Monday, January 23, 2006

Festival: RP Update

While in town, a few days pass.

The party members discover that the summer festival is going to take place. There will be lots of performances, special blessings given by the temples, and an exceptional play right by the temple of Apollo. 'Horrid Lot' is rumored to be the best actor of the region and star of the play The Maiden and the Ghoul.

Meanwhile, Linora gets severely intoxicated and Dwight spends his off time sending off a message to his father in order to get his brother extradited to Joven. Ghost and Dwight spend some time practicing with quarterstaves, and for once Ghost comes out the better. Ghost finally secures a meeting with the Guildmaster, requesting that their party be thought of first if Darik is to be returned home. Ghost also expresses her interest in becoming a Guild officer.

Cornwallis the Conjurer makes an appearance during the festival, and Ghost seeks him out to identify the odd wand that Homer Slewfoot had gifted to her. Cornwallis merely finds out that it is a wand of paralyzation, not how to use it. She wished to also find out the nature of her sword, but Cornwallis' fees were too high.

After the play, which brought Ghost and Dwight to tears, the party relaxes in the Cleft Tombstone. As Ayman and Cyneric walk home, they are attacked by Ghouls. Quick thinking by a well placed grease spell by Ayman turns the tide until help could come.

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Randomness, alias: Don't bother reading

"Milady! Thou hast a sword!"

"My lord, you truly do weild a two-handed sword...may I unsheath it for you?"

"Yes! I win D&D!"

"Can I roll to see if I'm getting drunk?"

"Alas! I've sat upon my twelve-sided die."
"Wash this!"

Dinner and a movie

Shallan felt, if anything, more uncomfortable than ever about this whole business. Confronting Darik had only raised more questions than it had answered. As they walked out side-by-side Shallan glanced up at her companion, "I need a bath and a drink, and not necessarily in that order."

Dwight pressed his face into his palm. "I could use both as well. Drink first."

Shallan nodded in agreement, wanting to wash this whole thing away, but a pleasant taste and something other than rations would go down well. As she pushed open the door to the tavern, she nodded at Edwin the barkeep and ordered two meals for them and a pitcher of mead and two cups.

Dwight was silent for several minutes, and finally said, "He tried to kill all of us."

She sat for a few moments in silence and reached for his hand, clasping it gently. "He was not himself. Nothing you told me could make him like that," she told him quietly, "He didn't seriously harm anyone and he can't do anything behind a locked door. We'll figure this out and help him."

"None of this makes sense. What trip was he talking about?"

"Didn't you say Donovan had gone for a trip to the East?" Shallan nodded her thanks to Edwin as he delivered their order. Shallan poured a liberal amount of mead for the two of them.

"Yes, but it was nothing extraordinary. He was going to talk about trade. Still, that was years ago."

She shook her head. "We have several problems here. One is the stability of the guild. Two is if we are going to find out what happened to your brother, we will either need to go East or to Joven. Third, how do we convince the others to come with us." She glanced up at him to gauge his reaction.

At that second, Dwight was draining the drink from his cup at an alarming rate. He set it down hard.

She knew this was difficult for him, though she couldn't imagine what was running through his head. She pushed his plate of food in front of him, hoping he would eat something to cushion the mead. Humans didn’t have the tolerance for alcohol that elves did. She sipped her own and was grateful of not having to eat those ration bars. "They can care for your brother at the Guild for as long as needed. He will be safe there and cannot hurt anything while locked up."

He saw his plate and took a bite of food, chewed it and swallowed. "I need to go home."

Shallan understood his reluctance to do so; she felt the exact same way about her homeland. "If you need me, I will come," she told him quietly.

He lowered his head. "We'll see."

He finished up the food on his plate and poured another glass.

She went back to her meal, eating slowly and enjoying every bite. Food always tasted better after a long time on the trail, especially when someone else cooked.

Dwight mumbled to himself a bit, gradually getting louder, until he was just audible. "Who is the blood queen?"

Shallan thought for a while and considered her own suspicions. "Perhaps someone of importance in the East."

Dwight sat up, looking a bit more like himself again. "Perhaps, though it is no noble that I have ever heard of. It is possible, then, that I may have to cross the sea to unravel this mystery."

"Cross the sea? For what reason?" Ghost puzzled.

"Well, as far as I know, Donovan is the only one of my brothers who has ever left the continent. He voyaged across the sea to the east. It's where he was when I... left home."

She nodded. "Do you think Darik lied about your other brothers being corrupted too?"

He paused. "I... do not know. However, speaking with them may answer my questions, despite my inhibitions.” Dwight inhaled deeply, then stopped, then inhaled again. "Wow, I do need a bath."

Shallan laughed. "You and me both." She finished off the last of the mead and stood. "I'll meet you afterwards if you like, I'll be in my room cleaning the road stench off myself and my armor." She smiled at him carefully. "We will get to the bottom of this."

Monday, January 09, 2006

Toys on the side

2006

Happy New Year!

Josh needed a break, so the past two D&D nights were run by Meloch and myself. So no lengthy comments will be made as it will just be too confusing. We'll just leave you with these thoughts:

"The Never-Ending Five Hour Combat" while I slowly got buzzed as we tried to beat off a level 7 Drow mage and her party

and the

"Rescue the Princess with a Twist" Campaign, complete with crocs and a troll.

Long time no post...: RP update

Things have been on the hectic side, but here it is! Just for Nature Tom. Unfortunately he's back from school but was shipped out west like a sack of potatoes just so he can go skiing. Skiing vs. D&D. No comparison. D&D should win every time!

We've finally gotten a new player who has promised never to eat Doritos with his feet upon pain of death. Meloch the Minstrel, our new elven spell-filcher (shh! it's a secret), and his human ranger escort Melinda are our new shieldbrothers. Meloch has tons of experience in 3.5 edition, but wanted someone else to take the lead. Everyone who DMs always says that! Sometimes they don't really mean it. Hahaha!

Summary of play:

---------------
11/6/05

The trip to the original outpost was not much of a success. Once Shallan got back from her ride with Drake the hippogriff rider there were two new arrivals sent by the Guild. They were hired out to find not only us but the other scouts as well, presumably sent along before the Guild recieved our distress signal.

There has been no response yet from our message.

A second larger attack comes that night: ogres and hobgoblins. While Dwight holds the gate, Meloch and Shallan hold the west wall. As Meloch hides up a tree and fires off his little pee-shooter, Shallan dispatches them. All of the party and most all of the scouts escape without serious harm.

---------------
11/25/05

Reaching a unanimous decision, at dawn the group orders Andre and his scouts back to Woodlandtown. The two rangers, Ghost and Melinda, set false trails and Cynaric sets a particularly ingenious fire trap on the outpost gate. Meloch busies himself with setting traps along the way. All flying scouts were sent on ahead, while the mounted remained with our party.

On the third day as the party reaches the plains, a zebra-striped centaur meets the party. Omata tells us the centaurs are leaving their home in the east because of wemics.

Once back in Woodlandtown, we find that all the scouts made it back safe, but the Guild Hall is closed and our 'beloved' Armsmaster is holed up in his personal dojo. The two guildmembers who had harrassed Bats (goblin guildmember) are there, guarding Darik's door. Meloch charms on of them, getting us into the dojo without incident.

"The Blood Queen will vindicate me!" Darik cries as he and Dwight jump into a challenged combat. Although it was sworn there would be no weapons, 'La Pugilista' (aka. Dwight the Hammerfist) begins getting the upper hand and Darik breaks his word, calling his sword to his hand.

Things get hairy from there on in as a helmed horror is awakened. Ayman calls in a swarm of bats to handle Darik and the helmed horror is taken down with some excellently timed teamwork by Dwight, Melinda and Shallan.

As Darik is knocked unconscious, the party assumes control of the Guild. Ghost names Dwight temporary Armsmaster, attempting to put structure back in place. The Guildmaster is still missing and now the Guild has no real ladder of leadership. A search of Darik's room provides no clues, though Meloch attempts to abscond with a few of his items. Ghost takes offense and reminds him that it isn't Darik who owes him his fee but the Guild itself, and Darik's belongings should rightfully pass on to Dwight.

There is discussion of taking Darik back to his family to return him to his right mind takes place, but the company is as yet undecided.

If Darik is corrupted, run Ghost's thoughts, in what situation shall they find Dwight's other two brothers? Are the Paladins of Jovin compromised?