James Gillen Posted June 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2004 Session 3 I didn't have much planned this week (owing to writers' block and the time required to install a new computer) so this was basically a BS/roleplaying session with no serious threats. ---- 6/17/04 Once the humanoids had been eliminated, the entire group of villagers escorted the four adventurers back to the inn. On the way, one of the men asked Amara, “How did that keep burn down so quickly?†Another of the militia said, “I think it was Rogar the Storm.†“What?†someone cried. Someone else asked Coldyrn, “Who’s that?†“Rogar the Storm??†Coldyrn exclaimed. “He’s the most dangerous warrior in the kingdom! I heard he once killed twenty warriors with his bare hands!†“Really?†‘Nagel’ asked. “I didn’t see any such person,†Amara said. “But this one did defeat two wererats singlehandedly.†“Single-handed?†someone said. Amara said, “well, the wizard helped.†Valdergast said, “I had to throw a couple of fireballs into the hallways to get them off our backs.†â€And that’s why the place burned down,†Amara said. “But if he was in the keep, how did the wizard meet us back in town?†a farmer asked. “You’re not too familiar with magic, eh?†Lo’ma’ndra said. “All I know is, it’s a damn good thing we didn’t have to deal with Rogar tonight,†Valdergast said. “We wouldn’t have escaped with our lives!†Lo’ma’ndra shook her head. “Indeed.†The group continued to walk. One of the men looked at Nagel and said, “What’s your name again? “Nagel,†he said. The man said to himself, “He doesn’t look like a Nagel. He looks more like a Rogar.†- That night, most of the group decided to just go straight to bed after the evening’s excitement and exertion. Valdergast did likewise, but he couldn’t help but check the pouch he’d filched from the wererats’ room. It contained some local coinage, a fairly valuable ruby, and a very interesting looking ring. It was gold with very intricate silver inlays, almost certainly made for a noble or merchant. Valdergast also thought it was magical, although he didn’t have the time to do full tests. He went to sleep with the ring at his bedside. The next morning, the villagers took care to send the four adventurers off with a good meal, giving Lo’ma’ndra the gift of a cask of the local mead. The inn’s owner also told them that once they crossed the Silverrock River, there would be a fairly large town in Colgrave called Cloverfield, where they would have a bazaar and plenty of supplies. The group crossed and reached Cloverfield in two days. As they entered, they noticed that the town had put up several bright banners and signs to celebrate the Harvest season, and several parties were being held outside the inns. “I thought they already had Harvest,†Nagel said. “Different provinces celebrate in different ways,†Lo’ma’ndra said. “As I recall, the customs are a bit different in Colgrave,†Valdergast said. “In any case, I need to report to the local Church,†Lo’ma’ndra said. “I should be fine there. The rest of you should go out and enjoy yourselves.†“Oh, we intend to,†Nagel said. Trogdor said, “I need to go to the bazaar before nightfall. He looked at his hands. “I need bigger swords.†- After getting rooms for himself and Trogdor at the ‘Green Boar’ (an inn with a green-colored boar’s head above its entrance) Nagel took the Drakine to the central bazaar. The wizard followed behind, but Nagel noticed he hadn’t gotten a room at the same inn, meaning he was probably going to sleep elsewhere. Nagel pointed Trogdor to the weaponsellers, and the warrior picked out two of the sellers’ bastard swords, but didn’t like the idea of paying 56 Nobles for the set. While Nagel tried to get Trogdor a better deal, the merchant wouldn’t budge. “My persuasive skills must be rusty,†Nagel said. Trogdor shrugged. “I’ll pay it anyway. I need these. I don’t kill quickly enough.†Meanwhile, Valdergast was in the other section of the marketplace, picking out fine spices and a few worked goods that he needed for his spells. As he walked, he noticed another robed wanderer at a nearby stall, and saw the curve of her form and a vivid lock of red hair at the side of her hood. He thought nothing of it, but as Valdergast prepared to leave the artisans’ section of the bazaar, the woman came by him, almost as if by accident. “Excuse me,†she said. “Are you local?†“No,†the wizard replied. “I’m just saying..†she responded, “that is, I was just passing though myself. I have relatives here. But you fascinated me.†Valdergast smiled. “Thank you. What were you doing in town?†“For right now,†she said, “I want to go to an inn. Would you like to come with me?†“I think so.†The redhead lifted her hood. She was indeed very lovely, with soft blue eyes and a young face. That youthful look seemed a bit odd given that she was only a few inches shorter than Valdergast himself. He couldn’t help but think what she would look like if not for the robe. “My name is Kharis,†she said. “Who would you be?†“Ah… my name is Rogar Arcanus,†the wizard said. Those eyes of hers widened in admiration. “Rogar?†she whispered. “The very same?†“Well, no, that one’s sort of a rogue relative. I’m a mage.†As they walked through the town, Valdergast shook his head. ‘Of all the names I could think of,’ he thought. ‘But I’ve still got people on my tracks. And sending a beautiful girl to spy on you is the oldest trick in the book.’ - By this time, it was getting to nightfall, and as Nagel and Trogdor returned to the Green Boar, they saw a fairly large crowd sitting and standing by tables set up outside, with more of the streamers and banners. Nagel invited the Drakine to sit with him, and ordered steins of the best local brew. The people nearby were gaily celebrating, singing very loudly, and having obviously gotten a bit drunk even before Nagel and Trogdor joined in. One of the men asked Trogdor, “Where you from, man?†Trogdor looked off. “I am from where I am from. That is all you need to know.†“Not too happy, is he?†the man asked Nagel. Nagel shrugged. “I guess he just needs to loosen up. You guys got anything strong?†A big red-faced man came up. “Ask the wenches if they’ve got a bottle of that Hra’sayai.†â€Hra’sayai? Where’s that come from?†Nagel asked. “Dunno,â€the big man said. “But it tastes sweet and goes down like fire.†Trogdor thought a second. “Good.†As merriment continued, Nagel looked around to see that some of the locals were still building something at the side of the inn. It looked like nothing so much as a pedestal garlanded in flowers, with a common chair nailed onto it. “What in the world is that?†he asked the man next to him. “Ah.†The local said, “That’s for our Harvest King. This time of year, we elect a King to represent us for the festival. For tonight and all the way into tomorrow, his word is law.†Nagel said, “And then he’s free to go?†The man laughed. Nagel was a bit worried. He’d heard of some primitive communities where the people made a ‘king’ to sacrifice to the gods for the next harvest. The man leaned into Nagel’s shoulder and said, “We’re thinking of picking your friend.†“Trogdor?†Nagel exclaimed. The Drakine looked up from his glasses of liquor. “Eh?†The man who’d asked Trogdor’s origins earlier told him, “What would you say to being the King of the Harvest?†“Don’t think I want it.†The man by Nagel said, “You get whatever you want, and people have to do what you say.†“What the hey, Trogdor, it could be fun,†Nagel said. “Anything I want?†Trogdor said. The men cheered him on. “I’m in,†he said. “HUZZAH!†the locals yelled, as they prepared special pillows for the nearby throne and others came off to procure a rather fake-looking scepter and copper crown for the reptiloid. They asked, “What is His Majesty’s first order of the day?†Trogdor looked down at the glasses and the bottle of foreign liquor that he’d finished off by himself. “More of this.†- Valdergast took Kharis to a rich-looking inn called the Amethyst. It was rich-looking for this place, anyway. Valdergast thought of several places in Daravel that had better services than this. But he was pretty sure that the Amethyst was the best place in Cloverfield, and that was what mattered to him. The woman wasn’t revealing that much more of herself than Valdergast was. The dinner went by fairly quietly, although Kharis seemed to be genuinely fascinated by him, and the mage thought he might be able to get her to stay with him overnight. She certainly seemed interested, but she also didn’t seem to be what he’d call a ‘professional.’ He wasn’t sure what to make of her. Things remained fairly guarded between them until someone nearby commented on the noise outside. Valdergast took his attention off Kharis, and the two of them looked out the window to see that someone had moved a strange, float-like structure to the front of the inn. The thing looked like some kind of sailing ship, complete with canvas sails. “What in goodness is that?†Kharis asked him. Valdergast said, “I remember that in Colgrave, they have a different Harvest tradition than Vestria proper. Every one of the inns sponsors a Harvest float, and elects someone to be their King. It’s usually the most amusing foreigner, or the town’s most amusing drunk.†At this, they looked to see the Amethyst’s ‘King’ wandering about at the inn entrance, then just as quickly go back outside to survey the float. He was tall and handsome, with leather traveler’s clothes, wearing a gaudy upholstered crown and waving a terra-cotta sword as he swaggered about and exerted his followers to greater efforts. “Fix the mizzenmast!†he yelled. “Tonight we sail against the Goblins! Blossoms for everyone! Make the pie higher!†Kharis shook her head. “There’s more than one of these kings?†Valdergast said, “Sometimes. It’s this big brouhaha where everyone bets on whose favorite inn is better. Sometimes they actually go and fight it out. I’d hate to be at the place that those idiots wind up at.†Kharis looked into his eyes. “You are most knowledgeable, sir.†Then they heard the King yell out a war cry as his followers announced that their ‘ship’ was ready. The King ran to the bow of the float and struck a dramatic pose with the sword as he declared, “On to the Green Boar!†The followers picked up the float from the sides like a palanquin and marched off, a group of fellow celebrants trailing behind, singing battle songs. Kharis lifted her glass to Valdergast. “Shall we order more wine?†- At the Green Boar, they were preparing Trodgor’s throne, although the Drakine himself continued to sit at the bench and drink while Nagel watched. Trogdor ordered the crowd, “For my next command, you will send me three of your most beautiful chickens!!†“Chickens?†the red-faced man asked Nagel. Nagel said, “He’s still having trouble with Vestrian. I think he meant ‘chicks.’†Suddenly the crowds parted way as another large group approached the inn, and Nagel saw that the newcomers were escorting some kind of sailing ship replica, with a tall youth in another obviously fake crown, waving a toy sword and almost falling off the bow. Then the boy righted himself and pointed the sword down in Trogdor’s direction. “You would be the King?†Trogdor stood up. “I would.†The newcomer bellowed, “Only one of us can be the Harvest King! Stand and face ROGAR THE STORM!!†'Nagel' thought, ‘Oh, dear.’ The new crowd cheered Rogar’s name as they escorted him down. Likewise the patrons of the Green Boar yelled and cheered for Trogdor as he moved up to confront the challenger. Nagel thought it was a good thing that he’d told Trogdor to put away his weapons before he got too drunk. The Drakine faced the youth, both challengers standing insolently toward each other. ‘Let me just get this over with,’ Trogdor thought. He moved in on the human and punched him hard. But the kid actually took the punch and swung back, striking Trogdor in the chest. The Drakine felt it even through his chainmail. The two circled each other, continuing to jab, and as Nagel looked on, he figured the kid had at least a little bit of brawling experience, even if he wasn’t a truly skilled warrior. The fake Rogar suddenly lashed out and grabbed Trogdor in the midsection, and the two of them went down into the dirt, but Trogdor got up first and kicked ‘Rogar’ in the chest. ‘Rogar’ then got up and swung drunkenly at the mercenary. Trogdor punched his midsection for seemingly little effect, and pushed him away. The human moved back up and punched for little damage. Trogdor was getting really frustrated, especially at the looks on some of the Men’s faces as they thought the other ‘King’ would win. He looked back at Nagel and saw that his companion was actually amused. Trodgor growled, and with a sudden snap of his jaws, lashed out at his opponent and bit at his outstretched arm. The fake Rogar stood back and saw that this unorthodox attack had drawn a little bit of blood, staining his sleeve. “You BIT me!†he wailed. The youth yelled to his followers, “I am Rogar the Storm! Any thing in my hands is a deadly weapon!!†Then he had to pause and look to see what he could pick up and use as a weapon. Finding nothing else at hand, he pulled off his own belt and threw it clumsily at Trogdor. He then did some strange posing with punches and wild kicks. Then he moved in trying to hit, only to stumble back. The crew at Nagel’s table pushed him back up and cheered him on. One of Nagel’s companions said, “Didn’t think it’d last this long. We’re betting on Trogdor, y’know.†The fake Rogar was attacked by Trogdor, blocked, and counterattacked by doing a spinning jump kick that actually impressed Nagel, fluke that it was. It connected with Trogdor’s face and staggered the warrior. But the youth couldn’t follow up, and a truly mad Trogdor used another of his natural weapons, whipping his tail around to catch his opponent’s legs. ‘Rogar’ moved too slowly to get up before Trogdor kicked him while prone, but the youth remained conscious. They looked at each other. The human got to his knees. And then he reached up and punched Trogdor up between his legs. Cheers and cries of shock almost deafened Nagel. ‘He’s got no armor under there, I guess.’ Trogdor attacked desperately, but the opponent blocked, got up, and punched again. But both warriors were quite drunk, and although Trodgor was obviously tougher, those two lucky hits to his unarmored areas were making him weak. Both fighters seemed to be on their last legs. Trodgor swung and was blocked, ‘Rogar’ counterattacked, striking Trogdor’s armored chest, but hard enough for him to feel it. The two of them grappled, and Trogdor finally connected with a solid blow to the interloper’s bare chest. The Man grew faint, looked at Trogdor, and slowly sank to the ground at the Drakine’s feet. Trodgor looked up in both relief and exhaustion, as the patrons of the Green Boar yelled, “Cheers for TROGDOR, the Harvest King!!†‘Nagel’ couldn’t help but laugh. JG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Ciaramella Posted June 20, 2004 Report Share Posted June 20, 2004 Re: Campaign: The Turakian Age Not that the game is not fun to play in, but Jeff's prose is even more fun to read... brings everything into focus without the side chatter. "Bring me your three most beautiful chickens!" Bwahaha... priceless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Gillen Posted June 21, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 Re: Campaign: The Turakian Age Well, like I said, these games are half BS sessions anyway. But most gamers should be familiar with that. JG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackSword Posted June 21, 2004 Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 Re: Campaign: The Turakian Age Thanks for the write-ups JG. They have been very entertaining. Most of our games vary between RPing and BS sessions. Though sometimes we get a bit frustrated by too much BS and not enough game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Gillen Posted June 28, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 Session 4 - Chapter One This session (6/24/04) we didn't have Dustin. In fact he isn't going to be available for all of next month, as his (other) grandma took him on vacation in Utah. But it was otherwise a deeply amusing roleplaying session. -- Chapter One After the fight, Trogdor was almost dead on his feet, and the patrons decided to help Nagel lift the Drakine and escort him to bed. As they took hold of Trogdor, Nagel and one of the drinkers took a look back at ‘Rogar,’ who was likewise being lifted back to his float. The man with Nagel said, “That kid. Ruxoj. Nice kid, good to have on your side in a fight. Ain’t got a lick of sense even when he is sober.†“I’m sure,†Nagel said. Afterwards, he went to sleep himself. That night, Rogar dreamed. It was one of those times when part of him knew what was happening, where his mind was reviewing the past, but he was still caught in the moment. He sat under a small but beautiful green tree, on a hill overlooking a green meadow, just outside a small farming village. Above him on all sides were mountains of tremendous height, actually reaching into the skies, like castle walls topped by bright clouds. It was as though the gods themselves had pulled this land away from the earth and secured it for their very own. Rogar was learning to meditate in a pose that his master had called the ‘lotus flower position.’ Rogar wasn’t sure where the name originated. Pulling his legs onto each other and keeping them there didn’t make him feel very much like a flower. His eyes were closed as he tried to concentrate. To his surprise, his master broke the silence. “You are still determined to pursue this quest of vengeance?†Rogar looked across the grass where his master sat, in the opposite side of the shade. “In order to make sure that the people who attacked our ship don’t get to kill any more innocents,†Rogar said. His master looked at him with an even smile. He said, “Yes. But righteousness is not the same as self-righteousness. It is important not to act out in vengeance or hatred. The wisdom of Tran-Dhuk is as the wine of purity, not the vinegar of hostility. Meditate on this.†And so Rogar did. He closed his eyes again and the two sat together for an indeterminate time. Suddenly his master got up, and Rogar looked at him. His master looked toward the village and said, “You still haven’t asked the obvious question.†“Which… is?†The bald, smooth-faced monk looked back at Rogar. “It’s been three years since I brought you back to Thon-Sa. You’ve learned our language and our customs. There is no reason why you cannot simply stay here with us. If I do not approve of vengeance, why did I teach you the combat arts?†Rogar got up and faced him for a few seconds. He finally asked, “Why did you, then?†The monk turned back and gazed into the mountain peaks as if imagining what lay beyond. “Because it was necessary,†he said. That was the last thing Rogar remembered before waking up. - Valdergast slept soundly after the night’s exertions. He smiled as he woke up. Kharis was still there, already dressed at the foot of his bed, her face illuminated by the morning light through the window. He thought she said, ‘Good morning,’ but then she said something else that he didn’t recognize until it was too late. Kharis gestured and presented a small talisman, and as the item disappeared, a wave of emotion came over Valdergast. Kharis had been a pleasurable companion to him; now she was the most important being in the world to him. Her very presence seemed to nourish him. This felt strange to Valdergast. He knew this had to be some sort of spell, but he didn’t want it to end. The closest thing he could compare it to was the experience of being drunk, except that part of his mind was still sober enough to realize how deluded he was. Entranced, Valdergast looked up at the sorceress. “Very good,†Kharis said. Before he could take an action of his own, Kharis threw another spell similar to the first. He felt her voice in his mind now, saying, ‘Obey me and do not attempt to harm me.’ This counteracted the impulse in the back of his mind telling him to throw Kharis out the window. “Get dressed,†she told Valdergast. He saw that she laid his robe and underclothes near the bed- and had his spell components and gear on the bench behind her. As he dressed, he kept his eyes on Kharis. Even in her traveling robes, her beauty was unparalleled. He would willingly do all that she asked, so that he could spend the rest of his days with her. Valdergast wanted to kill. He could still feel the emotional enthrallment, but the direct command seemed to wear off. Maybe the first spell was reinforced by his night with her, Valdergast thought. He wasn’t sure. He made a move to reassert himself. Valdergast tried to grab the sorceress, but she caught the look in his eye and feinted to the side. She pulled back quickly. “Why’d you have to put a spell on me?†Valdergast demanded. Kharis smiled and said, “Because putting manacles on you would attract too much attention.†She continued. “I can assure you that I would not harm you, Valdergast.†She used his real name. He said, “No, but I’m sure you’d leave that task to Baron Selebes. As he ordered you.†Kharis said, “I know your reputation, Valdergast. I know you don’t need props for your spells, and I know that you’d burn down this whole town just to save your own hide.†Well, this inn, at least, he thought. “Pardon me if I wanted to protect myself,†she said. And then she threw another spell, this time raising her arm above her head, with a scarlet ring of power erupting around her feet and rising up as she gestured. As she gestured, the ring rose above her body and she vanished. Valdergast shrugged. He got the rest of his things, checking his bags to make sure the valuables were still there, then got his staff and went downstairs to order breakfast. No use telling the innkeepers about this, he thought. The least they would do is raise his rates. - After the morning services at the local church, Lo’ma’ndra made her way towards the Green Boar, where she’d last seen her companions. On the way through the dirt streets, she saw something block the sun for just a second. She looked up and saw a man in dark rogue’s- or assassin’s- clothing scampering across rooftops faster than a Man could run. She reached out to the nearest Town Guard. “Taal?†he said. “Good morning,†she said. “Did you see that man climbing the rooftops?†He looked up where she pointed. The rogue was beyond sight by then. “Can’t say so,†he told her. “There was a strange man dressed in black, jumping between rooftops in broad daylight. I don’t know what he was planning.†“If you say so, priestess.†Lo’ma’ndra asked, “Could you please get some men and look for him? He’s probably still going to be in Cloverfield, and it’d be best for you to know what was going on.†“Agreed. I’ll be right on it. Good day to you, Taal.†The guard ran off. Lo’ma’ndra thought nothing more of it. There wasn’t anything else she could do, but at least the authorities had been notified. - Lo’ma’ndra reached the Green Boar to find Nagel casually dressed and Trodgor wearing some type of mock finery with a crown. “Greetings,†she said. “What’s going on here?†Nagel smiled. “Ah, it turns out that the locals elected Trogdor the Harvest King for today.†“Really.†Nagel continued, “And it seems that he was obliged to fight one of the locals at a different inn for the title.†Lo’ma’ndra said, “You won, then?†Trogdor nodded. Lo’ma’ndra gave him a bemused smile and curtsied. “Your Majesty.†“Thank You,†he said. “Well, he won, but barely,†Nagel said. “That’s what you get for fighting Rogar the Storm.†“It was NOT Rogar,†Trogdor spat. “You said it was one of the locals. And it was still a win,†the Drakine said. Lo’ma’ndra fairly shuddered. “Well, it’s a good thing we haven’t had to deal with that maniac in the flesh yet.†“Quite,†Nagel said. The priestess asked, “Were we going to continue the journey today?†Trogdor said, “I still have this other festival to attend. That’s supposed to be all afternoon.†â€Then I hope you enjoy yourself, Your Majesty.†Trogdor half-smiled. Valdergast arrived with his owl. “How goes it?†he asked. Nagel again told the tale of Trogdor’s unnecessarily difficult victory over the challenger, and the wizard laughed. Valdergast told Lo’ma’ndra, “The local custom in Colgrave is to have a Harvest festival with the King picked out from the biggest buffoon. Either the biggest drunk or the most amusing foreigner. That would be Trogdor here.†Trogdor growled. “We’re still getting free food and drink out of it, remember,†Nagel told him. “Mmmm,†the Drakine responded. Valdergast said, “So did anything else amusing happen? Assassins or whatnot?†“Why would that be a problem?†Lo’ma’ndra asked. “Just that someone sent a sorceress to try to abduct me. I was thinking that she might have tried attacking you.†Nagel smirked. “I had no idea you’d made enemies.†Valdergast said, “About three years ago, I got into a dispute with a nobleman’s son and some of his drunken friends, and they wounded me. I defended myself, and they died. My family made an agreement with the Duke in Daravel so I wouldn’t get hanged. But the Baron’s been sending his goons after me ever since, and I’ve had to get rid of them. Apparently now he’s managed to hire a better class of bounty hunter. “Just thought you should know,†he said. Lo’ma’ndra nodded. “I see.†She thought a second. “It might explain what I saw this morning before coming here.†She gave them the description she’d given the guard, and Nagel said, “Trogdor has to stay in town the rest of the day for this festival.†“Ah. Of course,†Valdergast said. Nagel continued, “It might be best if you two stayed with us in the Green Boar for tonight so we can make sure nothing else strange happens.†Lo’ma’ndra said, “Well, I normally stay at the local temples, but I suppose it’s important that we do this tonight.†They all looked at Valdergast. He said, “Eh. I suppose I could trade down for one night.†“Trade down?†Nagel asked. “Nagel and I can patrol and check up on you,†Trogdor said. “You patrol?†Valdergast chuckled. “I am her bodyguard,†Trogdor said, looking at Lo’ma’ndra. “You haven’t really done much on that score,†she said. “You haven’t paid me.†“I told you, I’d give you a full payment for service when we reached Ytheis. I’ve got less than 100 Nobles at the moment as it is.†Valdergast told Lo’ma’ndra, “I believe mercenaries expect to be paid weekly.†Trogdor said, “Yes.†Lo’ma’ndra shook her head. “All right then. I can give you 20 Nobles based on how far we’ve come. Here.†The Drakine put the coins in his belt pouch. Valdergast said, “I know that much because I’ve had to work with soldiers recently.†Lo’ma’ndra said, “If Trogdor is a soldier, why wouldn’t he know that?†The wizard said, “Because he’s a Neanderthal.†Trogdor glared at him. Then he said, “What’s a Neanderthal?†Valdergast looked at Lo’ma’ndra and smiled. “As I said.†JG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Gillen Posted June 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2004 Session Four - Chapter Two Chapter Two The rest of the morning and to the end of the day, Trogdor enjoyed himself hosting the festival, as he and his riding companions were treated to the town’s best quality meats and vegetable dishes, along with a good selection of fruit desserts. That evening, Lo’ma’ndra and Valdergast brought their horses up to the Green Boar and managed to find separate rooms, as many of the customers had already left before nightfall. After saying their good-nights, the four adventurers retired for the night. Nothing unusual happened. - The next morning, Lo’ma’ndra got the team ready to leave shortly before dawn. They left Cloverfield on a beautiful Moonday, with a bright sun over them and cool breezes as they rode through the fields. The road twisted as they went east, and as they approached forested hills, Lo’ma’ndra saw a storm over the horizon. “Could rain, you think?†Nagel asked. “Perhaps,†Lo’ma’ndra said. “We’ll have to make shelter in the trees. I didn’t expect anything like this, with the sky being so clear.†Trogdor grunted heavily. They rode into the wood and checked the area, but as they did, the precipitation came down. It wasn’t rain. The four looked up to see cloudy white skies, snowing heavily around them. The rocky ground started to become slick, and Valdergast called for them to find a place to hunker down. A ways in, they saw a large rock face and clear ground in front of it. The four set up their horses there. Trogdor shuddered. “It’s too cold!†Valdergast said, “I didn’t think your people were cold-blooded.†“I’m not. It’s still too cold. I didn’t dress for this weather!†“It’s only fall,†Valdergast said. “It’s a blizzard. Look at it,†Trogdor said. Indeed, the wind was whipping up, and the snow was getting thicker and harder to see through. Lo’ma’ndra said, “Unfortunately, the winters in Vestria have been getting more severe in recent years, and coming earlier.†“It’s still too early,†Trogdor muttered. “Well, then you should make yourself useful and get us some wood,†Valdergast said. “There’s not really much here I can set afire.†“Need help?†Nagel asked Trogdor. “I think he can cut a few branches by himself, Nagel,†Lo’ma’ndra said. “Go all the way and cut a whole tree. Bring the trunk back. That’ll burn for a while,†Valdergast said. “Yes. I might as well,†Trogdor groused. “It will give me something to hit.†The Drakine walked out into the snow. Valdergast called out, “Remember- the thicker, the better!†After what Lo’ma’ndra guessed to be a quarter hour, Trogdor still hadn’t come back. “Too suspicious,†Nagel said. “And the blizzard is dying down. I still can’t see him out there,†Lo’ma’ndra said. “He couldn’t have gotten lost so close to us.†“Don’t be so sure,†Valdergast muttered. “I’m going to look for him,†Nagel said. Lo’ma’ndra nodded. “Good idea. The two of us will stay here and guard the area.†Rogar went out into the woods where Trogdor had gone. Unlike the Druidess, he wasn’t a skilled tracker, but the way the leaves and small plants had been whacked about gave some indication of where Trogdor- or his swinging tail- had been. But as the growth got thick, he lost track of the Drakine’s trail. Looking back, Rogar didn’t think he was lost, but he wanted to get back to make sure that didn’t happen. He turned the way back, and started to move. His foot caught a taut line, and without warning, his leg was ensnared, and Rogar was jerked up, high into the trees, as a net caught around him. - “And now Nagel isn’t here,†Valdergast complained. “That just proves there’s something wrong,†Lo’ma’ndra said. “Trogdor was right-“ â€Ha!†“No. It’s been cool, but it isn’t late enough for a blizzard to occur, and with such-“ “What?†the wizard asked. Lo’ma’ndra’s keen eyes looked into the trees and saw the glint of something within, possibly metallic. Then the object flew at great speed toward Valdergast. With a surge of speed, Lo’ma’ndra pulled the wizard to the ground. They lay on top of each other for a second, and Valdergast got up angry. “What in blazes was that for??†Lo’ma’ndra got up and they both saw a very long war arrow, about eye level to Valdergast, its steel head imbedded in the rock. The wizard looked into the trees. “You see him?†Valdergast asked the Druidess. “I think there’s just one archer,†Lo’ma’ndra said. “Right,†Valdergast said. He pointed and immediately pronounced the Fireball spell. The other end of the forest went into flames. And although they heard a sharp cry within, Lo’ma’ndra felt as though the trees were yelling in pain. She looked to the wizard, who seemed most satisfied with himself. And then she took her quarterstaff in both hands and reversed it, swinging the business end straight up and between his legs. [i said, “Gary, roll for that ‘Enraged when Nature is abused.’†Roll. “Yep.â€] Meanwhile, Rogar was testing the strength of the ropes that the net was made of. They were fairly thick and it seemed that the character who set the trap knew what he was doing. His staff, of course, was useless, but Rogar produced a short, spike-like blade from the folds of his clothing. He set to work, but even with his strength behind it, the rope was tough and didn’t give way easily. As he applied himself, a movement hit the corner of his eye, and Rogar saw a black-garbed man moving through the high branches of the trees almost on all fours, somewhat like the rogue Lo’ma’ndra had described. ‘Great,’ he thought. Then the forest beyond exploded. ‘Really great,’ he thought. Valdergast staggered and looked at Lo’ma’ndra in amazement. She swung the staff again and connected with his ribs, knocking him off his feet. A second later, she managed to regain her composure. She looked into the forest. The snow that had already fallen would keep the blaze from spreading too much. She hoped. But in any case she had to find the archer, and hopefully Rogar. She looked down at the wizard’s unconscious form. Lo’ma’ndra shook her head and told him, “There is a lesson to be learned in this. Maybe in the future your learning will be less painful.†And she took up her staff and went into the woods- leaving Valdergast alone with the horses. Rogar had managed to break the ropes holding him, and landed adroitly on the ground. He immediately flipped back up and went through the branches himself trying to find the thief, and looked down to see that Lo’ma’ndra was running through the forest alone. He looked back to see that the wizard was not only by himself, but knocked out and on the ground. “What’s she doing?!?†Rogar thought. “Doesn’t she realize that she’s leaving him open for these assassins?†And at that moment, Rogar saw a shape leap down from the trees beyond him, landing on the clearing. It was the black-clad thief. The man drew a foot long dirk from his clothes and advanced on the helpless wizard. Before he could strike, Rogar performed a mighty jump and landed directly between the assassin and Valdergast, catching a strange glint off the intruder’s eyes. Rogar twirled his staff, and the surprised opponent deflected it with his blade. As he did, the man’s hood came loose, and Rogar saw his face. It was the face of a large gray hunting cat, with raised ears and green eyes of startling size. Rogar could see now that the cat stood on back-bending paws, but it stood on two legs like a Man. And it held a weapon against him. And the cat looked at Rogar and said, “This is an unexpected predicament.†He swung quickly against Rogar, and the adventurer barely managed to block with the staff. The cat-man’s reflexes were even better than his. He had to react to him before he could strike again. Before the cat could swing again, Rogar moved the staff end around, connecting with the torso and slamming the assassin back into the rock face. “No. This isn’t going to be as expedient as I’d hoped,†the cat-man said. He shook his head, and before Rogar could close in, the assassin ran up the rock on two legs, bounding off into the hills from there. Rogar shrugged. After making sure the assassin had indeed left, he checked on Valdergast, who was just getting up. “It’s Nagel,†Rogar told him. “What happened?†Valdergast spoke through a clenched jaw: “WHERE’S. THE DRUID??†“For some strange reason she ran off to the forest. Probably to find Trogdor.†“Or the archer who did that,†Valdergast said, pointing to the arrow. “Then we’ve got to find her,†Rogar said. “Let’s go.†“Can’t really run right now,†Valdergast said. “Can you take a horse?†“Not in much mood for riding, either.†- Lo’ma’ndra got deep into the wood, having tracked both Trogdor and Nagel in a certain direction, but with the lizard-man’s prints diverging towards a thick oak. As she reached it, she saw a young red-haired woman in robes. The woman cast a spell raising a glowing aura of light around her. Lo’ma’ndra did the same for herself. Then she pointed towards the ground, and entangled the woman in vines. The woman did not move, but only looked at the Elf impassively. “You realize that’s not going to be enough,†the sorceress said. “Quite.†Lo’ma’ndra looked up and saw a one-eyed, dark-skinned man, dressed similarly to Nagel, up in the bows of the tree, aiming a longbow at her. Judging from the hasty bandages on his ribs and thigh, he must have been the one Valdergast hit. The woman continued, “I wasn’t sure you’d be willing to listen to me. So I made sure to get some insurance.†And Lo’ma’ndra turned to hear someone approach her. It was Trogdor. With both swords drawn, ready for battle and with her the only target. She thought of calling out to him, but realized he wouldn’t hear. “And since I was thinking, there’s no permanent harm done, that we can call this a draw and leave,†the redhead said. “It would seem I have no choice,†Lo’ma’ndra said. “You’re the sorceress Valdergast described.†“Kharis.†She nodded within the vines. “I’ll consent as long as Trogdor is released from your spell.†“He is only enthralled as long I need him to make sure my group isn’t attacked. The effect will wear off.†“And you were hired to capture Valdergast?†“The Baron wants him alive, but we needed to make sure he couldn’t harm us. He’s very dangerous.†“Yes,†the Elf said. Kharis said, “It is a pity we didn’t meet under better circumstances. Your friends fight well, and they were willing to defend Valdergast- when he really doesn’t deserve it.†Lo’ma’ndra could only nod. Then the vines collapsed in a bright red light, and Kharis appeared at the foot of the tree. She looked up at the archer, and he smiled at her. Then he turned his head. “Rudri, what is it?†The archer shook his head. “I’m not sure.†Kharis said, “We’ll be leaving then. I’d suggest you be more careful in judging your traveling companions in the future, priestess.†Lo’ma’ndra said, “I think I’ll have to put Valdergast well in hand after this incident.†And Kharis laughed. “Oh well. Let’s hope you can do a better job of it than I did.†Lo’ma’ndra was going to ask Kharis what she meant by that, but the sorceress pronounced the spell again and vanished. The archer jumped to another tree’s branches and the Druidess let him leave. She turned to Trogdor. “Trogdor. Can you hear me?†He shook his head. “Eh. Yes. The witch put a spell in my head.†“I know. It’s all right now.†“I was right nearby, and I heard this voice telling me to move further in the woods, and then when I did, it took control.†“Yes. We need to get back to camp. By the way, did you get the wood?†“Mmm.†Trogdor looked around and saw one of the fallen branches of the great oak. It was about half as big as he was. He picked it up. “Here.†They set back towards the camp. And then they heard Nagel’s voice. “Hello.†“RR!†Trogdor started. “Hello,†Lo’ma’ndra said to Nagel, not surprised to see him. “I take it things are all right?†“Yes. They had another assassin ready to attack Valdergast, but I managed to drive him off. A good thing, since you kind of left him there.†“Yes.†Lo’ma’ndra looked down. “I need to discuss things with him.†“The blizzard’s over,†Trogdor said. And indeed, the afternoon sun was clearly visible through the trees. “Most likely that witch summoned it in order to trap us,†Nagel said. “You saw her?†Lo’ma’ndra said. “I managed to arrive about the time they left you, yes.†“Well, let’s go. As I said, I need to talk to the wizard.†The three went back with Trogdor holding the huge branch in one arm. Rogar still wasn’t sure what was going on, but he knew the team was lucky to survive. He still wasn’t sure how the archer had almost managed to notice him sneaking up on the group. And what WAS an archer doing with only one eye? - They came back with the sunlight facing the rock and night approaching. Valdergast didn’t look happy to see them. “The wood.†Trogdor threw the branch down at the clearing. He then set about chopping it. Lo’ma’ndra and Valdergast faced each other as Nagel stood behind the Elf, not sure what was going on. “Would you care to explain what just happened?†Valdergast asked, barely in control of himself. “You have been told at least once, it is not necessary to attack the trees,†Lo’ma’ndra responded evenly. Valdergast said, “One, we needed a ranged attack, and we needed to smoke him out of the forest. And two, you’ve already seen that I can quench the fires that I start.†“That isn’t the point, Valdergast. You are attacking the life of this wood. You’re treating it as unimportant.†“Not compared to our lives, no.†“What did happen?†Nagel finally asked. “When I saw the wizard use a fireball to attack one opponent in the trees, I punished him appropriately.†Lo’ma’ndra told him. “Specifically I struck him in the groin.†“Hehheheheh,†Trogdor said. “What about it?†Valdergast said. “You have to be ruthless when people are going after you. And you certainly don’t turn on your allies in the middle of the fight. I know you’re NEW to combat, but try to learn.†Lo’ma’ndra looked up at him. “And you need to learn that sometimes ruthlessness causes more damage than you can afford. Think of this as a learning experience for you, Valdergast. After this, you will remember, and a little voice will sound in your head, saying, ‘Don’t set the forest on fire.’ A little voice which most of us already have. Only you can not start forest fires.†Once Trogdor had made kindling, they set up camp. Lo’ma’ndra used her divine spells to heal Valdergast [the GM ruled that she did NOT need to touch him in the affected area], and after they ate rations, Trogdor got out his bed roll to get to sleep. “I think I’ll join him,†Valdergast said, getting his bed roll off his horse. Nagel sat by the fire. “You meet the most interesting folk, Valdergast.†The wizard said, “What do you expect? I killed the Baron’s son in self-defense. I could have been hanged just because I was a commoner. Fortunately,†he continued, raising his head, “my great-uncle is Frederick Arcanus.†Realizing the name had no currency with them, he told the others, “Suffice to say my family connections allowed me to pledge myself to the Duke of Daravel in exchange for him pardoning the incident. But again, that was three years ago, and Baron Selebes is still trying to send assassins after me. Maybe after I turned the last four into a burning pyre, he decided to send better killers after me,†he thought. “I’m not surprised,†Lo’ma’ndra said. Valdergast paused. He said, “I will say one good thing about that Kharis. She was pretty good in the sack.†Lo’ma’ndra blanched. “You are a wondrous piece of work.†Nagel said, “I don’t know. It doesn’t surprise me that the women he sleeps with would try to kill him afterward.†Lo’ma’ndra said, “We need to sleep. I’ll be up at midnight, Nagel.†“Good night,†he told her. As the group went off to sleep, Rogar looked around. It seemed safe tonight. He looked back at Lo’ma’ndra, sleeping at the opposite end of camp from the wizard. ‘That level of bickering leads to romance sagas,’ he thought to himself. JG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coupelefromage Posted July 1, 2004 Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 Re: Campaign: The Turakian Age BEHIND THE SCENES AT FEAR AND LOATHING IN THE TURAKIAN AGE It started off like a pretty normal encounter... Lomandra, Nagel (Rogar), Trogdor and Valdergast were heading east through Vestria toward Khirkovy, when they came across some unseasonable winter weather. The party located a good spot to set up a shelter, and Lomandra ordered Trogdor to go out and gather firewood. (She does that Order Trogdor Around stuff a lot.) After Trogdor was gone too long (even for him), Nagel volunteered to go out and find him. I was on the receiving end of some unusually bad luck with dice that night, so Nagel didn't notice the snare trap until he blundered into it and was hanging up in a net. While Nagel had no trouble reaching one of his Thona throwing knives, my bad luck with dice persisted for the next two Phases, and Nagel took almost a full Turn to get past the DEF of the net... Meanwhile, the rest of the party had their own problems. Someone was shooting arrows at Lomandra and Valdergast, so Valdergast responded in his usual fashion. He sent a magic fireball into the trees that the attacker was hiding behind... Lomandra, who was a Druid, not to mention an Elf, did not react well to this. Gary (Lomandra's Player) had to roll for the Enraged that Valdergast had just activated. I was sitting next to Gary, so I got to see the dice as he rolled them. He rolled 4. This was not good. Gary announced his intention for Lomandra to attack Valdergast, and the GM told him that he would receive a Bonus, since NO ONE expected this Catholic School Girl of an Elf to actually attack him. Gary then announced Lomandra was making a Called Shot to the Vitals... Actually, Gary said Lomandra was making a Called Shot to the BALLS, but the GM decided that meant Vitals... The Modifiers were tallied, and Gary rolled the dice, scoring a solid hit. In my imagination, the sound effect which accompanied the scene was like the beginning of a game of pool... There was a resounding CLACK!! as Lomandra's staff struck Valdergast's groin, followed by the not quite as loud sounds of Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! as his huevos bounced off his ribcage and each other several times on their way up to his brain. One thought came to my mind... OW! Gary rolled the dice for damage, the GM took the various Modifiers into account, then informed Jason (Valdergast's Player) that 4 BODY and 19 STUN got through his defenses. Jason announced that Valdergast was definitely Stunned, and that his STUN was down to 4. OW! OW! I also knew from previous conversations to each other about our Characters that Jason had not spent any points to raise Valdergast's BODY, so Lomandra's shot was 1 BODY short of an Impairing Wound. (I know... It's actually 2 BODY short, but the Vitals takes 2x BODY, so Gary only had to ROLL 1 more...) OW! OW! OW! Everyone at the table grimaced in sympathy pain for Valdergast's predicament (the same way every guy in the theater did when I went to see Baby's Day Out), and it was almost an act of mercy when Lomandra's follow-up blow brought her staff crashing across Valdergast's ribs, relieving him of consciousness, as well as the blinding, searing, throbbing pain that was the sum total of his perception of existence at that moment... Lomandra said something Elvishly snooty to Valdergast about "Learning His Lesson" before she departed to find out what happened to Trogdor. Lomandra eventually found Trogdor (he had been under a magic Mind Control spell cast by one of the people who were attacking us), but she had left Valdergast alone and unconscious in a hostile environment... While this was happening, Nagel FINALLY managed to free himself from the net trap, and spotted someone else moving through the trees TOWARD his companions. He followed the stranger, who found the unconscious Valdergast and was about cut the fire wizard up into shish kabob. Nagel was able to successfully intervene, but the feline-humanoid assassin escaped. Valdergast came to, and his only response to Nagel's inquiries about his condition was, "WHERE’S… THE DRUID…?" There was an Out Of Character comment about whether or not Nagel would be allowed to ask Valdergast if he'd been breathing helium, but the GM told us that no one in the Turakian Age knew what helium was... At this point, my prediction for the future is that someday, the ruthless fire wizard Valdergast Arcanus will be the first one in line to give up his soul in exchange for the flaming power of the Shining Crown Of Krim, and he will do so as a direct result of his experiences with Lomandra... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireg0lem Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 Re: Campaign: The Turakian Age At this point' date=' my prediction for the future is that someday, the ruthless fire wizard Valdergast Arcanus will be the first one in line to give up his soul in exchange for the flaming power of the Shining Crown Of Krim, and he will do so as a direct result of his experiences with Lomandra...[/quote'] Or maybe just the Anasthetic Codpiece of Krim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Gillen Posted July 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 Re: Campaign: The Turakian Age Or maybe just the Anasthetic Codpiece of Krim BWAHhahahahaha! JG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolgroth Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 Re: Campaign: The Turakian Age James Gillen, Thank you so much for sharing the whole campaign online. It sure has inspired me to get off my butt and gather my friends around for an online game. This weekend we're testing a voice over internet concept. With any luck, I'll have as much fun running my game as I've had reading about yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Gillen Posted July 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 Re: Campaign: The Turakian Age James Gillen, Thank you so much for sharing the whole campaign online. It sure has inspired me to get off my butt and gather my friends around for an online game. This weekend we're testing a voice over internet concept. With any luck, I'll have as much fun running my game as I've had reading about yours. Voice over? Wow. Let us know how it works. JG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolgroth Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 Re: Campaign: The Turakian Age Voice over? Wow. Let us know how it works. JG Well, so far the technology is working fine. I connected with one of my friends and had a conversation. A wee bit (less than a second) lag, but then we all have the luxury of broadband connections. Our first actual game will be on Sunday (assuming all things work out). I'll keep you posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Gillen Posted July 4, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2004 Re: Campaign: The Turakian Age The next day, the group rode about twenty miles. By Nagel’s map, there was still a day or so till they reached the Grimwash River, which was the effective border between Vestria and Khirkovy. As evening approached, Lo’ma’ndra found a clearing on a hill giving a commanding view of the woodlands below. They decided to take that as a rest stop for the night. As they set up for sleep, they heard the eerie howls of wolves in the trees. This in itself was not unusual. It was unusual when the wolves’ howl became louder, and closer. “They’re coming up on us,†Trogdor said. Valdergast said, “How many?†“At least six.†Lo’ma’ndra performed a blessing on the team, and then invoked the Shield of Faith to protect herself. By this time, the wolves were upon them. Nagel was swift enough to react, thrusting his staff at the first wolf he could see. It caught the beast square in the head and knocked him out. Two attacked Trogdor. He attacked each with a sword, severely wounding both. Lo’ma’ndra was forced to block her opponent. As for Valdergast, one grabbed him by the arm and pulled him down, with the sixth wolf attacking him and nipping at his prone body. Two wolves switched opponents to team up on Nagel. He slipped away from them and hit one with his staff, stunning it. But in the midst of combat, a figure stood at the bottom of the hill, observing the wolves, and observing how Lo’ma’ndra fought. He took a small dart out of his pouch and cast a spell over it, then threw the weapon towards the Druidess. The dart became a glowing jet, and struck Lo’ma’ndra forcefully. It failed to penetrate the Shield of Faith, but the shock dazed Lo’ma’ndra. She lost concentration, and the Shield fell- leaving her helpless. Trogdor struck one of the wolves fighting Valdergast, and the wizard swung his staff at the other canine, hitting it square and knocking it out. The wolf attacking Lo’ma’ndra took advantage, biting and drawing her blood. Nagel moved up swiftly and hit hard with his staff, knocking the wolf out. But as the four paused for breath, the unknown wizard struck again with another magic dart. Lo’ma’ndra cried out in pain and fell hard to the ground. Trogdor was charged by the last wolf. He blocked it with a sword. In the meantime Valdergast got up and looked to see who had attacked the priestess. In the twilight he saw a very well-dressed Elf in shining mail and a green cloak, a sword in one hand and a wand in the other. Valdergast threw a Fireball past him to make sure he couldn’t dodge out of the area. He was satisfied when he heard the Elf cry out. Trogdor chased the last wolf away from camp as Nagel checked to see if Lo’ma’ndra would live. It was hard to tell exactly what the dart had done to her; it didn’t shed any blood. But the Elf woman looked as though she had been gravely wounded. “How is she?†Valdergast asked him. “I think she’ll live. But she was hurt bad,†Nagel said. Without asking, Valdergast moved down the hill to check and see what had happened to Lo’ma’ndra’s would-be assassin. The Elf had apparently run off faster than Valdergast could pursue, and it was too dark by now to attack him with spells. But the stranger had left a bit of parchment behind. Valdergast checked it. It had a short message written in the Elven tongue. Fortunately Shalioderentine was one ‘magical’ language he’d studied in his apprenticeship. On the hill, Lo’ma’ndra finally started to wake up. “What happened?†Nagel asked her. She said, “I was attacked by surprise… I think I saw an Elf… he threw a spell when I was fighting the wolf.†Nagel said, “He probably summoned the wolves himself; they really didn’t have any reason to attack us. Which means he’s got Druid spells too.†“Perhaps.†The priestess set about using her healing prayers to bring herself back to normal. By the time she completed her spell, Valdergast had returned. “What did you find?†Nagel asked him. “Something interesting.†Valdergast showed Lo’ma’ndra the text of the scroll. “The Blood of the Apostate must be cleansed from the Earth.†He asked her, “Exactly what does this phrase mean to you?†Lo’ma’ndra’s countenance became very grave. “I am sorry. I cannot discuss it. I apologize that you gentlemen are involved in this.†“Involved in what?†Nagel said. “Apostate would mean some kind of religious dissident,†Valdergast said. Lo’ma’ndra snapped, “Congratulations to you. Your intellect is astounding.†“So you did something to piss off an assassin too, eh?†the wizard mused. “If you consider existing my fault, yes.†Valdergast said, “No more than it was MY fault that I stopped to protect a woman from four drunks who decided to get violent. I defended myself, but because they were drunk, they weren’t considered responsible. And I still have to take crap for it cause one of them was the Baron’s son.†There was an uncomfortable silence. Trogdor moved in and motioned for them to take gear off the horses and finish making camp. Lo’ma’ndra bowed her head. “I apologize again. But believe me when I say I cannot discuss this further.†Nagel said, “All right then.†Valdergast backed off. Nagel said, “Although I think we need to change our campsite. Just in case that Elf tries moving in on us again.†“Agreed,†Lo’ma’ndra said. They took their gear and moved downhill. After finding a suitably defensible spot, the four made camp and prepared for sleep. They didn’t talk much that night. JG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Gillen Posted July 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2004 Session 5 7/1/04 Once morning broke, Nagel and Valdergast took their maps and figured it would be another day or so before they reached the Dragonsmoke River. They got their gear and got on a trail going east. It was still early in the morning when the four heard a strange high pitched cry from a short distance off the trail. Lo’ma’ndra immediately moved to find out what the problem was, and Trogdor followed behind her. Nagel followed out of curiosity, and Valdergast, left behind, flipped a coin. He looked at the coin. He followed. Lo’ma’ndra entered the woods to see the body of a she-wolf, attended by a pathetic cub, baying mournfully. “It’s dead?†Trogdor asked. “By one of your swords, I believe,†Lo’ma’ndra said. “She got this far before dying of blood loss.†â€Oh.†Nagel looked around and said, “The other wolves were here, judging from the tracks. Cubs too. The pack must have left her when she couldn’t run anymore.†“And this one stayed behind with his mother,†Lo’ma’ndra said. Valdergast said, “Let me guess. You’re going to hug it and squeeze it and call it Jeorj.†“As a matter of fact…†Lo’ma’ndra picked up the cub and let him get used to her. It stopped its cries and became curious, licking her face. “Do you think that’s wise?†Trogdor asked Lo’ma’ndra. “Why not?†“It may expect you to nurse.†“No problem. My horse is a mare.†“I don’t think there’s anything more we can do here,†Nagel said. Lo’ma’ndra said, “Agreed. When we camp in the evening, I’ll milk Sugarcube.†Valdergast thought, “The horse’s name is Sugarcube. Why am I not surprised?†- The next morning the group got up with the sunrise revealing the Grimwash River to the east. Lo’ma’ndra carried the pup with her as she rode. “Have you named it yet?†Trogdor asked her. “I’m going to call him Ubu.†“Ubu?†“It means ‘hound’ in Elven,†she lied. They descended from the hills toward the great river valley, with an impressive pine forest to the north of them. But as they reached level ground, Lo’ma’ndra caught sight of something in the deep woods. The glint of sunlight off metal. She pointed towards it. The other three concentrated their gaze. They realized that there were several Men- actually almost two dozen, marching through the wood. Going west. The banner men were carrying flags in red and black with a panther on the field. “I think it’s Khirkovy,†Trogdor said. “Eh?†Nagel said. “Why do you say that?†“Look at the pointed brass helmets. Nobody else wears those.†“What do you know about Khirkovy’s relationship with Vestria these days?†Nagel asked Valdergast. “They don’t like each other much,†the mage said. “But we’re not at war either.†“I think we should sneak in and see what they’re doing.†Nagel asked. “I don’t know. There’s too many of them for us to fight. And we don’t know what their real plan is,†Lo’ma’ndra said. “If we keep going east, we can see if there are more at the border.†Valdergast said, “I’m going to send Mertwig the owl out that way. He can report back to me what he sees. If those men up there are part of an invasion, we can find out.†“Good idea,†Lo’ma’ndra said. The Fire Wizard whispered to his owl, and let it fly off his shoulder. The group then continued on. By mid-morning, they had reached the west bank of the Grimwash, with no other people in sight. Lo’ma’ndra asked Valdergast, “What is Mertwig telling you?†He said, “The sergeant of the unit just spoke with a man with a bow across his back. The bowman just ran back toward the east.†“And what are the men doing?†“Apparently they’re making camp.†“They must be waiting for new orders,†Nagel said. Lo’ma’ndra thought. “Valdergast, send the owl out to see if he can find a border post anywhere, and let us know where it is. We need to let the kingdom know soldiers have crossed its border.†Shortly thereafter, Valdergast received another communication from Mertwig. “There’s a high tower north of the woods. It’s got some nice pigeons in it.†“Please don’t eat the pigeons, Mertwig,†Valdergast thought. “We’ll be joining you.†The four adventurers rode north on the river bank, and after about three miles they found the clearing with the tower. It still had a Vestrian banner atop it. There was one soldier on foot guard, with another man in the guardhouse fifty feet in the air. Lo’ma’ndra rode up. “Excuse me. I am Taal Lo’ma’ndra.†The footman looked at them with surprise. “Eh? I mean, what’s going on? We don’t usually get visitors.†“We think we can help you. South of here we spotted a small unit of men in Khirkovy colors making camp in the woods. We figured it was important that you would know.†“It is indeed. Hold on.†The footman rung a bell rope at the leg of the tower. His partner lowered a basket with a writing set and some parchment. “Write down the report and we’ll have it sent to the nearest town.†“Thank you, good man.†Lo’ma’ndra set about writing the message: To the Barony, We have spotted a group of at least twenty Khirkovian soldiers on the Vestrian side of the Grimwash, about three miles south of this border post. It is most likely that they are scouting as prelude to an invasion of the kingdom. They had at least one Ranger with them before he sent a message back east. It might be best if you alerted the militia and feudal troops to secure the territory in case a larger force is being sent across. Sincerely, Taal Lo’ma’ndra of the High Church She inscribed the message, scrolled it up after the ink dried, and put it back in the basket to be hauled up. “We’ll be taking our leave now.†“You’ve done your duty, my lady,†the soldier said. Lo’ma’ndra nodded. “Be careful,†she told the man. “Of course.†- The side trip took most of the morning. By the time the group actually crossed the river it was noonday. They continued on through the country, going into deeper pine forests, riding southeast toward the westernmost tributaries of the Dragonsmoke River. According to Valdergast’s maps, they were about seventy-five miles away from that area. Once they reached that river, they’d be able to travel by barge down to the major Umbrian cities on the south bank of the river. Late afternoon came and as the group started scouting for a place to camp, Nagel noticed something. In one of the trees, about 50 yards off to his right, there was a ranger taking aim at him. “We’ve got company.†“So I see,†Valdergast said. He looked to notice that there were actually four archers spaced about diagonally to each other, so as to catch them in a cross fire. “I’m going to light that one up with Magefire.†“NO!†Lo’ma’ndra yelled. “It’s a single-target spell!†Nagel produced one of his spike blades from his vest, and before the archer could pull his bow, Nagel threw the blade straight into the man’s thigh. He cried out in pain- alerting the other three archers who laid in wait. One fired at Nagel, the arrow catching in the rogue’s leather armor. Another fired at Lo’ma’ndra, and while the arrow barely drew blood, the shock left her dazed. The third ranger struck Valdergast hard in the thigh. But Valdergast toughed out the pain and concentrated on casting the Flammifer. The three remaining archers suddenly had their equipment catch fire, which bought time for the adventurers. It also meant the rangers lost their bows. After the attackers rolled on the ground to put out the flames, they drew swords to attack. Nagel threw a blade at one, scoring a minor wound. Meanwhile Trogdor strung a longbow and got a quiver of arrows off his horse, producing a veritable cloth yard shaft to aim at the intruders. He took aim at one ranger, but missed. The three continued to run up to the group, swords in hand. Lo’ma’ndra cast her Entanglement spell at the second ranger Nagel had hit. The man was ensnared. Valdergast looked and targeted the ranger who’d wounded him. He hit him with Magefire. The man continued to advance, but eventually the pain was too great. He tried retreating, but Valdergast maintained his concentration until the man who attacked him fell dead. Nagel moved to see what had happened to the first archer in the trees. There was only one left. He continued advancing on Trogdor. The Drakine fired another arrow at closer range. This one went straight through the man’s breastbone. He fell dead instantly. Lo’ma’ndra looked to see if there were any more enemies. When she realized there weren’t, she moved up to her entangled target. “Why did you attack us?†The ranger responded, “Zemsty na novy var?†“He doesn’t speak Vestrian,†Trogdor said. “That doesn’t matter,†Lo’ma’ndra said. She invoked the miracle of Tongues to speak with the Khirkovian. “Why did you attack us?†she repeated. “We were securing the border!†he shouted. “Against whom?†“Spies.†“Do we look like spies to you?†Lo’ma’ndra asked. The ranger inched his chin toward Valdergast. “He looks like a Vestrian.†“What’s he saying?†the wizard asked. “Hold on.†Lo’ma’ndra turned back to the ranger and asked him in Khirkovian, “Are your people invading Vestria?†He paused for a second. And he said, “Yes.†“With how many men?†“Our unit had a hundred soldiers plus officers.†Nagel came back. Lo’ma’ndra asked him, “What about the fourth one?†“He fell off the tree when I wounded him and that knocked him out. I tied him up,†Nagel said. “This one says Khirkovy is invading Vestria.†Lo’ma’ndra looked at the ground for a bit, then turned back to Valdergast. “I’m going to have to send another message to the border. We’ll need to have Mertwig send it. He can also tell you if the post is still there, correct?†Valdergast nodded. “You mean we’re not going to just hunt down the invasion force?†Nagel mused. Lo’ma’ndra scoffed. “I might EXPECT you to go 4 versus 100 if you were Rogar the Storm, but as you are Nagel, I attribute you with more common sense.†Valdergast said, “Besides, the last time we needed to fight Goblins, Trogdor said, ‘let the farmers handle them.†“MRR,†Trogdor said. Lo’ma’ndra turned back to the entangled ranger. “I’m not going to kill you. Instead we’ll just leave you for the Vestrian border guards so they can give you a proper greeting.†The ranger gave her a grim smile and said, “Go in peace.†- After Lo’ma’ndra wrote her information on a scroll, Valdergast gave it to his familiar, and Mertwig flew off, back toward the Vestrian border post. The four then moved further east to find a campsite before nightfall. Before Valdergast went to sleep, Mertwig came back to him and confirmed that the border post was indeed still in Vestrian hands. “At least that means your message will go out,†Valdergast told Lo’ma’ndra. “And at least that means Vestria will be able to mount a defense and not be surprised,†the Druidess said. “We did that much,†Nagel said. “We still need to go on our mission to Ytheis,†Lo’ma’ndra said. “That was our first priority.†The Druidess moved to Valdergast and laid her hand on him as she recited the Healing spell. “I think this puts us back on even footing.†“You really should get some armor,†Nagel told the wizard. “Or at least a protection spell.†“I think you’re right,†Valdergast said. “But it’s going to be a while before I can learn one. Maybe when we get into Umbr.†Overnight, when he took watch, Rogar checked the scroll, which he was supposed to take to one of the ecclesiastical authorities in Ytheis. Once out of the case, it was about two feet long, made of some tough, leathery material, with inscriptions in dark brown ink. Most of the writing was incomprehensible, as if it were like sheet music, some kind of professional notation that bore little relationship to a language. There were some proper names at the head of the text, though, and Rogar thought he recognized one of them, but he couldn’t remember from where. - The next day, the group continued to head southeast and did NOT notice any troop movements. There were, however, signs that a large camp had been made a few miles north of where the group now was. In about three days they reached a river village. “We’ll need to get a barge for all of us,†Valdergast said. “I know Trade-Tongue. Let me handle it,†Nagel said. “In the meantime, I need to get some meat at the inn,†Lo’ma’ndra said. “I think Ubu can be weaned.†A couple hours later, Nagel met back with the others at the inn where Lo’ma’ndra was eating, with most of the locals trying to avoid looking at her unusual pet. “What did we get?†Lo’ma’ndra asked. Nagel shook his head. “I had to pay fifty silvers to BUY a barge. It was either that or rent passage, and then we’d have to share space with other people. We couldn’t do that and take the horses too.†“It doesn’t matter,†Valdergast said. “We can always sell it when we get to Dyvnar.†“The Umbr capital?†Lo’ma’ndra asked. “According to the map, that’s just a straight line southwest to Ytheis.†Valdergast continued, “I want to stop in Londregos to get supplies. It’s probably going to take another twelve days going straight down the river by barge.†Which they did. By the time the group of adventurers reached Londregos it had been a month and a half since they first met. JG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Ciaramella Posted July 6, 2004 Report Share Posted July 6, 2004 Re: Campaign: The Turakian Age Man... I wish I was in a campaign like this! Oh wait... I am... my bad. Still though, this is a fun read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Gillen Posted July 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 Session Six - Chapter One (This thread is on Page 2? Oh well.) 7/8/04 Londregos was one of the larger cities in Umbr, and Valdergast discovered that there would indeed be a wizard’s library where he could buy some of the spells he needed to expand his repertoire. The others agreed to stay in town for the two weeks he believed would be necessary to complete the formula research he needed. Trogdor accompanied Lo’ma’ndra to the Cathedral where she planned to report to her superiors. Somewhat to her consternation, he stayed in the reception area while she waited for accommodations. “What am I supposed to do here?†he asked. “Well, you don’t need to be here now. I’ll be staying with the other clergy. And I will probably be here a while.†“What do I do then?†Lo’ma’ndra said, “Whatever. You have the time free. You could go get drunk, start fights, whatever you’re going to do, but you’re not on my time anymore until we leave Londregos.†“All right,†he said, and left. Lo’ma’ndra shook her head. Meanwhile, Rogar was busy at the wharf, trying to re-sell the barge they got into town on, given that the river traffic from Londregos to Dynvar was going to be too thick to use the craft, and he had no way to keep track of it during the time he expected to be in town. He managed to get 40 Umbrian Nobles for the thing, which he figured was about four-fifths of the price he paid in Khirkovy; so a good deal. However, when he rechecked his purse after depositing the new coins, he realized with a shock something had been taken off his belt. The scroll case. He looked about and saw a small cloaked figure trying to make his way through the busy dock workers. The rogue caught sight of Rogar and started to run. Rogar used his staff to make a pole vault over the heads of the men around him, hit a bench with his feet, and ran to ground in pursuit of the rogue. And as he closed, the man yelled out in Trade-Tongue, “HELP, THIEF!!†Rogar had a half-second to remark at the irony before two stevedores tried to flank him. He jumped directly under the first man’s legs, rolled up, and ran off, regaining the tail at just the point that he saw the small man relay the scroll case to another thief, who took off running into the warehouse alleys. Rogar pursued this new quarry past the stands into an alley, only to find that the villain had run past four other thieves who were apparently there to cover his pursuit. The alley was too narrow for Rogar to move through them; this also meant that only two could face him at once. Rogar moved up immediately and hit with each end of the staff, hitting each man and knocking him out instantly. Rogar grinned savagely at the two remaining at the other end of the alleyway. One threw his fighting club at Rogar, hitting for no real effect. The other one bucked and ran. Rogar told the last man, “You should have taken the hint,†and ran up to the thief to deliver a swift strike with the quarterstaff. He fell just as easily as his friends. Rogar went to the alley end and looked left, seeing that the man who fled was apparently being apprehended by some woman in silvery chainmail. Thinking that she was a City Guard, Rogar went right, and looked for either of the thieves who took the scroll that was entrusted to him. They were nowhere in sight. Growling in frustration, Rogar slowly doubled back to the alley. The third man he’d caught was still at the end. Rogar propped him up against the wall and slapped him hard. “Hello there.†“Uhh, what?†“Do you know the man who took my scroll?†“He’s not a local- I just know he hired us to help stop you!†“Do you know who he’s working for?†“No, I swear!†“Well, you’re going to FIND OUT, AREN’T you?†And he smiled when he said this, but Rogar stared into the thief’s eyes with an intensity that made it clear what the penalty would be for angering him further. - Rogar took his new local contact on a little journey as the man led him through the streets with Rogar close behind, in body contact where he could help it. Soon they reached a small eating establishment with a fenced-off area immediately outside of it, where patrons ate small meals and drank while basking in the sun even as others inside engaged in typical tavern behavior. The local thief said, “I know this man who is in contact with the other freelancers. The new boy probably went to see him.†So Rogar accompanied the thief across the street to the patio area, meeting a man with a grey mustache who sat outside smoking a pipe and apparently playing chess by himself. They met with no introductions of names, and Rogar’s captive thief asked the older man if he’d made contact with any new foreigners. Rogar said, “I’m looking for a short man, dark hair, was wearing a black cloak, so I couldn’t see much else about him.†The older man said, “Yes… I saw a boy about that high trying to recruit some locals, and I asked him who his target was. And he described this tall fellow about your height, dressed kind of like you, carrying a staff, kind of like you- anyway, he seemed to be Vestrian, but kind of provincial.†“Most likely he’d be staying at the Foreign Quarter, if he’s staying here at all,†Rogar’s ‘friend’ said. “Well, good,†Rogar smirked. “Where’s the inn he’d be most likely to go in the Vestrian neighborhood?†The thief said, “There’s this one called The White Crow.†Rogar said, “What kind of name is that for an inn?†- After several hours of intense study that morning, Valdergast had gone to the nearest Vestrian-speaking inn, The White Crow. The place wasn’t in a very clean-looking neighborhood, but it had the advantage of being close, and from what he could tell from talking with the other patrons and the wench, the food was actually pretty good. He’d just been served a plate of venison when the wench came back to him. “Excuse me, sire. One of the other patrons had asked our proprietor if you would be interested in buying a certain scholarly item. He told me to see you.†“What would this item be?†“Some type of scroll. Apparently magical. And you did seem to be a Wizard, and one who could pay.†Valdergast rubbed his beard. “Yes, I think I would be interested. Send the man over. In about, oh, ten minutes.†- Rogar and his captive thug walked into the White Crow. Like most inns Rogar had seen, the place was both dark and homey, with people seated around the bar and most of the eating tables along the walls. Rogar looked over the crowd intently. He saw a couple of cloaked individuals, and off to the right of him someone else- a dark, one eyed man with a beard, who looked very much like the bowman some Baron had hired to capture Valdergast some weeks ago. Trying to keep track of everyone, Rogar almost didn’t notice when one of the cloaked characters got up. Rogar looked and checked the face. It looked like his quarry. Rogar looked to the right and saw that the cloaked man was going towards an alcove table where there sat a wizard who looked like- no, actually was- Valdergast. “Can I go now?†the thief whispered to Rogar. Rogar wasn’t even looking at him. His mind’s focus was entirely on the scroll case in the short man’s hand. He casually dismissed his captive, and the local thief immediately nodded and left the inn. Rogar simply walked up and intercepted the little man before he could get to Valdergast. And the short, pale fellow looked up at his face and said loudly, “Well, if it isn’t Rogar the Storm! I was really lookin’ for your sidekick- Valdergast Ark-Anus- but I guess you’ll do too.†And Valdergast heard the noise and saw Nagel accosting a short punk whose voice he immediately recognized as that of the boy who’d kidnapped him in Goldheart. He looked over Nagel’s shoulder and yelled, “Well, if it isn’t the little ratling!†In response, the ‘ratling’ threw the scroll towards Valdergast’s table, catching Rogar’s attention. At that moment, Rogar just noticed the punk try to plant a dirk into his gut, and immediately blocked the attempt. The little thief, in frustration, then immediately shifted in his skin, growing prickly fur and turning into a rat on two legs. “I should have guessed you were familiar,†Rogar thought. And just at that point, a wavy dagger caught the wall just above Valdergast’s ear, as the one-eyed man advanced. “You can have the rat,†Valdergast told Nagel. The wizard conjured Magefire against the second assassin, but was too slow to connect. Meanwhile, “Nagel†decided to secure the scroll, rolling on the floor to catch it and then rolling back up. Unfortunately he couldn’t do this and save Valdergast at the same time. The one-eyed assassin advanced on the mage’s table. But as the man drew another dagger to stab Valdergast personally, the wererat came up to him. “What do you think you’re doin’?†“Get out of my way. I was paid to take this man.†“Well, I saw ‘im first!!†the wererat whined. “I don’t believe this,†the assassin said. Valdergast looked over at Nagel. “I’ll give 2 gold pieces on the human.†The wererat advanced on the assassin, who blocked him quickly. Rogar took his opportunity, swinging his staff and connecting with the monster. But while he knew he’d made a solid hit, he also knew how tough these things were to take down. If only he had silver… But suddenly the ratling spontaneously combusted in multi-colored fire as Valdergast threw the Magefire against him. The would-be killer uttered a horrible squeal- clearing out the customers that remained- as he collapsed in shock. Rogar looked around. The rat-boy might live, although he’d probably be put down by the City Guard when they arrived. He looked at the one eyed man, who stood impassively between him and the wizard. “Tell you what,†Rogar told him, “You leave now, and we don’t have any problems.†The man bowed his head slightly. “Agreed.†Then he spoke to Rogar. In the Thona language. “I wasn’t aware the monks were training foreigners in their martial style.†Rogar smiled. “Who says I’m a foreigner?†The one eyed man smiled back. “Well then. Best of luck to you… Rogar.†Valdergast caught that last use of the name. He watched the one eyed assassin leave via the front door. And then, the door swung open again as a bitter-cold wind blew through and the assassin hung from the blade end of a Longsword. The assassin slipped off the blade, alive but seriously wounded. He was followed immediately by the blade’s wielder: A warrior over six feet tall, covered head to toe in enchanted plate of shining white. The knight of winter. Rogar looked at the knight in amazement. “What is this, old Home Week?†“I think so,†Valdergast said. “I think we’ve enjoyed enough of this establishment.†“Agreed.†Taking out a talisman, Valdergast looked at the wererat’s body, which had become something of a bonfire in itself, and recited the spell for the Pathway of Fire. He then stepped into the fire, instantly teleporting into the rented study where he’d kept a fireplace burning for just such purpose. “Well, THANKS,†Rogar said, standing alone. JG [EDIT: It's actually Session Six at this point.] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Gillen Posted July 14, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2004 Session Six- Chapter Two CHAPTER TWO After performing her morning devotions and pacing out the dimensions of the church grounds where she was to stay, Lo’ma’ndra found herself getting bored. Realizing that the others were getting to see more of the city than she was, she decided to go back out and see what the boys were up to. By mid-afternoon she’d gotten into the Foreign Quarter, deducing that Valdergast, Nagel or both would be at one of the inns. As it turned out, she saw the White Crow inn at just the moment Nagel pitched himself out the front window. Nagel saw Lo’ma’ndra from across the street. Before she could react, he bounded over and grabbed her by the hand. “We need to run. Now.†“What’s the meaning of this?†Rather than answer, Nagel, realizing that dragging the priestess would slow him down, physically picked her up and carried her over the shoulder over several blocks. He paused once they reached a new neighborhood outside the Vestrian area, and let Lo’ma’ndra go. “Again, Nagel- what’s the meaning of this? Who’s after you?†she asked. “The man in white, that’s who!†Lo’ma’ndra looked back the way they came and scowled. “Thanks! I probably won’t be able to find him now!!†As she started back towards the inn, Nagel started after her. He yelled, “You’re going AFTER him!?†â€That knight was the one Skarill sent to kill my mentor and everyone in the town! I owe him vengeance!†“Maybe if your mentor had fifty friends to go after him, yeah! But there’s no way we can take that thing now!†Nagel said. “We need to get everybody back together, first off. Where’s Trogdor?†Lo’ma’ndra waved her arms. “Wherever Trogdors go on their day off!†Rogar suppressed the urge to smack Lo’ma’ndra- or himself- in the head. “Well, in any case, we need to find Valdergast.†“So where’s he?†Lo’ma’ndra asked. “He sort of retreated when we got attacked at the inn. Oh, yes, in addition to the man in white, we got attacked by one of those wererats from the castle, and one of the assassins who the Baron hired to take Valdergast.†Lo’ma’ndra shuddered. “You just attract all the worst sorts, don’t you?†â€The wererat was after Valdergast.†“I was including Valdergast in that assessment.†“From what I could tell, Valdergast was dating you when I met you,†Nagel said. - After an hour or so of searching, Nagel and Lo’ma’ndra came to an intersection near the dockside part of town, where they saw a troop of six Drakine mercenaries, including the familiar sight of Trogdor with his two-sword harness. Nagel heard the others arguing with Trogdor in their native language, which of course he couldn’t make any sense of. It seemed to him that they were laughing. Most likely AT Trogdor, who didn’t seem at all amused. “How goes it, Trogdor?†Lo’ma’ndra asked. The other warriors snickered a bit more. “Don’t ask,†Trogdor responded. “We have a problem,†Lo’ma’ndra said. “The man in white has come back after us.†“And you… want to fight him?†Trogdor asked. “We need to face him and take him down once and for all.†Nagel said, “Maybe your new friends would be willing to help us. Hey, would you guys be willing to go on a mission? It’ll be a pretty tough fight.†No response. Trogdor said, “They don’t speak Vestrian. Maybe you can offer money. She never seems to have any money.†Lo’ma’ndra ignored the comment. Using Trogdor as translator, Nagel managed to hire the mercenaries at a gold piece a day for the whole team. Thus, Nagel, Lo’ma’ndra and the seven Drakine went back out in search of Valdergast. Going back to the Foreign Quarter, they asked around and found the neighborhood where the wizard was supposed to be saying. As it turned out, Valdergast came to meet them in the street. He looked at Nagel. “I see you managed to escape the man in white.†â€Yes… and now we’re going to look for him,†Nagel said with an eye roll. Lo’ma’ndra said, “We’re going to find him and put an end to him. Now.†Valdergast said, “All right then. Oh, by the way, ROGAR, why didn’t you tell us your name?†Lo’ma’ndra said, “What??†Valdergast said, “He’s been called that several times and the assassin seemed to recognize his combat style. Your reputation precedes you, I suppose.†One of the Drakine looked at Rogar and asked in Trade-Tongue, “Hey, you’re Rogar the Storm?†This time Rogar did slap himself in the head. Rogar said, “Well, in any case, we need to find this character. And given that he can turn to mist, that’s not going to be easy.†Lo’ma’ndra asked him, “Well, after all this time, why did he come after you?†Valdergast said, “Yes, Rogar, why DID he go after you?†Rogar frowned. “Look… if we’re going to hunt this guy, let’s hunt him, and then talk about this.†Lo’ma’ndra said, “I don’t think so. Whatever it is, it affects the future of our mission. We need to find out why the white knight is after you.†Almost with an effort of will, Rogar reached into the lining of his vest- where he’d taken care to stash the item since the day’s theft- and produced the scroll case. After a pause, he handed it to Lo’ma’ndra. She asked him, “Why didn’t you tell us about this?†“They wanted it kept quiet.†“So they gave it to Rogar the Storm.†Rogar said, “Apparently it would attract less attention than giving it to the Elven Druidess. Up to this point, that theory was correct.†Lo’ma’ndra opened the case and read over the two-foot scroll. It didn’t make any more sense to her than it did to Rogar earlier. She paused and said, “Valdergast, come over.†He did. Lo’ma’ndra handed over the item. Valdergast looked over the scroll. [At this point, since Valdergast as a Wizard would have this knowledge, I told Jason, ‘take out your copy of Turakian Age, turn to page 269 and read the first entry under ‘Unique Enchanted Items.’] Valdergast’s expression became pained. “What is this?†Rogar demanded. “It’s skin,†Valdergast said. “What?†Trogdor said. Valdergast read further. And then he blurted out, “No fucking wonder we’re being dogged! Kal-Turak himself is after this thing!!†“What in blazes are you talking about, Valdergast?†Lo’ma’ndra said. Valdergast rolled the scroll back up. “Let me see if I can explain. This scroll changes every day. Every day it’s like a new scroll. This thing was intended to be a repository of all the accumulated knowledge of Necromancy. Very black magic.†“So it would be a very valuable resource to any such magician,†Lo’ma’ndra asked him. Valdergast nodded. “That would explain what Thossyryn meant. Rogar… what were you supposed to do with this?†Lo’ma’ndra asked him. “I was supposed to go to Ytheis, so that’s why I went with you. I’m supposed to take it to some Church official named Belsarius,†Rogar said. “The Alarch Belsarius?†Lo’ma’ndra said, “I need to keep the scroll, please.†“No,†Rogar said. “You were paid to deliver it to the Church.†â€I was paid to deliver it to that one official. I figured the contact knew where he wanted the scroll taken.†“The priests in Greyspan weren’t thinking clearly. Thossyryn told them just what was at stake and they handed it to some unknown adventurer, worse yet, who turns out to be Rogar the Storm. Hard to say what would be worse,†Lo’ma’ndra said. Rogar frowned. “I’ve been handling that job and saving your ass-“ “Uh?†One of the Drakine turned as a wintry wind blew through the street, and without warning it blew a mass of snow towards the party, and the knight in white armor appeared with both swords drawn, swinging against the first line of Drakine warriors. And the knight cut two of them down, despite the fact that the Longswords did not appear to have cut through the chainmail. “Quickly, to me,†Lo’ma’ndra told Rogar and Valdergast. Trogdor moved up and engaged the knight, hitting at least twice but scoring no damage against its supernaturally hardened plate armor. While the Drakine mercenaries engaged the enemy, Lo’ma’ndra asked a blessing from the Blue Gods to help her and her friends. Then she invoked her Shield of Faith and Staff of Thorns. Rogar then jumped up, swinging out with the staff, and missed the knight. Valdergast cast Magefire but likewise failed to connect when he threw the spell at the enemy. “Trogdor! Come here!†Valdergast cried. The Drakine did. “You have an idea, wizard?†“Yes. I’m not fast enough to catch that knight, and I can’t use the Fireball with everyone around. But I can enchant one of your swords so the blade turns red-hot. That should conduct through his armor. But it’s going to take about 12 seconds to complete the spell- so your friends are going to have to keep him occupied.†Lo’ma’ndra looked over at the wizard and said, “Understood…†The white knight pivoted away from the mercenaries and toward Rogar. It swung out with one blade. Rogar barely stopped the attack with his staff. As Valdergast began casting his spell on Trogdor’s sword, Lo’ma’ndra threw the Entangling Vines spell against the knight. One of the mercenaries took advantage to beat on the enemy with his sword. Unfortunately the vines were providing an additional defense on top of the armor itself. Rogar swung around and smacked the knight with his quarterstaff. This damage loosened the vines somewhat. But to the group’s surprise, the knight simply turned into a flurry of snow and poured out of the vine network. Lo’ma’ndra cursed herself for forgetting how the foe had escaped in the first place. The white knight continued its attack on Rogar, and Rogar barely managed to catch a blade-edge on his Dwarf-steel bracer. But he cried out in pain as a strange burning shot through his wrist. Checking the skin, Rogar was shocked to see that it looked almost frostbitten. Two of the other Drakine tried flanking the knight, but despite their maneuvers, each of their attacks failed to penetrate the foe’s armor. Moving between them, Lo’ma’ndra advanced with her thorny staff. She moved in for a double-headed attack, swinging with both ends of the staff. The left end barely scored against the winter knight’s armor- but the Druidess moved up and around with the right end of the staff, connecting square to the knight’s head. The air was cut by a deafening clang as the shock traveled up Lo’ma’ndra’s arm and to her own surprise, the knight fell backward, the helm flying off at the same second- revealing a shock of platinum blond hair as the warrior hit the ground and the adventurers saw that their enemy had a woman’s face. JG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted July 18, 2004 Report Share Posted July 18, 2004 Re: Session Six- Chapter Two Still going great. I owe you more rep for this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Gillen Posted July 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2004 Re: Campaign: The Turakian Age Page 2? Sheesh. Well, anyway, there was more BSing going on, and I didn't get much writing done the last two weeks, especially with my computer screw-up. But the last two sessions did advance the campaign plotline to a certain extent. SESSION SEVEN 7/15/04 The group stood over the scene. At this point two women in chainmail ran up to investigate. “What are you doing?†one of them asked Lo’ma’ndra. “Busy defending ourselves,†Rogar interjected. “We’d gotten reports that a group of crazed adventurers and a squad of Drakine mercenaries were stalking the streets looking to kill a knight, then stopped in the streets to argue about it.†The younger woman, a brunette, looked at the winter knight’s face, and said, “Holy crap.†“Excuse me, Sister?†the other said. “Old habit, Sister Delene. I apologize.†She pointed to the woman on the ground and said, “It’s just that this one looks a lot like my trainer, Sister Amarna.†Delene said, “Yes. But I’m not sure. From what I know, Amarna’s sister was older than her.†Most of the group was standing around looking at all this. Valdergast took the opportunity to go back to the taverns and relax. Rogar told Lo’ma’ndra, “All well and good, but we need to get this healed…†He showed the priestess his forearm. It had the distinctive bruised look of frostbite. Two of the stricken Drakine looked up and waved at Lo’ma’ndra, showing similar marks under their mail. While this was going on, Delene looked to her younger partner and said, “Bellana, go to one of the bars. We need something that can serve as a gurney.†Lo’ma’ndra said, “You’re taking her to your base?†“Sister Amarna would wish to find out what’s going on.†Rogar said, “In the meantime, I think we should get this armor off her.†“Definitely,†Lo’ma’ndra said. With some help from the mercenaries, Rogar got the plate mail off the blond woman, who was still almost six feet tall in stockings. The other woman, Bellana, got a gurney over to them, and they strapped the knight’s arms and legs to it. Rogar said, “I guess we can have the mercenaries carry her. Who gets the armor?†Lo’ma’ndra said, “Trogdor?†“Mmh.†“We’ll need to have you take this armor. We also need to make sure no one else wears it,†Lo’ma’ndra said. Trogdor nodded. The procession got moving through the streets. Bellana walked up to Rogar’s side. She said, “Hey, weren’t you the one who was trying to chase down a thief around the docks earlier today?†Apparently it was that woman he’d seen briefly while chasing the wererat. “Ah, yeah, I took care of it,†Rogar said. “Are all the city guard here nuns?†She said, “We’re not nuns, we’re paladins of the Sisterhood of Salea. Our headquarters is in Londregos, and sometimes we help the guard out.†“I see.†She looked up at him and said, “Didn’t someone say you were Rogar the Storm?†He said, “Ehh, yes.†Bellana paused. “I thought you’d be more muscular.†- Delene and Bellana took the group to the Sisterhood of Salea’s stronghold inside the city grounds. [i described it as ‘looking like Castle Anthrax, if all the girls were wearing chainmail and swords.’] Rogar paid off the Drakine mercenaries, and they left while Trogdor set up the empty armor in the castle’s reception area. The women took the blonde warrior off to see if she could be healed and answer questions. While they waited, Lo’ma’ndra looked at Rogar and said, “What about the scroll?†He told her, “I was contracted to give it to your bosses myself. That’s what I’m supposed to do.†“All right then,†she said. “You hold on to that scroll. I’ll hold on to you.†Rogar smirked. After a little over an hour, a senior Sister came out to meet the group. She was wearing a dark surcoat over her gear, with Salea’s symbol on the chest. She had light blond hair, and looked as though she could be a sister to the winter knight, one in her late thirties or early forties. “Greetings to you. I am Sister Amarna.†Lo’ma’ndra said, “Greetings.†Amarna said, “Where did you find this woman?†Lo’ma’ndra said, “This woman, the Winter Knight, has made repeated attempts to steal an- item- which we are charged to return to the High Church in Ytheis.†Amarna looked at her with a grim expression. She turned away slightly. Walking the floor, she said, “This woman is Tarastis. She is my sister. My OWN sister, whom I have not seen in over 15 years.†Lo’ma’ndra considered that one of the properties of the magic armor might have ‘frozen’ the woman’s age. She asked, “May we speak to her?†Amarna looked at Lo’ma’ndra. “She has not awakened.†“Why not?†Rogar asked. Sister Amarna said, “We are not sure. She was not actually wounded by your attacks, thanks to the armor, and our healing spells should have revived her by now. What do you know about this armor?†“It’s incredibly tough,†Rogar said. “I tried to detect Evil against it, but it seemed… not as though the armor was evil, but that something about it was touched by evil,†Lo’ma’ndra told the Sister. â€It may be an enchantment on the armor itself that holds Tarastis in slumber. I should like to examine it,†Amarna said. “Go ahead,†Rogar said. “Just as long as I keep an eye on it.†Rogar took Lo’ma’ndra aside. “Could we ixnay on the scrollay?†Lo’ma’ndra nodded. “There is wisdom in what you say.†He whispered, “We’ve already established that the Sisters of Chainmail have a traitor in their ranks.†Lo’ma’ndra asked him, “How old are you, anyway?†Rogar grudgingly said, “I’m twenty.†Lo’ma’ndra smiled. “Then Tarastis was part of this order when you were five.†After a few minutes of Amarna and her assistant’s own magical work, Amarna turned back to the group. “As best we can determine, there is a necromantic spell on the armor. A soul trap, essentially.†Lo’ma’ndra deduced, “And so Tarastis can’t be awakened unless she’s put back in the armor.†“And obviously we can’t let that happen. Not until we know just what she did,†Amarna said. She looked at the group. “Tarastis is one of the Sisters. If she has committed any crimes, that means she is our responsibility.†“And you have no one who can undo this enchantment?†Lo’ma’ndra asked Amarna. “It would take expertise in Necromancy, which is hardly an accepted Art,†she said. “Not even the Court Wizard of Umbr has that arcana.†Lo’ma’ndra’s jaw tightened a bit. “I think I can summon someone who can help. The mage Valdergast Arcanus is a member of our group. Despite his poor attitude, he is rather knowledgeable.†“All right,†Amarna said. “We need to keep the armor with us in a room,†Lo’ma’ndra told her. Once the three got a guest room and placed the armor down, Rogar asked Lo’ma’ndra, “What’s the plan?†She said, “I think you know. From what Valdergast told us, that scroll pretty much allows access to any Necromantic spell ever devised. And Valdergast is the only one of us with expertise to use it.†“Who goes to fetch him?†Rogar asked. “Trogdor?†Lo’ma’ndra called. He walked over. “I need you to get Valdergast. He’s most likely still at that inn where we found him. Tell him the Sisterhood needs his help.†“This should be fun,†Trogdor said. - Valdergast was indeed back at his guest room, having spent the evening’s free time trying to analyze the magic ring he got from the wererats’ treasure near Goldheart. Based on the notes he’d made, it seemed to be what some sources called a ‘Diplomat’s Ring,’ enabling the user to translate any spoken language. He took some time to sip a goblet of wine, and was disturbed by a pounding at the door. He said, “Don’t come in unless you’re a beautiful redhead.†The door slammed open and Valdergast saw Trogdor before him. “Oh, it’s you.†The Drakine said, “Get up. Lo’ma’ndra needs you to come back with us.†“Why?†â€The Sisterhood of Salea needs help with this case.†Valdergast said, “Oh, the REAL Priestesses wanted me. Well, then. Tell Lo’ma’ndra I’ll be ready in about, say, thirty minutes.†Valdergast took forty-five. Trogdor escorted him to the fortress, and Lo’ma’ndra and Delene explained the situation to the mage. Valdergast combed his beard thoughtfully. “I understand the gravity of the situation. As a favor to the Sisterhood, I will only charge 2 Gold for this service.†â€I will have to speak to Sister Amarna,†Delene told him. When the Sister left, Lo’ma’ndra said, “You’re going to charge in this case?†Valdergast said, “That is the going rate, after all, for detection and examination. I’m surprised that you don’t charge for healing peasants, and blessing babies and all that.†“Eh?†“It’s not as though every Priest has magical healing abilities, and it’s not as though every town we’ve been in has had a proper Priest in the first place,†Valdergast told her. “It’d allow you a steady income during our travels.†“Mmh,†Trogdor said, looking at them. Delene came back in the room, smiling. “Sister Amarna agrees to your price. Please proceed.†After a few minutes of his own examination, Valdergast confirmed Amarna’s theory: The armor, while not itself evil, had a specific enchantment of Necromancy, tying the original wearer’s soul, and consciousness, to the item. Most likely, if the spell was not removed, Tarastis would die of starvation, unable to eat, and putting her back in the armor risked re-awakening her as a threat. “So you expect me to use the Scroll to deal with this,†the wizard asked Lo’ma’ndra. “Yes,†she said. “Rogar?†Rogar took the scroll case out of concealment. With a keen sense of the danger involved, he handed it to Valdergast. “This may take time,†the wizard said. After at least an hour of study, Valdergast found the ritual that would produce an effect similar to the soul trap, and then managed to find the effect that would dispel it. The strange sigils on the human-leather Scroll were at times disturbing and hard to fathom, and Valdergast wasn’t sure if there wasn’t something subversive or untoward in the symbolism. He put his doubts aside and focused on the work. He used his own ritual tools and set up a space, centering the effect on the ice-white suit of armor on the guest room floor. After some time, repetition of prayers, and intense concentration, Valdergast pronounced the final line of the unworking. He paused. A pale clear gem had appeared on the breastplate of the armor. According to Valdergast’s hastily-scrawled notes, this was proof of success. The gem contained Tarastis’ soul; simply placing it on her skin would restore it to normal. He went to reach for the gem, and noticed blood on his hand. Checking it, he didn’t see any cuts. But he did notice that the bloodstain ink of the Scroll looked unusually fresh. Carefully, Valdergast put the Scroll back in its case. - A couple of minutes later, Valdergast came to the room where Amarna had Tarastis sleeping. Trogdor, Rogar and Lo’ma’ndra were there with the Sister. “Did it work?†Lo’ma’ndra asked. “Yes. Whatever Necromancy was on the armor is gone.†Amarna asked, “Why isn’t she awake?†Valdergast said, “This is the last step.†He produced the gem and laid it on Tarastis’ right arm. The gem melted like a snowflake. Suddenly the warrior woman gasped heavily. Tarastis opened her eyes and got up with a start. “Where am I?†Amarna said, “You’re back with the Sisterhood. What’s happened to you?†“I don’t know,†Tarastis said. She seemed quite tense. “What is the last thing you remember, Tarastis?†Amarna asked her. “Our group was on expedition in the Greyward Mountains… I think I was the last survivor…†Lo’ma’ndra asked Tarastis, “Do you know what year this is?†“No,†she said. “I presume it’s been a long time…†“She doesn’t know the date,†Rogar said. Tarastis asked him, “Who are you?†Rogar responded, “Nagel. A simple courier.†Lo’ma’ndra said, “You seem… in need of rest. Perhaps we should return tomorrow.†Amarna nodded. Lo’ma’ndra turned to the others and said, “We need to ask her what she knows about the Orc chieftain.†Tarastis rose out of bed. “What chieftain?†Lo’ma’ndra paused. “The one who put you in that armor. Skarill.†“SKARILL!!!†Tarastis shouted, smashing her hand through the chair at her bed. She looked at her hand, bloodied by the force of her strike. “Weak chair,†Trogdor said. Tarastis looked up with the expression of a caged animal. “I was his- slave.†Amarna immediately came over to hold her sister and soothe her temper. Lo’ma’ndra looked at them and said, “Perhaps it would be best if I came back later.†Amarna nodded briskly and said, “Yes. I’m sure it would.†The three heroes left the Amarna with Tarastis, Lo’ma’ndra noticing the worried expression on Amarna’s face. Valdergast looked at Rogar and surreptitiously handed back the Scroll. “Amazing the number of people she provokes that reaction from,†Rogar muttered. - The next day Lo’ma’ndra was allowed another audience with Tarastis. The former Sister greeted her from her chair, and Lo’ma’ndra took a guest chair beside her. “I apologize for what happened last night,†the priestess said. “You couldn’t have known,†Tarastis said. Lo’ma’ndra chose her words carefully. “If it is at all possible- could you tell me anything at all you remember about your past?†Tarastis said, “I’m sorry. I can’t remember much of anything since they put that armor on me. I suppose I never got to take it off. All I can seem to remember is rage…†Lo’ma’ndra said, “Skarill’s forces are responsible for the deaths of many.†Tarastis could only nod. Her head hung low, and finally she looked at Lo’ma’ndra. “I think there is a way I can help you. Have the Sisters bring in a cartographer. I can show you where he lives.†One of the other Sisters was brought to the room for her cartography skill, and Tarastis told her to map out the known extent of the Greyward Mountains. While they worked, Tarastis made comments to write in certain passages to underground areas. The result was an incomplete assessment of some of the Orc-tunnels used by the green skin forces, but it was still more data than Lo’ma’ndra had had access to before. She asked Tarastis, “What do you know about the forces working with Skarill?†“Other than the Orcs, there are Goblins, and several Troll lieutenants. There is at least one Troll Enchanter working with him. And while I was in the armor, I seem to recall working with one Human. A wizard.†“What did he look like?†Lo’ma’ndra asked. Tarastis said, “Tall, tan-skinned. He wore red robes, like your wizard. He also wore a small metal helmet. He carried a staff.†Not atypical for a Wizard, Lo’ma’ndra thought. Tarastis said, “He had some skill in Necromancy. He may have been the one who placed the soul-spell on the winter armor. The Troll built the armor along with Skarill himself.†Once the mapping was done and the ink dry, Tarastis smiled and allowed Lo’ma’ndra to take the map. The two women looked at each other. Lo’ma’ndra said, “Thank you. This is important to me. I was specifically told by my mentor NOT to take revenge, but I cannot let this lie.†Tarastis nodded grimly. “Believe me, I can understand why you would wish to destroy Skarill. I may have more cause to hate him than you do.†She looked around. “But Amarna believes it is best I stay here for now.†“I hope you will be well,†Lo’ma’ndra said. “May the Blue Gods watch over you.†“And you,†Tarastis said. And as Lo’ma’ndra reached the door, Tarastis stopped her. “There is one more thing I needed to mention, Taal Lo’ma’ndra.†“Yes?†â€Skarill isn’t an Orc. He’s a Frost Giant.†- The day afterwards, the group gathered their gear and returned to the Sisters’ fortress so that Valdergast could receive his payment for services. Sister Amarna came to greet them personally. “How goes it with Tarastis?†Lo’ma’ndra asked her. “As well as could be expected,†Amarna sighed. “It will be hard.†Rogar asked, “Does anyone have the spells to check her memory?†Amarna said, “We do not know any specialists in Sorcery. But I suspect she is telling the truth when she says she can’t remember.†Lo’ma’ndra said, “I had wanted revenge against the Knight for killing the village that adopted me. But I do think Tarastis wasn’t acting of her own free will.†â€Of course,†Amarna said. “You’re keeping the armor?†Trogdor had the winter armor packed on his own mount. He nodded to the Sister. Lo’ma’ndra said, “Yes. It is something else that would probably be best kept by the Church.†Sister Amarna looked at the four travelers. “I wish to thank you, all of you. You have brought my own sister home to me. If you have need of anything, I want you to know, the Sisterhood of Salea is in your debt.†Valdergast gave her a short and gracious bow. “How nice of you.†With that, the band completed its business in Londregos and headed due south to complete their mission in Ytheis. JG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted July 27, 2004 Report Share Posted July 27, 2004 Re: Campaign: The Turakian Age ... and he figured that from his own perspective, he sometimes got in trouble in school because he got into fights. And sometimes these fights started because some other kid would try pushing someone else around, acting “too big for his britches,†or something. We also figured that the Drakine would possibly be Enraged in an extreme case of such bullying, specifically if a woman is hit. (I also knew that Gary had decided to play a female PC, so these factors may help me decide how to bring the two together…) JG Heh heh. Dustin sounds like a good seed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Gillen Posted July 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2004 Re: Campaign: The Turakian Age Heh heh. Dustin sounds like a good seed. I really hope he comes back to the game. Dustin's back in town, but he's not staying with us right now. JG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teh bunneh Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Re: Campaign: The Turakian Age More! More! (Sorry to be impatient, but this is good stuff!) Bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Gillen Posted August 4, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2004 Session Eight OK, so I seem to have gotten hooked on City of Heroes too... in any case, not too much happened this time, although there was another important development in the campaign plot, as the four became a true company of adventurers. SESSION EIGHT 7/22/04 It was about 450 miles from Londregos to Ytheis, taking about three and a half weeks. Lo’ma’ndra had actually spent most of her clerical training there. For the others it was their first time. The city itself would have been unremarkable if not for the beautiful churches, centering on the Bonifact’s Cathedral Meruvoisin. Arriving at one of the subsidiary churches, Lo’ma’ndra said, “Trogdor, I’ll have the clerks pay you 24 Silver as soon as I give them my reports. That’ll be 2 coins per week for three months.†The Drakine assented. “We’re finally here,†Rogar said, looking about. Lo’ma’ndra said, “Indeed. The past 21 days have been rather… un-Storm like. Perhaps your reputation was exaggerated.†“More like compounded by circumstances,†Valdergast said. “I’m getting an inn.†“Yes,†Rogar said. “And I’ve got that little errand to run first.†Going to the audience chambers of the Cathedral, Rogar had told the wait staff that he was expected by the Alarch Belsarius. After a surprisingly short amount of time, the young priest in attendance told Rogar, “You have been granted an audience.†The junior cleric brought Rogar into a large circular chamber, lit by oil lamp with the curtains up. A man rose up from his seat behind a large desk. He was hale, with blue eyes, wavy dark hair, and a grey-streaked beard. He wore rich purple robes with what Rogar now recognized as Church insignia. He bid the cleric to leave with but a gesture. The elder priest nodded to Rogar, saying, “I am the Alarch Belsarius.†“And you know why I’m here- and who I am?†Belsarius said, “I was told to expect a young adventurer of thin build, wearing Keshman clothing, carrying a staff.†He smiled. “There aren’t too many of those around here.†Rogar said, “I have the item.†Saying nothing else, he produced the Scroll, in its case, and held it before him. The priest reached behind the desk and produced a small chest from it, placing it on the desktop. He opened it to show his silver. “And this is your agreed payment.†Rogar came to the desk, and placed the scroll within Belsarius’ reach. Saying nothing, the priest took the case and placed it in the desk, securely locking it. Then, to Rogar’s surprise, he shook his hand. “Your work for the High Church is most appreciated.†“Thank you,†Rogar said, unsure what the man’s formal address was. “I think you need to know, we’d been pursued for quite some distance because of that thing. I think the bad guys can detect it.†â€Yes,†Belsarius said. “If what Thossyryn last told my people is true, then the scroll case contained a warding to prevent it from being traced in such a way.†He paused. “You didn’t actually read it, did you?†“Ah… no.†“My superiors state that we need to keep this for some reason.†â€Keep it?†Rogar almost yelled. “After all- I mean, it’s extremely dangerous. It’s not going to be destroyed?†“Something with that much power might not be affected by mortal efforts. There’s supposed to be some prophecy involved…†The older man paused. “May I ask what you were planning to do now?†“Now? I basically work for hire. It depends on the best job that comes to me.†“That was something I wished to discuss. I had an offer for you. And your companions. If you’d be willing to stay in the city overnight, I can discuss it with all of you.†Rogar nodded. He looked at the chest of coins. It seemed to be the right amount, and he was pretty sure he’d need time to convert that much weight into some portable gems. “That sounds like a good idea.†Belsarius said, “You’ll have to let my clerk know where you and the others will be staying… what is your name, actually?†He thought, Should I tell him? Rogar smiled and said, “Rogar.†Belsarius looked him over and smiled. “Well, then. I’ll be seeing you tomorrow… Rogar.†The next day Lo’ma’ndra came with Trogdor in answer to a summons from Belsarius, along with Valdergast, who’d received a similar missive. They reached the audience chamber and found that Rogar was already there. Once the four were together, the clerk escorted them into the Alarch’s office. On this day, Belsarius had his curtains up and the windows open, to reveal a bright view of the city outside. The Alarch had several papers and maps on his desk. Once the four adventurers were seated, Belsarius said, “I am glad you accepted my invitation.†He turned to the Druidess. “Taal Lo’ma’ndra, your reports state that Thossyryn’s village was attacked by Orc forces working with Skarill?†“Yes, Alarch Belsarius.†The priest walked in front of his desk. “I would be interested in seeing if the four of you would like to do something about him.†Rogar said, “Skarill? The chieftain with a million zillion Orcs, THAT Skarill?†Valdergast said, “The Frost Giant??†Belsarius said, “Eh!? That part I hadn’t read.†Lo’ma’ndra bowed slightly and said, “It was something we- I- only discovered recently. I informed the others on the way here.†“Who told you this?†Lo’ma’ndra said, “A young knight… someone who had been forced to work for the chieftain.†She paused. “She also gave us a map that we might use to trace his whereabouts in the Greyward Mountains.†Valdergast said, “There also seems to be a pretty good chance that he’s working with certain other forces.†Belsarius said, “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I have a proposition for each of you.†He looked at each of them in turn, saying, “I’m sure you’ve noticed the signs. The world is becoming more unstable in many ways. The unprovoked and unexplained attack on your village, Lo’ma’ndra. This sudden state of war between Khirkovy and Vestria. We in the High Church are quite sure that Kal-Turak is behind much of this, but we have no proof.†Kal-Turak. It was as if the air itself feared to carry the name. Over 1600 years ago, the wizard had been born to a demonic ancestry, and his evil was such that other magicians could sense it corrupting the world. Only 85 years ago, Kal-Turak made his mark on the soil of Ambrethel, concentrating his followers in the northern wastes and raising a great fortress tower and forbidding wall, with the sheer power of magic alone. The being- one could scarce call him Man- was rightly feared throughout the continent, not merely for his evil, but for the dread he invoked, a sense that no force in the world was enough to oppose him. Belsarius continued. “It will be some time before the world is ready to act against the greater evil. But as of now it is not even united against the immediate threats. We need to find out what this Skarill is up to. How he got his followers, what their plans are.†“A proposition for killing a lot of Orcs? I’m for that,†Valdergast said. “And for that purpose,†he said, “I think it would be best if you became a true adventuring party.†“You mean officially?†Valdergast asked. “In your missions, it would be best if you had recognition by the authorities, especially for gathering information,†Belsarius said. Valdergast said, “Well, it’s gonna be a tough climb getting through the Greywards, especially this time of year.†â€I could do it,†Trogdor said. “I don’t know. We might also have to negotiate passage with the Dwarves,†Rogar said. Valdergast said, “I propose we go south to Thurgandia and get to a port, then take the sea route west back to Vestria. We can land in Odyllia and go back towards Greyspan, instead of having to go through the rough terrain.†“I suppose that would work better,†Lo’ma’ndra said. Belsarius nodded. “If that’s settled, then- Lo’ma’ndra, come here.†He came back to his desk as Lo’ma’ndra stood before him. Belsarius said, “Taal Lo’ma’ndra, I have official papers that you will need to approve and sign. These will give you your charter as an adventuring company. I also have a letter signed by myself that you may wish to keep, as an endorsement should you need it. But don’t use it often. There are several places where acting in the name of the High Church is more a liability than an asset.†Thus it was that the four gained recognition as an official adventuring group [not given an actual name at this time. Guys, I’m officially calling this team ‘The Knights of the Card Table’ until you can come up with something decent]. The group traveled another month between the Thurisian Mountains and the woods of Elvenhome, and despite Lo’ma’ndra’s unexplained nervousness, the Elves that the foursome met were actually rather friendly, when they allowed themselves to be noticed at all. The two Men found the forest almost deserted of settlement, and weren’t sure why Lo’ma’ndra kept herself on guard. But over a course of days, she seemed to feel better. Reaching Thurgandia, the group stopped in the town of Fellburg, site of the famous Stone Tree. According to legend, the giant oak had always been made out of stone, yet its leaves still grew, and the tree still appeared to grow with the ages. Naturally, it was considered sacred by the Druids, who guarded the site and used the leaves as special talismans. Accordingly, Lo’ma’ndra stopped by to visit the Druids’ order and pay her respects, taking a few leaves for herself. Her companions, meanwhile, were thinking: “We’re here. We’re having a moment. We’re taking a moment… and we’re done.†It took another 200 miles’ ride for the team to reach the port of Waldersein, by which Valdergast intended to get a ship out and around the coast back to Vestria. It was a grey and cloudy day as the four rode through the crowded streets of the port town, and they dismounted near one of the docks so that Rogar and Valdergast could check prices for a ship. “It’s rather late for sail,†Valdergast said, “but maybe one of these coastal ships can still take us.†As Rogar looked about the port, he caught site of someone unusual at the inn, whose appearance seemed to command his attention. Outside the inn, Rogar saw an older blond man talking to a sharp-faced, dark-skinned man in red robes- almost certainly a wizard. And the wizard wore a metal skullcap and carried a staff decorated with ruby-like gems. Rogar’s concentration was broken as Valdergast came back and said, “There’s a boat headed out before dusk. Passage is going to be 20 Silver for each of us. That includes mounts and gear. We’ll need to bring our own food.†“I’m sure we can each afford that by now, and I can pay for Trogdor,†Lo’ma’ndra said. She looked at Rogar. “What’s wrong?†“I need to check on something in town. I’ll be back in an hour,†Rogar told her. During their travel to Ytheis, Lo’ma’ndra had told the others not only that Skarill was supposed to be a Frost Giant, but that he was aided by a red-robed wizard, probably the same one who placed the Necromantic enchantment on the winter armor. What Rogar hadn’t told Lo’ma’ndra was that that description had set off something in his mind, in the same way that seeing the winter knight itself did. Rogar thought that that same description- a red-robed wizard with a metal helmet- was that of one of the men attacking his family’s ship along with the winter knight all those years ago. And here he was, in this little port. Tethering his horse at one of the nearby taverns, Rogar went back to check for himself. He dared not get too close; he didn’t think the wizard would recognize him, but he wanted to make sure. Rogar walked across the street to observe the man’s conversation, and fixed the wizard’s image in memory. He was now quite certain that this was the same man who’d helped murder his shipmates- was, perhaps, the one who gave the orders. He couldn’t catch the thread of the conversation; the wizard was talking to his contact in the local language. In a minute or so they were done, and Rogar saw them go behind the inn. Tailing them, he saw the wizard make a final remark and then use a spell to flash away with a crimson aura. Rogar then shadowed the wizard’s contact until he doubled back toward the docks, contacting a third man, apparently Vestrian in coloration and clothing. The wizard’s contact handed the third man some money, and left. Deciding to follow the new contact, Rogar realized this man was going toward the same dock where Valdergast’s ship was anchored. This left him the choice of staying in Thurgandia to look for the wizard alone, or to get back with the others and take the same ship that the wizard’s secondary contact was using. “How convenient for me,†Rogar thought. JG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Ciaramella Posted August 4, 2004 Report Share Posted August 4, 2004 Re: Campaign: The Turakian Age The Greyspan Fellowship? It IS pretty much where it all started... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Gillen Posted August 4, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2004 Re: Campaign: The Turakian Age The Greyspan Fellowship? It IS pretty much where it all started... Sounds good for now. JG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.