Each player gained 700 experience for the session.
Total XP: 11200 (level 8 at 13000xp)
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
C+5548
Task "Find Valuables" (r14, T+778, 0.14 complete)
Status: OK
A newly created canine has joined my traveling companions. My companions have embarked on a task. I will continue with them. In service of that task they required an organic material component, which was acquired with some difficulty but no major injuries. Contact initiated by master, but was refused. Minor progress made.
Status: OK
A newly created canine has joined my traveling companions. My companions have embarked on a task. I will continue with them. In service of that task they required an organic material component, which was acquired with some difficulty but no major injuries. Contact initiated by master, but was refused. Minor progress made.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Brawling - The More the Merrier
Where was I...oh right. So the gnolls all charge in like the cowards they are, ten against one. Then this elf lady...or maybe she's a half-elf, they all kind of look the same to me, starts singing this song about me (can you believe that, this random lady starts singing about me, I'm like, famous) that rallies the other orcs hanging around to attack the gnolls. Then the goblins passing by think it'd be funny to shoot a few arrows into the fray from the safety of the other side of the street. Dumb as goblins are (well, most are, Stewirk being an exceptional exception) one of them decided to shoot a ogre. As ogre's are even dumber than goblins, he had no clue where that shot came from, so he just attacked the nearest living creature (which happened to be that lady singing about me). The trolls never pass up an opportunity to bash some heads so they jumped in too. Like a spark on a dry day on the Scorching Plains, the entire street exploded into mayhem...it was totally awesome! There must have been like 200 monsters in this brawl making it probably the biggest one I'd been a part of, well except for that one at Hanging Man Tavern that resulted in the entire block burning down...oh and the one last month where I chased that minotaur, Haggir, all the way across Bloodstone and triggered dozens of brawls. Bastard only got away because the dozen guys chasing me finally caught up...can't believe that chamber pot merchant was actually trafficking drugs. Brawling while stoned, everything moving in slow motion...but that's a different story.
Anyway, I was pretty beat up before I had a chance to react but a dog runs up to me and heals me up. Feeling better, I swung my hammer in a great arc that bloodied or killed all of the gnolls surrounding me. Since some giant lady and a metal statue had most of the surviving gnolls pinned down, I charged Liveroil and hit him with everything I had but it barely phased him. Actually, my big power move where I descend on him like a comet of inevitability and bring my hammer around at his head like this while bringing my knee up like that would have totally missed except that elf lady again pegged him with an arrow at just the right moment and distracted him. I was going one-on-one with the gnoll leader when a pack of medusas shows up to put a stop to the fighting. Liveroil takes off running, and boy was I seriously tempted to chase after him, but I was barely hanging on and needed to catch my breath. After that, I figured it would be better to continue this battle another day so I made a strategic retreat around the side of a house to wait for the medusas to move on. The rest of the combatants either fled or were turned to stone.
As soon as the medusas left I returned to the scene to collect my winnings including a magical tattoo from one of the dead ogres. I'd been thinking about getting one lately, but hadn't had the funds to get the one I wanted. Fortuitously, the dead ogre's tattoo was one of the two I was contemplating. That metal guy returned and the two of us went about collecting our winnings from the bodies of the losers. I knew it was only a matter of minutes before scavengers showed up and given that everything is first-come-first-serve in this town if I wanted to collect what those bastard gnolls owed me I had to hurry.
It wasn't long before others from the battle returned. Actually, they were all travelling together and apparently looking for me, being led by a dog who was actually Cyrus! (Funny thing, when I asked about how the hell Cyrus became a dog they all started pointing fingers and blaming each other. There's got to be a good story in there but I'd have to get it another time.) Apparently, they had followed a gnome here by the name of Nym and were looking to hire a local to help them find him and I was the only one they knew, which was a good idea considering that most of them were pretty out of place in this town. But what followed was the oddest proposal for hire I'd ever heard. They wanted to hire me for an equal share of the loot they came across (which was fine by me, I was getting pretty bored with the challenge circles and would have gone with them for the excitement and food in my belly) but then they wanted me to start out by paying them. I sort of figured that they were broke and really needed the money, plus they were friends of Cyrus so I offered 200 gold but they wanted a lot more. I obviously refused, I mean, they came to me to hire me and I'm not exactly wealthy myself. But then the elf lady came up with this very complicated explanation and she put it so eloquently about how they...no wait, I needed to...no, I don't know. Well, it somehow made sense at the time so I paid them a full third of my life's savings, but I couldn't explain it to you now if my life depended on it (I really wish Stewirk was around, this is what I pay him for). Well, it isn't the first time I've been swindled but I have my doubts that I'll get a fair cut of the loot...and they turned Cyrus into a dog. These guys could be trouble.
Financial matters taken care of, I turned my attention to the matter of tracking down this gnome. After tossing about several possibilities, I settled on going to the Bloody Tooth. Barth knows a lot and he hangs out there. Turns out Barth had even met this Nym before. This Nym character has got some big allies, mostly minotaurs and an oni, and also some big enemies, though Barth didn't know any details about them. He often stays in the Labyrinth (maybe I'll find Haggir there too), and may be friends with the minotaur that runs the place. We should definitely try to learn more about his enemies since if we are going after him, they may be able to help.
Before I left, I also asked Barth about the gnoll shaman. Fangren, his name is, and he is most likely staying in Karda. However, I've only got a month to settle the score before he disappears into gnoll territory for a festival. I'll be going after him with or without the others before then. I thanked Barth and tipped him for the info and headed back to the others to share what I'd learned.
Anyway, I was pretty beat up before I had a chance to react but a dog runs up to me and heals me up. Feeling better, I swung my hammer in a great arc that bloodied or killed all of the gnolls surrounding me. Since some giant lady and a metal statue had most of the surviving gnolls pinned down, I charged Liveroil and hit him with everything I had but it barely phased him. Actually, my big power move where I descend on him like a comet of inevitability and bring my hammer around at his head like this while bringing my knee up like that would have totally missed except that elf lady again pegged him with an arrow at just the right moment and distracted him. I was going one-on-one with the gnoll leader when a pack of medusas shows up to put a stop to the fighting. Liveroil takes off running, and boy was I seriously tempted to chase after him, but I was barely hanging on and needed to catch my breath. After that, I figured it would be better to continue this battle another day so I made a strategic retreat around the side of a house to wait for the medusas to move on. The rest of the combatants either fled or were turned to stone.
As soon as the medusas left I returned to the scene to collect my winnings including a magical tattoo from one of the dead ogres. I'd been thinking about getting one lately, but hadn't had the funds to get the one I wanted. Fortuitously, the dead ogre's tattoo was one of the two I was contemplating. That metal guy returned and the two of us went about collecting our winnings from the bodies of the losers. I knew it was only a matter of minutes before scavengers showed up and given that everything is first-come-first-serve in this town if I wanted to collect what those bastard gnolls owed me I had to hurry.
It wasn't long before others from the battle returned. Actually, they were all travelling together and apparently looking for me, being led by a dog who was actually Cyrus! (Funny thing, when I asked about how the hell Cyrus became a dog they all started pointing fingers and blaming each other. There's got to be a good story in there but I'd have to get it another time.) Apparently, they had followed a gnome here by the name of Nym and were looking to hire a local to help them find him and I was the only one they knew, which was a good idea considering that most of them were pretty out of place in this town. But what followed was the oddest proposal for hire I'd ever heard. They wanted to hire me for an equal share of the loot they came across (which was fine by me, I was getting pretty bored with the challenge circles and would have gone with them for the excitement and food in my belly) but then they wanted me to start out by paying them. I sort of figured that they were broke and really needed the money, plus they were friends of Cyrus so I offered 200 gold but they wanted a lot more. I obviously refused, I mean, they came to me to hire me and I'm not exactly wealthy myself. But then the elf lady came up with this very complicated explanation and she put it so eloquently about how they...no wait, I needed to...no, I don't know. Well, it somehow made sense at the time so I paid them a full third of my life's savings, but I couldn't explain it to you now if my life depended on it (I really wish Stewirk was around, this is what I pay him for). Well, it isn't the first time I've been swindled but I have my doubts that I'll get a fair cut of the loot...and they turned Cyrus into a dog. These guys could be trouble.
Financial matters taken care of, I turned my attention to the matter of tracking down this gnome. After tossing about several possibilities, I settled on going to the Bloody Tooth. Barth knows a lot and he hangs out there. Turns out Barth had even met this Nym before. This Nym character has got some big allies, mostly minotaurs and an oni, and also some big enemies, though Barth didn't know any details about them. He often stays in the Labyrinth (maybe I'll find Haggir there too), and may be friends with the minotaur that runs the place. We should definitely try to learn more about his enemies since if we are going after him, they may be able to help.
Before I left, I also asked Barth about the gnoll shaman. Fangren, his name is, and he is most likely staying in Karda. However, I've only got a month to settle the score before he disappears into gnoll territory for a festival. I'll be going after him with or without the others before then. I thanked Barth and tipped him for the info and headed back to the others to share what I'd learned.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
A new travelling companion
It looked like Bloodrush was not going to be able to fend off all those gnolls by himself, and to make matters worse, a bunch of orcs, trolls, ogres, goblins, wolves, and so on all joined the fray--so we rushed in to help. Early in the battle I managed to land a smashing blow on one of the gnolls, and he didn't last too much longer after that. Some of the ogres were attacking any visible target, while the goblins and trolls seemed to take on the side of the gnolls. All of the orcs, including some warden brethren, seemed to be fighting as our allies. Blows were being traded every which way, and people were dropping all over the battlefield. There must've been close to 50 creatures taking part in the battle, including one gnoll mage that was raining serious damage on Bloodrush and I found that he easily avoided most of the blows we tried to return. For a moment, things also looked bad for Clangor, Elaira, and Horadric, but they retreated a bit to safety and just as things were starting to turn in our favor, five creatures with snake hair came upon the battlefield. I heard some of the other creatures murmuring about "the medusae," and as they removed their blindfolds and gazed upon the crowd, some creatures became slowed, and others turned to stone. Clearly a serious threat, as the battlefield quickly cleared as many began running away. Our party tried to regroup, but an ogre was impeding Horadric's path to the rest of us. I used my weapon to urge him along, which he didn't take kindly to, as he started deliberately attacking my allies, which raised my ire. In his haste to attack my allies, he was sloppy, giving me several opportunities to freely attack him, and I brought him down just as he was going after (already-bloodied) Horadric in earnest. Horadric looked somewhat relieved.
I do have to say here that my esteem of Clangor rose dramatically during this battle. I wasn't really certain of his competence from the things he'd told us on the lightning rail, but now that I have seen him in action, I think I will be glad to fight alongside him. Although he is not a warden, he showed himself to be an honorable sort who risked his own life to protect his allies in battle, and I have high respect for individuals of that character. His priorities seem kindred to my own, and I think we will make a good team of allies together.
The ogre was the last combatant on the battlefield, and after he fell and we continued to vacate the area, the medusae must have perceived that the threats were gone, and they re-covered their eyes and started to go away. I was following Cyrus, who doubled back around to the challenge circle where it had all started, and there we found Bloodrush and Clangor looting the bodies. Cyrus greeted Bloodrush and re-introduced himself, as Bloodrush wasn't expecting Cyrus to be in the form of a dog.
What happened next was a really uncomfortable situation for me, in which we were pooling the gold (5 Platinum, 1000 gold, and 300 silver) and Bloodrush said he'd found 200 gold, but Clangor reported that he'd seen Bloodrush pick up more than that by about another 8 platinum. The atmosphere became somewhat tense, as Elaira and Cyrus suggested that we all share the loot equally, while Bloodrush resisted claiming that it was his due for winning in the challenge circle. It was pointed out to him that he likely wouldn't have won in the challenge circle without our help, and that his bookie (who I guess is the one who holds the bets? I don't really know much about the process) had fled with the money that was part of the challenge. Cyrus offered to Bloodrush to hire him to join our party and take an even share of the loot as he adventured with us, terms to which Bloodrush somewhat reluctantly agreed now that he was hired. I found myself quiet and really tense throughout the whole discussion, as conflict over material possessions is entirely alien to me. In my village, we all worked hard and shared equally, all to the benefit of the village, as without everyone's full investment, we all would have fallen in those conditions. But I see through experiences like these that this is an area that is really different culturally in the world outside. I doubt I'll ever be as comfortable as Elaira seems to be resolving conflicts in this type of situation, so in these kinds of situations I tend to defer to her judgment to negotiate what's best for the party. In any event, hopefully the matter is settled for good.
Anyhow, once that was resolved, I was able to look around the city properly as we walked, noting how vast the buildings were in Graywall, presumably to accommodate the ogres and trolls. Bloodrush suggested that we go either to the Bloody Tooth, a tavern of monstrous humanoids in which we wouldn't be welcomed, but nor would we be harmed; or to the Broken Sword, a mercenary tavern of primarily humans, in which we'd be likely to learn less, but would fit in better. It was agreed that we would go first to the Bloody Tooth, where the rest of us would try to look unobtrusive as Bloodrush asked around.
In the tavern, Bloodrush was talking to a hobgoblin named Barth. I was sitting near enough that their conversation was easy to overhear, and I was somewhat surprised that they were speaking the language of my people. I hadn't heard it spoken since I left the village. Barth told Bloodrush that he'd heard of Nym, and that he hangs out with the minotaurs in The Labyrinth, an underground hotel-type area that specializes in harboring fugitives.
Then, as he turned to leave, Bloodrush turned back and asked about where he could find that gnoll mage (I think he called him "Liver oil"?) from the group that had rushed him in the challenge circle. Barth nodded knowingly and said that that one was called "Fangrin," and that he would be found with the mercenaries in a church on the Street of Shadows. He said Bloodrush should check there if he wanted to find him, but warned that most of them were gnolls and would be unfriendly especially given the events that had just transpired. He said they were mostly all from the same particular town, but I didn't quite catch the name--probably because I'm not from the local parts, so it didn't ring a bell.
Afterwards we separated for a bit, with plans to rejoin each other later. If Bloodrush really starts travelling with our party, then I am looking forward to the opportunity to speak with him in the language of my people. I found a street vendor, where I was able to learn a ritual to create a trap, and gather the necessary nature components. Maybe it'll come in handy as we go along our way.
I do have to say here that my esteem of Clangor rose dramatically during this battle. I wasn't really certain of his competence from the things he'd told us on the lightning rail, but now that I have seen him in action, I think I will be glad to fight alongside him. Although he is not a warden, he showed himself to be an honorable sort who risked his own life to protect his allies in battle, and I have high respect for individuals of that character. His priorities seem kindred to my own, and I think we will make a good team of allies together.
The ogre was the last combatant on the battlefield, and after he fell and we continued to vacate the area, the medusae must have perceived that the threats were gone, and they re-covered their eyes and started to go away. I was following Cyrus, who doubled back around to the challenge circle where it had all started, and there we found Bloodrush and Clangor looting the bodies. Cyrus greeted Bloodrush and re-introduced himself, as Bloodrush wasn't expecting Cyrus to be in the form of a dog.
What happened next was a really uncomfortable situation for me, in which we were pooling the gold (5 Platinum, 1000 gold, and 300 silver) and Bloodrush said he'd found 200 gold, but Clangor reported that he'd seen Bloodrush pick up more than that by about another 8 platinum. The atmosphere became somewhat tense, as Elaira and Cyrus suggested that we all share the loot equally, while Bloodrush resisted claiming that it was his due for winning in the challenge circle. It was pointed out to him that he likely wouldn't have won in the challenge circle without our help, and that his bookie (who I guess is the one who holds the bets? I don't really know much about the process) had fled with the money that was part of the challenge. Cyrus offered to Bloodrush to hire him to join our party and take an even share of the loot as he adventured with us, terms to which Bloodrush somewhat reluctantly agreed now that he was hired. I found myself quiet and really tense throughout the whole discussion, as conflict over material possessions is entirely alien to me. In my village, we all worked hard and shared equally, all to the benefit of the village, as without everyone's full investment, we all would have fallen in those conditions. But I see through experiences like these that this is an area that is really different culturally in the world outside. I doubt I'll ever be as comfortable as Elaira seems to be resolving conflicts in this type of situation, so in these kinds of situations I tend to defer to her judgment to negotiate what's best for the party. In any event, hopefully the matter is settled for good.
Anyhow, once that was resolved, I was able to look around the city properly as we walked, noting how vast the buildings were in Graywall, presumably to accommodate the ogres and trolls. Bloodrush suggested that we go either to the Bloody Tooth, a tavern of monstrous humanoids in which we wouldn't be welcomed, but nor would we be harmed; or to the Broken Sword, a mercenary tavern of primarily humans, in which we'd be likely to learn less, but would fit in better. It was agreed that we would go first to the Bloody Tooth, where the rest of us would try to look unobtrusive as Bloodrush asked around.
In the tavern, Bloodrush was talking to a hobgoblin named Barth. I was sitting near enough that their conversation was easy to overhear, and I was somewhat surprised that they were speaking the language of my people. I hadn't heard it spoken since I left the village. Barth told Bloodrush that he'd heard of Nym, and that he hangs out with the minotaurs in The Labyrinth, an underground hotel-type area that specializes in harboring fugitives.
Then, as he turned to leave, Bloodrush turned back and asked about where he could find that gnoll mage (I think he called him "Liver oil"?) from the group that had rushed him in the challenge circle. Barth nodded knowingly and said that that one was called "Fangrin," and that he would be found with the mercenaries in a church on the Street of Shadows. He said Bloodrush should check there if he wanted to find him, but warned that most of them were gnolls and would be unfriendly especially given the events that had just transpired. He said they were mostly all from the same particular town, but I didn't quite catch the name--probably because I'm not from the local parts, so it didn't ring a bell.
Afterwards we separated for a bit, with plans to rejoin each other later. If Bloodrush really starts travelling with our party, then I am looking forward to the opportunity to speak with him in the language of my people. I found a street vendor, where I was able to learn a ritual to create a trap, and gather the necessary nature components. Maybe it'll come in handy as we go along our way.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
XP for Unraveling the Prophecy Session #2
Each player gained 550 experience for the session.
Total XP: 10500 (level 8 at 13000xp)
Total XP: 10500 (level 8 at 13000xp)
XP for Unraveling the Prophecy Session #1
Each player gained 400 experience for the session.
Total XP: 9950 (level 7 at 10000xp)
Total XP: 9950 (level 7 at 10000xp)
C+5546
Task "Find Valuables" (r14, T+776, 0.1 complete)
Status: OK
A large battle took place. I defended my companions, and no major injuries were sustained. An additional person has joined my traveling companions. He seems hostile and untrustworthy. I will protect him regardless. No further progress.
Status: OK
A large battle took place. I defended my companions, and no major injuries were sustained. An additional person has joined my traveling companions. He seems hostile and untrustworthy. I will protect him regardless. No further progress.
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