magical ‘stuff’ from the keep. While
normally such an influx of weapons and armor would overwhelm a town
this size, the establishment of an Army post at the nearby Keep has
convinced the merchants that they’ll have a long term steady business,
and are willing to buy our booty in bulk, with expectations of selling
it, at individually inflated prices, to the Army.
Beldwyn and Rowan go off to see if Ivon Tindertwig will lore our
detected-as-magic items for us. The answer is, yes but it would
take two days to lore everything. Since Beldwyn knows that
Carrica wants to leave tomorrow (and really wanted to leave today), she
inquires and finds out that the process could be speeded up, but only
by some extraordinary effort on Ivon’s part, for which she wants more
money: 260gp. Beldwyn says that’s probably acceptable, although
she’ll have to check with the group’s leader; meanwhile, could she,
Beldwyn, possibly watch while Ivon does the loring? Because
Beldwyn is interested in learning how to do that herself. Ivon
offers to teach Beldwyn the Identify spell, but that will cost 225gp,
and would take two days for Beldwyn to learn. Carrica’s
impatience no longer being uppermost in her mind, Beldwyn asks Rowan to
find Ahb and ask for permissions for both the accelerated
Identification of the magic items, plus the longer time for the spell
learning, and of course money for both. Ahb sees the advantage to
the group in this and talks Carrica into waiting yet one more day.
While Beldwyn is busy learning, Tarva is busy planning a farewell party
for Carrica. Tarva figures that once we reach Waybury we, and
especially Carrica, will all be too busy for any such frivolity, so we
need to hold it here, and tonight. She gets Ahb’s permission and
arranges with the innkeeper of The Flaming Ass for a special
rental of the main room, with catering and, of course, drinks. At
Ahb’s request, Tarva also arranges the supplies we’ll need for the trip
to Waverly. All told, Tarva spends 120gp. And another 91gp
arranging for a horse (and tack) for Rowan, who lost hers to the
giants. [It turns out that Rowan has magic boots and can ‘walk’
just about as fast as the horses; but why should we make her do that,
especially since she’d then also have to carry all her belongings
herself, instead of being able to put them into saddlebags for her
horse to carry.]
As the only two original group members left, Carrica and Ahb have equal
shares in the group’s earliest plunder. This includes the ice
sword Froid and a +1 shield. Ahb gives Carrica her shares in both
of them; accordingly Carrica will take them when she parts from us at
Waybury. In turn, Carrica gives Ahb all of her share of the
Orb. Also, the group as a whole tells Ahb that the Durgeddin
Warhammer she has been using is officially out of the group pot and
belongs to Ahb.
Of the items we found at the Keep and mine, plus took off the giant’s
body, we decide that the Ring of Fire Protection should be worn (used)
by Arvee, because of his past bad experiences with fire. The
exotic long-bladed dagger-like weapon is immensely valuable, being +3
to hit and +3 to damage, but nobody in the group can use it, so we
decide to sell it when we reach Waybury.
The party that night was a great success: a good time was had by
all. TnT provided most of the intentional entertainment.
Including three new songs Tarva had written.
Naked
Carrica
by
Tarva Streamside
(Smooth
Operator)
She’s a Naaaaa~ked Carrica
Naaaaa~ked Carrica
[Chorus]:
Heals to head and port-side to starboard
Front to back but discount the ice-sword
She’s a Naaaaa~ked Carrica
Naaaaa~ked Carrica
Nasty foes are hid ‘hind arrow slots
Cover in with orc who’s body rots
Beats the foe but then she pays the price
All her body now covered in lice
Strip the clothes and burn them in disgust
Nude Carrica
standing without lust
Cleric Ahb prays water wash her
off
Thus the first time her clothes
did doff
(Chorus)
Double whammy: stirges, rusted gate
Escape from here: need that
cannot wait
Lothar rushes, opens un-checked door
Alchemist fire from a trap does pour
Clothes are burnt from off of all the
group
Worse by far death does two
members scoop
Zephyr, Shadow, gone for evermore
Carrica’s clothes: ashes on the
floor
(Chorus)
Back we come with plans to deal with each
Flaming arrows stirges will outreach
Load
Carrica spells to keep her safe
Boldly goes to let the
door her strafe
All the spells work as they’re supposed to
Spewing flames treat her like she’s
taboo
Not so her pack, clothing and armor
Naked once more: third time’s a charmer
(Chorus)
Exploring the halls beneath the
hold
Come across what looks like just some mold
Carrica steps finds it’s a grey ooze
Acid throughout all her clothes diffuse
Others gather round with weapons out
Hit and kill the
ooze in just one bout
C. pours water acid counteract
Armor, clothes gone but her skin’s intact
(Chorus)
Now she’s going far away from us
Gods know when next she’ll get in a
fuss
All we can
do is pray that her friends
Be with her when
next her clothing ends
‘Cause: She’s a Naaaaa~ked Carrica
Naaaaa~ked Carrica
Back we come with
plans to deal with each
Flaming arrows stirges will outreach
Load Carrica
spells to keep her safe
Boldly goes to let
the door her strafe
All the spells work as they’re supposed to
Spewing flames treat her like she’s
taboo
Not so her pack, clothing and armor
Naked once more: third time’s a charmer
(Chorus)
Exploring the halls beneath the hold
Come across what looks like just some mold
Carrica steps finds it’s a grey ooze
Acid throughout all her clothes
diffuse
Others gather round
with weapons out
Hit and kill the ooze in just one bout
C. pours water acid
counteract
Armor, clothes gone but her skin’s
intact
(Chorus)
Now she’s going far away from us
Gods know when next she’ll get in a
fuss
All we can
do is pray that her friends
Be with her when next her
clothing ends
‘Cause: She’s a Naaaaa~ked Carrica
Naaaaa~ked Carrica
Dragonslayer!
by Tarva
Streamside
| Harken
to me all |
That
sit by this fire
|
| And
list while I tell |
Of
courage so bold
|
| Naught
could constrain it |
The
spirit inside
|
| That
mighty of mites |
Cleric
of Pelor
|
| Ahb
Victorious |
|
|
|
| Pre-warned
of danger |
By
omens a plenty
|
| Acid-etched
holes in |
The
stones we are by
|
| A
bridge near collapse |
No
creatures about
|
| Surely
this must mean |
We’re
now in the lair
|
| Of
evil most foul |
|
|
|
| But
onward we press |
Laughing
at danger
|
| Or
are we just dumb |
Ignoring
all clues
|
| Checking
each room our |
Mission
to complete
|
| Finding
the good blades |
Dwarven
Durgeddin
|
| For
which we were sent |
|
|
|
| Ranger
Carrica |
Her
senses acute
|
| Always
alert for |
Danger
hints subtle
|
| Hears
the first wet splash |
Sees
the reptilian
|
| Body
serpentine |
Coming
straight at us
|
| And
shoots with her bow |
|
|
|
| Armored
the bodies |
Of
hell spawn like this
|
| One
measly arrow |
It
notices not
|
| Acid
it then breathes |
Hurting
us sorely
|
| Now
all understand |
Evidence
it has
|
| Left
in abundance |
|
|
|
|
| Beldwyn
the gnome mage |
Taller
in brave deeds
|
| Than
e’er her stature |
Would
seem to display
|
| Stung
by the acid |
Vengefully
wraithish
|
| Shows
we’re not victims |
Casts
forth her magic
|
| Stings
back the dragon |
|
|
|
|
| Others
in the group |
Try
to do damage
|
| But
cunning and quick |
The
drake sinks below
|
| Wise
to its nature |
Ahb
has not struck out
|
| But
with her God’s help |
She
calls forth a friend
|
| A
Triton to aid us |
|
|
|
|
| The
serpent rises |
Breathes
at us again
|
| This
time are many |
The
ones who hit back
|
| But
Carrica’s shot |
Goes
not near the mark
|
| And
targets instead |
Sad
Beldwyn the mage
|
| Who
now is near death |
|
|
|
|
| While
her friend Triton |
Beats
on the sea drake
|
| Ahb
the courageous |
Casts
magic once more
|
| Aided
by Pelor |
She
now on water
|
| Can
walk as if on |
Land
and not sink in
|
| The
better to fight it |
|
|
|
|
| Beldwyn
tho sore hurt |
Pulls out a
philter
|
| Drinks
down its liquid |
Regains thus a
tad
|
| Of
what had been stole |
By both foe
and friend
|
| Meanwhile
the dragon |
Not liking its
hurts
|
| Tries
to away swim |
|
|
|
|
| Lothar
the mighty |
Fighter
without peer
|
| Pounds
on it strongly |
As should thus
a dwarf
|
| Finding
the cause of |
His beloved
stone’s
|
| Untimely
decay |
Drake’s cloud
acidic
|
| Etching
away all |
|
|
|
|
| Chased
by the Triton |
And Ahb in a
fury
|
| The
dragon outraces |
But then
circles back
|
| Under
the water |
Yet seen by us
all
|
| Thus
when it rises |
Many are
waiting
|
| To
beat on it first |
|
|
|
|
| Yet
once more it spits |
And acid
afflicts us
|
| Many
are sore hurt |
And nigh unto
death
|
| Beldwyn
the worst hit |
Again is
brought low
|
| But
still returns fire |
Using her mage
spell
|
| Gives
good as she gets |
|
|
|
|
| And
then does Taizu |
That bard
first of bards
|
| Handsome
of body |
Face so
alluring
|
| Features
exotic |
Unfailingly
true
|
| Golden
his fluting |
Enchanting his
voice
|
| (Okay
I’ll stop now) |
|
|
|
|
| Taizu
the bard thus |
Calls forth
his music
|
| And
sings out a song |
To inspire us
in
|
| This
our dark moment |
As once again
the
|
| Green
acid drake sees |
The Triton and
Ahb
|
| Come
up on its rear |
|
|
|
|
| Slower
at swimming |
The Triton
arrives
|
| Smites
on the monster |
As it to flee
turns
|
| This
time it likely |
Would not have
returned
|
| But
never a chance |
Its plan to
apply
|
| For
Ahb strikes it dead |
|
|
|
|
| Not
yet content Ahb |
Explores the
drake’s lair
|
| Returns
all laden |
With money and
gems
|
| Healing
she then does |
To repair
damage
|
| Caused
by the dragon |
In its attempt
vain
|
| To
our team destroy |
|
|
|
|
| Great
the rejoicing |
Amongst all of
us
|
| At
having survived |
This monster
hostile
|
| And
greatest the praise |
Raised for our
cleric
|
| For
presence of mind |
Stoutness of
arm and
|
| Slaying
the Dragon |
|
Thorns!
by Tarva
Streamside
[woodwinds
give a chirpy, happy tune]
We were minding our own business
And just riding through the forest
When we came upon a footprint
Which our horses found abhorrest.
And our ranger looking wisely
At this evidence of hostiles
Did announce that we this evening
And night long all must use our wiles.
So it came as no surprise when
Our night’s sleep was interrupted
And a pack of angry dire wolves
Claimed their hunt we had disrupted.
The wolves in terms growling announced
That happy they to meet us were
And since no other game was found
They intend thus to eat us, sir.
Their love for us intense but short
It would be just a one-night stand;
But Ahb our leader then spoke up
And gave them all this reprimand:
“Love’s not just strewn with rose petals,
To think else wise will tempt the Norns;
If love you want to grasp and rend
You to contend must with the
[symbol crash!] THORNS!”
[an underlying percussion rhythm
joins in]
The wolf leader does not listen
Ahb’s good advice he merely scorns
He leads the others to attack
But Ahb stands back and calls out
[symbol crash!] THORNS!”
The leader chooses to skip Ahb
Lets two others take on that fight,
The leader jumps upon the bard
A fourth wolf finds Beldwyn to bite.
But yet four other wolves do not
Participate, and one thus warns:
“Be careful where you place your paw
For we can’t claw through nasty
[symbol crash!] THORNS!”
The fighters now join in the fray
Their hope to draw the wolves’ attack
From off their fellows less able
To sustain damage from the pack.
The wolves begin to fall and die
Their leader says, “Don’t be forsworns,
Come take your place, where’s your esprit?”
But all that he hears back is
[symbol crash!] “THORNS!”
The wolves have all been turned to pelts
Soon will be coats by ladies worn;
But some remain unrecovered,
Ahb warns, “Don’t tread into the
[symbol crash!] THORNS!”
Ten minutes pass, all are now healed
Brambles depart, leave wolves all torn;
The group wants Ahb to tell them how
She’ll not avow; she just says
[symbol crash!] THORNS!”
[percussion fades out, leaving somber
woodwinds]
If love perhaps you should confuse
With power, death, or causing pain,
Then like the wolves, the path you seek
Will fill with thorns and be in vain.
Harvester 25 – Brewfest 1:
We left Marikest in the morning of Harvester 25th and traveled without
incident to arrive at Waybury in the afternoon of Brewfest 1st.
During the trip we discussed the fairness and mechanics of distributing
group property to the individuals who make up the group. Tarva,
exulting in her new-learned ability to scribe, wrote up the resulting
agreement:
1. A split must be made any time any time the composition of the
group changes.
2. A split must be made just prior to the start of
training. Note that this applies not just when the entire group
engages in training, but also whenever as few as one person takes
training.
3. For so long as a Holy Servant of the Great God Pelor is a
member of this group, the first step of each split will be to donate 5%
of the value of all treasure acquired since the previous split.
This does not include money earned in the performance of a task.
It does not include (should we ever be so lucky) the profit made on
selling a purchased item for more than we bought it for. It does
not include bonuses or rewards given to the group by grateful
authorities. And it does not include any items which were given
to the group as a whole by any member of the group.
4. The group will retain a 'common pot' of at least $5,000.
If, at the time of the split, that common pot is less than $5,000, then
prior to the split, but after the 5% donation, money will be taken from
the splittable items and used to top the common pot back up to $5,000.
5. The group may decide to include items in the common pot which
exceed its minimum value. These items will be removed from the
splittable treasure and remain group property. [When a new member
joins the group, all items in the common pot become jointly theirs as
soon as they join.]
6. The value of the remaining treasure will be split equally
among all group members. When necessary, item will be sold to
allow their value to be divisible. Members have first option on
buying items, before they are offered to merchants.
Poor Rowan sits through all this patiently, not offering her opinion,
because she feels that she isn’t truly part of the group, yet, and
doesn’t / shouldn’t have a vote.
Brewfest 1: Once
we get to Waybury, we find it to be not only a large city of roughly
14,000 people, but also bustling with activity and visitors for the
Festival. There were five inns in the city, of varying degrees of
comfort and cost. This being a Festival week, all five had
already booked entertainment. Nonetheless, TnT tried to talk
their way into usurping one of the gigs. After failing to do so
at the best inn, they succeeded at second-best, the Boar’s Head.
In fact, so much did they impress the proprietors (and out-perform the
existing act) that they were able to negotiate for two rooms, meals for
all seven, stabling for eight horses & ponies, city taxes paid by
the Boar’s Head, TnT keep all tips, and receive 10gp a night in
addition. [Jumping ahead, at the end of the Festival they
re-negotiate: if TnT can draw at least 2/3 as much audience as during
Festival week, they can keep the same terms. They do.
During Festival week they earned 63gp in tips, and the following week
42gp. Plus their fixed 10gp a day for an additional 140 over that
fortnight.]
Brewfest 2: The
next day everyone splits to find teachers for training in skills and
feats. Ahb spends 100gp on skills; Arvee 25gp on skills and 400gp
on feats; Beldwyn 125gp on skills and 200gp on feats; Carrica 100gp on
skills; Tarva 50gp on skills; and Taizu 125gp on skills. This
will be the last time training is paid for out of the group pot: the
rule on splitting whenever anyone is about to start training is there
to provide individual funds for that training.
Rowan doesn’t need any training just now, so she wanders over to the
City Watch and gets a temporary job with them.
Back to discussing the treasure split, a rough estimate places each
share at 8,000gp. The Ring of Fire Protection is so usefully
attractive that, despite its two-share value of 16,000gp, the group
decides to keep it. This reduces everyone’s share to
5,500gp. Except that since Carrica won’t be with the group, and
won’t derive any advantage of having the ring around, her share stays
at 8,000gp.
In order to keep the Fire Protection ring, and still give everyone
5,500gp, all of the gems and jewelry, and some of the magic items, must
be sold. The dagger-like weapon was already slated to be
sold. Ahb takes the +1 chain shirt as part of her share.
Beldwyn takes the group’s potions of Levitation and Jumping. Arvee is
off on some private errand, and rather than wait for him the group
decides that he needs a magic weapon (as backup for when his scythe
can’t do any damage) and better armor. So we declare that part of
his share is the +1 Great axe and the +1 plate – thinking that if he
disagrees he can always sell them for cash and buy other things
instead. The rest of Ahb’s, Arvee’s, and Beldwyn’s shares, plus
all the shares for Carrica, Taizu, and Tarva, are distributed as money,
after the fore-mentioned selling of gems and jewelry. In
addition, to make up the last of the shares, the Bag of Holding and the
Scroll of Call Lightning
were also sold.
Window shopping through the several magic stores in the city provides
the group with a fine selection to pick from. This list is by no
means exhaustive: it is just the items which members explicitly asked
proprietors about, and then told each other.
Ring AC +1 (2,000) Ring AC +2 (8,000)
Ring AC +5 (50,000) Bracers
AC +1 (?)
Bracers AC +2 (?) Studded Leather +1
(1,175) Studded Leather +2 (4,175)
Buckler +1 (1,165) Buckler +2 (4,165)
Animate Wooden Shield +1 (9,153)
Amulet of +1 AC (2,000) Bracers of Archery
(5,100) Gloves of Dexterity +2 (4,000)
Longsword +1,+1 (2,315) Composite Shortbow +1, +2 Str
(2,525)
Composite Longbow +2, +1 Str (8,500) Fifty +1 Longbow
Arrows (3,150 or 75 each)
Fifty +2 Longbow Arrows (32,250) Scythe +3,+3 (18,318)
Tarva buys Studded Leather +2, Buckler +1, two +1 Longbow Arrows, for
5,490gp.
Beldwyn buys the Ring AC +1 for 2,000gp, plus two scrolls.
Taizu buys the Bracers of Archery and the Longsword +1 for 7,415gp.
Ahb buys the Composite Shortbow for Taizu to use; and two +1 Arrows for
Tarva, for 2,675gp.
Arvee is hording his share, lusting after the Scythe.
Patchwall 1:
Carrica leaves the group, officially signs on with the Knights of
Luna. That group is waiting for other recruits and does not leave
the area immediately.
Patchwall 7:
Bell Ringers’s Feast. Using her discount, Ahb purchases six shots
of Cure Moderate
for 270gp and three shots of Cure Light for 45gp from
the local Pelor Temple. Distributing these plus what we already
had gives each of us two Cure
Light (1d8+3) and one Cure Moderate (2d8+3)
potions.
That evening a note is waiting for Ahb at the inn’s bar: “If you
want to see your friend Carrica again come out to the quarry.”
Accompanying the note is Carrica’s signet ring. Asking at the
front desk Ahb discovered that the missive had been delivered during
the Bell Ringing Ceremony, and nobody remembered what the person who
dropped it off looked like.
Ahb sends Arvee off with Rowan to talk with her contacts in the
Watch. She sends Tarva off with Taizu to inform the Knights of
Luna of what has happened. She and Beldwyn will stay here at the
Boar’s Head as a central contact point. Taizu introduces himself
to the Leader of the KoL as his father’s son. These are
impressive credentials within the KoL, and the Leader hears Taizu out,
then asks around of the rest of the KoL. The last time any of
them saw Carrica was mid-afternoon, when a few of them walked down to
the shops together then split up. The Leader brings three of her
knights and comes back to the inn with us. Meanwhile Rowan’s two
weeks working with the Watch has gained her a lot of respect, and the
Captain on duty and one of his guards comes back with her and Arvee.
Ahb shows them all the note and signet ring. Being very concerned
for her long-time companion, she is perhaps more abrupt with these
people than she could have been. The KoL announce that they’re
sure Carrica is just drunk in some bar somewhere, that the ring was
picked from her pocket, and the note is just an attempt to swindle our
group. Before anyone can suggest an alternate plan they take off
to check all the bars in town.
The Watch Captain tells us that the quarry is about half an hour
outside town, had been used to quarry stone, has been deserted for some
time now, is not known to be the hangout for any in-town or area
gangs. He doesn’t flatly state that the quarry is outside his
jurisdiction, but he does make it clear that he won’t be sending any of
his people out there.
Ahb is in no mood to wait around. She gives the KoL fifteen
minutes to come back, and when they don’t announces that we’ll be going
by ourselves. The plan is: ride to a little ways away from the
quarry and leave the horses. Taizu turns invisible and scouts
ahead and into the quarry. Ahb and Arvee, since the armor they
wear makes so much noise, will simply follow behind Taizu openly,
intending to act as decoys / distractions. Meanwhile, Beldwyn,
Rowan, and Tarva are to sneak around and come up on the quarry from the
side.
Taizu gets to the top edge of the quarry, next to the internal ramp
path down. He sees and hears nothing. He casts Feather Fall on himself
and jumps off, on the theory that this is the quickest, least
detectable way down. Inside the quarry the ground is very uneven,
but tends to slope downwards towards the center. Taizu moves in
that direction, slowly and carefully, pausing after each round of
movement to listen.
Ahb and Arvee reach the top of the quarry and the start of the path
down. They wait there for five minutes; not calling attention to
themselves, but not hiding, either.
Beldwyn, Rowan, and Tarva spend a long time crawling toward the edge of
the quarry, about a quarter of the way around, widdershins, from where
Ahb and Arvee are waiting. Taizu sees a brief flash of light over
his shoulder, but turning to look doesn’t see it again, or anything
which might have caused it. Ahb hears what she thinks might be a
footstep nearby, but can see nothing. Arvee didn’t hear
anything. Taizu thinks he hears voices, or a voice, but when he
moves in the direction he thinks it/they came from he can’t find
anything. Ahb decides they’ve waited long enough, and she and
Arvee start down the internal path towards the floor of the
quarry. Taizu hears a clear, “I think they’re here, but I’m not
sure where.” but still cannot see anyone. At Tarva’s
request, Beldwyn cast Spider
Climb on Tarva so she can go down the quarry wall to the floor,
without having to go around to the top of the path [the foot of the
ramp is just below them]. At Beldwyn’s suggestion, Tarva
will carry Rowan down, then come back up to take Beldwyn down the same
way. Just as Tarva goes over the edge, Beldwyn adds that she
(Beldwyn) can get down on her own if she has to. Tarva (with
Rowan) makes it down to the floor ok, but dislodges a few rocks along
the way.
1: A voice near Tarva yells,
“Now!”; X4 hits Ahb from behind with a rapier for 22hp
and –3 Str. Ahb turns to see a female half-elf in leather armor; X5,
from near Taizu, hits Rowan and Tarva with a Fireball for 25hp each,
and in the process becomes visible to Taizu as an elf, standing over
the sprawled body of Carrica, wearing robes and pointing a wand.
2: Taizu turns visible as he
shoots at X5 but misses; Tarva runs away from the
wall, towards the center of the quarry, saying to Rowan, “Put some
distance between us;" X1 bites Taizu from behind for
–3 Con; X3 turns visible while swinging at Taizu, but
misses; Ahb bloopers against X4, won’t be able to use
her right arm for several rounds; Rowan also moves
away from the wall, going first at an angle as Tarva suggested, then
turning to head straight towards the sound of fighting in the
center; X2 turns visible as an elf while hitting Taizu
for 4 hp; X4 misses Ahb, then moves to jump off the
side of the ramp; Arvee on an Attack of Opportunity hits X4
for 14; Ahb on an AoO misses X4; Arvee’s regular
attack on X4 misses as she is now below the edge of the
ramp, falling very slowly; X5 Magic Missiles Taizu for
10; Beldwyn casts magic to Summon three Celestial
Eagles.
3: Taizu casts Mage Armor on
himself; X3 hits on Taizu for 4; Tarva runs
forward still; Ahb jumps off the ramp, trying to catch hold of
and ride X4 down to the floor -- she does indeed catch X4,
but loses her grip and falls the rest of the way to land on her face
for 6 hp; Rowan moves 60’ then shoots and hits X5 for 4;
Arvee jumps off the ramp (rather than take rounds to run down), lands
on his feet for 7 hp; X5 points his wand at Rowan and Fireballs her for 14
hp; Beldwyn tells the Celestial Eagles to find the fireball user
and kill him. They fly 80’; Beldwyn drinks the Levitation potion;
X6 moves up to
Rowan.
4: Taizu drops his Light stone (so all can
see the actions near Carrica’s body), starts singing InspireCourage, and
shoots at X3 but misses; X1 hits Taizu for
2 hp and another –4 Con; as the half-elf [X4] floats to the
floor, Ahb criticals on her for 19 and kills her; X3
misses Taizu; Rowan drinks her potion of Cure Moderate; Tarva
charges X2, hits for 14; Arvee is running full out
towards the noise and light; X5 Fireballs at Arvee for
9 hp, then runs around to the other side of the lake; Celestial
Eagles are over the water, see X5 casting Fireball; Beldwyn Levitates down the
cliff; X6
misses Rowan.
5: Bardic singing is now in
effect. Taizu shoots X3 for 9; Tarva hits X2
for 12, and then misses; X1 misses Taizu, but he loses
another –3 Con anyway; X3 hits Taizu for 5 hp;
Ahb runs towards the noise and light; Rowan drops her bow and
draws her sword, hits X6
for 7; Arvee charges X3, hits for 17; X5
Fireballs between
Arvee and Taizu. Arvee takes 3 hp, Taizu takes 9 hp and
falls down; Celestial Eagle 1 misses X5; Celestial
Eagle 2 hits X5 for 3; Celestial Eagle 3
misses X5; Beldwyn lowers another 20’; X6 hits Rowan for
15.
6: Taizu bleeds down to –2 hp;
Tarva hits X2 for 14, kills, moves to flank X6 with Rowan; Ahb
moves to Taizu; X3 hits Arvee for 11 hp; Rowan,
flanking, hits X6 for
9; Arvee hits X3 for 16, kills; Celestial Eagle 1 AoO
on X5 misses; Celestial Eagle 2 AoO on X5
hits for 3; Celestial Eagle 3 AoO on X5 misses, then
misses its regular attack also; X5 Magic Missiles and kills
Celestial Eagles 1 and 2; Beldwyn lands on quarry floor; X6 criticals on Tarva for
27, then hits again for 14.
7: Taizu bleeds down to –3
hp; Tarva hits X6
for 14, then misses; X1 is behind Ahb; Ahb heals
Taizu for 24; Taizu immediately yells, “There was a cleric, and there
was an invisible animal biting me, watch out;” Rowan hits X6 for 13, then
misses; Arvee charges X6 and hits for 16;
Celestial Eagle 3 AoO on X5 misses; X5 Magic Missiles and kills
Celestial Eagle 3; Beldwyn runs all out towards center; X6 misses Tarva, then
hits her for 11.
8: Taizu covers the Light stone and casts See Invisible on
himself, then yells, “Ahb! Behind you! Phase Spider!”; Tarva
misses X6, then
hits for 16, kills; X1 [Phase Spider] bites Ahb
for 5 hp; Ahb goes to Carrica, Detects Poison on
herself and Carrica; Rowan picks up her bow, shoots at the
Phase Spider, but the arrow just goes through that space; Arvee
moves to near where X1 is; X5 Fireballs between Ahb
and Taizu for 11 hp to each; Beldwyn moves all out for 80 feet
while telling the group, “Don’t bring out any lights, you’ll just make
yourself a target.”
9: Taizu drinks his Cure Moderate potion for
15; plans to warn whomever the Phase Spider is behind; Tarva asks
Heart’s Reach for healing, but nothing happens; X1
runs away, very fast, into the quarry wall; Ahb casts Delay Poison on
Carrica; Rowan scouts about, looking for other foes; Arvee
runs around the lake full out, sees X5 with dark vision, and
keeps quiet; X5 Fireballs
between Taizu and Ahb for 6 hp to each; Beldwyn runs full out
but halfway (40 feet) through the move trips and falls flat.
10: Taizu runs full out but
halfway (60 feet) through the move trips and falls down; Tarva drinks a
Cure Moderate for
15; Ahb casts Cure
Moderate on Carrica, but unlike Taizu she doesn’t wake up
Rowan drinks a Cure Light
for 11; Arvee runs up to X5, but the
distance is too far for him to also get a hit in; X5
runs off at an extremely high speed, stumbles across where Beldwyn is
getting up, and veers off in another direction; Beldwyn estimates
where X5 has gone and casts a Fireball after
him. It hits X5 for 21, kills.
Ahb casts Delay Poison
on herself, then on Taizu when he comes back.
Beldwyn volunteers to go fetch the horses, so we can use them to carry
Carrica and ourselves back into the city. She Levitates to the top of
the quarry. While she is gone, we search the bodies (see
list). X2 no longer looks like an elf; when Beldwyn
gets back she thinks it is a doppleganger. X6 had a
paper on him: a contract between Illana [“our” demoness] and the
Council of Wrath, dated six weeks ago, for three magic items and
1,000gp payment to kill the current members of the group of the cleric
Ahb.
X ITEM
LORE
VALUE
1 none
none
$0.00
2 ring:
MAGIC protection +2
AC
$8,000.00
really good composite
shortbow
masterwork +1 hit, strength +1 damage
$475.00
20 shortbow arrows
normal
$1.00
3 very high quality
longsword
MAGIC +1 hit
+1 damage
$2,315.00
high quality studded
leather
MAGIC
protection +1 AC
$1,170.00
high quality
buckler
masterwork, no
armor check
$165.00
potion
MAGIC cure moderate (into group pot)
$0.00
scroll
MAGIC undetectable alignment
$150.00
9" inch rod of
glass
MAGIC alter
self, 22 shots
$1,980.00
high quality
composite shortbow
masterwork, +1 to hit
$375.00
20 shortbow
arrows
normal
$1.00
Spellbook:
Change Self, Detect
Poison, Ghost Sound,
Obscuring Mist, Spider Climb, 90 p. blank
$90.00
231 gp
money
$231.00
4 very high quality composite
shortbow MAGIC +1 to
hit
$2,375.00
very high qualilty
leather armor
MAGIC protection +1 AC
$1,160.00
very high quality
large wooden shield MAGIC
protection +1 AC
$1,157.00
potion
MAGIC cure serious (into group pot)
$0.00
scroll
one
MAGIC
invisibility
$150.00
scroll
two
MAGIC
invisibility
$150.00
high quality
rapier
masterwork, +1 to
hit
$320.00
20 high quality
shortbow arrows
masterwork, +1 to hit
$121.00
Spellbook:
Change Self, Detect Poison,
Ghost Sound,
Obscuring
Mist, Spider Climb, 90 p. blank
$90.00
120 gp
money
$120.00
5 (9" trail of ash,
one)
none
$0.00
(9" trail of ash,
two)
none
$0.00
scroll
one
MAGIC charm
person
$25.00
scroll
two
MAGIC lightning
bolt
$375.00
potion
MAGIC cure
moderate (into group pot)
$0.00
281 gp
money
$281.00
6 high quality half
plate
MAGIC protection +1 AC
$1,750.00
high quality large
steel shield
MAGIC protection +1 AC
$1,170.00
high quality
longsword
MAGIC +1 hit +1
damage
$2,315.00
high quality thick
composite longbow masterwork +1 hit, strength
+4 damage
$800.00
20 high quality
longbow arrows
normal
$1.00
very fine woven
cloak
MAGIC +1 for ALL saving throws
$1,000.00
potion
MAGIC cure moderate (into group pot)
$0.00
silver
earring
normal
$50.00
654 gp
money
$654.00
paper:Contract:
Illana & Council of Wrath given to City
Watch
$0.00
TOTAL VALUE
$29,017.00
1,800 ep fight.
Ahb made 7th level!
Ahb, Taizu, Carrica, along with Arvee for protection, go back into town
and to the Temple of Pelor.
Meanwhile, Beldwyn, Rowan, and Tarva bury the bodies (which we do not
try to do in the floor of a rock quarry).
Ahb negotiates with the temple for the healing she wants done.
It’s all stuff she could do herself, if only she could afford to wait
until tomorrow to start, but she’s out of those slots now. The
agreement eventually arrived at is: Ahb and Taizu will spend the next
day at the temple, all day, doing chores for the temple (which may or
may not involve Ahb using her spell slots). The temple
casts Neutralize Poison on
each of them, Minor
Restorations to bring back their lost ability stats, and Cures to get back their
hit points.
This does wake Carrica up; the last thing she remembers is shopping,
and suddenly feeling dizzy. When the healing at the temple is
complete, the other three there escort Carrica back to the Knights of
Luna, tell them (and Carrica) all that happened, and then go back to
the inn.
When the burial party has finished, we also head back into town.
Rowan wants to check in with the Watch, so we do that, giving them the
contract we found on one body. They tell us that the Council of
Wrath is a gang name they’ve been hearing of for about the last five
years, but nobody has ever been able to infiltrate them or get a handle
on their actual size, makeup, or intent. Tarva thinks that: this
means there may well be more of them, and they might feel a need to
fulfill the contract.
Patchwall 8: Ahb
and Taizu spend all day in the temple in repayment for the
healing. As soon as he’s off, Taizu finds Tarva and hurries her
along to the best inn in Waybury, the _______. There a quick
audition (plus the reputation TnT now have in this city) gains us two
weeks of nightly gigs for almost as nice a deal (since we’re down one
person and horse) (but with nicer rooms and meals) as at the Boar’s
Head: two rooms, meals for six, stabling for seven, they pay city
taxes, and we get 10gp a night plus all tips. [Jumping ahead, TnT
earn 78gp in tips, plus the 140gp for a fortnight.]
As per the treasure split agreement, since Ahb will be taking training,
the group does another treasure split, including various items which
had previously been held back in the group pot. Each member’s
share was determined and the members went out to spend their
gains. [See also between-run diary.]
Patchwall 9 – 22:
Ahb is in training for her new skills. Arvee finishes making a
masterwork set of chain mail. Beldwyn tries her hand at potion
making. Rowan picks up her work with the Watch (only mildly
disappointed that the expected statue hasn’t been erected yet;-).
Taizu gigs at night and during the day meets with his contacts, works
on flute with Beldwyn, and indulges in his first love of “classical”
music. Tarva gigs with Taizu, does some shopping, and tries to
read every written scroll or book in the city.