# Adventures of the Knights of the Silver Quill: Glacier Season



## Dr Midnight (Feb 28, 2002)

This is the sixth ENboards KotSQ thread. 

To read the entire story up until now, click here. 

Volumes I-III on the old ENboards should be back sometime...?... with reader commentary. 

Volume IV (on ENboards with reader commentary) can be read here.

Volume V (on ENboards with reader commentary) can be read here.  

THE CHARACTERS:

DARTAN "THE GODLESS"
The last remaining member of the original adventuring party, Dartan is a bitter fallen paladin of Heironeous. His soul is dark but his actions speak of his bravery. He has little tolerance for activities that don't involve destroying those that oppose him.

RAFFLORN SPELLFORGE
This wizard and clockwork expert is a recent addition to the party. He drew from the Deck of Many Things and won a castle, now called Spellforge Keep- the party's home base. He also won (through his own charms) the heart of Katya. The two were recently married. 

JETTOK TAKLIN
A fighter and follower of Kord, Jettok is a true friend and the purest kind of dwarf- a gruff but loveable bearded companion with a drink in one hand and a greataxe in the other.

KYLA OHANNA
A high priestess of Pelor, Kyla has earned her reputation as a good and fair cleric. She maintains a big sisterly watch over her more adventurous younger sister Katya, and rarely finds time for her own interests. She has recently become attracted to Rowan, Spellforge Keep's new guardsman.

KATYA SPELLFORGE 
Rafflorn's new wife Katya is a redheaded legend in Verbobonc. Her quick wit, quicker mouth, and powerful spellcasting has made her a force to be respected. She's matured over the last year, casting off her rebellious youthful attitude for a more catious perspective.

SIR VEK MORMONT
The descendant of a traitor to Wee Jas, Vek was raised to believe in the goddess of death and magic. He became the champion of Wee Jas, and executes Her will, smirking his quiet grin all the while. His ambition is to become a powerful lich, and to continue to do Her bidding. In the last year, he has changed: he now smells "funny" and won't remove his helm...

MOST RECENTLY: The Knights reformed after a year off.  They have united to find Gorgoldand, and in doing so, must seek clues to the north. They walk to the snowy winterlands, and find a half-dragon companion who asks them to join him in defeating his father, an elder white dragon. The bright idea to teleport into the dragon's lair was conceived in a moment of jest, and now...


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## Dr Midnight (Feb 28, 2002)

*Session 37
Freeday, 7th of Coldeven
ASSAULT ON ACESSIWAL*

The next day, they began preparing. The plan was in place. They would scry upon Acessiwal, discern his location, beef up with as many spells as they could muster, then teleport in and kill him. No weeks spent tracking him down, working their way through his trapped and minion-laden labyrinth, no epic showdown. It was almost like assassination... but it would WORK. They would rid the north of an elder dragon. The ends would justify the means. They had to. 

Katya and Rafflorn prepared their spell selection. Dartan and Jettok sparred. Kyla and Taigiel drew up a battle plan. 

Vek looked into his own frosted armor's reflection and let his consciousness flex inward. He saw through the armor, beyond it, and suddenly his vision was crossing hundreds of miles. He had a link to his subject. He had Taigiel. _Show me the dragon_, Vek willed. His scrying spell settled in a vast cavern. Walls of ice were lit from above, through a roof made entirely of ice. The sun shone through coldly, and blue light danced in the cavern. A carved alcove was dug into one wall, and in it slept the largest dragon Vek had ever seen. White dragons were the smallest of all the wyrms, yet its head was as large as a wagon. Its wings, though folded, were immense. Its claws were roughly two feet long. With each slow breath, it released a cloud of frosty air, obscuring vision of it. 

Vek was dimly aware that the other Knights had stopped what they were doing and were looking at the dragon in his armor with him. 

"That's Acessiwal?" Rafflorn asked.

Taigiel somberly replied "That's him."

Rafflorn grinned. "We can beat him." The others were oddly cheered by his sentiment, and they tried to ignore the nervous shivers they were coming down with. The wizard said "Okay, I can't teleport us all- we're too heavy. However, I have a plan. Dartan, come with me." The two teleported away. Within an hour, they returned. "We just sold a great deal of valuables and bought a _bag of holding_. Now, this bag is huge. If you all hop inside, we'll teleport, and you fly out and attack."

Rafflorn said _fly out_, and he meant it literally. On each Knight would be cast a number of spells suited specifically to maximize his/her effectiveness and longevity. It was a complicated system that took the mages some hours to work out. 

When the preparation theory was done, it was time to put the entire plan into practice. Spells were cast and weapons were sheathed. Rafflorn exhausted each spell he'd planned to cast. He sighed with relief.

"Uh..." Vek sounded alarmed. 

"What's wrong?" 

"It's awake." 

Rafflorn shrugged. "So what?" 

"Well... it's watching us." 

"What??" It was true. In Vek's armor, Acessiwal could be seen hunched over a patch of glimmering ice. In the ice reflected their own shocked expressions at being scried upon while scrying. 

Taigiel cursed. "I should have figured that he'd be watching us. He's very interested in the goings-on in the world around him."

Rafflorn said "Let's hurry, then. It'll be only slightly more ready for us."

Vek abruptly said "We're not going."

"What? Why? I just spent a lot of time preparing us!"

"It just cast a spell and its own scrying screen winked out."

"So what? What did it cast?"

Vek looked very serious. "I'm not certain, but I think it was _Antimagic Field_." 

Rafflorn couldn't believe their ill luck. The clever old devil knew what they were doing, and prepared himself aptly. _Antimagic Field_ would render the spells cast on the Knights completely ineffective if they stepped within ten feet of him. They would be incredibly vulnerable. It would be a bloodbath. 

"Damn. Settle in, everyone, we're not going." Rafflorn looked like someone had just spat in his face. He fumed. His wife put an understanding hand on his shoulder. 

The Knights camped out again in their tent. They would try again the next day, and try to catch Acessiwal off-guard. Vek never slept. He scried on the dragon, deep into the night. "I'm watching you," he whispered every once in a while.

*Starday, 8th of Coldeven*

They woke to find the dragon watching them, and Vek watching him back. Talking would alert the dragon to their plan, so Rafflorn used Surge's ability to speak in minds. They would cast a small number of spells, then go invisible. Once invisible, they could cast a small number of spells in silence, and drop in on the dragon if Vek confirmed that he hadn't yet cast _Antimagic Field_. It was as good a plan as they had. 

They went invisible with a small number of spells cast. Rafflorn had transferred his consciousness into Surge, taking control of the mechanical pseudodragon. Vek kept his lifeless human body, shrunken to a portable size, in his backpack. He watched Acessiwal. _He's cast Haste, Stoneskin, and Endurance, but not Antimagic Field,_ he reported. _He knows we might be bluffing. _

_Are we sure this is a good idea?_ Dartan thought. 

_No_, Rafflorn thought to them all. _Let's go. _

They teleported. 

Things happened very quickly. They appeared in front of Acessiwal and the Knights flew from Rafflorn's outstretched bag of holding. Almost at once, the dragon tore into them with a blast of blizzard-cold air from its open mouth. Dartan and Jettok flew forward, hacking and cutting. They found very quickly that their mightiest blows did only the slightest damage to the gargantuan beast. 






"FATHER! I'VE COME FOR WHAT'S MINE- MY FREEDOM!!" Taigiel bellowed, sounding very much like a dragon himself. He began cutting at his father. 

Vek, Rafflorn, Kyla and Katya stayed to the rear, doing what they could with spells. They were out of reach of the dragon, but it became clear very quickly that they weren't doing much good. Katya cried out in frustration. "Nothing I cast is working!"

"Keep trying!" Rafflorn answered. 

Another cone of the dragon's freezing breath bathed the heroes. Rafflorn fell to the ground and shattered- or, rather, Surge shattered. The mechanical pseudodragon had seen his last day. Luckily, his consciousness transferred back to his physical body in Vek's backpack. He jumped out, turned to his normal size, and kept fighting. He picked up Surge's broken form with one hand, cast spells with the other. 

Dartan and Jettok were barely nicking the dragon. With every bite and claw, it ripped chunks from them. The ground around them was slippery with their blood. Kyla healed as she could, but she couldn't keep up with all the damage being done. "WE'RE LOSING!" Dartan screamed. 

Jettok was struck by a claw. He became so enraged that his face flushed red. "GRAAAAUGHHHH!!!!" He swung his greataxe upward, into the underside of Acessiwal's chin. The axe sunk in, and the dragon roared in pain. Jettok grinned with bloodlust, but was sobered when the dragon smiled down at him. He had hurt it- but the message was clear. It had hours of fight left in it. It swiped at him and connected hard. Jettok's body flew to the floor of the cavern, where he lay... dead. 

Vek rushed forward, laying his hand on the dragon's scales. Dark energy coursed through the wyrm, and it snarled, attacking Vek. He was smashed back. "We're losing- just like Dartan said. We have to retreat or we will die. Everyone in the bag!" 

"We'll meet back at the keep!" Vek grabbed Katya and uttered a word. The two vanished. 

Dartan yelled "What about Jettok? We can't leave him!" He looked up in horror to see that the dragon was rearing back, inhaling for another blast of icy breath. He doubted they could take one more. 

"Cut a finger off- we can resurrect him using the scroll! We don't have time to place his body in the bag!" 

Dartan flew down, readying his sword for the fateful blow. He looked down at his dwarven friend and swung. The sword's hilt had taken frost from the dragon's attacks, and it flew from his grasp. "No," he said as he watched it spin away through the air. It thunked into the ice wall fifty feet away. "NO!!!" He moved for it. Without his sword, Dartan the Godless was just another civilian with a surly attitude. 

"DARTAN, WE DON'T HAVE TIME!!!" The others were in the bag, ready to go. Dartan shouted a curse and flew into the bag as the dragon blasted at them with another cloud of bright white ice.

When the frost cloud cleared, they were gone. They had left Jettok and Dartan's sword- but they lived to teleport out of the Great Wyrm's lair. 

_*NEXT: What now?* _


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## Old One (Feb 28, 2002)

*Bit off a little more dragon than they could chew, eh?*

OUCH!

~ Old One


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## Dawn (Feb 28, 2002)

Wow!  The Knights have finally had to retreat.  Dragons are nothing to play with.  The Knights are lucky the dragon didn't send some it's minions to the camp site.


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## Thorntangle (Feb 28, 2002)

"Marines we are leaving!"


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## Wee Jas (Feb 28, 2002)

Almost a 4 hour fight IRL...

Its spell resistance ignored most of all my spells (3 flame strikes, 2 slay livings, Blindness, and a score of "cause wounds") and the 1 Harm that got through.. well, the Dragon couldn't fail a 20 Will save unless he rolled a 1.   

Poor Jettock.. Hopefully it didnt swallow him up!


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## Malachai_rose (Feb 28, 2002)

*wow...*

Well i've been lurking since about halfway through the groups delve into the "Temple of Elemental Evil" and I just gotta say ... Dang. I really like the way you have mixed the adventures with real life events for the characters that affects and changes the world they live in. The castle the wedding the fight for the city once the Knights defeated the Big an Ugly at the temple, it all lends itself to a very epic feel.

      Also as far as the last post goes, yikes. As a player I was like they got this covered, I mean with Vek and Dartan and the others what measly dragon could get in their way right ? LOL , I was wrong. That was great, painful but great, kinda keeps things in scale for higher level players who might begin to think that they're el numero uno (I know in Broc's campaign Benito is guilty of this). Anyways great post , great story.

      Sorry to hear about Jettok though... kinda sad really I was hoping they'ed bring back a fallen member out of the Knights past but it appears the scroll is destined for Jettok  Also what happened that Dartan lost his sword (critical fumble ?). Hope his player takes the loss well. I know that alot of times fighter types can tend to define themselves at higher levels by the weapon that they wield (he hadn't named his sword yet had he ?). Lol sorry for the ramble just wanted to drop in say Hi and compliment you on the post as well as ask a few questions


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## Breakstone (Feb 28, 2002)

...woah...

Well, at least Jettock got in a good hit before he died...


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## Dartan (Feb 28, 2002)

I lost a Long Sword +3.......it will be missed along with Jettok...Not to worry we may have had our ego's bruised a little but next time that Dragon is going down..


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## madriel (Mar 1, 2002)

"...it's watching us."

Fantastic!

Now that's what fighting a dragon ought to be like.  Truly epic, Doc.

They lost Jettok, Raff lost Surge and Dartan's lost his sword.  No way the Knights are walking away from this fight.  I can't wait to see what happens next.


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## Carnifex (Mar 1, 2002)

Dartan said:
			
		

> *...but next time that Dragon is going down.. *




Why do I doubt this? Accesiwal is one *mean* m&%*%rf%^$£r.

Especially so in the hands of Dr. Midnight, no doubt.


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## DWARF (Mar 1, 2002)

Heh, now *that* Dragon was B.A.D.D!!!

I'm sad to see the lad fall....  but he did as a good dwarf should, fell to save his friends.


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## Xaltar (Mar 1, 2002)

With some props to the party, we did last nearly 3 hours irl before we had to run.


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## Aris (Mar 1, 2002)

Knights you have to clear the dungeon before you kill the dragon, it is a tradition...
its all over 
   the knights had been hit with a great lethal blow. Man I never seen such a hit to the Knights' record. They may have lost members in combat before but they never had to run from battle.

Dr.M is now a little more fearful then I thought...


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## Riekhan (Mar 1, 2002)

Ah, remember Mr. Shiny the corrupted palidin, who beat up the Maximus brothers.  It was the only other time they were truly outmatched.


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## Blood Jester (Mar 1, 2002)

Doc!

Due to changes at work and looking for a new appartment, I haven't been able to get on the boards as often as I would like, but...  Just caught up with the Knights after over a month, and THEY STILL ROCK!

Really liking Dartan, Vek is great, So is the whole group.  Keep on gaming!  (And posting!)


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## Richards (Mar 1, 2002)

To commemorate the white dragon Acessiwal's successful routing of the Knights of the Silver Quill, I offer up the following song parody of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game," sung from the point of view of one of the Knights themselves.

- - - - - - - - - - 

"Stupid Thing"

We scried on a wyrm
And it looked right back at us.
Still, we thought we'd take it down without any fuss.
We never dreamed we'd get beaten as bad as we did.
And we never dreamed that our DM would just flip his lid.

Now, I-I-I-I-I don't wanna stay and fight.
(Seems like our best bet is to just take flight.)
No, I-I-I-I-I don't wanna stay and fight.
(That frozen breath of his gives us a fright.)
No more.
No more.

What a stupid thing to say,
"Let's fight that wyrm today."
What a stupid thing to try,
It's a sure way to die.
What a stupid risk to take,
Fighting an ice wyrm drake.
What a stupid thing to do,
Bit off more than we could chew.

Now, I-I-I-I-I wanna run away.
(Might be the smartest thing I do today.)
Yes, I-I-I-I-I wanna run away.
(Better to live to fight another day.)

Jettok was slain,
And Dartan lost his best sword.
And all of our best attacks were mostly ignored.
We never dreamed that we'd lose to that half-dragon's dad.
We never dreamed that our DM had joined up with B.A.D.D.

Now, I-I-I-I-I have one thing to say.
(Listen up, dragon, this will make your day.)
Yes, I-I-I-I-I have one thing to say.
(Might not be smart, I'll say it anyway):
%@#$ you!
%@#$ you!

- - - - - - - - - - 

I can't wait to see the repercussions in the sessions to follow!  

Johnathan


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## Matchstick (Mar 1, 2002)

Bwahahahahahahahahaha!

I think we've discovered what your mutant power is Richards!

This one had me weeping I was laughing so hard!

LOL!


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## Wee Jas (Mar 1, 2002)

Of course... by the rules that dragon would've been dead after I Harm Touched it and followed up with a hasted Beeyyatch slap.

It might be a wicked thing cast harm
but it was a wicked thing to do to allow a save the dragon really couldn't fail....

Take that Chris Isaak!

my 2cp.. even though its not worth that much


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## Dawn (Mar 1, 2002)

Richard - that was beautiful!  Your Song Parody Feat is great.


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## Artoomis (Mar 1, 2002)

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *Of course... by the rules that dragon would've been dead after I Harm Touched it and followed up with a hasted Beeyyatch slap.
> 
> *




Assuming he didn't have, say, a contingent Teleport.  Which I would do were I running him.  Too bad the boss decided to emasculate Harm on you (or did you all agree on that?).

I'm not sure why he didn't start this battle by casting an Antimagic Field.  Maybe he was just showing off?  Letting the Knights know what they were really up against!  "See, I can crush you even when I allow your magics to work!"


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## Urbanmech (Mar 1, 2002)

Harm has pretty much been rules by almost everyone as truly broken, so giving the dragon a save isn't that outrageous.  Plus you would have had to get through the dragons hefty spell resistance for both the harm and the inflict spell.


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## Victim (Mar 1, 2002)

Artoomis said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Assuming he didn't have, say, a contingent Teleport.  Which I would do were I running him.  Too bad the boss decided to emasculate Harm on you (or did you all agree on that?).
> 
> I'm not sure why he didn't start this battle by casting an Antimagic Field.  Maybe he was just showing off?  Letting the Knights know what they were really up against!  "See, I can crush you even when I allow your magics to work!" *




Because Antimagic Field has a 10 ft radius no matter how big the creature casting it is.  Any parts that stick out aren't protected.


I'd assume that the focus point of the field would probably be the centroid of caster.  For a huge White dragon, the field would probably only protect his stomach or something.  It might be nice to cast after he swallows someone though.  The poor character would have a tough time escaping.


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## Dr Midnight (Mar 1, 2002)

Nice, Richards!
How's our big secret project coming along?



> I'm not sure why he didn't start this battle by casting an Antimagic Field. Maybe he was just showing off? Letting the Knights know what they were really up against! "See, I can crush you even when I allow your magics to work!"




At that point, the Knights were "bluffing". They cast a few spells and didn't teleport. They waited to see if he buffed up on spells before deciding to go. He only cast a few spells and waited, so they took the risk. 



> Harm has pretty much been rules by almost everyone as truly broken, so giving the dragon a save isn't that outrageous.




Yeah, you'd think that, right? Try dealing with the endless crybaby kvetching you get, though...  I told Vek before this session even began that I was going to allow the dragon a Will save, and I even showed him the sidebar paragraph where it's actually recommended by the adventure's author. 

At this point, I think I'm going to allow 15hp of damage/cleric level for harm, with no save (this will be for every creature, not just the dragon).


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## Richards (Mar 1, 2002)

If I remember correctly, there was actually a sidebar in the adventure in question recommending the save against the Harm spell that Dr. Midnight gave to Acessiwal.  Apparently during the playtesting of "Glacier Season" they discovered what a major affect that Harm has on an epic battle like this one, reducing it from a mighty clash against powerful beings to a relatively short one-two punch.  Personally, I prefer the mighty clash, despite the frequent requisite PC death count that goes with it.


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## Dr Midnight (Mar 1, 2002)

Victim said:
			
		

> *Because Antimagic Field has a 10 ft radius no matter how big the creature casting it is.  Any parts that stick out aren't protected.
> *




We hadn't seen that in the rules, and I thought it'd be 10 feet away from the dragon, but hell, mistakes were made that hurt both sides. 

I completely missed the dragon's blindsight... and Vek dealt some hefty damage via improved invisibility. 

So... shrug, oopsy. Next time we'll all be much better prepared. 

As an exercise in high-level combat, it served me very well. I'm "getting my sea legs" at it.


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## Richards (Mar 1, 2002)

Whoops - Looks like you posted during the time it took me to type up my last response, Doc!

As far as the secret project goes, I've got a few ideas worked out already, but nothing on paper just yet.  (I'm also working on a few other projects for Dragon and Mongoose that are keeping me busy, and they have shorter - although admittedly self-imposed - deadlines.)

By the way, has anyone noticed that "ACESSIWAL" is an anagram of "ICE ASS LAW?"  I'm not quite sure what to make of that - maybe that ol' ICE-ASS is the LAW up there in the north?


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## Dr Midnight (Mar 1, 2002)

ACESSIWAL is also 

I SAW LACES

I suspect he saw these in Vek's undergarments.


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## JesterPoet (Mar 1, 2002)

It just floors me that they got away so easily. 

And Wee Jas can whine and moan all he wants.  There's no way a reasonable DM would let that harm touch through as it is written.

>_Jester_<


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## Matchstick (Mar 1, 2002)

LOL!  That's the second time today Richards!

Oh, and great googly mooglies the Harm saving throw is the right thing to do.  Without it that spell is really nothing but a big old hunk of foul smelling european cheese.

Nothing wrong with getting your feet wet DrM.  Plus the players got to have a taste of a high level battle.  Good for all of you!


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## Wee Jas (Mar 1, 2002)

> Yeah, you'd think that, right? Try dealing with the endless crybaby kvetching you get, though...  I told Vek before this session even began that I was going to allow the dragon a Will save, and I even showed him the sidebar paragraph where it's actually recommended by the adventure's author.




I mem'd Heal and Doc flipped flop on Harm a few times in the battle.  As a matter of fact he said at one point "I'd probably let you use it if you had mem'd it." I sacked my Heal to cast Harm about 2 hours into the battle... so its not like there was no risk involved (and not like we were waltzing through the battle).  I beat the Dragons SR (for once in like 8 spells) and made my touch attack.  If it had contigency cast on it.. Well then I wouldn't whine because that would be in the dragons character and be playing by the rules. Even if you allow the save there should be a secondary affect.. (like the lower level versions)...

Furthermore...If I've been whining about Harm then..  I've heard nothing but whining from our DM that we ignored his adventure!  He was flipping out.   http://wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/bs/bs20020222a

Please see Wizards DM advice: 

"the DM may become frustrated if the players consistently ignore adventure hooks tossed in their direction or if the PCs keep running off into the woods instead of sacking that nice, juicy dungeon that he or she lovingly built.   So what do you do about it? The answer is as deceptively simple as the problem: Talk to your players! In discussing the game with them, you can help crystallize and clarify everyone's feelings about the game. You may also gain further knowledge of the players' wishes and playing styles. If there is a rule interpretation you don't like and wish to change, discuss it with your players. They may agree, or they may think it's just fine the way it is. They may also want to avoid monkeying around with the official rules. You might say, "I'm bored with stale old Euro-fantasy! I want to try running something set in ancient India, but with evil PCs!" Your players might say, "Sounds great! You could download the Mahasarpa campaign for ideas," or they might say, "Um, no . . . don't think so. I like Euro-fantasy." It may turn out that what you want as a DM and what the players want as players will not be compatible. If that's the case, the best thing to do is see whether someone else would like to run the game for a while, or you could even run simultaneous or alternating campaigns. For example, maybe one DM can run an AD&D Dark Sun campaign every other week, while another runs a D&D Forgotten Realms campaign. You might even step away from the screen for a while and let someone else start a campaign."


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## Dr Midnight (Mar 1, 2002)

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *I mem'd Heal and Doc flipped flop on Harm a few times in the battle.  As a matter of fact he said at one point "I'd probably let you use it if you had mem'd it." *




I said that I had considered repealing the decision. That's not flip flopping, that's... not flip flopping.



> If it had contigency cast on it.. Well then I wouldn't whine because that would be in the dragons character and be playing by the rules.




You keep hinting that we weren't playing by the rules. My decision constituted a house rule. It became in and of the game.



> Furthermore...If I've been whining about Harm then.. I've heard nothing but whining from our DM that we ignored his adventure! He was flipping out.




When?? I flipped out for a while, holding my head in my hands like a mindblasted kobold, and then I dealt and moved on. After that, anything I said was about how it's not a good idea for an 11th-level party to mess with a Great Wyrm... not about the adventure. I'll mourn the loss of the adventure if it's not played, but I'll not keep dropping the topic in conversation.

...and I talked to the players... it just didn't help.


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## Ziona (Mar 1, 2002)

Urbanmech said:
			
		

> *Harm has pretty much been rules by almost everyone as truly broken, so giving the dragon a save isn't that outrageous.  Plus you would have had to get through the dragons hefty spell resistance for both the harm and the inflict spell. *




Actually, Vek rolled and DID GET THROUGH THE HEFTY SPELL RESISTANCE.

And btw, Jesterpoet, it's not just WeeJas who is "complaining." During the battle, Doc said that if Vek had memorized the Harm spell, he would have considered letting him use it without the save.  Then, after Vek sacked Heal for Harm, and BEAT THE SR, Doc decided that it had a save...ugh.


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## Xaltar (Mar 1, 2002)

We all agree (the party) or at least I believe that we do, that harm is too powerful.  The major downfall that we had was due to the fact that Slay Living in this instance was actually more powerful.

The spell needed to hit (ranged attack) + spell resistance.  It was more just a matter of the fact that it should have done something.  The dragon could only really fail on a natural 1.


Anyway, if we were really bad PC's, we would have stayed until we all died.  That's when you should do a TPK, when they aren't smart enough to figure out that they really aren't going to win the battle.  As for fleeing, technically only one person actually got in the bag of holding (the largest one available) and they did so as a full round action.

I'm sorry that this turned into such an issue, but the group has done similar things when I've been DMing, such as the time they bluffed their way straight through the Tower of Bones and killed the boss; and another time in the Pool of Radiance module when they snuck into Castle Coramyr invisible, and avoided all combats but the final battle.

PC's are just unpredictable.


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## Artoomis (Mar 1, 2002)

I look forward to seeing what plans the Knights come up with next...

I'm certain that, if nothing else, they will be challenging to the good doctor.


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## Broccli_Head (Mar 2, 2002)

I'm just wondering where all Accesiwell's friends were!

 I thought that he had a mini-empire in the frozen wastes!  (Plus I have the adventure...) 

Don't see the knights doing this very easily. Plus, IIRC, the dragon's lair has anti-scrying properties.... Hasty adventurers make for nice humanoid-ka-bobs. 

Please don't kill Dartan.


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## Schmoe (Mar 2, 2002)

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *At this point, I think I'm going to allow 15hp of damage/cleric level for harm, with no save (this will be for every creature, not just the dragon). *




I would recommend only 10hp per level.  Touch attacks are incredibly easy, and there is still NO SAVE.  A 6th level spell that will do 110-200 points of damage (depending on level) with no save is still quite powerful.


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## Dr. Zoom (Mar 2, 2002)

Wee Jas wrote:


> I mem'd Heal and Doc flipped flop on Harm a few times in the battle. As a matter of fact he said at one point "I'd probably let you use it if you had mem'd it." I sacked my Heal to cast Harm about 2 hours into the battle




Just curious, but how did you "sack" your prepared Heal spell to cast Harm?  I assume you are referring to your ability to drop a prepared spell for one of the Inflict spells, but Harm is not one of those spells.  Or is this a house rule?


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## Wee Jas (Mar 2, 2002)

Nope.. Zoom youre right.  /bows

Looks like I better go crack some more books!


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## Dr Midnight (Mar 2, 2002)

Well, I guess you guys will hear it from me first-
The Knights are going on indefinite hiatus. 
If we pick the campaign up again at all, it won't be for several months at least, I'm thinking. 

I'm sorry to see it go. I loved the campaign and put a lot of thought into it. I loved reading reader feedback. I love sitting behind the DM screen. We just all need a break from it. I'll be player only for a while. 

I'm hoping after a break from it all that we'll all kinda get the itch to see what happens. 

So, there you go... No more Knights.


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## Hammerhead (Mar 2, 2002)

(Gasps) NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Alas, it was a great campaign to read. Congratulations, DR. MIDNIGHT.


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## Malachai_rose (Mar 2, 2002)

*...*

Wow... Probably won't make much difference to ask but I gots to ask anyways, PLEASE !!! Don't Quit  Well assuming that my shameless pleading doesn't work let me just say that it was a great pleasure reading the story hour and it is a real shame that for whatever reasons the Knights weren't able to get a final farewell "episode" like all great stories should (ya know a kind finishing or cliffhanger post) Lol I guess thats just my sneaky way of tryin to get one last post out of ya Doc  Well hopefully the apparent rift in the group can be mended with time and maybe in the futue the knights can make a triumphant return to the boards... Wow... guess thats about it, Cya round hopefully...


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## Metus (Mar 2, 2002)

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *So, there you go... No more Knights. *



Ouch.  Well I enjoyed it while it lasted.  I'll admit that this story hour had the best player feedback I've seen, and I'm really going to miss that.  I think you guys had better be itching in a few months to play some more.

Doc, does this mean that your Feng Shui story hour will get more time devoted to it?


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## Artoomis (Mar 2, 2002)

Aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh.........


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## Grim (Mar 2, 2002)

Artoomis said:
			
		

> *Aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh......... *




DITTO! NOOOOOOOO! the knights cant end... thats just not cool! noooooooooooo!


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## Aris (Mar 2, 2002)

falls to the ground in shock


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## Wee Jas (Mar 2, 2002)

While Doc and Xaltar take DM'ing breaks.. Jettock and I will be DMing.

http://www.enworld.org/messageboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=249&pagenumber=9


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## Numion (Mar 3, 2002)

Ziona said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Actually, Vek rolled and DID GET THROUGH THE HEFTY SPELL RESISTANCE.
> 
> And btw, Jesterpoet, it's not just WeeJas who is "complaining." During the battle, Doc said that if Vek had memorized the Harm spell, he would have considered letting him use it without the save.  Then, after Vek sacked Heal for Harm, and BEAT THE SR, Doc decided that it had a save...ugh.   *




But since the sacking of heal for harm was illegal to begin with, who was the shafted one here? 

 back at ya...


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## Breakstone (Mar 3, 2002)

Oh...


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## DWARF (Mar 3, 2002)

_Well, until Tsunami gets here, I guess I'll fill in..._

Woah...


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## Richards (Mar 3, 2002)

I disbelieve!  I disbelieve!

Seriously, once the initial shock wears off, I'm sure I'll eventually come to realize that this is probably a good idea.  A chance to set the campaign aside for a while (I'm still holding on - tightly! - to the belief that this will only be a temporary thing) may be the best for everyone involved.  It will allow tempers to cool, allow others to try on the "DM hat" for awhile (and perhaps see that the job isn't as easy as it looks), and perhaps even the old "absence makes the heart grow fonder" sentiment will kick in, and you guys will be just itching to get back to your KotSQ characters and see what happens next.

And even if that doesn't happen, I know I speak for many in saying that we've certainly enjoyed reading the exploits of the Knights these past months...well done all around, guys!

Jettok - Will you be writing up a Story Hour of your new campaign?  (I see Wee Jas will be taking over the Unusual Heroes campaign currently in progress.)  I'm sure there are many here on the boards that would be interested in seeing how your respective campaigns unfold.

Dr. Midnight - I have to say, not only am I impressed at your DMing and storytelling skills, but also your artistic capabilities and web-page design!  The Knights of the Silver Quill home page is the best campaign website I've seen, bar none!  You have much to be proud of.  

I just hope my stupid little song parodies didn't throw fuel onto the fire when things were starting to get heated.  If they did, I apologize - no harm was intended.

Long live the Knights of the Silver Quill!

Johnathan


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## Breakstone (Mar 3, 2002)

I must say, I had a great time reading about your campaign.

Also, I see how taking a bit of a break is a wise decision.

However, I must ask: Will you be writing up a story hour of the next campaign you play in?


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## Salthorae (Mar 3, 2002)

*wow*

Well, usually I'm just content to lurker around here, but I must tell you guys, Dr. Midnight and company...I'm sad to see you go. It was an awesome story hour from the beginning and though I don't post I've been here reading everyday. I hope that things cool down and like Richards said the "abscense makes the heart grow fonder" phenomenon kicks in cuz this story hour is the one of the best. Thank you for all the effort you guys have put into it to make it what it is. I hope this break doesn't last too long


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## Aris (Mar 3, 2002)

So you are ending one of the best campaigns ever and the
*Greatest* Story Hour Ever. 

What you going to do next...


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## Wee Jas (Mar 3, 2002)

Richards, We all love your song parodies!
I hope they continue for adventures to come!



> But since the sacking of heal for harm was illegal to begin with, who was the shafted one here?




Yeah yeah, and blue dragons don't breath cones.  It was an honest mistake... Everyone else has seemed to move on from that arguement.. Take a hint.


Tsunami, I asked Ziona to write up the new Unusual Heroes.. I hope she does.  I'll give bonus XP to anyone who posts in-character dialog/stories on the board.   There are many people we enjoy hearing from  I think I'll miss you the most scarecrow!  "woah."


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## Blood Jester (Mar 3, 2002)

*Ouch!*

Well damn.  Really sorry to see you guys go, I'll miss the story big time.


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## Jettok (Mar 3, 2002)

I haven't decided to have the story posted yet for the upcoming campaign. Its one of the best things and one of the worst things Doc M. did. He is a great storyteller and artist. I could never write as well as he could but sometimes it was more about the story than it was about playing and having fun.  I always looked foward to his write-up though as much as the rest of you(well except for Tsunami, he's got me beat  ). However I believe if I could get a player to write up the story I wouldn't have a problem with that.


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## Dartan (Mar 4, 2002)

Not to worry i'm sure the Knights will return...a break is good, we started the Knight's campaign June '01...and this is the first break...not too bad..besides Wee Jas's campaigns tend to be on the short side...


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## Ziona (Mar 4, 2002)

You know Jettock, if I hadn't agreed to write up the Forgotten Realms, I would have written yours up. But, I have a different sort of idea for writing up the story, so we'll see how it works.  Maybe Xaltar or Doc will write your story... (hint, hint) 

And as for KotSQ, it will be missed. I enjoyed each character I played, but I think everyone is excited about the new campaign and I'm sure there will be another chance to revisit the knights in the future.


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## Wee Jas (Mar 4, 2002)

> Wee Jas's campaigns tend to be on the short side




OH like you know!  Well, you were in the longest lasting campaign I ran.. 3 days.. lol.


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## Dawn (Mar 4, 2002)

I'm sorry to see you guys go as you have provided many hours of enjoyment and quite a few ideas for the rest of us.

Good luck to the new DMs.


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## Richards (Mar 4, 2002)

Okay, this will probably be the last song parody I post here for awhile, but the idea for this one just kind of popped into my head and refused to budge until I had written it down.  This one is written as if sung by Doctor Midnight himself on the night of the last KotSQ gaming session, and it's based (if you couldn't guess it by the title) on "A Hard Day's Night," by the Beatles.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"A Hard Day, Knights"

It's been a hard day, Knights, I've been DMing on the fly
It's been a hard day, Knights, and it all started with that scry
When you concocted your scheme, it made me just want to scream
But I went along, all right

You know I work for days reading through Dungeon magazines
And it kills me when I hear you say you'll just fast-forward through the scenes
So all those hours I prepped I might have just well as slept
You know that feels like crap

When we gamed, everything seemed to go wrong
When we gamed, arguments seemed to go long, long, yeah

It's been a hard day, Knights, we're on opposing points of view
It's been a hard day, Knights, now all our fun has gone askew
You think I've flip-flopped my calls, I don't think that's it at all
And we both think that we're right

That stupid Harm spell is broke, as written it's just a joke
You know it needs a save

When we gamed, Acessiwal gave you a spank
When we gamed, he even killed off your dwarf tank, tank, yeah

It's been a hard day, Knights, I think we know what we must do
It's been a hard day, Knights, let's leave it for a month or two
We'll set our campaign aside, until our brains are less fried
Then pick it back up some day
Eventually, some day
Some day but not today...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Not my most upbeat song parody, but then given the subject matter...    Hopefully this comes across as an attempt to inject some levity into a rather sad occurrence, as that's all I'm attempting here.  (Well, that and purging my brain of the need to create the song in the first place...  ) 

In any case, I hope everything works out well in the end for you guys.  Good luck with your other campaigns in the meantime!

Johnathan


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## Razamir (Mar 5, 2002)

Hey Doc, long time bla first time bla...

I'm sorry to see the Knights go on hold but I do understand how burnout can affect the game. I just wanted to thank you and your group for all the good reads. It just got better and better every week..... Sigh. I guess I'll have to WORK at work now instead of waiting for updates. Unless you want to write up the new story..... hint hint.

My group is going through the core modules with rotating dms and I have to dm next (Lord of the Iron Fortress) The tales of the Knight have really inspired me. The way that old villians and characters came back was always cool. The fights were really cinamatic and fun, not just hack n' slash. Dartans father... The relationships between characters.... All of it great.

Thanks Doc


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## Neverwinter Knight (Mar 5, 2002)

*What the hell ???* I go on a short skiing holiday and come back to find the knights...gone? 

Well whatever the differences, Doc, enjoy your time as a player. To me, there is nothing as inspiring as playing my own character for a while. I know, you'll guys be back.

The problem with the 3E rules is that they're still new and too numerous. My players know the rules concerning their characters better than I do, but I don't show it.

Have yourself a nice holiday then, knights. Until we meet again.


PS: It might be nice for you to know that Dartan's father did get his status back and saved a small halfling village called "the Callah" from certain doom. After my party came to the village and met the threat (a large red dragon), it was their task to find Heironious' fallen champion and convince him to help them help the village. It was not easy getting Korgan to come out of his hiding place, but in the end he killed the dragon, but he his wounds were too numerous to count and he died defending innocent people and thus atoned for his evil deeds. I don't doubt that he sits near his god now.
Anyway this was the short version and it happened in my campaign.

PS2: I'd not have castrated Harm, there must be other ways...


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## DWARF (Mar 6, 2002)

A thought just occured to me...  You have Kyla and Vek for clerics, right?  And *neither* of them cast Augury or Divination before attempting to fight a dragon?!!!

Hell, my players cast it before asking the town crier for directions to a tavern!


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## Plane Sailing (Mar 6, 2002)

Dr M - you write well... are you going to do a players-side-view of the campaign which you are going to be participating in?

Cheers


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## Dr Midnight (Mar 6, 2002)

Thanks everyone for the cries and screams of agony. They make me feel better. 

Thank you Richards for another parody song. I actually did sing those exact words at the end of the session, but it was set to the tune of "I whupped batman's ass" by Wesley Willis. 

I won't be writing up anything from my player's perspective... at this point I just can't see it working. I'm going to save up my urge to DM along with my urge to write, and when I come back, I'm hoping you'll all still be around to read when (and, realistically: IF) it happens.

I'm proud to have been behind a story hour people wanted to read.


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## Blood Jester (Mar 7, 2002)

Doc.  I'm not trying to drag you back to the DM's chair, but... I still wish I lived close enough to game with you and the gang.  Despite your apparent argument, you all seem like a fun, good group.  Keep having fun, and see you around the boards!


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## Wee Jas (Mar 7, 2002)

Oh, we all know I'm gonna last a whole 2 weeks more than I will be begging Doc to DM again.  I'll get fustrated and have a bunch of hasted evil clerics cast harm on the party and magic missle them with wands as thier partials.. lol.


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## Dr. Zoom (Mar 7, 2002)

Nice...except clerics cannot use wands of magic missile.


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## Wee Jas (Mar 7, 2002)

Clerics with the Magic Domain can!


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## Dr. Zoom (Mar 8, 2002)

Damn wand-of-magic missile-toting clerics of Wee Jas.


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## Darklone (Mar 8, 2002)

*CHIME*



			
				DWARF said:
			
		

> *A thought just occured to me...  You have Kyla and Vek for clerics, right?  And neither of them cast Augury or Divination before attempting to fight a dragon?!!!
> 
> Hell, my players cast it before asking the town crier for directions to a tavern! *




They do? My clerics usually think it's boring to ask your god how to do something   !!!

Doc and rest: We miss you! *another lurking no commentator*


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## Dr Midnight (Mar 8, 2002)

For anyone missing us too badly, I just started a noncommittal story hour for the new campaign, told from my character's perspective. 

The Old Man's Decision


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## Neverwinter Knight (Mar 11, 2002)

*bump*

_man, this thread used to be at the top of the first page... so sad to find it in the second... _


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## Dr Midnight (Apr 14, 2002)

--juuuust editing out some old stuff about parallels between Dartan and Bill Paxton in FRAILTY... snip!---


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## Breakstone (Apr 14, 2002)

He he he.

Although I don't normally like horror pictures, I must say that Frailty has caught my attention. How did you like it, Doc?


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## Dr Midnight (Aug 14, 2002)

*EPILOGUE TO SESSION 37*

Kyla woke with a start. She sat upright in bed, panting. All she remembered from her dream was the furious set of white teeth- each a full foot long, set in a grinning pink maw. She sat on the side of the bed and put her head in her hands, saying a quiet prayer to Pelor. She prayed for Jettok’s soul. She prayed to feel safe again. 

She tried to stand up and found that she couldn’t. Her legs were absolutely sore- the battle had drained her. She had also forgotten to remove her armor. When they arrived back at Spellforge Keep, they’d all but collapsed where they stood. They had only barely survived a battle with a dragon at the peak of its powers. 

The cleric knew she would sleep no more this night. Her mind burned with fear and horror, though her body cried for rest. She tried again to stand and managed to pull herself to her feet. Her fingers clumsily worked at her left arm’s bracer buckle. After thirty seconds, she unfastened the bracer and it clattered to the floor. She stared at it for a moment, then shambled from the room. 

Kyla wandered downstairs to the kitchen and put on a pot of tea. She stood there until it boiled, then poured herself a mugful. She wandered out into the dining hall and sat at a long wooden table. She put the tea before her and didn’t drink it. The tea’s steam wafted upward, like it had all the time in the world. 

Kyla blinked when she realized the tea wasn’t the only thing she was smelling in the air. Something was in the room with her… something foul.  “Hello Vek. You can’t sleep either?”






Vek’s armored form silently shifted into view by the window. Standing in the shadows as he’d been, he was difficult to see. “I don’t sleep much anymore,” he replied. 

“Oh. Yes. I suppose you wouldn’t.” Kyla sipped at her tea.

“Have you spoken to Rafflorn? What’s the plan?” 

“No, he fell straight off to sleep, as the others did. Why?” She looked at the dark cleric of Wee Jas questioningly. 

Vek turned his head back to the window. “We need to leave. First thing in the morning. It knows where we live, now.” 

A chill walked up Kyla’s spine like a tiny spider. She hadn’t even thought of that. “How do you know it’ll come?”

“I don’t… but just imagine you’re a millennia-old ice dragon with cruelty and malice bred into your blood. You have incredible power, can see where your enemies live through magic… and you’re easily bored. If I were Accessiwal, I would come here as soon as I were rested. I would destroy everything I find in Verbobonc. We can’t let the dragon find us here.”

Kyla took another sip of her tea. “Why, Vek… I didn’t know you valued this town and the lives in it so much.”

Vek looked at her. His voice was like the whisper of a wraith on the wind. “I value my rooms in the dungeons below, and the secrets they hold. Death comes to us all, Kyla, my dear. Artifacts, knowledge, power… THOSE are worth protecting.” Though he wore his ever-present horned helm, Kyla had the most bothersome feeling that he was smiling at her, beneath it. Vek looked to the window again. “Besides, what with…” He stopped talking abruptly, staring through the window. “I was wrong,” he choked. “It didn’t rest.” 

He backed away from the window.  “Wake the others! TO ARMS!” he shouted as he ran from the room. 

Kyla watched him go. Her exhausted mind couldn’t conceive of trouble at this impossible hour. She stood up and walked toward the window. Her breath was coming in little rasps. She barely noticed her muscles screaming at her. Her brain worked like a panicked animal in a trap. The cleric stepped in front of the window and looked out. She dropped her mug of tea, and it shattered like a bomb when it struck the stones. 

Outside, it had begun to snow.


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## thatdarncat (Aug 14, 2002)

Welcome back


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## Malachai_rose (Aug 14, 2002)

*WOOT WOOT WOOT*

Glad to see you backm and just got to say that the dragon comin after the party was am unexpected turn of events... Heh, your hardcore man  but thats good in a DM, it makes the game more interesting.


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## Dr Midnight (Aug 14, 2002)

Gorgoldand and Dartan- recent piece of KotSQ-based art

Note- we're not technically "BACK". This is new stuff, yes, and there's more to come... but I'm beginning to explain what happens between the last game session (37) and what's to come.

It'll be pretty much short story fiction until we actually start playing again, which won't be until the Unusual Heroes campaign takes a break/ends.

Thanks for the support, though. I've got big plans for the campaign...

If anyone wants to catch up on the story or read it for the first time, start here.


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## Breakstone (Aug 14, 2002)

Woah!


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## avangel (Aug 14, 2002)

> I value my rooms in the dungeons below, and the secrets they hold. Death comes to us all, Kyla, my dear. Artifacts, knowledge, power… THOSE are worth protecting.”




F'n awesome Doc!  That's exactly what Vek would have said!  I thought you didn't pay attention!   

Nice peice of work.  It definately desereved the Tsunami signature 'WOAH'   

lol


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## fenzer (Aug 14, 2002)

*Fan-flipping-tastic!*

Doc, I am really excited to read what is coming.  And here I thought snow was a good thing.

Welcome back and long live the Knights!


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## Breakstone (Aug 14, 2002)

> Nice peice of work. It definately desereved the Tsunami signature 'WOAH'




Hooray, I'm famous! Now I just need one of those banners...


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## Immort (Aug 14, 2002)

I'm so exctited I kin barely contain myself.  Welcome back!!!  Now ya know we are willin' ta be a little patient wit yer seein' as how long we have waited so far, but there is a limit.  Take too long and we may have ta strap yer all inta chairs at the gamin' table and keep yer there till ya have a good update fer us.  

Heh.

-Immort


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## Old One (Aug 14, 2002)

*Hoo-Yaa!*

Doc -

Great epilogue...

Even if will be a little while until you play again, 'em coming!

~ Old One


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## Broccli_Head (Aug 14, 2002)

Great to see another post for the Knights! 

But I want more Dartan!


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## Wee Jas (Aug 14, 2002)

Run Kyla Run!


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## Razamir (Aug 14, 2002)

*RIGHT ON!*

Sweeeeet. I can't wait for the Knights to come back full force.


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## Ziona (Aug 14, 2002)

What a perfect pic for Vek! That's cool!

And nice portrayal of Vek, Doc!


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## Dr Midnight (Aug 15, 2002)

*Interlude
Sunday, 9th of Coldeven 
AFTERMATH*

“I’ve found another one”. 

”Who is it?” 

“I don’t know… small.”

“Gnome? Halfling?” 

“Child... Dwarven child.”  

“Let’s get it in the cart…”

The two filthy men pushed some rubble aside and gingerly lifted the boy’s body. They carried him to a large wooden cart and placed him beside several other victims of the dragon’s assault. One of the men, Jassef, leaned against the wagon and looked over the town. 




The view was bleak. As far as the eye could see, the town of Verbobonc was all but laid to waste. Whitened walls stood amidst the endless piles of ruins and rubble. Snow was piled up in drifts against the stumps of trees and remains of homes. No green could be seen. Even the sky was colorless: an overcast gray. No wind blew. The only sound was of the town’s few remaining able-bodied men and women sifting through stones and fallen timbers, looking for survivors and collecting the dead. Their fingers were all numb with the cold and some of them still sobbed, but at least the screaming had abated some hours earlier. 

Jassef rubbed his forehead and murmured to himself. “This isn’t right.” 

His companion was a half-elf named Nerion. He’d lost one eye and his father in the attack over the course of the night. Nerion went back to the rubble. “Come on, Jas. Let’s keep busy.”

“This ISN’T RIGHT! Why would they just leave us like that?”

“Jas. Let’s keep out minds on what needs to be done.”

Jassef threw his arms up over his head. “NO! Those worthless heroes as good as did this themselves! They went and found some bloody great dragon to mess around with, then barely put up a fight when it came HERE and DID THIS… and then… and THEN they LEAVE…“

Nerion exhaled wearily. “You know why they left.”

“They left because they’re no-good cowards.”

“They LEFT, Jassef Shortbrow, because to stay would be to subject the town to more attacks. They left so that those of us that remain might be safe.”

“Safe.” Jassef spat the word out like it tasted bad. “I halfway suspect they were in league with the damned beast.”

Nerion didn’t have the energy to yell. He cast his eye towards his friend with irritation and said “Are you forgetting that they saved us? Saved ALL of us, saved the people of Oerth, just last year?”

“I remember. How could anyone forget all the festivals and feasts held in their HONOR? The way they walked through town like they owned it? Not to mention THAT!” Jassef pointed to the end of town. At the top of a small hill sat Spellforge Keep, one of the few buildings that remained standing. The only building that remained untouched by the dragon’s attack. Jassef glared at it furiously. “To HELL with them!”

Nerion turned over a piece of wall. He paused. “Found another”

“Who is it?”

“Looks like Simon Ohanna.” 

“Let’s get him in the cart…”

The two silently carried Ohanna’s body to the wagon and laid him there next to the others. Nerion said “Looks like this cart’s about full. Let’s get it over to the temple.” Jassef nodded. They pulled the cart along the road for minutes, avoiding chunks of mortar and houses that were blown apart by dragon’s breath. They brought the wagon to the temple of Pelor and began unloading the bodies to be blessed by the priestess. When the cart was empty again, they turned it around and walked back through the rubble. 

Jassef spoke. “Nerion, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Jas. Really.” 

They walked through Verbobonc’s blasted streets, past the ruined buildings of the town they grew up in. The snow crunched under their feet. It would be a long time before it melted. 

_The adventures continue soon..._


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## Richards (Aug 15, 2002)

Okay, I was going to save this for when the campaign officially started up again, but I just can't wait...part of it is the fear that I'll misplace the lyrics and won't be able to find them again when the time is more appropriate.  So, perhaps a bit prematurely, here's a song parody of Elton John's "The Bitch Is Back."

--------------------------------------------------------------

"The Knights Are Back" 

I was down real low a few months ago.
No more Knights, that was quite a blow.
I was moping, all "Alas, alack!"
But I'm feeling so much better now, the Knights are back!  Oh oh oh.

They're back in action, that's a fact.
No more in-fighting, they're back on track.
I'm so happy now, 'cause I sure did miss 'em.
I guess they got that Star Wars game out of their system.  Oh oh.

It's the Knights, it's the Knights,
Oh, the Knights are back!
Got myself ready for some slash-and-hack!
They can fight, they can fight,
It's what they do the best,
Better than all the rest,
To that I can attest.  Oh oh oh.

They entertain by dealing pain.
Their exploits are quite insane.
Even to great wyrms they don't cut slack,
Now the Story Hour boards are wild, the Knights are back!  Oh oh oh.

It's the Knights, it's the Knights,
Oh, the Knights are back!
Grab some popcorn or a favorite snack.
Have a seat, click the link,
Let the story begin.
Wipe the drool from your chin.
Get ready to grin.  Oh oh oh.

It's the Knights, it's the Knights,
Oh, the Knights are back!
I'll get my Knight fix now and that's a fact.
I can't wait, I can't wait,
Think I'll hit "Refresh."
Is this some kind of test?
Has Doc posted yet?  Oh oh oh.

Knights, Knights, the Knights are back!
Knights, Knights, the Knights are back!
Knights, Knights, the Knights are back!
Knights, Knights, the Knights are back!
Knights, Knights, the Knights are back!
Knights, Knights, the Knights are back!
Knights, Knights, the Knights are back!

--------------------------------------------------------------

Johnathan
Self-Appointed, Unofficial Bard to the Knights of the Silver Quill Campaign


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## Breakstone (Aug 15, 2002)




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## fenzer (Aug 15, 2002)

*Bring out'cha dead!*

I feel better.

Your not foolin' anyone, ya know.

I want to go for a walk... Oh, you get the idea.

I'm just tickled we're reading KotSQ, that's all.


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## madriel (Aug 15, 2002)

Been up all night sick and feeling like crap...then I see this.

I feel better now.


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## Ziona (Aug 15, 2002)

Nice job Doc! It's a grim & eerie scene you've set...wonder who survived and who didn't? (Poor Dad...snarf, snarf...)


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## Dr Midnight (Aug 15, 2002)

Hi! 
BIG fat thanks to Richards, whose KotSQ song parodies are the only reason I do this. 

...

Okay, that may have been an exaggeration, but they please me to no end. I'm only sorry I can't get the tune of "the bitch is back" in my head. I can't read it to the music as I normally do. Oh well.

Richards will also be playing a large part in the KotSQ in-game, as he'll be the author of at least two adventures I'm planning to put these people through.


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## Richards (Aug 15, 2002)

Actually, you're probably better off there, Doc Midnight -- I can't get "The Bitch Is Back" _out_ of my head!

Johnathan


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## Broccli_Head (Aug 15, 2002)

Can't wait to run MY Pc's up against Acceiswell! He destroyed a whole town! 

Kinda like in Reign of Fire, but with ice, I guess. 

Where's Dartan?!


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## Wee Jas (Aug 15, 2002)

Richards,

Thow in a vorpal long sword of Wee Jas in the adventure!  I'll make you a pie!

Sir Vek


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## Dartan (Aug 16, 2002)

I'm looking forward to getting back and playing eveyone's favorite non palladin....."She was evil" said Dartan to his son.


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## Immort (Aug 17, 2002)

Hey Dartan is back!  Are ya gunna go paladin again??  I knows yer wuz lookin' pretty hard at Pelor a while back.  Be a cripplin' damn shame if yer couldn't find yer faith again.  Sides, it ain't a god whut makes a paladin a paladin.  It is that spiritual call from the forces of goodness.  So git yer butt in gear and git some holy already.

-Immort


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## Blood Jester (Aug 19, 2002)

Welcome back!!!


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## Dawn (Aug 19, 2002)

YEA!!!

I’m off the boards for two weeks and what do I find on return……..

       More Knights!!!!!

Now if only Sagiro would update his story, I would never get any work done.


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## Bob Aberton (Aug 19, 2002)

*Shameless Plug*

...And speaking of updates...

Why not take a look here for another great (though not as great as KotSQ) story hour:

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=317194#post317194]The Link[/URL] 


P.S. I love the Knights! Yeah!


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## Lord Ben (Aug 21, 2002)

Where can I buy this adventure?  What level PC's is it for?


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## Dr Midnight (Aug 21, 2002)

Lord Ben said:
			
		

> *Where can I buy this adventure?  What level PC's is it for? *



Uh... which adventure?


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## Lord Ben (Aug 21, 2002)

Sorry, the one with the White Dragon.  It sounds interesting.


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## Thorntangle (Aug 21, 2002)

Glacier Season is in Dungeon #87, which is one of the best 3e issues. It also has The Raiders of Galath's Roost and The Cradle of Madness.


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## Dr Midnight (Aug 21, 2002)

Yeah, it looks like a fun module. Of course, WE'LL never know... We pretty much skipped all that dungeon crap and went straight to the big bad.


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## Lord Ben (Aug 21, 2002)

Damn, I was hoping it was something I could still find.  It's a Great Wyrm and it's against your PC's?  Yikes.

As an aside, you have more PC deaths then any campaign I ever seen!    Go Dartan!  What classes is he?  PalX/???


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## Immort (Aug 21, 2002)

Yer obviously ain't looked at the Tomb of Horrors story hour.  More PC's (players corpses) in there than Doc Midnight has fans.  Last I saw, Dartan wuz a fallen paladin turned fighter.

-Immort


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## Xaltar (Aug 22, 2002)

Thorntangle said:
			
		

> *Glacier Season is in Dungeon #87, which is one of the best 3e issues. It also has The Raiders of Galath's Roost and The Cradle of Madness. *




Galath's Roost was an awesome module!  That's where I started the Unusual Heroes Campaign.  Very cool layout, and who would have figured that Rossal, the pseudodragon from the module would be with the party 10 levels later.  He even put a Rakshasa to sleep with his tail!

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				Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *Yeah, it looks like a fun module. Of course, WE'LL never know... We pretty much skipped all that dungeon crap and went straight to the big bad.  *




Sure, but that was one fun Battle!!!

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				Lord Ben said:
			
		

> *Damn, I was hoping it was something I could still find.  It's a Great Wyrm and it's against your PC's?  Yikes.
> 
> As an aside, you have more PC deaths then any campaign I ever seen!    Go Dartan!  What classes is he?  PalX/??? *




/Mourn Dekker, the Dodgiest Murker this side of Poddleton.


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## avangel (Aug 22, 2002)

Xaltar is trying to catchup on the death tally  ;p


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## Lord Ben (Aug 22, 2002)

Xaltar said:
			
		

> *
> /Mourn Dekker, the Dodgiest Murker this side of Poddleton. *




The halfling fighter right?  He was my favorite until he died.


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## MasterOfHeaven (Aug 22, 2002)

Why is the Knights Keep still around?  I assume either A) They have tons of magical protections on it the Dragon detected, and thus didn't attack it, or B)  the Dragon is going to take over the Keep with various minions and use it as an advance base.  

After all, the Dragon definitely could've easily destroyed a simple Keep, especially one of his age and powers.  Also, I'm surprised the party was so easily able to teleport into Accessiwals lair.  All the Dragon has to do, even if it doesn't have the spell capability itself (and I'm pretty sure Accessiwal does) to prevent such things is have a minion or hired Cleric cast Hallow/Unhallow and tie it to a Dimensional Anchor.

It's actually practically required you do this for really high level villians homes/lairs/dungeons/towers/etc., otherwise adventurers start doing the endless "scry, buff, teleport, attack" all the time.   And who can blame them?  If it's that easy to do, they should.  Hell, I used to fall for such things all the time before I got more experience running high level adventures.  

Big bads should use protections just like a group of adventurers would.  Most adventuring parties I know, once they get to high levels, only sleep in secured fortresses/palaces/temples with lots of help available in case of an attack, and often magical protections to boot, or they simply throw up a Mords Mansion and sleep in that.  Having a home or lair without adequate protections against teleportation and scrying is nigh suicide in higher levels, both for PCs and monsters.

Anyway, looking forward to seeing how this develops.  May the party emerge victorious, after at least half of them die to the Dragon.


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## Dr Midnight (Aug 22, 2002)

MasterOfHeaven said:
			
		

> *Why is the Knights Keep still around?  I assume either A) They have tons of magical protections on it the Dragon detected, and thus didn't attack it, or B)  the Dragon is going to take over the Keep with various minions and use it as an advance base.   *



You've overlooked option C. Who wants to guess what option C is?


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## Cheiromancer (Aug 22, 2002)

Option C:

Create a public relations nightmare for the KotSQ.  The dragon doesn't just want to kill them- it wants them remembered as trouble-making adventurers whose poorly considered actions left thousands dead or homeless.


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## Immort (Aug 22, 2002)

I'm thinkin' yer nailed "C" right on the head.

Well thought out plan Doc, yer truly belong behind the "Sadist's Screen".

-Immort


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## EvanPan (Aug 23, 2002)

*whats the Knights levels?*

what are all the knights levels? i just read the whole campaign on your wonderful site (i think the HOME link has an error, it directed me to a non existant page) and i'm just wondering what levels they are. especially dartan, that mofo.


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## Dr Midnight (Aug 23, 2002)

Option C. Nicely done Cheiromancer.

The Knights were loved all over Oerth as saviors and heroes. Now they've not only been set up as heroes that faced a difficult enemy and led it home when they couldn't defeat it- there's also, of course, speculation that they were working WITH the dragon. "Public relations nightmare" is pretty apt. Now, we'll see just how many friends they have in the world. 



> what are all the knights levels?



I believe Dartan's at either 13 or 14... everyone else is about a level or so behind. 

I'll check the HOME link tomorrow, thanks.


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## Wee Jas (Aug 23, 2002)

> "scry, buff, teleport, attack" all the time. And who can blame them? If it's that easy to do, they should.




Our group had not had a lot of experience running/playing high level characters.  I'm sure this sort of thing won't happen again in the future.

As for the bad rap.. They'd all be praying to Heironious if it wasn't for us!  Bah, I'll be around when their childrens children are long dead.. then I'll get my revenge 

Sir Vek

PS. Wee Jas does not condone children having children


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## Riekhan (Aug 25, 2002)

Joy! The Knights are back! (Kind of)


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## Jamison Crow (Aug 31, 2002)

Out of the darkness the wizard did crawl
True pain and suffering he brought to them all
Away where the townsfolk to hide in their beds
For fear that Jamsion would blow off there heads
 

Jamison Crow
14th lvl Eccentric Wizard


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## Richards (Sep 1, 2002)

> Out of the darkness the wizard did crawl
> True pain and suffering he brought to them all
> Away where the townsfolk to hide in there beds
> For fear that Jamsion would blow off there heads
> ...



T'would seem that young Jamison's back once again.
Perhaps all that evil's corrupted his brain.
Or at least the part of it where spelling does lair:
He's forgotten the difference between "there" and "their."
If that's not enough, there's more I can show:
He spelled his own name wrong, two times in a row!
We beg of you, Jamison, please don't ignore us!
Try using a dictionary or thesaurus!

Johnathan
Taunter of Evil


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## Breakstone (Sep 1, 2002)

Ha ha ha...

Oh, man that's mean, Richards...


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## Jamison Crow (Sep 1, 2002)

HA, you got me there. I was tired when I wrote that. My spelling has always been bad, thats why I normally use spell checker. I'll edit it.


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## Neverwinter Knight (Sep 4, 2002)

All right, Doc !

Great interlude for the new season - I guess it makes no difference if the they don't want to mess with the dragon when the dragon wants to mess with them...

Can't wait until your're playing again. Have you fixed a date yet?

And one question that's burning in my mind: IS JAMISON CROW REALLY, REALLY COMING BACK?

CU


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## Wee Jas (Aug 16, 2004)

Starting my own group on Gorgoldand's Guantlet on the 24th.. gets me all teary eyed to come visit here..  /sniffle

Thought I'd share  

http://www.dirgefactory.com/oneshot.cfm

Previously my group did the Wizard's Amulet from Necromancer Games.


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## Richards (Aug 17, 2004)

Most excellent news, Wee Jas!  Will you be writing up a Story Hour?

Johnathan


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## Wee Jas (Aug 17, 2004)

Richards said:
			
		

> Most excellent news, Wee Jas!  Will you be writing up a Story Hour?
> 
> Johnathan




Nah.. I'll let you know how it went.  I've been reading the PDF.. er I mean module.  I think the stairs trap is a little harsh.  I might just change it to damage.  I'm glad our party solved that one without incident.

I have been doing a lot of backhistory for Doc's upcoming epic campaign.. if we ever start it


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