# KidCthulhu's Scarred Land story hour



## Piratecat

It's back! Written by the players, edited and annotated by me.  These might not be posted exactly in order, but I'll edit and rearrange as necessary once my players start posting them.  Many of these are on a PC with a dead modem and floppy drive, so it may be a bit before we post them; others are finished now.  The campaign has eight players, five of which are new to the game, seven of which are women; none of the experienced players have leadership roles. It's a great game!

 Episode 1: we swap an existing campaign into the Scarred Lands. Titanspawn hunting near Amalthea, shooting druids in a barrel, and an unexpected meeting with a man of many faces.

 Episode 2: Marja has her face stolen, problems in the basement, and an old forgotten temple reveals fresh trouble.

 Episode 3: Stalking the face-stealer and the aasathi, and learning not to dream of maggots.

 Episode 4: An inn under new management, clues carefully followed, and an ambush of snakes.

 Episode 5: Questioning the serpents, untying a wolf, and bearding a Lord in his lair.

 Episode 6: How _not_ to bluff your way with royalty, goblins in the night, and Xennia teaches Lord Dobrick a regrettable lesson.

 Episode 7: Arrest, incarceration, escape, and flight, all in a quest for exoneration. Borin can't hit, Xennia can't run, Deke climbs trees, and death stalks the party on metallic panther legs.

 Episode 8: Bounty hunter fandango, the contemplative ogre, and the appreciative halfling. Sir Naxos and Xennia don't hit it off.

 Episode 9: Ogre and dire wolves meet their match, while tentacled relics of the past teach Deke a lesson. Drinking the glowing water, and the heroism of Sir Naxos.

 Episode 10: Treasure bath, goblin guts, and enthusiastic trolls.

 Episode 11: The elves bow to Gemma, village in a footprint, and arrival at Ontenazu.

 Episode 12: Bar fight in Morgain's home, destroying the wanted posters, and an abundance of summoned stirges. Tattoos and a popular young lady, and the exiled noble cleric who knows too much.

 Episode 13: The hunting cottage of Duke Windhill, spider-things meet the fluid-filled heroes, and love letters beneath the webs.

They'll start appearing soon; watch for them!


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## Darkness

Very interesting; I'll keep an eye open for updates.


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## Piratecat

The campaign started because one of my regular players' fiancees wanted to learn how to game. It's blossomed from there. All PCs are 3rd-4th level.

Fast character portraits, 'cause you can't tell the players without a program.


Deke: irresponsible elven rogue, orphanage raised and spiralling towards neutrality. (Played by Jobu)

Gemma: scarred and bitter from the war that scoured Amalthea, this laconic elven huntress is slowly discovering the Goddess Tanil.  (played by KidCthulhu)

Morgain: Scatterbrained but well intentioned, this half-elven wizard is learning to adjust after her Grandmother's death.

Marja: Beautiful and vivacious, quick with a laugh and fond of drink. She brims with the power of the sorcerer.

Borin: Dwarven, violent, and focusing his beserker rage into the end of his greataxe.

Kalina: Half-elven druid, a friend of Marja's with a large and loyal wolf.

Xennia: enamored with her spiked plate armor, intolerant of arrogance and full of joy at the art of war. She's hell at whacking.

Kell: forced into the church of Corean by his parents, but longing for the life of a fighter.

Feargus: this halfling bard plays the bagpipes - poorly - and once transported supplies for the Calastian army. He's left that life, though, and may be retiring from adventuring as well. (An original player, sadly he's no longer active in the group as he's about to move.)


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## Nightfall

Mmm you know maybe Kell might feel better if a cleric of Vangal approached him into "converting" to find his inner fighter.


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## Doc_Souark

*Talked about Hen Pecked !*

So Borin is the lone male Player/Pc huh, I bet the non-game conversations going at the table alone were priceless  (no KidC/ PC please don't misunderstand I have or rather had at one time 3 female players so I'm not knocking lady players at all).

 Which PCs were run by the "old hands" and the newbies ?


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## Piratecat

Doc_Souark said:
			
		

> *So Borin is the lone male Player/Pc....   Which PCs were run by the "old hands" and the newbies ? *




There are several male PCs (Kell, Borin, Deke, Feargus) but Borin's is played by the only male player. Feargus was as well, but we're retiring the PC with honors when his player moves next month.  Deke, Gemma, Borin and Feargus are played by long-time players.


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## KidCthulhu

I'm enjoying playing Gemma.  It's fun to let my dark side through, after years of Ernie the chipper halfling in Sagiro's game.

That said, laconic is just as much a role playing stretch for me as chipper.  I'm constantly biting my tongue to keep from making extraneous comments.  I really should set up a budget of 30 words a game and see if I can keep to it.

The new player are really what makes this game.  It's so much fun to see them try new things and discover the joys of bending the rules to their will.   They try things that we older, er more experienced, players wouldn't think of doing!  And more often than not, their ideas are great.  They think outside the box, and the game is better for it.


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## Morgaine

*Re: Piratecat's Scarred Land story hour*



			
				Piratecat said:
			
		

> *It's back! Written by the players, edited and annotated by me.
> 
> They'll start appearing soon; watch for them! *




I have a few episodes written but I am hesitant to post them until I can get them in order, which I still don't have yet.  They will be here near the end of the week, though.


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## (Psi)SeveredHead

Ah ha! More PirateCat stuff!
YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES!

Edit: had to remove a YES!


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## KidCthulhu

*Jobu posting under Kid C Sorry about that*



			
				KidCthulhu said:
			
		

> *I'm enjoying playing Gemma.  It's fun to let my dark side through, after years of Ernie the chipper halfling in Sagiro's game.
> 
> The new player are really what makes this game.  It's so much fun to see them try new things and discover the joys of bending the rules to their will.   They try things that we older, er more experienced, players wouldn't think of doing!  And more often than not, their ideas are great.  They think outside the box, and the game is better for it. *




I agree with KidC on this one.  There is nothing quite as wonderful as watching a new player run thier 2nd level fighter right into a Gelatinous Cube (they lived too).
Also I am finding playing Deke (rouge) to be a very freeing experiece.  After years of playing Tao (PC's other game) and Luc (Aasimar Guvner in Sigil) in a game run by Tom Tom's (also PC's other game) player it is a nice change to play chaos as well as neutrality.


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## Morgaine

*Game write up*

I have decided to post the stories in reverse order.  Partly because I have the most recent stories already written and partly because I cannot get to the old site to access the other parts of the story we posted there.  'Sides, I didn't want to keep you all waiting in suspense anymore. 

For a little background, we are currently in Morgaine's hometown of Otenazu.  We left Amalthea under....suspicious circumstances and are trying to secure evidence of our innocence.  This story -- broken up into parts is our most recent adventure. 

without further ado.....
****************
Thomas arrives at the inn shortly after daybreak to find an elf who doesn’t sleep eager to get started.  Unfortunately, some of the party does not share Deke’s proclivity for limited sleep and stagger bleary-eyed into the common room one by one.  Borin is wolfing down breakfast when Marja makes her way downstairs, still rubbing sleep from her eyes.  She is still feeling the lingering effects of her hangover from the previous day.  Once again, she argues with Garnet over the choice of her recent tattoo  -- a snake with a circlet of lavender around her navel.  Morgaine is also a late-riser but since she has spells to prepare, spends breakfast studying and pouring through her spell books.  Deke swipes some of the meat from Borin’s plate and receives a grunt and a smack for his efforts.  

“You were done with that right?”  
“I’m done with it when my plate is clean.”

With Thomas is a young man in full plate armor with the holy symbols of Corean emblazoned boldly on the breastplate, helm and hilts of his gleaming long sword and great lance.  He introduces himself as Kelley, a cleric and fighter for the Church of The Iron Gate (the local Church of Corean).  The party members warily introduce themselves.  Given all their recent tribulations, they are less than eager to embrace a stranger into their midst, even if that stranger looks young, strong, powerful and righteous.  Especially because that stranger looks strong, powerful and righteous.  Borin – as the troupe’s meat shield –does, however, gratefully acknowledge the addition of another healer in their fold. Thomas seems to sense the party’s hesitation and vouches for Kel’s trustworthiness.  “Besides, two guides are better than one.”  Xenia comments on Kel’s plate mail and how nice it looks.  She also points out his lack of spikes but that she doesn’t hold it against him.   

Finally the heroes are ready to head out.  Kel’s steed is massive and outfitted to match his armor, replete with sparkling holy symbols.   Deke tries not to shudder in the face of all the virtue oozing out of Kel’s pores.  Backtracking to Penderwen’s Rest they retrieve the horses “borrowed” from the bounty hunters.  Borin has a second breakfast, then he, Deke, Gemma, Kalina, Marja, Morgaine, Kel and Thomas wave goodbye to Fergus as he plays his poorly tuned bagpipes in honor of their departure.  Taylor howls in unison from his perch atop Morgaine’s horse and the sounds are indistinguishable.  Fergus has opted to remain in Otenazu to work for the local tavern and promises to keep his eyes peeled for any strange happenings in their absence.  

The winds are brisk as they whip down from the Keldar Mountains, rustling the trees and leaves overhead.  In Otenazu, the natives have 15 different words for the air currents that buffet the town on either side of the Canyon of Souls.  It is a mild zephyr that blows today and the adventurers take in the warmth of the rising sun and the still-damp morning mist clinging to the air.  Gemma scouts ahead of the party, keeping an ever-watchful eye and alert ear for anything amiss.  Her vigilance pays off when she hears the faint whispers of a guttural language not far off in the distance.  Deke and Gemma sneak forward to assess the situation and discover 14 Goblins lying in ambush just over the next hill.

************
I'll post the next installment tomorrow.

--Morgaine


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## KidCthulhu

As a quick explination, Thomas is the local guide the party hired to get them out to the hunting lodge in question.  

Good work, Morgain.  We sound all noble and heroic and stuff.


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## Morgaine

KidCthulhu said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Good work, Morgain.  We sound all noble and heroic and stuff. *




well, yeah.  If I painted us as really are, no one would like us very much -- sniveling, no account liars...oh wait, that's just Deke


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## Morgaine

Deke becomes one with the grass while Gemma reports their findings back to the group.  Kalina asks the rest of the party to wait while she casts “entangle” into the middle of their foes.  She manages to ensnare several of the Goblins in the roots, brambles and hedges that begin to snake their way around the hapless creatures.  At this, the Goblin leader jumps onto the road and threatens the party, while an illusionist behind him creates his much-enlarged image – ostensibly to intimidate the group.  Borin dismounts and picks up the transmutation club, grows to 12 feet tall and taunts the Goblin in front of him.  “Mine’s real,” he growls.  Morgaine casts “sleep,” and triumphantly listens as several loud snores fill the air from over the hill.  At this, the Goblin leader scolds Morgaine and threatens that the “King” shall rise up from the earth and seek his vengeance.  Gemma plants two arrows neatly into his throat and his guttural warnings gurgle and die with him.  Ironically, his enlarged image still shimmers above him.  In an impressive display of cooperation and tactical maneuvers, the adventurers manage to dispense with all of the goblins in seconds without a single injury to party members.  Thomas lauds their efforts and they continue on their way to the hunting lodge of Lord Duncan of Windhill.

About a quarter of a mile from the lodge, Thomas draws the horses to a halt.  Down through a clearing he stares at what used to be the house.  Perhaps it is the distance or his eyes playing tricks on him, but there doesn’t seem to be a building, just a dense grove of trees.  Yet when he turns his head at a certain angle, the building seems to shimmer in the sun.  Kel, being more familiar with the lodge, concurs that something is not right.  Unfortunately, they are too far away to truly discern anything.  As the entourage slowly makes its way to the hunting lodge, what appeared to be a copse of trees and bush turns out to be a brown shield encasing the entire cottage.  Trees, branches, dirt and debris are strewn all over the covering, almost as if to disguise or camouflage the building.  Fang smells something unpleasant and the horses begin acting skittish and jumpy.  This unease spreads quickly to the humans who hesitate to advance further.  The area is home to an unusually large number of spiders, scurrying in different directions as the riders pass by.  Several party members shudder involuntarily as they dismount to investigate.  After debating for a few minutes about their next course of action, the party decides against Marja’s idea to burn the house down.  Kel especially denounces that idea since this lodge does belong to his uncle.  (Somehow knowledge of the fact that he is related to Lord Duncan of Windhill and Baronet Gobrey has escaped the other members until now.)

Instead, Marja casts “spiderclimb” on Kel who reluctantly swallows a live spider and then feels his hands and feet stick easily to the tree he climbs to get a closer look at the lodge.  The whole cottage is wrapped in this weird casing and he can even see several birds flapping helplessly against the roof, trapped in the sticky substance.  Once again Marja voices a request to burn the house, seconded by Kalina and Morgaine.  Once again, the others shoot the idea down.  Marja casts a second “spiderclimb” on Deke who swallows the requisite spider with something akin to relish.  He then makes his way into the stable building to explore further.  Inside he finds several large creatures encased in webbing and extremely large spider egg sac. There are thick cobwebs covering every surface, blocking the sunlight and creating opaque shadows throughout the small outbuilding.  There is a strong smoky stench here, mixed with a foul, rotting odor.  He also finds traces of a white foam-like slime throughout the stables.  Upon reporting his findings, Gemma and Borin burn the egg sac, then burn away the webbing on the creatures.  They find the desiccated remains of two horses and one dog.  Another dog, while terribly poisoned and partially dehydrated, is alive and Gemma does her best to heal and revive the poor canine.  When she is fairly certain it will survive, she focuses her attention on the cottage itself.  With a torch she begins to carefully burn away the webbing on the lodge, revealing the door underneath.  The sizzling sound that accompanies the burning, smoky stench assailing their nostrils again causes Morgaine to shudder.   Marja places Garnet in her hair to eat any of the spiders that get in there.

Eventually they are able to open the door wide enough to fit through, though few members are eager to do so.  Kel moves into the doorway and hears the raspy, thin voice of something speaking in harsh common from the darkness of the room.  After a lengthy discussion, where Kel demonstrates his spiderclimb abilities, it invites him in to search the cabin for his relatives.  Morgaine moves closer to the door in an attempt to discern the location of the voice, using her magically enhanced hearing.  The voice floats down from the middle of the ceiling, but is moving slowly toward the door.  Once Kel enters the building, he sees the giant spider above the chandelier and gasps as the 8’ arachnid trains eight eyes right at him.


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## Morgaine Le Fay

It casts “web” at the party, ensnaring Xenia, Morgaine, Kalina and Kel, whom it promptly releases.  It expresses excitement over all the “juicy” creatures at its door. Gemma, adroitly avoiding the sticky mass, easily sidesteps inside the door and fires one flaming arrow at the creature.  Thanks to Morgaine’s “Liliandel’s Flurry” that one arrow becomes three, two of which easily find their mark, badly scorching the giant spider.  She quickly shoots her second arrow, which also buries itself deep within the hairy, black flesh. Marja, who was already inside the house, was also able to dodge the web and quickly attacks with “ice knife” which pierces and freezes the creature’s flesh, leaving it shaky and unsteady. 

The spider hangs from the ceiling ten feet above their heads and attacks its nearest foe, Marja with eight legs and a giant mouth.  Because of its freezing wounds, Marja deftly avoids the poison-filled pincers.  Unfortunately, two of its eight legs find their mark and leave large gashes across her chest, wounding her badly.  Kalina casts “flame blade” and masterfully burns a path through the sticky web inside the cottage, where she uses her slingshot to pelt the creature with stones.  Borin also makes his way inside the building, grabbing the transmutation club as he does.  Standing eye to eye with the creature, he uses it for piñata practice and “squashes it like the bug that it is”.  

By this time, Xenia has struggled free of the web, sword drawn, ready to fight and makes her way inside the building, carefully following Kalina’s path so as not to entangle herself again.  Thomas has burned a path for Morgaine, burning her in the process.  Deke, using the still powerful “spiderclimb” scampers to the ceiling that is draped in cobwebs and draws his dagger, hoping a berserk Borin does not mistake him for one of the spider-creatures.  Meanwhile, three more giant spiders scuttle down from the ceiling and attack.  Marja casts “ice knife” at the one closest to Borin.  The frozen dagger arcs neatly from her hand, puncturing the giant arachnid to its hilt.  Bursts of frost sweep over the creature and it seems to shiver, hindering its movement.  Kalina then scores holes into its abdomen with her flaming sword, making a wide sweep into the burning flesh. 

Morgaine casts “Melf’s Acid Arrow” at another, the glowing green shaft searing a hole in the spider’s soft underside, as it shrinks back in pain.  Gemma neatly sinks two arrows into its hide, the feathers quivering with the impact.    Deke shimmies across the ceiling, cuts the creature from the silk threads suspending it and watches gleefully as it crashes to the floor with a splat, nearly landing on Kel.  Borin (in Ogre form), feral and raging, swings the heavy club with such force that the giant spider in front of him is driven into the wall, where it splatters messily.  Xenia swings her long sword with a vengeance, piercing the creature closest to her between several of its eyes.  This last spider attacks Kel who finally gets upset enough to fight back and neatly slices it in half.

Barely catching their breath, they notice an enormous, gorged, slimy spider making her way into the room, leaving trails of white, foam-like slime in her wake.  Her stench is almost unbearable and the party watches, horrified, as she moves towards Borin with huge dripping pincers clacking wildly.  Morgaine surges forward and uses her “wand of color spray” to stun the creature, giving Borin a chance to attack it with the club.  Unfortunately, when she tries this a second time, Borin is in the line of attack.  Yelling to close his eyes, she fires the wand again and watches the brilliant cone of scintillating colors explodes from the end of the wand.  Of course, what she doesn’t realize is that this mama spider also speaks common, follows her directions and is therefore unaffected.  Morgaine realizes lamely that she should have called out in dwarvish.  Mama arachnid grabs Borin in her giant pincers and he feels the poison quickly spread through his body, causing his muscles to seize and shake violently.

Up close, they can see that her “skin” is moving.  She is literally alive with millions of tiny spiders wriggling all over her massive form.  Kalina uses her “avalanche” sling shot to hurl a small stone at the spider.  Just before it hits its target, the stone expands ten times its size.  They watch as a large boulder catches the hulking mass squarely it its engorged abdomen.  Morgaine casts “cat’s grace” on Borin to help reduce some of his shaking.  Kel “commands” it to sleep.  Instantly, its limbs go limp, the pincers stop clacking and the soft sounds of sleeping fill the room.    Borin pummels the creature with the club and Kalina finishes it off with a brilliant use of “cold snap,” sending hundreds of thousands of spiders scurrying in all directions.  Instinctively she and Morgaine back up.

Once they are sure the creature is dead, Kalina (with the aid of Gemma and Morgaine) successfully draws the poison out of an exhausted, weary Borin, applying their healing arts to Marja as well.  Sure that neither is in immediate danger, Kel, Gemma and Kalina scour the house in search of the caretakers and any other survivors in the lodge.  They discover the horribly poisoned caretaker and his wife, barely clinging to life.  Between Kel, Gemma, and Kalina they are able to stabilize the couple who remain unconscious and in grave condition.  Deke, Marja, and Morgaine burn away most of the cobwebs in the main rooms and begin the arduous task of clearing away the spiders’ remains.  The sun is very low in the sky by the time the party finishes cleaning the whole lodge.  Once done, they search the building for the clues they originally set out to find.  

Love letters from Gobrey to Lady Cosette Slaint are hidden underneath the floorboards in Gobrey’s room.  It is obvious that Gobrey is consumed by a fierce love for her, yet the flavor of some letters is a wild jealousy that she has had other lovers in the past.  One letter even mentions his slight hesitance to be married in her faith, but that he would “defy the Gods if need be to be with her.”  The party stores this information away for later use. 

The obvious next step is to talk with Lord Duncan of Windhill, Gobrey’s father.  A day later, the adventurers arrive at his manor, with Kel seeking audience with his uncle.


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## Aravis

> Morgaine Le Fay
> After debating for a few minutes about their next course of action, the party decides against Marja’s idea to burn the house down. Kel especially denounces that idea since this lodge does belong to his uncle. (Somehow knowledge of the fact that he is related to Lord Duncan of Windhill and Baronet Gobrey has escaped the other members until now.)




I take exception to the characterization of our assent to the idea of not burning down the lodge as deciding against it.  It was much more, an 'Oh, all right, if you insist' sort of giving in to Kel's wishes.

-- Aravis


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## Morgaine

Aravis said:
			
		

> *
> 
> I take exception to the characterization of our assent to the idea of not burning down the lodge as deciding against it.  It was much more, an 'Oh, all right, if you insist' sort of giving in to Kel's wishes.
> 
> -- Aravis *




yes but that makes us sound so....impulsive and destructive.  We are impulsive and destructive, I just didn't want to make us sound that way.  

--Morgaine


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## Aravis

Morgaine said:
			
		

> *
> 
> yes but that makes us sound so....impulsive and destructive.  We are impulsive and destructive, I just didn't want to make us sound that way.
> 
> --Morgaine *




Me, I figure go with our strength!

-- Aravis


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## Dinkeldog

Like, what?  We're not going to figure it out?


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## Aravis

Dinkeldog said:
			
		

> *Like, what?  We're not going to figure it out? *




Do you mean what is our strength?

Being impulsive and destructive.  No one expects that.

-- Aravis


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## Morgaine

Aravis said:
			
		

> *
> 
> 
> 
> Being impulsive and destructive.  No one expects that.
> 
> -- Aravis *




Least of all us.


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## Morgaine

Okay, what follows is the story of our arrival in Otenazu, Morgaine's hometown.  The backstory (still in the process of being written -- I'm trying to write and grade midterm exams/papers) is that we've come to Otenazu in search of clues and proof of our innocence.  We're wanted in Amalthea unjustly.  At any rate, this is the first part.
--Morgaine
*******************

Morgaine and her companions crest the hill and get their first glimpse of Otenazu, nestled as it is at the foot of the Keldar Mountains.  A twin city, forming the boundaries of the Canyon of Souls, Otenazu is home to people from all walks of life.  Its citizens are hale and hearty, with the rugged disposition that comes from making a frontier town home.  The small city sprawls out before the troupe and the giant base of the Keldar Mountains seems to rise up from within its midst, overshadowing the entire area.  

At the base of this hill is the cottage in which Morgaine lived with her grandmother for several years before the old woman passed away a year ago.  Tears fill her eyes as she sees her home for the first time in over a year.  “We’re home, “ she whispers softly.  Borin grunts, “No, you’re home.” But she doesn’t hear him, running as she is toward the squat wood hut nestled just on the outskirts of town.  Smoke curls up from the chimney and it looks as though someone has done some work to fix up the place – though she knows she did not leave anyone in charge.  Morgaine left in too much of a hurry to think about those kinds of details.  If the truth be told, Morgaine would not think of those details if she’d had a month to plan.  

The painted wooden sign atop the door reads “Penderwen’s Rest” in bright gold letters above a small green bottle tipped in a perpetual pour.  “That’s funny, that’s my name but I know we didn’t have a sign like that.” Morgaine muses to her companions who have by now caught up with her.  Inside there is a clamor and loud shouts carry through an open window on the side of the two-story building.  Deke looks inside the window and sees several large, burly travelers in a fistfight with some obvious local patrons.  He ducks as a tall brunette in a traveling outfit is tossed out the window by two older men wearing suspenders.  “How is this happening??” Morgaine despairs as she and Gemma tend to the unconscious woman strewn on the ground amid shards of glass.  

In a strange twist of irony, the woman regains consciousness – thanks to the ministrations of Gemma – only to attack her healer with her fists.  “It’s YOU!!!” she shouts as her fist connects with Gemma’s temple in a blow that knocks the hooded figure back a step.  Gemma quickly returns the favor and the stranger is once again knocked unconscious.  In the woman’s other hand is a wanted poster with the likeness of each member of the group hastily drawn and a reward offered for their successful capture and return to Amalthea.  Marja takes one look at the picture and petulantly remarks “that looks nothing like me!”   Borin decides to enter the tavern when he hears someone inside cry out in indignantly, “not our Morgaine!”  

Once inside, it becomes obvious these bounty hunters are getting the better of the locals in the brawl.  Xenia, anxious to use her new “_waymaker_” shield, also makes a beeline for the door.  After all, she does enjoy a good bar fight.  Kalina follows on her heels, casting _flame blade_ once inside.  Marja also enters the bar, muttering something about “at least they could have tried to make it a decent picture.”  Gemma, Deke, Morgaine and Fergus are left outside, watching through the windows.

Inside the lodge turned tavern, there is a long wooden bar lining the back wall.  Behind it are an assortment of libations, pint glasses and beer steins.  Tables that were once neatly arranged are overturned and scattered about the room, some in splinters where several townspeople have been thrown into them.  Mugs of ale spill languidly onto a now dingy, bloody floor and the place bears small resemblance to the quiet country inn Morgaine has described.  In the center of the room are six motley bounty hunters, each holding wanted posters on yellowing parchment paper.  A belligerent dwarf who is obviously the leader of this gang is threatening an older man, grabbing his lapels and waving the wanted poster in the man’s face.  Various other townspeople are wildly swinging at a small, half-elven man who easily sidesteps their intended blows.


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## KidCthulhu

For those of you wondering where this fits in, see PC's initial post.  This is Episode 12.

Think of this storyhour as being a little like Memento.  Only with less half-naked Guy Pierce.  Which I consider to be it's major failing.


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## Morgaine

KidCthulhu said:
			
		

> * Think of this storyhour as being a little like Memento.  Only with less half-naked Guy Pierce.  Which I consider to be it's major failing. *




And I consider to be its major bonus.  Perhaps when all the stories are posted, we can "re-play" them in the correct order.


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## Morgaine

Upon their entrance, the entire tavern stops short as Borin grabs his battle-axe and bellows, “what do you want with my friend Morgaine.”  A flutter of whispers whips through the crowd at the thought that she is a friend of this unkempt, wild-looking dwarf.  The bounty hunters stare at their fugitives in suspended belief for a few seconds.  One half-orc pulls out his wanted poster, looks at the picture, looks at Borin, looks at the picture again and then charges the dwarf with a club.  Kalina wields her flaming sword in wide arcs and attempts to intimidate their foes.  She succeeds only in frightening the townspeople who quickly scamper behind the bar at her request.  Twenty people cram themselves in the small space between the bar and the wall, whispering nervously to themselves and praying this wooden structure affords them protection.  Marja casts “_magic missile_” at the giant bearing down on Borin, two glowing green orbs of energy sparking from her outstretched fingers and sinking deeply into his reddish flesh.  He howls in pain, momentarily stunned, but quickly regains composure, landing a violent blow on Borin’s shoulder.

From outside, Morgaine pokes her head into the window and is greeted with cheers and warm wishes from several people behind the bar.  She greets them happily with a winning smile.  Trying her best to remain focused, she then casts “_sleep_” into the melee, as her “fans” ponder what she is doing.  Drawing upon the powerful magic within, Morgaine utters the final words of the spell.  Two rag-tag humans fall to the floor, snoring softly, sending a cheer through the crowd watching her every move.  Fergus begins singing through the window – a rousing chorus of the bravery and triumph of an adventuring party, heartening his companions to act boldly and swiftly.  Gemma ensures that her “patient” will not die from her wounds but will not pose any further threat to herself or her friends.  She then binds the woman’s hands and feet together, tying the knots perhaps a tad tighter than they need to be.  Very few people have the opportunity to cuff Gemma.  Fewer still live to tell the tale.  

Once hit, Borin becomes delirious with rage, foam spewing from his mouth, and swings his great axe with every ounce of strength he has.  Not only has this beast attacked him, he’s spilt several pints of beer in the process -- both unpardonable offenses.  As a dwarf, Borin has an innate hatred of these hulking creatures.  A fact that becomes obvious when the half-orc stops mid-stride while his head continues its journey, landing with a sploot in the chandelier hanging from the second floor ceiling.  At this, one of the bounty hunters dives out the window, landing in a heap at Deke’s feet.  Unfortunately, Deke is too stunned to react and the mercenary leaps to his feet and takes off at a dead run in the opposite direction of town.  Realizing this half-elf is faster than he is, Deke activates his “_ring of jumping_,” landing at the fleeing man’s feet.  Unhappily, because it was a standing jump, Deke barely grabs the man, who trips but keeps running.  Fang now begins to pursue Deke and the bounty hunter, quickly gaining ground on his “prey.”  Once again, Deke activates his “_ring of jumping_” and in an impressive display of acrobatics takes a running leap and lands deftly on the retreating man’s shoulders, tackling him to the ground.  After a brief struggle, Deke pins him down while Fang attacks brutally.  In one swift motion, the rogue slices neatly into his throat with his rapier, killing the stranger instantly.  He mutters something about half-breeds as he makes his way back toward the tavern.

Another man sails out the back window and disappears around the corner of the building.  Morgaine gives chase only to find him standing just on the other side, panting furiously and obviously terrified.  Chanting quietly, Morgaine methodically and rhythmically waves her hands in front of his eyes.  In seconds, she watches his eyes lose focus and his mouth grow slack.  “_Hypnotized_” as he is, she commands him to follow her back inside the building, where she ensures that no one attack him while he is under the spell.  She also commands him to wipe his chin and is chagrined to realize that, seconds later, he is still wiping.  

Inside, Xenia runs full tilt into a man slightly shorter than her 6’ frame, shield leveled into his chest and stomach.  They trample back into a curtained alcove and the sounds of a struggle can be heard over the din in the main room.  The greasy, filthy dwarf/leader stands toe-to-toe with Borin, hurling vile insult upon insult at the already raving barbarian.  Some of the local patrons look horrified as they learn the translations of the dwarven obscenities.  Borin charges at the ragged Dwarf and they tumble to the floor, also landing behind the thick blue curtain.  The curtain sways and flaps haphazardly, occasionally revealing the wrestling match beyond.  Periodically the patrons glimpse a foot or arm jabbing through the gap, but it is impossible to discern to whom they belong.  Intermingled with unintelligible grunts and groans, are the sharp sounds of the dwarf still swearing violently at Borin.  Some allege they also hear the distinct sound of bones breaking, but none venture into the alcove to check.   

Kalina and Marja rush back into the storage room to find Xenia still repeatedly punching a young man in the face, though he is incapacitated and nearly unconscious.  Borin is sitting atop a cursing dwarf who is bleeding profusely from his broken nose yet still struggling with him.  Marja casts “_ice knife_” at the bounty hunter, watching the icy dagger spring forth from her hand.  Unfortunately, because of the entanglement, she misses her target and looks on in horror as the glass-like shards burst in midair.  As luck would have it, no one is seriously injured.  No one except Marja, herself, that is.  She gasps in pain as the shards bury themselves in her skin.  She shivers uncontrollably as they melt into her bloodstream.  Admittedly, this was less than effective.    

Ultimately, Borin manages to subdue his insolent opponent, one last fist to his mouth renders it useless.  Eventually the party manages to bind the bounty hunters in their own shackles.  They drag all six mercenaries into the back room where Deke carefully searches their possessions and weapons.  He finds little of value, but does take their remaining wanted posters.  While deciding what to do with the outsiders, an old friend of Morgaine’s grandmother offers to accompany the gang to the town jail.  Being a retired (and still honorary) member of the city Guard, it does not take much convincing that they should be charged with destruction of property.  In the ensuing confusion, the townspeople gather around Morgaine, hugging her and inquiring about the reason the bounty hunters are after her.  Borin exhaustedly slumps in a chair, demanding beer.

A plump, middle aged woman with graying hair hastily shoves everyone out of the way as she makes her way to Morgaine.  Morgaine instantly recognizes her as Nelly Windlass, her grandmother’s best friend, and gratefully enters the woman’s outstretched arms.  After a long, warm embrace, Mrs. Windlass dabs away her tears.  She remarks how good it is to see Morgaine after so long then scolds her for leaving so suddenly and without any word.  Morgaine quickly wipes her own moist eyes as she tries to explain, finding a sudden lump in her throat prevents coherent speech.  Borin once again demands beer, this time much louder and more forcefully, reminding Morgaine of her surroundings.  Introductions are hastily made and they all settle down with pints of beer.  Mrs. Windlass sends her husband for lunch for the weary travelers and the townspeople gather around to hear Morgaine’s tale of life in the “big city” of Amalthea.  

Several hours and even more pints later, with their story told and their bellies full, the group decides to head to the only inn in Otenazu.  Since this cottage has been turned into a tavern, there is no place for the group to sleep.  Morgaine becomes despondent upon learning that Mrs. Windlass sold her possessions to a gnome several months prior.  “He told us that he worked for you, dear.  You mean you never got that stuff?  Oh, dear.”  It may very well explain all the strange visions she’s been having lately.  In an effort to soothe the forlorn young woman, Nelly offers to clean out Morgaine’s room the next day so that she may at least have some place to stay.  With a sigh, she agrees and the party makes their way through the darkened streets of Otenazu en route to secure lodging.


----------



## Aravis

Morgaine said:
			
		

> *Several hours and even more pints later, with their story told and their bellies full, the group decides to head to the only inn in Otenazu.  Since this cottage has been turned into a tavern, there is no place for the group to sleep.  *




Again, I must protest.  You say that there was no place to sleep.  Several of us thought it to be a bonus that your old room was now filled with kegs of beer and would have been quite happy to sleep there.

-- Aravis


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*game write-up #1*

For the record, I am Marja's player.

This post and the one that follows are the beginnings of our Scarred Lands adventures.  Enjoy!

For those of you who cross-reference, this is episodes 1 through 4 as described by PC in an early post.

In a little pre-Scarred-Lands background, Fergus, Morgaine, Xenia and Deke plus a character named Eleanor (played by KidC) were hired to go protect a temple deep in the forest.  Once there, they met Borin and Marja, two travel companions who happened to be passing by and stopped to give their aid to the temple as well.  The group has several adventures, which conclude in the unfortunate death of Eleanor – a perfect break to move the campaign to the Scarred Lands…

Fergus, Borin, Marja, Morgaine, Xenia, and Deke were hired to keep watch at the edge of the Forest outside of the city of Amalthea.  It was rumored that some Druids of Khet were traveling toward the city and this motley crew was to be the first defense.  They were sent with an armed, cloaked woman whom none of them had met.  Cool and detached, saying few words in the hours they spent in her company, Gemma (as she turned out to be) was something of an enigma.  She remained all but hidden beneath her dark cloak despite the warmth of the day, ceaselessly scanning the horizon.   

The group had not been in their tree fort long when Gemma spies three figures cloaked in dark capes accompanied by an abomination the likes of which none in the party had ever encountered.  Recognizing them for the Khet worshippers they were, the party springs into action.  All except Marja and Morgaine, that is.  Gemma had fired off a shot from her longbow before Morgaine is aware anything is amiss.   Marja comments on the prudence of shooting first and asking questions later but her companions had already scrambled out of the tree and are running full tilt at the evildoers.  All except Xenia who fell out of the tree, landing with spikes in the ground.  Only Morgaine and Gemma are there to hear her, and Gemma is of no mind to discuss philosophy as she fires again and again.    

There is a great battle in which Borin, while raging, chops the “creature” almost in half.  Gemma turns one of the Druids into a pincushion.  Marja abandons her pacifist stance and joined the melee with magic missiles.  Morgaine (after gathering her wits about her) summons a fiendish hawk, with the aid of summon monster I.   And Xenia shows them why no one messes with her when she is mad – after she extricated herself from the ground.   

Upon close examination, these were not humans after all but appear to be some type of snake-human breed.  They have scale-like skin and forked tongues but have limbs and human heads.  Several in the party shudder with revulsion.  After searching the remains, Deke finds Mormo holy symbols on each of the humanoids.  In the pocket of one he also finds a piece of paper on which was written a name and the name of an inn in town. Deke brings the holy symbols to the city guard to get the reward for killing the Mormo worshippers while the rest of the group goes to the Inn.  They rent rooms while Gemma addresses a note to the gentleman, placing it on the message board in the common room.  It reads simply “the meeting is cancelled.”  She then posts herself in the corner to keep watch for anyone looking at the message.  

Marja remains with Gemma at the Inn, sending Morgaine to bring her back some food.  Meanwhile, Borin, Xenia, Morgaine, and Deke go out to a bar down the street for food and some drinks.  Already, this is a bad idea.  Someone at the bar insults Xenia, who is quick with a retort and even quicker to anger.  Standing, she challenges him to say it again and things rapidly deteriorate.  From somewhere in the crowd, Deke’s voice is heard screaming “Bar Fight!!!!!”  And that’s exactly what happens -- tables are broken, chairs swung, punches thrown, and a bar owner gets really pissed off.  At which point Morgaine tries desperately to calm the atmosphere by casting hypnotize on anyone who can hear her.  As rattled as she is, however, this spell is less than effective.  It might have had more effect if she had not lost consciousness after being hit with a chair (The DM – PirateCat -- criticaled his roll).

Meanwhile, back at the Inn, Gemma notices someone glance at the note and then go upstairs.  She and Marja follow him up to his room where Gemma promptly kicks down the door.  The man in the room attempts to rip Gemma’s face off until he notices Marja standing just outside the room (who happens to be quite a bit more attractive than Gemma and looking far less menacing).   Leaning forward, he starts tearing at the skin around Marja’s face.  Gemma and Marja manage to hold their own and even have him momentarily dazed when the group returns from the bar fight.  The guy, with part of Marja’s skin, jumps out the window and disappears.  The party attempts to give chase but the man has vanished without a trace.  Hearing all this commotion, the innkeeper hustles upstairs and is dismayed to see that the room no longer has a door and Marja almost no longer has a face.  He sends for the Guard and a Druid to heal all their scrapes, bruises and shredded faces.

Upon searching the room, the party finds a large box with scrolls, a long sword (Spider Bite +1, critical casts web), and a piece of paper with two local addresses on it.  If memory serves me correctly, the party did not find these things without a small explosion and a room full of smoke, but Deke can’t remember this happening.  They also find a file on the Innkeepers family, their movements during the last couple of days, their schedule, a very detailed description of what the Innkeeper looks like and map of the Inn with tunnels and rooms leading from the root cellar.

The night passes uneventfully as the party guards the room.

In the morning, as the party gathers in the room to decide how best to proceed, the Innkeeper comes upstairs.  Upon seeing Marja, he comments “What are you doing up here, I thought I just saw you downstairs?”  The group runs down the stairs, all except for Borin.  Borin – the dwarf – jumps out the second story window, and starts looking around for the second Marja.  When they can’t find “her” they ask the Innkeeper if anything strange has happened in the last couple of hours.  He says that some men went down into his root cellar/basement earlier and now he can’t get into it.  He tells Deke that he will give them a healing potion and 5 GP if they will clear out the basement.  

Borin use’s his “Key” (i.e. his dwarven battle axe), to open the door to the basement and peers down the stairs.  Good thing he did this because they are covered in caltrops.  With a little nifty footwork Morgaine, Marja, Deke, Borin, and Gemma manage to get down the stairs into a basement full of junk.  Borin goes into the second room in the basement, only to get ambushed from both sides by two thugs waiting for the group.  

Borin goes DOWN, Deke and Marja drag his unconscious body back into the room they are in, and Morgaine uses the healing potion they got from the Inn keeper on him.  The two thugs in the other room say “We don’t want to hurt you, just go away and we’ll be out of here shortly” (not going to happen).  Deke tumbles into the second room and attacks the thug on one side of the doorway moments before Borin starts to take his revenge on the other guy who knocked him unconscious.  

Morgaine tries talking to the bad guys, but they are a little busy.  Then they see Marja and say “What are you doing up here?  And what are these guys here for?”  Being very quick Marja figures out that the person who looked like her must have hired these guys to guard something down here and now they think she is the second Marja.  She sorts out the “miscommunication” and pays them the money that her alter ego owes them and they leave. 

What they were guarding is a hole in the ground, which appears to lead into another room under the root cellar.  Amalthea is built upon a fallen city, so what the hole is leading into is in fact another building upon which the Inn is built.  The group goes down the hole and lands in a room with marble floors that is on a strange angle (the building collapsed and is now leaning).  There are heaps of rubble and debris along the walls and on the floors, some of the debris was partially blocking the doorway out of the room. They find a vial of an unidentified potion and are heading out of the first room when they find the second Marja and the chase is on.  Down many flights of stairs and past a snake-man who is lying down in what looks like a ritual circle with black flames all around and a symbol on the ground under him.

Finally the group catches the “Face Stealer” and two other priests of Khet are with him.  The battle takes place in a circular room with a pillar of black flame (which is going up through the floor and is where the flame is coming from in the ritual circle).  Deke gets a spell cast at him that puts maggots in his stomach and drops him to 1hp.  Figuring nothing much could be worse he tries to burn the maggots out of his stomach by jumping over the black flame.  When he lands on the ground he has only managed to knock himself unconscious (-2hp).  Morgaine goes over to him and feeds him the potion that she found earlier (she has no idea what it does, but figures he’s dying anyway).  (PC asks Deke, what are you thinking about right now?  “Well, maggots of course”. )  Deke is polymorphed into a maggot.  Luckily the shapechange gives him back 2hp’s and he is at zero.  He proceeds to attempt to get nearer to Morgaine sensing the warmth.  The group finishes off the three bad guys, including the face-stealer.

They go to the Temple of Denev and tell them about the creature of Mormo under the Inn.  The next day there is a new owner of the Inn (she is an elderly woman who is a priestess of Denev).

Once the group is healed and rested they head out to take a look at the two addresses.  The first one is an abandoned house and the second one appears to be derelict as well.  The group goes into the second house and hears a slithering noise.  Marja’s familiar (the snake “Garnet”) says she smells another snake, only bigger.  

That’s when the giant snake comes down the stairs in front of the group.  There is a brief hesitation: group looks at snake, snake looks at group.  Then Marja (for the first time) jumps to the offensive and fires a magic missile at the snake.  In response the snake lunges toward the nearest figure, Fergus, swallowing him head first, all the way down to his boots.  From somewhere down the hall a ball of something gets shot toward the group, slowly forming into a ball of wriggling snakes.  Lot’s of hacking and even Fergus attacking the snake from the inside by biting it finally take down the giant snake and the “Ball o’ Snakes”. 

Xenia and Deke head down the hall and to the room on the right where they surprise a thug who appears to have been waiting for a signal of some kind.  He didn’t get that signal, instead he got smacked by Xenia and the sword Spider Bite.  While stuck to the wall by the sword he is knocked unconscious by Xenia (and then disposed of by Deke).  

The rest of the group goes into the room on the left where they find the man-snake who was responsible for the fun “Ball O’ Snakes”.  Borin charges in while Gemma peppers him with arrows and very quickly he is knocked unconscious (not killed).  

Searching the rest of the house they find two rooms upstairs, both locked.  When Borin tries to break down the door on the right, and fails, Deke happens to mention that the key to the door is hanging from the doorframe (oops).  They find a wolf inside, and he’s not real happy to be there.  He appears to Gemma to have been drugged, so she takes some alone time with him and tries to calm him down.  

The other locked room is also trapped; it appears to be some magical symbol on the door.  With some work Deke manages to disarm it without setting it off.  This time Deke gives Borin the key to the door before the poor dwarf hurts himself more by slamming his body into locked doors. 

Inside they find a half-elven woman who is partially stuffed into a large sack and unconscious, she has also been drugged.  Marja recognizes her immediately, it is her friend Kalina.  A large jar of sticky liquid is found in the closet, at first thought to be honey (really bad alchemy check by Morgaine), and then figured out to be a poison of some kind, most likely what has been used to drug Kalina and the wolf.  

When Kalina comes to she tells the group that she came to the city to find Marja, and didn’t exactly make it a secret.  She had dinner at a bar and the next thing she knew here she was in this room.  Kalina is given some food and water because she says she isn’t feeling real well (Deke’s comment on that is “Well, when we found you, you were half in the bag).  Kalina has been training as a druid.  She and Marja have not seen each other in about two years.    

The group questions the surviving snake-man (through a charm spell cast by Marja) and discovers a plan for a meeting at a newly bought noble house.  The guard is holding Kalina as hostage to keep the group away.  He gives the location of the home and day/time of meeting.   Borin kills him, and Marja feels guilty about lying to him about his safety.

Using town records the group discovers that the house was bought by Lord Geoffrey Dobrick with money from Darakeen.  Borin, Kalina, Gemma, and Deke go to scout the grounds the night before and notice guards circling the compound.  With Gemma’s and Kalina’s tracking ability they find a secret underground entrance to the house.  The entire party comes back before sunset the night of the meeting.  Gemma and Deke sneak up, well actually Deke sneaks up Gemma does a little jig on a pile of twigs just to make as much noise as possible.  Just when the two human guards have their sights trained on Gemma with crossbows Deke leaps onto them knocking the weapons out of their hands.  Even with lots of snakes all around the group takes out the two guards and sneaks into the basement of the house where they find a snake construct not taking damage from normal weapons, but Morgaine’s acid arrow gets it.

The two magic wielders send their familiars, Taylor and Garnet, to search the long hallway.  They find a small room with a well in it.  They debate if this is the potential meeting room. The group heads down the corridor and goes through a doorway.  They emerge from a large crate into the basement of the house. (The crate is concealing the entrance to hallway from basement.) They hide in the crate as they watch a woman come down and get some wine.  There is a long discussion of what to do next including the ideas of having Marja go upstairs, Deke burn the house down, or they all sneak into house.  The door to the basement opens and a man in a butler’s uniform comes down.  Everyone hides except for Marja (roles a 1 on hide check starting a long-running trend) who is of course, spotted by the butler.  Marja bluffs that she is a new servant just arrived and casts charm person which initially takes affect, but before the group realizes that the spell has worked Kalina sends Fang (the wolf) to pounce on the butler.  Borin and Deke seeing the wolf loping through the basement rush out and knock the butler out.

The group is unable to decide what to do next with the most vehement recommendation coming from Deke who wants to burn the place down.

To be continued…


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*game write-up #2*

This covers episodes 5 and 6 as listed by PC in an earlier post.

When last we left our intrepid band they were standing over the prone figure of the butler lying unconscious on the floor.  Many are pounding their heads into the wall in frustration while a wolf growls quietly in the corner.

Another noise is heard at the top of the stairs.  Marja, still holding the bottles of wine, decides to meet the challenge and rushes to the top of the stairs.  Everyone else hides except Morgaine who looks around in a fluster, but can’t seem to move from her spot standing over the butler. Also, Xenia hides her 6-foot spiky frame behind a delicate wine rack which now looks like a delicate wine rack with spikes.

A young maid opens the door. “What was that noise?”  

Marja draws the girl’s attention.  “Only me getting the wine.”  The girl looks down the stairs and sees Morgaine, the butler, and spikes from Xenia’s armor poking out from behind the cask.  She slams the door, and the group hears the click of a lock.

Borin rushes up the stairs as Marja pushes herself against the banister to let him pass.  Determined to open this door, still stinging from his failure the last time, Borin hits the door with such force that the entire door frame falls forward with a crash.  The group rushes into the kitchen shocking the cook.  The girl is nowhere to be seen.

Quickly Deke and Marja bribe the cook into silence.  The girl returns, and they attempt to bribe her as well, but she has already told the master what she has seen.  He has requested their presence in the library.

Since the girl only saw three of them, Morgaine, Marja and Borin go to the library after Morgaine casts message on Marja, Deke and Kalina. Deke and Gemma go down the hall to the left while Xenia and Kalina go to the right. Fergus stays in the basement guarding the butler.

In the library they are introduced to the master of the house, Lord Geoffrey Dobrick, a middle-aged woman, a young blonde woman, and a young man, the Baronet Gobry.  Lord Dobrick knows each of them by name and knows about the rest of the party as well.  He let’s Marja know that he is holding a friend of hers captive.  He is unaware that Kalina is free.  Marja whispers this to Deke and Kalina.  A lengthy stalemate where little information is gained ends when Xenia decides that Lord Dobrick isn’t going to do anything until the authorities arrive.  She arranges this by jumping out of the comfy leather chair in which she and her spikes had been sitting and sits instead on Lord Dobrick.   The older of the two women makes an “I’ve had enough of this” comment and approaches Xenia while casting.  Xenia responds by smashing the woman across the chin with her fist.  She is still able to complete her spell, and she and Lord Dobrick teleport out of the room. Morgaine runs out to find the others.  

The young idiot Gobry attacks Borin, Marja and Xenia, challenging Xenia and then Borin to duel over the wrong against his “true love,” the older woman who just teleported away with Dobrick. He is subdued (by this we mean knocked unconscious.)  The young woman disappears in a red cloud of smoke. 

As Borin, Marja and Xenia stand there bewildered, two goblins appear out of thin air and attack Borin and Xenia.  The commotion of the fight attracts several house guards who arrive with a large, snarling dog.  The group is able to kill the goblins, and unfortunately the dog and one of the guards as well.  They try to reason with the surviving guard, but he will not believe that his new master is a Mormo worshipper. 

Morgaine finds Deke, Gemma and Kalina, and the four head to town to get help from the Temple of Denev.  In the woods they are attacked by creatures riding giant bats.  Deft use of an entangle spell and archery prowess plus the ferocious bite of a giant wolf bring an end to all the attackers.


----------



## Morgaine

*Re: game write-up #1*



			
				Iron Chef BBQ said:
			
		

> *
> 
> As rattled as she is, however, this spell is less than effective.  It might have had more effect if she had not lost consciousness after being hit with a chair *




Once again, I reiterate....Bar fights ARE NOT OKAY!!!!!!





> *
> 
> Upon searching the room, the party finds a large box with scrolls, a long sword (Spider Bite +1, critical casts web), and a piece of paper with two local addresses on it.  If memory serves me correctly, the party did not find these things without a small explosion and a room full of smoke, but Deke can’t remember this happening.  *




Actually, Morgaine gave Deke the instructions to open the magic lock and er....um...perhaps missed a step.  Oops!!


----------



## KidCthulhu

*Re: game write-up #1*



			
				Iron Chef BBQ said:
			
		

> *(PC asks Deke, what are you thinking about right now?  “Well, maggots of course”. )  Deke is polymorphed into a maggot.  *




Don't ask me why, but someone is always getting _Polymorphed_ into worms in Pkitty's games.  It's a tradition.

A really icky tradition.


----------



## Morgaine

What follows is "episode 7" --our conversation with Lord Dobberick and our subsequent arrest.  We are trying to post in order now, so this comes right after Marja's last two posts.

*****************************************
When last we left our intrepid adventurers. Th posh sitting room was in shambles, there were dead goblins in two corners, a dead guard in the center of the room, an unconscious fop on the floor and the party separated (of their own free will) into two small factions.  Guards were surrounding Borin, Xenia, Deke, Fergus, and Marja while Gemma, Kalina and Morgaine slowly traversed the woods back to town to warn the guards before Dobberick had the chance.

Inside Lord Dobberick’s stately manor, Borin, Marja and Deke try unsuccessfully to convince the guards that their employer is a worshipper of Mormo.  The sentry accuses them of murder, attempted murder, breaking and entering and assault.  They close on the adventurers.  Looking around at the dead strewn about the room, the house guards call a truce with the business end of Borin’s axe and Xenia’s sword.  All agree to wait for the city guards.  Borin, no longer enraged, slumps on the ruined sofa and asks for more ale.  Xenia, Marja and Borin each enjoy a pint of the Lord’s lavish libations.  Fergus picks up a copy of “A Brief History of the Elven Race, Volume I” and pretends to read enthusiastically. 

Meanwhile….

Gemma, Kalina and Morgaine – en route to town to register their story with the city guard before Dobberick can – encounter a contingent of local law enforcement marching down the road toward the house.  Twenty torch-bearing, armed men are moving at a pretty good clip in the direction from which Gemma and co. have just come.  Hiding in the woods, they watch as the troupe passes, noticing one of the men bears the symbols of a sergeant.  Deciding they may fare better with the guards than doubling all the way back to the city, Gemma and Kalina elect to show themselves.  Morgaine, as usual, wavers indecisively.  In a vain attempt to lend themselves credibility, Gemma and Kalina crash out of the woods near the guards, feigning breathlessness.  The hope is to convince the guards that they have just run from the manor house and therefore eliminate suspicion.    Morgaine lamely brings up the rear.  She’s not a very good actress.  Needless to say, the sergeant is less than convinced and orders them all to the manor house at sword point.  

Once inside the manor, the party once again tries unsuccessfully to plead with the sergeant, who identifies himself as Tumbleson.  He listens skeptically to their recount of events and protests of innocence.  “Let me see if I’ve got this straight…you broke into a lord’s house, killed two of his guards, attacked one of his guests, destroyed his sitting room and threatened him with a sword.   All because a stranger – whom you’ve also killed – said he was a worshipper of Mormo.  I can see how you should be cleared of guilt.”  

Morgaine, in a moment of frustration and foolhardiness, begins to rant about Lord Dobberick as the Mormo worshipper he is and that he is getting away.  When Sgt. Tumbleson refuses to realize the full importance of this, she begins a diatribe against Mormo worshippers in general and their evil ways.  Inadvertently, she tells him about the priest held captive under the Inn back in town.  Her cohorts try ineffectually to end this impassioned speech but to no avail.  Eventually Fergus fascinates her with his whistling and forces her into silence.  Unfortunately, the damage is done and the guards now know about the “secret” tower in the cellar of the Inn.  Having sworn they would not reveal this to anyone, our heroes, in addition to being in trouble with the law, have now displeased the Druids of Denev as well.  Her companions stare daggers at Morgaine.  When she finally realizes her folly, she sits quietly chagrined in an overstuffed easy chair.  She really has no business adventuring.


----------



## Morgaine

Deke, in an attempt to distract the guards, decides to act the part of the Good Samaritan.  While he is ostensibly "seeing to the needs" of the unconscious baronet, Deke picks his pockets.  Of course, now that he is no longer forced to carry a fairly heavy bag of jewels and rings, Baronet Gobrey may well have an easier time of it, even if that’s not exactly what the law enforcement had in mind by taking care of him.  In an impressive non-display of dexterous talent, Deke slips this bag in his underwear.  As he later confesses, “They won’t grab the family jewels.”    

Sgt. Tumbleson orders his men to search the suspects and take “everything”.  At this, Fergus questions the Sgt.  “everything??”  Upon receiving confirmation that he has, indeed, heard correctly, Fergus strips and stands in the room wearing nothing but his red hair and freckles.  Borin laughs aloud at the crazy halfling.  Deke sniggers.  Gemma looks exasperated, Marja shakes her head and Kalina shrugs and rolls her eyes.  Poor Morgaine is thunderstruck, sputtering and stammering, and averts her eyes with a desperate plea to Fergus to clothe himself.  Sgt. Tumbleson comments on Fergus’ endowment (or lack thereof) and orders him to get dressed again.  When the Baronet awakens and claims that he has been robbed, the Sgt dismisses his wailings because the “party’s been searched,” which causes another wave of chuckles from guards and adventurers alike.

Much to the dismay of our steadfast heroes, Baronet Gobrey does not recall ever hearing Lord Dobberick admit to being a worshipper of Mormo, thereby immediately slicing large holes in their story and casting them even further into the shadow of guilt.  He does, however, remember enough of the events to challenge Borin and Xenia to duel for the assault on his lover, his person and his honor.  Borin, a barbarian dwarf, looks at the fop’s flimsy rapier and laughs heartily.  Xenia, a walking tin can in full spiked plate mail, also looks bemused.  A chuckle also spreads through some of the guard.  Deke, never one to be left out, challenges Gobrey to a duel for challenging Borin and Xenia to duels.  Gobrey readily agrees.

Amidst discussion of how the Baronet lost his memory, the Sgt. commands the “lawbreakers” to surrender their arms and spell components.  Xenia agrees providing she can retain her spiked armor.  Borin says there are no words for “surrender your arms” in Dwarvish, then lets out a stream of Dwarven obscenities and refuses.  Fergus translates for the guards by saying that it loosely means “over my dead body will you pry this out of my cold, rigid hands.”  Eventually, cooler heads prevail and Marja convinces Borin that cooperating now may bolster their case later.  Reluctantly, he agrees but the pain is clearly written in his face.  Sgt. Tumbleson moves the party out as Borin leans over to Deke and whispers, “Next time, we do your plan and burn this place down!”  Fortunately, the guards do not hear or feign indifference.


----------



## Morgaine

The group is put in a dank, musty cell; the air is stale and not moving.  Cots line both sidewalls and the fetid stench of urine permeates everything.  Two small slits in the back wall act as windows but they are high up and so narrow that no breeze wafts through to the prisoners.  The guards are not gentle as they shove the party members unceremoniously.  Once inside, the gang is forced to surrender all weapons and magic items.  This includes Morgaine’s spell book.  Like Borin with his axe, this is the very core of her being and she clutches it like a mother bear protecting her cub.  The guards literally pry it out of her arms, causing her to break down in great hiccupping sobs.  Even the reticent Gemma is moved to reassure her that this loss is only temporary.  

Shortly after they have been locked into the cell, Lord Dobberick arrives at the jailhouse to gloat.  Sneering superciliously, he clucks his tongue in mock pity at their plight.  Xenia charges the bars, Gemma threatens to hunt him down like the vile creature he is and Morgaine screams a stream of Goblin obscenities so vile and offensive that even Deke (the only other party member who speaks Goblin) blushes to the roots of his hair.  Un-phased, Dobberick takes his leave of the jailbirds with a parting taunt.  

Not surprisingly, sleep eludes the party members.  Somewhere near 4 am, Sgt. Tumbleson returns to the jail and takes watch just outside their cell.  Gone is the outright skepticism with which he first greeted our heroes.  It is replaced by a willingness to listen and even interest in their version of truth.  The bottom line, as he sees it, is that there is no corroboration to support the party’s claim that Dobberick is anything but the upstanding citizen he professes to be.  Personal feelings aside – he admits to a strong dislike of the callous, scheming lord -- the Sgt.’s hand are tied.  However, sitting in a jail cell does not procure any more evidence for the party’s case and the Druids of Denev, while supportive, cannot substantiate any testimony.  Before taking his leave, Tumbleson indicates that there are large sections of the city that are unpatrolled and it would be difficult to track an inconspicuous group outside the city.  Such a group could then obtain proof of its innocence and another’s guilt, if it were their will to do so.  Tumbleson then bids his “suspects” good night and sends in a very sleepy guard to replace him.  Shortly, his soft snores fill the hallway.  Marja hopefully speculates that perhaps Sgt. Tumbleson used a bit of the sleep drug they confiscated from Morgaine.  Deke –being Deke – remarks that it doesn’t matter and manages to pick the lock on the cell with Borin’s cloak pin, easing the heavy door open gently so as not to awaken the dozing guard.  With deft skill, he relieves the guard of the jail keys and the party heads toward the door.  This is exactly the kind of escapade Deke has dreamed about his entire life and he manages this with finesse and aplomb.    

Within minutes, Borin is reunited with his axe, Morgaine with her spell book, Gemma with her bow, Deke with his rapier and Kalina with Fang.  Fergus, sadly, must leave his cart behind, but takes all the paperwork on their case.  Marja never had to surrender her charming personality.  With the jailbreak successfully accomplished, the troupe skulks through the pre-dawn streets to the deserted area of town.  Amidst abandoned homes and warehouses, they regroup to plan their next move.  Using the cover of darkness, they leave the city and head southeast into the woods.  When they are sure they are far enough away and not being followed, the adventurers make a hasty camp and drop into much needed unconscious slumber.  They sleep until noon.


----------



## Little_Buddha

<cheers> More, more! 

*bump*


----------



## Morgaine

Little_Buddha said:
			
		

> *<cheers> More, more!
> 
> *bump* *




Thanks, I often wonder if anyone reads the posts.  I will have the several posts out between this evening and tomorrow.


----------



## Morgaine

Upon waking, Deke informs the party that one of Baronet Gobrey’s rings indicates he is from Otenazu, Morgaine’s hometown.  Unfortunately but not surprisingly, Morgaine has never heard of this noble.  Realizing that they should not attempt to enter Amalthea again during the daylight, the group ponders their limited options while breaking camp.  Head back to the Inn to question the Druids of Denev?  Sneak back into town to question locals?  Seek out Gobrey to “remind” him of the events?  As they debate the merits of each choice, some of the group hear an unnatural howl off in the distance.  Neither of the resident nature experts (Gemma the Ranger and Kalina the Druid) recognizes the call, nor does anyone else in the party.  Deke heads out to investigate since he can hide behind a blade of grass should the need arise.  The group follows at a distance.  

Morgaine casts _message_ on Deke, Gemma, Kalina and herself, allowing them to communicate via whispers.  Deke travels about 150 yards and climbs up a tree to scout the area.  Not far off, he hears the spine-chilling wail of the creature and the equally disturbing response of its mate.  He informs the party via the mental link that there are at least two creatures and then gasps as the horrifying beasts come into view.  Two large, black panther-like creatures are slinking through the tall grasses in the direction of the party.  From this height he can see the red, searing slashes in their hide and large swords projecting out of their bodies at random.  Parts of the creatures even seem to glint in the waning sunlight, almost as if they were metallic.  One of the bladebeasts makes its way to the base of the tree in which Deke is cowering…er hiding.  Up close, he can see that this creature is enormous – at least ten feet long and weighing somewhere in the vicinity of five hundred pounds.  Its partner is even bigger.  Gulp…nice kitties.  

As the beast attempts to jump up into the tree, Deke uses his ring of jumping and leaps 20 feet up through the leaves to a higher branch.  He lands with a teeth-jarring thud which leaves him reeling and shaken as his insides slam into their walls.  At his scream and subsequent calls for help, the party takes off at full run but they are still almost 130 yards away and it will take time to reach him.  Xenia in full plate mail lags far behind and Morgaine hesitates seconds longer than her companions, causing her to also trail at the back. 

Deke desperately looks around for an escape as the blade beast begins to climb the tree with razor-sharp claws ripping away bark and small twigs.  The tree shakes and sways with its weight as the second cat circles the base of the tree, eagerly anticipating the tasty morsel falling from his perch.  Looking around, Deke sees another tree close by.  Once again with his ring of jumping, Deke does his most impressive acrobatics and lands lightly on a heavy branch, winded but unharmed.  The beasts move to the base of the second tree and Deke flies effortlessly to a third tree, slowly making his way back towards the party.  This time, however, one cat lingers at the base of the fourth tree while the other again begins his ascent in this one.  This is obviously a smart breed of bladebeasts.  Help is still frighteningly far away....


----------



## Morgaine

Deke frantically scrambles higher into the tree, hoping he can stave off the creatures.  Eventually, other party members begin arriving and offer a distraction for the hapless rogue turned acrobat.  Borin and Gemma thrash into the clearing 20 feet from the creatures.  The cunning beast waiting at the fourth tree circles around and pounces on Borin from behind.  The scent of his blood spurs the creatures on.  Marja casts _magic missile_ at the creature still attempting to climb up to Deke, who then leaps to the ground and attacks with long, sharp swords slicing out from its underside.  Kalina casts _entangle_ and watches triumphantly as large roots begin to writhe and grow around the trees, catching both cats.  Poor planning cause an unfortunate Borin to also fall victim to the ensnaring underbrush.  Trapped as he is with both creatures, Borin goes berserk with rage in an attempt to break free from the snarling brambles while still attacking the nearest enemy.  This is not as effective as he would like and the cats’ harsh claws repeatedly swipe him, ripping large gashes into his neck and chest.

Deke ties himself to the tree when a cat begins to shake the tree violently with its full weight as it rips at the roots partially ensnaring it.  Once secure, he pulls out his crossbow and aims at the beast.  Alas, shaken as he is, the bolt flies errant and misses in a wide arc to the left.  Fergus and Morgaine finally arrive; he _inspires greatness_ while she casts _melf’s acid arrow_ at the one closest to Borin.  Fergus then charges at the cat shaking the tree, his sword slicing neatly into the metallic flesh, creating a large gash in its haunch.  Gemma also targets this creature with two arrows neatly sunk into its flank.  Wounded and bleeding badly, the bladebeast drops to the ground.  

The beast attacking Borin lets out an unearthly howl at the death of its mate, leaping at Fergus who impales it with his sword.  The sword then continues into the beast as it is sucked inside the creature from Fergus’ incredulous hands.  Once again, Marja casts _magic missiles_ and watches the flaming green sparks of energy emerge from her hands and sink into the chest of the howling beast.  Morgaine sends a _melf’s acid arrow_ hurtling toward the blade beast but harried as she is, her aim is less than perfect.  She narrowly misses hitting the very injured Borin.  Kalina aims a perfect sling-shot into its temple, while Fergus and Borin attempt to flank it.  

Finally free of the ensnaring roots, Borin manages at last to sling his axe into the beast’s metallic hide, hacking a large chunk of its throat.  The beast lets out one long howl and drops unconscious next to its fallen mate.  Exhausted and no longer in a rage, Borin drops unconscious next to the creatures and the healers scramble to tend his terrible wounds.   Deke scouts for other creatures in the vicinity and Fergus attempts to retrieve his sword.  Shortly thereafter, Xenia runs up breathless and itching to fight just as Morgaine drops unconscious, eyes fluttering in her head.


----------



## Morgaine

Here follows the begining of episode 8 -- See PirateCat's original post.  It's easy to see how low level our characters really are.  And hopefully how much fun we have playing them.  

************************
Eyes twitching, shaking violently, Morgaine’s companions watch in stunned silence as she passes into a trance before them.  She comes to several seconds later calling to her grandmother, frightened and confused.  Once coherent, she reports seeing her grandmother beside their home in Otenazu with a cackling goblin-like creature casting a spell and laughing maniacally.  This has increased import for the group when she informs them that her grandmother has been dead over a year.  Visibly shaken, Morgaine spends much of the rest of the day in contemplative silence.

Fergus and Xenia spend several minutes retrieving Fergus’ sword from the bowels of the bladebeast.  In the process, they discover several rusty weapons of little value and a large club that radiates with transmutation magic.  Feeling adventurous, Xenia picks up the weighty cudgel and begins to sense her body growing and changing.  Suddenly, before the party’s eyes, Xenia grows to 12 feet tall.  Someone (probably Marja) gasps as her bottom lip protrudes out from her face and her nose flattens to almost a snout.  Instantly she becomes aware of the awesome power surging through her body and is compelled by a sudden urge to hit things.  Unfortunately, she does not understand her companions and is, in fact, not even sure who they are.  She can see these small creatures waving at her but it is difficult to understand what they are saying.  Xenia knows the desire to hit and kill, but her pea-sized brain has difficulty deciphering much else.  Seeing Deke tied to the tree, Xenia attempts to shake it violently.  Deke manages to get her attention using short, terse words.  “Xenia, stop. Shake.”  At this, the Xenia-Ogre waves her arms in the air and shakes herself wildly.

Eventually, she puts the club down and shrinks back to her normal 6-foot frame.  Deke steers clear of her for most of the afternoon.  Although the image of Xenia the Ogre waving her arms above her head in an oddly amusing dance lingers in everyone's mind for quite some time.  Deciding to wait until the law cools down, the group chooses to head to Otenazu – a six or seven-day journey southeast.  Perhaps they can discover more background about Gobrey.  At the very least, they may be able to investigate what is behind Morgaine’s vision.


----------



## KidCthulhu

Stop.  Shake.

Tee-hee-hee.  I still giggle about that.


----------



## Morgaine

KidCthulhu said:
			
		

> *Stop.  Shake.
> 
> Tee-hee-hee.  I still giggle about that. *




We all do.


----------



## Morgaine

While traveling through the sparse trees and tall-grass meadows just south of Amalthea, the warm sun shines brightly on the travelers and the light summer breeze stirs the leaves in a gentle whisper.  These weather conditions should help them relax; yet the group settles into an uncomfortable silence.  Tension so thick it could be cut with a rapier weighs heavy on our weary heroes.  Hairs bristle at the back of their necks that cannot be attributed to the soft wind.  Fergus and Borin cannot shake the eerie feeling that they are being watched, though nothing is visibly discernable.  Gemma and Kalina listen intently for the natural sounds of wildlife but hear nothing but the rustle of the party tromping.

The party keeps to the woods, following the road without traveling on it.  The day passes uneventfully, despite their nagging feelings and strained thoughts.  Near dusk the weary travelers make camp in a small clearing, far enough into the trees to be fairly protected from strangers.  Deciding to forgo a campfire, the group beds down and turns in fairly soon after eating.  They elect to keep vigil in shifts.  Borin and Xenia take first watch, Gemma and Deke take second, Fergus and Kalina take third.  The spellcasters are eliminated from sentry duty so they will be fresh and able to prepare spells in the morning.  At least, that’s what they are told.  In truth, neither woman would be very effective on guard.  And everyone knows it.  

The night air is cool and still; the adventurers are lulled to sleep by the symphony of nighttime woodland noises.  On their shift, Gemma tightens her bowstring and sharpens her arrows, while Deke practices his pick-pocketing skill on his sleeping companions.  Sometime after midnight, they hear the distant cacophony of lumbering coming from far off to the south.


----------



## Gideon

*the hidden bump*

Ogres don't like elves in trees?  Who knew.  Keep it comin, enjoying the misadventures.


----------



## Morgaine

Neither can discern distinguishable sounds but they realize that investigating would take them completely off course.  Gemma, does, however make note of the location and type of noises for further investigation.  Otherwise the night passes uneventfully. 

Another day of traveling passes much as the one preceding it.  Once again the wayfarers follow the road without ever coming in sight of it.  Gemma scouts ahead of the group for danger while Deke traverses a path behind the party.  Picking their way through bramble, trees and bushes proves fatiguing, despite the shade of the trees above and the breezes wafting through the leaves.  Several party members once more cannot shake the nagging feeling that they are being watched, though none can determine its source.  Though more amiable than yesterday, the troupe still remains quiet and subdued for their journey.  

That night, as the party prepares camp again without aid of fire, Deke spots a campfire several hundred yards to the east.  Gemma, Borin, and Kalina snake their way through the bushes towards this flickering glow.  Deke circles around to the front of that campsite to observe.  In the firelight, they can make out the scruffy group of six who’ve obviously made no effort to conceal their whereabouts.  There are two hulking half-orcs with nose rings glistening in the firelight; a dirty, straggly dwarf; and three human males sitting about the campfire discussing something in animated whispers.  No one is close enough to hear what is being said.  

In an attempt to get closer without being detected, Gemma works her way toward the circle.  Unfortunately, she trips on a hidden root and is forced to grab onto some branches for support.  This alerts the rag-tag bunch to their presence.  Realizing they are discovered, Gemma, Borin and Kalina enter the small clearing to find several wanted posters with their pictures on them.  A reward of 150 gold pieces is offered for the capture of these “outlaws.”  One of the men holds up the parchment paper and commands the troupe to surrender.  Borin slices neatly through the thin document with his axe and is rewarded with a crossbow bolt whizzing past his head, shaving off part of his beard in the process.  Deke is no where to be seen.  From somewhere close by a gnome is heard to say “Do that again and you die.”


----------



## Morgaine

Gemma plays diplomat for the evening and offers the bounty hunters 200 gold pieces to forget they ever saw the group, an offer they mull over for several minutes.  From somewhere just beyond the firelight, Deke also tosses in a bag of jewels to seal the deal.  Within minutes, the heroes make their way back to camp and listen to the retreating sounds of the bounty hunters.  Still leery but feeling confident in their bargaining skills, the group once again take guard shifts and drift off into slumber.

Shortly after dawn, several party members awaken to eerie sounds of lambs bawling in obvious pain and terror.  They break a hasty camp as Morgaine sends Taylor in the direction from which the sounds are echoing.  Through their powerful connection, she shares his thoughts as he reports seeing 2 Ogres attacking a lamb.  Around them are strewn dead bodies of several people and animals, and the remains of a cart in a clearing just ahead.  Morgaine calls Taylor back, fearing for his safety.  After a lengthy debate about whether or not to help the (probably dead) travelers, the group heads off toward sounds on the off-chance someone may still be alive and in need of help.

The ghastly scene they face upon exiting the trees is an all too real reminder of the power of their would-be foes.  There are half eaten carcasses littering the ground, thrown haphazardly as the Ogres devoured them.  Deke spots several people lying in a row, but from this distance it is impossible to tell if the party is too late to save any of them.  Horrified and frightened, the group once again discusses the merits of leaving quietly without confronting the hulking creatures responsible for this.  The debate this time, however, is much shorter.  No one can, in good conscience, leave these reprehensible villains to their task.


----------



## KidCthulhu

*Re: the hidden bump*



			
				Gideon said:
			
		

> *Ogres don't like elves in trees?  Who knew.  Keep it comin, enjoying the misadventures. *




The thing that makes this so funny is that the player actually stood up and shook around herself, with her brows furrowed in terrible concentration as she tried to get her ogre brain around the directions.  It was a moment of wonderful role playing from a promising newbie player, and we laughed until we hurt ourselves.


----------



## Morgaine

Realizing that they have the advantage of surprise, the party hastily lays an ambush for the two Ogres in the clearing below.  Stationed as they are on a large hillock above the scene, the troupe plans their actions together in an extraordinary cooperative effort, the likes of which they have not yet managed to accomplish.  They plan to use Deke – the most nimble and agile of the group – as bait to draw the Ogres into the narrow path between the two hills.  Once inside, Marja will use her _fireball_ scroll to engulf them in flames.  Kalina also plans to use a new spell she has been studying, _Salamar’s Quiet Comtemplation_.  Borin and Gemma both decide to wait until these spells have taken effect before attacking and Morgaine readies Melf’s acid arrow in the event that the Ogres withstand their fire blast.  

Deke sneaks forward, slinking through trees and grass until he is just at the edge of the clearing, the hills rising above him on either side.  He carefully loads his crossbow bolt and aims it level with the thigh of the Ogre closest to him.  Taking care not to miss, he fires the bolt and is relieved to see his accuracy as the point sinks into the flank of his opponent.  Unable to resist the taunt, he then yells, “Hey, you big dummy.  Yeah, that’s right, I’m talking to you.  Betcha can’t catch me!”.  He then moons them and takes off at a dead run.  He makes his way back around the clearing to see if anyone is still alive.  The Ogre pulls the bolt from deep within his thigh, bellows and then charges toward the spot where Deke disappeared into the tree line.  His companion is slower to react, but also clambers to his feet and lumbers into the path.  

Marja carefully reads the words from the parchment, they are foreign but she speaks them with ease.  As she does so, they burn away from the yellowed paper, forming a massive flaming orb that pulsates with magical energy.  When she finishes reading, the air around her is thick with heat and smoke.  She sends this blazing ball whizzing through the air and watches in triumph as it bursts in between both ogres, engulfing them both in fire.  Their screams echo in the still morning woods.  

Badly burned but still standing, the now enraged Ogres search fervently for their unseen enemies.  Realizing they are still very much a threat, Kalina recites the incantations of her spell, calling on the forces of nature and earth to add power to her words.  She can feel the earth beneath her shift subtly when she utters the final phrase, “Do what you will, harm none.”  The air ripples slightly and then is still.  The 2nd ogre, being behind his companion, took less damage but is no less enraged.  Yet, as he attempts to swing his club at the now visible Borin, he stops mid swing and pauses to contemplate the futility of killing. and the usefulness of humans.  Kalina smirks knowingly as her philosophy-laden enchantment takes effect.


----------



## Morgaine

Gemma neatly sinks to arrows into the first ogre, who is terribly charred and slightly stunned at his friend’s sudden change of heart.  Borin charges him, screaming dwarven battle cries, heaving his axe mightily into his burned flesh.  The now philosophical ogre bemoans the fact that he is forced to attack against his will and swings his club at Borin’s head.  Fortunately for Borin, because the ogre is now a reluctant predator, he misses when Borin ducks under the club’s sweep.   Alas, the first ogre manages to knock Borin back with a violent blow by his own weapon while Borin is dealing with the 2nd.     Marja fires two _magic missiles_ at him.  She's concerned, no one messes with Borin.  

Xenia, anxious to use her new toy, grasps the magical weapon in both hands.  Just as before, she grows almost twice her size and feels the strength and power associated with the great club.  Barely able to form speech, she grunts at the ogres surrounding Borin and without words challenges them to take on someone their own size.  The contemplative ogre begins to spout idealistic views about women in society and their lack of respect, all the while lackadaisically approaching her to attack.  Once again he misses his mark and then wonders aloud the significance about his inability to hit things.  Xenia slugs him in the abdomen mid sentence.  Kalina chuckles bemusedly to herself and moves to check on the bodies below.  Perhaps they can still heal some of them.

Two more arrows from Gemma, a _Melf’s acid arrow_ from Morgaine and one last swipe of Borin’s axe finish off the 1st ogre.  He crumples in a heap, with the perplexed look at his friend’s bizarre behavior still evident on his hideous face.  While Kalina and Gemma attempt to tend to the wounds of the few still living people in the clearing, Morgaine argues vehemently that they should not kill the ogre turned thinker but she is heavily out voted.  Wanting no part of it, she heads down to help Kalina and Gemma in whatever capacity she can.


----------



## Piratecat

Best. Fight. Ever. They made a good plan, stuck to it, and carried it off perfectly! The contemplative ogre had a rough go at it; "I can see now!" he cried as the party tried to kill him. "Violence is not the answer!"


----------



## Ramien Meltides

Hey Pcat, what was that spell Kalina cast to make the Ogres turn into philosophy students? (I need to learn it so I can cast it on my friends! Tons of fun at parties!)


----------



## Piratecat

Relics & Rituals: Salamar's Quiet contemplation. We've changed the duration from permanent to ten minutes per level.


----------



## Morgaine

They discover several dead bodies, animals and people alike.  Deke directs their attention over to an unconscious older man and a gnome who is alive but feigning death, hoping to avoid being eaten.  Morgaine takes one look at the comatose gentleman at her feet and remarks that he is “a goner.”  Kalina stares aghast at her, saying “he’s okay.  Wounded but he’s stable and he’ll live.  What are you talking about?”  Sheepishly Morgaine apologizes and hurries to help Gemma set the Gnome’s broken leg.  Fang trots over with Kalina, and looms over the now “awake” Gnome.  Behind them, Borin, Marja and Fergus make their way into the clearing, Xenia still holding the club.  The terrified Gnome stammeringly wonders “is it friendly.”  At which Borin orders Xenia to drop the club.  “No, I meant the wolf. “ And just like that, the tension of the moment, the tension of the past few days, is broken.

The troupe rigs a make-shift gurney for the two survivors of the ogre ambush.  They learn from Coggin, the gnome that he and his companions were traveling from Amalthea to Otenazu with supplies.  Unfortunately, his cart was caught in the blast of flame from Marja’s fireball and all that remains is the charred wood and flash-fried chicken, which Deke nabs for dinner.  Coggin discloses that he knows Baronet Gobrey and his father, Lord Wyndhill.  But he cannot give any further information about Gorbey's paramour.  

Deciding to let the injured heal overnight, Gemma scouts out a camp site and then lights a camp fire for the first time in several days.  As the afternoon wears on, Kalina heals the older man, Millard and tends his wounds. Morgaine peppers Coggin with questions about home, attempting to both distract him and ease her own mind.  After feasting on the burned chickens from Coggin’s carts, they bed down early, keeping the standard watches.  In the morning, the party decides to travel along the road to make gains towards Otenazu.  As they near the road, once again Morgaine passes out and slumps to the ground.  Hooves approach on the road from the south.


----------



## Morgaine

Just as before, Morgaine slumps over in a trance.  Unlike before, however, this one lasts for several minutes.  Hastily, her companions make an effort to conceal her and themselves in the bushes just off the road, as the sound of galloping bears down on them.  Alas, they are not quick enough to escape notice of a very chiseled man wearing armor so shiny the sun glints off his chest, momentarily blinding Fergus.  Tall, extremely good looking and radiating pure virtue from every pore in his body, this dazzling stranger stares down from his incredibly tall steed and bellows in the tone of the self-righteous, “Halt!  Who goes there?”  

Marja is instantly taken with the man's piercing blue eyes and golden hair as he gazes intently at the scene before him; taking in Morgaine’s prone figure, the weak and obviously injured Millard, Coggin’s hastily mended leg, and the furtive glances of the rest of the party.  Marja smoothes her hair and affords him her most winning smile.  The effect is breathtaking.  “We found these helpless people about to be eaten by ogres.  My companions and I save them.  We’re taking them to Otenazu.”

“Oh, good.  I saw the remnants of the ambush back there and I followed the trail to find two dead ogres and several dead people.  I buried them as best as I could then set out to help any survivors.  I’m glad you were there to help these people.  I’m Naxos, a Vigil of Vesh.” He proclaims proudly, chest out, one hand on his hip winsome smile.  Deke sucks wind through his teeth, remembering the tales of vigilants’ raids throughout the lands in attempts to defend the helpless and free the oppressed.  He shudders in the face of all that…that…goodness.  

Xenia bristles.  She does not trust the gleam in his eye or his armor.  She challenges Naxos openly to procure proof of his claim.  Slightly taken aback, he does, indeed, produce several papers from his polished saddled bag.  The official documents are signed by the Home Commander,   Kelemis Durn himself and verify that he is a Veshian Vigil, charged with “helping the needy and ensuring freedom and justice for all.”  With pointed looks from Marja and several attempts by Fergus to allay her misgivings, Xenia eventually steps aside but snidely remarks that she is less than convinced of his ‘virtue.’


----------



## KidCthulhu

Yeah, Xenia really hated that paladin.  Then again, I can't blame her.  PC was using his paladin voice, which is ringing, virtuous, and smug.  Better women than Xenia have been put off by that voice.


----------



## Ramien Meltides

Ringing, virtous, and smug? Does it sound like Dudley Do-Right?


----------



## Morgaine

Ramien Meltides said:
			
		

> *Ringing, virtous, and smug? Does it sound like Dudley Do-Right? *




sounds EXACTLY like Dudly Do-Right.  In fact, Naxos looks like him, as well.  ;O)  But that would make Marja Nell and I don't think that will fly.


----------



## Morgaine

After exchanging pleasantries, Naxos offers to take Millard and Coggin with him back to Otenazu.  Marja assures him that she and her companions will take extra care in their travels.  He grins, showing gleaming white teeth and a cleft chin.  Marja can barely contain her excitement as she watches him spur his horse and ride off into the horizon.  “My goodness!”  she gasps as she fans herself.   Deke groans and rolls his eyes, muttering disgustedly,  “I think I’m gonna puke”  Xenia agrees wholeheartedly.  

Morgaine comes to, disoriented and sobbing, finding speech difficult for several seconds.  Marja and Kalina comfort the distraught mage as she relates the vision of a man and woman kissing then exploding into light.  Just as before, the evil cackling echoes in her head while her grandmother tries in vain to convey a message of some urgency.  Shaken and disturbed, Morgaine resolves to get to Otenazu as quickly as possible.  Consequently, she argues passionately but without avail when her friends opt to investigate the ogre attack further.  

Coggin mentioned a third ogre who left the other two after an argument of some kind.  After scouring the sight of the ambush further down the road, the party finds that the trail leads off into the rough hills to the east.  Deciding to ensure that no other hapless travelers succumb to a similar fate, they head off into the rocky terrain in search of the third ogre.


----------



## KidCthulhu

Can you blame us?  In this direction, obscure prophecy and wierd forboding.  In the other direction, clearly evil tush to kick.  Not really much of a decision.  Plus, evil tush has bigger exp. glands and treasure potential.  Forbodings are notoriously low on treasure.  Sorry, Morgaine.


----------



## Morgaine

They follow a trail that leads into the craggy hills above them.  Morgaine sends Taylor ahead to scout and reports to the group that he smells ogre and something bleeding.  This further spurs the group to act quickly and they pick up their pace.  The group spends the day climbing and (at times) crawling over rocks, ledges and precipices.  It is grueling travel but they manage to maintain decent speed through the ascent.  By late afternoon, the party is weary and cross.  Though still following the trail of the ogre, there has been no sign of it or anything else.  They stop to rest, regroup and discuss their options.  

Tired as she is, Marja stumbles and kicks some rocks loose.  They cascade down the steep incline and the group watches them fall in silence.  In doing so, they notice a lone goblin climbing the rocks to their left.  It does not appear to have seen the party.  Gemma’s arrows and Borin’s crossbow bolts wipe out this small threat in no time.  Fang stops short and growls menacingly, hackles raised as he points his nose in the direction of the dead goblin.  In the area above, they spy a cave entrance.  Kalina infers from his behavior that there are more of these spider-like creatures.  

The party gathers together to discuss options, deciding to maneuver themselves onto the ledge just above the opening.  Upon closer look, the piles of what appeared to be rocks turn out to be heaps of bones, picked clean and gnawed on and then left to dry in the sun.  As they near the cave, Deke can hear three more goblins inside but he is too far away to understand what they are saying.  

With his companions in place, ready for an ambush, Deke throws a rock towards the edge of the cave in an attempt to draw the goblins out.  His efforts are rewarded when a pale, green-tinged creature with spindly arms and legs wanders out into view, blinking rapidly at the sudden dazzling sunlight.  Deke readies his masterwork crossbow, aimed at the chest of the goblin.  He waits to fire until the creature is out of sight of the cave entrance.  When he is sure the goblin’s companions will not witness the attack, Deke lets a bolt fly with amazing accuracy.  Unfortunately, however, the bolt does not kill its victim, who runs screaming toward the cave.

Borin jumps down from his perch on the ledge and with one sweep of his axe, destroys the goblin before he can sound the alarm.  Gemma also jumps down into the fray.  She notices the giant gong rigged up in the interior of the cavern, just before the path curves away into darkness.  In an extraordinary display of bravery and courage, she uses her body as a shield to prevent the creatures from calling reinforcements.  Both of the goblins fire crossbows at her.  Despite being startled and scared, they easily hit Gemma in the chest and stomach, who falls backward into the gong then forward onto the ground.  They watch triumphantly as Gemma’s blood pools around her unconscious figure, thinking she is their only intruder.


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## Morgaine

KidCthulhu said:
			
		

> *Can you blame us?  In this direction, obscure prophecy and wierd forboding.  In the other direction, clearly evil tush to kick.  Not really much of a decision.  Plus, evil tush has bigger exp. glands and treasure potential.  Forbodings are notoriously low on treasure.  Sorry, Morgaine. *




Yeah, yeah, yeah.  It's not always about the treasure.  Okay, so it is.  But it still smarts.


----------



## Morgaine

Having finally figured out a way around the user limit (that's been blocking me out since it was implemented) I can now post the rest of the stories.  Unfortunately, they are not with me today.  Figures.  So sit tight, I promise an update this evening.

)


----------



## (contact)

I want to hear more about Borin!  It seems to me that he is the pinion around which the entire story revolves.

Could we have more stories that feature Borin?  Maybe a Borin solo adventure or three.  That would be sweet.


----------



## Morgaine

The party springs into action.  With fury and madness in his eyes, Borin leaps into the cave, neatly slicing a would-be attacker in half with his great axe.  He then continues his full swing and feels the crunch of bone and tear of flesh, as the second goblin also falls to the ground in a heap.  Kalina and Morgaine rush to Gemma’s side, to staunch the blood gushing from the gashes in the ranger’s torso.  Morgaine musters her limited first-aid skills to pack Gemma’s wounds while Kalina concentrates on the pine boughs in her hands.  Feeling the natural energy of the healing tree surge through her body, Kalina waves the branch over the nearly lifeless form on the ground.  Light pours from her fingertips and the pine needles fall lightly onto Gemma’s wounds, forming a lattice that covers the holes and mends the punctures left by the crossbows.  Groggily, the elder woman opens her eyes and gratefully nods her thanks to the younger druid.  Gingerly, Morgaine and Kalina help her to her feet.  She seems to be shaken but no longer injured or weak.  Kalina thanks the tree for its assistance and tosses the branch to the wind.

From somewhere deep inside the cave, several party members he the faint echo of a lone wolf, crying a howling lament.  Deke hides the bodies of the goblins then cloaks himself in the shadows of early evening.  His companions have already resumed their ambush out of sight.  Several tense seconds past as the baying gets louder and closer.  Although light is diminishing rapidly, no one in the party has trouble noticing the horse-sized wolf loping out of the cave entrance leading an 11-foot ogre carrying its chain.  Both dog and master are ripe with fleas, reeking of a foul stench that brings tears to the eyes of anyone within several feet.  Having taken care to be upwind of the creatures, the group uses the full surprise of the ambush to their advantage.  

Still hidden and out of range, Marja casts two _magic missiles_ into the chest of the mangy beast.  It yowls in pain as the glowing globes penetrate its flesh.  Gemma rapidly loads two arrows from her quiver and shoots each into the flanks of the hulking canine before either the ogre or the wolf can react.  Morgaine quickly follows with a _Melf’s acid arrow_, the phosphorescent weapon materializing in the night air and hurtling into the wolf’s chest.  One last crossbow bold from Borin puts the creature out of its misery.  As the beast falls over, the ever-reticent Gemma alights at the cave entrance and commands “Stay!”

Kalina once again summons the forces of nature to do her bidding as she calls upon the wisdom of the ancient philosophers and the Earth Mother herself.  Just as before, _Salomar’s quiet contemplation_ gives the ogre pause to stop and reflect on the futility of life’s struggle.  In a vain attempt to negotiate a pact, the ogre solicits friendship from the party.  He offers treasure and fresh meat.  What he procures is the business end of Borin’s axe, Fergus’ sword, Gemma’s arrows, Kalina’s scimitar, Xenia’s club and Deke’s rapier.

No sooner has the group slain the pensive ogre than six goblins emerge from the dark depths of the den, courageously defending their home.  Twelve seconds later, the lone remaining warrior runs screaming into darkness beyond, Borin and Xenia in hot pursuit.  The remaining group members hear the echoing shout and subsequent thuds when their headstrong companions miss a trap in the dark and land in an 8-foot pit.  Cackling wildly, the goblin drags a large urn to the edge of the basin and attempts to pour oil down the side, hindering their efforts to climb out.  Cautiously making their way through the passageways, en route to assist Borin and Xenia, the party follows Deke’s lead to avoid the same traps.  

The goblin shouts taunts to his captives below.  Yet since neither Xenia nor Borin speaks goblin, the gibes are ineffectual.  Too busy gloating, the goblin does not see Borin grab the club from Xenia’s pack and raise it above his head.  Nor does he note Borin’s sudden growth or his shout of rage.  When the 10-foot Borin-ogre brings the club down on the goblin’s head, however, the splat can be heard throughout the cavern.  He then lifts Xenia out of the hole and calmly puts the club down.  “Hate being laughed at,” he growls, sinking to the ground to await being hauled out by the others.


----------



## Morgaine

(contact) said:
			
		

> *I want to hear more about Borin!  It seems to me that he is the pinion around which the entire story revolves.
> 
> Could we have more stories that feature Borin?  Maybe a Borin solo adventure or three.  That would be sweet. *




Borin???  Granted, he is the party's hit point sponge.  But jeesh, simply because he runs into combat and saves our hides in every adventure doesn't make him the star.  Harumph!


----------



## KidCthulhu

Nice image with the pine needles.  Very pretty.  

We certainly could write a story hour about Borin.  Of course, it would have lots of pictures and very small words.  Erudition is not Borin's job within the party.


----------



## (contact)

Yeah, Borin roxxors.  _"C'mon!"_


----------



## Morgaine

With Borin safely out of the pit, the party attempts to traverse the large hole but it blocks any further progress down the hall.  Marja casts _spiderclimb_ on Deke, who does not even flinch when eating the live spider, though Morgaine gags visibly.  Slowly, he feels his skin begin to tingle and realizes his hands and feet are sticky.  Nimbly, he climbs the walls, searching for he lever that will restore the trap and close the pit.  Within seconds, he has secured the snare and instructed his companions how to get around it without tripping the trigger again.  Deke scampers ahead, searching for more traps, the party following at a short distance behind him.

Up ahead, Deke can see a green glow filling the hallway.  What they find upon investigating is a large room filled with sparkling, glowing emeralds.  Emerald stalactites and stalagmites suspend down from the radiant ceiling and thrust up from the luminous ground in beautiful finger-like projections.  A flowing stream cascades down from a small hole in the wall on the far side and continues through another well in the near corner.  Marja casts _detect magic_ and as she concentrates on the water, she can see the radiating energy pulsating throughout the flow.  It emits magical energy of all kinds which reverberates off the crystals in the room, causing the whole cavern to effervesce in the magical light.  

Xenia, ever ready for an adventure, drinks the cool water, feeling her body tingle as the liquid travels down her throat.  For just an instant her skin becomes translucent, taking on the texture of the crystals surrounding them all.  She begins to feel the earth like a weight around her, a part of her.  She knows intimately the solidness of the ground and strength of the rocks, stones and soil that is the earth.  This feeling of strength and power is all too short-lived, however, and passes as quickly as it came.   Curious to experience first hand what Xenia tries in vain to describe, Morgaine also drinks the water and is suddenly jolted by how delicious it tastes.  She can feel the cool liquid traveling throughout her body, coursing through her veins and imbuing her with a sense of headiness.  Once the initial sensation passes, Morgaine becomes acutely aware of just how loud Borin breathes and the soft clink of Xenia’s armor as she moves about the small room.  Another sip produces less of a physical sensation but intensifies Morgaine’s now acute hearing.

Deke, with no interest in magical water, meanders further down the narrow passageway, carefully searching for traps and pitfalls, but eager to find whatever treasure awaits.  Meanwhile, Gemma also drinks of the water and begins to understand the rush of the water is actually a song it sings to itself.  As she concentrates, the older woman can make out the faint words of a hymn to Mesos, the Titan of Magic and one of the first to be destroyed by the Gods in the Titan war.  Puzzled but intrigued, Gemma states that the water is happy.  Morgain and Kalina take vials from the stream for later use.  Kalina also fills  a pouch with the crystal shards littering the floor.  The group is just starting to discuss what powers the water imbues when Deke’s piercing scream rents the air, echoing harshly in Morgaine’s head.


----------



## Morgaine

They take off at a run in the direction Deke headed.  The passageway curves away to the right and ends in a large chamber deep underground.  Upon entering the room, what they see is Deke 25 feet up in the air, grappled by an enormous tentacle snaking its way from the depths of a crumbled castle.  Borin rushes to aid his companion only to find himself equally suctioned by a second sinewy appendage.  It shakes both its victims violently.  Deke feels a force thrust itself into his mind as the creature disturbs his thoughts with its own.  “Why have you disturbed me?  And why have you brought that destructive creature – indicating Borin – with you?  

Before Deke can answer, Marja fires two _magic missiles_ at the tentacle holding Borin twenty feet in the air.  The glowing orbs arc out from her fingers and bounce harmless off the scaly flesh, exploding in a burst of light as they hit the ground below.   Gemma sinks two arrows into the suction cups on the underside of one tentacle while Xenia slices neatly into the other tentacle with her sword.  A large gash appears, then vanishes as the creature’s blood begins to gush.  Morgaine shoots a crossbow in between the suction cups, just above where it is grasping Deke which causes the creature to howl within Deke’s mind.  It drops both its captives and withdraws down into the stone and debris.   Deke taunts the creature and begins readying his crossbow, prepared to fight.  Borin grabs Deke over his shoulder and flees the scene, on the heels of the rest of the party.

Deke argues vehemently that they should go back to fight the creature, not out of any moral sense of duty but because of the treasure he is sure the creature is guarding.  “C’mon, something that powerful has HORDES of treasure.  We could be rich.”  Cooler heads prevail, however and they make their way back down the passage into the emerald room.  Gemma once again hears the song of the water but this time it sings a harsh, angry tune.  Xenia drinks from the stream once more and feels the cold seeping through her body followed by the excruciating sensation of her blood boiling.  She cries out in pain but thankfully the agony is fleeting.  Within minutes, the stream returns to its happy hymn.

Deke takes a sip of the water and feels his skin go numb. This effect is also temporary, though he still feels a muted sensation throughout his body.   He drinks again with no noticeable effect.    Kalina also drinks from the stream and feels her connection to the earth stronger than ever.  She has the sensation of nourishment, like flowers from the rain.  With a heightened awareness, she is awed by the power of the endless cycle of life, death and rebirth all around her.  Seeking to further understand the mysteries of the earth, she hastily partakes of the delicious liquid again.  Alas, she is only rewarded with an immense thirst.  

In an experiment, Kalina steps outside of the Emerald room and sips the water she collected in the vial earlier.  The water no longer radiates magical energy and has no effect on her.  Apparently, there is something about the flowing water that creates the magical powers.


----------



## Morgaine

Exhausted as they are, however, the party decides to forgo discussing this latest development until they’ve rested and refreshed themselves overnight.  They begin to make their way back through the passageways and tunnels of the enormous cave, en route to the main entrance above.  As they near the fork in the path, Morgaine hears the faint sounds of goblins talking quietly.  While none of her friends can make out distinguishable voices, she catches enough of the conversations to realize they are planning an ambush of the party.  With a sense of dread, the party readies for yet another battle.  Fortunately, the goblins are further in the cave and they can get to the main entrance without encountering their foes.  Once there they see a familiar figure silhouetted in the torchlight.  Naxos has returned to see if he can be of any assistance.  Greatfully, the group accepts his offers to heal their wounds and gladly welcomes him into their folds for the ensuing battle.  Even Xenia is willing to put aside her inherent distrust of him long enough to eliminate the threat from the ambush.  

Tired, yet anxious to dispense with the last of their enemies in the cave, the party makes its way back into the depths, once more, a hasty plan collectively formed in each of their minds.  Creeping silently forward amidst the shadows, Deke can make out the outlines of twenty goblins with weapons drawn just around a bend in the passageway.  He signals this to the rest of the party, who spring into action, using surprise as a cover.  

Morgaine takes out the magical orbs she acquired from the snake creatures in the basement of the inn in Amalthea almost two weeks ago.  Still unsure what they are, she is fairly certain that if she throws them at the goblins, the writhing ball of snakes within will be released to wreak havoc on her foes.  Realizing her alternatives are limited, she is willing to take the risk and readies them.  

As she is doing so, Borin grabs the club and charges in to the mele, swinging madly at the tiny creatures surrounding him.  One of the goblins manages to trip the hapless dwarf-ogre who stumbles to the ground, dropping the club in the process.  The goblin picks up the heavy weapon and begins to grow in size.  Just then, Morgaine hurls the magical spheres into combat.  At the command word _fizzlehiss_, the orbs glow a sickening green hue then explode into a massive ball of snakes, hissing, squirming and attacking anything within reach.


----------



## Morgaine

Fortunately for the party, several goblins are felled in seconds, including the giant goblin, as the poisonous snakes lose their venom at will.  It drops the club, which is picked up by Kalina and put aside out of battle.  Those not affected by the _“ball o’ snakes”_ are soon victims of mighty sword and axe blows.  Some are peppered with arrows, two are slammed with _magic missiles_ and still more are chewed by Fang.  Seconds after it began, twenty goblins lay dead at their feet and a weary troupe assess their own minimal injuries.  

They make their way further into the cave to find a chamber with giant locked doors.  With ease, Deke picks the simple mechanism and unlatches the massive stone doors.  The doors swing open to reveal a large chamber, lit by several torches in sconces all along the walls.  At the far end, several humans are tied to the wall with crude bindings holding them upright.  Two are moaning, delirious with pain and the others have been dead for quite some time.  Gemma and Kalina cut down them all down.  Kalina stabilizes the two and says a prayer over the others.  They put them outside the chamber, to be buried properly in the morning.    

After a quick search to ensure there are no more inhabitants in the cave, the party makes camp in the giant room, locking the doors and posting watches for the evening.  Naxos joins the fatigued group since it is too dark for him to safely traverse the rocky ledges.  Xenia keeps a watchful eye on him throughout her shift and openly encourages the others to do the same.  Naxos politely obliges her odd dislike of him and to his credit, does not intimate any ire or offense, though he certainly has the right to both.  Marja offers to take first watch with Naxos (any excuse to interact with the handsome stranger).  They spend the hours talking quietly of his many adventures and her early training as a bard.  Alas, their shift passes all too quickly.  As does the night for the weary travelers.  

In the morning, after disposing of all their victims, the group explores the chamber further, finding numerous weapons and armor, some magical, some not.  At either side of the chamber are two more doors.  Upon opening the door to the right, they find food and supplies some of which they promptly prepare for breakfast.  On the other side of the room, the door is locked.  Deke finagles this device with some difficulty but after several minutes is relieved to hear the faint click for his efforts.  Inside the party finds numerous chests of coin and gems that they spit evenly amongst themselves.  Or so Deke claims.  

Gemma feels a sudden surge of faith and realizes that the Goddess Tanil is a powerful part of her.  She kneels before the injured drover and lays her hands over his wounds.  “The Lady of Fortune shine upon you this day and heal your wounds with her hands.”  With these words, the Gemma feels the energy emanate from her fingers into the unconscious man on the ground before her.  Her companions stop and stare, incredulously as light shines down through the ceiling and streams out through Gemma’s outstretched hands.  In seconds, the drover blinks his eyes open and looks up gratefully at his healer.  

“I didn’t know you could do that,” Morgaine marvels.  
“I didn’t either, child.”


----------



## Morgaine

Naxos takes his leave early, departing with the injured drover and his companion.  He takes with him the magical saddle and tack the group found in the chamber the previous day.  Xenia argues loudly, stating she wants the saddle for her would-be horse.  But since she does not have it yet and Naxos did help the party dispense with the goblins, she is over ruled.  Naxos says words of prayer for her that her “soul leave the shadows in which it currently finds itself.”  Xenia sticks her tongue out at him.  Marja is not sad to see him leave this time.  After spending so much time with him during the evening, she realizes he is quite pompous and off-putting.  On his way out of the cave, Naxos comes upon Deke, who calls him “holy pompous one” under his breath.  When Naxos tells him that his soul, too, is in the shadows Deke tries ineffectually to recant his statement.  “I meant that you’re a holy pompous one in a good way.”  Naxos walks away, shaking his head in dismay.  

Deke picks up a magical wand and begins waving it recklessly about, causing Morgaine no end of consternation.  “Stop that, you could fire some unknown magic at us.”  “Eh, it’s fine.  No worries, Morgaine, I know what I’m doing,” he remarks flippantly as he tosses it up in the air above his head.  She tries frantically to grab it from him and he nonchalantly tosses it to Marja who then tosses it back to Deke when Morgaine attempts to grab it from her.  This game goes on for a few minutes, with an ever increasingly frantic Morgaine shouting obscenities to Deke in several different languages, none of which are Common.  Finally, Deke tires of his game and unceremoniously drops the wand at her feet then walks away casually.

The party spends most of the day in and around the cave, as Morgaine attempts to identify all the magical items they have found.  With an effort, she focuses intently on each item, studying the magic and absorbing some of its energy into her mind.  After hours of meditating and intense concentration, during which her body becomes slack and immobile with the effort to maintain focus in the magical realm, she understands the power magics within each item in front of her.  In a trance, she reports that the shield, which Xenia immediately claimed as her own, is imbued with the ability to move people out of the way.  A _waymaker_ shield is very much in keeping with Xenia’s brusque demeanor and no-nonsense approach to people and things alike.  Next, she focuses on Deke’s new red boots, which he says are the most comfortable footwear he’s ever owned.  Once more a monotone, she drones out the abilities of the _boots of endurance_.   Similarly, she identifies a _lantern of continual light_ and a _quarterstaff of the cyclone_.  Marja tries out this unusual wooden shaft and is taken aback briefly when her hands become a whir of motion until she realizes she can control it.  Lastly she turns to the wand she wrangled from Deke.  It turns out to be a clerical wand and she understands that this wand will heal their injuries.  She hands the rod to Gemma and then forces herself back into the world.   Exhausted and drained, she crawls back to her bedroll and falls into a deep, dreamless sleep, Taylor perched on her abdomen, staring at her with obvious concern.


----------



## Morgaine

Meanwhile, Deke tries on one of the sheep costumes scattered about and instantly becomes a sheep, prompting comments from Borin about not getting too close to Lord Dobberick or he may find himself intimately acquainted.  Deke takes the costume off immediately.  Kalina takes Fang outside the cave to test a new slingshot she has found.  It radiates with magical energy but she is not sure how it works.  After a few unsuccessful tries where it acts as a simple slingshot, she concentrates on the weapon in her hand for several minutes.  Realizing there must be a command word, Kalina searches her brain for possibilities.  “What do I know about rocks?  They come in all shapes and sizes.  They can be deadly, especially in an…Avalanche.”  With deft fingers she picks up a small pebble and places it in the worn leather patch and lets it fly, saying “avanlanche” as she does so.  With wonder, the druid watches as the tiny rock grows to ten times its size, becoming a giant boulder that smashes against the rocks below.  In her mind she can her Fang’s growling voice “Very impressive.”  Quizzically she turns to the wolf at her side and thinks,  “did you just say something?”

“It’s about time you’re smart enough to understand me,” comes the rumbling reply in her thoughts.  They spend a long time exploring their newfound communication link, a gift from the magical water.

Inside the cave, Borin picks up a giant bearskin armor and examines it carefully.  Something about the bearskin looks familiar to Fergus who racks his brain to think of what it is.  Somewhere in all of his bardic knowledge, he must know something about this white fur.  Several minutes go by and finally he shouts, “It’s polar bear armor.  That’s right good stuff ya got there,” his thick brogue considerably rolling the last word on his tongue.  Borin happily dons the white fur, not really caring what kind of bear it is.  “As long as it keeps me from getting hit,” he grumbles.    

And so the day passes.  Realizing that they cannot leave with Morgaine snoring softly in the corner, the group beds down for another night in the cave, taking their standard watches at the entrance just as before.  Marja happily relinquishes guard duty in favor of beauty sleep.  Not that she needs it.  In the middle of the night, Deke and Gemma hear a group of goblins making their way up the rocky path.  It sounds to Deke, who can just make out bits and pieces of the conversation, that they are trying to convince a large, hulking creature to join them.  Gemma runs to wake the group.


----------



## Morgaine

I don't get it...I know I posted more on this story.  I even responded to Nightfall about Naxos.  And none of that is here.  AY AY AY.  I'm not sure what to post anymore.

So if you have the feeling of de ja vu, please bear with me.  I feel like I am stuck in _Groundhog Day_.  

--M


----------



## Morgaine

Gemma runs to wake the group as one of the goblins calls out to the “sentry” who should be standing at the cave entrance.  Deke does his best to imitate the high-pitch, gutteral tone in response.  “Who goes there?”  There is a pregnant silence as the goblins ponder Deke’s unusual accent and dialect.  

Without warning, Deke fires a crossbow bolt at the creature and hits him in the thigh.  “It’s me!” screams the incredulous goblin, “Ow, that hurt!”  Deke fires a second shot that misses because of the shadows.  “Sorry,” he replies in the harsh tongue.  “What are you doing?  It’s m…” the goblin’s voice gurgles his final reply when a bolt from Borin’s crossbow sails into the creature’s throat.  Gemma has returned with the cavalry in tow and they are quickly readying themselves to face their midnight intruders.  

Gemma quickly knocks two arrows that find their mark in the chest of the goblin in the back of the pack, who falls over silently into the underbrush.  Finally realizing they are under attack, the goblins begin loading their own crossbows for combat.  Kalina grasps her new _avalanche_ slingshot and takes careful aim at the large, awkward creature with the goblins.  A giant boulder smashes into its side, creating a large gash.  

Although it is dark, most of the party can see with just the moonlight to guide them.  And what they see frightens them immensely.  It is larger than the other ogres they have faced and reeks of rotting bog and sewerage.  Its tremendous arms drag along the ground, claw-like hands leaving trails on the ground behind it as it lumbers forward up the hill.  Even in the dark, they can see its long, snout-like nose and rubbery skin.  Most of the party concludes this is not an ogre.  Yet just what it is they are unable to discern.


----------



## Morgaine

Angered by the boulder, it lunges for Kalina and grasps her face in its long claws, leaving tremendous slashes across her cheeks.  Xenia, thinking this is just another ogre (and anxious to use her new _waymaker_ shield) attempts to _bull rush_ the stooped creature off the ledge.  Unfortunately, she misjudges its strength and is jarred to a stop when the creature does not budge.

Morgaine, seeing the crossbow bolts flying, casts _protection from arrows_, a new spell she has been researching and finally figured out the inner workings of during her journey into the magical realm yesterday.  She asks Taylor to deliver the spell to Borin, at the front of the mele.  Taylor, always eager to be a part of the excitement, quickly and cautiously slinks his way through the shadows to brush up against Borin’s legs.  Fortunately, Morgaine had already informed him that Taylor was delivering a spell.  Otherwise, given the look of disgust he levels at the cat winding its way through his legs, Taylor may very well have been the victim of a severe axe blow.  

Marja casts _ice knife_ at the large monster and hits it squarely between the eyes.  The creature does not seem phased.  Deke finishes off another goblin and then moves to get a shot at the others.  Borin maneuvers himself on the other side of the massive giant, so he and Xenia are now flanking it.  Unfortunately, he is caught by its left arm as he does so, which scrapes across Borin’s arm and shoulder, leaving bloody welts staining his new white bear armor.


----------



## Morgaine

Gemma is still getting used to her new religious connection but she focuses the positive force of Tanil into a _bane_ for her foes, several of which shudder visibly as the divine energy strikes fear into their hearts.  Fergus swings his claymore and slices a gobln in half while Kalina takes a step back and attempts to fire the slingshot again.  Alas, she is too close and the boulder misses its target.  Fang, however, leaps onto the last goblin and tears the flesh from its bones.  The creature swings wildly at Kalina but she’s moved back just out its reach.  She feels the whoosh of air as the giant claws brush past her face.  It swings with the other arm and misses Borin but lunges forward and bites the dwarf’s already wounded shoulder.  Borin, clearly berserk with pain and rage, swings his mighty axe right into the thigh of this beast; blood spurts out in arcs from the gaping wound.  

Marja slams it with _magic missiles_ (slightly amazed to see three glowing orbs in stead of her usual two).   Morgaine, in an effort to protect her friends, sends Taylor scampering toward Xenia to deliver her _mage armor_ spell and hopefully prevent further injuries to her friend.  Taylor has just pressed his paws against Xenia’s legs and scampered out of harm’s way when the creature turns on her and swipes at her metal armor.  Because of the protective force now between them, it succeeds only in scraping against an invisible barrier.

Kalina calls upon the forces of nature to create a _cold snap_ that freezes the lumbering creature.  While this bitter cold does not stop it, it is certainly moving slower and with more effort.  This is a fortunate happenstance for Borin who manages to duck away from another giant claw swiping at him.  Borin turns quickly and levels his axe into the creature’s back causing another giant gash.  Marja blasts three more _magic missiles_ right into its chest while Morgaine flings a _Melf’s acid arrow_ into its side.  The acid burns away the green, rubbery flesh, creating a foul stench.  Wounded and bleeding badly, it roars in pain for the first time and charges toward Morgaine.


----------



## Little_Buddha

M, these boards are on a test server - the message boards are moving to a new, better server. About a week's worth of postings won't show up on the test boards. I don't know if they'll be recovered or not, since if we revert to those boards we'll lose anything posted on the test server...


----------



## Ramien Meltides

Morgaine, are you saying a mage armor spell helped Xenia? (who's wearing metal armor, fairly substantial I would think...)

Mage armor normally does not stack with worn armor of any kind. Perhaps it was a shield spell instead?


----------



## Nightfall

Morg, don't worry,  I can ask something else later.

Btw, let me know if you guys run into a feral pack or not. I think that would be a nice encounter to run.


----------



## Morgaine

Ramien Meltides said:
			
		

> *Morgaine, are you saying a mage armor spell helped Xenia? (who's wearing metal armor, fairly substantial I would think...)
> 
> Mage armor normally does not stack with worn armor of any kind. Perhaps it was a shield spell instead? *




Actually, it was mage armor, until we found out Mage armor doesn't stack. OOPS!!  I should have re-written that bit.  My bad.  Call it poetic license.


----------



## Morgaine

Nightfall said:
			
		

> *Morg, don't worry,  I can ask something else later.
> 
> Btw, let me know if you guys run into a feral pack or not. I think that would be a nice encounter to run.  *




So far no feral packs.  A dragon, an evil snake soceress and hordes of goblins.  But thankfully no feral pack.   Please don't give PCat anything else to throw at us.


----------



## Nightfall

Hey well at least it was an ordinary Drago, not a Slacerian one!  You'd be in some trouble then I'm pretty sure.


----------



## The Traveler

Morgaine said:
			
		

> *Please don't give PCat anything else to throw at us. *



Too late. I wrote him an adventure...


----------



## Morgaine

The Traveler said:
			
		

> *Too late. I wrote him an adventure...  *




Damn you!  I hope it was at least chock full of treasure and xp.

: )


----------



## Nightfall

Well just be grateful it wasn't me my dear.  I'd have a couple NASTY ideas that you probably wouldn't like.


----------



## Fade

Have we got up to the beginning yet? I'd like to copy/paste this into a normal format in word.


----------



## The Traveler

Morgaine said:
			
		

> *Damn you!  I hope it was at least chock full of treasure and xp.
> 
> : ) *



Depends on how he adjusts the encounters for what level you guys are when he runs it.

I did put in a buttload of puzzles, though


----------



## Morgaine

Fade said:
			
		

> *Have we got up to the beginning yet? I'd like to copy/paste this into a normal format in word. *




Almost, Fade.  after our fight with the Troll we end up in Otenazu.  I will arrange the story in order then.  I have to post the last bit of catch -up tomorrow.  Now that I'm done with grad school, I can post  (and write) with more regularity.


----------



## Morgaine

The Traveler said:
			
		

> *....
> I did put in a buttload of puzzles, though  *




I LOVE PUZZLES.  More appropriately, so does Morgaine.  But the rest of the party, not so much.   More story later this evening/early am tomorrow.


----------



## The Traveler

Morgaine said:
			
		

> *I LOVE PUZZLES.  More appropriately, so does Morgaine.  But the rest of the party, not so much.*



Well, I included no less than twelve little riddle/puzzle parts to the latter part of the adventure. They're short, and relatively simple, because in my experience if they're made too hard they can bog down an adventure, but they're there. I just put them in to add to the mysticism and symbolism of the adventure. The way they're structured, they teach a little about the area they're in and its past.


----------



## Morgaine

Kalina calls upon the forces of nature to create a _cold snap_ that freezes the lumbering creature.  While this bitter cold does not stop it, it is certainly moving slower and with more effort.  This is a fortunate happenstance for Borin who manages to duck away from another giant claw swiping at him.  Borin turns quickly and levels his axe into the creature’s back causing another giant gash.  Marja blasts three more _magic missiles_ right into its chest while Morgaine flings a _Melf’s acid arrow_ into its side.  The acid burns away the green, rubbery flesh, creating a foul stench.  Wounded and bleeding badly, it once again roars in pain and charges toward Morgaine.  Deke steps between the creature and Morgaine, crossbow loaded and fires.  He hits but the creature keeps bearing down on a now horrified Morgaine.  With one final sweep of his axe, Borin manages to send the creature over the edge of the rocks, presumably to its death.

Deke jumps down to search the body and notices that the leg Borin hit is no longer injured.  Puzzled he scans the creature’s body and sees the injuries re-growing before his eyes.  Suddenly, the murky, yellow eyes snap open and it moves to grasp Deke.  Screaming, the elfin rogue leaps up to the ledge and runs toward the cave where his companions are recovering from the midnight siege.  “It’s not dead!  It’s regenerating!”  A wave of fear and dread passes through the party even as they attempt to comprehend the gravity of their situation.  The troll (as they now know it to be) climbs to the ridge above the cave in an attempt to jump onto Morgaine, the only party member to injure it permanently.  All other wounds it has regenerated, yet the acid from _Melf’s arrow_ is still boring a hole into its side.  Marja blasts three more _magic missiles_ and Morgaine manages to conjure another _acid arrow_, which again finds its mark on the troll.  Once more it howls in pain then leaps down on top of her.  The terrified mage tries ineffectually to escape its clutches but the creature is far too strong and grapples her to the ground.


----------



## Dinkeldog

I assume the party realized that it's a Bad Thing (TM) to have your mage grappled by a troll?


----------



## KidCthulhu

The great thing about this encounter was that Deke's player (Jobu), Borin's player (Aravis) and I all realized what the thing was right away, and were biting our tongues to keep from yelling "Troll".  We were trying not to suggest fire or acid, information we have but not our characters.  And it was the newer players (after a year, they're not really newbies!) who came up with the fire and acid.  And we knew they didn't know that that's how you kill a troll.

So, yay to the Newsters (better than newbies), for clever thinking!


----------



## Morgaine

Dinkeldog said:
			
		

> *I assume the party realized that it's a Bad Thing (TM) to have your mage grappled by a troll? *




Oh, yes.  We realize it's a Bad Thing (TM).  It's also NOT OKAY (TM).  Morgaine was traumatized for weeks.


----------



## KidCthulhu

A week?  C'mon.  Morgaine's been traumatized since we started this gig.


----------



## Dinkeldog

Trauma's good for a mage.  It keeps them happily buffing up other characters so that *they* can do the fighting.


----------



## Morgaine

Dinkeldog said:
			
		

> *Trauma's good for a mage.  It keeps them happily buffing up other characters so that they can do the fighting. *




Or in this case, provides enough guilt and feelings of indebtedness to keep her adventuring.

I'm finally all moved back from CT.  My computer is set up.  And I've found the disk with all the stories on it again -- I had some momentary panic when it was lost for two days.  So I'll have the rest of this adventure up tonight.  Then we're back to the beginning of the story hour and can continue from there (in order, this time).

And the stories that follow are quite exciting.  Including riddle-telling sentries, hordes of goblins, a fight with an all-powerful sorceress, a party member's death and a conversation with a dragon.

Stay tuned.


----------



## Morgaine

Each member of the party with a weapon in hand gets the chance to attack the troll as it passes through their personal space, en route to Morgaine.  Stunned as they are, however, no one manages to hit it except for Deke.  Using the only weapon he has in hand, he jabs the wooden masterwork crossbow up into the belly of the troll as it sails past him in the air.  There is a resonant splintering sound as the enormous weight of the troll rends the now useless weapon in two.  Tossing it aside with only a slight whimper, Deke whips out his rapier and stabs in into the side of the troll.  

Marja recovers from her momentary shock to conjure another set of _magic missiles_, which she focuses between the creature’s eyes.  Xenia finally remembers the ogre-club and quickly hefts the large cudgel in the air, growing ten feet tall in the process.  She swings the mighty weapon to deliver a tremendous blow to the hideous troll before her.  The troll staggers slightly from the impact of Xenia’s strike and backs up from Morgaine.  Just as it is about to attack the mage again, the acid from her _arrow_ emits one last burst of the burning poison and the troll drops unconscious.  

Realizing they must burn the troll to kill it, Kalina summons the element of the South, fire, and creates a flaming sword in mid air.  With the _flameblade_, she severs the troll’s arms.  The flesh sears, creating a foul stench.  Borin and Xenia push the still regenerating troll over the edge of the ledge, where Morgaine tosses her _alchemist fire_ onto its body.  Kalina jumps down and continues to burn it with her flaming sword.  Deke also leaps down, rapier drawn.  With one swift motion, he slices neatly across the troll’s throat in a coup de gras.  In one final stab, Kalina jabs her _blade into its head.  The tentacles of muscle that had been twitching stop and the wounds stop healing themselves.  At last, they’ve killed it.  To be on the safe side, however, the party cuts up the troll into pieces and places its head on a spike at the head of the trail leading to the cave, as a warning to any other interlopers._


----------



## Morgaine

Exhausted, wounded and bleeding, the group makes their way back into the cave.  It is still several hours before dawn and they hope to get at least a little bit of sleep before setting out on their way.  Deke puts on the sheep costume again, hoping to mend his wounds.  Sure enough, he once again becomes a sheep and feels his injuries heal somewhat.  Borin does the same and he also feels some relief from the gashes in his shoulder and arm.  Gemma and Kalina tend to the wounds as best they can, since neither of them has the strength to perform healing on their friends.  Sure that no one has life-threatening injuries, the party retrieves their bedrolls and drifts off to a brief slumber in the front of the cave.  Fergus and Xenia offer to stay on guard for the remainder of the evening, since neither of them is hurt or even winded.  

In the morning, Kalina remarks that she is beginning to hear and understand the plants and animals around them.  She informs the group of her connection with Fang and that she feels a renewed sense of kinship with the natural world.  Gemma recognizes similar phenomena in that she understands the water.  Realizing the magical water gave them all special gifts, Deke tries out his “numb” skin by asking Xenia to punch him hard.  Always willing to throw a punch, Xenia happily obliges but is dismayed to find Deke unharmed.  Again she winds up and thrusts her fist into his abdomen and again he is not even winded.  Deke giggles gleefully when he thinks of all the bar fights he can start.  Morgaine’s benefit is acute hearing, leaving only Xenia to discover what her blessing was.  She understands that she can feel the weight of the rocks around her.  She is held to the earth by a strong force.  In an experiment, she walks to the edge of the ledge and steps off.  In stead of falling straight down and landing with a thud, she gracefully floats to the lower rocks, wafting like a feather.


----------



## Morgaine

They make their way out of the cave, down the rocks – a considerable easier climb than on their way in – and out into the forest, continuing the trek toward Otenazu.  Just inside the treeline, the group hears a group of elves ahead, singing a traveling song in praise of Tanil.  Deke immediately becomes one with the underbrush while Gemma scoots up the nearest tree, out of direct sight.  The rest of the party tries to find cover amidst the trees.  A slight elven woman noiselessly appears from behind a tree and tells Morgaine – who was trying ineffectually to hide – that it is dangerous to travel the woods alone.  

Morgaine blurts out that her friends are all nearby, forcing the party back out of their hiding spots.  They all make their way toward Morgaine and the three strangers, with the exception of Gemma and Deke who remain in their cover.  Morgaine, forgetting her elven heritage, immediately offers to shake the elf’s hand.  Her offer is politely rebuffed but one of the male elves recognizes her and mentions her beloved uncle.  In fact, the elves recognize Kalina and Marja as well, asking about their lineage.  The elves ask why the group is traveling with a dangerous dwarf and then the woman directs her comments to Gemma, in the tree.  

In a strange display of fealty, the elves recognize Gemma, and bow low before her, offering praise of deeds long past.  Gemma waives them up and reticently acknowledges their requests for her health.  She declines their offers of assistance as she alights from the tree.  They spend some minutes in conversation then take their leave, once again bowing to Gemma.  As they pass by, the woman calls out something to Deke (still hidden in the bushes) and mentions his parents.  Deke, an orphan who grew up in Amalthea, is unsettled by the thought that he had parents at all.  He picks Kalina’s pocket to make himself feel better and shake off the disconcerting pang he felt at the mere mention of a family.  Gemma refuses to discuss why the elves treated her with such deference and moves quickly ahead to continue scouting their trail.

Several hours later, as they crest a large hill the group gets their first glimpse of Otenazu, a small frontier town nestled between the Keldar Mountains.  Looking down from bluff they see the neat homes and buildings arrayed before them, the winds whipping at their faces slightly.


----------



## Morgaine

Okay, so we are now up to the posts from the beginning of the story.  I will try to cut and paste them here and if that fails, I will simply re-post the story (in order, this time) so you can see how it all fits in.  

Happy Reading.

Morgaine


----------



## Morgaine

Okay, since I can't simply cut and paste posts (I'm not a moderator...hint, hint) this is the next update in the story.  It was originally posted at the beginning but I'm copying it here.  More to follow.

**********************************

The party crests the hill and gets their first glimpse of Otenazu, nestled as it is at the foot of the Keldar Mountains.  A twin city, forming the boundaries of the Canyon of Souls, Otenazu is home to people from all walks of life.  Its citizens are hale and hearty, with the rugged disposition that comes from making a frontier town home. The small city sprawls out before the troupe and the giant base of the Keldar Mountains seems to rise up from within its midst, overshadowing the entire area. 

At the base of this hill is the cottage in which Morgaine lived with her grandmother for several years before the old woman passed away a year ago. Tears fill the mage's eyes as she sees her home for the first time in over a year. “We’re home, “ she whispers softly. Borin grunts, “No, you’re home.” But she doesn’t hear him, running as she is toward the squat wood hut nestled just on the outskirts of town. Smoke curls up from the chimney and it looks as though someone has done some work to fix up the place – though she knows she did not leave anyone in charge.  Morgaine left in too much of a hurry to think about those kinds of details.  If the truth be told, Morgaine would not think of those details if she’d had a month to plan. 

The painted wooden sign atop the door reads “Penderwen’s Rest” in bright gold letters above a small green bottle tipped in a perpetual pour. “That’s funny, that’s my name but I know we didn’t have a sign like that.” Morgaine muses to her companions who have by now caught up with her.  Inside there is a clamor and loud shouts carry through an open window on the side of the two-story building.  Deke looks inside the window and sees several large, burly travelers in a fistfight with some obvious local patrons.  He ducks as a tall brunette in a traveling outfit is tossed out the window by two older men wearing suspenders. “How is this happening??” Morgaine despairs as she and Gemma tend to the unconscious woman strewn on the ground amid shards of glass.


----------



## Morgaine

In a strange twist of irony, the woman regains consciousness – thanks to the ministrations of Gemma – only to attack her healer with her fists. “It’s YOU!!!” she shouts as her fist connects with Gemma’s temple in a blow that knocks the hooded ranger back a step.  Gemma quickly returns the favor and the stranger is once again knocked unconscious.  In the woman’s other hand is a wanted poster with the likeness of each member of the group hastily drawn and a reward offered for their successful capture and return to Amalthea.  Marja takes one look at the picture and petulantly remarks “that looks nothing like me!”  Borin decides to enter the tavern when he hears someone inside cry out in indignantly, “not our Morgaine!” 

Once inside, it becomes obvious these bounty hunters are getting the better of the locals in the brawl.  Xenia, anxious to use her new “waymaker” shield, also makes a beeline for the door.  After all, she does enjoy a good bar fight.  Kalina follows on her heels, casting _flame blade_ once inside.  Marja  enters the bar as well, muttering something about “at least they could have tried to make it a decent picture.” Gemma, Deke, Morgaine and Fergus are left outside, watching through the windows.

Inside the lodge turned tavern, there is a long wooden bar lining the back wall.  Behind it are an assortment of libations, pint glasses and beer steins.  Tables that were once neatly arranged are overturned and scattered about the room, some in splinters where several townspeople have been thrown into them. Mugs of ale spill languidly onto a now dingy, bloody floor and the place bears small resemblance to the quiet country inn Morgaine has described.  In the center of the room are six motley bounty hunters, each holding wanted posters on yellowing parchment paper.  A belligerent dwarf who is obviously the leader of this gang is threatening an older man, grabbing his lapels and waving the wanted poster in the man’s face.  Various other townspeople are wildly swinging at a small, half-elven man who easily sidesteps their intended blows.


----------



## Morgaine

Upon their entrance, the entire tavern stops short as Borin grabs his battle-axe and bellows, “what do you want with my friend Morgaine.” A flutter of whispers whips through the crowd at the thought that she is a friend of this unkempt, wild-looking dwarf. The bounty hunters stare at their fugitives in suspended belief for a few seconds.  One half-orc pulls out his wanted poster, looks at the picture, looks at Borin, looks at the picture again and then charges the dwarf with a club. Kalina wields her flaming sword in wide arcs and attempts to intimidate their foes.  She succeeds only in frightening the townspeople who quickly scamper behind the bar at her request. 

Twenty people cram themselves in the small space between the bar and the wall, whispering nervously to themselves and praying this wooden structure affords them protection. Marja casts _magic missile_ at the giant bearing down on Borin, two glowing green orbs of energy sparking from her outstretched fingers and sinking deeply into his reddish flesh. He howls in pain, momentarily stunned, but quickly regains composure, landing a violent blow on Borin’s shoulder.

From outside, Morgaine pokes her head into the window and is greeted with cheers and warm wishes from several people behind the bar. She greets them happily with a winning smile. Trying her best to remain focused, she then casts _sleep_into the melee, as her “fans” ponder what she is doing.  Drawing upon the powerful magic within, Morgaine utters the final words of the spell, sonabulus plurum.  Two rag-tag humans fall to the floor, snoring softly, sending a cheer through the crowd watching her every move. 

Fergus begins singing through the window – a rousing chorus of the bravery and triumph of an adventuring party, heartening his companions to act boldly and swiftly. Gemma ensures that her “patient” will not die from her wounds but will not pose any further threat to herself or her friends. She then binds the woman’s hands and feet together, tying the knots perhaps a tad tighter than they need to be. Very few people have the opportunity to cuff Gemma. Fewer still live to tell the tale.


----------



## Morgaine

Once hit, Borin becomes delirious with rage, foam spewing from his mouth, and swings his great axe with every ounce of strength he has.  Not only has this beast attacked him, he’s spilt several pints of beer in the process -- both unpardonable offenses.  As a dwarf, Borin has an innate hatred of these hulking creatures.  A fact that becomes obvious when the half-orc stops mid-stride while his head continues its journey, landing with a sploot in the chandelier hanging from the second floor ceiling.   

At this, one of the bounty hunters dives out the window, landing in a heap at Deke’s feet. Unfortunately, Deke is too stunned to react and the mercenary leaps to his feet and takes off at a dead run in the opposite direction of town. Realizing this half-elf is faster than he is, Deke activates his _ring of jumping_, landing at the fleeing man’s feet. Unhappily, because it was a standing jump, Deke barely grabs the man, who trips but keeps running. Fang now begins to pursue Deke and the bounty hunter, quickly gaining ground on his “prey.” Once again, Deke activates his _ring of jumping_.  In an impressive display of acrobatics, he takes a running leap and lands deftly on the retreating man’s shoulders, tackling him to the ground.  After a brief struggle, Deke pins him down while Fang attacks brutally.  In one swift motion, the rogue slices neatly into his throat with his rapier, killing the stranger instantly. He mutters something about half-breeds as he makes his way back toward the tavern.

Another man sails out the back window and disappears around the corner of the building.  Morgaine gives chase only to find him standing just on the other side, panting furiously and obviously terrified.  Chanting quietly, Morgaine methodically and rhythmically waves her hands in front of his eyes.  In seconds, she watches his eyes lose focus and his mouth grow slack. _Hypnotized_ as he is, she commands him to follow her back inside the building, where she ensures that no one attack him while he is under the spell. She also commands him to wipe his chin and is chagrined to realize that, seconds later, he is still wiping.


----------



## KidCthulhu

We played a hilarious game last night, featuring drowning dwarves, monkeys, and finally, redemption.  On the negative side, the *{spoiler}* got away and that rotten *{spoiler}* too.


----------



## Morgaine

Inside, Xenia runs full tilt into a man slightly shorter than her 6’ frame, shield leveled into his chest and stomach. They trample back into a curtained alcove and the sounds of a struggle can be heard over the din in the main room.  The greasy, filthy dwarf/leader stands toe-to-toe with Borin, hurling vile insult upon insult at the already raving barbarian.  Some of the local patrons look horrified as they learn the translations of the dwarven obscenities.  Borin charges at the ragged Dwarf and they tumble to the floor, also landing behind the thick blue curtain.  The curtain sways and flaps haphazardly, occasionally revealing the wrestling match beyond.  Periodically, the patrons glimpse a foot or arm jabbing through the gap, but it is impossible to discern to whom they belong.  Intermingled with unintelligible grunts and groans, are the sharp sounds of the dwarf still swearing violently at Borin.  Some allege they also hear the distinct sound of bones breaking, but none venture into the alcove to check. 

Kalina and Marja rush back into the storage room to find Xenia still repeatedly punching a young man in the face, though he is incapacitated and nearly unconscious.  Borin is sitting atop a cursing dwarf who is bleeding profusely from his broken nose yet still struggling with him.  Marja casts _ice knife_ at the bounty hunter, watching the icy dagger spring forth from her hand. Unfortunately, because of the entanglement, she misses her target and looks on in horror as the glass-like shards burst in midair.  As luck would have it, no one is seriously injured.  No one except Marja, herself, that is. She gasps in pain as the shards bury themselves in her skin. She shivers uncontrollably as they melt into her bloodstream.  Admittedly, this was less than effective. 

Ultimately, Borin manages to subdue his insolent opponent, one last fist to his mouth renders it useless.  The party manages to bind the bounty hunters in their own shackles.  They drag all six mercenaries into the back room where Deke carefully searches their possessions and weapons.  He finds little of value, but does take their remaining wanted posters.  While deciding what to do with the outsiders, an old friend of Morgaine’s grandmother offers to accompany the gang to the town jail.  Being a retired (and still honorary) member of the city Guard, it does not take much convincing that the bounty hunters should be charged with destruction of property.  In the ensuing confusion, the townspeople gather around Morgaine, hugging her and inquiring about the reason the motley crew is after her.  Borin exhaustedly slumps in a chair, demanding beer.


----------



## Morgaine

A plump, middle aged woman with graying hair hastily shoves everyone out of the way as she makes her way to Morgaine. Morgaine instantly recognizes her as Nelly Windlass, her grandmother’s best friend, and gratefully enters the woman’s outstretched arms.  After a long, warm embrace, Mrs. Windlass dabs away her tears.  She remarks how good it is to see Morgaine after so long then scolds her for leaving so suddenly and without any word.  Morgaine quickly wipes her own moist eyes as she tries to explain, finding a sudden lump in her throat prevents coherent speech.  Borin once again demands beer, this time much louder and more forcefully, reminding Morgaine of her surroundings.  Introductions are hastily made and they all settle down with pints of beer.  Mrs. Windlass sends her husband for lunch for the weary travelers and the townspeople gather around to hear Morgaine’s tale of life in the “big city” of Amalthea. 

Several hours and even more pints later, with their story told and their bellies full, the group decides to head to the only inn in Otenazu. Since this cottage has been turned into a tavern, there is no place for the group to sleep.  Morgaine becomes despondent upon learning that Mrs. Windlass sold her possessions to a gnome several months prior. “He told us that he worked for you, dear. You mean you never got that stuff? Oh, dear.” It may very well explain all the strange visions she’s been having lately.  In an effort to soothe the forlorn young woman, Nelly offers to clean out Morgaine’s room the next day so that she may at least have some place to stay.  With a sigh, she agrees and the party makes their way through the darkened streets of Otenazu en route to secure lodging.


----------



## The Traveler

KidCthulhu said:
			
		

> *We played a hilarious game last night, featuring drowning dwarves, monkeys, and finally, redemption.  On the negative side, the {spoiler} got away and that rotten {spoiler} too. *



Damn, that's tantalizing.

Especially since I wrote something that could drown a dwarf, so now I'm curious.


----------



## Morgaine

The Traveler said:
			
		

> *Damn, that's tantalizing.
> 
> Especially since I wrote something that could drown a dwarf, so now I'm curious. *



Suspense....it's all about the suspense.  I planned it that way.  (Actually, Grad school got in the way of me keeping up with the writing.)  But it sounds so much better to be a master of suspense.  )


----------



## Morgaine

What follows is new material.  (For those of you keeping track, the subsequent three or so posts are tales that fit in before our encounter with the Spider Queen -- at the very beginning of this thread.)

Enjoy!
*******************************

Walking through the darkened streets lit only by the occasional lamppost, the party happens upon a lively pub.  Light streams out onto the cobblestone pavement from the swinging doors and giant front window.  Inside, many of the locals are drinking heartily and singing along with an out of tune piano being played zealously by an older man.  It is a bawdy drinking song and the party is eager to join in the raucous crowd.  The rough-hewn wood tables are laden with pints of ale and mead, and the townspeople line the bar along the side wall.  Several of the patrons appear to have been drinking for several hours.  Morgaine, exhausted and emotionally drained, begs off from the festivities and continues on to the inn where Gemma has already procured their lodgings.  Borin offers to accompany her there and she gratefully accepts.  Once settled, he quickly takes his leave of her and re-joins the others.

Upon his return, he is envious to see his friends have started without him.  Marja is firmly ensconced on a perch at the bar surrounded by what looks like every young male in the town.  She laughs gaily at some secret joke and flirtatiously pats the arms of an exceptionally good-looking young man with dark hair and a roguish look.  Fergus has relieved the old prospector of his duties at the piano and is banging out an even bawdier drinking song, all the while encouraging the rest of the bar to join in.  Xenia has a pint of ale in each hand and a third in front of her as she compares scars with another fighter, also wearing heavy armor.  Kalina is engaged in conversation about the local flora and fauna with a tall man named Thomas, who is wearing the garb of a scout.  And Deke is challenging a halfling to an arm wrestling match.  Borin quickly procures himself a few pints of ale and settles in to a chair near Deke to get in on the battle of strength.  

Meanwhile, back at the inn, Gemma is kneeling in fervent prayer before a makeshift altar in one corner of the large room.  She does not acknowledge Morgaine’s presence and the young mage does not interrupt the elder woman’s devotions.  Head bowed, whispering softly, she lays her bow and quiver atop the shrine and thanks the Lady, Tanil, for her gifts that day.  Gemma genuflects low before the divine offering in reverence to the Huntress, asking for the wisdom to walk the path the Goddess has set for her and Her blessing in battle that her own shots find their mark.  After some time, she rises and collects her belongings, then rolls her mat on the floor and lies quietly, slowing her breathing in quiet meditation.

Morgaine, no longer able to suppress the tears she has been holding back since their arrival in Otenazu, makes her way to one of the cots on the far wall sobbing silently.  Unprepared to be inundated with so much emotion, the ache for her grandmother feels as raw as it was a year ago when she fled in grief.  That she no longer has a home to speak of only further adds to the pain and the realization that she is an orphan gnaws at her fiercely.  Even Taylor’s companionship and concern does little to assuage the anguish and sorrow eating away her very soul.  Hiccuping sobs wrack her body as the disconsolate young woman cries herself to sleep.


----------



## Morgaine

In the morning, not all of the party is bright eyed and bushy tailed for breakfast.  Deke and Borin are enjoying a hearty repast while Gemma has her usual meager rations.  Xenia and Kalina look none the worse for the wear but Morgaine is even more harried than usual.  Marja is no where to be found.  No one in the group can remember her coming home with them last night.  Twenty minutes later, the always impeccable sorceress meanders into the common room of the inn looking wan and tousled, in the rumpled clothes from the night before.  It’s clear she did not stay at the inn last night.  Thanks to the mead and ale, however, where she did bed down (and with whom) is anyone’s guess.  

She does happily point out her new tattoo encircling her navel.  A small green snake weaves in and out of a circlet of colorful flowers.  Morgaine asks in dismay why choose a snake design and Marja’s response is that it was a compromise.  In her mind, continues an ongoing argument with Garnet.  “I don’t see why it had to be a snake.”  To which Garnet replies haughtily, “the tattoo was not my idea.  You could not be dissuaded of that.  And if you’re going to have one, it may as well be attractive.”  There is an momentary pause in conversation among the party members until Morgaine – the youngest and by far the most naïve of the group – blurts out “I don’t get it….what did you do all night?”  Gemma silences the young woman with a stern, “it is none of your concern, girl,” as the group continues discussing the day’s plans. 

Realizing she is in no shape to prepare spells, Marja spends some time in the room attempting to harness the powerful magic coursing through her veins.  After meditating for several minutes, she knows she can command the few spells she mastered yesterday and hopes this will suffice.  She spends the rest of breakfast making herself presentable.  She removes the worn traveling outfit from the day before and replaces it with a dazzling green walking ensemble that perfectly compliments her complexion and vivid eyes.  The top just barely reveals the permanent floral bouquet on her midriff.  Satisfied that she is adequately primped, Marja rejoins her companions downstairs.  More than one head turns to stare at the comely stranger as she makes her way into the large room.  Despite feeling the ill effects of too much ale, Marja is still ravishing.

Mrs. Windlass mentioned yesterday that Gobrey’s tutor now works for the city guard as a weapons trainer.  Morgaine knows Hal from their youth and they proceed on the slim chance that this association is enough to secure a meeting with Lord Duncan himself.  His son, after all, is likely in grave danger and inadvertently keeping company with known Mormo worshippers.  With no other connection to the hapless dandy (or the Lord of Wyndhill), the group makes their way to the fort where they hope to gain information that will help them find the only person who can clear their names.


----------



## Morgaine

The city guard barracks are located in the center of the western half of the twin city.  The tall wooden stockade making up the outer perimeter looms over the small buildings neighboring it on three sides.  The fourth side backs up against the Keldar Mountains, further adding to its defensible position.  Built shortly after the Calastian defeat, this impregnable fortress serves now as headquarters for the city guard.  As the group approaches the massive front gate, a sentry stops them, asking their business.  They are led just inside the gate and told to wait.  Several minutes pass before the tall blonde trainer emerges from a long narrow building across the compound.  

It takes Hal a moment to recognize Morgaine but he addresses her warmly albeit with confusion.  He recognizes Marja instantly, however, and greets her with a friendly smile.  In fact, several of the guards also say hello to her in passing.  The group quickly informs him of their quest to find Gobrey, trying to convey the urgency and danger of the situation.  Hal does not seem at all surprised to learn Gobrey has fallen in with an unfavorable crowd, though he is dismayed upon hearing that the young lad has challenged Xenia and Borin to a duel.  “I thought I taught him better than that.  I knew that woman was a negative influence on him.”  

They spend some minutes discussing possible places Gobrey went with Cosette.  Hal informs the group of a hunting lodge belonging to Wyndhill where Gobrey took Cosette before leaving town without a word.  He also fills the party in on the well-known secret that Gobrey and his father argued over his involvement with the older woman.  This further indicates to the group that Gobrey is under some charm or spell of Cosette.  They press Hal for a letter of introduction with Lord Duncan and he agrees but confesses he doubts it will be of much use.  The lord refuses to hear his son cast in a pejorative light.  They decide to explore the hunting lodge before speaking with Duncan, hoping to garner more proof of the danger in which his son inadvertently finds himself.  Kalina mentions meeting Thomas, a local scout, at the bar last night and they opt to hire him as a guide.


----------



## Morgaine

Before taking their leave of him, Hal offers to give Borin and Xenia a few pointers to use in their duel with Gobrey.  Borin rebuffs his overture, indicating his axe as the only advice he needs.  Deke, however, nonchalantly accepts weapon training to increase his skill with the rapier.  Hal is impressed with the rogue’s handling and offers suggestions to increase his finesse, which Deke quickly absorbs and demonstrates.  Once done, Hal suggests Deke return when he has more time.  Deke feigns indifference but secretly looks forward to the opportunity.

As the party makes it way back through town, the same eerie feeling of someone watching them causes several party members to look around cautiously.  Deke notices something just off to the left of them, above their heads.  Barely visible in the bright sunlight is a shimmering eye focused on the entire party.  It radiates with divination magic and Morgaine immediately realizes that someone (probably Dobberick) is spying on them.  Deke shakes his fist at the oculus, taunting their unseen observer, “why don’t you come out here and face us yourself, you big wuss!”  

Suddenly, from beyond the horizon, Morgaine, Deke and Gemma hear a loud buzzing noise progressing closer to the group.  Unable to discern its source, the group scans the skies and surrounding buildings for clues.  Seconds later, a dozen giant bird-like creatures appear in the sky a hundred yards off.  As the flying creatures draw near, the party catches a glimpse of the elongated beaks and iridescent wings and realizes these are not mere birds.  Rather, they are some kind of enormous cross between a bird and a mosquito.  The party members quickly ready themselves for a battle as the first wave aims straight for Deke.


----------



## Piratecat

Ah, yes. This would be the _first_ wave of stirges.

Heh, heh, heh.


----------



## Nightfall

You like Stirges don't you PC?  Ever though of using maybe Bloodflies?


----------



## Piratecat

Saw 'em too late, darn it.


----------



## Morgaine

Twelve giant mosquito-birds zoom through the morning air, stingers pointing at Deke’s body.  Gemma immediately knocks two arrows and lets them fly at the one closest to the elf.  They find their mark perfectly and bury deep into the body of the creature.  Unfortunately, the wounds are not fatal, and three of the bloodsuckers bury their probes into his skin.  He feels his blood being drawn from his veins.  Deke flails helpless at the giant creatures attached to him, managing to knock only one to the ground.  Fergus grasps his great sword and dispenses with the other two but not before they drain enough blood to make the elf visibly ashen 

Morgaine, fervently they hoping they are a magical construct, whips the scroll of _dispel magic]_from her scroll case and utters aloud the strange words.  As she reads the symbols, they burn away the parchment, iridescent smoke rising into a ring above her head.  At the final command word, this variegated cloud whisks to the spot she indicates and expands in a brilliant flash.  Five of the buzzing creatures disappear into the cloud with a fizzling sound.  Xenia and Borin take out one each with crossbow bolts, blood splattering on the ground when they explode then disappear.  Kalina uses her _avalanche_ sling-shot and splatters another just before it attacks Deke.  Gemma’s arrows destroy the last one messily.  

No sooner has the party begun to catch its breath when they hear the same buzzing once more.  Twelve more creatures appear on the horizon, closer this time than before.  Marja quickly conjures an _ice knife_ and pierces one with a freezing dagger.  Slowed from the cold it stabs at her with its stinger but she is able to duck away in time.  Two _magic missiles_ send it into oblivion, much to her relief.  While casting, however, Marja is unable to evade the other one targeting her and the creature feasts on her blood.

Borin takes down another with one shot of a crossbow.  The bolt pierces through the creature and buries into a building across the street, showering blood everywhere before it vanishes in a hiss.  One more attaches itself to his back in the process, causing him to become delirious with anger.  While he battles with this one, two of the creatures attack Kalina and two more attack Xenia.  Morgaine casts _sleep_ into the last pack of four but only two are affected.  They stop mid-air and fall to their deaths.  Gemma gets two arrows into the third, then takes off to find a temple or shelter.  The fourth attacks Marja, who is beginning to pale.


----------



## Morgaine

Nightfall said:
			
		

> *You like Stirges don't you PC?  Ever though of using maybe Bloodflies?  *




No, THREE waves of stirges was _quite enough_, thank you very much.


----------



## Morgaine

Fang ferociously tears at one of the insects attached to Kalina.  He rips it off and crushes it between his teeth.  Kalina throws herself to the ground and crushes the last one, slicing it with her scimitar to destroy it.  She quickly moves to help Xenia, who is hacking ineffectually at them with her crossbow.  Fergus stabs the one sucking on Borin, injuring the dwarf in the process.  Once free from their siphoning foes, Borin and Fergus attack and kill the two on Marja.

Badly wounded and severely drained of blood, most of the party staggers toward the nearby temple Gemma located, hoping for rest and healing.  From the clouds comes the unmistakable buzz of the mosquito-birds once more.  Ten more creatures appear a hundred yards away, closing fast.  Realizing they cannot withstand another onslaught, party retreats around the corner at a dead run.  

Unfortunately, Xenia, in full platemail cannot run as fast as the others and she quickly lags behind.  Borin drops back, aiming his crossbow toward the impending invasion, taking down two before they can attack Xenia.  One does land on her and begins sucking immediately.  She bats it down but looks even more pallid than before.  A shopkeeper ducks out of his store and fires a crossbow bolt at another then shouts for the group to get inside.  He quickly ducks back into the safety of his store.  Two more local merchants do the same, ensuring Borin and Xenia make it to the safety of the temple with their friends.  Just as the great door slams shut, the remaining five killers pierce the thick wood with the stingers.  

For several minutes, the incessant buzzing noise echoes through the anteroom of the massive temple.  After some time, the sound fades away, much to the relief of the fugitives.  They find themselves in a large foyer of exquisite white marble.  The expansive ceiling is intricately carved, as is the ornate mahogany door through which they have just come.  Hallways lead off into the temple’s interior in several different directions.  There is a gilded chandelier in the shape of the Scales of Justice suspended from the ceiling twenty feet above their heads.  A slight, wispy priest dressed in crisp, starched white robes approaches them and introduces himself as Elrick, cleric of the Temple of the Majestic Cudgel, servant of the Lawgiver, Hedrada.


----------



## Morgaine

Slightly nonplused to find seven bedraggled strangers standing (or leaning) in the entranceway, he inquires why the sturges were after them.  Divulging as few details as possible, Fergus explains they have made some enemies in this town.  He offers them healing and solace, inviting them to join in the worship services this evening. They gratefully accept his generous offer for rest and welcome the divine restoration of some of their lost blood.  He disappears down the central hallway to make arrangements.  Unprepared for such heavy casualties, however, Elrick returns momentarily with a golden chalice and two parchments.  He is sorry to inform them that the temple only has two scrolls to restore their blood loss.  Xenia is barely standing and she is the first recipient.  After some discussion, Marja gets the second, though it is obvious Deke is more in need.  

Elrick reads the Latin prayer easily and invokes the healing power contained within each scroll.  There is a great rush of air as the goblet begins to glow with holy light pouring down through the ceiling.  First Xenia then Marja drinks from the grail feeling the incredible warmth spread throughout their bodies.  They glow in soft, golden hues briefly and then it is gone as suddenly as it came.  Both women feel stronger and healthier than before.  Elrick takes the now empty cup and walks back down the hallway, satisfied that He saw fit to grant the miracle.

The party spends the afternoon recuperating in the temple; Deke whiles away the time reading the immense law books Elrick offered as reading material.  “You gotta know the laws before you can break ‘em.”  Near dusk, before evening worship commences, they venture out into the street again, fairly certain their unseen enemy is no longer an immediate threat.  Still, they make a hasty path back to the inn just to be sure.  Upon inquiry, the inn keeper knows Thomas and sends his son to bring him back so the party can secure his services for their trek out to the Wyndhill hunting lodge.  He agrees to return for them at dawn.


----------



## Morgaine

Piratecat said:
			
		

> *Ah, yes. This would be the first wave of stirges.
> 
> Heh, heh, heh. *




It was funny....P'Cat made this awful buzzing noise.  And to this day, all he has to do is start that noise to start Morgaine on a stream of expletives.


----------



## (contact)

And now she's so traumatized, Morgaine refers to herself only in the Third Person.


----------



## Morgaine

Once again, you've already read this...it was the first story I posted.  This is just where it was supposed to be in the storyline.  

*******************************

Thomas arrives at the inn shortly after daybreak to find an elf who doesn’t sleep eager to get started. Unfortunately, some of the party does not share Deke’s proclivity for limited sleep and stagger bleary-eyed into the common room one by one. Borin is wolfing down breakfast when Marja makes her way downstairs, still rubbing sleep from her eyes. She is still feeling the lingering effects of her hangover from the previous day. Once again, she argues with Garnet over the choice of her recent tattoo.   Morgaine is also a late-riser but since she has spells to prepare, spends breakfast studying and pouring through her spell books. Deke swipes some of the meat from Borin’s plate and receives a grunt and a smack for his efforts. 

*Deke:  “You were done with that right?” *
*Borin:  “I’m done with it when my plate is clean.”*

With Thomas is a young man in full plate armor with the holy symbols of Corean emblazoned boldly on the breastplate, helm and hilts of his gleaming long sword and great lance. He introduces himself as Kelley, a cleric and fighter for the Church of The Iron Gate (the local Church of Corean). The party members warily introduce themselves. Given all their recent tribulations, they are less than eager to embrace a stranger into their midst, even if that stranger looks young, strong, powerful and righteous. Especially because that stranger looks strong, powerful and righteous. Borin – as the troupe’s meat shield –does, however, gratefully acknowledge the addition of another healer in their fold. 
Thomas seems to sense the party’s hesitation and vouches for Kel’s trustworthiness.  *“Besides, two guides are better than one.”*

Xenia comments on Kel’s plate mail and how nice it looks. She also points out his lack of spikes but that she doesn’t hold it against him. 

Finally the heroes are ready to head out.  Kel’s steed is massive and outfitted to match his armor, replete with sparkling holy symbols. Deke tries not to shudder in the face of all the virtue oozing out of Kel’s pores.  Backtracking to Penderwen’s Rest they retrieve the horses “borrowed” from the bounty hunters. Borin has a second breakfast, then he, Deke, Gemma, Kalina, Marja, Morgaine, Kel and Thomas wave goodbye to Fergus as he plays his poorly tuned bagpipes in honor of their departure. Taylor howls in unison from his perch atop Morgaine’s horse and the sounds are indistinguishable. Fergus has opted to remain in Otenazu to work for the local tavern and promises to keep his eyes peeled for any strange happenings in their absence. 

The winds are brisk as they whip down from the Keldar Mountains, rustling the trees and leaves overhead. In Otenazu, the natives have 15 different words for the air currents that buffet the town on either side of the Canyon of Souls. It is a mild zephyr that blows today and the adventurers take in the warmth of the rising sun and the still-damp morning mist clinging to the air. Gemma scouts ahead of the party, keeping an ever-watchful eye and alert ear for anything amiss. Her vigilance pays off when she hears the faint whispers of a guttural language not far off in the distance. Deke and Gemma sneak forward to assess the situation and discover 14 Goblins lying in ambush just over the next hill.


----------



## Morgaine

Deke becomes one with the grass while Gemma reports their findings back to the group. Kalina asks the rest of the party to wait while she casts _entangle_ into the middle of their foes. She manages to ensnare several of the Goblins in the roots, brambles and hedges that begin to snake their way around the hapless creatures.  At this, the Goblin leader jumps onto the road and threatens the party, while an illusionist behind him creates his much-enlarged image – ostensibly to intimidate the group. Borin dismounts and picks up the transmutation club, grows to 12 feet tall and taunts the Goblin in front of him. “Mine’s real,” he growls. 

Morgaine casts _sleep_ and triumphantly listens as several loud snores fill the air from over the hill.   At this, the Goblin leader scolds Morgaine and threatens that the “King” shall rise up from the earth and seek his vengeance. Gemma plants two arrows neatly into his throat and his guttural warnings gurgle and die with him. Ironically, his enlarged image still shimmers above him.  In an impressive display of cooperation and tactical maneuvers, the adventurers manage to dispense with all of the goblins in seconds without a single injury to party members. Thomas lauds their efforts and they continue on their way to the hunting lodge of Lord Duncan of Wyndhill.

About a quarter of a mile from the lodge, Thomas draws the horses to a halt.  Down through a clearing he stares at what used to be the house.  Perhaps it is the distance or his eyes playing tricks on him, but there doesn’t seem to be a building, just a dense grove of trees.  Yet when he turns his head at a certain angle, the building seems to shimmer in the sun.  Kel, being more familiar with the lodge, concurs that something is not right.  Unfortunately, they are too far away to truly discern anything.  

As the entourage slowly makes its way to the hunting lodge, what appeared to be a copse of trees and bush turns out to be a brown shield encasing the entire cottage.  Trees, branches, dirt and debris are strewn all over the covering, almost as if to disguise or camouflage the building.  Fang smells something unpleasant and the horses begin acting skittish and jumpy.  This unease spreads quickly to the humans who hesitate to advance further.  The area is home to an unusually large number of spiders, scurrying in different directions as the riders pass by. Several party members shudder involuntarily as they dismount to investigate.  After debating for a few minutes about their next course of action, the party decides against Marja’s idea to burn the house down. Kel especially denounces that idea since this lodge does belong to his uncle. (Somehow knowledge of the fact that he is related to Lord Duncan of Wyndhill and Baronet Gobrey has escaped the other members until now.)

Instead, Marja casts _spiderclimb_ on Kel who reluctantly swallows a live spider and then feels his hands and feet stick easily to the tree he climbs to get a closer look at the lodge.  The whole cottage is wrapped in this weird casing and he can even see several birds flapping helplessly against the roof, trapped in the sticky substance.  Once again Marja voices a request to burn the house, seconded by Kalina and Morgaine.  Once again, the others shoot the idea down.  Marja casts a second _spiderclimb_ on Deke who swallows the requisite spider with something akin to relish.  He then makes his way into the stable building to explore further.


----------



## Morgaine

Inside he finds several large creatures encased in webbing and extremely large spider egg sac.  There are thick cobwebs covering every surface, blocking the sunlight and creating opaque shadows throughout the small outbuilding.  There is a strong smoky stench here, mixed with a foul, rotting odor.  He also finds traces of a white foam-like slime throughout the stables.  Upon reporting his findings, Gemma and Borin burn the egg sac, then burn away the webbing on the creatures.  They find the desiccated remains of two horses and one dog. 

Another dog, while terribly poisoned and partially dehydrated, is alive and Gemma does her best to heal and revive the poor canine.  When she is fairly certain it will survive, she focuses her attention on the cottage itself.  With a torch she begins to carefully burn away the webbing on the lodge, revealing the door underneath.  The sizzling sound that accompanies the burning, smoky stench assailing their nostrils again causes Morgaine to shudder.  Marja places Garnet in her hair to eat any of the spiders that get in there.

Eventually they are able to open the door wide enough to fit through, though few members are eager to do so.  Kel moves into the doorway and hears the raspy, thin voice of something speaking in harsh common from the darkness of the room.  After a lengthy discussion, where Kel demonstrates his _spiderclimb_ abilities, it invites him in to search the cabin for his relatives. Morgaine moves closer to the door in an attempt to figure out the location of the voice, using her magically enhanced hearing.  The voice floats down from the middle of the ceiling, but is moving slowly toward the door.  Once Kel enters the building, he sees the giant spider above the chandelier and gasps as the 8-foot arachnid trains eight eyes right at him.


----------



## Morgaine

It casts _web_ at the party, ensnaring Xenia, Morgaine, Kalina and Kel, whom it promptly releases.  It expresses excitement over all the “juicy” creatures at its door.  Gemma, adroitly avoiding the sticky mass, easily sidesteps inside the door and fires one flaming arrow at the creature. Thanks to Morgaine’s _Liliandel’s Flurry_ that one arrow becomes three, two of which easily find their mark, badly scorching the giant spider.  She quickly shoots her second arrow, which also buries itself deep within the hairy, black flesh.  Marja, who was already inside the house, was also able to dodge the web and quickly attacks with _ice knife_ which pierces and freezes the creature’s flesh, leaving it shaky and unsteady. 

The spider hangs from the ceiling ten feet above their heads and attacks its nearest foe, Marja, with eight legs and a giant mouth. Because of its freezing wounds, Marja deftly avoids the poison-filled pincers.  Unfortunately, two of its eight legs find their mark and leave large gashes across her chest, wounding her badly. Kalina casts _flame blade_ and masterfully burns a path through the sticky web inside the cottage, where she uses her slingshot to pelt the creature with stones.  Borin also makes his way inside the building, grabbing the transmutation club as he does so.  Standing eye to eye with the creature, he uses it for piñata practice and “squashes it like the bug that it is”. 

By this time, Xenia has struggled free of the web, sword drawn, ready to fight and makes her way inside the building, carefully following Kalina’s path so as not to entangle herself again. Thomas has burned a path for Morgaine, burning her in the process.  Deke, using the still powerful _spiderclimb_  scampers to the ceiling that is draped in cobwebs and draws his dagger, hoping a berserk Borin does not mistake him for one of the spider-creatures.  Meanwhile, three more giant spiders scuttle down from the ceiling and attack.  

Marja casts _ice knife_ at the one closest to Borin.  The frozen dagger arcs from her hand, puncturing the giant arachnid to its hilt.  Bursts of frost sweep over the creature and it seems to shiver, hindering its movement.  Kalina then scores holes into its abdomen with her flaming sword, making a wide sweep into the burning flesh. 

Morgaine casts _Melf’s Acid Arrow_ at another, the glowing green shaft searing a hole in the spider’s soft underside, as it shrinks back in pain.  Gemma sinks two arrows into its hide, the feathers quivering with the impact.  Deke shimmies across the ceiling, cuts the creature from the silk threads suspending it and watches gleefully as it crashes to the floor with a splat, nearly landing on Kel.   Borin (in Ogre form), feral and raging, swings the heavy club with such force that the giant spider in front of him is driven into the wall, where it splatters messily.  Xenia swings her long sword with a vengeance, piercing the creature closest to her between several of its eyes.  This last spider attacks Kel who finally gets upset enough to fight back and neatly slices it in half.

Barely catching their breath, they notice an enormous, gorged, slimy spider making her way into the room, leaving trails of white, foam-like slime in her wake.


----------



## Morgaine

Her stench is almost unbearable and the party watches, horrified, as she moves towards Borin with huge dripping pincers clacking wildly.  Morgaine surges forward and uses her _wand of color spray_ to stun the creature, giving Borin a chance to attack it with the club.  Unfortunately, when she tries this a second time, Borin is in the line of attack.  Yelling to close his eyes, she fires the wand again and watches the brilliant cone of scintillating colors explodes from the end of the wand.  Of course, what she doesn’t realize is that this mama spider also speaks common, follows her directions and is therefore unaffected.  Morgaine realizes lamely that she should have called out in dwarvish. Mama arachnid grabs Borin in her giant pincers and he feels the poison quickly spread through his body, causing his muscles to seize and shake violently.

Up close, they can see that her “skin” is moving.  She is literally alive with millions of tiny spiders wriggling all over her massive form.  Kalina uses her _avalanche_ sling shot to hurl a small stone at the spider.  Just before it hits its target, the stone expands ten times its size.  They watch as a large boulder catches the hulking mass squarely it its engorged abdomen. Morgaine casts _cat’s grace_ on Borin to help reduce some of his shaking.  Kel _commands_ it to sleep.  Instantly, its limbs go limp, the pincers stop clacking and the soft sounds of sleeping fill the room.  Borin pummels the creature with the club and Kalina finishes it off with a brilliant use of _cold snap_, sending hundreds of thousands of spiders scurrying in all directions. Instinctively, she and Morgaine back up.

Once they are sure the creature is dead, Kalina (with the aid of Gemma and Morgaine) successfully draws the poison out of an exhausted, weary Borin, applying their healing arts to Marja as well.  Sure that neither is in immediate danger, Kel, Gemma and Kalina scour the house in search of the caretakers and any other survivors in the lodge.  They discover the horribly poisoned caretaker and his wife, barely clinging to life.  Between Kel, Gemma, and Kalina they are able to stabilize the couple who remain unconscious and in grave condition.  Deke, Marja, and Morgaine burn away most of the cobwebs in the main rooms and begin the arduous task of clearing away the spiders’ remains. The sun is very low in the sky by the time the party finishes cleaning the whole lodge. Once done, they search the building for the clues they originally set out to find. 

Love letters from Gobrey to Lady Cosette Slaint are hidden underneath the floorboards in Gobrey’s room.  It is obvious that Gobrey is consumed by a fierce love for her, yet the flavor of some letters is a wild jealousy that she has had other lovers in the past.  One letter even mentions his slight hesitance to be married in her faith, but that he would “defy the Gods if need be to be with her.”  The party stores this information away for later use. 

The obvious next step is to talk with Lord Duncan of Wyindhill, Gobrey’s father.  A day later, the adventurers arrive at his manor, with Kel seeking audience with his uncle.


----------



## Aravis

KidCthulhu said:
			
		

> *Nice image with the pine needles.  Very pretty.
> 
> We certainly could write a story hour about Borin.  Of course, it would have lots of pictures and very small words.  Erudition is not Borin's job within the party. *




I know this was posted LONG ago, but I have been away from the boards for a while...

Anyway, READING is not Borin's job.  He is not DUMB though!  Harumph is right...*grin*

Hey (Contact), in an upcoming storyhour posting you will come very close to getting your wish...

-- Aravis


----------



## Kosh

Great story hour...

Thanks for posting it...

*bump*...


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

Morgaine said:
			
		

> *She does happily point out her new tattoo encircling her navel.  A small green snake weaves in and out of a circlet of colorful flowers.  Morgaine asks in dismay why choose a snake design and Marja’s response is that it was a compromise.  In her mind, continues an ongoing argument with Garnet.  “I don’t see why it had to be a snake.”  To which Garnet replies haughtily, “the tattoo was not my idea.  You could not be dissuaded of that.  And if you’re going to have one, it may as well be attractive.”
> 
> Realizing she is in no shape to prepare spells, Marja spends some time in the room attempting to harness the powerful magic coursing through her veins.  After meditating for several minutes, she knows she can command the few spells she mastered yesterday and hopes this will suffice.  *




I think the quote was, "I don't know where I got it (the tattoo), but I know who picked it out!"  And the flowers are violets, for those who are interested.

Just to clarify, Marja is a Sorcoress so doesn't 'prepare' spells, as such, but since she got no sleep the night before, she had no energy to 'recharge' her spell slots.


----------



## Morgaine

Iron Chef BBQ said:
			
		

> *
> 
> I think the quote was, "I don't know where I got it (the tattoo), but I know who picked it out!"  And the flowers are violets, for those who are interested.
> 
> Just to clarify, Marja is a Sorcoress so doesn't 'prepare' spells, as such, but since she got no sleep the night before, she had no energy to 'recharge' her spell slots. *




Thanks for the clarification.  Sometimes I lose details.  And thanks for the bump, Kosh.

I've been away and went through a little creative drought (spelling?) recently so I've not had much luck with the writing.  I should have something for tonight or tomorrow, though, and I appreciate all of your patience.  And all of you reading it.  

--M


----------



## Kosh

You're welcome...

Have you all stopped playing?...


----------



## Aravis

Kosh said:
			
		

> *You're welcome...
> 
> Have you all stopped playing?... *




Hi Kosh,

No, we have not stopped.  In fact, tonight when we play KidC will take over the run and PC will be playing a new character.  Things have been really busy with Morgaine lately.  Given the choice of having her be at the game and having her post here, I am afraid that I have to go with having her at the game.  **grin**

I would expect that as things settle down a bit for her we will see more posts.  We have been doing some pretty cool stuff...

-- Aravis


----------



## Jobu

We just finished our first KidC run game.  We had a bad priest, a dead kid, a new PC played by PC, and lots of Ale; what more could you want from a gaming session..


----------



## Dinkeldog

A big pile of dead bad guys (TM)?


----------



## Morgaine

<Pokes head in...looks around>  Wow, it's good to see things haven't changed in here.  

Thank you all for being patient for so long.  I've been extremely busy with life and haven't had time to write or post in ages.  I thought that once I was done with school I'd have more time but it turns out that this full-time job thing is a lot of work.  Who knew?  And with the wedding in two months things have been hectic.  But I haven't forgotten about you....I have written up the next few games in the sequence (we're still about 8-9 games behind the current game) and will try to post them in rapid succession over the next week or so.  I've also asked for help from Marja's player so I won't be so overwhelmed.  Thanks again for bearing with me.

Happy reading.

--M


----------



## Morgaine

The group has spent the last thirty minutes making vain attempts to look presentable but the dust and grime from travel and battle tenaciously clings to their clothes and hair.  They are waiting with some trepidation in Lord Wyndhill’s sitting room in tense silence.  The walls are adorned with ornately framed portraits of ruddy noble men and women, presumably related to Kel.  A large fireplace occupies the far wall, though with the warmth of the day, no fire is lit.  The décor of the large room is tasteful but sparse, giving the impression that the lord places a great deal more emphasis on function than style.  

*“Where’s that milksop nephew of mine?”*  booms a thunderous voice from somewhere deep inside the manor.  Seconds later, a large, burly man in a long purple cloak bursts into the room and embraces Kel in a giant bear hug.  

*“Kel, my boy, good to see you!  Did they make you a sissy at that church?”* 

Lord Wyndhill is an imposing figure, his towering height matched only by his impressive girth.  He has a neatly trimmed, bristly beard and close-cropped hair of the same salt and pepper gray.  His very commanding presence demands respect and he gives the impression of one who is used to others doing his bidding. 

Kel politely replies that he studied fighting as well as clerical works, which seems to appease Duncan considerably; he claps Kel on the back violently,  

*“Good to hear, boy.  A good sword and a strong arm can get you far.  Not to be rude or anything but why the hell are you here?”*

Kel informs his uncle that he and the others fear Gobrey is in danger.  Duncan is not surprised to learn this and asks everyone back into his conference room where they can talk privately.  He strides away purposefully and the group hurries to catch up.  

The room is dark, with rich mahogany furniture.  The drapes are lush, velvet hunter green and the air is thick with the sweet scent of pipe weed.  After brief introductions, Duncan gestures to the group to sit.  Borin sits in the large wing back chair in the center of room that obviously belongs to the Lord, who startles to see someone with the audacity to affront him.   After a brief pause, Duncan laughs heartily and acknowledges the dwarf’s pluck then takes another seat nearby.  

*“What’s this about my son?  Run in with a bad crowd, has he?  I knew that woman was no good.  I could use a drink, anybody else?” * 

When several party members agree enthusiastically, Duncan bellows to a fidgety, nervous looking servant who startles noticeably  

*“Cringe, we need ale!” * 
“Yye..yes sir, right away sir.”

In moments, Cringe returns with tankards and ale in several pitchers.  Marja gratefully accepts the first and takes a long draught from the tasty brew.  Duncan looks obviously impressed.  

They spend some time discussing Gobrey and their own unfortunate incarceration.  Duncan frequently interjects with loud comments or advice after the fact.  Twice Marja replies with witty comebacks that cause him to guffaw loudly.  After the second such event, Duncan rounds on her and says, 

*“How’d you like to be my wife.  I need a wife now and you’re pretty enough.”*


----------



## Kesh

Very nice story! I just read the whole thing, and it was quite fun.

I especially liked the scene with the stream. ("The water's _happy_, man! It _sings_!"  )

Keep 'em coming! I'd love to learn more about the characters and where the story leads. I've become interested in the Scarred Lands setting recently, and this just whets my appetite more.


----------



## Jobu

Kesh said:
			
		

> *....I'd love to learn more about the characters and where the story leads. *




I think some of us still have our background stories hanging about somewhere if you're that interested.  As for the Scarred Lands itself, we really have fun playing in a land ravaged by god wars.  It's quite a world setting.  

I don't think even we know where the story's heading...I can tell you that you will soon be reading of our adventures in another realm and our encounter with all sorts of creatures we were pretty sure were only imaginary.  )

Thanks for the interest, though.  It means a lot to know someone's reading.


----------



## Jobu

Marja deftly sidesteps his proposal, indicating she can’t commit to anything until this whole matter is resolved and her name is cleared.  Duncan sees the wisdom of this and drops the subject for the time being.  

Eventually, the group asks the Lord for a list of Gobrey’s friends.  Once again he bellows to the timid Cringe who cries out and jumps forward.  He provides the party with several names - Whimsy, Willenforce and Cotter.  Both Kel and Morgaine recognize the latter two but no one knows the former.   Duncan also indicates that he has business interests in Amalthea, a forge, and the group suspects this is the motive behind Cosette’s “attraction” to Gobrey.  

*“Kel, find my boy.  Break this enchantment.  Throw some money around and tell people you didn’t do what they said you did and I’ll back you up.”*

Duncan offers to fund this bribing spree and then says he’ll write a letter of diplomatic immunity should they be caught by the guard again.  

*“Now, I’m hungry.  It’s dinner time so you all go get washed up and meet me down here for dinner in an hour.”*

They spend the evening eating a savory meal with more ale, mead and wine then retire to the study for after-dinner drinks and some entertainment courtesy of several local bards.  Duncan once again proposes to Marja then tells her to think about his offer before answering and making a mistake.  They retire to their rooms late in night.

Duncan is awake obnoxiously early and his booming voice quickly destroys any further hope of sleep for anyone within earshot - a full half the town.  He greets Kel on the stairs and hands him several sacks of coins.  

*“Fifty pounds ought to be enough to bribe the right people, don’t you think?”*

Deke is out of his room and on the landing before the money hits Kel’s hand and Borin charges up the stairs, bacon in hand.  They revel in the sight of all that gold at their disposal.

After a hearty repast for breakfast, Cringe helps Marja write the diplomatic letter, Duncan signs it with his seal and offers them horses for their journey.  Gemma, who healed the dog at the lodge, inquires after it, relieved to know it will survive.  She asks the Lord for a pup, when she is done adventuring.  He readily agrees and they bid him farewell.  The party makes its way through the morning streets, en route to find Cotter, the moneylender’s son.  They plan to change most of the gold into gems for easier travel and find information in the process.


----------



## Morgaine

oops, didn't realize I was logged on as Jobu....those last two posts are mine.  Sorry.

--m


----------



## SSS-Druid

This is great fun. 

I only just started my own story hour in the Scarred Lands and am thrilled to find another in the setting.

Great fun, indeed.


----------



## Kesh

Some background stories would be great! Of course, I get the feeling a few characters are trying to keep their histories secret, so I can understand if those don't get full writeups... still, it'd be neat to know why the charactesr are the way they are.


----------



## KidCthulhu

Well, I'll chime in.   Gemma is older than the rest of the party, by several hundred years.  Her background is deeply, deeply shadowed, and she doesn't talk much about her young life.  However, certain things she has said, and information she possesses, leads the group to suspect that she was actually alive during the Titan's War, and saw the fall of Amalthea during the Druid War.  They know she has a deep, deep hatred of Khirdet and all its minions.  She bears terrible physical scars, burns and cuts marr her face and most of her body.  Her emotional scars seem to be just as extensive.  She is always cloaked.

Gemma is angry, taciturn, and grim.  She has smiled maybe 5 time the party can remember, and most of those were dark "I'm gonna inflict some death now" smiles.  She does not speak often, but when she does, her words are short and to the point.  She doesn't suffer fools, and doesn't have time for those who can't hold their own.

That said, she has shown surprising tenderness and mercy for animals and innocents.  She continues to travel with the party, despite her emotional standoffishness and lone wolf past.  Why is anyone's guess.

Elves encountered in the forest bow to her and address her as "My lady".  What's up with that?

All in all, she's been a fun role playing challenge.  Grim and depressed is easy, but taciturn is hard.  I have to give myself a budget of 30 words per game, and try to stick to it.  Hard for a wordy person like me.


----------



## Jobu

Kesh said:
			
		

> *Some background stories would be great! Of course, I get the feeling a few characters are trying to keep their histories secret, so I can understand if those don't get full writeups... still, it'd be neat to know why the charactesr are the way they are.  *




Well Deke is pretty straight forward, not alot of this past cloaked in mystery.  He is an orphan, left in Amalthea just after the city was destroyed.  He is rather young for an Elf (only 50 years old) and sometimes his inexperience shows.  He has no idea who his parents are or were but on one occasion an Elf that the party met mentioned knowing of his parents.  He grew up on the streets living off the speed of his wits and hands (he will pick your pocket just as soon as shake your hand, the line "You dropped this", is one of his favorites.)

He is a loner and out for himself.  Every now and then he will help someone out for no real reason, but that is few and far between (especially since the last time he "helped" it got him killed).  But that story is yet to come so I won't go into it.

This "group" is his first real dealings with people on a regular basis and he's not real sure about having any ties that might hold him down.  "Never get into a relationship that you can't walk away from at a moments notice" has been his rule and these party members are making that difficult.  We'll see what happens as time goes on....


----------



## Nightfall

SSS-Druid said:
			
		

> *This is great fun.
> 
> I only just started my own story hour in the Scarred Lands and am thrilled to find another in the setting.
> 
> Great fun, indeed. *




Yeah I really need to get my story hour started soon! Course it would HELP if I had characters to run them in!


----------



## Morgaine

Kesh said:
			
		

> *Some background stories would be great! ....*




Okay, you got it (the abridged version)
***************************************
Morgaine (half-elf, wzd, CG )

Morgaine was born one night during a malefic storm to an elven mother and a human father.  Her human grandmother delivered her only grandchild just as she had delivered hundreds of other babies.  A bond was formed that night that grew with each passing year.  

Her parents were killed by the horrible Titan-spawn abominations when she was 13 so Morgaine went to live with Oma.  There, she became an apprentice mage; and for six years, poured over books, spells, alchemical formulas and all matter of magical tools in an effort to assuage her ever-growing thirst for knowledge.  

She’s never really fit in anywhere and she's never had the opportunity for close friends except her grandmother and her familiar Taylor -- in whom she confides everything.  Oma was Morgaine’s mentor, confidante, companion and role model.  It was she who taught Morgaine the intricacies of spell casting and how to harness the forces of the Universe for arcane magic.  

Unfortunately, Oma was an elderly woman and died last year, leaving Morgaine orphaned and alone.  Yet another loss - this one perhaps the most dearly felt -- devastated her and she still grieves her grandmother every day.  Shortly thereafter, Morgaine set out for Amalthea because remaining in Otenazu was simply too painful.  

With no other family to speak of, Morgaine decided to travel in the hopes of continuing her magickal studies.  She met up with the party shortly after her arrival in the city.  She plans one day to study at Lokil and discover once and for all if the rumor that Oma studied there is true.  She hopes she can be half the wizard her grandmother was.

Despite the fact that she has encountered strangers from all walks of life, Morgaine has lived a sheltered existence to date.  She's young, naive and rather immature.  Unfortunately, she's gangly and uncoordinated.  Only when she is casting, can she make her body move with grace and fluidity.  She distrusts her own instincts and is only recently learning to combat that instinctive self-doubt with which she has been plagued her whole life.   

Morgaine feels like a lost ship and is still searching for a port.  Eventually, she hopes to learn more about magic, dreams and life in general.  In the meantime she makes do with what she can learn from her adventures.
*****************************************
I love playing Morgaine.  There's something  refreshing about playing someone who is as scatterbrained and unjaded as she is.  It's like revisitng all the fun parts of my adolescence without all the angst and misery.    :0)


----------



## Morgaine

A brief conversation with Hammond Cotter reveals that his son is at the beach with some friends.  The elder Cotter is surprised to note that the party is the second group of people looking for his son - the first were foreign dwarves -- and expresses some concern.  Alarmed and disconcerted to learn they are not the only ones looking for Gobrey’s friends, the group hastily informs the father that they fear for his son’s life.  He calls the city guard and sends the group ahead to protect the younger Cotter.  They beat a brisk path to the beach, aware that they are more than twenty minutes behind their foes.

On the road, the party encounters a traffic jam, caused by a large cart of beer kegs that has rutted itself, spilling beer in the process.  Huge groups of people mill about aimlessly, some drinking the now free-flowing ale, others simply trying to get around the mess.  Deciding they will make better time off-road, the heroes ride around the cart through the rough underbrush nearby.  As they crest a small hill they catch their first glimpse of the lake below, with sundry multicolored pavilions and at least a hundred bathers reveling in the warmth and sun.  Marja charmingly asks the stable boy about Cotter and the young lad is more than happy to oblige her.  He takes their horses and points the group in the direction of a large pavilion several hundred yards down the beach.

As they make their way along the crowded beach, the party gets more than a few stares from the local patrons.  It is not common occurrence for seven obvious adventurers to find themselves on the shores of a small lake, even in Otenazu.  Gemma with her heavy cloak and hidden countenance, Deke an elf with crossbow and fine rapier, Kalina wearing the garb of a druid and keeping a large wolf at bay, and Morgaine with her staff, spell books, and cat perched atop her shoulder cause many to stop in their tracks.  Although not wearing her spikes, Xenia is still in light chain mail with several weapons strapped to her back; Borin’s dirty beard and unkempt appearance, coupled with his fearsome great axe, and Kel’s gleaming armor and sword do little to assuage the stir the heroes create.  Even Marja, whose midriff shirt and flowing pants could be considered beach garb, is easily marked.  

Marja and Deke spot a pleasant-looking dwarf with rosy cheeks splashing about at the water’s edge.  He seems out of place somehow and they inform the others, who all make concerted efforts to watch him closely.  Not knowing who they are looking for, the party is suspicious of everyone.  They know they are looking for dwarves, however, so even if this one looks harmless, he bears close observation.

Several yards away, they see a large, brightly colored pavilion where bards play happy tunes on various instruments.  There are many servants waiting on the nobility or waiting with towels for their employers to return from their swim.  Most are looking hot and bored.  Deke calls up to the gazebo that they are looking for Cotter, whose life may be in danger.  A servant calls out to a young man in the lake wearing a red and white striped bathing costume, splashing boisterously in the small waves.  He responds with a whine and is wary of the strangers in front of him.


----------



## Aravis

Morgaine said:
			
		

> *The group has spent the last thirty minutes making vain attempts to look presentable but the dust and grime from travel and battle tenaciously clings to their clothes and hair*




The only correction I have to add to that is that Borin was already perfectly presentable and spent the time twiddling his thumbs.

-- Aravis


----------



## Morgaine

Morgaine casts _detect thoughts_ on the youthful Cotter, stretching her mind out to find his and feels the connection link his thoughts to her own.  Marja calls out to him, doing her best to seem alluring.  While the young man stalls, Morgaine clearly “hears” him search his brain for reasons the ravishing woman on the shore wants to talk to him.  He is suspicious but intrigued and more than a little excited.  She relays this to Marja who turns up the charm.

Just as Cotter is about to make his way toward the beach, something unseen grasps him from behind and attempts to pull him under the water.  Cotter manages to break free and quickly moves away before the creature can attack again.  Deke rushes into the water to help the now terrified young man as a large, black sinewy appendage surfaces and snakes toward Cotter.  Gemma rapidly knocks two arrows and sends them hurtling through the air toward the tentacle.  Just as it latches onto Cotter, Gemma’s arrows find their mark.  The suction-cup tentacle recoils, dragging Cotter under the water with it.  

Gemma shouts to the locals to clear the beach but no one is really listening, entranced as they are by the spectacle in the water.  

Borin goes berserk with rage and charges into the water, swinging his axe wildly as he does so.  Delirious as he is, however, he misses the black creature and hits Cotter instead.  The poor noble falls unconscious as the water around him turns red with his spilled blood.


----------



## Morgaine

Kel fires his crossbow bolt but in the splashing and confusion misses wide to the right.  Marja sends two _magic missiles_ streaming at the creature, more tentacles now visible.  The green orbs sear into the soft flesh, leaving large wounds.  Kalina reaches the boy and draws up the seaweed around her to heal the large gaping wound in his chest.  They seal the wound to prevent further blood loss, melting into his ragged muscles and instantly repairing the tears cause by Borin’s axe.  

Xenia also jumps into the water, sword glinting in the bright sunlight.  Alas, she is not prepared for the extra weight of the water and she misses, slashing through the water with a splash.  Gemma quickly moves to aid Kalina and stretches out her holy symbol of Tanil to the unconscious man in the water.  Light  radiates out from the arrowhead and blazes into the partially healed wound.  The skin sews itself together with threads of the golden glow and Cotter regains consciousness.  Deke dives below the water to free the young man and wrestles with the tentacle as Cotter wriggles free.  

Almost too late, Morgaine hears the now familiar buzzing sound of sturges closing in on them.  She calls out a warning to her companions and vainly tries to get off a _Melf’s acid arrow_before they attack.  However the flying creatures are too quick and dive in before she has the spell components in hand.  One attacks Gemma, landing squarely in the middle of the elder woman’s back.  One attacks a weak Cotter, finding its mark on his thigh.


----------



## Aravis

Morgaine said:
			
		

> *
> Borin goes berserk with rage and charges into the water, swinging his axe wildly as he does so.  Delirious as he is, however, he misses the black creature and hits Cotter instead.  The poor noble falls unconscious as the water around him turns red with his spilled blood. *




Can I just say...Ooops!

-- Aravis


----------



## Piratecat

I don't think he noticed.


----------



## Morgaine

Marja sends more _magic missiles_ at the one on Cotter; the creature hisses into oblivion before doing much damage.  

Kalina deftly reaches over her shoulder and, in one swift movement, pulls out her scimitar and slashes through a sturge in midair.  It, too, disappears in a sputter.  Xenia raises her sword and slices through the one attacking Gemma and continues her swing to include another just above her head.    Borin gives a mighty battle cry, swings his axe and levels a blow at the remaining two that sends them into oblivion.

Meanwhile, another tentacle attacks Kel, who stabs it fiercely with his sword.  Borin, also nearby, finishes his swing into the creature, bury his axe deep in the dark, slimy flesh.  Deke moves to load his crossbow as the giant squid creature rises five feet above the water and snaps its beak-like mouth at the nearest foe - Kel.  Blood spurts from his arm as the razor-sharp teeth sink into his now useless left arm.  

Morgaine readies a _sleep_ spell to perhaps eliminate the next onslaught of sturges she is sure will appear.  She scans the horizon hoping to catch sight of the insectine creatures before they get too close.  Her vigilance pays off when, in the distance, she can just make out six shapes silhouetted against the sky.  As they come within range, she pulls the last strings of magic together and sends the spell out toward the pestilence rapidly approaching.  Four of the six creatures fall out of flight toward the water, fast asleep.  

Kalina is ready with her scimitar and finishes off one of the sleeping constructs before it hits the water.  Borin, likewise cleaves one and then destroys the second without blinking then turns his attention back to the squid eating Kel.  Kel heaves his sword and delivers one last blow to the sea creature, wincing in pain as he does so.  He is rewarded when the giant, black squid falls slack, life gone from its eyes.  With great effort, the young fighter stabs his sword, now coated in the creature’s thick blood, killing one of the sturges attempting to attack him.  Breathing in ragged gasps from pain and effort, Kel makes his way toward his companions to help dispose of the remaining two sturges.  Xenia gets there first and her long sword quickly destroys the last threats with ease.

Gemma once again calls on the help of Tanil and heals poor Kel’s arm.  Between she and Kalina (with the help of Kel, once his arm is once again useful) they heal the party members quickly.  Deke hastily convinces Cotter that his now healed wounds were from the creature not Borin.  As shaken as he is, the young man readily believes this.

In the mele, the party has forgotten about the strange dwarf they spied earlier.  As the group scans the beach for the friendly looking bearded fellow, Deke, Gemma and Kel spot him a couple hundred yards down.  He catches Deke’s eye for a briefest moment and then begins casting a spell.  Morgaine studies his movements closely, listening intently for the familiar words and immediately recognizes the spell as a conjuration, probably for more sturges.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Marja's Profile*

Here is Marja's character background in a (not so small) nutshell.

Marja Silvanrod – Half-Elf, Sorcerer, 

Marja is the daughter of Mirium Spooner, a human chef for an Amalthean Lord, and Rodrick Silvanrod, an Elven bard.  She had an idyllic childhood (fairly unheard of for an adventurer) growing up as a very pretty and lively creature on a beautiful estate where the Lord and Lady have done their best to smooth over the scars left by the Titan Wars.  Her parents are real free spirits (think 1960’s flower children).

When Marja entered adolescence she began to have nightmares.  She would wake up to find things being tossed about the room, or destroyed in bursts of light.  Having never met a sorcerer, she was unable to detect the first stages of her inner magical power.  Frightened by what was happening to her when she slept  Marja began to stay up late.  She began to run with a wilder crowd and to drink heavily.  By drinking herself into a stupor she could assure herself of a dreamless sleep.

When her father finally realized what was going on, he recognized the signs of sorcery.  His mother is a sorcerer so he sent Marja to the elves deep in the Amalthean woods to live with her grandmother.  While there Marja embraced her powers, but longed to follow in her father’s footsteps as a bard, and longed to travel.

She set out under the apprenticeship of a bard and friend of her fathers, but bandits attacked the party and her mentor was killed.  In this fight she met Borin, and they have become very close friends.  Marja has set aside her dreams of becoming a bard to travel with the group.

Marja really likes people and enjoys personal interactions on all levels.  She’s drawn to defend the weak and challenge the cruel (more for the social aspects than from a deep-seeded sense of right and wrong), and just loves to be social.  Despite embracing her sorcererness, she still fights inner demons.  Although she no longer fears the manifestations of her magic while she sleeps, she is still plagued by nightmares.  She often dreams of huge winged creatures attacking her and pushing her off an enormously high cliff.    To drown out these nightmares, Marja still drinks herself into a stupor most nights (the party doesn’t quite know this yet, although some suspect).


----------



## (contact)

> Borin goes berserk with rage and charges into the water, swinging his axe wildly as he does so. Delirious as he is, however, he misses the black creature and hits Cotter instead. The poor noble falls unconscious as the water around him turns red with his spilled blood.




COTTER HAD IT COMIN'!


----------



## Morgaine

(contact) said:
			
		

> *
> 
> COTTER HAD IT COMIN'! *




We all agreed wholeheartedly.

)


----------



## Morgaine

Gemma knocks an arrow and imbues it with _gust of wind_, she takes care to aim and hold the arrow until the exact moment she can foil his spell.  She waits for Morgaine’s cue.  Morgaine also readies _dispel magic_, should Gemma’s arrow not find it’s mark.  Deke loads his crossbow bolt and waits.  At Morgaine’s signal, Gemma lets the arrow fly, hitting him neatly in the chest.  The spell fizzles out and the dwarf is knocked back into a rock from the force of the wind behind the arrow.  Kel _commands_ him to freeze but the dwarf manages to shake off the enchantment.  He is not able to avoid Kalina’s _Salomar’s quiet contemplation_, however and pauses briefly to reflect on the nature of the dwarves.  Marja, unwilling to hear his theoretical views, slams his chest with two _magic missiles_ while Deke fires his crossbow bolt and hits his thigh.  Realizing he is sorely outmatched, the dwarf takes off at a run in the opposite direction. 

Borin charges after him and, because he is a barbarian, quickly overtakes the retreating figure.  Borin swings his axe, hits and watches as the now unconscious dwarf transforms from a jolly fellow with a braided beard to a nasty, smarmy dwarf with dark features.  Marja, Kel, Morgaine and Xenia make their way over to Borin to offer assistance.  Blood pools out from the prone figure beneath Borin’s feet, staining the white sand a dark crimson.  Morgaine convinces Kel to heal the dwarf back to consciousness, so they may question him without wasting a healing potion.  

Upon waking the dwarf is recalcitrant and unwilling to divulge any information.  In fact, he insults Marja crudely and Borin once again knocks him unconscious.  Kel argues they should turn him over to the authorities and prevents Borin from finishing off the nasty dwarf.  They bind his hands and feet, relieve him of his spell components and then send him off with the guards.  

Meanwhile, Kalina runs up, stating that Fang bit the other dwarf, presumably a partner in crime, but he turned into a _gaseous form_ before the wolf had a chance to detain him.  Deke is talking with Cotter while Gemma scans the beach for the other dwarf.  She can just make out a lone figure on the other side of the lake and takes off at a dead run in that direction, shouting over her shoulder as she does so.


----------



## Ruined

Yayyyy! I'm caught up on this excellent story hour. Now I can...  oh wait, PC has released the compiled story of Eversink. It's almost a hundred pages. Noooooooo!!  =)

Seriously, a good game, and the writing is well-done Morgaine. I'm prepping to run a Scarred Lands campaign, and your crew has me enthusiastic. Keep 'em coming!


----------



## Morgaine

Thank you for the endoresment, theRuinedOne.  It is always nice to know that other people appreciate my writing.

For the rest of you, I apologize for the dearth of updates but I do not have the notes for game immediately following the last update.  _<hint hint, PCat>_  So I've been trying to write them from memory.  And since the game happened a few months ago, this has been a tricky endeavor.  I've got some of it but I will check with the rest of the group when we game tomorrow.  For now, this is a short post to keep us on the first page.  )

Happy reading!

--M

*********************************

Despite her advanced age, Gemma is quickly making her way to the other side of the lake, several of the party trailing behind her.  Yet in the distance, she can see the dwarf beginning to cast and she knows she cannot reach him in time.  Nor is she close enough to be any threat with her bow.  As she runs along the water’s edge, the ranger silently wishes she could somehow walk on water.  Almost as if the water heard her thoughts, the lake beside her begins to cease movement and separate slightly.  Puzzled but unwilling to stop and contemplate, Gemma tentatively places one foot onto the now solid mass at her feet.  The lake is solid and holds her weight.  Realizing this is probably another bonus from the magical water they drank in the cave almost two weeks ago, she nimbly runs across the crystallized lake, reaching her opponent in seconds.

Borin charges after Gemma, making significant progress toward the other side of the lake.  Marja rushes forward but realizes she will not get to the dwarf in time to prevent him casting.  She also understands that she is too far away for most of her enchantment spells to be of any effect.  Instead, she chooses to send two _magic missiles_ speeding toward the other side of the lake, where they find their mark on the dwarf’s torso.  She then takes off at a run after Borin and Gemma.  Morgaine also begins to make her way toward the far shore, but much slower than her companions.  Once again, she is studying her foe, watching for the telltale signs of casting.  She hopes to perhaps disrupt his spell in some way.  

Once the first dwarf is handed to the guard, Kalina and Kel also dash after their friends.  Deke finishes asking Cotter for information about Gobrey and Cosette.  Then he, too, hastens to assist the ranger who is now standing toe to toe with another rosy-cheeked dwarf who looks to be about to cast.


----------



## Kosh

*bump*...  3rd page is no place for this story hour to be...


----------



## Morgaine

I know that I've been sorely remiss....this story hour languishes away on the third page -- thanks for the Bump, Kosh.  My life has gotten unexpectedly hectic in the last few months and I don't have much free time for writing.  I have enlisted the help of some of the other players to pick up the slack for me until things calm down again.  I apologize for the lack of continuity.  Thanks for bearing with me.  I do hope to be able to post again by Monday.  Keep your fingers crossed.

--M


----------



## Hammerhead

BUMP! Great story! Eagerly awaiting the entrance of Piratecat's new character. Can he match the infamous Dranko?


----------



## KidCthulhu

Can he match Dranko?  Yeeks I hope not.  Having taken over as DM of this game, I don't think I'm ready to handle Dranko, thank you very much.  That's like a someone with no child care experience having to cope with a hyperactive ten year old.  Sagiro, who is far more skilled than I, can just about handle Dranko!


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*condensed summary #1*

Wow!  None of us have posted an update in over a month.  Since I'm note taker, that's my bad. We've played quite a bit so here's the condensed version of several runs, which will take us up to the present.
*The party ends up killing dwarf number two with an impressive use of fairy fire.
*We find a map that leads us to an illusionary land made to look like an elven paradise from before the war.  There are portals throughout the land that lead from one place to another (e.g., the plains to the forest, etc.)  Each portal requires that you hold a particular object in your hand to pass through (e.g., a leaf to cross into the forest).  Finding each portal and figuring out the trigger is a challenge.
*The first portal takes us to a bridge where a troll guard poses a riddle to each of us to get across.
*In the forest, the party dispatches (by that I mean kills) 40 goblins.
*In the castle guards attack us, and Deke is killed.  We come across Gobry, still heartsick for Cosette.  A dispel magic scroll brings him to his senses and saves the party from having to hear any more poetry.  He is now outraged and vows to help the party defeat Cosette.
*From the castle they each step out of a window with a feather and end up on a cloud.  There is a long pathway leading to another castle, all in the air.  As they cross the path, a huge white creature rises up from the cloud and begins to talk to them.  It¡¦s a dragon, although they don¡¦t know that because none of them have seen, or even heard of, dragons.  Marja recognizes the creature, though.  It¡¦s just like the monsters in her nightmares that fly at her and push her off a cliff.  The evil creatures that have been haunting her sleep for 20 years.  She is reduces to hysterical sobbing in it¡¦s presence as it sniffs at her closely and talks about smelling the blood in her.  Borin steps up and yells at the dragon to stop scaring her.  The dragon is amused.  Although the dragon cannot help the party fight Cosette due to a pact, he gives Morgaine a magical staff to use against her.  Morgaine is pretty excited about it even though she has to give it back.
*A battle ensues, and by the end they have Cosette on her knees.  In what he hopes will be the coup-de-gras, Borin bull-rushes her and knocks her off of the cloud.  They hear her fall, but not hit the ground.  Marja returns the staff to the dragon.  He is disappointed and unconvinced that the fall finished her off.  He and Marja have a long conversation, but as soon as the dragon disappears into the clouds, Marja finds that the memory of what they talks about also becomes cloudy.  She is left with the feeling of being less afraid than before.
*The company travels through the next portal into a flooded tunnel.  Oddly, they can all breath although Morgaine¡¦s cat is quite unhappy.  They realize that Cosette is not dead, and worse, she¡¦s regenerating.  They miss her, but discover what she¡¦s been up to.  She and her fellow Mormo worshippers have been collecting the body parts of the Titan (which were flung to the far reaches of the earth when he was destroyed).  If they can gather enough of the pieces and perform the right ritual, they can bring him back to life.  Gemma is frozen with fear of the thought of it and memories of the old war.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*The group returns Gobry to his dad who is overjoyed.  They take the body of Deke to the Temple of Denev.  He is brought back to life, but not as an elf.  He is brought back as the creature that most closely resembles his true nature: He is a filcher (a lemur-type creature).  He can talk and has all of Deke's memories.  Marja immediately sees the potential for a fake ventriloquist act if only she can get Deke to wear a red fez.  
*The group relaxes at dinner with Marja's parents who marvel at their adventures.  Her father, a bard, vows to legendize them in song.  The festival of the burning man is just a few days away so the party decides to rest and have fun.  Borin makes a trip to the Temple of Ankili.  Ankili is the god of trickery, and Borin has been feeling like someone has been playing jokes on him.  (Running in to doors and bouncing off or running in to doors and tearing the entire wall down - very Ankili-like tricks.)  Borin decides if Ankili has picked him out for some reason, he'll go along with it and makes an offering at the temple.
*Of course, trouble ensues.  They uncover a plot to create chaos at the festival and start a riot.  They foil it, of course, but not before Borin is bitten by a werewolf, and Marja is almost killed.  
*Enter our new GM, Kid C.  Morgaine has a message from her grandmother.  It seems that since Deke has been dead, he now has conversations with the old woman.  She wants Morgaine to find her spell book!  So back to Otenazu.  On the way they pass through a small town.  They meet up with a very interesting character, a dwarf with his long red beard neatly braided.  He introduces himself as Lucre, Borin's cousin.  He has a message for Borin placed in his head by magic.  He doesn't know what it is, but will hang around with Borin until it comes out.  In the Inn that night, a man is killed.  His wife says they have recently lost there young son and the man was calling to the boy in his sleep.  It appears the town is being haunted by the ghost of a young boy who is looking for his father, and inadvertently sucking the life out of people in the mean time.  The party tracks down the mystery.  They find the hut of an outcast woman who was living alone at the edge of the river.  It appears she lived with her young son, and that she had a lover who bought her pretty dresses.  Both she and the boy have been missing for several weeks.  The party suspects the cleric at the temple who doesn't seem to know much about saying prayers.  Marja puts on one of the woman's dresses and appears to the cleric at dusk.  He is noticeably shaken.  Through "persuasion" he confesses to being the woman's lover and the father of the boy, and finally to killing them both.  The ghost of the boy appears, and the party lets him give his father a hug.  They both disappear.  The party believes with proper burial of the bodies, the town will no longer be troubled by the ghost.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*condensed summary, the last*

*The party travels to Otenazu and meets up with Thomas, their guide from before.  They need to get through Ankili's mountains to the other side to follow the lead for Morgaine's grandmother's spell book.  Thomas introduces them to his girlfriend, Mirabelle, who is also a guide.  Marja distrusts her and doesn't want her to come along on the journey, but since Thomas seems to think her skills are especially needed on the trek, and the other party members think she's ok, Marja relents.  Mirabelle is a pretty girl with sweet blue eyes and golden hair.  It may just be that Marja doesn't want the competition.
The group starts out through the mountains.  Mirabelle tells them that the god, Ankili, as a gift built this strange region for his mother, Denev.  They trek through the windy mountain passes with a few slips and slides until they are confronted by a young man flying in the air in front of them.  He calls to Mirabelle to get herself home, Ma and Pa are mad.  The story comes out that Mirabelle knows this area so well because she grew up here.  Her family guards these passes and receive powers from their god.  The powers change them, making them evil.  Mirabelle has run away, and the family wants her back.  Borin steps up to defend Mirabelle and in one swoop of his great axe, he cuts her brother in two.  The party knows they're in for it and starts a fast march through the mountains.  They are confronted by the father who doesn't yet seem to know of his son's death.  He gives them 24 hours head start to get out of there.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*running from Ma and Pa*

RUN!  Mirabelle knows of a short cut through the canyon which may just give them the lead they need to get out in 24 hours before dad attacks.  About an hour into their hike the canyon gets very narrow and really deep.  They spot stairs with 3-foot risers (Ankili size) and start down.  All the way the party is pressing Mirabelle for information on her dad, anything they might use against him.  “Well, he likes illusion spells and summons air creatures. He’s prideful, and he has a trick knee.”

The way down these stairs is slow and steep.  Occasionally, someone stumbles, but no one falls.  After 4 hours of this exhausting trek, they stop to catch their breath.  Deke spots 6 dark shapes in the sky.  Morgaine says they don’t sound like sturges, they sound like eagles.  Morgaine casts sleep, and 3 of them fall.  Thomas, Deke and Gemma each take one out.  So much for Pa giving them 24 hours.

They press on.  Around the next bend the stairs stop and a gentle slope begins.  Mirabelle detects magic, but all seems real.  Around the next corner is a 50 foot gap – the path just ends.  They can see a small tunnel across the gap.  The party struggles to come up with an idea for how to cross, when Lucre invokes the name of Ankili.  Suddenly, the path they are standing on begins to pull away from the canyon wall.  Half the party slides, but no one falls.  The path pivots and tilts until it meets up with the tunnel.  With several “Thank you, Ankili”s they rush into the tunnel just as they see Mirabelle’s mother bellowing down the trail.  She is a large blonde woman, a barbarian, with a huge battle axe.  

Kel commands “fall,” and she does which gives several party members a chance to attack.  Deke, Morgaine and Kalina, unaware of the battle, have headed down the tunnel. Lucre and Borin charge and strike.

Suddenly Pa appears in the sky and sends shock waves at Borin who falls flat, but grabs on.  Marja hastes herself and Borin.  At this point Ma moves off the path and dissolves into mist.  Borin and Lucre move in again to attack the mist.  Unfortunately, Lucre is relying on his heavy crossbow, but hasn’t been able to hit anything all day.  Gemma sends Ma shooting backwards with a gust of wind arrow. 

Kel fires a spiritual hammer at Pa, but misses.  Pa starts to cast at which point Lucre fires his crossbow to try to break his concentration, but once again the shot goes wide.  A dark thread escapes from Pa’s fingers and shoots to Borin’s axe.  As the party watches, a cloud of billowing darknes begins to spread from the axe, engulfing them.  They can see nothing.  Borin covers his axe with his cloak, which puts out the darkness like covering a torch puts out the light.  His axe, however, is not useless.  He spots Ma, and drat! She appears to have healed herself.  Morgaine appears from the tunnel and uses her cat, Taylor, to cast fly on Borin.  At this point Pa disappears, and Ma runs up and over canyon wall.  

Lucre jumps on Borin’s back, and they fly in pursuit.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*a meal of stone*

Meanwhile, Deke, Kalina and Morgaine have headed into the tunnel.  They hear a rumbling as small rocks tumble out of the tunnel walls and form themselves into tiny people. (Like snowmen made of rocks.) One yells, “The blood is in the tunnel.  Find it!”  The other three set off at a run towards Mirabelle.  Morgaine moves to intercept and manages to convince them not to attack.  Mirabelle is a cleric of Ankili who created this place and created these creatures.  Although they have an extreme hate for her family, they hold off in deference to the god they all serve.

Deke, who has lingered behind searching the tunnel, hears a rumbling.  Out of the walls tumbles another rock creature, smaller than the others, but encrusted with beautiful gems.  Deke is in love.  Deke negotiates passage through the tunnels for the group in exchange for some of the party’s gems.  It is a great test of valor for Deke to give up his treasures.  They move to join Mirabelle and the others.  Gem-guy notices Mirabelle’s holy symbol of Ankili.  He extends a finger which has a perfect marquis diamond finger nail and scratches Mirabelle’s arm drawing blood.  He licks his finger. “They have not taken you yet.  If you wish to escape them, you must come with us.”  He hands everyone who is there a small rock and indicates that they must swallow it.  They call out of the tunnel for the rest of the party.

Borin and Lucre are out of sight.  They can’t see any trace of Ma or PA.  Lucre yells out, “Your boy screamed like a little girl as he fell!”  He catches sight of an arm waiving.  Borin feels his muscles seize up, but he fights the feeling, and before he can fall or drop Lucre, he has brushed it off.  In the distance he can faintly hear Marja calling, “Borin, you have to come back.  Don’t leave me.”  Borin flies rapidly into a small space in between two rocks – and hits stone hard giving both Lucre and himself a jolt.  Illusion! They make another search, but can find no trace of Ma or Pa so they head back to the group.

As they swallow the stones they each get a feeling of solidness curse through them.  It is an odd sensation.  As they watch, two stone creatures take Mirabelle and Thomas by the arms and lead them directly into the stone wall of the cave!  Two more appear for Kalina and Deke.  Marja and Gemma have eaten the stones, but are hesitating, waiting for the dwarves. “There isn’t much time,” Gem-guy tells them.  Finally, Borin and Lucre appear.  “Swallow these,” Marja commands, and without a question, they do.  Then Marja’s chastisements are cut short as they are all drawn into the stone wall.


----------



## apintrix

*background stories*

:delurks: hello all! :/delurk:

voila the story of Kell, aka Kelly Windhill.

Born to the wealthy Windhill family of Ontenazu, Kell was sent to the temple of Corean at a young age to study.  His parents think he's becoming a holy man, but he's a bit rebellious (I mean, they named him Kelly!  The embarrassment!), and would rather whack things with his sword.  Especially evil things.  So he hung out with the guards more than at the temple, and at the first opportunity he saw-- the disappearance of cousin Gobrey-- he booked it out of Ontenazu, and is now travelling with Our Heros.  Young (about 19), strong, a touch overeager and proud (although he attempts to hide this and act mature), he's your average inexperienced teen.  With a big honking sword.  And working on the whole "inexperienced" thingamajigger.

(I am amused that I, an unathletic atheistic girl, wound up playing a male sword-jock priest.  That probably says something about my psychology, doesn't it?  Oh well.  It's my boat, it's floating.) 
(c;

~Lizzie


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Children of the Stone*

Each member of the party swallows a small stone.  As the stone slips down their throats they feel their bodies stiffen.  They feel the solid cool hands of the stone creatures pull them into the rock wall of the cave.  They can’t hear anything.  Their only feeling is a strange sliding sensation.  Even the dwarves, generally at ease underground, are disconcerted.  There is no way to track time.  Deke tries to count in his head, but can’t concentrate.  After an age or an instant, light appears.  They are all blinded by the dim interior of a small cave.

Mirabelle is lying in a heap on the floor, breathing, but unconscious.  Thomas can’t wake her.  Finally, she jolts awake. “Is it over?” she stammers, “All those claws gripping at me.”  Thomas notices that her eyes have changed color from blue to brown.  Mirabelle realizes that a part of her was torn away by the rock, the part of her that would have drawn her, like the rest of her family, into madness and evil.  

She steps aside to perform a service to Ankili in thanks.  When she is finished, she asks each member of the party to roll two six-sided dice.  Lucre and Deke roll well and she places 2 stripes of oil on their faces.  Borin bets on his roll, but loses a gold piece.  Ankili does not see fit to smile on him at this moment.  Gemma rolls best and is offered a drink from the bowl of sacred wine.  She glows briefly.  Mirabelle announces that Gemma has been blest with the gift to change her luck once by calling on Ankili. (Gemma may reroll one die in the future.)

Mirabelle bows to the stone creatures who in turn take of their heads and touch them to the ground in salute.  They tell the party they may stay here the rest of the night, and then they disappear silently into the walls of the cave.

Mirabelle looks outside and gets her bearings.  They still have about 8 hours journey before they are safe.  The party gets some much needed sleep.

The next day they step outside the cave onto a ledge about the width of a sidewalk.  Everyone except Deke ties themselves together, and they begin walking.  Morgaine is chattering away and distracts Marja by asking her to look at something.  Marja stumbles, loses her balance and falls into Kel who in turn stumbles into Borin.  All three fall.  Morgaine sits down quickly and pulls on the rope, apologizing profusely the whole while.  Gemma pulls from the other side and the three manage to regain their footing.

After several hours of downward travel they reach the bottom of the mountain and find themselves in a canyon with a huge stone blocking their way.  This is Ankili’s thinking stone where he is supposed to have sat and contemplated his creation, the land around them.  Using ropes, skill and luck the party manages to get every member over.  They continue on another 3 hours down gentle slopes.  Only about an hour to go, and they’ll be clear of this place.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*A Comrade Falls*

They come upon a field scattered with large boulders 10 to 20 feet high.  Deke and Morgaine hear a slow grinding noise.  Deke climbs to the top of a boulder and scans the area looking for movement, but doesn’t see anything.  Kelly detects magic, but senses no illusion.  They begin to weave between the rocks.  Suddenly Morgaine identifies the source of the sound.  “Stop!  The rocks are rumbling!”  They all jump away as every boulder and stone rolls and scrapes around landing in a new position creating a new configuration.  The party ups the pace to get through the last of Ankili’s jokes.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightening hits the party, and the air fills with mist.  They hear a voice, “You’ll never make it out of the canyon alive.”  Gemma fires a gust of wind arrow at the ground in front of her, and the mist begins to boil away.  Morgaine hears a woman’s voice taunting, “Here dwarfy, dwarfy.”  She tells Lucre who yells, “We pulled your son’s wishbone to see who got a wish!”

Marja begins casting haste on herself and Borin. Kel casts protection from evil.  Borin feels his muscles begin to freeze solid, but with sheer strength, he shakes it off.  Marja hastes Lucre and makes him invisible.  Kalina gets ready to cast fairy fire as soon as she has a direction on Ma when Morgaine yells, “Look out, the rocks!”  Once again the party braces and tumbles as the boulders rearrange themselves.

Thomas is caught under a rock with two broken legs.  Mirabelle is crushed between a boulder and the canyon wall.  She is barely breathing.  Lucre rushes in and heals Thomas and gives him a potion for Mirabelle.

All heads turn as there is a scream of fury and the sound of an invisible battle axe swinging though the air and making contact.  Morgaine gasps as she sees a huge wound appear in Borin’s chest. Deke feels a dampness as he is spattered with Borin’s blood, but he also sees the spatters fall on an invisible form.  He moves in to flank, but misses.  Borin calls to Marja for invisibility.  She pulls out a scroll as she runs to him and casts dispell magic in his direction.  Borin loses his haste, but Ma appears.  Borin rages at the sight of her and swings his battle axe and hits.  

Kalina spots Pa and casts Salamar’s quiet contemplation.  He makes a comment to his wife on the uselessness of violence and wanders away muttering to himself.

Morgaine casts Melf’s acid arrow at Ma, but misses and hits Borin instead.  Lucre jumps between Borin and Ma in an attempt to draw her attack.  “He kinda made a squeaking noise as he died,” he taunts her as he attacks.  She pushes him aside to get at Borin, and Lucre hits her again.  Ma raises her battle axe, and with a wild scream brings it down hard across Borin’s chest slicing through his neck.  The dwarf falls forward, dead.  For a moment no one moves.  They seem frozen in time until they are suddenly roused by Marja’s scream.  Two ice knives fly from her hands, and one sinks solidly into Ma’s chest before melting into the air.  Deke pounces for a sneak attack and delivers the final blow.  Ma falls to the ground dead beside the body of Borin.  

Marja and Lucre rush in and pull the two bodies apart.  Both are crying, Lucre quietly and Marja in huge sobs.  Morgaine, filled with guilt that her acid arrow contributed to Borin’s fall, wonders if he might not be dead.  Of course, the older and wiser of the party know there is no doubt.  Gemma takes pity on the poor young mage and lays a gentle hand on her arm.  She silently nods no.

Mirabelle and Thomas, fully healed, but badly shaken, come forward.  “Oh Ma, why, why?”  Mirabelle cries.  

Marja is resolute.  She is taking Borin’s body to the nearest temple of Ankili she can find.  She has some choice words for the god of “practical jokes.”  The party silently heads out of the field of boulders toward the nearest town.


----------



## Piratecat

So. Very. Dead.  Without Borin, we felt more than a little bit naked.

KidCthulhu, in a stunnign display of rat-bastardyness, simulated the rolling boulders by putting real rocks on the battlemap. Then she'd roll the suckers over on top of our miniatures.  Ouchie.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Borin's return*

When last we left our intrepid band of adventurers they were solemnly transporting Borin’s body to town.  They arrive in a small city and ask directions to the nearest temple of Ankili.  Unfortunately, this town only has one temple, a pantheon to all the gods.  They enter and lay Borin’s body at the base of the temple of Ankili.  Lucre is adamant that they take the body to the statue of Goran, god of the dwarfs, but Marja ignores him.  She steps up to the statue and starts chastising the statue in an angry tone, tears streaming down her face. “How could you do this to him!  You chose him as your own with your tricks and pranks! You led him into your own land! He defended your cleric, and you let him die at the hands of your enemies!”  The others back away to let her finish her tirade in private.  Lucre asks a cleric to direct him to the altar of Goran, but is informed that there is no such altar.  Lucre scowls and approaches the central altar, kneels and prays first with an apology that this pantheon has snubbed the most noble of the gods and second with a prayer for his fallen cousin.

When all prayers are said the group heads silently to an inn.  They get rooms and head to a pub for a bite to eat and to drown their sorrows in pints of ale.  Drinking ale seems to be the only thing that Marja and Lucre ever seem to agree on.  They arrive at the bar to hear a young lad telling a story.  There is a band of travelers newly arrived at the gates of town.  They have an elven woman who is dressed as a cleric bound in ropes.  She’s screaming and thrashing like she’s insane.  The group is heading for the pub.  

Indeed, the travelers appear shortly with the young woman in tow.  She’s howling questions at the group, who are they, what are they doing to her.  She sees Lucre across the room.  “Cousin Lucre,” she calls. “Tells these nincompoops to let me go! Marja, Deke, tell these idiots that I am Borin!”


----------



## KidCthulhu

Piratecat said:
			
		

> *So. Very. Dead.  Without Borin, we felt more than a little bit naked.
> 
> KidCthulhu, in a stunnign display of rat-bastardyness, simulated the rolling boulders by putting real rocks on the battlemap. Then she'd roll the suckers over on top of our miniatures.  Ouchie. *




Ah, the death of Borin.  And the rolling rocks.  Two of the finest moments in my short DMing career.  This DMing thing is fun!


----------



## (contact)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> *So. Very. Dead.  Without Borin, we felt more than a little bit naked.
> *




Without Borin, you're hosed.  Game over.  Where do Scarred Lands adventurers go when they're ready to retire?  Is there some kind of Titan's footprint cum assisted living community for the _feebleminded_?


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Rats!*

The group quickly realizes that this elf is indeed Borin.  Ugh!  Lucre is a little creeped out and Marja's only solice is that Borin isn't prettier than she is.  Well, they decide to head out to Vesh to the temple of Ankili to try to figure out what is going on.

On the way to Vesh our adventurers pass through some lovely countryside, clearly farm and grazing land. As they trek through beautiful rolling hills of green pastures and split-rail fences, they occasionally see a pile of bones, usually cattle, stripped clean and drying white in the sun.  

As they come around a bend in the road Morgaine, with her keep hearing, detects the sound of gnawing or chomping.  Very strange.  Not so strange once they round the bend.  Before them is a gruesome sight.  A heard of cattle is clustered closely together at the far side of a fenced in paddock.  They are clearly distressed and are pushing against the rails in an effort to break free.  At the near end of the paddock, near the road where our travels are passing, lies a large steer, and his hind quarters are covered with RATS!

These are no ordinary rats.  They are the size of small dogs, with white pointy teeth.  They are gnawing with a vengeance on the poor beast, cleaning every scrap of flesh from the bone. The most disturbing thing is that the animal is still alive.  Their bite seems to have some sort of a numbing affect, for while the steer tries to move his front legs to stand up and get away, he is not howling in pain.

Deke quickly suggests that they should move on before these rats detect them standing there gaping when his keen eyes pick up another figure some distance from the steer.  This is the body of a young boy, probably the herder of this flock.  He had apparently bravely rushed in to save his cattle when the rats brought him down.  He is also being attacked by a hoard of the creatures, and seems to be unconscious.

Our band leaps into action.  Individually the rats are easy pickings, and one by one the party picks them off.  Fang, in particular, enjoys the fight.  “It’s like chasing rabbits,"  he says to Kalina.  “Or cats,” he adds eyeing Morgaine’s familiar.

Gemma and Kel heal the poor boy who is grateful for his rescue. “I thought I was a goner.  When I felt the first bite and felt my leg go numb, I said a prayer to the gods to grant me a brave death.”  The lad takes the party home to his parents where he tells the heroic story.  Clearly this boy has bardic talent.  After all, he was unconscious for most of the fighting.  His parents are grateful and ask the party to stay to share their evening meal.

Over delicious beef stew and hearty ale our band hears a story of woe.  This area is plagued by those rat creatures.  Usually they are nothing more than a nuisance.   There is a barbarian who lives in a cave in the low mountains who has taken upon himself the protection of this area and its people.  He is called Gorog, and always seemed to take great pleasure in single-handedly wiping out whole hoards of the creatures and dispelling any bandits that might try to prey upon these roads.  Lately, however, no one has seen him.  They thought that perhaps he was dead until a young girl from the area spotted him picking daisies along the riverbank.

Picking daisies!  A barbarian!  This doesn’t sound right.  The party decides to spend the night under the hospitality of this family and go to see this barbarian in the morning.  It sounds like Ankili might have his hand in here, too.  The lad promises to show them where Gorog’s cave is, but not until his mother has fed them a hearty breakfast of cured ham and eggs.  Sounds too good to be true.  For the first time in a long time, the entire party sleeps well.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*How Gorog Got His Rage Back, pt 1*

In the morning well fed and rested, our merry band of adventurers heads to the cave of the barbarian, Gorog.  They approach cautiously.  This might be a trap or he might be under a spell.  No to the first, yes to the second.  They are met by what Borin thought was a pitiful sight: a Barbarian giant stood in the middle of his cave.  Was he dressed in animal skins with club in hand?  Was he growling or scratching himself?  Was he drinking ale and spilling it down his beard?  No!  He was wearing a little lacy apron and holding a feather duster.  “Morning” He growled.  “You just can’t imagine how hard it is to keep a cave neat and clean.”  Then he sat down on the ground in a heap, put his head in his hands and looked very glum.

The group introduces themselves and through questioning learns that Gorog is most unhappy.  Several weeks ago he was out and about in these lands, looking for rats to smash when he spotted a hag named Borkata in the distance.  She’s a strange creature, thought to be a witch, who keeps to herself in the high hills.  She was waving her arms at him so he thought she was in trouble.  He headed over to her, but then she ran away.  A strange feeling came over him.  He didn’t want to smash those poor little rats anymore.  He didn’t want to smash anything anymore.  He headed back to his cave and cried.  At first he tried to fight the feeling.  Maybe if he hit something, this new feeling would go away.  He tried, but felt so badly afterwards that he hadn’t hit anything again since.  He tried to accept his new way of life.  He’d even picked flowers to put in his cave, but he just felt worse than ever.

The party promises to try to help Gorog if he will tell them all he knows about the hag and will take them to her cave.  Gorog, the friendly barbarian, agrees and leads the party to the opening of a small cave in a dark and shadowing clearing. Morgaine sends Taylor, her cat, ahead to scout.  Taylor reports that there is a big metal thing in the ceiling of the cave, and the place smells like Borin’s socks.  She can hear snoring inside.

An invisible Borin decides to go check things out.  Lucre and Kel approach as well with Kel’s armor clanking all the way covering up Borin’s approach.  Lucre sees a lever on the outside of the cave that seems to operate a portcullis.  Suddenly it drops over the mouth of the cave.  The party hears a moan of pain and sees a small pool of blood.  The portcullis dropped right onto the invisible Borin!   Lucre moves forward and pulls the lever, which sets off a trap that sends a guillotine-like blade swinging down hitting him.  It also raises the portcullis.  So far, the party isn’t off to a great start.  

With all this noise, the snoring has stopped.  Marja takes the opportunity to haste herself and Lucre just before an Ogre comes barreling out of the cave.  The beast is struck by a Melf’s acid arrow and then in a double attack Lucre slices the ogre’s belly and sticks his blade up its nose.  Yuck!  Out of the cave comes ogre number two accompanied by a troll.  Kel quickly dispatches the ogre with a spiritual long sword.  With the combined attacks from an ice knife, a flaming sphere, a fire elemental named Floyd and several raging attacks, the troll falls. The party rushes into the cave.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*How Gorog Got His Rage Back pt 2*

The cave opens up to reveal a black cauldron surrounded by smelly candles.  On the wall are three frames.  Two appear empty.  The third contains a portrait of Gorog.

Lucre feels sharp claws scrape against him.  He turns to see a 9-foot tall ugly woman, naked from the waist up with wrinkled, sagging breasts.  Lucre strikes at her breasts, hits and falls backwards releasing himself from her grasp.  The others move in to strike.

Deke helps Lucre to his feet and each of them happen to glance into one of the empty frames.  Deke jumps up and begins to howl, foaming at the mouth. “I’m raging!” he yells.  “Let me at the bitch.”

The hag’s frog tongue springs out and wraps around Lucre’s neck. Marja calls to Morgaine in Elven to cast dispell which is successful in getting rid of 4 spells.  Lucre moves back and begins to wave his hands in the air and mumble.  “How about 3 magic missiles in the face for you!” he yells as he throws air at the hag.  Being hasted, he tries to cast again.  “Gees, Marja it always works when you do it?”  Lucre is puzzled.

Deke howls and jumps onto the hag’s back, stabbing her repeatedly.  He criticals with his rapier.  Clearly Deke was meant to be a barbarian filtcher.  Marja notices that she’s healing as fast as they can attack her and calls to the group to double their efforts.  Borin obliges by chopping off her left leg. Kel rushes in and chops of the right, and Lucre hollars, “Eat fireball, Bitch!”  And then as he hurls air he yells, “BOOM!” for good measure.  Kalina rolls her eyes and sets the hag on fire killing her just as her skin was beginning to knit.

Borin moves to the frames and breaks all three mirror portraits.  Deke and Lucre return to normal.  Presumably Gorog has too.  Gemma moves to the back of the cave and brutally destroys an altar to Mormo.  The party emerges from the cave into glorious sunlight.  

Gorog greets them, howling with pleasure.  He can’t wait to smash something.  He eyes up Borin’s battle-axe.  He can’t believe such a dainty elf wields such a weapon.  He offers to roll dice for it.  Borin agrees.  After all, rolling dice is Ankili’s game.  Borin loses by one, but Gorog doesn’t have the heart to take the axe.  He asks instead for a kiss “from the pretty lady.”  And why not, Marja is in great humor.  Borin is back amoung them (albeit with a strange body), and she’s got many a day’s fodder for ribbing Lucre about why his “spells” didn’t work.


----------



## Sialia

(bump)


----------



## Alomir

Has anyone reassembled these stories into chronological order?  My wife, infant, and I have been trading illnesses for the last three weeks, and I confess that I'm just too tired to concentrate enough to read things in their present order.  However, what I have read is great - I can't wait to hit the rest of it (either now, if someone has a compiled version, or after I get some serious sleep...)


----------



## KidCthulhu

Not yet, unfortunately.  However, for you, I can tell them offline.

The good news is that Iron Chef has a lovely new job.  The bad news is that this means she has less time to earn her xp by posting.  I may have to take over writing this, based on her copious notes.


----------



## Alomir

KidCthulhu said:
			
		

> *Not yet, unfortunately.*



Any interest in having me take a stab at it?  If I made an .rtf file of the stories so far, would someone be able to post it here?

 - A


----------



## KidCthulhu

Wow.  That would be terrific, Alo.  Would you?  I'll be happy to review it for you.


----------



## Alomir

KidCthulhu said:
			
		

> *Wow.  That would be terrific, Alo.  Would you?  I'll be happy to review it for you. *



With pleasure...  Give me a bit, and I'll let you know when it's done.

 - A


----------



## Alomir

I've pulled out all of the story text.  I thought I would make sure it looked OK by reading through it, but then I found out that it's 64 pages (rtf format).  Here's a question - should I try to include some of the non-story text as well?


----------



## Alomir

Just about done with the first draft, but I have a few questions:  several groups of episodes were posted together, and (not being a player) I don't know where the breaks are supposed to be.  Would one of the players please tell me where (in the posted story text) the following episodes start: 2-4, 6, 9-11. (My guesses can't be too far off for 2, 3, 4 and 6.  The tough ones are 9, 10, and 11).

Thanks!
 - A


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Entering Vesh (game run on 12-16-02)*

Our band of travelers covers 60 miles in three days, hardly a grueling trip.  As they travel they begin to see mile markers for the town of Vesh.  The landscape changes from forested rolling hills to cleared pastures.  Villages begin to sprout up and then prosperous, well-tended farms.

At the 10-mile marker they enter a suburb with houses, warehouses, casual guards in blue uniforms, public spaces.  At the 2-mile marker they see row houses and come to a large white post fence across the road with a guard in front sitting on a stool.

“You’re new here,” he says.
Deke replies, “What gave that away.  Oops, I need to stop talking.”

Five silver pieces and some paperwork later and our band is through the gates and on its way to see Starkey for animal permits and then on to the Temple of Enkili.  As they travel through the market district Deke and Lucre notice someone bump into Borin in a suspicious way.  When Lucre calls to the boy, he starts to run.  Lucre lunges into the crowd and surfaces with a small boy by the scruff of the neck who declares he didn’t take anything.  Borin checks his pockets, and oddly nothing is missing, but he has a note that wasn’t there before.  After Marja has a nice chat with the boy whose name is Lefty Pete, the group decides to keep him on retainer.  They ask him for a recommendation for a place to stay, and he leads them to the Inn of the Knowing Wink.  As Pete opens the door they hear a terrible, familiar sound and see a small Halfling playing the bagpipes – It’s Fergus!

Fergus is delighted to see the group and introduces them to the innkeeper, Harley Quinn, and a human bard with a winning smile, Kenyan, who shakes his long brown hair that perfectly frames his well-chiseled features.  He’s 5’10, clean-shaven and wearing well-fitting, attractive studded leather armor.

The group move to a private booth to read the letter slipped to Borin.  Kenyan stops by the table to chat about the new casino recently opened at the Temple of Enkili.  Borin has discovered that the previous owner (or should we say rightful owner) of his body runs gambling halls for the temple. The letter reads

Miss Tallen Windrush
Temple of Enkili
Holy Street
Vesh

My Dear Miss Windrush,

We are overjoyed that you have come to join us once again.  All is in place, and I believe you will find the staff adequately trained.  The operation is running smoothly, but not as smoothly as it will with your exquisite hand on the tiller.

The Donations and Forecasting portions of our enterprise proceed apace.  However, recent downturns have meant that we will need to step up our Inventory Acquisitions.  I know this will be difficult, given Veshian law.  But I trust your resourcefulness.  You may want to consider looking outside of our operations.  The Veshians are a charitable people, and those seeking charity are often nameless and easily overlooked.

I cannot tell you how pleased I am that you’ve chosen to continue our mutual venture.  It has proven to be a very pleasant and profitable association for all concerned, and I trust you will continue to be satisfied with the financial rewards.  And, it goes without saying, with the continued security of the collateral you have entrusted to us.

I remain, my dear Miss Windrush, your humble and obedient,

Victor Diehl

P.S. Do stop looking for the Eyes, M’dear.  They find it irritating.  They do get your messages, and you know they will report as necessary.
(end of letter)


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Undercover at the Casino (end of run on 12-16-002)*

The group decides to head to Holy Street, Kel to the Temple of Corean, Gemma to a wood grove of Tanil and the rest to the Temple of Enkili.  Holy Street is a wide road with a grassy median.  At each intersection there are signs pointing the directions to the various temples.  Deke moves along refusing to talk to Kenyan and acting like a real filcher.  Marja finds the Temple of Idra and Lucre finds the Temple of Gorin.  Oddly, the two are next to each other which Lucre considers an abomination and Marja considers amusing.

The Temple of Enkili is odd looking.  Some of it is wood, some stone.  It looks like four architects with diverse building plans each started at a corner and built into the center.  Inside Borin introduces himself as Tallen Windrush and asks to speak to a high priest.  Several minutes later a tall man with one gray eye and one brown eye introduces himself as the high priest, Rositer.  Borin goes off privately to have a conversation.  When he returns, they head to the Inn. 

Once out in the street Morgaine falls unconscious to the ground.  Another vision:  She mumbles, “The faceless have been seen and will see.  Beware the Eyes that see and the circle that goes around.  Trust no faces.  Trust all faces.”  Unlike when she’s had visions in the past, Morgaine doesn’t regain consciousness.  They carry her in her catatonic state to the Temple of Madrial where they leave her.

Back at the Inn, Borin explains that he made a deal with Enkili’s priest.  If Borin helps him find out what’s going on at the casino (he suspects embezzling), he will help Borin find out Enkili’s will regarding his new form.  Borin will take up control of the casino, but bring in his “staff.”  Kenyan will perform, Marja will serve drinks, Calina will act as bookkeeper, and Lucre a bodyguard.  Deke will keep a low profile as Borin’s pet.  Kel is reluctant to go into the casino, but finally agrees to be a bouncer.  As the night approaches, and people ready for bed, Marja, Calina and Deke decide to go visit the Temple of Idra.  The rest stay at the Inn to listen to Fergus perform followed by the innkeeper, Harley, who sings a long ballad about a hafling knight who rides a war dog.  The ballad finally ends with the line, “I wouldn’t sent a knight out on a dog like this.”  With that the remaining party groans and heads to bed.

Meanwhile out in the street, Deke thinks they are being followed.  He climbs a building to watch, but doesn’t see anything.  He briefly feels that something was cast at him, but he shrugs it off. 

The night passes uneventfully, at least in a traumatic sense.  Deke wouldn’t have called a night spent with the priestesses of Idra uneventful.

Lucre gets up early in the morning and goes to the Temple of Gorin.  After that he heads to the casino, introduces himself as a new bouncer hired by Miss Windrush and gets in to look around.  The first thing he does is trip over a cat.  A grizzly-faced man comes out of the kitchen to check on Mrs. Greeley, and Lucre is face-to-face with Lucky, the cook.  Lucky has no right hand, but has a cleaver affixed over the stub.  After a brief chat, Lucre pokes around more.  The basement is locked.  He discovers that the tables are rigged.  “That’s cheating,” he thinks and cuts all the wires.  Upstairs he finds a lounge with seats and instruments, a hallway to an office that is locked and another door, also locked, which pops open suddenly.  A harpy of a woman jumps out yelling not to disturb the girls, the “seamstresses,” who were up all night.

Lucre returns to the inn and relates proudly how he “fixed the tables,” and recommending that they get rid of the prostitutes.  In a long and winding story Marja convinces Lucre that the girls really are seamstresses living there to take care of the performers costumes.  Lucre is determined to talk to them about unionizing so they don’t have to work so late at night.

Marja relates snippets of conversations she heard last night:  The Council voted on budget allocations for the vigils, a new policy toward Calastia, and talk about the “eyeball killer, “ a serial murderer who kills and steals his victims’ eyes.

In the late afternoon, the group heads to Fortuna’s, the casino.  Borin leads the group into the casino and calls for someone named Cutter.  A small man wearing black with a large scar on his face appears.  He’s pleased to see Tallen Woodrush, doesn’t see the need for more staff, and is uneasy about the filcher.  

The place is fully staffed with a tall redheaded man at the bar, Rowan, a waitress, Melina, people at each table and the girls lounging on the balcony upstairs.  Lucre is starting to wonder about Marja’s story.  Cutter rings a bell.  A fine figure of a woman with an elaborate hairdo, very made-up and very well preserved appears.  Lucre thinks it’s the woman he met this morning.  Lucky shows up laughing.  The three pit bosses, Triscun, Luthar and Verance, appear.  Introductions all around then everyone to their places.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*a night at the casino (played on 01-01-03)*

01-01-03

Borin, Kalina and Deke head to the office to look over the books.  The ledgers seem to be in order and indicate that every few days 700 gp are sent to the temple.  The office has wood paneling, and Deke notices a knot that seems to look like an eye.  Borin remembers a small onyx stone with an eye that he found on this body.  The stone is a key that opens the wall, which is a safe.  Inside the wall they find lots of money and a second set of books.  There is also a scroll with names and dates.  Deke locates peepholes and spyglasses around the office that let you look at every part of the casino.  There are several withdrawals in the second ledger from a person named John Sinclair.  The first set of books indicate a profit of 750 gp a week, but the second set indicate 750 gp a night.

They write a note to Rositer, in the temple, and ask him if he knows the name John Sinclair, and if gaming tables in Enkili temples are often fixed.  Fang runs off with the note.  Kenyan knows the name Sinclair.  It belongs to a wealthy family in town.

Kalina has a chat with Lucky’s cat, Greeley.  She is very content here.  It is warm and there is a lot of fish.  She doesn’t like Rowan.  He smells bad, like metal and stink.  Two others smell the same, but she doesn’t know who.  Kalina “embraces the wild” to become more cat-like.  She wanders through the casino and can smell something different, but can’t place it.  She sits next to Kenyan at the bar.  Rowan suggests a “red belly,” a famously strong drink, but only if Kenyan thinks he can handle it.  Of course, Kenyan is up to the challenge.  Kalina smells Rowan – an odd smell.  As others gather around to watch, Kenyan downs a shot of something bright red.  He declares it tastes great.  His eyes water, but he stays standing.  The crowd cheers.  Lucre ponies up to try.  He drinks with no effect.  Again cheers from the crowd.

Suddenly Lucre gets a feeling of vulnerability, like he’d been stripped naked in a field.  He turns his head away from the crowd so they don’t see him slam up a psionic defense.  Not even the party knows about his powers.  Kel notices Lucre’s eyes glow green for a moment.  Everything returns to normal.  Kenyan goes on stage to perform.  Kalina and Lucre wander upstairs where she thinks she smells that odd scent from a red-headed girl, but Madam Choo sends them away before she can be sure.

She and Deke decide to figure out what’s keeping Fang.  They discover that he traveled about half a mile and then turned into an alley, then there is a confusion of footprints.  Kalina smells Fang and death and a walking zoo like the smell of a dozen animals on a single person.  She also smells fear.  Deke spots a tiny hand protruding from under some rubble.  They uncover a dead filcher with a cut throat.  It’s been dead for over a day.  It’s probably what distracted Fang.  It looks like Fang was dragged out of the alley to a spot that smells of horses and has wheel tracks.  They find the note, unopened in the alley.

Kalina turns into a falcon and delivers the note and receives reply.  She flies back to Deke who is pretty sure that the filcher was killed elsewhere and brought to this spot.  They take the note to the casino before heading after Fang.

Rositer reports that table fixing is not strictly forbidden.  The casino has to make a profit after all.  He doesn’t know of anyone named John Sinclair.

Lucre and Kel go with Kalina and Deke after Fang.  They are able to follow the trail out of town to a very run-down area.  They find a block with an 8’ stockade fence around a large area.  There is a terrible smell, and they hear barking and yowling.  Lucre tosses Deke into the air to look.  They see rows of metal cages packed with animals, a chopping block and an enormous cauldron.  They circle the fence to find the gate.  There is a sign that reads: T. Starky Animal Control.  Kalina can see Fang.  Kel calls out, and a man comes to the gate.  Kel introduces himself, tossing out his noble rank, and says he’s here to claim his dog.  They pay a 5 copper fine and take Fang.  Lucre wants to pay to release all of the animals, but only the owners can.  Starky tells them that someone is killing animals in the city.  He finds dead creatures every day.

Once away from that nasty place, Kalina scolds Fang for not delivering the message straight away, and Fang complains that there was something that smelled like dead Deke and he wanted to roll in it.

AT the casino the night proceeds uneventfully.  They decide to leave Deke in the office overnight to see who else might “wander” into the secret safe.  Lucre detects magic.  Many people have a mild glow.  The office walls have a mild glow, and the doors of the brothel have a glow.  Nothing on Rowan glows.

Kenyan goes off to talk to the red-headed prostitute.  He comes back about an hour later, but says nothing.  He just smiles.  The casino shuts down and everyone heads home.

As Kel and Lucre step into the alley, Kel sees the glimmer of metal.  He removes the peace lock from his sword, and Lucre draws his by snapping his fingers.  The blade appears out of thin air.  The rest of the party joins them in the alley just as they are beset by 5 ruffians.  The party kills one, three run away, and Lucre knocks one unconscious.  Once he revives Marja charms him.

His name is Rupert, but most folks call him Black Harry.  He is a big, bearded man who hangs out at the Queens Head Tavern.  He is supposed to meet the men who hired him there tomorrow at 7 to get paid.  The group decides that Borin will go to the casino and the rest will go to the tavern tomorrow night.

In the early afternoon, Borin goes to the casino taking Garnet, Marja’s familiar.  He finds Deke asleep under the desk.  Deke reports that nothing happened all night.  There are no new entries into either set of books.  Deke falls asleep again.  Borin finds it odd that Lucius, the manager, would close without updating the books.  At 3:30 Lucius appears with notes and says he always updates the ledger in the morning when he is fresh.  Borin hides Garnet in the room, and he and Deke go back to the inn.

Back at the inn the party find Kenyan sleeping on a bench in the common room.  He can’t remember anything of last night.  It seems that drink really did knock him for a loop.

Lucre detects magic on Deke and Kenyan.  Deke is clean, but Kenyan has a glow.  It seems like his mind was washed clean.  Odd.


----------



## KidCthulhu

Thanks for the update, Iron Chef.  It's so nice to have a storyhour without the trouble of having to write one!


----------



## Piratecat

I'm tellin' ya, fixed gambling games are an affront to the honor of Enkhili. And to think I got in *trouble* for trying to make them honest...!


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*DoppleDeke (end of 01-01-03 run)*

Our band travels cautiously to the Queens Head Tavern.  It is a seedy place in a decrepit part of town.  Rats run along the gutters, and low and dreadful moaning comes out of many of the dark alleys and doorways.  

The party leaves Deke outside on a roof across the street.  Connecting with a message spell, he can warn the party if anyone suspicious enters the bar.  The others step inside and are almost overcome with the smell of liquor, body odor and urine.  The place is dark and filthy, and everyone inside seems to be in a bad mood.  Our group sticks out like the only clean people in a dark and filthy bar.  They separate and try to blend in none-the-less.

Marja spots Black Harry talking to another man over in the corner.  She catches his eye, and he moves toward her.  “This ain’t no place for the likes of you, Miss.  Really, you shouldn’t ought to be here.”  As they begin a furtive conversation, Marja sees Harry’s head whip up and to the side like someone grabbed his forehead from behind.  Suddenly, blood spatters across her face.  A cloaked figure appears, and poor Harry slumps to the floor in a pool of blood, dead, his throat slit.

Violence erupts, but not in the way the clientele of this establishment is used to.  Before an all-out bar fight can begin, the men scattered around realize that this fighting is beyond them.  They slink into the dark shadows.  The figure bolts for the door, and Kenyan, in an attempt to stop him, fires a stun spell that hits Lucre dead on.  The party follows the figure into the alley.  As the fighting continues two attacks from Deke go astray and hit other party members.  Hey, what’s going on here?  As Lucre regains his mobility, he moves in for the final blow, killing the attacker.  He stares at the body which shifts form as it dies.  “This guy is a doppelganger!” Lucre yells.  Remembering Deke’s errant attacks he yells, “I think Deke is one, too.”

This is all too much to take in.  The party hesitates.  It flashes through Kalina’s mind that maybe Kenyan’s misfiring spell wasn’t a misfire after all.  She is in hawk form, but is determined to keep her eye on Kenyan.  As Lucre takes off after Deke, Marja catches Lucre’s eyes glowing green again.  “Maybe Deke isn’t the doppelganger,” she thinks.  “Maybe Lucre is.”

Deke starts to run, at first protesting innocence.  A chase through the streets ensues with Kalina in the air, Lucre hot on his heels, and Kenyan staying far enough behind to be well out of the way of any real danger.  Finally, Lucre climbs a roof and closes in on DoppleDeke who, in a desperate attempt at self-preservation says that if he isn’t allowed to go free, the real Deke will die.  Lucre isn’t buying any of that.  He charges, grabs DoppleDeke, and hurls both of them off of the roof.

Marja, Kalina and Kel are close enough to see them fall, into a giant bin of garbage.  They ready for the two to reappear.  Lucre stands up and grapples with…a peasant woman dressed in rags with a shawl tied around her shoulders.  She hollers for help.

Who would have believed that in this area of town a constable would be so readily available?  But sure enough, down the street he comes, running and blowing his whistle.  Lucre keeps firm hands on the doppelganger, and Marja uses her best diplomacy skills to convince the officer to take the entire group to a local temple where the priests can prove their story.  Kalina flies high overhead, and Kenyan stays around the corner, uninvolved.  Our man in uniform is having none of this.  He attempts to haul them all off to jail when Lucre pushes him to the ground, hoists the doppelganger over his shoulder, and starts to run.  The others follow until a whistle blows and the officer yells, “Stop in the name of the law!”  Kel dutifully stops.  Marja catches a glimpse of Kel being hauled off to jail as she turns the corner and races to reach the others.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*The Vigils of Vesh (run of 02-11-03)*

When last we left our intrepid band of adventurers they were scattered about an unfamiliar neighborhood of Vesh.

Deke’s location is unknown.  According to his double, he is being held captive somewhere.  DoppleDeke, dressed as a peasant woman, is being dragged unconscious through the streets by Lucre to the Church of Enkili, but they are lost and appear to be following an owl, Kalina who is trying to ascertain their location from above.  Kel is being arrested.  Fang is running at Marja’s heels as she high-tails it after Lucre and Borin.  Kenyan is casually making his own way across the city while Borin is at his place in the casino.

In custody Kel of course tells the truth to the authorities about everything.  Well, not everything.  He has the sense to keep their undercover assignment under wraps, and doesn’t say anything that would embarrass the Temple of Enhili.  His tale of doppelgangers and an underworld syndicate called the Eyes doesn’t play well with The Veshian Boys in Blue.  “Cast a truth spell on me,” Kel pleads, but that’s a big no go.  Since the Titan War average people are very wary of magic.  Fortunately, the police find a strange-looking body dead in the tavern.  This seems to add some credence to Kel’s story, and they at least agree to take him to the Temple of Enkili to continue the questioning.

Finally, Kalina guides the party to the temple, changes shape and runs to fetch Borin.  Borin goes off to find Rossiter.  While the others wait, Marja confronts Lucre about his glowing eyes and asks if he has a blood spot.  Psionic powers are considered signs of Titan spawn.  Most children who exhibit these powers are left in the wilderness to die.  Somehow Lucre escaped this fate, but Marja continues to hold him in suspicion until he comes clean and admits his powers.  The admission seems to also smooth some of the constant tensions the flow between Marja and Lucre.  “After all,” thinks Marja, “sorcerers and psions are both magical freaks of nature.”  

Rossiter and Borin quickly rush into the room.  They wake the doppelganger who promptly changes shape again into a well-dressed dignitary and produces an official scroll that introduces her as Ankrieg, an envoy from the Calastian Empire.  Borin publicly fires Lucre to separate the temple from a political scandal.  Rossiter prepares a “proper” excort for her back to her embassy while Lucre runs to the casino to locate Deke.  A quick search finds a bedraggled Deke, bound and gagged under a desk, but none the worse for wear.  

Lucre and Deke return to the temple as a frustrated sergeant is leaving.  Since this matter seems to involve Calastia, he is robbed of his opportunity to press charges against our band.  The temple decides to temporarily close the casino.  

Free from work, Lucre and Kenyan spend the night gathering information.  In the morning they report that indentured servitude is a common practice in Vesh for debtors unable to pay.  It seems that several of the names on the list they found in the casino are people who were bankrupted while gambling.  They were legally claimed as indentured servants, but they have disappeared.  The party suspects they are being taken to Calastia as slaves.

At breakfast the next morning everyone seems relieved to have Deke back and seems much more trusting of Lucre.  They all, however, wear a weary appearance of concern.  An official-looking scroll arrives.  Geoffrey, Marquis of Beltray, “asks us to tea pursuant to the events of last evening,” Deke reads.  It seems the party has attracted some attention.  Kenyan recalls that the Beltrays are an old, not extremely wealthy family with some scandal.  They once served on the Vigil Council, a group trained to gather information, kill Titan spawn, and help those in need.  He’s not sure exactly what the scandal was. 

Before heading to tea, Borin checks out the casino.  The second set of books and the hidden gold are gone.  He vows to Enkili to get the money back.

The Beltray mansion is elegant, if understated.  Geoffrey is a small, older man, thin with gray hair and blue eyes.  He too is dressed in elegant, if understated, gray velvet.  He serves them a lovely tea with too little beer for the dwarves taste, but Kel seems to find it quite appetizing.  

Geoffrey tells them that the Eyes are a group of Calastian spies.  The Calastians have been gathering slaves by bankrupting people in the casino and taking them out of Vesh.  The travel is arranged through a merchant, Grim Edgar.  He knows that two men named Lanscomb and Grover are still in the city, but should leave on their indentured servitude in four days.  He feels strongly that the caravan taking them to Calastia should meet with an “accident.”

He has a proposal for our adventurers.  The Vigils have eleven cohorts.  Each reports to a separate compiler of information.  Once there was a twelfth cohort, but it was disbanded when Geoffrey’s great grandfather “went to the bad.”  He wants to reopen the twelfth cohort, and wants this group to be its members. He can supply them with a warehouse in Cooper Alley where they can stay and fix up as they please if they are interested in committing a year to the Vigils.

The group talks it over.  Temporarily, their work for the Temple of Enkili is on hold, and following the Calastians seems to be the best lead to finding out what was going on there anyway.  As long as they keep their focus on the Temple, Borin is willing.  Deke is beside himself with the notion of living in a real home, not a hotel, and not the street.  He has already pilfered paper and pencil and is designing the inside of a large rectangular warehouse into living spaces.  He’s in.  Marja and Lucre and in if Borin is in.  Kalina will follow if it might lead her out of this wretched city and into the country for a while, and Kel finds the stories of the Vigils to be noble and righteous and is anxious to join.  That leaves Kenyan.  Borin tells him he’s out of a job at the casino when it reopens if he doesn’t tag along.  Ok, he’s in.


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## Iron Chef BBQ

*Avalanche (run of 02-25-03)*

Before our adventurers proceed further, they are sent to a local hairdressers’ shop in Merchant Street.  Presumably the new Twelfth Cohort needs coordinating up-dos.  With the appropriate introductions, they are shown into a secret back room where they meet an albino elf who gives each of them a tattoo.  Marja is an old pro at this, but she goes on record as saying that if the tattoo involves violets, she’s walking.  Garnet hisses in aggravation.  The tattoos are simple, IXI written on a slant, but as the artist completes the final line of each tattoo, it disappears.

While waiting for the others, Marja convinces Kalina to die her hair from its natural flaming red to a shocking purple color, “Just like the color of your fairy fire.”  Although Kalina has come to embrace the wilds of nature, a small voice inside her harkens back to her more wild days, and she agrees.

The party now has four days to prepare for its “accident” on the Calastian caravan.

Marja visits a wizard named Dwarin to buy some magic scrolls.  He indicates that she has a very interesting aura and that she should come back and see him in a year.  “Whatever,” she thinks.  “That’s a new line.”  But since she has just promised Beltray to serve as a cohort for a year, and since his scrolls were fairly priced, she figures she’ll be back here anyway.  “You bet,” she replies.

Deke meets daily with construction contractors.  The group is pretty sure they’ll get a decent price on renovations in Cooper Alley since Deke rarely parts willingly with a cent, but Deke’s enthusiasm with paying rather than receiving is something unexpected.  All day long he pours over blueprints, paces the large open spaces of the warehouse, and climbs ceiling beams to get better looks at the grounds.

Borin spends his time in the market buying large oil barrels and sharp smelling liquids, bringing them home and concocting odd looking lamps with big cloth wicks.

Finally they meet with Beltray who provides them with maps of the area.  He sent two scouts out to try to find out the Calastian route, but neither came back.  They seem to plan to head south across the mountains and then up river, but the river turns into a steep canyon with a waterfall pouring in so they must plan to turn off the path at some point, or else they’ve found another way through the river valley.

The next day our party heads out.  At the end of the first night they sleep on the road.  At the end of the second they stay in the tiny town of Milford.  The people there are anxious for news of the big city.  Few travelers come through this way.  Kenyan entertains them well into the night.

As they progress the next day, they notice the riverbanks getting steeper and full of debris.  They find an odd shape poking up rigidly from a pile of rubble.  It’s a body of a dwarf with a long white beard and a huge distorted mouth.  It has huge muscles, sharp jagged teeth and nails and a steel cage affixed over its jaws connecting to its shoulders.  The contraption has the effect of forcing its mouth open and its arms forward.  Its mouth is full of rocks.  The creature is wearing the tartan of Clan Blacksteel.  Lucre slices open its torso.  Its vicera are covered with a red ooze with an opal sheen, the ugly magic of Titan spawn.

After burying the poor creature, Kalina casts Pass without a Trace so they can cover their tracks.  A few more hours up river they find a place to set up their traps.  The river here has white caps and appears very cold.  The trail is narrow and rocky.  They intend to cause an avalanche to block the trail, then when the Calastian caravan approaches, they will cause an avalanche to the rear, trapping the party.  When “the business” is finished, another avalanche will cover the evidence.

Lucre uses his stone sense and begins licking rocks looking for the best place to start an avalanche.  The rest of the party thought this practice reminded them of a half-orc they’d heard about in a legend sung by Fergus, but since they never paid much attention to Fergus, they weren’t sure.  He and Borin locate a good spot and others dig a large hole and bury one of the oil barrels.  Borin lights the wick and boom!  A perfect avalanche.

Deke wanders up river and spots some white markings on the canyon walls.  The lines could be water level marks or sign posts.  There are matching marks across the river, but up higher.  They find more markings.  Some are lines, some are numbers.  They find four large wooden beams (25’ long by 4’ wide).  The river appears to be about 20 feet across here.  Across the river there is a large X marked about 15 feet up.  Kalina turns into an owl and investigates.  There doesn’t appear to be a secret door there, but there are shards of wood on the ledge under the X.

The party lays low while Kalina scouts back down river still in owl form.  She returns after an hour, changes into human form and whispers that she saw 30 or 40 people coming.

Around the bend in the river a small group comes walking, 4 guards, 3 teamsters leading mules, 4 Veshians bound and looking dejected, and one doppelganger riding a mule.  When they get into range Kenyan casts sonic boom stunning 2 teamsters and wounding the doppelganger.  Everyone springs into action.  Fang attacks and kills a guard.  Boring kills the doppelganger, but the body that lands at his feet is the body of a peasant.  !  Anyone could be disguised.  Marja briefly suspects Kalina.  After all she reported 40 people, and there are only 12 here, but then Fang doesn’t seem distressed.

They make short work of the guards, and Fang says all the peasants and teamsters smell normal.  They make a plan to backtrack and find the rest of the Calastian party.


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## Iron Chef BBQ

*A Trap within a Trap (run of 03-10-03)*

Some of the party dresses up as guards.  The dwarves pose as dead, draped across mules.  Deke sneaks up the riverbank undetected.  As the party rounds the bend in the river, four guards launch crossbow bolts.  So much for their disguises.  Deke thinks he sees a small rock move like it was kicked, but there’s nobody standing in that spot.  He sends a message back, moments before an invisible spell caster appears.

Marja gets hit with two of the crossbow bolts, and Kel and Kenyan find themselves stuck in sticky white spider webs.  Kalina sends a wall of hornets to the back of the attackers to prevent a retreat.

A sickly green swirl of mist surrounds the group.  Marja, Kalina and Kenyan (the chaotic members of the group) hear voices in their heads and feel fingers pulling at their shoulders making them stand up straight and follow rules.  The feeling is distracting and uncomfortable.

Borin springs off the mule and crumples a guard.  Deke, in a sneak attack, kills one of two spell casters.  Between Kalina’s avalanche sling and Marja’s magic missiles, they fell another guard.

Kenyan lights the spider webs on fire, damaging himself, but freeing himself and Kel in the process.  Kel runs forward and flanks the guard attacking Borin.  As Kalina moves to help him, she sets of a glyph of warding.  Electric static fills the air, wounding her and Kel badly.

Kenyan charges, but sideways.  Avoiding combat seems to be his favorite pastime.  Marja notices and yells, “I see you, you Candy-Ass Coward.  Why don’t you skip there?”

Kel, despite his wounds, sends a spiritual long sword of Corrian to attack the spell caster.  Borin seconds that attack, and the caster dies.

Deke looks for signs of doppelgangers, but he and Fang find nothing.


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## Iron Chef BBQ

*An Island in the Stream (run of 03-31-03)*

Unfortunately, the party left no one alive that could provide any useful information.  During the trek it had slowly dawned on the captives that this was no ordinary indentured servitude, and that they were leaving Vesh never to return.  They greeted their liberators with exhausted gratitude.  They had been fed and clothed with the bare minimum and were grateful to be alive, but too spent to be enthusiastic.  

The Marja and Kenyan sat with them for a while gleaning what information they could and weaving a tale of themselves as travelers from Amalthea who just happened by at the right time.  Deke takes the opportunity to scour the Calastian belongings and finds a large trunk of gold coins.  He proceeds to dive into it like a bathtub.  Borin insists that $2,000 of the gold pieces be delivered to the Temple of Ankili as a sign that we are still determined to find the money that has been embezzled from them.  Kel is happy to deliver it.  In the morning, better fed and rested, the freed captives head back to town with Kel serving as a guardian.

Marja scans the rest of the gear for magical items.  They find 2 bottles of healing potion and a bottle of a levitating potion.  They also find a wand of magic missiles.  It is a thin willowy wand which, after Marja retrieves it from Deke who stole it out of her pocket, she presents to Kenyan.  He has mixed feelings about it.  He is thrilled to have more fire power at his disposal, but would have preferred that the wand look more manly.

The group heads cautiously up river.  They pass the section where they had found the large wooden planks and take a few moments to again study the strange markings on the canyon walls, but decide to head upstream before spending too much time on these mysteries.  

As they travel upstream the river gets narrower, and the canyon walls get steeper forming almost a vertical enclosure.  There is just a small ledge to walk upon which is continually splashed by the river and is wet and slippery.  At one point Borin and Marja both loose their footing with Marja falling backwards into a small pool of water.  She is completely drenched.  Lucre is scandalized by how her wet clothes cling to her body and insists on walking directly in front of her, shielding her from public view, although what public might be around to view is dubious.  Kenyan takes up the position behind Marja for ostensibly the same purpose, but she questions if his motives are as pure.

At any rate, the party continues on to a bend in the river.  Borin cautiously peeks around the bend and can’t believe what he sees.  Deke sneaks around and comes back with this news.  The river here has been widened by digging away at the canyon walls.  The debris from the digging has been piled into the middle of the river forming an island.  The front of the island is guarded by 4 20-foot wooden towers, each with a 7’ by 3’ slit on each side.  There is one small bridge across to the island.  It is directly below a large opening in the canyon wall from which they can here the sounds of snarling and crunching rock.  There is a pen on the island that looks like a livestock corral, but in it are several disheveled and downtrodden dwarves.  The party grows morose remembering the mutated dwarf body they found in the river.

The party prepares to attack the guard posts.  Kalina casts circle of sounds so that the entire party can communicate with each other.  Deke, Borin and Lucre are invisible.  Lucre and Borin have spider climb.  Kalina takes Garnet from Marja and instructs Fang to take his cues from Marja.  Kalina then turns herself into a large pickerel, and with Garnet clinging to a fin, she swims across the river to the farthest guard post.  Once at the base of the post she transforms back and climbs the wooden structure.  Borin, Lucre and Deke make their way as quietly as possible across the bridge, through the camp and onto each of the remaining three guard towers.  Kenyan, Marja and Fang stay across the river watching from a high and hidden spot.

Fang’s fur bristles.  He clearly sees something, but neither Marja nor Kenyan can tell what he’s looking at.  They send a general message of warning to the others.  Suddenly two enormous cats can be seen flashing in and out in the camp.  They have too many legs for normal cats and seem to glow with an eerie incandescence.  Borin and Lucre can see them clearly and report that they also have long tentacles coming from their backs.  While the cats can’t see the dwarves, they can smell them.  They launch an attack, but miss.

The party springs into action.  Unfortunately, Borin, Deke and Marja (who is aiming at the cats) all miss.  So much for surprises.  Borin and Deke shake it off, however, and quickly dispatch their guards with little injury.  Lucre calls out that he hears someone spell casting.  A Man dressed in Black plate with a bloody mace covered with the holy symbol of Chardon steps out of the tent and casts an evil blessing.  Fortunately, it is quickly countered by Kenyan, his strong baritone cutting across the sound of the rushing river.

Garnet slithers into the guard post and strikes at the guard.  Marja feels a jarring pain in her teeth as a whelping little snake says she forgot to check for chain mail.  Garnet slithers up inside the guard’s pant leg as Kalina strikes.  With the pain in her jaw, Marja fumbles throwing another ice knife at the cats and misses a third time as she hears the news that both Garnet and Kalina have missed their second attacks on their guard.  Finally, Garnet strikes greatly weakening the guard’s constitution.  Combined with the damage of Kalina’s initial charge, this is enough to kill the guard.  

Borin prepares to jump from his tower and attack the Black Cleric when he feels a wave of cold spread across him.  His muscles freeze.  He is paralyzed.  Marja has one dispel magic scroll left from Morgaine.  She whips it out and casts, but fails again.  Ugh!  Poor Borin is left as a statue; fortunately he is inside the tower out of range of the cats.

Fang can’t take the inaction and runs to engage the cats distracting them temporarily away from the party.  Finally, Lucre manages to kill his guard.  Even frozen, Borin gloats at killing his first.  Lucre tumbles from the tower toward the cleric.  Marja shoots a Melf’s acid arrow at the cleric, and finally hits dead on (a critical).  Kalina retrieves Garnet, turns into an owl, flies over the cleric and casts Genest’s far strike.  In the double attack the cleric drops his mace.  Lucre tumbles in, picks it up and throws it into the river.  Touching the evil weapon takes its toll, however, so Lucre activates vigor to keep himself going.

Kenyan who is certainly proving himself valiant, inspires fear, and one of the cats runs away and cowers behind a tent.  Marja, Kalina and Lucre each get in another successful strike at the cleric.  Finally, Borin feels warmth return to his muscles.  He jumps from the tower, runs up to the cleric and slashes him with his great axe.  With a look of shock and dismay, he falls to his knees and dies.


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## Iron Chef BBQ

Well, this brings us all up to date, but we play tonight so I get to fall behind again.


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## Iron Chef BBQ

*magic items*

Here is a list of magic items the party has bought/found/stolen/borrowed.

Boots of Endurance - Deke
Lantern of Continual Light
Cyclone Quarterstaff (+1) - Marja
Healing Wand - Gemma
3 transformation sheepskins
avalanche sling - Kalina
Polar Bear Armor - Borin
Wand of Colorspray - Marja
Pins to enhance Conj Magic - Marja and Kel
Speak with Dead Candle - Marja
Charisma Gloves - Kenyan
Magic Shield - Kalina
AC amulet - Kel
Sash of Hiding (+4) - Deke
Ring of Jumping (+20) - Deke
Mithral Chain Shirt (+1 armor) - Lucre
Large Wooden Shield (+1) - Lucre
Glove of Storing - Lucre
Ring of Nimbleness (+9 tumble) - Lucre
Heartstone of Awareness (+5 to spot, doesn't take up a "slot") - Lucre
Amulet of Natural Armor (+1) - Lucre
2 potions of walk on water - Kel and Borin
scroll of soften earth and stone - Kalina
ring of the ram - Kel
ring of counter spells (with dispel magic) - Lucre
2 wands to hold shocking grasp - Kenyan and Lucre
candle of truth (4 uses) - Deke
amulet of intimidation - Borin
bracers of armor +1 - Marja
crystal capacito - Lucre
ring of protection - 
wand of ? -

They also have a love potion, several heal light potions, a detect thoughts scroll and anti-stone salve.


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## Iron Chef BBQ

*displacer beasts and mutant dwarves (run of 04-08-03)*

Kenyan’s bravery seems unsurpassed.  He has inspired bravery in the entire party.  He has inspired fear in both evil cats.  He is shooting magic missiles from his newfound wand like a paladin wields a sword.  Marja is so amazed at this change in behavior that she is almost numb.  She hurls an ice knife at one of the cats, and for the fourth time today it misses.  (4 fumbles, who has that kind of luck?)  This time her shot doesn’t just miss it’s target.  It finds a new target.  It hits Lucre doing maximum damage.  Fortunately, Kalina is nearby and is able to give him some minor healing while moving her flaming sphere toward one of the cats.  She also manages to cast fairy fire on one of the cats making it a stable target to hit.

Marja refuses to throw another ice knife.  She switches to magic missiles.  They don’t do much damage, but they hit their mark every time.  Borin moves in to attack one cat; Lucre tumbles in to attack the other.  Borin swings and kills his target.  “I got mine first again, Cousin Lucre.”  Lucre growls and strikes, but doesn’t impart the killing blow.  Marja and Kenyan send six more magic missiles searing into the cats fur.  As it turns to run away, it passes Borin who swings and crushes the creature’s great spine with his battle axe.  The cat lies motionless at his feet.  “Argh!  Again, you win!” snarls Lucre.

Deke checks out the pen in the compound and finds four very dirty dwarves cowering at the far side.  The party passes healing potions around, speaks some words of confidence to the dwarves, who are too exhausted and beaten down to even feel much gratitude, and turns their attentions to the cave on the hill.

Kalina uses stone shape to narrow the entrance to the cave.  It is now only large enough for a single person to pass.  She also uses soften stone to turn the floor of the tunnel into thick mud.  

While she and Lucre are busy at the cave opening, Deke has slipped into the tent of the dead dark servant of Chardun.  He finds a large chest with a trapped lock, but he knows he can easily spring it.  In a rare misstep Deke’s fingers slip on the spring.  A needle shoots from the lock and into his chest.  He feels his muscles freeze.  Kenyan, who has been sitting quietly next to the tent contemplating how it feels to be a hero, hears a soft thud like something solid hitting the ground.  He pokes his head into the tent and sees Deke lying on his side, stiff.  He calls Marja who is closest to him.  He thinks Deke is dead.  Marja has seen this before.  “He’s not dead, but he’s out of the action for a while.  Pick him up and carry him up the hill.  He’ll come out of it in a few minutes.  Sorry, Deke, the treasure will have to wait until after the fight.”  She imagines that she sees Deke’s eyes pop, but of course, he can’t move a muscle.

For a description of the mutant dwarves check out the post above entitled “Avalanche.”

From the dwarves they learn there are four guards and ten mutated dwarves in the tunnel.  They wait outside the tunnel until Deke’s muscles soften up.  Kenyan begins to sing in a low clear voice.  Marja hears sounds way down below.  She casts ghost sound, and sends the sounds of marching dwarves down the tunnel.  Lucre yells an insult about Chardon performing a sexual act on a male elf that wouldn’t be fit for a grandmother’s ears so we will not quote it here.  They hear the guards yell, “The dwarves are loose.”  Marja hastes Borin, Deke and Lucre who flank each other around the entrance to the cave.

One by one, guards and mutants come up from the depths.  They get stuck in the mud and become easy targets for our hasted fighting team.  The spellcasters step back, waiting and watching.  The fight is horrible.  These mutant dwarves cause everyone’s stomachs to turn.  Lucre notices that their beards have been cut off.  He is thrown into an angry rage and pummels each guard long after each is dead.

Kalina throws a stone from her avalanche sling.  It hits two dwarves who are turned to see each other.  They jump to attach each other.  These creatures are full of a voracious hunger.  They plunge at whatever is in front of them trying to tear it and push it into their mouths.  As they lunge at each other their feet hit a guard who has fallen in the mud between them.  This is enough to distract them from each other.  They pick up the guard who is now frantic and screaming for help and mercy.  In their frenzy, they tear and pull.  They are obviously many times stronger than an average dwarf.  The guard is pulled into pieces in seconds.  Blood spatters everywhere.  The other mutants in the cave taste the blood and every one of them howls and pushes forward.

One mutant breaks through the pack.  With super-strength it manages to break the bars that hold its arms forward.  It lunges at Borin.  The grate over the creature’s mouth slips sideways.  The creature gets his lips around it, and starts chewing.  The sound of cracking rocks (it must be the creature’s teeth shattering) and the scraping of metal appall the party.  Marja, who is off to the side almost devoid of spells, has been watching the scene and taking it all in.  She starts to cry at the wretchedness of this poor, crazed dwarf.  Deke, Lucre and Borin all strike simultaneously.  Deke stabs it in the back.  Lucre swings his sword and severs its head.  Boring turns his battle axe to the flat side and hits the head as it separates from the body.  He makes solid contact with the metal mouthpiece and shoots it out the back of the head.

In all this, the group failed to notice that another dwarf had gotten out of the cave.  It grabs Borin and tears at his collarbone, pulling it and tearing skin.  They can see the bone protrude and bend as if to snap in two.  Lucre and Deke jump in and kill it.

There are two wounded and fallen creatures in the mouth of the cave.  One magic missile each dispatches them.  One guard and one mutant are left.  Kalina hurls her last avalanche stone and kills the mutant dwarf.  The destructo trio charge the last guard.  They are unable to hold back their fury and in three swift swings of rapier, broad sword and battle axe, they turn his body into pate'.  (90 points of damage)

Exhausted, filthy and battle-torn, the entire party slumps into a heap at the mouth of the cave.


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## Iron Chef BBQ

*Preview of what's to come*

What follows is an edited email from our DM, KidC, detailing what the party found in the camp after we finished killing the mutant dwarves et al.  We play on Tuesday with this lead in:

When last we left our intrepid adventurers, they had cleaned out an outpost of the Chardun Empire and thwarted their plans to dam the river.  Along the way, they fought and prevailed against 6 guards, 2 displacer beasts and a very angry dark servant of Chardun.  They also euthanized nearly a dozen twisted dwarven abominations.


In the tent of the dark servant, they found a number of interesting magic items, and several books.  There was a holy book of Chardun, well thumbed, with approving notes in the margin written in what looks suspiciously like blood.  There were two volumes of the writings and wisdom of King Virduk (ruler of Calastia. Only very good paternal evidence keeps him from being a more complete bastard).  Both are handsomely bound in leather with gold trim. 

There is also a set of papers bearing the title "On the Inferiority of Races and Nationalities" by Lord Todschlag (excerpts to follow).  Similarity of handwriting between this paper and several of the administrative notes, book plates etc. in the tent lead the party to believe that Todschlag is the dark servant they have killed.

Perhaps most interesting is a series of notes on the creation of what he calls the Verzehren, which translates from Calastian as "devourers".  The word also implies someone consumed by as well as consuming.  It's clear that they had not yet hit upon the ideal formula for the creation of these creatures.  They'd been experimenting with the proper dosage of what is indeed a potion of titan essence (Gaurak), healing potion, and other items.  Higher doses made the creatures more voracious, and they worked harder, but they also burned out faster.  Lower doses and there was a risk of their retaining some of their personalities, and they would fight their guards.  Either way, none of the creatures lived for more than a few months, as the titan essence would consume them, eating away their brains, and then their organs, and finally their spines until they were nothing but a mouth and an alimentary canal.

Thus, with these horrors still fresh in their minds, our adventurers have come down out of the mountains, following the trail used by innocent goat herders and hunters who will never know how close they came to falling under the fist of the Calastian Empire...

But what's this? A crude sign, nailed to a tree ahead of the party.  The writing, in a large, and inexpert hand, reads "Juls Polisshd.  Cheep."

To be continued....


----------



## Ruined

Out of curiosity, what level are the PCs at now?


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## Iron Chef BBQ

theRuinedOne said:
			
		

> *Out of curiosity, what level are the PCs at now? *




I believe that we are all at 5 or 6.  I think Deke, Borin, Marja and Kalina are 6, and Kel, Lucre and Kenyan are 5.  Correct me, guys if I'm wrong.  

IC BBQ


----------



## KidCthulhu

Today's my birthday, so I'm going to reward my players with a happy, fun game free from peril or badness of any kind.

heh-heh-heh.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

You just gave Kenyan gloves of +2 charisma.  How free from badness can that be?

Hey, if it's the DM's birthday, is that like Christmas?  Will WE get presents!  On second thought, maybe we don't want DM presents: more rolling rocks or mutant dwarves!  Eek!


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## Iron Chef BBQ

*Juls Polish Chep (run of 04-22-03, part 1)*

Kalina starts the next day by turning into an otter and diving into the swift moving river.  Lucre is very determined that they should find the evil mace of Chardon before it slips downstream and is found by a poor unsuspecting fisherman.  Kalina has been outfitted with a rope tied into a noose.  Her first attempts to locate the mace are unsuccessful, until she realizes that instead of searching with her otter eyes, she should detect magic.  Instantly she sees black waves of magic curling up from the river bottom.  Given the current she can’t keep herself stead and loop the noose around the mace at the same time.  She returns to the surface and calls Fang.

In an odd pantomime she rolls around on a spare rope while Fang attempts to loop the rope around her body.  Finally, Deke gets the message.  He ties the second rope around Kalina’s body.  Marja advises that the otter should tug three times on the rope when she’s ready for them to pull it taut.  With a nod and a wink the perky little otter plunges back into the icy river.  In no time the three tugs are felt; the noose is looped around the mace; Kalina reappears on land with the end of the rope; and the mace is hauled out of the water.  Carefully, without touching it, Kenyan hoists it into a sack and stows it in his gear.

Our band of weary travelers continues on the road for several days.  The dwarves recently released from certain doom travel silently, but persistently.  The group has promised them safe escort to the Temple of Gorin in Vesh where they can arrange safe passage back to Burak Torn.  The others are rather boisterous as they reminisce about their recent fight, and rib each other in good fun.  Lucre is still smarting a little over being out-done by his cousin, Borin, in battle.  Marja points out that not only did Borin steal his kill several times, but he did it in the body of an elven woman.  Kenyan composes a ballad on the spot entitled “The Mighty Miss Borin.”

They see another party up ahead.  It’s Kel with his weary emancipated slaves who have been unable to make good time due to their exhaustion.  Kel comments that he could hear the group long before he could see them.  The party is nonplused.  They continue with their good-natured ribbing, and Kenyan inspires a little perk into the steps of Kel’s band by doing an encore of “The Mighty Miss Borin.”

As they travel along the road they come to a sign printed in big messy letters: Juls Polsh Chep.  Clearly this is some sort of scam, and most of the party would just as soon avoid whomever this is.  They come to another sign that reads Arti’z Jul Polshn, and up ahead in the middle of the road are two tall trees.  The forest is about a hundred yards away from the road at this point so these trees were uprooted and pulled at great effort to somebody.  Then they see the somebody.  An 18-foot tall giant with green scabby skin and three arms is standing behind the logs like they are a make-shift counter.  He is wearing gem-encrusted jewelry from head to toe.  Next to him sits a morose creature similar in appearance, but smaller in size.  Arti the Giant waves vigorously as they approach.

“You got gems you want polished?” asks Arti.  “I polish good like this.”  He picks up a rock and rubs it between his hands until it turns to dust.  “Do I get the gem back?” asks Lucre.  “Of course, you get gem back.  Not business if don’t give gem back.  Cost only two silver, yah.”

Lucre tosses him a small (and hard) gemstone.  Arti rubs it with a dirty rag, hands it back triumphantly and holds out his hand for the silver.  Lucre pays, but declines to have any other gems “cleaned”.  “This very profitable new business for us.  Many people, they stop and hand gems for polish, but run away before job finished.  I give them slip.”  He holds up a stack of slips of paper to show off.  “But they no come back to claim.  So I keep.”

“This is an interesting line of work,” says Kenyan.  “How did you get into it?”

“Oh, my cousin, Grog the Ogre, he show me.  Commerce only way he say to me.  Violence not the answer.”  Marja and Deke groan.  They remember the name, and the phrase.  Grog is the ogre that Kalina cast Salamar’s Quiet Contemplation on all those months ago.  “So what’s Grog up to now?” asks Deke.  “Oh, he in very good line of work.  He in protection racket.”

“Well, we really gotta run,” offers Marja.  The smaller giant looks hopeful.  “We gonna hit em now, Dad?” he asks in a whisper.  There is a tense moment where the party is not sure they will be allowed to pass until they pay to have every gem they own polished.  Kenyan jumps in.  He is amazed at the quality of Arti’s business.  Why with this location and a group of satisfied customers to spread the word, people will be flocking from Vesh to have their jewels cleaned.  He gladly offers to provide this free marketing just as soon as he and his friends get back to Vesh.  Arti is overjoyed and lets the party pass.  His son is more morose than ever.

As they get out of earshot Kel points out that he detected evil.  They are clearly working hard to suppress it, but still, evil is evil.  He wonders how long the peace will last.  Deke bates Lucre.  He knows Borin is chomping at the bit to turn around and level the giants, but the lawfuls in the party are playing pacifists.  “I suppose it’s only a matter of time before their evil nature gets the better of them and they pummel some innocent travelers, but I guess we’re not really interested in provoking violence.”  Lucre doesn’t take the bait.  “If I hear of them harming anybody, I’m back here so fast,” he muses.  The party travels on.

Another night and day, and they’re back in Vesh.  They deliver their charges.  The dwarves to the Temple of Gorin and the homeless, but freed Veshians to the Temple of Madriel.  Then they head home themselves.

Deke is beside himself to see the progress the workdwarves have made in his absence.  He runs through the house checking every detail.  Kenyan offers to pen a letter to Lord Beltray about their exploits and to let him know they are back in town.  He begins pontificating and posing with parchment in one hand and pen in the other, but never actually makes pen touch parchment.  Clearly, he thinks he cuts a better figure standing upright.  Marja offers to scribe while he dictates.  He rambles on for 20 minutes telling a tale of heroism (mostly his).  Marja lowers her head over the parchment and writes:  We’re back.  Will meet at your convenience.  VII.

The letter is sealed and sent before Kenyan gets a chance to proofread it.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*How to Make Paella (run of 04-22-03 part 2)*

Fang has found something in the backyard which until they claimed the property was a local dump.  It’s a filcher, dead about a week, and it’s been skinned.  Kel detects poison and determines that the poor creature did indeed ingest a toxic substance.  That’s not uncommon.  Filchers are considered vermin and are often poisoned to lower their populations.  The skinning is alarming.  Deke wonders if it was meant to be a message, and he remembers the other dead filcher Fang found.  They debate for a long time whether or not they should use the speak with dead candle they have to talk to it, but since the candle has only three black lines drawn around it, they decide not to waste the spell.

Back inside Marja is rummaging around in her stuff and finds a pair of magic gloves they had found in the hag’s cave back when they helped out the enchanted Gorog the Barbarian.  They are beautiful ladies gloves in very thin silk.  The fingers are open except for a fine ring that fits over the middle finger of each hand.  The silk is an eggshell ivory and follows the arm up to the elbow.  “I’ve never gotten these identified so I don’t know what they do.  I’m afraid to put them on since that awful hag owned them.”  “I’m game,” says Kenyan snatching them away.  They feel cool and smooth against his tanned forearms.  Despite their effeminate look he feels confident and strong wearing them.  Deke was about to laugh at him for grabbing “ladies” gloves, but now he decides he won’t.  Marja asks to take them for identification tomorrow, but offers to let him borrow them after that.  “Wow!” she thinks, “They do work for him.”

There’s a knock on the door.  Deke answers it, probably not the best idea.  He’s greeted by a liveried young man who displays no surprise at a filcher answering the door.  He informs the party that Lord Beltray would be quite pleased to receive them that evening for some light refreshment.  Marja insists on washing up and deftly rebraids her long black hair while Lucre does the same for his ruddy beard.  Marja insists that Borin sit while she braids his, too.  Throughout the top of Marja’s head a few gray hairs have begun to appear.  In the bright sunshine they appear almost coppery colored.  She hasn’t noticed them because she doesn’t own a mirror.  Others have, but no one has dared to say anything to her about them.

At the Beltray manor house they are received with elegant style.  Beltray is quite taken with Kenyan and remarks that he looks very like Percy Beltray IV, Geoffrey’s father.  Of course, being served tea instead of ale ruffles the dwarves, but no one says anything.  

Marja asks Lord Beltray if he can give them a lead on hiring a hafling cook.  He says he will ask his cook who might give a recommendation.

In as short a time as possible they tell him their tale and produce for him the mace, books and poison they found in the Calastian camp.  Beltray turns a little ashen at the sight of the mace, but is fascinated by the books.  He locks them all away in a very solid cabinet.  He is mildly concerned that they did not manage to find either of the two remaining doppelgangers, and expresses his disappointment to the party.  Lucre points out that after all they’ve done, he could show a little more gratitude.

“You are, of course, correct, and you have my apologies,” he responds.  “well, I’ve been lectured on diplomacy by a dwarf.  That’s about the most interesting thing that happens to me in a day.”

“Well, you should hang out with us more,” offers Marja.

“Ah, my dear.  My constitution wouldn’t fare well, I’m afraid.  That’s why I’m an academic and you’re a Vigil.”  He mentions another mission if they’re up to it.  The Temple of Corean at the edge of the Blood Basin believes that it may have been infiltrated.  Some travelers were turned away from the temple and were told it was closed.  Other travelers have disappeared.  The temple has asked for help and discretion.  Marja offers that if discretion is needed perhaps they’re not the cohort he wants.  “That’s not the kind of discretion I mean.  I mean that no one who might spread nasty news about the temple should remain standing to tell the tale.”  “Well,” bellows Borin, “that’s the kind of discretion we’re all about.”  

Kel who is from a Temple of Corean declares, “My order’s purpose was to kick evil ass.”  That stated, they take the job.  They have a week to get started.

In the morning they each head off on separate tasks.  Kel and Kenyan head off to talk to Starky, the animal control manager, about dead filchers being found in the city.  Borin goes to check in at the Temple of Enkili and deliver the 2,000 gp they’d recovered.  Deke is busy with the contractors, and Marja goes to visit the wizard’s shop to order scrolls and have those magic gloves identified.

Starky doesn’t have much to say.  People kill filchers like rats.  They’re considered vermin.  People put poison out all the time.  He’s not unhappy about this turn of events.  He only wishes people would clean up after themselves so he doesn’t have to do it.  He hasn’t come upon any skinned carcasses in town.  Kel is disgusted with his attitude.  Starky yells after them as they turn to leave, “If you find the guy what’s doin’ it, say thankee from ol’ Starky.”  His cruel laughter fades in the distance as they hurry back to the warehouse.

Borin has a long talk with Rossiter at the temple.  He’s sorry to see that so much of the money has disappeared, but trusts that Borin will do his best to get it back.  As Borin leaves the temple he turns down Market Street and glances at all the merchant carts.  He spies one cart of carved figurines.  They’re too delicate to interest him much, but he spies a tine black onyx figure at the back of the cart.  It’s carved into the shape of the creature they met in the clouds, although it’s not the same color.  Marja was very fascinated by that dragon and had had a long conversation with it.  He decides to pick up the figurine for her.

“Well, pretty lady,” says the crafty merchant manning the stall.  “Does something interest your lovely green eyes?”  Borin instinctively reaches for his battle axe thinking this guy is nuts until he remembers his female elven body.  Instead he indicates that he would like to buy the little dragon statue.  “I have to warn you, Miss, against that statue.  It’s been bought several times, but always they brings it back.  Bad things happen to those what own it.  There’s them what says it talks!”  Borin insists that he must have the statue.  “Well, alright, but do say I didn’t warn ya.  You can bring it back, but you can’t get your money back.”

Borin tucks the silent little figurine into his pocket and heads for the warehouse.  It’s late afternoon.  He’ll probably be the last one back.

Marja’s errand took her hardly any time.  The gloves, it turns out, are called Gloves of the Beloved, (Charisma +2) and have some kind of memory feedback effect.  That would explain Beltray thinking Kenyan looked like his father.  Marja walks slowly home with the gloves on.  They do feel sexy.  She receives several cat calls from the dwarves working on the warehouse.  “Sigh.  I did promise Kenyan could borrow them.”  She takes them off and puts them with Kenyans bag and consoles herself that bards are wanderers, not adventurers.  He’ll be off on his own soon enough, and when he leaves she’ll be sure she gets them back.

At two o’clock there is a rap at the door.  Everyone is home, but Borin.  Kenyan opens the door and almost doesn’t see the tiny hafling standing there.  A tiny voice pipes up from about his knee.  “Hi, I’m Theo Mustardseed.”  Theo strides into the foyer looking very plucky.  He is only 2’ 10” and looks very young.  Turns out he is very young, just 23 years old.  He says his Aunt Marjorie sent him over.  She works for Lord Beltray.  He’s there to apply for the job of cook.  Marja has a detailed conversation with him about where he got his skills, what he likes to cook, and most importantly, what kind of ale he will supply.  She finishes by saying, “Well, you can’t interview a cook by asking him to describe the quality of his cooking.  Are you available to cook for us tonight?”  He says he is and wanders off with Deke to inspect the kitchen.

Soon there are roars from angry dwarves followed by the high-pitched response of a tiny hafling cook.  “It can’t be done!” a dwarf hollers.  “Of course it can be done,” they hear Deke respond, and they hear the tinkling of coins.  Evidently it could be done because the dwarves go back to their blueprints and a happy little hafling scampers off to the market place with a basket over his arm.  He returns with a man pulling a cart full of pots, pans, knives, and every sundry kitchen device, and a shovel.  He goes into the back yard and digs a pit, and then he carefully shovels hot coals from the stove into the pit.  He pulls stuff from his basket and slices, tears, grinds, and dumps everything into a large pot.  He covers the pot and puts it in the hole on top of the coals and covers the whole thing up with dirt!  Even Marja who grew up in her mother’s kitchen in a manor house of Amalthea has never seen such a thing.

Borin returns and calls Marja.  “I found something for you,” he says as he pulls the little figurine out of his pocket.  “Oh my god!”  At first Marja is paralyzed with fear.  She backs away from the little dragon who so closely resembles the creature that has been plaguing her nightmares for over 20 years.  “I thought you would like it.”  Borin seems disappointed.  “Oh, it is lovely.  How wonderful of you to think of me.”  She extends her hand, and it almost seems like the statue hops to her.  Once it touches her skin her eyes light up.  Borin is gratified by the look on her face.  As he turns to walk away he hears her whisper, “But I’m only 35.”  “What did you say?”  He turns back to Marja.  “Didn’t you hear it?” she asks.  “It said it’s been waiting for me for many decades.”  “I didn’t hear anything.” He answers, but Marja isn’t listening anymore.  She’s walking up the stairs to her room talking softly to the little statue.

Theo comes through the house singing a song about supper and ushers everyone to the big table.  He pours ale and water all around and heads for the backyard with the shovel.  “Well,” says Borin as he hears the story of the buried pot and swigs from his mug, “at least the ale is good.”  Theo comes back pulling a wagon.  The pot is so heavy he can’t lift it.  Lucre and Borin help him hoist it to the table.  Theo stands on a chair and pulls the lid off of the pot.  Yum!  The most delicious smell wafts across the room.  Out of the dirty pot comes rice and white fish and hard sausage and tomatoes and so many other delicious things the group loses count.  Marja declares him hired on the spot.

Dinner is a joyful event.  They laugh and joke.  Even Lucre is now laughing at how Borin outshone him in battle.  “Any time you want a rematch,” Borin kids.  “After supper,” Lucre growls.  Their bellies full, everyone jumps up and rushes outside.

The dwarf and the elf/dwarf cousins circle each other in the yard.  Lucre isn’t taking this seriously.  He swings half-heartedly and misses.  Borin swings the flat of his battle axe harder than he means to.  Smack!  He clips Lucre right in the head.  (He rolled a critical and did 46 points of damage.)  Lucre flies across the yard and smacks into a tree, unconscious.  The group pulls him to his feet.  Kalina touches him with a little healing, and Marja hands both warriors pints of ale.  “You know,” Deke says, “I’ve got gold in my pocket, a roof over my head, ale in my mug, and two dwarves fighting for my entertainment.  Life just doesn’t get any better than this.”


----------



## KidCthulhu

The conversation between Marja and the dragon figurine went, as I remember it.

As the the dragon was placed in her palm, it whispered:
Dragon: _At last._
Marja:  Huh?
D: _We have been waiting for you for a long time_.
M: But I'm only 35.
D: _Nevertheless, we have been waiting._

There's a fearful pause, while Marja thinks about her terrible dreams of flying.

M: Are you going to push me off a cliff?
D: _No, but I will show you how to jump_

[DM NOTE:  Be very careful what you wish for.]


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*The Legend of Hooffall (run of 04-06-03 pt 1)*

Our intrepid band identifies all the items they found in that vile camp and divvies them up.
2 potions of water walk – Kel and Borin
scroll of soften earth and stone – Kalina
ring of the ram – Kel
ring of counter spells – They have it filled with dispel magic and Lucre wears it
a beautiful gold and blue candle of truth with 4 burn lines left on it – Deke
an amulet of intimidation which Borin can hardly wait to pin to his polar bear armor
Lastly, they find 3 hollow sticks.  They look like wands, but none of the spell casters have ever seen wands quite like this.  They appear to have no magic in them.  Marja takes them to Marcus Dwarin (the little wizard from whom she buys her scrolls) for identification, but he is stumped and sends her to a colleague of his, Derrick Willow.  Derrick is very impressed by the wands.  It appears they can hold a single charge of shocking grasp that anyone (even non-spellcasters) can discharge.  Marja can see his wizard mind churning.  He must study this and learn how it is done.  That’s the difference between sorcerers and wizards.  Derrick will spend the next several months locked in a room studying this wand while Marja could care less how it works and has no desire to create one herself.  He offers to buy one from her for 600 gp.  She gets him to throw in filling the other two with the shocking grasp spell and seals the deal.  She gives the two wands to Kenyan and Lucre. 

Lucre is on the lookout for a magic weapon, but not just any magic weapon.  He wants a very old one, one with a legend attached to it.  Marja takes the group back to visit Marcus.  She’s sure he’ll know where to find what Lucre wants.  He has something of interest.  It’s a sword with a crystal handle.  It looks so delicate.  Marcus says it radiates magic, but he hasn’t been able to figure out exactly what it does.  Lucre picks it up and hears a voice in his head.  “Welcome.  The Citadel awaits you.”  

“Not now,” whispers Lucre.  

“NOW!” the voice screams in his ears.  Lucre’s eyes flash yellow.  There is that smell of sulfur in the air and the crystal grows to form a basket over his hand.  

“I’ll take it!” Lucre exclaims.  Kel insists on detecting evil before he lets Lucre pay for it.  It checks out ok.  Marcus charges 2300 gp which sends Deke into hysterics.  

“Hey, what are our house renovations costing?” Marja snaps, “besides, it spoke to him.  When something speaks to you, you were meant to have it.”  

“How do you know?” asks Deke.  “Hey!  What’s been speaking to you?”  Marja turns and leaves the shop with Deke, his protestations forgotten, trailing after her, full of questions.

Back at the warehouse Lucre fills the group in on the sword.  “When I picked it up, I was standing in another plane.  I could see a hundred faces.  I think maybe they were the faces of all the people who have wielded it before.  The faces said they would teach me how to use the sword.  The sword believes in strength and mind and balance.”

It is now late September.  The warehouse construction continues under Deke’s watchful eye.  The party gets a detailed map of Vesh from Lord Beltray.  The map is a detail of Northern Vesh, the city of Mensk and the Kelder Steps.  Their destination, the Shrine of Hooffall is beyond the Steps.

Kel tells the story of the shrine.  A brave and devoted knight of Corean lived a long and adventurous life in service to the god.  At his death Corean turned him into a gigantic white stallion and whisked him up to heaven.  In one mighty leap the stallion bounded into the sky leaving a large half-circle hoof print in the ground.  This hoof print filled with water to create a small lake.  Miracles began to happen as the faithful sick bathed in the waters.  An order of monks was established, the Order of the White Horse, whose holy mission is to heal the sick and defend the weak.  Deke remembered Naxos, the paladin they’d met some many months ago.  He was from Vesh.  “Was he from the Order of the White Horse?” he asks.  “No,” Marja replied, “He was a Vigil.”  Then she added with a laugh, “Just like you!”

Kenyan returns from a walk around town.  He bumped into an old army buddy of his.  Lucre is amazed that Kenyan was ever in the army, but after listening to a few tales of adventure, he no longer doubts Kenyan and is all the more impressed by his bravery.  (great bluff!)  Anyway, this old buddy now acts as a guide and guard through the treacherous Steps.  On his last journey his party didn’t stop at the temple on the return trip.  “Why?” several in the party ask together.  Kenyan’s voice turns ominous, “Because everything around the temple was dead!”  

No one likes that news, but they’ve delayed their departure long enough.  On a beautiful, crisp fall day they head out.  At every town they pass, people are busy and happy taking in the harvest and preparing for winter.  It’s been a good year for a change and people are rejoicing in the plenty of the land.  They happen upon one small town during their harvest festival.  Gaily colored tents are spread across the town square, and the smell of spitted pig and fried dough fills the air.  The mayor is sitting smugly on the seat of a dunking booth.  He is dry as a bone, and no wonder, the target is no bigger than an orange.  Deke gets in line.  Three balls are placed in front of him.  He tests them in his hand for balance.  Not too bad.  He hurls the first one with such force that he not only hits the target, but breaks the circle right off of the arm.  The mayor plunges into the cold water and comes up sputtering.  With great surprise he repositions himself on the seat while three men tie the target back onto the dunking arm.  Deke lightly tosses the ball this time, and with some embarrassment, he does the same again.  Again the mayor sputters.  Again three men rush in to repair the machine.  He tosses his last ball to Kel and sidles away.  Kel gives the ball a hearty toss, and while he doesn’t break anything, he once again sends the poor mayor into the chilly water.  With a sheepish grin, Kell moves away toward the fried dough line.

The next day is again bright and clear.  The group moves quickly along the road to the Shrine of Hooffall.  Late in the day they come upon a strange sight.  A bizarre lizard-like creature is standing upright in the middle of the road.  It is wearing a velvet tabard, stained and ripped, that comes down to its knees.  It has on a pair of knickers that extend to its ankles and a large hat with a weary feather falling down the back.

“Hault.  You can not enter land of King Meepo and Queen Threeba!  Must pay tribute to pass.”  This little figure is so comical that even Kel can’t help snicker.  They inquire to whom they are speaking.  “I am Herald Grizzle.  All bow before King Meepo and Queen Threeba!  Must pay tribute.”  Borin, enhanced by his new amulet, intimidates the poor little creature, but it boldly stands by its post.  “Everybody, but scary lady with big axe, must pay tribute,” Grizzle gulps.  “This many hundreds.”  It holds up three fingers.  Kel shakes his head and laughs out loud.  “No way, little one.  This is a free road, and you are inside the kingdom of Vesh.  You have no right to exact tribute here.”  The group follows him as he passes the little creature.

Plucky as ever, Grizzle yells after them, “King Meepo will be wroth!”


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Meepo and Threeba (end of run of 05-06-03)*

Kenyan comments that he thinks the little creature they just met is a kobald.  He’s never seen one before, but he’s heard them described.  The group complains about the annoyance as they walk along a road with a dense forest on one side and a wide meadow on the other with a stone wall indicating the property line of some long-ago farm.  Their progress is stopped abruptly by a large barricade of vines wound around stakes blocking the road.  Stuck all over the barricade are trophies of war – pieces of clothing, armor and weapons.  Kel spots the tabard of a Veshian guard and fumes.  As they look around they spot small figures behind bushes and suddenly a row of kobalds with bows hop up onto the wall.

Marja quickly casts protection from arrows on Kenyan who moves forward to engage in a little “diplomacy.”  He clears his deep baritone.  “Greetings,” he says with a charming smile.  A kobald head wearing a frilly lace bonnet pops up from behind the barricade.  “You are in kingdom of Meepo.  Pay tribute or die.”  Kenyan announces that he can hear casting from behind the vines.

Deke rolls into the woods and hides.  Lucre tumbles and jumps over the stone wall and sees 10 more kobalds with spears.  He lands and draws his weapon and sunders the spear closest to him.  The kobald who is now holding splinters looks shocked, but to Lucre’s surprise, doesn’t run away.

Another face appears at the barricade.  A figure jumps on top, a fat little female figure with pendulous breasts and huge yellow blood-shot eyes.  She has a mark on her face the size and shape of a hand that glows red then silver.  Lucre recognizes the mark of Titan psionics, a mark he also shares.  “You will pay tribute,” the angry little voice screams, then she looks around her.  “Ooh, and the sun is shining,” her voice sing-songs.  “And you will bring it to me!” her voice turns shrill.

Kalina feels a tug on her breast bone and feels her blood thrum.  She senses a connection between what changed in her when she drank the Titan water and what is running through the veins of this creature: The mark of the Titans.

Kenyan feels weakness like he has been mortally wounded.  He looks down at his body, but doesn’t see anything so he shrugs it off.  Borin lets out a yell of pain, but remains standing.

Kel, outraged by these creatures, uses his ring of the ram.  He points it at her feet, and marvels as a gust of wind springs from the ring.  It gathers momentum and blows dust and debris before it.  The wind and dust swirl into the vague shape of a ram’s head.  The head lowers and buts with great force into the barricade.  The little creature goes flying into the air and falls to the ground behind the vines.

Marja quickly casts haste and mage armor on herself while Kalina casts briar web behind the wall.  Out of 25 kobalds she ensnares 15. 

A tiny red orb falls in their midst and explodes.  Marja falls to her knees, burned and battered.  Deke is amazingly unharmed, and Borin shrugs and brushes soot off of his shoulders.  The others are seriously shaken up.

An array of arrows fly through the air aimed at the supposed leader of the group, Kenyan.  “So much for diplomacy,” he laughs as the arrows bounce off of him.  “Thanks, Marja,” he calls over his shoulder.

Deke stands up from his hiding place and shoots a crossbow bolt which hits Threeba squarely in the chest.  He’s sure it’s a critical wound, but she pulls the bolt out, extends her long tongue to lick her wound, and it’s completely gone.  Deke isn’t sure, but she looks slightly larger after healing herself.

She catches Lucre’s eyes, and they are locked in a stare.  They stand that way for a long time as the rest of the group looks puzzled.  In their minds they have catapulted onto the psionic plane into the middle of a huge forest.  Lucre bends the trees which spring back and hit her sending her sprawling backwards.  In the psionic plane Lucre appears like a dwarf, but she doesn’t look like a kobald.  She has the image of a maelstrom of chaos with body parts and faces appearing and disappearing in a swirling mass.  Inside the maelstrom is another, smaller spinning tornado.  Lucre tugs on his mind and brings himself back to the others.

Borin and Lucre feel waves of madness wash over them as they hear her scream.  Borin is nonplussed, but Lucre’s orderly mind is clearly struggling against the chaos.  “There are rules,” he shouts with determination.

Kel casts protection from evil and runs forward.  He swings his broad sword straight through a kobald and into another then in a graceful movement, the sun glinting off of his shining armor, he withdraws the sword from the second corpse and thrusts it into a third who falls in quick death.  

Marja, still on her knees drinks down a healing potion and sends three magic missiles at 2 heads just peeping up over the barricade.  She sees them fall just before Kalina raises a wall of greenery in front of the barricade locking the sight lines.

Deke sneaks through the forest toward the barricade and sees 10 more kobalds with crossbows step out into daylight and shoot.  Kenyan, still in the middle of the road, laughs and sings as the arrows bounce away.  He inspires his comrades with his light attitude and sends a sound burst at the newly appearing kobalds killing four of them.  He sings a song of triumph.

Lucre runs around the barricade in search of Meepo, the spellcaster, but ends up once again with eyes locked with Threeba.  Once again they are back on the psionic plane, and she attacks.  Lucre cries out in rage and confusion.  He feels like he is being whipped with fishing lines of insanity.  His orderly mind is crumbling against her chaos.  With all his strength he pulls himself back to the solid, orderly world.

Kalina summons a wall of hornets, fashions them into a dome and sets them on top of three kobald archers who fall in agonizing pain.  Suddenly, a cloud of green vapor hits the middle of the road and grows.  “It smells like rotting eggs and vicera with just a souson of arm pit,” they hear the caster chant.  All the kobalds inside the cloud begin to vomit.  Fortunately, Kenyan and Kel manage to move away from the noxious fumes.

Lucre spots Meepo as he reappears after casting.  He calls out to the group, and Deke immediately sees Meepo as well and moves in.  Lucre draws his new long sword and bears down on the little pathetic caster.  “Avenge me!” Meepo calls.  Lucre swings, “We have laws in these woods.”  Kel sends a spiritual weapon to continue the attack.  Lucre turns away, and comes face-to-face with Threeba.  Borin swiftly kills the last kobalds in front of him and dashed past 5 more emerging from the woods.  He reaches Lucre, but too late.  He is again locked in a mind battle with Threeba.  He hears the voices that ring in her ears, whispering incoherent words of chaos.  He feels that the rules of his life are slipping away.  He must try to listen to each voice.  If he can only figure out what they are saying, he is sure he can restore order.  What do they want him to do?  

Lucre cackles madly and tries to grapple Threeba.  As he approaches he feels waves of chaos wash over him.  He must establish order in his life!  Suddenly, he sees the way.  Only through small things do great things become organized.  He sits down and empties his pack on the ground and begins to count the many items.  Borin is outraged at the sight of his cousin.  Threeba sees him and sings a song in an eerie voice, “Will it come and play with us.  Play now!”  “Don’t want to plan, witch,” shouts Borin as he rushes in and attacks, but no sooner does his axe cut deep into her stomach than she heels and grows larger.

Marja becomes invisible and silently climbs onto the stone wall.  She looks down the line of kobald archers and makes a small tsk, tsk sound as she pulls a scroll from her belt.  She reappears suddenly to the great surprise of 18 archers as a lightening bolt shoots from her outstretched hand.  Thirteen fall.  She tosses three magic missiles like she’s pitching in a child’s street game, and three more kobalds fall.  The final two survivors jump from the wall to run away and impale themselves on Kalina’s thorns.  Marja steps back and surveys the carnage at her feet then turns and winks at Kenyan.  “That’s how it’s done.”

Kalina turns into a hawk and soars into the air.  She catches sight of Meepo just as he disappears again.  Deke also sees him disappear and readies his crossbow for first sight of him.  Suddenly, another fireball explodes among our heroes.  Kalina sees Meepo reappear and pink glitter falls from her wings.  “Gosh,” thinks Marja.  “Her spells sure are pretty.”  Meepo is now surrounded by a cloud of fairy fire.  Kel’s magic weapon once again finds its mark.  Marja flies up into the air and spots Meepo.  She hurls an ice knife that flies true and hits Meepo in the chest.  Meepo starts to cast.  This is what Deke has been waiting for.  He shoots his crossbow which not only hits, but disrupts the spell just as the shadow of three other Meepos where beginning to appear. 

Kenyan makes short forays into the green fog to dispatch kobalds.

Suddenly Lucre stops counting.  True organization comes from casting off earthly things.  He stands up and starts taking off his armor.  Borin grapples Threeba and pushes her face into the ground.  Once her eyes are removed from Lucre, he stops disrobing.  “What am I doing?  Stupid chaos.”  He picks up his empty bag, marches over to Threeba and covers her head.  Borin keeps her pinned being careful not to inflict any damage lest she continue to grow.

Threeba starts to cry.  “Take it off!” she shrieks, then in a strangely calm voice she says, “Take strength in the darkness.  There is another in here.”  Kel approaches her and reaches out his hands.  They glow with the healing sunshine of Corean.  He touches her arm, and the fire burns her flesh.  He is also vaguely aware that his magic weapon is about to take its finale strike.  It stabs Meepo and disappears.  The pink fire falls away too.  Meepo is dead.

Marja flies over to the group.  “Hey,” says Lucre, “When you learn to do that?”  “Just yesterday,” Marja admits.  “Pretty handy, huh?”  She tosses down a healing potion for Kel who isn’t looking very good having taken the brunt of two fireballs.  He drinks it down and turns his healing touch to Threeba again.  

Kalina lands and turns back into human form.  She pulls some of the leaves off of the vines of the barricade and whispers.  The leaves spread out and touch Threeba’s skin.  Again the healing touch causes Threeba to writhe with pain.  “How can you hurt us?” she asks Kalina.  “You have felt his touch, too.  The magic is everywhere.  The magic is my bunny.”  Kalina is confused, “I guess we didn’t feel his touch in the same way,” she explains.

Kenyan moves in and sings a song of health and vigor.  With each chorus he touches Threeba.  She begins to shrivel, and with each touch she cries out in a different voice.  “I feel kinda bad for her,” Kenyan says, but he touches her one last time.  “Goodbye,” she quivers as she dies.  They pull the bag from her face.  Her blood mark sparkles like the waters of the cave Kalina drank from so long ago.  Her blood mark still sparkles, but the voices in her head are silent.


----------



## KidCthulhu

In case anyone was wondering, Meepo is a classic kobold sorceror/8.  Threeba was a Nilbolg, with 4 levels of psion (telepath).  I'll post their stats here soon!


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## Iron Chef BBQ

*The Brightwing Sisters and 100 Words (run of 05-19-03)*

_Words written in CAPS are from American Heritage Dictionaries’ 100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know.  All 100 words have been used in the game summary below.  A list of the words can be found at 100 words  and their definitions can be found at http://dictionary.reference.com/  --Chef_ 

Our intrepid band of FILIBUSTERS is fresh from the fall of the Meepoan OLIGARCHY which they promptly loot.  Deke quickly takes a PECUNIARY tally.  They find the equivalent of 2,000 gold, but mostly in copper coins.  Such are the spoils of war.  Deke finds one strange coin in the mix with the letters E-U-R-O (EURO) written on it.  It’s not worth anything as near as he can figure so he tosses it into the grass.  They also find a blur potion, an invisibility potion, a scroll with shield, invisibility and teleport, bracers of armor (+1), a wand, a ring and tanglefoot bags.  Lucre searches Threeba and finds a small crystal around her neck.  When he picks it up, he can hear voices, the multitude of BELLICOSE voices Threeba lived with inside her head.  The voices grow weaker until at last they fade away.  Lucre, remembering the vision of Threeba as a VORTEX on the psionic plane, crushes the crystal in an act of EXPURGATION.  He finds another, similar crystal in her pocket.  It feels empty to him, like a closet for his mind.  (It’s a crystal capacitor).  From the markings on the ring Kenyan is pretty sure it’s a ring of protection.  Marja stands over the body of Meepo.  He seems so small now.  She remembers how EVANESCENT he was in gaseous form and wonders if she can learn that spell.

They head out in the direction of Mansk, a remote city that Borin has heard of because they have a temple to Enkhili there.  Kalina spends her days in eagle form presumably to scout ahead, but secretly because she enjoys the opportunity to merge her body with the natural world around her.  Kenyan continues to write songs of the party’s adventures which Lucre attempts to get him to BOWDLERIZE.  Instead Kenyan INCULCATES the party members so they can all sing along.  They move through rolling hills, none of them PRECIPITOUS, and grasslands speckled with DECIDUOUS trees actively engaged in PHOTOSYNTHESIS.  Basically, the trip is JEJUNE.

On the sixth day out Kel sees a herd of white horses running across the plane.  No one else sees or hears anything.  Kel drops to his knees and thanks Corean for this holy vision.  The rumors of trouble at Hooffall had left Kel LUGUBRIOUS, but now his heart is uplifted by the good omen despite the fact that in every settlement along the way they hear tales that Hooffall has been cursed.

At eventide of the sixth day the party approaches a fairly large settlement for the area with about 20 or 30 houses and well-tended fields.  They see a rickety sign hung in place with OXIDIZING nails.  It has the white horse of Corean carved into the top and crude white letters that read, “Welcome to Treadle, Pop. 960.”  The town looks neat, but poor.  In the center of town they find a large square with four buildings, one on each side, surrounded by pickets.  The pickets were obviously meant as a defense, but they appear rarely used.  In fact, some of the local homes have strung laundry lines to them.  Clearly defense is not a QUOTIDIAN chore.  Around the square they find Zolo’s Livery Stables, the Waving Stalk Tavern, a long low building marked Civic Hall which joins to a Pantheon, and a dry goods shop with an ornate sign that reads “Treedy’s, Provisioners since 100 av.  (For reference it is the year 150 av.)  The entire town appears quite charming which makes the party feel it must be DELETERIOUS in some way.

The party leaves their horses with the blacksmith, Zolo, for one night for a mere 7 coppers.  He’s very chatty and amiable.  He is unaware of any trouble at Hooffall, but says no one from the town has been there since the Spring Rising (vernal EQUINOX) six months ago.  He shows them some of the horse shoes he has WROUGHT and promised to replace a few that their horses threw.

Next they decide to explore Treedy’s.  A little bell hung over the door rings as they enter the shop.  A round middle-aged woman steps from a back room.  “Look around and let me know if you need anything.  My name is Willow,” she says with a smile.  “Oh, we also NOTARIZE.”  Inside, wherever the eye chooses to fall it meets with a barrage.  Every surface, every wall, every nook is filled to the brim with gadgets and goods.  There are baskets of seeds, a wall of ladies’ bonnets, toys, dried food and mushrooms although nothing exotic.  On the counter are two rows of clean glass jars filled with every imaginable sweet.  “Copper candy!” Marja exclaims.  “Wow, I haven’t bought a bag of copper candy since I was a little girl.”  Lucre wants to know who would eat candy made of copper, but Deke explains that it only costs a copper.  Deke’s mouth waters at the luxury he could never afford in his childhood.  Marja pulls out a couple of copper pieces, buys a bag of hard licorice and fills the other with random treats.  She passes them around while they explore the rest of the store.

On the wall of hats Deke finds a fez of gold fabric with a shiny gold tassel.  He’s taken with it like it’s a new toy and plunks it down on the counter.  “Uh, Miss,” the shopkeeper calls Marja.  “Your pet is playing with the hats.  I don’t want no CHICANERY here.”  “Oh, let him buy whatever he wants,” Marja dismisses the shop lady’s concerns.  “He has his own money.”  “Yes, I am my own FIDUCIARY agent,” Deke answers FACETIOUSLY.  Still Willow WINNOWS some of the smaller more expensive items off of the counter.  Marja moves over to a row of hair ribbons and starts picking out a few brightly colored ones for her thick black braids and selects a few for Borin too, now that she has taken it upon herself to make sure his/her hair is neatly braided each morning.  Lucre calls out that she should pick a few neutral colored ones for his beard, nothing CHURLISH.  She selects a few and takes them over for his approval.  Lucre stands at a pile of silk rope that he intends to buy, and as Marja passes he whispers that he suspects mind control on the shop lady.  He finds something odd about the town although he is reluctant to IMPEACH it on so little evidence.  Marja moves behind a rack of farm tools and casts detect magic silently.  Meanwhile Kenyan has found a vest and water skin of shiny white leather with bright blue beads.  He is completely taken with the ensemble.  He puts the vest on and searches for a mirror to admire himself.  The others think he looks a little FATUOUS.  “Sorry, son.  We don’t have no mirrors here.  They’re rare and expensive things in the wilderness.”

Marja wanders around the shop carefully scanning for magic with her enhanced ACUMEN.  As she approaches each of her companions something radiates from them.  Wow!  She’d never realized how highly charged they were?  Nothing in the shop glows at all.  It appears that everything is quite mundane.  She heads to the counter with her ribbons and looks carefully at the shopkeeper.  Indeed, the woman has a glow, the distinctive PARAMETER of magic.  Marja concentrates on the aura.  Ah, it has the green shine of enchantment.  She whispers to Lucre and Kel, then she announces in a loud voice, “Shoot, I left something in my horse’s pack.  I’ll catch up with you later.  Come along, Deke,” and the two stroll out of the shop into bright daylight.

Marja adjusts her vision to the bright outdoors.  The PARABOLIC sign over Treedy’s has the faint glow of an illumination spell on it, but otherwise no one or thing she encounters glows of magic.  Kenyan and Kalina catch up with them as they wander around the small town.  Kel, Lucre and Borin head for the temple to look for some healing potions, but not before Lucre decides he must ask the shopkeeper if she knows she is enchanted.  The woman is taken aback.  Of course, she’s not enchanted.  What a silly thing to say.  Unfortunately, the only person with a dispel magic scroll has left the shop so Lucre simply says he must be mistaken and leaves for the temple.

The Pantheon to the OMNIPOTENT is a triangular building with the front door at the right angle.  The altars to the major gods line the HYPOTENUSE, while the lesser gods fill niches along the shorter sides.  The INFRASTRUCTURE seems to be large heavy stones which must have been hauled from a considerable distance.  All the other buildings in town are made of wood.  Kel, Lucre and Borin meet Magyar, a young but wizened cleric, the YEOMAN of this ZIGGURAT.  First Lucre must protest that there is no statue to Goran, god of the dwarves and a PARADIGM among the gods, in the pantheon.  Borin lights a candle at the foot of Enkili, how IRONIC that a formerly NONSECTARIAN dwarf barbarian should be chosen by such a god.  They tell Magyar of their journey to Hooffall.  Magyar has been hearing rumors of trouble.  Fewer caravans than usual have come from there.  He has come to expect several regulars every year, but has not seen them this fall.  In particular, no horse herds have come through at all.  Twice he’s had a disturbing dream of two burning eyes telling him the gods can’t help him, that the gods are a sham, and he must give up hope.  He has not yet embraced NIHILISM, but he’s been unable to SUBJUGATE a feeling of dread.  Kel tells him the story of his AUSPICIOUS vision as a sign of hope, and Magyar is inspired to keep the faith.  He sends them on to Regger, the tavern keeper.  If anyone in town has healing potions, he would be the one.  People often barter at the tavern, and he comes across an array of odd goods.

Just as they arrive at the tavern, they run into the others drawn there by hunger.  Marja reports that the rest of town is hopelessly mundane.  Deke sends Marja into the tavern first while the rest wait a few minutes outside, “To get the staring over with.”  Kenyan tries to USURP her entrance since he will clearly turn more heads especially with his new vest, but Borin, who finds the vest VACUOUS, trips him so while Kenyan spends a few minutes cleaning himself up VEHEMENTLY, Marja enters the bar and parks herself on a barstool.  She already has a drink in hand (presumable for which she did not pay) by the time the others enter and find a table.

The tavern is a large room with an open kitchen and wood-fire oven.  The most delectable smells permeate the room.  Every surface is abutted with stepladders, and the floor behind the bar is much hirer than the floor in front of it.  Behind the bar they spy a hafling who must be Regger, cleaning a glass and chatting with Marja.  Two women who seemed the right ages to be his wife and daughter, scurry about the kitchen and tables climbing up and down ladders with trays of food and drink.  All the utensils in the kitchen are made for tiny hands.  In fact everything is like a doll’s house, or a study in NANOTECHNOLOGY.  Unlike some of the seedy bars they’ve been patronizing in Vesh, this place has a homey feel.  Boy, they’re really going to regret when they inevitably smash this place to bits.

Marja brings her drink over to the table and informs the group that Regger doesn’t have any healing potions on hand.  He does occasionally come across some so he’ll let them know.  He’d asked her the party’s business in the area, but through CIRCUMLOCATION she'd evaded the question.  The little hafling comes to take their order, scurries away and promptly returns with a tray twice the size of herself balanced on her head.  From it she serves mugs for everyone and four large pitchers of beer, two stout and two ales.  She places several loaves of warm bread on the table and informs them that the stew will be right up.  When she returns, she’s carrying a huge ceramic pot on her tray and small bowls to go around.  She leaves the lot, and everyone helps himself.  How such a little creature manages to CIRCUMNAVIGATE the tavern without a spill is a mystery.  Borin takes a loaf of bread, tears it in half, keeps a MOIETY and passes the rest around the table.

As they chow down they overhear the conversation of two women sitting in the corner.  They are both wearing armor.  One wears the insignia of the Order of the Morning Sky, the holy healers of Madriel.  They are deep in conversation.  “I think Goran got it wrong.  He misunderstands the strategic importance of Irontooth Pass.”  Lucre can’t help but introduce himself.  They are Vella and Mira Brightwing.  Mira is a priestess of Madriel, and her sister…  Well, when she extends her arm to shake hands with Lucre, his tattoo glows.  He glances down and sees that briefly a III glows on her forearm.  She looks at him, “They’ve reestablished the twelfth?”  Then she looks at the rag-tag party: a boy in the shining armor of Corean, a man with a winning smile in a white leather vest, a filcher in a gold fez, a slightly rumpled elf with polar bear armor and a battle axe, a graceful woman with purple hair cooing to a wolf….  “Well,” Lucre looks around sheepishly.  “We’re INCOGNITO so our appearance BELIES us.”  “Of course,” Vella nods reassuringly.  “Beltray never was a XENOPHOBE, but I might have thought there’d be one Veshian among you.”  Then she continues, “I’m just surprised and pleased that Beltray redeemed the family name, albeit with such an inHOMOGENEOUS group.”  She relates a story of how Lord Beltray’s great-grandfather was accused of betraying Vesh by selling cohort secrets when Mormo attacked the city, how he was exiled and the twelfth cohort ABROGATED in shame.  His grandfather worked quietly to regain the family lands, and through decent living and a humble attitude made headway through the prejudice against the family.  Then Beltray’s father was the hero at the Battle of Corwin’s Run.  All was forgiven by this REPARATION, but as far as she knew there was no intention of recreating the twelfth cohort.  That, she presumed, was Beltray’s own achievement.

Lucre, however, is much more interested in their previous conversation.  He invites them to join his group and continue their conversation.  Kel seems oddly excited about these women, too.  Borin, who is on his second bowl of stew and third mug of ale, not being ABSTEMIOUS, doesn’t understand.  “I think Kel has a crush,” Marja whispers, noting Kel’s OBSEQUIOUS behavior, and discretely points at Mira.  Deke calls out for more bread and asks if the sisters have eaten.  They say they have.  Mira is surprised and turns to Marja, “Is he your familiar?”  “No,” responds Deke.  “I’m a fully-ENFRANCHISED member of the group.”  Marja laughs,  “That’s good because I’m not about to become a SUFFRAGIST for filchers.”  Mira chuckles lightly, and Kel who is usually SUPERCILIOUS toward Deke’s antics laughs too.

The Brightwing sisters had been speaking of the rift between the dwarves and dark elves of Drindal.  These two peoples where ANTEBELLUM comrades below ground, and when the Titan Wars began and Titan Churn attacked they fought side-by-side to defend their lands.  Through some confusion that no one seems to be able to clearly explain the dwarves believed the Drindali betrayed them, and they abandoned the elves in battle.  Some say Thulkas, the Drindali god, almost died and now lives, FECKLESS and broken, in a statue.  Others believe Goran has gone mad.  Whatever did happen, the end result is that the dwarves now fight a two-fronted war, the Charduni on the surface and the Drindali underground.  Mira feels strongly that both races will fall if they don’t unite against the TOTALITARIAN kingdom of Chardun.  Lucre gets stubborn and defensive, his HUBRIS showing through, but Borin jumps in seeing the reason.  Years spent away from his own people have left him with fewer prejudices.  Whatever the old arguments were, it’s time to start again with friendship for the common good.  Lucre grows quiet.  How can any of this be?  Not willing to ABJURE beliefs he’s held since childhood, he does decide to give the matter more consideration.  The Drindali are evil, at least he’s always been told so.  Kel beams at Mira’s intelligence, and her gentle persistence that through the gods, we will all find peace.  Marja watches closely, but can’t tell if the feelings are RECIPROCAL.

The Brightwings are in town visiting an elderly aunt.  They’ve been told that outside the city there is a nest of diggers attacking cattle, and since they’re here, they’ve promised to take care of the problem.  Having never heard that NOMENCLATURE, the party asks for the TAXONOMY of Diggers.  Diggers, apparently, are large bugs.  Shoot, how hard can it be to exterminate a bunch of bugs.  The party offers to help.  They then tell the sisters about their journey to Hoofall.  The usually DIFFIDENT and awkward Kel does most of the talking with Kenyan INTERPOLATING information about his own feats of daring.  Kel finishes with the story of his vision on the planes.  Mira seems impressed.  They also tell the sisters about the enchantment spell on Willow at Treedy’s, and ask them to join the party on their journey to Hooffall.  

To RECAPITULATE the conversation of the evening, the Brightwings plan to spend one more night with their aunt.  They offer to check on Willow on their way.  They accept the offer for help with the diggers but decline to commit to Hooffall.  They promise to meet the party back at the tavern in the morning.

The evening ends quietly.  The LOQUACIOUS Kenyan wanders through the tavern telling stories and singing songs.  Kenyan claims to have written every song he sings.  Evidently the laws of PLAGIARISM don’t apply to bards.  Marja sits with Borin and Lucre practicing the Dwarvish LEXICON.  Kalina seems to be engaged in a SOLILOQUY, but is really talking to Fang.  The little hobbits KOWTOW to the party probably because of the huge quantities of ale they manage to consume, and everyone sleeps peacefully.  Kel dreams about a white horse grazing in a verdant field.  A beautiful woman with dark hair and pale skin crosses the field and pets the animal.  Kel wakes up confused, but with a smile on his young face.

At breakfast the little hafling brings them a note.  She hands it to Borin, who of course is uninitiated in ORTHOGRAPHY.  He hands it on to someone else.  “Decided to get started without you, lazybones.  See you in the fields to the north.”  It ends with directions.  

How GAUCHE,” Kenyan remarks.  “You’d think they’d have the social grace to let us eat our breakfast.  Pass the GAMETES and toast.”  Kel is suddenly KINETIC and in a big hurry to head out.  He runs off to fetch the horses and asks the haflings to pack a lunch for the road.  Borin, taking a LAISSEZ FAIRE attitude on the sisters’ actions, refuses to budge until his belly is full of fried eggs, bacon and bread.  Kalina finds a double yolk and mutters something to Fang about MITOSIS although she has no concept of what a CHROMOSOME is.  Still in half an hour they’re on the road.

In the distance they see a field covered with enormous molehills rather un-natural looking TECTONIC structures that gave the planes a GERRYMANDERED appearance. Two hunched figures are lying in the middle of the mounds.  Kalina sooths the horses and settles them at a safe distance.  They travel the rest of the way on foot.  

Deke heads out across the field to the two figures as silently as possible, but his feet disturb some stones.  Ten feet ahead of him a big bug-like creature about 10-feet long pops out of the ground.  Deke backs up and freezes.  Marja launches an ice knife and hits it square in the face.  It howls, and another one pops up.  It spits at Deke who deftly dodges as yellow acidic POLYMER burns the ground.  The HEGEMONY of these bugs over cattle is indisputable. 

Kalina turns into a hawk and flies to the two figures.  She arrives there just as Deke tumbles between the two bugs and up to the bodies in an amazing show of maneuverability.  They quickly assess the situation.  Both sisters are INCONTROVERTIBLY dead.  They listen again, but fail to hear any RESPIRATION.  They holler to the group.  Kel curses.  What were they thinking?  Why didn’t they wait?  He casts bulls strength and rushes into the fray.  The TEMPESTUOUS battle has begun.

Borin, who never spends much time thinking beyond the matter at hand, rages and rushes in to confront the second digger who extends a large pincer and tries to pick the slender elf body off of the ground, but finds that it’s a slender elf body with a stocky dwarf density.  It’s attempt to ENERVATE him fail.  Borin’s battle-axe swings forward and back.  The creature lets out a piercing screech as black UNCTUOUS ichor drips down its torso.  No HEMOGLOBIN here.  

Kenyan finishes the first creature off with missiles from his wand, singing all the while.  He loves that wand.  They’re not quite the QUASARS that fireballs would be and not near the THERMODYNAMICS, but magic missiles are not bad.

Suddenly a third and fourth digger appear.  Marja hits one of the SANGUINE creatures with another iceknife.  The bug reels around in distress and spies Lucre.  It tries to grab him with its pincer, but only scrapes against his armor.  He snaps his fingers and his magic sword appears in his hand.  He raises it to strike when Marja sends three magic missiles from her fingers.  They wiz around either side of Lucre’s head, hit the bug squarely in the belly, and the creature falls.  Lucre stamps his feet in rage and rushes over to Borin to attack the last remaining bug.  Kalina flies in and touches Borin with the tip of her wing passing her healing energy into his body.  With renewed strength he swings through cutting a deep gash in the bug’s belly, then he pulls back and catches the creature again on the backswing lopping off its head.  He continues the swing around and hits the final bug.  Kenyan again fires his wand.  Suddenly, Deke is standing there, and his rapier slides effortlessly between two scales into the bug’s soft flesh.  He feels a cord of some kind, probably a main artery, and with a simple flick of the wrist he causes the cord to snap.  The creature falls dead.

The planes are silent once more with the gentle sound of birds chirping in the trees.  It is an eerie METAMORPHOSIS.  Deke and Kalina again turn their attentions to the poor Brightwing sisters.  To Kel’s credit, he turns first to attend to Borin’s wounds before rushing over, but he continually mutters, “What were they thinking?  Why didn’t they wait?” with a TAUTOLOGY that doesn’t even annoy Deke, it’s so sincere.  In an EPIPHANY, Deke notices that the ground around the bodies isn’t soaked with blood or PLASMA, and Kalina finds a pair of heel marks.  Fang sniffs around.  “It doesn’t smell like blood,” he howls to Kalina.  “It smells like dust, horses and rotten meat.”


----------



## Piratecat

Wow. This is glorious, but you really, _really_ need to get out more.


----------



## (contact)

You know, it's about time Kid Cthulhu got a story hour.

Iron Chef-- you missed one.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

(contact) said:
			
		

> *
> Iron Chef-- you missed one. *




I double-checked, and I don't think so.  Did you count E-U-R-O in the first paragraph?  Euro was one of the words on the list, as odd as that is.

Chef


----------



## (contact)

Ah, E-U-R-O.  Pretty tricky.

Although, if you think about it, without that word, our American high school graduates couldn't use Euro as a slang prefix for anything they wanted to designate as coming from Europe, like 'Euro-wave', 'Euro-blend', or 'Euro-trash'.

But why wasn't 'Afro' on the list?  (raises eyebrows)


----------



## DanMcS

(contact) said:
			
		

> *Ah, E-U-R-O.  Pretty tricky.
> 
> Although, if you think about it, without that word, our American high school graduates couldn't use Euro as a slang prefix for anything they wanted to designate as coming from Europe, like 'Euro-wave', 'Euro-blend', or 'Euro-trash'.
> 
> But why wasn't 'Afro' on the list?  (raises eyebrows) *




Because Euro is a new major benchmark currency in the world, and Afro is a hairstyle?  I could see why high school students should know the former, but could sneak by without the latter.


----------



## Capellan

DanMcS said:
			
		

> *Because Euro is a new major benchmark currency in the world, and Afro is a hairstyle?  I could see why high school students should know the former, but could sneak by without the latter. *




[(contact)]
You see, that's the problem with education today: their priorities are so completely out of whack.
[/(contact)]

But then, I assumed he'd made the "you missed one" comment just as a wind-up.  I didn't think he'd actually counted


----------



## (contact)

DanMcS said:
			
		

> *Because Euro is a new major benchmark currency in the world, and Afro is a hairstyle?*


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?  (run of 06-16-03)*

Our intrepid band of weary adventurers stands around the broken bodies of the Brightwing sisters.  They are deeply saddened by the deaths of these bright and capable women.  Borin, Lucre and Marja are all pretty badly wounded so as the party discusses what to do next, the healers wander from person to person attending as best they can.

They decide to light the speak with dead candle they found in the tent of the Charduni anti-Palladin.  Kel holds the candle, lights the flame and addresses Mira.  Dark black smoke curls up from the candle and swirls around the dead figure.  The smoke penetrates the body, through the ears, nose, mouth, and they hear a slow sucking sound, and high-pitched squeal that starts out very faintly and grows in intensity until they are covering their ears against the terrible wail.  Mira’s body writhes in pain.  This upsets Kel, but he holds the candle tighter and begins, “What killed you?”

“Glowing eyes.  All I saw were glowing eyes in the darkness.  Terrible.  Help me!”

Sweat is pouring down Kel’s face.  “Where?”

“In the alley near my aunt’s.”  The body screams.  “The pain!  Make it stop!”

Kel is flustered and anxious to put poor Mira out of her misery.  He means to ask if they were attacked before or after they went to see Willow, the enchanted shopkeeper, but instead he asks, “Before or after you saw your aunt.”

“Before,” Mira cries.  The candle burns low, and the flames lick at Kel’s hand.  They are hot, and Kel drops the candle.  The flame goes out.  The smoke stops, and Mira’s body falls lifeless.

“I asked the last question wrong,” he apologizes.  The entire party is shaken.  Marja puts her hand gently on Kel’s shoulder.  “We can assume it was after seeing Willow, on their way home.  You did good.”

They gather up the bodies as best they can and head back to town.  They discuss what to do next.  Lucre feels an obligation to figure out who killed the sisters, and Kel points out that once the trail grows cold, they may never be able to solve the murder.  Borin, however, will not be swayed from their mission.  Kalina concurs.  They must all be focused on Hooffall.  Tracking down this killer would certainly put them in danger, perhaps even cause more deaths, and make helping Hooffall all the harder.  Marja thinks that this may actually be a ripple effect from the problems at Hooffall.  Save Hooffall, solve the murder.  Lucre and Kel are persuaded.  They will all stay focused on their mission, BUT they will return this way to find the killer when their mission is completed.

They stop at the Inn to speak to Regger.  It has occurred to them that they don’t know the name of the sisters’ aunt or where she lives.  He, of course, knows.  She lives at the end of Big Head Alley, and her name is Miss Charlotte.  She used to be the schoolteacher, and is really smart, hence the name “Big Head” Alley.  

As they step into the alley, Fang’s hackles rise.  He backs out of the alley and is afraid to proceed.  Kalina spends time calming him.  He isn’t being very clear, but she tells the group that whatever he’s afraid of is no longer in the alley.  He says he smells, “a grave, big, bad and angry.”  Finally, Kalina manages to coax him through the alley, and they find themselves standing at the door of Charlotte Brightwing.

Suddenly, the realization of what they’re here to do hits them.  They all become sullen and gloomy.  Deke knocks at the door.  Miss Charlotte is white-haired and spry.  Her sharp blue eyes sparkle.  She asks them all in, and Kel breaks the news.  “Right outside my house?” she mutters.  “I didn’t hear a thing, and I stayed up half the night waiting for those girls.”  Then she drifts into reverie.  “They were good girls, they were.  Always helping other people.  And very bright.  I taught them to read and write in this very room.”

That gives Lucre an idea.  “Marja, show her the note.”  Marja pulls the note supposedly written by one of the sisters from her pocket.  Charlotte is sure that’s not either of their writings.  In fact, she’s pretty sure it’s not anyone from this town.  She has personally taught everyone in this town for two generations to write, and she taught the way her predecessor taught her.  No, that is definitely not Treadle handwriting.  She wonders if this has something to do with all the mess they’ve been hearing about Hooffall.  The party is surprised.  So few people in town ever mention troubles there.  Well, Charlotte concedes, the town likes to keep their troubles to themselves.

They leave the poor woman to her to her grief and head back to town.  Marja and Borin head for the temple to speak to Magyar.  The others head back to the Inn.  Kenyan has an idea.  He tries to casts detect magic, but Regger protests.  “No making with the boom in my bar!” he protests.  “No, no,” Kenyan bluffs.  “It wasn’t a spell.  I was preparing to sing you a song.”  Kenyan strikes a pose and begins to sing.  Remarkably, he manages to sing a song about a happy frog, and between the verses, he casts.  As he suspected, Regger glows with enchantment magic.

Distracted by Kenyan’s song, Regger doesn’t notice Kalina casting too.  She dispels the enchantment, and they question the hafling.  Nothing seems to have changed.  They tell him about the spell.  The only thing that seems different is that he has a vague memory that he wasn’t supposed to tell anyone something, but he can’t remember what that might have been.  “I seem to have a hole in my brain,” he muses.

Our adventurers hit the road which is more like a well-worn path through the woods.  Kalina, in hawk form, scouts up ahead.  Everyone is tired, many are still wounded so they move slowly on horseback.  They stop to munch on bread, cheese and ale around mid-day.  The cheese those little haflings make in Treadle is pretty darn tasty.

About two hours later as they’re coming to the bottom of a small valley Marja hears something up ahead.  “I hear a dog panting,” Marja says.  “A what?”  The others are perplexed.  “A dog panting.  You know, like this: ha, ha, ha.”  As the group begins to laugh at Marja’s dog imitation, they all spot dark forms cresting the hill in the distance.  Fang growls.  He can smell them from here – Wolves!

The group spreads out with Kenyan taking his customary defense-of-the-rear position saying, “Everybody fan out in the classic protect the bard pose.”

Borin tumbles from the saddle and runs up the hill.  Lucre also dismounts, but instead of running to meet the huge creatures, he spends a moment to reach inside his head to unleash his power.  He calls it reach, but the rest of the group call it weird freaky arms.  Kel spots a pair of glowing eyes.  Remembering Mira’s post-last words, he charges on his mount, a huge war horse.  Both of their armors catch the dim light through the trees.

There are six wolves, the one in the middle has the yellow glowing eyes and is much larger than the rest.  All are larger than Fang.  Kel reaches the largest one and scrapes across its side with his lance.  Suddenly, Kel is surrounded by wolves.  One puts a huge slash through his horse’s right rear leg severing the tendon.  Three others lunge, pulling Kel from his steed and ripping at his body.

Kalina swoops down onto Kel.  Fang rushes in too.  Touching both the young warrior and his horse Kalina calls upon the power of the surrounding pine trees.  Fresh sap-filled needles fall upon them filling the air with a strong pine scent.  Suddenly, the wolves turn away.  They can no longer see or smell Kalina, Kel or the horse.  (invisible to animals)

Now the only creature within the wolves’ reach is Fang.  The wolf-leader rages, foams at the mouth and lunges at Fang.  Over the growls the sound of Kenyan singing fills the air.

Borin rages and moves into a position opposite Fang.  The masterwork battleaxe flies through the air down onto the back of the nearest creature.  He’s getting used to the extra height this elf body gives him.  Out of nowhere Lucre is by his side (psionic burst) charging the same creature, his sword crashing down into the wound left by the axe.

The wolves rush from Kel to these new attackers giving Borin, Fang and Lucre an opportunity to attack again as the creatures approach.  All three create huge gashes across the creatures’ torsos.  Lucre severs a back leg, but then the wolves attack!  They tear at Fang’s throat, and he falls unconscious.  The party gasps as one as they see him fall.  Garnet, Marja’s familiar, is particularly alarmed to see a fellow creature drop to the ground.  “That’s why I wear my animal friends as jewelry,” Marja reassures the tiny snake delicately wrapped around her wrist.

Marja rises into the air and hovers over the red-eyed wolf, out of reach of its jump.  She fires magic missiles down upon its nose and eyes.  The wolf snarls and snaps, but being unable to reach Marja, it bites at Lucre tearing a bloody gash in his arm.

Kalina swoops down and regenerates Kel while Kenyan attempts to inspire fear, but these dire wolves don’t seem to be afraid of anything.  From a safe distance, Deke, the tiny filcher, shoots arrows into the fray.

Borin barrels in with a full attack.  One!  Two!  His great axe crashes down on the back of the red-eyed wolf.  A sickly cracking sound rises over the howls and snarls.  The glowing red eyes go dim, and the creature falls.  Borin continues his swing straight through to the next wolf severing off a leg.  Moving like a whirlwind, he spins 360 degrees and catches the same creature under the chin.  This beast falls dead next to the corpse of its leader.  He turns again and lops off the ears of the next wolf within his reach.

Lucre clucks in admiration as he turns his attention to his closest foe.  His sword comes down hard on the creature’s back, snapping its spine.  Its back legs go limp, and it is unable to lunge.  Lucre steps out of reach of its snapping jaws and taunts it.

Again the wolves close in attacking the nearest conscious members of the party.  Kalina yells that this behavior is odd for wolves.  With their leader dead, they should retreat.  She suspects mind control.  She swoops down to stabilize Fang.  Since she has now touched an animal, she and Kel are now visible and scented to the wolves, but they should have more interest in the animate Borin and Lucre than in the unconscious, but rejuvenating Kel.

Marja, Kenyan and Deke continue to pepper the remaining three wolves with ranged attacks, magical and mundane.  Borin tumbles in to flank with his cousin and lops of the jaw of the nearest wolf.  Remarkably, the creature does not fall.  Lucre counters by cutting off the creature’s tail and finally gets his kill.  The poor jawless wolf looks at its tailless hind end and dies of ignominy.

There are two wolves remaining.  They attack Lucre who is beginning to look bad.  He fears he won’t stand through another attack.  Marja shoots six magic missiles, one at a time.  She kills one wolf and wounds the other.  Kenyan moves into harm’s way and heals Kel back to consciousness.  Kel sits bolt upright scaring the bloody crap out of Kenyan.  Kel hears the faint whinnying of a horse in his ears.  He mumbles a prayer of thanks to Corean.

Deke sneaks in with his rapier and skewers the lone wolf in an indelicate location.  The creature turns in surprise, and Borin swings with all his force.  Finally, the party drops in exhaustion surrounded by the bodies of the slain enemy.  

The healers tend to the wounded while sheepskins are donned.  Borin laughs at the thought of how they must look as they turn into sheep and back again for the healing properties of the transformation spells.  They find a copse of trees and set up camp for the night.  All fall into a sound sleep except those keeping watch.

Since Deke has great night vision and no spells to sleep for he takes the midnight watch.  He hears a sound in the brush and sneaks in to investigate.  He sees a figure shrouded in red smoke.  Although he is completely hidden, he can’t resist.  He steps into the clearing and ….  Suddenly, the party is awakened by Deke’s screams. 

Deke staggers into the camp clutching his neck.  He looks noticeably weakened.  “I mooned it, and it bit me!”


----------



## KidCthulhu

More specifically, he tried to mock it with his monkey pants.  Apparently they don't like Buffy references.  Not surprising, really..


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*But he's so cute!  (run of 7-1-03)*

When they wake up in the morning, Deke still looks pale and shaken.  Lucre again casts detect magic to see if anything about Deke is amiss, but detects nothing unusual.  Kel prays to Corian to restore Deke’s vitality.  He feels Corian’s warming rays emanate from his hands.  He lays his hands on Deke’s head and feels the warmth penetrate into the little filcher’s body, but when he is finished, Deke is as tired and drained as ever.  Everyone remembers Doppel-Deke and shivers at the thought of a repeat, but they just have to trust that he’ll be ok.

While this is going on, Kalina is scouting the area of last night’s encounter.  She calls out that she’s found human footprints.  The footsteps are a single set of standing prints, no sign of anyone walking into or out of the area.  Fang bounds over to investigate, but stops cold at the edge of the area.  He will not approach the footsteps, and for the first time ever Kalina senses fear in him.  

Given Deke’s description of last night’s events, Kenyan is positive that he was attacked by a vampire.  Marja remembers back to Amalthea when they met that frail blond woman in Lord Dobrick’s manor house.  She too disappeared in a cloud of red smoke.  How innocent they were that these kinds of creatures lived in the world.  Kenyan has a lot of information on vampires and fills the party in on the basics.

With nothing else to investigate the party has no choice, but to head toward Hooffall.  They are only four hours away, and it is only mid-morning so they are confident they can reach the shrine and investigate it before dark.  They journey for two hours over rolling planes.  Over the next hour of their journey the landscape begins to look like the area is suffering drought.  Then the entire region is dead: no plant life, no insect sounds, not even any birds flying overhead on their way to someplace else.  Finally, they crest a hill, and below them lies the crescent-shaped lake of Hooffall.  The sight is depressing for the water is a deep color, not a crisp living blue, and the buildings, which can be clearly seen at this distance, are covered with a black sticky lichen.

They cautiously enter the area.  There are three large buildings, all are boarded up and silent.  The low one on the right seems to have been a stable.  The tall one in the middle was obviously the church.  Kel walks around each building detecting evil.  He senses mild evil in the large main building and in the low building to the left.  Kalina searches for tracks and finds the body of a guard lying beneath a dead scrub tree.  His neck has been bitten.

Lucre and Borin chop stakes from the dead tree.  They stand over the body of the guard.  “Anyone want to say a few words before I chop his head off?” asks Lucre.  Kenyan bows his head and says under his breath, “Sucks to be you.  Hope it’s not me.”  He lifts his head and says in a louder voice, “There.  I said a few words.”  With a swing Lucre severs the neck.

The group continues on to the graveyard.  There are a dozen headstones.  Six belong to brothers and sisters of the Hooffall order; 4 died many years ago; 2 died just four months ago.  There are four graves, presumably of travelers, all with dates from over a year ago.  At the far end of the yard there are two stones.  They read, “Althea, beloved wife taken too soon,” and “Nicolo, beloved son.”  They both died on the same day about 6 months ago.  Kalina suggests digging up the graves, but the others don’t see much point to that.  Kel informs them that he detects no evil in the graveyard, and realizing that his spell won’t last much longer, he continues on.

They come to the back of the church.  This side of the building had a large 20-foot window that has been boarded over.  It looked out over the once-beautiful lake.  Marja casts fly on Kel who rises up to look down on the building.  He senses 20 beings in the basement radiating moderate evil.  As Kel’s spell fades, the party regroups behind the church.  Kenyan lends Kel his gloves of the beloved (+2 Cha) to help him cast turn undead.  Suddenly, Lucre comments on how Kel reminds him of his first sword instructor, and he reminds Deke of this kindly man who ran a general store when Deke was just a little elf.  He used to turn his head when Deke would steel apples.  Oh, how those gloves affect people!

They move around to the small, low building on the left which has a long row of shuttered windows.  Deke silently moves down the wall unlocking each shutter.  Only one sticks.  The party circles the building.  Lucre power attacks the locked shuttered, smashes it and tumbles inside landing on a bed.  He is in a small cell with 2 beds.  The door is closed at the other end.  There is a chest on the floor at the foot of the bed, and Lucre can just make out a small figure crying in the dark.  It’s a small boy, only about two years old.  Lucre’s heart melts for the poor little guy, but then he remembers that Kel detected evil in this building.  “Hey, poor little fella.  Come on.  Give us a hug.”  When the crying child looks up, Lucre jumps down and slashes at the child.  “Got me one in here,” he yells out the window.  The child shrieks and yells, “Bad man!”

Suddenly, 4 scabby arms shoot through the unlocked shutters near Kenyan.  They claw at him before he can back away, and suddenly he feels every muscle in his body seize up.  He falls, paralyzed, to the ground.  Deke grabs Kenyans mirror and reflects light into the room.  He hears ghoulish snarls as the arms withdraw.  Kalina casts flameblade and stands ready. 

Marja cautiously opens the window in front of her.  She sees nothing so she lightly vaults through the opening into the room.  As she walks toward the door, she stumbles over something on the floor.  It’s a bleached arm bone protruding from under the bed.  The rest of the body is nowhere to be seen.

Borin has moved around to the other side of the building.  He smashes in the door and finds himself in a narrow hallway facing a row of door.  Kel follows him into the building.  One of the doors swings open and out rush two purple-rotting creatures.  Through the door Borin can see another still inside and Deke at the window with a mirror.  Borin rages and swings his battle-axe.  It slices clean through both legs of the nearest creature.  Its torso lands with a squish on the floor, but it keeps coming forward, pulling itself with its arms.  Kel stabs it.  Uck!  It feels like stabbing aspic. 

Borin can hear Marja’s voice casting behind him as she opens her door to look into the hall.  As she finishes her chant nothing appears to have happened, but then he hears her casting again, the same chant as before.  Her words sound oddly sped up, and he grins.  All at once, her chant becomes clear.  It doesn’t sound sped up at all, and Borin swings his axe in a blur of hasted movement.  He looks through the open door to see Kalina reaching through the window with her flame blade slicing a gash in the third creature’s side.  Fang jumps through the window and tears the ghoul’s throat out.  It falls dead, for the second time in its life.

Meanwhile, Lucre is alone with a two-year-old.  “Please, don’t hurt me,” the child cries.  He tries to hug Lucre, and wraps his arms around Lucre’s legs.  Although the child is tiny and Lucre is agile, he cannot shake the little creature from him.  He feels a chill enter his body as the child tries to drain him of life.  (note: the child rolled a critical, and Piratecate rolled a 1 on his save)

Deke moves to the next window, pulls it open and peaks inside.  Nothing animate inside.  He spots a pile of bones, and on the pile something glints in the sun.  It’s a ring.  He scampers inside to investigate.  Outside Kenyan lies motionless worrying that his hair got messed when he fell.

Kell attempts to turn undead.  He drops to his knees and sends up a prayer in a loud, clear voice.  His voice is so pure and inspiring that everyone momentarily stops to look at him.  He seems almost to glow in his fervor, and then the light concentrates at his chest and springs, galloping from his holy symbol.  A shining white stallion jumps to the sky leaping on the two remaining ghouls and blowing them apart.

Lucre reaches down and grabs at the two-year-old kid, but try as he might, he just can’t peel the kid off of him.  The child slaps at him and climbs up his body.  Lucre can feel his cold little hands reaching under his armor.  He pulls open the door and calls for help.  Borin steps into the room to aid his cousin.  Lucre’s beard is streaked with gray, and his face looks haggard.  Borin raises his axe and swings at Lucre’s back and hits, but he hesitates on the backswing as he realizes that he’s just severed the arm of a baby.  His axe swings wide and lodges in the wall.  Moving in a blur, he still manages to pull his axe from the wall before the child speaks.  The adorable little creature cries out in pain and yells, “Stop!” raising its tiny remaining hand.  Borin feels a moment of pity for the child, but gets a glance at Lucre’s beard and shakes it off.

Marja steps into the doorway.  Her heart would be the most likely to be torn by the pathetic little thing, but she’s come to have blind faith in her companions.  If Lucre called for help, she doesn’t question.  She doesn’t even look.  Three missiles of light spring from her fingers and fly at the lump clinging to Lucre’s back.  The child falls in a heap on the floor.

Kalina jumps into the room through the window.  Deke grabs an arm bone from the pile and runs to the door.  “Need a hand?”  Kel pushes into the room with his sword ready to cut off its head, but balks at attacking a child.  Lucre, drained from his encounter, has no such compulsion.  He pulls a stake from his pack and stabs the child through the heart.  The limbs begin to shrivel so Lucre pulls the stake out again.  Suddenly, the body begins to turn to mist.  Both Borin and Lucre swing, but miss.  “No,” cries Marja.  Three more missiles shoot from her fingertips.  Success!  The creature gurgles and dissipates.


----------



## (contact)

So twisted and wrong.  Love it.


----------



## KidCthulhu

*Re: But he's so cute!  (run of 7-1-03)*



			
				Iron Chef BBQ said:
			
		

> *Lucre, drained from his encounter, has no such compulsion.  He pulls a stake from his pack and stabs the child through the heart.  The limbs begin to shrivel so Lucre pulls the stake out again. *




PirateCat has clearly been watching too much Buffy.  I was so hoping one of them would pull the stake right out. [grin]


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Re: Re: But he's so cute!  (run of 7-1-03)*



			
				KidCthulhu said:
			
		

> *
> 
> PirateCat has clearly been watching too much Buffy.  I was so hoping one of them would pull the stake right out. [grin] *




Yah, too bad Kenyan C. Boltan was frozen solid, or he might have said something.  *grin*


----------



## ForceflowX

Let there be more!

*Bump*


----------



## Piratecat

News flash: it's hard to fell heroic when there's a 2 year old cutesy spawn of evil attached to your leg, crying for its mommy even as it drains your levels out like ricotta cheese through a strainer.

Sheesh.


----------



## KidCthulhu

But, to his credit, Leucre's scream was entirely manly, and contained no girlish shreaks or pathetic mewling.  Really.


----------



## Blood Jester

*now where's that damn light switch...*

>BUMP<

*OW! OW! OW!*


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*updates coming*

Look for THREE updates on Monday.

(I promise.)

Here's a teaser:  We play Monday night, and we're all going to die!  However, this will not impact the game in any way.

Also, look for some new characters, and say good bye to some old ones.

Chef.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*desecrated temple (end of run on 07-01-03)*

Our band of weary adventurers moves cautiously through the temple buildings removing boards from windows as they go.  Everywhere they find alters and shrines desecrated.  Kel prays for guidance.  His eyes closed, he cleanses his mind of the ruined shrine.  He concentrates only on the holy symbol of Corean.  All the sounds and smells of the temple around him fade away.  In his rapture he is again standing in the middle of an open field, fresh air blowing through the grasses.  He sees the woman with the dark hair and blue eyes.  She is petting a white horse.  Her eyes meet Kel’s, and in a single glance impart concern, worry and hope.  She mounts and rides away.  Kel opens his eyes to find himself sprawled face down on the floor, beads of sweat pouring off his face.

Lucre calls to the group.  He’s found a room that looks like an office.  Everything in the room is charred like it was burned, but there is no soot.  The others join him as he is trying to pick the lock of a desk.  Deke steps in and instead of taking out his tools, he pulls out a pocketknife.  The wood is so burned; he merely chisels out the wood around the lock which falls intact into his palm.  Inside the desk they find the accounts and logs of the shrine and two bags of gold.  Kel detects magic and finds a glowing gold amulet with a white enameled horse.  He puts it on.

The adjoining room appears to be living quarters.  The room is completely trashed.  There is a wooden box on the table, a pine coffin.  Kel ties it shut, and with Deke sitting on top, Lucre and Borin carry it outside and pry off the lid.  A body wearing blue robes and a white belt falls out.  Despite the fact that it is decomposing, they stake it, cut off its head and leave it in the sun.

Back inside they check the next room which is predictably a bedroom.  The floor is littered with a child’s drawings that have been torn to shreds.  Under the bed Deke finds a carved portrait of a dark-haired woman.  Although Kel says nothing, he immediately recognizes her as the woman from his visions.  The back of the portrait reads, “To my beloved, Althea.”

The party devises a quick plan led by Borin and Deke, but tempered by Kel.  They will head into the basement with torches and oil.  If people start dropping, those remaining will burn the place down.

At the bottom of the stairs they are faced with two corridors.  Kalina casts wall of hornets to block of one direction.  Over the buzzing sound Marja can just make out the sound of a gurgling cry from the first room to their left.  Lucre kicks the door in.  The room that was once a simple monk’s cell is in a shambles.  Every piece of furniture, every book and candle, is broken.  There is a man dressed in tattered monk’s robes chained to the wall.  To their horror, two gray skinned creatures are nibbling on his toes.  His features freeze.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Searching for the Abbot (run of 07-15-03)*

Borin rushes in and lops off the head of the nearest ghoul.  Bits of toe spew out of its mouth at the head hits the back wall.  He slashes at the next one which looks up in total surprise.  Marja pushes through the crowd at the door and sends a single magic missile into the wounded ghoul which falls never getting the chance to completely grasp what is happening.  Her remaining two missiles sear into the chest of one of the two remaining creatures.  Kel barrels into the room sword swinging and strikes at the other which lays down a piece of calf meat like he’s perturbed by this disruption of his evening meal.  He claws at Kel and manages to sink his teeth into the little space where Kel’s wrist pokes out of his gauntlet.  Kel feels his jaw seize up, but the adrenalin in his veins overrides the weak poison.  He swings his sword in a complete circle over his head and through the creature’s chest.  Fang bounds onto the one Marja wounded and in a swift bite, tears it apart.

Quickly and as gently as possible, the healers pull the poor priest from the wall and begin the healing process.  As soon as he can speak he tells a ghastly tale.  He has been hanging in that room for three months, being eaten by ghouls and rehealed by
Ardis Cadfeil.  It is clear the poor man isn’t ready to relate more of his experiences so Deke takes him upstairs to safety with several bottles of healing potions to help bring the man along.  Kenyan recognizes the name Ardis Cadfeil.  He was the abbot here.  He was married and had a two-year-old son, probably the Althea of the portrait and the poor little vampire.

As Deke and the monk struggle up the stairs, Borin is moving door by door, listening briefly at each one, and then kicking it in.  The first room is empty.  Lucre joins the process.  He hears the sound of sticks knocking together.  Opening the door he finds a large room with padded walls covered with weapons displays, a training room.  In the middle of the floor lies a body being whacked by two ghouls with quarterstaffs.  Borin rushes in and strikes.  As Lucre dashes in he tosses Marja his crossbow which goes off in her hands before she can aim it.  His strike is not impeded, and he attacks, but does not kill the nearest creature which turns and lunges at him, but Lucre manages to shake off the poison and kill the beast.  Kenyan pokes his head into the room from the relative safety of the hallway.  With a flick of his wrist his wand sends three magic missiles into the ghoul nearest Borin which dies.  Lucre breaks the quarterstaffs and stabs all the bodies for good measure.

As they move carefully down the hallway, they find destruction and often rotting bodies in abandoned rooms, but nothing either living or undead.  At the end of the hallway, the corridor turns to the right, and they find another hallway of equal length with four more doors.  The next room is a library, and every book has been torn apart.  Marja is moved by this senseless destruction.  “They don’t read.  Why don’t they leave the books alone?”  Borin replies, “They believe RIF – Rending is fundamental.”

The next room is remarkably intact.  There is a large wall hanging of a great white horse, but the horse has been desecrated.  Kel pulls the tapestry down.  Lucre breaks into a sideboard and finds an iron box.  Something inside it rattles.  He sets it aside for Deke.  The next room is long and narrow with a big table in the middle.  It is the ruined kitchen.  The last room on the hall was the scriptorium.  Desks with continual light spheres are in a line.  Four ghouls sit at the desks writing on long pieces of flesh that they are unwrapping from their arms.  A larger ghoul walks between them with a switch in his hand.  Borin swings his axe at the master, but feels it being magically pushed away.  Kel turns undead, and the four writers fall.  The master turns and growls.  He points at Borin and whispers, “Die!”  Borin laughs, his defiance causing the spell to fissile.  Kalina approaches with the green living glow of healing on her hands.  The ghoul tries to attack as she approaches, but is distracted as he tries to avoid her touch.  Borin swings again, and this time he cuts a slice out of the creature’s back.  Kel can see its spine poking out of the wound.  He steps in and breaks the spine in two, and the creature falls.  Kel cuts off its head.

The group wanders down the remaining hallway, but find nothing more until they reach the wall of hornets.  They backtrack to return to the stairs while Kel detects magic.  They find one intact magic scroll and two vials.  They take these and the strong box two the stairs.

The wall of hornets is engulfing 5 doors on the last hallway.  Kenyan throws his voice down the hall to sound like it is at each door, saying, “I say, all you ghouls and ghoulish things come out and get what’s coming to you.  I have a might firebrand of retribution and will smite your unholy souls.”  The trick works.  Two doors open and five figures shamble out into the hornets.  They’re all in a line, and Marja pulls out a lightening bolt scroll and yells for everyone to wait.  Borin jumps in and kills the first one in line.  Marja isn’t wasting a scroll on 4 ghouls and a fellow party member.  She steps back and pouts.

The ghouls advance, and Lucre shoots a crossbow bolt through the first one’s neck.  They see hornets fly through the hole.  Kel waits until it steps out of the hornets and kills  it.  They quickly finish off the rest.

As the hornets disappear, they search the last rooms.  Fang can smell the abbot and paws at a desk.  Kalina finds a leather-bound journal.  The front of the journal has ordinary entries about temple visitors, crops and horses.  Four months ago the entries start to change.  The abbot’s wife and son have died of a sudden illness.  The temple healer was unable to help.  The abbot is distraught.  Each day his writing becomes more frantic as he becomes consumed with grief, guilt and anger.  Finally, he curses and blasphemes Corean writing, “I will do it tonight.  I will give my soul to whomever will take it!”  Three days later the precise handwriting has returned.  He describes the systematic destruction of the temple and how he turned some of the order into ghouls when it became impossible to hide his “darkness.”  His anger and hatred began to scorch the land.  He dug up the body of his son and fed him his blood.  Of his wife he writes, “She would not come to me.”

Deke comes downstairs cautiously since he has not heard any noise in some time.  He left Brother Niall resting and has explored the stables.  He absolutely forbids Kalina or Kel from entering saying only that the horses are all dead.  Brother Niall has told him more.  He was the cleric who failed to heal Cadfeil’s wife and son, and was being kept alive and tortured as punishment.  Deke searches the basement and is appalled at all the stuff the others overlooked.  There’s tons of valuable stuff down here: potion components, parchment and a few undamaged books like “Mind Magiks: Fact and Fiction,” the Temple of Corean report on Secret Societies and “Monster Manual with Prophecies of Akbar.” He easily springs the lockbox and finds a ring with the Corean holy symbol.  Kel puts it on.

The party carefully walks around the main temple and the grounds.  Fang can not smell the abbot anywhere.  A few of the others go into the stables and see the remains of horses that look like they were tortured horribly before their deaths.  Outside, Kel is sure that he sees a large white horse trot out the stable door.

They continue their search in the graveyard.  They don’t have too much daylight left.  Reexamining the graves of Althea and her son, they notice that the earth is very dry and cracked.  They begin to dig.  When they reach the coffins, Borin smashes in the lid of Althea’s with his axe.  Kel smashes the baby’s and finds a tiny body.  Lucre jumps in and steaks it.  Lucre turns to Althea’s coffin.  He sees a face and strikes, but hits the back of an empty coffin, then Borin attacks.

Lucre manages to tumble out of Borin’s reach.  Marja tries twice to cast dispel magic from a scroll, but cannot concentrate properly.  Both attempts fail.  Deke carefully inspects the coffin.  It is empty.  Kalina summons a constrictor.  There is so little living near the shrine that she finds it very difficult, but she concentrates and draws life from deep within the soil to bring the constrictor forth.  Kel uses two blasts from his ring of the ram which Borin dodges.  He isn’t so successful at dodging a blow from Kalina’s avalanche sling.  With Borin briefly dazed from the blow, Lucre jumps in to grapple his cousin, admonishing him the entire time.  Borin breaks free, takes a few staps back and drops his axe.  He stops raging and grabs his head in pain and confusion.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*The Saving of Hooffall (run of 07-29-03)*

In the distance the party can hear the howling of wolves.  Their time in daylight is rapidly coming to an end.  They all realize that they had better find and kill the abbot before those wolves descend.

Lucre pulls Borin into the sunlight.  Kel turns undead.  Light radiates from him in a circle.  As the light reaches Borin, he flinches.  Kel begins to cast protection from evil and approaches Borin who bolts in the opposite direction.  Kel breaks off the spell and casts again.  “Stop!” he commands, and Borin freezes.  Lucre sprints in and ties his cousin with a rope while Kalina casts dispel magic.  They have immediate proof that the spell worked because Borin gains control of himself, the hold spell is gone.  He struggles against the bonds.  “Untie me,” he bellows.  “Don’t move,” Lucre orders and hits him with the flat of his sword.

Marja takes a moment of quiet to make Deke fly and turn him invisible.  Kenyan starts to sing and looks into the grave.  “Hey, there’s a body in here.”  Marja and Kel help him pull the body out into the light.  The body is dressed in a good quality gown.  Kel recognizes her as the woman from his visions.

Borin rages and breaks the ropes casting them and his backpack aside.  Marja rapidly casts detect magic and sees nothing unusual about him just as Lucre is about to swing.  “Lucre, stop!”  Lucre swings wide just barely missing his cousin’s temple.  Kalina steps in with her glowing green hands and lays her healing touch onto Borin then Deke’s voice comes from above them, “Guys, four wolves, five minutes away.”

Kalina calls everyone into a huddle and casts invisible to animals and they all prepare to move into the main hall when Kel notices that Borin’s backpack was cast off into the shadow of the temple.  He grabs it and chucks it into the light.  Borin opens it, but nothing is inside it any longer.  They all rush to the temple where Brother Niall is waiting alone.

In the shrine Niall turns to see the glowing red eyes of the abbot in a dark recess of the room.  A booming voice commands him, “You will serve me!”  “NO!”  shouts Niall defiantly.  “I serve Corean!”  Niall casts turn undead and pulls out his holy symbol.  “May this symbol pull the love of your god from the depths of your soul,” he prays.  “Have faith.”

“Nice try,” chuckles the abbot’s voice from behind the red glowing eyes.  Niall screams in rage.

Outside, the party redoubles their run.

The abbot reaches out with both his hands and clamps onto both sides of Naill’s face.  The monk struggles, but feels sharp teeth sink into his neck.  “I am done,” he thinks as he feels his life force slipping away.  His eyes roll up in his head, and as he gazes upwards, just before everything goes black, his eye catches the last rays of the setting sun shining through the blue eye of the white horse in the stained glass window overhead.  “I will not loose faith.  Corean,” he prays, “Let me be the instrument that saves your temple.  I give you my body and my life.”  He struggles against the bite and regains his center and pushes the mouth of the abbot away.  Niall struggles again to cast, but cannot concentrate.  The abbot chuckles, “Don’t fear for your life, Niall.  I’m not going to kill you.  I’m going to make you like me.”  He grabs Niall’s neck tighter and bites again, but Niall resists.

Borin rushes in first and moves to attack.  “You can’t have him,” the abbot admonishes.  “He’s mine.  He killed my wife!”

“Who are you kidding?” the invisible Deke interjects.  “She spent all her time boinking all the other guys in the place.”  The abbot turns to find the source of the voice, and Borin strikes making a line of red across the abbot’s chest.  Lucre lectures the creature about keeping faith as he strikes, but his blow is forced away.  Likewise, Marja’s and Kalina’s spells bounce off a field of protection.

Niall picks himself up off the floor and reaches out seeing his own blood on his hands.  He prays for all the souls of the other brothers whose blood has been spilt while his was spared.  He reaches into the depths of his soul.  “I summon the love of Corean!”  A ray of Corean’s light emanates from Niall and hits the abbot full in the face.  “Don’t speak his name,” the abbot shrieks and runs to cower in a corner.

Borin charges in, but as his hand brushes against the creature he feels a tingle along his arm.  His arm looks burned, but still functions normally.  Deke shoots a crossbow bolt.  They’re wooden after all, but it misses.  Marja sends three magic missiles searing into the abbots body.  Niall approaches and pins him in the corner.  Kel rushes forward and speaks.  “Renounce your evil and return to Corean.”  The abbot begins to cry.  “My Althea is gone.”  Kels words turn more tender.  “No,” he says, “Her spirit is in this place.  I have seen her.”

The abbot reaches out and touches Borin who is still, fortunately, protected from evil.  Deke flies around to the abbot’s back and stabs him with his rapier, but the wound heals as soon as he removes the blade.  Borin and Lucre both swing with wooden stakes, but both miss as do Kenyan and Niall. 

Kel swings his longsword and feels it snap a collarbone in two.  “Think of your wife,” he says.  “She longs for you to return to her.  Embrace Corean, and you will be together again.”  The abbot looks almost like he might relent.  Kel feels that if he can only reach out to him a little longer, his faith would return.  Kel reaches out with his healing touch.  He sees the glowing rays shoot from his hands and burn into the abbot’s face.  “Do not serve Corean.  He cannot help you,” the abbot cries.  Kel feels evil wash over him, but he is sure of Corean’s grace.  He feels the gentle touch of Brother Niall behind him and knows that Corean’s love is here.

Borin succeeds in pinning the abbot.  Kel offers one last chance for redemption which the abbot answers by trying to turn into mist, but Borin’s grip can not be shaken.  Finally, Borin holds a steak firmly against the abbot’s chest, and Kel raises his sword.  “Corean forgive us both,” he whispers to the abbot.  He brings the hilt of his sword down hard against the steak.  The abbot crumples.

Borin jumps up to his feet and carries the body into the last of the day’s sunlight.  The body shrivels and begins to crumble.  Kel looks out at the horizon and once again sees the figure of the beautiful dark-haired woman on the white horse.  A single tear falls from her cheek, and she turns and rides across the lake.


----------



## Blood Jester

Yay!  WhooHoo team!

"But now Iron Chef BBQ..."

*insert creepy whisper*

"...show me the future!"

*insert creepy insane cackle*


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## Iron Chef BBQ

*Entire Story Hour Available*

Thanks to a lot of time and effort from Alomir, I now have the entire story hour in crono order in a single file.  Unfortunately, I don't have a website on which to post it.

If anyone would like it, and can handle having a 120 page Word document emailed to him/her, just email me, and I'll forward it to you.

Chef.


----------



## Piratecat

Actually, I think I can arrange that. I'll chat with Sialia about storing it on piratecat.info.


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## Sialia

'Scool by me, but you'll need to talk to Tomtom's player about setting up the permissions. Please set it in it's own subfolder so it doesn't get mixed up withthe Spira files--there's so very many many of them, I could lose another website in them and never notice I had accidentally globaly obliterated soemthing.


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## KidCthulhu

Oooh.  There's a cthulhu idea in that somewhere.  The lost website.  We did something like it with Yellow.com..


----------



## Blood Jester

*pokes head in*

"In here? nope."


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## Iron Chef BBQ

*My will shall shape the future (run of 08-12-03)*

Our intrepid adventurers stand over the body of Abbot Ardis Carfael, exhausted and feeling some small regret that they could not turn him back to his god before his demise.  

Kel scans the devastation of Hooffall and sighs.  He is sure that Corean’s blessing has not left the shrine, and feels consolation that Brother Niall seems determined to rebuild.

Suddenly, a flash of bright light engulfs the party.

***************************************************

Lucre Bladebane is standing in the middle of a vast plain, far from the Shrine of Hooffall.  How many of his steps have been leading him to this place?  He grips The Citadel in his right hand, easily pushing away the swarm of thoughts emanating from the crystal sword.  In that moment before his mind will push away all thoughts and concentrate on battle, memories flash before his eyes.

He glances at his cousin, Borin Axewielder, standing at his right hand.  A small smile crosses his lips as he remembers back all those years to the day he approached with that story of a message trapped in his brain.  After all this time, no one seems to care that the message has never been delivered.  It had been an opportunity for Lucre to leave his clan before news of his blood taint spread, before his death became inevitable.  Yet Lucre had been afraid to go out on his own and had turned to a family member he thought might accept him.  Borin had not disappointed.

Borin stands, squat and resolute, his great axe in his hand.  Small wrinkles are visible around his eyes.  He is less unkempt than Lucre remembered him at their first meeting, but his barbarian upbringing has prevented him from ever mastering proper beard care.  Despite what might befall him today, Lucre would always consider his inability to convince Borin to braid his beard as his greatest personal failure.  Uncharacteristic of a dwarf, Borin wears no braids except for a very thin one that hangs down behind his left ear.  That is in deference to Marja who had kept his hair out of his eyes by braiding it every morning all those years ago when he was inhabiting an elf woman’s body.

Now that was an age ago, Lucre thinks.  He remembers how Enkili had chosen his cousin as his unlikely champion.  Borin had risen to the call and served Enkili faithfully.  When his tasks were at last complete, Enkili had interceded on his behalf.  Goran, god of the dwarves, had blessed him and granted him his dwarf body back.  No more soft elven hair for Marja to braid.

Lucre glances to his left at Marja Silvanrod, all 9 feet of her.  Her face is ringed by a headband of dragons’ teeth.  Her bronze hair is braided in a single thick plait that falls down her back between two massive wings, which are unfolded and tense in the still air.  He chuckles to himself as he thinks back on all the pleasure he used to take in calling Marja a trollop, among other things.  

He doesn’t call her any names now, and not just because with a flick of her claw and a breath of lighting she could kill him.  There had been something unnerving about Marja when they first met.  She had a sex appeal that unsettled even the most stalwart dwarf, and he had felt jealous of her friendship with Borin, but as her classic beauty had faded, she had become even more charming, even more interesting.  They had lost the need over all this time to be intimidated by each other.  Truth be told, they had become friends.

Lucre notices Kira just as Marja lays hands on her and she blinks out of sight.  Her soft black hair is the last of her to disappear.  Now there was a woman whose beauty had grown to exceed Marja’s.  That had caused no small issue in its day.  How silly those things seem now.  Kira was as headstrong as the day they’d met, and more capable then they’d ever believed she could become.  Everyone grows up.  Deke had introduced them.  Ah, Lucre remembers.  After they’d saved Hooffall Shrine, Deke had returned to Vesh to become “King of the Filchers!”  He wonders how he’s doing now, probably hiding in his palace, if he hasn’t changed.

Lucre scans the group around him.  He can’t see Terri.  She has already activated her ring of invisibility.  Instinctively, he touches his money pouch.  Ha!  That Rogue of Enkili will be causing more trouble than that today.

There is young Kelly Windrush.  Not so young any more, but a proud, strong man, a true warrior.  He has grown to embrace both his own desires to become a fighter and his parents’ wishes for him to become a healer, and through it all he has kept his idealism, although losing his naiveté.  Most important, Lucre thinks, he’s never become pompous, or self-possessed.  Not like Kenyon C. Bolton, who fled the adventuring life years ago in favor of warm taverns and grateful female patrons.

That thought causes Lucre to find Caerwyn Ap Bundholm.  There he is, standing in his shining armor, broadsword in hand, glowing with the deserved self-righteousness of a great Paladin.  Even Lucre had found Caerwyn too good to handle at times, but his honest blade had been a lifesaver too many times not to respect this ally and friend.

Lastly, his eyes fall on Kalina.  For a change her hair is a natural blond color.  No matter what environment she is in, she seems to always have stray leaves caught in it.  She had grown in ways that are unclear to Lucre.  She had wrestled with some inner demon and had come out strong and true.  He knows the women in the group were privy to the struggle, but he had kept his distance.  He watches her gently run her fingers through Fang’s fur, and he sees Fang’s ears perk.  

“They come,” says Fang over the mind link from their cohort tattoos.  The reverie is over.

****************************************************

Behind them in the distance there is a strong tremor, and an entire range of mountains dissolves into pillars of dust.  Borin feels a stab in his heart.  “They are gone,” he says to Lucre.  “The royal family.  All dead.”  Lucre knows better than to question his cousin, but what could have destroyed Burok Torn like the slapping of an errant bug?  He sends up a prayer to Goran for the souls of the dwarven royal line and for the dwarven people left alone, and then he feels the emptiness.  His prayers rise into the void.  He knows there are no ears to hear them.  Lucre glances at his cousin and catches sight of a single tear falling.  Borin has felt it too, an emptiness that can never be filled.  Goran, god of the dwarves, has fallen.  Lucre announces the news over the mind link.  “Today is a black day.  The gods kill each other.  Goran is gone.”  

The news hits the party with a flash of helplessness.  If even the gods fall, what hope do they have?  Caerwyn alone stands firm and resolute, his faith can not be shaken.  Kira begins to sing.

“If we die today,” says Lucre blackly, “we’ll take them with us.”

Marja scans the horizon.  She senses their shape before she can see them.  “Three from the east, made of wood.  Three from the west, breathing fire.  But,” she adds, “they are no kin of mine.”

Then everyone sees them.  Wyrms, or abominations made to look like them: wrack dragons.  A shudder of fear sweeps through the hundreds of soldiers on the ground.  They know most will die that day.

“Come on, Cousin.  Let’s kill us some dragon.”  Lucre extends his hand to Borin who clasps it tightly.  Lucre pictures a door in front of him, and with his other hand he reaches out and thrusts it open with all his might.  As he steps through, he visualizes the other side of the threshold.  With a jolt, Borin and Lucre find themselves on the back of a fiery red dragon.  Marja watches and shakes her head.  “So much for sending an ice storm out there.  Those two are always in my way.”

Kalina turns to the east.  She can now see the dragon constructs swooping low over the hoards of soldiers causing panic and leaving death in their wake.  They are odd configurations of flesh, wood and metal bits, but Kalina can sense the wood.  She raises her arms above her head and sends a shock wave forward emanating from her palms.  The invisible wave grows and accelerates until it reaches the constructs with massive force.  At first they are unaware of any change.  Then their bodies begin to struggle against themselves as the wood parts are repelled backwards.  The three dragons are blown apart; the wooden bits propelled eastward, the rest falling on the crowds below.  “Nice spectacle,” an invisible voice remarks in her ear.

The ground beneath their feet begins to rumble and bubble.  Up surge thousands of maggots.  The maggots swarm together forming a gargantuan creature.  Everyone within 20 feet almost wretches from the smell.  Churn is here.

Marja pulls a scroll from her side and begins the incantation to summon a celestial dire lion.  Slowly the creature takes shape in front of her.  Suddenly, POP!  The image is just about to fully form when it disappears.  Tiny orbs of light are left in its shape.  They begin to zoom about.  One enters the tip of the dispel magic wand Marja has hanging from her belt.  The wand explodes sending her sprawling on the ground.  Two more embed themselves in Kalina’s staff of the forest.  “Throw it,” Marja yells.  Kalina tosses her stick into the air and gasps as it shatters in two.  “What the hell happened?”  Marja shrugs.  “I don’t know?  Something’s mucking with my magic!”

Meanwhile, up above Lucre and Borin make short work of their ride.  The dead dragon goes into a spin and begins to plummet toward the crowd below.  “I hadn’t thought this far,” admits Lucre.  Borin gets a determined look on his face as a plan forms on how to divert the diving beast away from the crowd below, but as he scans the crowd he rapidly realizes that there is no way to miss some portion of fighters.  There are just too many.  He jumps off and flies down to Marja to help her up from the ground leaving Lucre holding the dragon, so to speak.  As the creature crashes into the ground Lucre tumbles into the air and lands, remarkably, on his feet.  Borin hears him over the mind link, “I thought you had something clever planned.”

Marja is worried about casting again, but with Churn, the god of disease, pulsating and spewing before her, she has little choice.  She sends 15 acid orbs springing from her hand and into the beast.  The spell works with no little glowing balls of light.  Kel and Caerwyn each step in to strike at the putrid beast.  Kalina moves in from the other side and casts repel.  The maggots temporarily separate and move away from her – all over Marja.  Marja finds herself chest deep in a stream of putrid-smelling worms.  Her only consolation is that she’s no longer 5 and a half feet tall.  She is immersed in a wave of fever, but it quickly passes.  As the creature draws all the maggots back into itself and rises upwards to strike, a long thin cut opens along its top.  The slice cuts deep.  Maggots fly everywhere.  Offal spews from the cut.  Then suddenly, the creature and its minions turn into dust and disappear into the ground.  Terri’s voice comes over the mind link, “Next.”

Lucre opens another dimension door and steps out onto the next dragon.

A flash of light blocks all from view.

******************************************************

This day has been longer than any day in Kel’s young life.  Every muscle in his body is fatigued to its limit.  He can barely lift his sword above his head.  Several times today it has been the healing touch of Corean passed through his callused hands that has saved the lives of his friends.  They have all been fighting for hours, and yet the enemy rises before them like the day has just begun.

They stand in a circle facing out surrounded by four huge creatures.  Each has seven heads that are darting and snapping ominously.  Their brightly colored scales reflect in the late afternoon sun, two red, one purple-white and one green.  If Kenyan C. Bolton were with them today he might tell them that these were ancient titan spawn called hydras.

Kira has had it.  She’s tired, and these creatures have bad breath.  She looks up at the one nearest her.  It’s red and generating intense heat.  “I’m gonna kick you in the nut sack,” she storms, and she delivers a kick that sends the beast 20 feet into the air.  It falls to the ground dead.  (note: that was a  kick delivering 158 points of damage!)  Its blood spills out onto the ground.  Kira turns away wiping droplets of blood from her face when she hears an odd noise.  She turns back to see two new creatures sprouting up from the puddle of blood.  “Drat!”

The two new beasts seem perturbed over their recent rebirth.  Perhaps they’re both feeling the sting of that kick in the privates.  Various heads snap and snarl while the rest exhale fire onto the group.  Everyone is singed.  Kalina backs away from the red ones right into the green hydra.  “Well, since I’m here,” she muses and summons a spell that always seems counter-intuitive to her druid nature.  She reaches out and touches the creature with the finger of death.  It crumples and dies, but spills no blood.  It doesn’t regenerate.  She turns to the next one with a repeat spell, but as she raises her hand, she sees the magic on the end of her finger begin to turn into golden glowing orbs.  She breaks the spell, and with great effort pulls the magic back into herself.  “That was close.”

The purple one moves in and comes within 20 feet of Marja.  It rears up to strike, but gets a good look at her.  One glimpse of her headpiece, a Circlet of the Fang made up of dragon teeth, creates fear in the beast.  It backs away and cowers.

Terri roles her holy die of Enkili, summoning an orb of magic.  As it rises, it breaks apart into a dozen golden orbs.  Two are sucked into The Citadel, Lucre’s crystal sword.  It shatters into a million shards of glass shattering Lucre’s hand with it.  Lucre hears the voices that have lived inside the sword for eons scream, and then the voices stop.  Two more orbs fly into Caerwyn’s holy armor.  The magic suddenly stops, and the metal shatters.

Borin dodges one whizzing by him and comments, “All the years we’ve been together.  You spell casters have never dispelled so well.”

Two more go right into Kalina’s eyes.  She screams in pain as the blood of Masos is purged from her body.  Her gift from the magic waters, one of her first adventures, is gone.

Out of the corner of her eye Marja sees on of Madriel’s Hopes.  These beautiful angels have crisscrossed the battlefield all day both healing and fighting.  An abomination that Marja cannot even describe grabs the poor Hope and tears it to pieces.

Borin throws a chaos diamond at the feet of a hydra and speaks Enkili’s chaotic charm.  The diamond explodes leaving the creature confused, stunned and deafened.

Again the creatures snap and spew fire at the party.  They manage to dodge the snarling teeth, but Kalina, Caerwyn and Kel all find themselves singed.  Kalina turns to the one that just burned her.  “You’ve really pissed me off,” she explains to it as she casts reverse gravity.  It flies up into the air.  Under its shadow she casts mass heal on all within her reach then deftly steps aside as the beast falls to earth and splatters.  Her healing spell moves out in a shimmering wave then suddenly the light begins to congeal.  Once again they are beset by those shining motes of light from a spell gone wrong.  Borin’s vorpal great axe (+5) explodes.  Marja tries to dodge as an orb shoots right into her headband.  The dragon teeth are torn apart ripping long lines into Marja’s face.

Suddenly the purple hydra closes again.  Now that Marja’s headband is destroyed it is no longer afraid.  Terri glances over her shoulder and sees the last of the Calastian priests detonate himself as 20 creatures close in through the smoke.

Flash!


----------



## Fulcan

*Flash forward*

What an amazing glimpse into high level Scarred lands play.  The characters make a really good showing as epic heroes in the 2nd Divine War.

I only hope this doesn't signal an end to the characters current adventures.

Great Stuff.

-Fulcan


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

Fulcan said:
			
		

> I only hope this doesn't signal an end to the characters current adventures.




The group is currently in transition.  We've just lost two players (Deke and Kenyan) who moved out of the area.  We have three new players joining the group (Kira, Terri and Caerwyn) two of whom haven't moved into the area yet, but are due here soon.

I believe KidC created this futurama to bide time until everyone is settled.  Then we should pick up where we left off.

Chef

ps-Did I mention what a kick this is to play?  What a thrill for a low-level character to get a taste of her potential!


----------



## Blood Jester

Iron Chef BBQ said:
			
		

> “I’m gonna kick you in the nut sack,”




That's it, I'm marrying Kira!

And Terri is due for a stern talking to...

Wheee!


----------



## Caerwyn

I'm not sure whose side Terri is on.  First she shattered my armour, O.K. we all have bad days.  But then she... oops, that would be telling.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*It's the end of the World as we know it (run of 09-09-03)*

“All day long we have fought in twilight.  All sense of time has been lost.  Minutes stretch into hours, perhaps into days, and still they come.  All around us explosions, cries, death.  I am weary beyond all time.  What brought the world to this?  Was there some simple mistake made by some unimportant fool on a sunny day years ago?  Could the misstep of one have led to this day, or was it the countless missteps of many over eons?  Why do I feel like it’s all my fault?”  Marja’s great and graceful form is fatigued to exhaustion.  Even in the midst of all the noise and chaos she feels that it would be so easy just to lie down and sleep.  “Just make it stop,” she thinks as torn wings slowly lower her to the ground, “I’m so tired.”

The hoards of Titan spawn have swept across the battlefield, swept across, over and around this weary, rag-tag band of friends.  From the air Marja could see the hopelessness of the fight.  The Titans were winning.  Even the Calastian priests, so late to realize their folly in aiding the Titans, so late to join the battle, were all dead.  In selfless heroics, the priests had drawn the demons to them, and at the last moment, when the swarm was at its thickest, they had destroyed themselves in magical blasts that took hundreds of lives, and now none were left.  Marja had spotted but few remaining warriors from the races of the gods, and most were being crushed under the never-ending onslaught.  “Many still hold their own,” Marja sends over the mind link, but no one really believes her.

Before them stands a giant spider as large as a two-story building.  Each of its two black shiny eyes is as big as a dwarf, as big as one dwarf in particular who pushes his way to face the creature.  Borin hurls a bead of force over 50 feet right into one of those eyes.  They all duck.  The explosion is barely audible over the roar of the battlefield.  When they look back, the spider hasn’t moved.  The bead had no effect on the massive creature.

A low, deep growling voice begins to chant.  For the last time that day, the voice of the wolf calls into the hot wind, calling on what nature is left alive around him.  Fang summons a swarm.  From every direction around the spider ants, flies, wasps, fleas and maggots converge and attack.

Terri, visible for a brief moment, raises her hands to call a flame strike into being.  The spark begins to form in her hands when suddenly it turns into a swarm of angry beads.  Once again magic has gone awry.  Everyone ducks to avoid the terrible glowing lights.  One flies into Caerwyn’s pack.  An explosion pushes him forward, but he manages to keep his feet.  “What was it?” Terri calls.  “Nothing of import,” answers Caerwyn stoically.  How could he explain it anyway.  They were knitting needles.  He’d had them for almost all his life.  He had only recently become aware of their true magic.  Oh well, no sense crying over spilt milk.

“I’m going in,” Kira shouts over the mind link.  “Oh, and I see 10 hags on its back.  Thought you’d want to know.”  She’s invisible so no one can gage her progress until suddenly the spider turns its head.  Seven voices send out a warning, “It can see you.”  But Kira already knows.  She’s seen too much today to be ruffled by the crushing mouth of a giant spider.  She stabs her dagger deep into its eye.  The others can’t see Kira, but they can see the slash that appears.

Kel runs through his list of available spells, but realizing that two out of every three spells cast today seem to go bad, he opts for charging.  He raises his great sword and lunges at the creature’s face despite its 15-foot reach.  Before the creature can react, Kel has sliced completely through a mandible and is standing there gasping for breath and covered with ichor.

The spider lunges forward and bites Kel, then it pulls itself up onto all 8 legs and hurls itself onto the ground, on top of Kel.  A tremor like an earthquake ripples through the ground.  Fang is knocked prone.  He begins to whimper as a wave of dust, dirt and body parts echo outward from the shock waves.

Marja hastes the group with a sigh of relief that the spell works and rises back into the air while Lucre rushes to Kel, still trapped under the body of the spider.  Lucre opens a dimension door and pulls Kel to the rear of the spider.

Kalina turns three of the swarming wasps into giant vermin, but their colossal stingers seem to have no effect on the beast who ignores them completely.  It turns and makes eye contact with Fang, Kira, Caerwyn and Marja.  They all feel their hearts seize up in their chests.  In the moment before they feel unconsciousness approaching they gasp for breath.  Their hearts begin to beat once more.  All, except Kira.  Her presence over the mind link ceases.  They can’t see her, but they know she is dead.  The last to join their little band was the first to fall.

From the top of the spider two cones of rainbow-colored spray (prismatic) shoot toward Kel and Lucre.  Kel sees the vision of a shimmering archway open up before him.  He feels himself being drawn into a world of metal and flame.  Huge creatures crack fiery whips as burned and destroyed people in chains trudge in endless drear.  “No!” Kel screams.  Through strength that he thought had left him hours ago, he holds himself back from the horrible vision.  Lucre sees no such horror, but is badly burned with acid.

Kalina, Marja and Terri are suddenly falling – upwards!  They crash 70 feet into the air and right themselves, upside down.  Marja speaks the word, Kazmira, and her magic carpet unfurls from her pack.  She instructs it to wait for Terri while she flies off toward the hags.  Terri runs upside down to the edge of the reversed gravity area and jumps nimbly onto the carpet while Kalina turns herself into a wrack dragon and flies toward the hags spewing hot tar.

Another hag sends a shock wave across the group.  Borin is knocked to the ground.  Slowly he manages to pull himself to his feet, blood pouring from his ears.  Poor Fang faired far worse.  He is stunned and unable to move (for 7 rounds).  Caerwyn manages to withstand the force.  He activates his Boots of Zoom and flies toward a hag and manages to get off one small attack.

Kel opens his cubic gateway.  It opens to a shining, beautiful, orderly world with happy people striding around with great purpose.  One hag gets sucked in.  He watches her scream and writhe with pain as she turns to ash before she even reaches the ground of this other world.  Kel has barely a moment to grin as he feels something wet on his back.  The spider shot an enormous web.  Lucre was able to avoid it by pushing his body into the hairy, putrid side of the spider, but Kel, caught concentrating on his gateway, finds himself hopelessly stuck.  In the front the spider claws at Caerwyn and jumps backwards in an attempt to crush Kel and Lucre.  Again Lucre holds his breath and scrambles partway up the side of the beast, but Kel is helpless as the creature lands on top of him.

Lucre manifests Kel onto the spider’s back by whacking what he can see of Kel’s feet, then he attacks swinging his cousin’s great axe with force.  The creature dodges his devastating critical, but gets hit in Lucre’s next three whirlwind attacks.

By now the flying carpet is hovering over the hags.  Terri pulls her dagger, Twee, and hanging off the edge of the carpet upside-down, she stabs a hag in the shoulder.  “Too bad she saw me coming,” she laughs.

Four of the witches begin to cast again.  Caerwyn and Terri manage to disrupt two spells, but the other two send out black circles of chill that grip everyone’s heart with the cold hand of death.  No one dies, but all are left with the feeling of what lies ahead.

Suddenly chain lightening bolts spring from the hands of three more hags.  Kalina takes one full in the chest, and Caerwyn takes the other two.  The bolts ricochet between Kalina, Terri, Kel, Marja, Caerwyn and Lucre.  The area crackles with the sound of electricity.  The air smells of ozone, and everyone is lit with an eerie blue light.  When the display ceases Marja is standing unscathed.  Her dragon heritage has made her immune to electricity.  The others are staggering, but everyone is still standing.  

Caerwyn drops to his knees and sends up a fervent (as always) prayer to Corean asking for healing for himself.  He doesn’t heal as much as he thought he would, and he doesn’t feel as strong a connection to his god.  “He’s just busy,” thinks the unshakable paladin.  He steps in and swings, hitting one hag four times.  She drops to one knee holding her viscera inside her body with her bloodied hands.

Borin uses his helmet of teleport to appear on top of the spider and goes into a terrifying rage.  All the hags are instantly frightened by the sight of the dwarf foaming at the mouth.  “That’s our boy!” exclaims Marja.  “It was worth the wait,” Kalina answers.  The hags try to run, but are caught up in attacks.  One dies and the others scurry away from the battlefield.  Borin now turns to the spider and attacks it 5 times with a dire flail.  A loud crack echoes over the battle chaos as the creature’s back breaks.

There is a moment of semi-calm.  “Where’s Kira?”  Lucre can see her.  He hops down off of the dead spider and picks her small waif-like body up in his arms.  Kel prepares for a true resurrection.  His magic healing starts to break apart into motes of light.  It’s not going to work.  With all the resolution he has left he grabs at the lights, forces them back together and shoves them into Kira’s mouth.  Kira opens her eyes, but Kel is drained.  He can feel down deep inside himself and knows that he has nothing left.  Corean will send no more healing through Kel’s hands.

The first words out of Kira’s mouth are not what they expected.  “Holy crap!  What is that?”  All heads turn to follow her gaze.  Something is cresting the horizon.  It looks like a leg, but to be visible at this distance it must be enormous.  It makes the legs of the dead spider lying beside them look like a normal spider next to a man.  The appendage is swirling in blues and greens.  It’s made of water, churning and roiling.  It steps down, and even from this distance they can hear the sound.  Rays of blue light spread out from the footstep and wash over the battlefield.

All magic is gone.  Every magic item suddenly loses its luster.  The spell casters and healers are powerless.  Marja feels empty to the bottom of her soul.  Still allowing herself a moment for reflection she remembers back to her youth when she fought against her magic with alcohol and sleep depravation.  Now she feels a loss as great and as sudden as when she had heard her father’s bardic song wafting over the first strike of the battle, and just as abruptly, she heard it cease.  Slow hot tears run silently down her cheeks.

Caerwyn waves his now ordinary sword before him, taking a step toward the colossus in the distance.  “We have no need of paltry side-show tricks.  Let us show them how Heroes fight.”

Now another leg steps across the horizon sending a wave of searing heat.  The smell of burning flesh and singeing reaches their nostrils.  Another leg – this one heaves and sickens as boils erupt across the land.  Another leg – tentacles arise, snakes entwine.  Another leg – covered in mouths.  Great holes open up in the ground, and they can hear the sound of the earth chewing.  Then another leg, and another and another until the spider of the Titans is completely visible on the horizon.  Its eight legs meet in the middle, not of a body, but of a maelstrom!

Our intrepid band of adventures scans the battlefield around them.  No one is left standing, no one but them.  They are the only survivors to witness the end of the world.

With each step the creature covers dozens of miles, and soon the dim sun is blocked out completely as the full force of Titan might stands above them.  A face appears in the maelstrom, laughing.  “You should have stopped me,” it taunts in a voice that is vaguely familiar.  “Maybe this time you will remember.”  Whose voice is that?  Cosette?

The end could not have taken more than a second, but Marja saw and noted it all.  Borin, Kira, Lucre, Kel, Terri, Kalina and Fang, Caerwyn, and herself, not one at a time, but all together slip into the long sleep that is death.  Just as they lose unconsciousness a tiny voice whispers over the mind link, “I’m so sorry.”

Flash!

*****************************************************

Terri’s body jerks to attention.  Her convulsion alerts the man in whose pocket her hand had been reaching.  “Hey, boy!  What do you think you’re doing?”  He grabs her, but she slips away and darts into the crowd.  Back at the Temple of Enkili she drops to her knees at the main altar.  What does this mean? 

Kira is on her hands and knees on the floor in a tiny room in Vesh.  A picture of her dead husband, the blueprints to a government building and a dagger are on the floor in front of her.  She is sweating and shaking, and for a brief moment the horror of her vision overrides her anger.  She scrambles back against the wall, pulling her knees up to her chin as she rocks quietly back and forth, crying.

Caerwyn’s head bolts upright from where he must have dozed off over his knitting.  “A vision from most holy Corean!” he exclaims as he falls to his knees, the knitting needles still between his clutched hands.  “Thank you!”

“What is up with you guys,” Deke scampers around the group looking agitated.  Kenyan too is staring at the others.  “You’ve been twitching and moaning for the past 5 minutes.  We thought you were possessed by a demon or something.  I was just about to kill you all.  Luckily Brother Niall stopped me.”  Deke tries to make a joke, but they can all see that he was really worried.

“I’ve been fighting bad dreams all my friggin’ life,” Marja sighs.  She shudders to shake the vision away, but knows that those images will be with her until death.  That thought causes another shudder.  “Come on, Deke,” she says, mounting her horse and pulling the filcher up behind her.  “Let’s head back to Treadle.  Buy me a pitcher of ale and I’ll tell you all about it.”

“A pitcher or two would suit me just fine,” echoes Borin.  He grabs his horse and is almost shocked to see the female elven hands that take the reins.  Lucre stares up at Marja thinking that she’s about as tall mounted as she was in the vision, but doesn’t say anything about it.  “Who were those other people, do you suppose?”  Although Hooffall wasn’t a part of their vision, they all silently agree that getting away from it would somehow distance them from the grim glimpse of the future that only strong drink would pry from their lips.

Kel declines the journey.  His soul is best put at ease through industry, helping Brother Niall begin to clean up the shrine.  He promises to meet up with them in three days and gives a sullen wave as the others gallop away.  If they hurry, they can reach Treadle by nightfall.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Kira Wakes Up*

When Kira's vision focuses once again on the here and now, it is almost a
dissapointment. There in the battle, you were doing good. Even if you
failed, you were doing something. Not like right now, pestering and
beleaguring officials, and now breaking and entering. Losing at fighting evil
is different than failing to get an answer. And it's got to be better than
getting your ass pinched by yet one more fat guard captain or flunkey and
told "You go on home now, pretty little thing, and don't you worry your head
about your man. Girl like you'll find a new one right 'nuff." Kira sighs,
palms her picks, checks the dark cloth covering her hair, and concentrates
on the task at hand.
----------------------------------------------------
The break-in was a success, and not a success. You didn't get caught, which
is always to the positive, but neither did you find anything new. Even here
in Vesh. Especially here in Vesh, no one seems to care about a small but
steady trickle of guardsmen going to their deaths in Stonefell. And no one
seems to think there's anything unusual about the burns, the frozen limbs,
and the bodies that seem to be suffering from both at the same time. The
young Duke certainly didn't think it was more than a titan spawn attack. He
dispatched more guards. Which in turn made more widows like you.

But you have heard some rumors. There's supposed to be some newcomers in
town, working for some Lord or other, who take impossible jobs. Apparently
they take all the crazy missions no one else will touch. The bartender you
spoke to said they were willing to shed blood to answer tough questions, and
weren't afraid to step on toes. Actually, what he said was "They'll run
over toes, and never know they were there."

You have the address, tucked away next to the scrap of fabric they found in
Thomas' hand when they returned him to you. The fragment with the strange
markings on it. Until yesterday, until that dream, vision, whatever, you
couldn't identify the half figure embroidered there. Now it seems as clear
as Thomas' blue, blue eyes. It's a spider. The same one that flashed
before your eyes as you died.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Terri Heals a Filcher*

Prayer, or at least several hours of it, brings Terri no relief. With bent
shoulders she trudges her way home through the dingy streets. She avoids
the pickpockets and cut-purses with the same unconscious competent grace
with which she dodges the chamber pots being emptied from third story
windows.

Her ears pick up an unusual noise, coming from down Knocktwice Alley. Not a
whisper, not a scrape of dagger, or even the muffled thud of a blow. Not
even the whimper of the mugging victim. More of a squeak. And the sheer
novelty of it causes her to turn and look.

There, huddled against the ubiquitous pile of rubble, is a furry bundle. A
filcher, Terri realizes. It's shaking badly, and is lying in a pool of what
looks like its own vomit. Terri has always liked filchers. Their sense of
mischief and love of play make them one of the few joyous creature in her
part of town. And so she steps closer. The filcher opens one bleary,
bloodshot eye, and looks at her. It's tiny, almost human hand extends a
scrap of paper to her.

Drawn on the paper, in a crude hand, is a crowned filcher, and a picture of
a house. Terri recognizes the design as looking like the warehouses in the
Merchant District, although she doesn't know the house shown. The tiny
filcher, a female, Terri realizes, reaches for her hand, and then doubles
over in a spasm of pain.

Neutralize Poison, that's the trick, Terri thinks, as she focuses her mind
on the prayer. Not even sure if the blessing will work on a non-human, she
feels Enkili's will move through her. And the little filcher takes a
shuddering, disbelieving breath, and then breathes freely.

After a moment, the young filcher stands, and takes Terri's hand. Waving
the scrap of paper in front of her, the creature tugs Terri's hand, and
begins to lead her through the streets. "What the hell." thinks Terri, "I'm
off to see the King of the Filchers."


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Caerwyn Considers the Future*

Knitting isn't helping. For perhaps the first time in his life, the
repetitious, soothing motion and the productive click-clack of the needles
is not soothing his mind.

Caerwyn thinks about his vision, and the people he saw in it. The enormous
dragon woman, the raving dwarf, the shapeshifter, the titan-touched. Their
names are not unknown to him. Naxos had mentioned this group to him over
sherry one day after a Paladin's Guild meeting. He spoke of the barbarian,
the flirt, the taciturn elf, the hostile fighter, the absent minded mage and
the monkey. He said they were chaotic, but well intentioned.

Naxos, in Caerwyn's opinion, is a little, er, rigid. A sense of humor, and
Maddy's ability to see the good in everyone would make him a better man.
Chaos in his companions doesn't worry Caerwyn so long as they have honor,
discipline and a desire to do and be good.

But the people he saw in his vision. They trouble him. Especially the
dragon woman and the titan-touched. Can such creatures, such beings, be
trusted? They fought for the side of the godly races in his vision, but
then, so did the Calastians. Are these to be his companions?

As his surrogate grandmother Maddy once said, what will be, will be.
Caerwyn turns his mind back to the purl pattern, and seeks the comfort of
Corean in the pattern, and the soothing grace of Madriel in the creation of
the wooly socks. The children at the orphanage need socks, not the troubles
of a fourth son. Caerwyn knits.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Kenyan's Farewell*

Kenyon's player, who has already moved away from the area, was asked if Kenyon had anything to say about his departure from adventuring life.  His reply was so funny, it had to be shared
----------------------------
"Well, my hearty companions!!, and Luker. This is where I must leave you and deny you the pleasure of my company, and the wisdom of my Leadership!!  Please shed not a tear, I know this is a most heinous thing that I do, but the wind calls me and I must pay heed. Though you journey onward together, into lands unknown to most (except for me) I will always have mine ear to the wind, following your every move, I shall, in very subtle ways, be watching over you my friends.  You have learned some small form of my expert battle tactics, the very same maneuvers that my Grandfather, the great titanspawn fighter himself, General Kenyan C. Bolton taught me.  He told me a tale, whose truth I do not doubt for one instant, of a desperate fight against an entire army of titan spawn led by none other than the last great titan warlord Toped the terrible!!  Well, was my Grandfather afraid?  Yes, he was terrified, but he knew what had to be done.  He gathered a small company of his best men, brave and battle hardened to the man, and led them forth on a charge to end the war once and for all!!  Against Immense odds he used the brilliant flanking tactics that he invented himself, to route the enemy!!  During the last minutes of the battle my Grandfather met his steel with that of the great Titan Warlord himself, they fought to a stalemate, neither giving quarter to the other!  But his army defeated, the titan had nothing to do but retreat and concede victory to my grandfather.  This, my friends, this is the legacy with which I leave you, remember well what I have taught you and you will live long, glorious and righteous Lives!!  I know you may worry that my own spectacular feats may outshadow yours, but remember we fight not for glory, but for freedom against those that would take it from us!!  Godspeed my children, may my Grandfathers spirit usher you to triumph!!!!" 

*Salutes, turns smartly on his heals and strolls confidently into the crowd, acknowledging those who notice him*


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Meeting for the first time, again (run of 09-16-03, pt 1)*

Back in Hooffall, Deke quickly loots every body and amasses the findings in small, organized piles.  They decide to lay claim to any wealth found on the bodies of travelers, all other wealth will remain with the shrine to aid in the rebuilding.  Brother Niall presents Kel with a cygnet ring that allows him to cast bless three times each day and a long sword named Mercy that allows the wielder to lay on hands once a day.   They leave Kelly and Brother Niall to a night of prayer and manage to be safely ensconced in the tavern in Treadle by nightfall.  Deke and Kenyan are relentless in their probing questions, but the others find it hard to concentrate.  Slowly, after a hearty meal and several pitchers of ale, the story of their collective vision is retold.  Who sent the vision is a mystery, but the lesson is clear:  They made a big mistake when they let Lady Cosette Slaint slip through their grasp.  That serpent-woman was collecting pieces of the body of Mormo with the intent of performing some sort of restoration ritual.  If their vision proved true, she would succeed.

Before leaving Treadle the next morning they stop in to visit the aunt of the Brightwing sisters.  Without much detail, they let her know that Hooffall had been taken over by a vampire, and her nieces’ deaths had been at his hands, but he was now destroyed and Hooffall restored.

Kel meets up with the others before noon, and they travel back to Vesh silently, but without incident.

Back in Vesh, Borin stops off at the Temple of Enkili to check in.  The others head for home.  They return to find an unobtrusive woman hiding in the back yard.  They probably wouldn’t have even noticed her if not for the chittering filcher holding her hand.

Deke runs right up to them, “That another poisoned one?” he askes.  The boyish woman in drab clothing hands Deke the paper with drawings of a filcher wearing a hat and the warehouse.  “Hey, my business card.”

“Since when do you have business cards?” Marja wants to know.  She frowns at the paper.  “Have you been spreading these all over town?”

Kalina is staring intently at the woman, eyeing her brown cropped hair, brown eyes and olive skin.  “Do I know you?” She asks tentatively.  The question catches Marja’s attention who also looks the woman up and down.  “You’re Terri,” she says.  

“Yup,” the woman replies, “Who are you?”  

“I’m Marja.”  

“You’ve changed.”  

“You mean I haven’t changed yet.”  At this point Theo comes scurrying out of the house.

“I wasn’t expecting you today!  Nothing’s prepared!  I don’t even have groceries.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Marja soothes.  “Just bring us out some ale.  Can you whip up something simple for dinner?  We’re hungry, but we’ll be satisfied with anything.”  The tiny hafling darts back into the kitchen and reappears with mugs and pitchers of ale.  Then they pull benches and chairs out into the yard and sit down to talk in the cool evening air.  Lucre steals quietly up stairs to his room.

As the sun begins to set, and the air turns chill, Borin returns from the temple, and the group moves inside to warmth and dinner.  Kenyan eats quickly and leaves for the pubs.  He’s sure that with his new material he should be able to pick up a few permanent gigs.  Deke and the little filcher, whom he says is called Kre Kre head out back to screech in filcher-tongue.

Marja realizes that Lucre hasn’t been with them all evening.  She goes upstairs, but his door is closed.  She knocks tentatively.  Lucre hollers that he’ll be down in a minute, and Marja gives him his privacy.

When he finally wanders down stairs, he is wearing long sleeves, and he’s shivering.  Although he denies that anything is wrong, Marja pushes until he finally shows the group his neck where he was gripped by the vampirette.  He has large pulsating blue bruises.  “I feel like I have a blockade between my mind and body,” he explains.  “I think I’m dying.”

“You’re not dying,” buts in Terri.  She’s pretty sure that a restoration will cure him, and she and Borin recommend that he come to the Temple of Enkili in the morning.  Marja suggests that Lucre might prefer the Temple of Goran, and Lucre agrees to this.

Late in the evening Borin spots a head peeking in the window.  “Hey you!”  A bewildered, but pretty young woman steps inside.  “I almost walked right by,” she says.  “Too much monkey noise.”

“You’re Kira,” Borin remarks.  “Terri’s here too.  Sit down.”  He closes the door and the shutters.  Kira is skeptical until she steps into the light and recognizes Kalina and Lucre.  “But you weren’t in the vision,” she points to Borin.  “Yah, I was.  I’m the other dwarf.”

Explanations on Borin’s elvish appearance always take longer than one might think.  Questions from everyone pepper Marja, but she stays pretty tight-lipped about what might cause such a dramatic change in her appearance.  As quickly as possible the group fills Terri and Kira in on their adventures with Lady Cossette Slaint and her plot to resurrect Mormo.  All this conversation happens over a lovely egg dish whipped up quickly by Theo and finishes with Theo’s presentation of what he calls “cloud,” a snowy pudding with raspberry sauce.

Kira shows the group the little scrap of paper she found in her dead husband’s hands.  Several patrols have been killed at Stonefell Duchy at the base of the Keldar Mountains.  She hasn’t been able to get any satisfaction from anyone in Vesh.  “The bartender at the Stuttering Monkey told me about you.  He said you might help me.  I didn’t realize that I already knew you.”

They decide they need to see Beltray tonight even though it is already ten o’clock.  Borin, Marja, Kalina and Kel wander out in the lovely evening air and head toward his home.  There is a long wait at the door, and the butler arrives in his dressing gown.  “Has his lordship retired for the evening?” asks Marja.  “No, madam, he is in the library as usual,” he answers in his typically disdainful attitude.  Marja has to specifically ask to see Beltray before the butler steps aside and lets them in.

They quickly, but carefully tell him all the events of the last several weeks.  He is astounded and occasionally leaps up to check through reference books commenting, “Oh my!” and “I’ve never seen…” and “How fascinating.”

They present him with the book of secret societies that they collected from the Hooffall library.  He is enthralled, and they realize that they should have saved this book for the end because they have a great deal of trouble regaining his attention.  He finally puts the book on his desk and sits across the room, but his eyes and attentions wander over to it frequently. 

Finally, they get around to the point.  Does he have another mission for them?  When he tells them he has nothing at present, they explain Kira’s story and Cossette’s.  They want to investigate Stonefell and then spend their time finding Cossette and putting an end to her plan once and for all.

Lord Beltray agrees, but then falters with his next words.  Clearly he has some sort of bad news.  “You see,” he stammers.  “The Vigil Council, in their infinite wisdom, and infinite distrust, would like to put another Vigil among you.”  He looks embarrassed.  “I have every faith in you all, of course,” he almost blurts the words.

“Would the new recruit happen to be Caerwyn Ap Bunholm?” asks Marja.  Beltray looks shocked.  She reminds him again about their communal vision.  “He was in it, too,” she explains.

“And two others,” Boran adds.  “We’d like them to join the group if it’s ok with you.”  They then tell Beltray that Deke and Kenyan would like to go their own paths.  The vigil life just doesn’t suit a filcher and a bard.  Beltray goes to his cabinet and picks up a silver globe.  He runs his fingers over its surface.  Borin feels a tingle on his arm where his invisible tattoo is.  “No,” murmurs Beltray.  His fingers move along the sphere.  “Ah, there’s something monkeyish.”  He finds Kenyan’s spot as well.  “Their tattoos have been removed.  Bring the others here in the morning, and we’ll talk more about this.”

Back at the warehouse they ask Terri and Kira to join them in the morning.  Terri shrugs, “Sure.  I’ll meet your hermetic boss.”  Kira is less convinced that they aren’t wasting time.  “I thought I was leading this group to Stonefell!”  

“Leading?”  Marja arches one eyebrow.  “Meow,” whispers Kalina in her ear.  “Whatever,” Marja says as she turns to go up stairs.  “If you’re in, you’re in at Beltray’s in the morning.”

They get up early and take Lucre to the Temple of Goran.  A dwarven cleric taps Lucre’s neck with tiny silver hammers while he chants.  With each tap the vibrations travel through Lucre’s body, and his energy returns.  Suddenly, he feels sick and throws up negative energy bile.  Fully restored, he sends a prayer of thanks to Goran.

Borin insists on paying the cleric for his cousin.  Lucre is grateful and tells the cleric, “He is a proper dwarf, a block of adamantite with a mithral center.”  “She looks a little elfy to me,” the cleric grumbles and leaves them at the door.

Everyone shows up right on time at Lord Beltray’s home in the morning.  They are again led into the library by a more appropriately dressed butler.  A tall, wiry man who is seated in a straight-backed chair immediately rises to attention.  He is wearing a velvet doublet and silk shirt.  He wears no jewelry, but his boots, bracers and other equipment is expensive, polished and highly adorned.  

Borin introduces Kira and Terri to Lord Beltray, and before Beltray can turn to introduce the young man, Borin nods curtly.  “Caerwyn, hello.”  Beltray is flustered that the group seems to know the paladin.  Caerwyn raises one eyebrow, studying Borin. “Do I know you, madam?”

“It’s Borin, Caerwyn,” answers Lucre striding forward to shake his hand.  Caerwyn is confused.  He of course remembers Borin as a dward, not an elf, but he is more concerned about being touched by the one with the blood-taint.  He openly detects evil.  Lucre is taken aback by the rudeness.  Marja develops an instant dislike for this pompous twit who’s been sent to spy on them.  She knows that in the vision he was a trustworthy companion and even a friend, but in her typical way, she disregards all that.  Now she knows how Xenia must have felt when she first met Naxos.  They all sit down, Caerwyn last of all.  Periodically, Marja rises to straighten her trousers or pout tea each time seeing if Caerwyn will rise also, as his breeding would require.  He doesn’t and each time asks if she requires assistance.  Drat!  He knows she’s trying to make fun of him.

They talk briefly of the vision informing Caerwyn of their encounter with Cossette.  “Surely the vision was a warning not a prophecy,” Caerwyn concludes, “for the Champion will not fail.”  A memory flashes through Marja’s mind, “Let us show them how Heroes fight.”  She remembered being inspired by his faith and bravery then.  She pouts silently.  “I’m still not going to like you,” she thinks.

Kira tells Beltray and Caerwyn of her troubles.  Her husband died in the service of the Duke of Stonefell.  Someone seems to be hiding something.  She’s spoken to a few bookies who acknowledge that money has been passing to the commanders of the guards who, it seems, in return do not question the many deaths of their men.

Beltray agrees to their taking up Kira’s quest.  He pulls out a map of Stonefell.  The Duke there is middle-aged, in his 40s.  His father died not many years before at the age of 87.  The current Duke is spoiled and prone to expensive habits.  His mother died when he was very young.  His father’s second wife was indulgent and soft on him.  Otherwise, Beltray doesn’t know much.  He’s quite scandalized that a royal might be hiding something sinister, or would be so unaware of his own duchy that misdeeds could happen under his own nose.  He feels strongly that they should uncover what is going on and follow it to its highest source.

That afternoon Marja and Kalina take Terri and Kira to the salon.  It takes a lot of convincing to get Terri to go in.  Finally, they allow her to sneak around back and climb in through a window.  While Terri and Kira are getting their Vigil tattoos, Marja and Kalina indulge in more mundane pampering.  Afterwards Terri and Kira go each to their own place to pack and prepare.  Kalina takes Fang out of town to a nearby wood to make a shrine to Denev and pray.  Marja travels through the bazaars to a small, but upscale clothing merchant and purchases a fine dress and jewelry.  “You never know if someone will need to make an appearance at court, and I’m sure as hell not letting Caerwyn go alone.”

Meanwhile, the men practice sparring at the warehouse.  Lucre challenges Caerwyn to a race “to the best of our abilities.”  Caerwyn agrees, and since Lucre didn’t specifically mention a foot race, quickly summons his steed.  “You did say to the best of our abilities, didn’t you?”  

They decide on the end mark and set Deke and Theo up to watch.  The two line up, and Borin stands between them calling out, “On your mark.  Get ready.  Go!”  In a flash Lucre is gone.  Caerwyn spurs his horse.  In an equally deft and quick move, Borin spins and grabs Caerwyn’s horse by the tail as it flashes past.  His dwarven strength pulls the horse almost to a stop before Caerwyn swings around and pushes him away.  

Still Caerwyn wins by a nose, but he is outraged.  “You cheated!” he shouts at Borin.  “I dunno,” answers Borin.  “You said to the best of your abilities, and one of a dwarf’s strengths is the ability to call on his clan in times of need.”

“Don’t be a sore winner,” chastises Deke, and that ends the conversation.

The next morning they set off on horseback on the well-traveled road to Stonefell’s main town, Riva.  As they near the Keldar Mountains, Caerwyn, Borin and Kel hear a struggle 100 yards ahead.  “To arms!” shouts Caerwyn and charges forward.

“Is he going to say crap like that all the time?” Marja asks Kel, “because it’s pretty annoying.”  “It won’t be so annoying when his quick calls to action save your life,” Kel answers wisely as he also spurs his horse forward.  Marja sighs.  “I still don’t have to like him,” she mutters under her breath.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Salamander BBQ (end of run 09-16-03)*

They crest the hill and find themselves looking down into a coulee where they spy three men wearing Stonefell crests.  They are being menaced by four enourmous red creatures, skin aflame.  The largest has a crest on its head.  They carry spears that coruscate with flames.

Borin dismounts and rushes down the valley wall while Caerwyn rides down on horseback swinging his great sword.  Kel holds back only long enough for Marja to haste him, watching as Borin attacks the nearest salamander and Caerwyn moves in to flank.

Kalina casts creeping cold, gently blowing across her hands.  Her chill breath smokes as it rolls along the ground gathering moisture.  The breeze strikes a salamander in the chest, and it howls in pain and annoyance.  Kel casts bull’s strength and charges down upon the creature wielding his heavy lance tearing a hole in the creature’s side which almost springs shut with flames, but not quite.  He swings again with his new long sword slicing up through the flames and then back again cutting the beast in half.  It falls silently to the ground, its flames dying out.

The salamanders attack killing two of the Stonefell guards.  Caerwyn is pierced twice by a flaming spear, and Borin is thrown backwards from the lash of a giant flaming tail.

Lucre and Terri race their horses into combat.  Lucre’s arms stretch across the distance grabbing and sundering one of the flaming spears.  Borin is back on his feet and brings his great axe down across a giant tail, cutting three feet of it off.

Marja aims at the salamander farthest away and launches two ice knives which hit the creature in the chest causing it to wail piteously.  She shoots again, but misses splashing Kel in the process.  One last ice knife hurls through the air hitting the creature in the throat.  Momentarily its flames freeze over, then they extinguish as the creature falls to the ground.

Again the creatures attack, ganging up on Borin hitting him with their tails.  Borin rages and attacks, cutting the large ridge-backed one in half.  In one fluid movement he spins the axe in his hand and swings down into the chest of the only one not yet wounded.  It howls scorching the ground with its hot breath.

Only one salamander remains standing.  Kalina turns into a fork-tailed swallow, swoops down and brushed against its spear casting rusting grass.  The handle crumbles away.  Kel rides in for a final attack, and the last creature falls.

They are left panting in the stillness with the quiet sound of scrub grass crackling in small pockets of flame around them.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Strike while the iron is HOT!  (run of 09-30-03)*

With the battle over Kel wanders through the group healing where he can.  One of the guards is still alive, and much of Corean’s blessings are laid upon him.  Lucre lays out the other two bodies and begins gathering their personal affects, stacking them in two neat piles.

“What are you doing?  They have families!” a weak, but determined voice chastises Lucre.  The dwarf prickles at the implication.  “I assumed they did,” he answers gruffly.  “I also assumed they’d want the personal affects, or was it your intention to bury them with the bodies.”

“Ah, no.  My apologies.  Please proceed.”

“Perhaps introductions are in order,” soothes Kel as he helps the man to his feet.  Captain Alik Sebastian is introduced all around.  He is pretty tight lipped about what he and his men were doing until he sees Kira Rush.  He knew Thomas, her husband, and she has heard of him.  They both seem to be after the same information.  Who is taking money to hide something, and what are they hiding.  Captain Sebastian relaxes a little, but doesn’t take well to Lucre’s using his first name.

“Alik, shall we bury your dead, or would you mind if we created a small avalanche.  The rocks over here could be dislodged to do the trick.”

“Captain Sebastian, if you don’t mind.  And I think your avalanche will be fine.”

Marja senses the tensions rising and steps in.  “We seem to be searching for the same thing,” she says gently, placing her hand on his shoulder.  “Is such formality necessary?”  Alik turns to look at her.  There is something very familiar about this dark haired woman with green eyes.  He thinks she looks a great deal like his beloved Amira, his first true love who died tragically young.  The hair color is all wrong, of course, as are the eyes and skin, but otherwise she is the spitting image of her.

“Excuse me, madam.  Do I know you?”  His hand lightly brushes her arm as he turns to face her.

“I don’t think so,” Marja answers in that coy voice of hers.  She catches Lucre rolling his eyes.  “At least, not yet.”  

Kalina’s voice calls from across the coulee, “Guys, I found a trail.”  There is very little in this gully that will burn, but Kalina managed to follow small scorch marks on the dry stone.  They follow behind her as she leads them over the next hill where they find two large stone pillars.  Between them a tall, vibrant fire is raging.  As they stare between the pillars, through the fire, they can just make out the interior of a stone room.

“Perhaps there is an entrance around the back,” Caerwyn muses as he rides his horse down to investigate.

“Not likely,” grunts Borin.  “If that’s what I think it is, the only way in is through the fire.”

Caerwyn rides around the pillars, but Borin is right.  There is no room to be seen except through the flames.  Borin approaches the pillars head on, peering into the room.

Suddenly, he is thrown backward as an enormous creature of flames strides out from between the pillars.  It is easily fifteen feet tall with small dark eyes like glowing coals.  It strides to Borin who is lying on his back and starts wailing on him with its flaming fists.

Marja begins to cast, and as she finishes her movements become a blur.  Her next spell is spoken so quickly, it is hard to catch the words.  An ice knife flies from her right hand.  The creature shivers and brings its fists down again hitting Borin and Lucre.  Borin does not move.  His body goes limp.

“Borin’s down,” shouts Lucre.  “Hey, you big ugly lug.  Come over here and I’ll…” Lucre tumbles backwards and away from Borin with a string of taunts pouring endlessly from his lips.  The creature takes the bait and steps toward him.  It looks hurt, more hurt than a single ice knife could deliver.

Terri and Kira flank the creature, and Kira halls off with her signature kick to the privates, or where the privates ought to be.  Her foot tears a hole in the flames.  The substance of the creature seems to diminish.

Kel rushes in and using his new sword, lays hands on Borin.  Borin regains consciousness, but just barely.  Fang grabs Borin’s collar in his teeth and drags him to safety.  Kel can hear Marja casting behind him, but can’t make out the words, then he feels her touch his back.  He feels a surge of energy rush through him as her haste spell takes effect.  Marja throws another ice knife, but this one misses and splashes Kel and Kira.

Again the creature swings its fiery fists about wildly.  It hits Kira and Caerwyn, knocking Caerwyn unconscious.  The paladin slumps over, but stays in the saddle.  Lucre calls to the horse, but the well-trained battle stallion does not respond.

Kel clutches his sword in both hands and swings up through the body of the creature and then back down again.  The creature disappears. 

Kel places his sword in front of him and again lays hands on Borin.  Lucre rushes to Caerwyn and gently eases him off of his horse.  Alik checks on Marja who is completely uninjured, although Alik still isn’t looking too well himself.  Borin reaches into his bag and pulls out what appears to be a blanket.  In the next instant he is gone and a sheep is bahing quietly.  Before Alik can turn to look at the noise Borin is back looking much better than before.

“Great Idea,” says Marja.  She pulls another sheepskin out of her pack and tosses it to Alik.  Here wrap yourself in this.  Alik obliges and as a weird sensation.  He thinks he looks like a sheep.  He bristles at the feeling and pulls the blanket off. 

“What the heck was that?”

“A transformation sheep skin,” answers Marja.

“Well, I don’t like it.  It’s not a very funny joke.”  Alik sounds exasperated.

“It’s not meant to be a joke.  It’s meant to make you feel better which I bet you do.”

Begrudgingly Alik must admit this is true.

“That’s not much of a joke,” chimes in Lucre, “but this is.  Two penguins are sitting on an ice flow…”  Several bad jokes and healing prayers later, the group is feeling much better although they keep a wary eye on the fiery pillars.  They decide to rest for the night before plunging in to investigate.

In the morning Lucre spends some time sparring with his sword, The Citadel.  There is a new voice speaking to him, an old woman.  “The secret of strength is knowing when to bend,” she tells him.

“Oh, yes,” he replies, “You mean timing.”

“No, silly boy.”  Lucre suddenly finds himself facing the old hag on the psychic plane.  “I mean being underestimated.”  She engages Lucre in battle and proceeds to kick his butt from here to Sunday.  Every time he reaches for her she disappears.  “Use your mind, not your eyes, to tell where I’m going.”  Lucre concentrates, and suddenly it’s all so clear.  Of course he can anticipate her moves.

Marja, too, takes this moment of quite to disappear for a while.  Her dreams have been particularly vivid of late, but not of scary winged creatures, or freakish deformed people.  Instead she’s been dreaming of lightening.  She’s cast several lightening bolt scrolls, and in her dreams she’s internalized the spell.  She’s sure with a little practice that she can pull that energy out of herself without the aid of a spell scroll.  She’s had a few other dreams as well.  Being unable to find Terri once she becomes invisible has been a problem a few times in the past.  Although she’s never seen it done, Marja is sure that she can create a spell that let’s her see someone even if they’re invisible.  She uses this down time to practice what her dreams have told her she can do.

In the morning the group reassesses the fiery doorway.  Alik pokes a dry stick into the flames, and it ignites.  Ignoring caution Borin jumps through.  Lucre protects himself from fire before following, and Terri, not wanting to be outdone, follows him.  They find themselves in a corridor with walls of flame, but although it is hot, it is not as deadly as it appears.  They move into a room filled with burning crates and an altar at the top end.  Borin hears glass breaking and moving around to the back of the altar, finds a man crouching down holding a broken bottle.

Left outside, Marja sighs.  “Oh well, no sense using caution now.  They’re either ok, or they need our help.  We might at well just jump through.”  The others agree, and they all follow after Borin, Lucre and Terri.

“Damn,” exclaims the man holding the broken bottle.  “Did you see where it went?”

“The big fiery thing?” asks Borin.  “Yah.  We killed it last night.  Was it your pet?”

“Are you kidding?  They ravaged through this place.”

Lucre approaches and senses his motives.  He is genuinely surprised to see them here.  He is nervous and twitchy.  The man scans the three of them, waves his hands and disappears.  Borin swings at him, but hits the wall.

Terri is busy searching the area.  She’s sure that this stone slab was an altar, but she’s also sure it hasn’t been used in a long time.

As the others arrive in the room, Borin moves into another corridor.  At the end of this hallway is a room with a platform like a dock extending into a sea of magma.  The platform is joined to another one by a 20-foot bridge.  A man in tattered robes is standing on the far platform casting flames at a dark winged figure flying overhead.  “That thing will destroy everything!” he cries.

Suddenly the creature comes into view.  It is a huge winged snake with claws and a human face.  Its body is covered with an icy white gleam.  The heat causes it to steam.  It swoops down over the man and breaths a cone of icy air.  The poor spell caster falls to the ground.

Marja pushes into the room and raising her arms sends a lightening bolt from her fingers shooting into the creature’s side.  Kalina is right on her heals and follows with a bolt of flame.  The beast screeches in a voice both hideous and melodic.

Kel casts a spell and moves onto the platform.  He feels the strength of a bull surge through his muscles as he moves.  Caerwyn detects evil, although he doubts it’s necessary, and moves past Marja.  Alik shoots an arrow from the doorway.  It hits the creature where its heart should be, but the creature looks nonplussed.  Lucre activates an ability he calls reach.  His arms turn to rubber and stretch in front of him as he moves into place next to his cousin.

The beast continues to sing.  The sound is harsh, but compelling.  Kalina and Alik run toward it, offering no resistance to its attacks.  Marja rushes forward also, but shrugs off the feeling.  She touches Borin as she chants, and he rises off of the ground flying.  He flies up behind the beast and rages in anger as he hits.  It wails in pain and plummets into the magma.  A cloud of steam hisses up momentarily obscuring everyone’s view as ice is consumed by fire.

As the steam clears, the group looks around.  Across the molten lake is a platform with a large statue of Thulcas, Titan of Fire.  Kira notices something at the base of the statue.  Broin flies over and picks up four silver rings.  Two feel cool to the touch.  He puts one on and immediately feels relief from the intense heat.  Lucre detects magic on the two cool rings.  The others are ordinary jewelry.  Terri takes the other ring and sighs as she feels its cooling effect.

Terri searches the body of the fallen mage.  He has a tail.  He also has a wand.  “Hey, question:” Terri pipes up.  “What looks like a man with a red lion’s tail?”  Marja takes the wand.  She’ll have to find someone to identify it later.  As others move in to look at the body, a female figure comes out of the dark running towards them, but looking over her shoulder.

Kel moves to intercept her.  “What are you doing?  Get out!” the woman shouts.  “They’ve let loose the demons and betrayed us.  I’m getting out of here.”

“Who?  Tell us?” Caerwyn moves next to Kel to impede her progress.

She eyes up these two with their shining symbols of Corean blazoned across their chests.  “Why should I trust you, or tell you anything?” she sputters.  “He shot our lord into the sun.”  She points at the holy symbol to make her point.

They all hear the scratching of slender feet and turn to see four creatures with the heads of wolves, the bodies of shrimp and spider-like legs scrambling up the pillars and onto their platform.


----------



## Caerwyn

> Caerwyn detects evil, although he doubts it’s necessary...




Hey, that one wasn't _my_ idea!


----------



## KidCthulhu

Iron Chef BBQ said:
			
		

> There is something very familiar about this dark haired woman with green eyes.  He thinks she looks a great deal like his beloved Amira, his first true love who died tragically young.  The hair color is all wrong, of course, as are the eyes and skin, but otherwise she is the spitting image of her.
> 
> “Excuse me, madam.  Do I know you?”  His hand lightly brushes her arm as he turns to face her.




All this wackyness with people recongizing Kenyon and now Marja needs some explination:

_Gloves of the Beloved:_These fine, white leather gloves are covered with delicate embroiderly and extend just past the elbow.  They grant the wearer a +2 enhancement bonus to charisma.  Made of human skin (the party doesn't know this), and taken from the lair of a troll/half-hag cleric, they have one unusual side effect.  Anyone who spends a few moments talking to the wearer must make a will save at DC 12.  If they fail, the wearer reminds them of someone much loved and now deceased; mother, father, brother, cousin, lover, friend.  The charisma bonus manifests itself as a carryover from that love lost.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Fire & Ice (run of 10-14-03)*

Our intrepid band of adventures finds themselves staring at four shrimp-like creatures climbing out of the magma.  Two lunge at Lucre, and the well-kept dwarf finds his body covered in slashes from their spindly legs.  Borin looks one of the creatures in the eye as he prepares to charge, but his body seizes up in terror.  Never has Borin experienced this kind of fear.  He’s unable to move.  Captain Alik Sebastian is likewise paralyzed with fright.  Borin catches a glimpse of his cousin out of the corner of his eye.  He sees the blood dripping down his chest.  He closes his eyes and howls, fighting against the terror, and swings his axe.  He opens his eyes as he feels it sink into something.  As the sound of shell cracking reaches his ears, he wonders what he was afraid of.  Lucre wipes the blood from his eyes and moves across from Borin swinging the Citadel and taking off two of the creature’s legs.  The shrimp-beast wavers, but doesn’t fall.  Kell fires a crossbow bolt, sending the creature backwards off of the pier.  It floats on the surface of the magma, steam rising up as its blood oozes out into the fiery sea.

Kira steps to the side to get a clear shot and fires her crossbow hitting one in the shoulder.  Marja, feeling that the crowd is too close to risk an ice knife, sends magic missiles shooting through the air.  Kalina waits for the flashes of light to clear before raising her long bow, one, two three.  She begins to tighten her string, four.  “Hey,” Kalina shouts, “Since when is it four!  Alright!”  She draws her bow again, and is about to release the string when Alik steps into her line of sight.  “Drat!  Watch it, Captain.”  Terri steps back and begins to chant creating magic stones.

Another creature meets Borin eye-to-eye, but this time the dwarf/elf is nonplussed.  He growls back at the beast and swings his axe cutting a slice across its front.  Marja sends two magic missiles into the wound Borin created, and the creature falls at his feet.  The creature to its right bites Lucre.  It raps several of its spiny legs around him and draws him closer.  Lucre feels a sucking sensation and sees the creature’s mouth turn red with his blood.  He feels weak and his knees buckle, but he pushes the creature away from him.  The third remaining shrimp-beast attacks Xel-She, the woman they had just intercepted as she was fleeing.  It bites her shoulder holding her in its grip while it drinks.  When it straightens up, she falls to the ground.  Marja’s two remaining missiles hit it in the face as it rises followed by a crossbow bolt from Kira and a sword thrust from Alik.

Kel pushes his way in to the fray murmuring and holding his hands up in front of him.  He reaches Lucre and grasps him by the shoulders as the warmth of his hands penetrates Lucre’s body.  The dwarf’s knees find their bearings beneath him so that he does not fall, but he looks bad.

The two remaining shrimp-beasts attack Borin.  One swings an arm cutting his cheek.  It swings again, but slips in the blood of its fallen brother and sprawls on its stomach at Borin’s feet.  The second creature can’t quite reach Borin over the prone body of the other, and swings wide.  Borin’s swing, however, reaches across and slices the upright creature in two.  He brings his axe down into the prone one chopping two of its legs off.  He swings again, and again hears the reassuring cracking of shell as the last shrimp-beast dies.

In the post-battle silence the sounds of Borin and Lucre panting echo across the wobbly bridge on which they stand.  Xel-She is dead.  Terri pulls a ring off of her finger and hands it to Lucre.  He looks like he needs the most relief from the heat.  He’s sweating profusely, and his wounds are still oozing.  She also finds two potions and a pocket full of quills.

Lucre’s eyes flash, and the air is filled with a sulfur smell.  Lucre looks better, and his wounds stop oozing.

They continue down the corridor, come to a cross and turn left.  They enter a large room with a round conference table that is covered with papers and maps of Stonefell.  Kira gives them a quick scan and notices the locations of guard outposts marked with monetary amounts.  The adjoining room to the left is lushly furnished with a four-poster bed and plush furniture.  The room to the right has four simple cots and a utility closet containing chests of clothing.

While the rogues give the place a thorough search Borin leans back against a blank wall.  Lucre goes over to chat and notices a few stay hairs from Borin’s braids flutter upward.  “Step aside, cousin, and take a look at this wall.”  With nimble darven fingers Lucre finds the spring release for a secret door.  

The door reveals a mid-sized room with no furniture.  Four chests line the back wall and a large figure stands in front of them.  Lucre’s dwarven eyes can see clearly, but Borin’s elven eyes take a few moments to adjust to the gloom.  Marja pushes in behind the two cousins as the three try to make sense of the figure before them.  It’s larger than human and seems to be made of flesh and limbs that look like they’ve been soldered together.

“What do you think, Marja?” Lucre asks.  “Should we come back later, or kill it now?”

“I’m fully loaded.  I say now.”  As Marja speaks she nimbly steps to the side, and before the word, now, is out of her mouth, or Lucre can move to attack, Caerwyn rushes past all three of them and brings his sword down across the creature’s chest.  The air echos with a dull ringing as the sword bounces back like it hit a solid wall. 

“Are you sure it’s not dead?” Caerwyn asks.

Lucre steps in with the Citadel and strikes, but is met with the same solid resistance.  He briefly joins his mind with his sword, asking if the thing is dead or intelligent.  The Grandfather answers, “It is not dead, but there is no life there.”

Kira scurries in and tries to pass it.  Its arms swing shut like two large, heavy doors catching her and breaking her collarbone.  She pulls away, clearly pissed, and stabs with her rapier through the back into it’s kidneys, if, of course, it had kidneys.

Captain Sebastian shoots a crossbow bolt from the hallway, but can’t get a clear shot and hits Caerwyn in the shoulder.  “We’re surrounded,” shouts Caerwyn as he ducks for cover.

Borin chuckles at the mishap even as his axe tears a large rend in the creature’s side.  Four magic missiles fly through the air, but as each one hits, it pops out of existence.  The room is suddenly filled with light at Kalina enters with her flame blade.  Kira sidles past her into the hallway to find Kel who heals her shoulder.

Kalina steps in to face the creature, buries her blade in its stomach and twists.  As the blade enters the flame is extinguished in a smell of burning flesh, but the creature falls to the floor shattering into a pile of disparate limbs.

“Oh, that is just disgusting.”  Marja pushes a stray body part with her toe.  “I can’t believe people fear sorcerers because of possible Titan taint, but allow mages to walk among them who spend time thinking up crap like this.”

“Hum, what?”  Asks Terri.  She seems to have hardly noticed the pile now that she has access to the chests.  All four are now open revealing a lead lining and a smaller wooden box within.  Terri gingerly lifts each of the smaller boxed out and places them in a row on the ground.  She approaches the first one, searches for traps, but finds nothing so she springs the lock.  The flame that shoots up sends her falling backwards onto her bum.  She looks up at the group with a look of chagrin made all the more ridiculous by the fact that her eyebrows have been singed off.

Kira steps in to look at the next box.  She can’t find any trap on this one either.  Terri looks and concurs so she carefully springs the lock and jumps back but not in time to avoid the second flame that shoots up.  This time she is more seriously hurt.

The two look carefully at the remaining two chests.  Still they see no traps, but are hesitant to pick another lock.  “Oh, let me handle this,” Borin says as he strides between them.  He brings his axe down hard on the lid of each remaining chest causing two more flames to shoot upward into the air.  He manages to dodge both flames, singeing the tips of his braids.  They find coins, gems and silks that the rogues value at over 4,000 gp.

Marja runs her fingers across the beautiful green silk.  “I can sew, you know,” a soft voice whispers over her shoulder.  She turns to look at Terri and murmurs back, “What would I need with something as fine as this.  This is cloth for real ladies.”  In her mind she finishes the sentence, “Not for freaks.”

A flaming crossbow bolt flies over their heads and buries itself in the far wall.  Borin heads in the directed of the shooter and sees an overturned table in the room at the end of the corridor.  Alik is close on his heals.  Lucre delays with a better idea.  He attempts to sunder a seven-foot table in half to use as cover.

Two magic missiles shoot from behind the table and hit Borin, but he brushes them of and keeps moving.  A small red pellet comes zooming down the hall.  Borin jumps back out of the hall for cover, but Alik is caught off guard by the fireball.  As the flash dissipates he staggers, but manages to keep his feet.

Borin is about to rush back down the hall when Marja lightly touches his shoulder.  He turns to see what she wants, but feels a surge through his body.  His movements speed up, and with a nod he lunges down the hallway.

The air is smoky, and the ceiling has collapsed in the far corner of the room.  The walls are black with fire markings, and most of the furniture is burning.  Borin sees three heads peeking up from behind the barricade, a halfling, a half-orc and a half-elf.  He attacks the half-elf and feels his great axe slide between her ribs.

The halfling conjures a flaming sphere and attacks Alik who falls to one knee gasping for air.  Lucre rushes over clutching the half-table.  He overbears the flaming sphere which sets the table on fire, but he manages to push is back 10 feet and away from Alik.  He quickly surveys the room and yells in dwarven that the ceiling might come down at any minute, especially after he hits it.

Kel moves in behind Lucre and heals Alik while Marja hastes Caerwyn.

The half-orc conjures another flaming sphere.  Borin manages to dodge it, but it sets several barrels on fire.  The heat in the room grows intense.  The half-elf hollers, “shut your eyes,” as she makes the sphere explode.  Her warning aids Lucre and Borin, but not Kira who is blinded by the blast.  Borin smashes his axe against the half-elf pasting her against the wall.  As he removes his weapon from the stone, flakes fall from the ceiling above.  He moves back into the hallway.

Kalina puts a small stone into her avalanche sling and following Lucre’s direction aims for the ceiling.  The pebble flies from the sling and grows, hitting the ceiling with a crash.  The room starts to rumble.

The halfling swallows a potion even as Borin attacks hitting him in the stomach.  A belch of flame comes out of his mouth as his body is sliced nearly in two.  Sic transit Gloria halfling.

Lucre shoots his crossbow into the ceiling, and it collapses.  Caerwyn and Borin jump back, but are pummeled by falling rocks.  The half-orc is crushed under the weight of the ceiling.

Caerwyn finds himself in a side room that is a kitchen.  He feels a cool breeze in an adjoining space and finds a food locker with a glyph on the floor.  Kira deciphers the script which is a doorway to an ice plane, a magic refrigerator.  

They search the room main room and ruble, and Borin finds a hidden door.  He opens it and is confronted by two giant fire lizards.  The room behind them appears to be a jail, and several of the cages are torn open.  In a locked cage is a badly burned human slumped on the floor.  The walls are lined with implements of torture.

Borin charges in swinging his axe two-handed, rending the belly of one beast.  Lucre fallows by thrusting the Citadel into the gaping wound.  Kira fires her crossbow and hits, but at a bad angle.  The bolt bounces off the lizard.  Alik also fires, and hits the creature dead in the eye (critical), but with a mundane crossbow.  The bolt bounces harmlessly away.  Marja hits the same eye with an ice knife.  The beast howls in pain from the cold.

Terri sneaks past the uproar and picks the lock releasing the man.  He staggers out and falls into her arms.  “They’ve been burning me for fun,” he gasps into her ear.  She pulls him away from the fray.  She learns that his name is Thul Alex, and he’s been working with Thul Gula.  They are trying to free Thulkas.  A man with a spider tattoo on his face came to them saying that he could melt the ice that traps their master.  Kel, who was reaching out his hands to heal, stops momentarily and glares.  

The two lizards attack spearing Lucre and Borin.  Kalina casts chill metal on the spears.  As the metal gets colder and colder, the creatures have more trouble holding on to them.

Borin kills the wounded lizard, and Lucre attacks the other watching the flames reflect off of the crystal blade of the Citadel.  Marja pierces it with an ice knife, but does little damage, although the creature bristles at the cold.

Caerwyn straddles the body of the dead lizard and swings his sword striking the living one.  Borin hits it again.  The lizard is on its last legs.  Lucre swings, a kill in sight, but misses.  No kill for Lucre.

A crossbow bolt whizzes past Caerwyn’s head and bounces off of the creature.  “It’s not doing anything,” shouts Kira, “but it makes me feel useful.”  An ice knife soon follows, but even as she throws it, Marja feels it slip from her fingers.  She knows it won’t hit.  She’s been too lucky with that spell today.  The knife hits the bars of the cage behind the creature and splashes the area hitting Borin, Caerwyn and Lucre in addition to the lizard.  Fortunately, the heat minimizes the damage.  Caerwyn swings through the spattering ice and kills the creature.

Alik ties Thul Alix up as he finishes his tale.  They were summoning the demons and bribing the guards to keep people away.  He didn’t trust the newcomer and spoke out against him which is how he ended up imprisoned.  He thinks their leader is dead and that the man with the spider tattoo will try to shatter the soul of ice on his own and take the body of their master away.

Borin, Marja and Kalina start at the words, “spider tattoo.”  “Cossette!” sighs Marja.  “Could this be one leg of the spider creature that killed us?” asks Kalina.  “We have to stop it then,” speaks Caerwyn.  He turns to the prisoner, “Where is this so-called soul of ice!”


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Danger!  Thin Ice (run of 10-28-03)*

Thul-Javas stares defiantly at Caerwyn as he asks him to repent his sins and receive redemption.  Borin, Lucre and Caerwyn engage in a debate posed in the question, “Can good people worship and evil god, or are they evil themselves by nature of the worshiping?”  Caerwyn won’t hear arguments coming from the Titan-tainted psychic warrior, and his religious fervor won’t allow any of Borin’s rationalizations.  The others stay silently out of the fray of a debate that will come up again.

Although Thul-Javas believes he is morally right in his worship, he none the less provides the group with information.  A man with a spider tattoo on his face came with information on how to free the frozen piece of the Titan, Thul from its prison of ice.  He didn’t trust this stranger and spoke out against him and was imprisoned.  The man has one green eye and one blue eye.

Thul-Javas directs them to the location of the soul of ice.  He would rather see Thul remain imprisoned in ice then in the clutches of the man with the spider tattoo.  They lock him back in his cell.

Our intrepid band of adventurers travel northward to another room of magma.  In the center is a glistening white pyramid made of solid ice with a stairway cut into the side.  The heat is melting it rapidly, and just as rapidly it is refreezing.  The sides are smooth and slick.  Terri spots a figure slowly climbing up the side about 10 feet from the top.  He’s carrying a large chest on his back.

Borin heads up the narrow stairway of ice, leaping like an elf and deftly reaches the top where he finds a 5’ by 5’ crystal pyramid made of clear ice.  All around the edges he can see a crowd, creatures with stick-like limbs clawing at the air trying to break free of their prison.  At the back of the crowd Borin spies a large white thing.

Suddenly, a white arm holding a trident slices through the ice wall and pushes itself through the crack.  It’s an ice lizard.  Borin hits it with his great axe and is sprayed by shards of ice.

Kel casts bless and carefully sets his foot at the base of the stairs.  Terri ahs already crawled halfway up, and Lucre is attempting to crawl around to the other side.  Marja decides Kell looks to precarious in his heavy armor on that narrow slippery staircase.  One false move and he’ll slip off into the magma.  She murmurs quietly and reaches out to touch Kel’s shoulder.  As her fingers lightly graze him he feels his feet loose purchase on the ice.  For a moment he thinks he’s falling, then he realizes the feeling is more controlled than that.  Effortlessly he rises up into the air and flies about Marja’s head.  “Thanks,” he shouts as he heads for the top.

Kalina, who is in owl form, casts a flaming sphere and sends it toward the lizard, but the creature dodges.  Borin rages, but can’t get traction to bull rush.  He moves toward the man and attacks.  As he approaches, he sees the man’s face.  He has a spider tattoo.  Borin hits him and cuts his face.  His blood spatters and burns Borin where it lands.

Caerwyn tries to pray for healing, but he slips on the ice and falls to one knee.

Terri moves up the stairs, but slips and slides back down bumping into Kel as he is rising.  “Did you want something?” he asks.  Ha!  Kel made a joke.  “I think she wants you to carry her,” someone replies.

Lucre continues his slow ascent.

The lizard stabs at Borin with its trident.  “Hey, guys.  Whenever you want to come up and help would be fine,” Borin calls down.  The man with the spider tattoo begins to chant, and the crystal pyramid begins to throb.

Kel flies up and uses the ring of the ram, but forgot that he wasn’t braced with his feet.  As the ring emits a strong puff of air which charges forward, it also propels Kel backwards.  His aim is off, and the windy ram charges wide.

Kira who has carefully climbed up the stairs, tosses a tanglefoot bag at the man with the spider tattoo.  She warns Borin who manages to jump up and avoid the goo, but so does the man.

Marja casts spider climb on Terri who doesn’t think twice about popping the tiny living spider into her mouth.  She pulls off her shoes and scrambles up the ice slope.  Kalina moves the sphere back toward the lizard and casts Salamar’s quiet contemplation.  Fang helps Lucre by pushing him up the mountain side with his snout while Lucre activates skate and moves 5 feet.  He’s almost in range.

Again the lizard stabs Borin with its trident, but Borin thinks not as hard as the last time.  Perhaps Kalina’s spell is working.  Borin tries to grapple the man with the spider tattoo, and Terri tries to poke him with her rapier, but he dodges all their attacks and continues to chant.

He tosses a fine powder over the crystal.  As the dust drifts through the room, they all feel an intense sadness.  It smells like the elven forests near Amalthea, but feels wrong, like something powerful has disappeared.  Cracks appear in the crystal.

Caerwyn approaches Marja and removes his boots.  Marja chants quietly with a slight chuckle and hands Caerwyn a spider.  Garnet voices her displeasure that all her spiders are being eaten.  And while she’s complaining she puts in a word about temperature control here.   Marja ignores her while she too eats a spider and removes her boots.

The lizard creature has trouble dodging the flaming sphere this time so Kalina swoops down to Caerwyn and heals him a little before he starts up the slippery slope.

Borin finally grapples the man with the spider tattoo and holds him fast.  He can feel his skin burning wherever he touches the man.  Lucre heaves himself into the top of the pyramid and whacks the man with the Citadel.  A flame jumps out of the wound and burns Lucre.

The lizard half-heartedly pokes at Kel with its trident.  Clearly contemplating something.

The man with the spider tattoo looks at Borin, and Borin sees the insanity behind those mismatched eyes.  He’s still chanting, and Borin begins to squeeze until finally he can’t take a breath.  The chant stops.

Caerwyn reaches the top and bulrushes the lizard, but misses.  The lizard responds, but lamely.  Caerwyn senses motive, and the creature seems lazy. 

Kira fires her crossbow, but slips on the ice as she releases her string.  The arrow flies wide and low and hits Lucre in the buttock.  The site almost made Marja mess up her own chanting, but she stifles a laugh as four magic missiles fly from her fingertips at the lizard.

“Don’t hit the salamander,” Borin calls.  “Why?”  “I have a suspicion we shouldn’t.”  But too late.  Again the lizard is unable to move away from the flaming sphere.  It collapses and slides down the side of the pyramid into the magma below.

Kel swings with his long sword as Borin leans forward to allow the blade to slide under his ribs and into the man with the spider tattoo.  Kel hits him again, and Borin squeezes until the man loses consciousness.  Terri steps in and ties him up.

Marja approaches the crystal pyramid and casts ray of frost at it.  It’s a little spell, but just about all she has left.  The cracks stop getting bigger.  Caerwyn touches it to help channel holy energy.  The cold burns his hands, but he holds them there as Marja casts again.  The tiny ray of frost jumps from her fingertip.  Caerwyn feels his hands freeze to the crystal.  Then the cold and holy energy get sucked in to the crystal.  Caerwyn’s hands release.  The throbbing slows, and the thrashing limbs inside the crystal seem to be scratching at the inside instead of pushing to get out like before.  Kel steps in and Caerwyn aids him.  As he touches the crystal he can feel the icy fingers scratching on the inside, and he can’t concentrate.  He tries again, and this time his prayer succeeds.  The crystal stops thrumming.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Bathtubs of the Rich and Titany (run of 11-11-03)*

As our intrepid band of adventurers stands around the stilled crystal, Borin takes a step back, slips and lands flat on his elvish back.  Kel picks him up and carries him down.  He is unhurt, except for his ego.  Kel returns to the top, and he and Caerwyn carry the unconscious body with the spider tattoo down from the pyramid.  They search is while Lucre and Caerwyn once again debate the finer points of Titan worship.  Can only evil people worship evil gods?  Borin and Kel jump in occasionally, but the others stay uncomfortably silent.  These are issues into which small town folk rarely delve, and issues that are very close to the heart of people like Marja and Lucre who seem to carry Titan touches.

On the man’s body they find a heavy key, two scrolls (dimension door, fireball and iceball), a non-magic spider signet ring, magic bracers, another heat-resistance ring, which Kel takes, and another magic ring.  Lucre puts it on, feels a weight in his hand and almost drops a dagger that has appeared there.  “That’s pretty cool,” pipes up Terry.  Lucre hands the ring to her, but she gives it to Kira since Terry already has a magic dagger.  They also find 50 platinum pieces. 

There is one more area of this fiery space that they have not explored.  They debate resting or going on.  As they talk they, they clear debris in the room where the ceiling collapsed to open the corridor.  Kalina turns into a bird and flies ahead to investigate.  She finds a large reception room that has been trashed.  It is bordered by 10 flaming pillars.  Bookshelves have been toppled, and tapestries have been torn from the walls.  She comes back and turning back into human form, reports what she’s seen.  The group decides to investigate now rather than sleep on it.

At the back of the room they find two archways, on the left and right, and ahead a set of stairs that lead up to a large marble tub.  The walls around it are mirrors. Bloody footprints lead from one archway across the room and into the other.  There is a desk with scattered papers.  Kira deciphers some of the text and finds a coded reference to a spider.  She gathers up the papers to delve into later.

Lucre reaches into the tub and finds the stopper and pulls.  The water slowly drains out the bottom.  At the bottom of the tub they find a gold-plated ducky bath toy.  “Who baths in a reception room?” asks Marja, but Fang’s low growl interrupts any possible responses.  He smells something wrong – evil and dead.  Kel casts bless.  Borin, Marja, Caerwyn and Fang all perk as they hear a voice, “Because I command it, you #$@& things!”  Kel aids Borin and Kalina casts resistance on him and Caerwyn.  They approach the stone chamber through the archway on the left side.

In the stone chamber, on two wooden platforms covered in silver runes stand two large humanoid figures clothed in chains, faces covered leaving slots for two burning eyes to see.  Between the two figures stands a man, the man they saw when they first entered this strange place.  His eyes are rolled back in his head and he is yelling.  Behind him they see a pool of blood where the bloody footprints end.

“I command you to find and destroy the man with the spider tattoo!” he shrieks, and ads as an afterthough, “And them too,” pointing to the group. 

“But we have the man with the spider tattoo,” sputters Kalina.  The room turns silent until Kira sprints across the floor and stabs the man with her new dagger.  He drops to his knees.  “I think I found something important,” she calls, “like a kidney.”  The man crouches and continues to attempt to wake the two figures.

A low growling sound murmurs from the front of the room.  The two creatures start to move.  “Released already.  Waiting.”  They moan, and whipping their chains around they smear the kneeling man across the floor.  Terri moves in next to Kira, sliding across the floor on the slippery remains.  Borin rages and attacks.  Kalina casts cold snap and frost covers the chains, but disappears.  Kel hits with a power attack, but doesn’t think his great sword penetrates as deeply as it should have.  He calls that he thinks they have some sort of resistance.  

Marja casts a lightening bolt from a scroll, but they resist it too.  “Don’t spend a scroll,” Kalina calls out.  “Use your ice knives.  Are you out?”  “No,” Marja replies, “but I don’t think cold is having any affect on them.”

With chains in each of their hands the creatures strike.  The first one comes down hard on Marja and Borin who both manage to avert the full force of the blow.  The second brings his right-hand chain down on Kira’s shoulder, then failing to notice Terri, he brings the left-hand chain down on Kira again hitting her in the leg.  The sound of something hard hitting the floor echoes in the room.  “Holy toast!  That was my knee cap, you creep,” hollers Kira as she stabs hard and pierces the beast’s flesh.  Terri moves unnoticed to flank and attacks, but barely breaks the skin.

Borin jumps up howling in rage and swings his axe across the legs of the creature in front of him.  He completely severs the chains at the knees, and the creature falls and is still.  Lucre tumbles lithely into the second creature’s space and attacks with the citadel, but misses.  Caerwyn chuckles to Borin, “You look like an elf, but he prances like one.”  Kel jumps in and stabs aiming right through a link in the chain mail and feels something snap.  Marja sends four magic missiles crashing against the creature’s chest.  Caerwyn saunters over, swings and hits.  The beast responds by swinging back with his chains, but misses.

Fang again registers distress over the smell of something dead and evil.

“What!” cries Lucre in indignation, “I’m not good enough a target for you?  Come here, chain monkey.”

Kira follows Kel’s lead and sticks her dagger in between links.  She twists and hears another snap.  The creature falls.

Borin wastes no time following Fang into the adjoining room.  The bloody footprints move across this room as well and out another archway.  He sees flickering lights and moves closer to see a man-like form covered in gray scales tossing books into a fire.  The others rush in behind Borin.  Kel tries to turn it, but it just looks at him and snarls.

Caerwyn jumps up from next to the dead chain beast and runs at top speed, right into the wall.  He stands up sheepishly.  “I couldn’t make the turn into the doorway.”

Fang asks Kalina why the dead guy is moving.  “He’s dead,” Kalina voices for the group.  “So why’s he moving?” asks Lucre.

The creature turns his eyes on Kel who feels his heart stop.  He feels the emptiness of life, the loss of dying too soon, but just as the hopelessness seems to be gripping him, Kel shakes it off.  He turns to face the creature and sees it slap Kalina knocking her backwards.  Borin bull rushes the creature.  It hits him as he approaches, but he still succeeds in pushing it into the magma.

Lucre’s voice calls from the next room.  “The creatures are healing!”  Quickly, before either can revive, the group haul the heavy figures across the floor and topple them into the bubbling lava too.  They all sigh. 

In a quick search of the room Kira finds 50 gp, several magic tomes and 2 small black beads radiating magic.

Terri spots a small door and checks it for traps.  She doesn’t find any, but she reminds everyone that she didn’t find any on the trunks either.  Caerwyn pushes the door open and walks through.  Marja is about to make a quip about learning not to hit walls, until she sees over his should.  It looks like a glass factory blew up in there.  There is a rainbow colored smear on the floor and dust in the air.  Marja reaches into her pack and pulls out her book on arcana.  “That’s disappearance dust,” she says.  They find nothing else in the room.

Back in the large chamber Terri searches the bathtub trying to discern it’s use.  She echo’s Marja’s earlier question,” Who puts a bathtub in a room with a dining table?”  After close inspection of a soap ring she concludes that the tub is just a bathtub.  “These people are freaks,” she concludes, but pockets the gold-plated ducky.  They also find an old spell book that they pocket to take back to Lord Beltray.

As they walk back through all the rooms on their way to the portal, they once again pass by the giant statue of Fulcus.  Caerwyn insists that they knock it down.  Marja is exhausted and depleted of just about everything but a few clean spells.  She moans that it isn’t necessary, but Caerwyn is as unmovable as the statue appears to be.  Kalina hands Lucre her avalanche swing.  Using his dwarvish stone sense he hits in once.  The giant statue rocks slightly.  Lucre adjusts his aim and again sends the tiny pebble across the magma watching it grow as it approaches.  It hits with a crash.  They all stand in silence as tiny cracks appear where the bolder struck, and then suddenly the cracks grow, and the statue crumbles into the flaming sea below.

At last they all stagger out of the portal and into the cool evening air.  The breeze is light, and there is no sulfur smell.


----------



## KidCthulhu

You're all in for a treat.  PirateCat took the notes for last night's game, as our dear Iron Chef was under the weather.  I'm pretty sure the write up that ensues from his notes is going to be a little..er..interesting.  Stay tuned.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Rats! (run of 11-25-03)*

11-25-03

Kalina intends to spend the night in owl form watching the portal from the front.  The rest of the party prepare to take their normal watches.

At sunset they hear a noise over the hill.  It sounds like a bird warbling, but Kalina doesn’t think it’s a natural animal.  Through the night they hear the faint howling of wolves, but none approach, and the night drags on peacefully.  The air is cool, and they all sleep well.  During the last watch Kalina hears the warbling again ululating through the early dawn.

The man with the spider tattoo is conscious, but appears to have a headache.  Marja isn’t sure if that is from Borin’s pummeling or Caerwyn’s long and boring diatribe on the error of this man’s ways.  Borin finally interups and comes more to the point, “Where are the others of your order?”

The man with the spider tattoo doesn’t pay any attention to Borin.  He’s been eyeing up Marja and Kira since the sun came up enough to see.  He winks at Marja.  She winks back, but also casts a charm spell.  He seems to warm up to her even more, but his curt manner never fades.  “Hey, Toots.  Whacha want ta know?  Whether I can make you howl?”

Marja smiles and meets his gaze.  I don’t waste time on questions I can answer myself.  I was wondering if there are others like you doing similar tasks.”

“Don’t know.  Can’t tell,” was the short reply, but he makes a crude gesture with his lips.  Borin kicks him hard, but he doesn’t flinch.  Kalina casts Salamar’s quiet contemplation, and Lucre detects magic.

Marja ignores the gesture and smiles sweetly.  “Who sent you?’

“Can’t tell you.”  Marja looks exasperated.  “Look, honey, you got a nice pair, but…”  The sentence is cut off by Borin’s fist hitting him across the jaw.  The man with the spider tattoo is unfazed.  “What’s the matter, Toots?  Jealous?”  

Kel grabs Borin’s arm firmly and pushes himself between the two before the dwarf/elf can go into a rage.  “Are you aware of how much trouble you’re in?” he asks.

“Blah, blah, titan worship.  Blah, blah, execution.  I think I can figure it out.”

“You know a lady that I want to kill,” Borin glares.

“Can’t tell you,” is the reply.  Lucre notices the spider tattoo glowing slightly.

“You can’t tell, or you won’t tell?” Marja asks sweetly.  “Won’t tell and can’t.  Look, sweetcheeks, this game is boring.  Can’t you come up with another?” he winks again.  Borin knocks him out.

“I think it’s the tattoo.  It controls him,” Lucre pipes up.

“Can we remove it?” asks Marja.  Perhaps they could cut it off.  Caerwyn strongly objects to inflicting pain.  Terri points out that Kira kicked him in the nads, and he seems to feel no pain.  “Perhaps he has strong resolution from holy ferver,” Caerwyn points out.  

”Are you kidding?” Marja gapes.  “This creep has holy resolution?”

“Perhaps he has holy nads,” Kel offers quietly.  Kalina slaps him on the back.  “Hey, you made a joke!”

Still Caerwyn, the paladin who wants to carry this man off to certain execution, is insistant that there be no mutilation.  Alek Sebastian briefly offers to take the prisoners to a safe place, but the party quickly refuses to have him leave their care.  the prisoner comes to.

Marja continues questioning and meets mostly with frustration, but does glean a few morsels.  A few people high up in the Dukedom are getting money to turn a blind eye:  Major Sir Trevor Lyons whom Terri heard of once for apparently leading a charge for battle in the wrong direction, and the Duke’s merchant cousin, Lionell Hassett.  The Duke himself is not receiving money, but that does not mean he isn’t aware of what’s going on.  The man with the spider tattoo knows Cossette and hates her, but even with Borin’s promise to hunt her down and kill her, he does not disclose any information on her location.

With Caerwyn resolutely blocking anyone from physically removing the tattoo, Marja casts dispel magic.  The tattoo disappears, but does not stop working.

Fang stares to the east and sniffs the air.  Absently, he gnaws on the man’s foot wounding him enough to send him back into unconsciousness.  The tattoo faintly grows more solid.

From the east a rider crests the hill.  “This area is circumscribed and seized by the guards of Stonefell.”

Alek is skeptical.  “I’ve yet to meet a man from Stonefell guard who can pronounce ‘circumscribe’ yet alone use it in a sentence.”

“His horse is very nervous,” Kalina whispers.  The party slowly approaches.  

“Who sent you?”  Calls out Captain Sebastian.

“The King of Vesh!”

“There is no king of Vesh.”

“Yes, there is,” stammers the guard.  “I am his official.”

Kalina detects magic.  He has an aura of transmutation and necromancy about him.  They move closer.  Marja casts ghost sound and spooks the horse.  It rears toppling the guard who deftly spins and lands on his feet.  He stands straight and shouts, “I am proper authority.  You must obey me.”

Caerwyn approaches and asks to see his papers.  From behind the hill seven creatures leap up.  They are all wearing robes, some have bandages, all carry spears.  They surround Caerwyn and start screaming.  Caerwyn can see the holy symbol of Thulcas on their spears as one stabs him in the belly.  He can also see wormlike tails, animal legs and pointy snouts protruding from their robes.  “Rat Men!” he shouts as he dodges another blow.

The party springs into attach mode.  Borin rages, Lucre attacks, Terri moves in to flank, Marja gets off a burst of magic missiles.

Standing a few feet away from the heart of the battle Marja and Kalina look up at the sky suddenly feeling the heat of the forge beating down on them.  Their eyes catch sight of a flame strike, and they jump away from the heart of the burst, but both are burned.

Again the spears stab hitting Borin, Terri and Caerwyn’s horse.  Caerwyn swings his sword, lopping off the head of the offending creature.  Borin swings his great axe straight through the body of one rat and into the next hearing the delicate sound of fragile bones snapping.

Marja rises to her feet.  Her arms are covered with burns.  She chants the spell and feels the solid coolness of the ice knife form in her hand.  Just as she is about to hurl it toward the cleric/guard imposter, she catches sight of another rat man creeping behind her toward the prisoner.  She spins and releases the ice knife hurling it between the eyes of the creeping rat.  It falls dead in its tracks.

“Why doesn’t she throw like that when she’s throwing near us?” asks Terri.

The spell-caster rat chants, then moves and touches Borin.  Blisters erupt on his fair elven skin as he doubles over in pain.  Kalina transforms into hawk form and sends a wave of creeping cold down from the sky.  The rat men feel their sweat turn to ice.  Frost forms on their faces and whiskers.

Kel charges at the spell caster with his lance, but at the final impact another creature jumps in front taking the full blow in the chest.  It coughs up blood.  Caerwyn is surrounded.  His horse kicks behind at one creature while he swings at another.  Still another hurls its spear at Caerwyn’s holy symbol.  He falls unconscious, but does not fall from the saddle.

The next series of attacks from the rat men are weak.  They are clearly tiring as they bump into each other and fumble their attacks.  One nicks Terri and another swings at Kel, but leaves only a large scratch across his pristine armor.

Borin cuts off the leg of the one closest to him.  Another ducks away and under the legs of Caerwyn’s horse only to straighten up and turning right into Terri’s waiting knife which slices its throat.

Marja scans the grasses near her and spots another creature sneaking toward the prisoner.  Another ice knife sails through the air, but gives this one only a snout full of ice.  Marja shrugs.

Lucre tumbles through the mellee and attacks the rat cleric.  He hits, but the cleric still manages to finish his incantation.  His hands turn rust colored.  “Rusting grasp,” yells Kalina.  “Kel, stay away!”  He lunges at Kell who manages to dodge, but those hands remain that terrible color.

Kalina sweeps down and regenerates Caerwyn whose wounds stop bleeding and breathing becomes normal.  Kel again charges with his lance toward the cleric, but again a devoted defender steps in front.  Kel lops off its head spraying the area with blood.  Borin takes down another rat man and swings at the human cleric who deftly dodges the attack.

Fang leaps in biting a rat man that falls to the ground.  As Fang steps away Caerwyn’s horse, D’Artangnon, rears bringing its front hooves down on top of the creature inflicting the final blow.

Borin swings again slashing the cleric’s stomach open.  Inside he sees a small rat man hastily start to wriggle out of its human body.  As he pulls free, he hears Terri’s voice bellow from behind him as she shouts the word, “Doooooom!” and casts the spell.

Marja’s full attention is turned to the rat man before her.  He’s moved slightly to stand next to her horse as another ice knife appears in her hand.  He laughs, “You’ll hit your horse if you miss.  I hear you do that a lot.”  The knife flies through the air and hits it full in the chest.  He stops laughing as his body pivots around.  He finally falls on his back, his chest caved in.

Lucre can see that the spellcaster rat’s hands are still rust covered.  He moves in and strikes.  As it sinks to the ground a tiny voice calls out, “I am devoted to Thulcas…” but all that is left is a tiny rat body on the ground covered with frost.  Borin swings and cuts off its tail.  Lucre steps in and cuts the body in half.  Finally a kill.

Marja sends magic missiles flying through the air toward the last standing rat man who falls dead.

The tiny rat’s flesh catches of fire where the sunlight hits it.  “Could we have just pulled their robes off, do you think?” Terri asks chagrined.  “I need a get naked spell,” muses Marja.  Caerwyn pipes in, “You have one.  It’s called order another pitcher.”  Marja glares at him.  “You’re such a jerk.”  He doesn’t hear her because he has turned to collect one of the rat men’s heads to stow in a bag before it bursts into flames.

They search the bodies and find a tail ring the size of a bracelet that glows with transmutation and necromancy, a potion of transmutation magic and a coin of abjuration.  They also find an interesting little box with four compartments and a glowing cinder.  As they turn it they realize that the cinder always rolls into the compartment toward the gate, a magic compass.  They pour cold water into the box, and the magic fades.

“Well,” asks Borin, “how about some breakfast.”  They turn and head back to camp.


----------



## KidCthulhu

It should be noted that this lovely little combat was brought to you by PirateCat.  I'd called home at about 4 and told him there was no way I was getting out of my day from hell at work in time to make the game start time.  He agreed to take the reins for the day.  The flame strikes, rusting grasp, devoted defenders and nasty little flesh suit-wearing slytherin are all the product of his sick mind.  

I played the prisoner, affectionatly known to the party as Snake, for reasons I can't fathom, and Lucre.  Which makes Lucre's first kill all the more ironic.  PirateCat still hasn't had a kill!


----------



## Capellan

* pokes thread with a stick *

So what happens next?


----------



## Piratecat

Next, Iron Chef BBQ hits Piratecat with a stick of stale bread until the SOB writes up the session that Iron Chef BBQ missed. Not that I'm ludicrously to blame for the delay or anything....  Ahem.

And next, we learn that KidCthulhu is a rat bastardess.


----------



## KidCthulhu

Piratecat said:
			
		

> Next, Iron Chef BBQ hits Piratecat with a stick of stale bread until the SOB writes up the session that Iron Chef BBQ missed. Not that I'm ludicrously to blame for the delay or anything....  Ahem.
> 
> And next, we learn that KidCthulhu is a rat bastardess.




Am not.  Well, maybe just a little.  But only because I have studied from the masters (PC and Sagiro).  Thanks for the bump, Capellan.  Nice to know someone's reading!


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

Piratecat said:
			
		

> Next, Iron Chef BBQ hits Piratecat with a stick of stale bread




Make that a bagel.


----------



## Hammerhead

Cool story, so far. I particularily like the idea of "fast-forwarding" to higher levels. 

Yoink!


----------



## Blood Jester

*Hands ICBBQ stale bagel*

Time to summon PC.


----------



## KidCthulhu

Brief summary:

The party returns to Vesh with the spider tatooed captive.  They debate long and hard about what to do with him.  There are many votes for summary excecution, several votes for turnin ghim over to teh law, and a few votes for torture and then one of the above.

Finally, the 12th votes to turn the prisoner over to the law, who are better able to question him at length.  The party leaves two members to guard the prisoner outside the city, while the rest go to consult with Lord Belgray.  Beltray is fascinated by what they have to say, and congratulates them on their good work.  He's particularly interested in the ritual that the spider man was using to try to free the shard of Thulkas.  But after a brief digression into the fascinating (to Beltray at least) world of spellcraft, Beltray focuses, and makes some quick arrangements.

The party takes the prisoner to the local prison.  Terri knows this place.  You can't grow up in her neighbourhood and not fear the place.  It's where they send the real hard cases.  Impossible to escape from, and almost as impossible to be released alive from, it seems the ideal place for their find.

The party retires for the night, tired but feeling the glow of work well done.

The next morning they are breakfasting and preparing to visit Lord Beltray, to finish their briefing of the night before, when a messenger arrives at their door.

The prisoner has hanged himself during the night.


----------



## orchid blossom

Woo Hoo!  I've been going through withdrawl.  I may have to go back and read the last few pages to refresh my mind.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Spidey Gives Them the Slip (run of 12-23-03)*

When our intrepid band of adventurers hears that the prisoner has hung himself, they rush to the prison.  Carefully two guards are lowering the body to the floor, but one look and they know something is wrong.  There’s the tattoo, and the face seems right, but the body glows with magic.  After a quick dispel, they see the truth.  This is an imposter, but how?

They are told that the prisoner had two visitors last night.  Two men came in, and two men came out, but it seems obvious now that they weren’t the same two men.  Our party leaves the prison dejected.

“You should have let us cut off that tattoo,” Marja snarls at Caerwyn.  Caerwyn knows he did the right thing and sets his jaw in determination to find the escapee. 

“Where would he go first, do you think?” asks Lucre.  “To the box!” they all shout together and head off at a run to Beltray’s.

Beltray isn’t in when they arrive.  The butler informs them that he has been called away to the Vigil Council.  They quickly explain about the box, and the butler shows them to the library where it has been safely stored.  Kalina detects magic, and it seems the same.  They are anxious to head off after the man with the spider tattoo, but reluctant to leave the box unguarded.  They have a quick discussion:  Should they take it, leave it, or destroy it?

“Well,” muses Lucre, “Who can defend it better?  Us or some wussy butler?”  They agree it comes with them.

Before they hit the trail Kalina, Borin and Terri go to see Rossiter at the Temple of Enkili to purchase a strong curing wand (cure serious).  Kalina’s been contemplating it for a while and finally approached the group about getting the money.  At the temple Rossiter takes them into a room with several gates and a large wheel of chance.  Borin says a brief prayer and spins it.  Number three comes up and the corresponding gate slides open.  Inside the corridor is a wand worth 11,000 gp.  There’s also a small leather sling and a few other items.  While Borin pays for the wand, Terri tries to pocket the sling, but Rossiter’s quick eyes are used to such things.  He quickly spots her.  Just as quickly Terri becomes nonchalant, picking up the sling like she was going to ask him about it all along.  “Can I borrow it?” she asks knowing she doesn’t have the money for it.  “Oh, and what does it do?”

Rossiter signs, “Yes, you can borrow it, but you will owe me a favor whenever I ask.  It’s worth 18,000 gp, so it’s not a trifle.  It will smite a victim of stricture (lawful) with the nature of Enkili (chaotic damage).”  “Cool!” responds Terri as she shoves the sling in her pocket.

Meanwhile, Caerwyn stops by the Chapter House to hire out spare horses.  They intend to ride hard non-stop.  He’s done this before.  It’s pretty perfunctory. 

“Of course, sir.  Seven horses for one of the cohorts?  That’s no problem.”  He pulls out a short form and a pot of ink.  “Now, which cohort did you say it was for?”

“The twelth.”

“Indeed,” responds the stable keep.  His face makes no reaction, but he reaches for several more forms for Caerwyn to fill out.  “All standard, sir, I assure you,” he mutters.

None-the-less, in an hour from when they started they are on the road and riding fast.  Fang will follow at his own pace.  Kalina turns herself into a filcher, crawls into one of the saddlebags and falls asleep.  They ride through the night.

At mid-morning the next day, Kalina checks that they are still on the trail.  She spots a big burn track.  “Could it be the remnant of another gate?” someone asks, but Kalina is pretty sure a single creature made it.  A little farther along she finds tracks, not that they would be hard to spot.  The marks are from wide claws, as long as a human arm.  “It came through about a day ago, and it’s heading toward that tiny town,” Kalina warns.

Caerwyn is about to spur his horse after the beast.  If a town is in danger, he feels there is no choice but to jump to its defense.  The others are more wary.  “What if Spider Face set this thing loose to keep us off his trail?”  Marja asks.  “If he gets that piece of Thulcas free while we fight this creature a lot more people are going to be in danger.”  The others agree and turn their horses in the direction of the gate.  When they reach the spot, the gate is gone.  The Stone pillars are a pile of rubble, and the flames are out.  The huge claw marks clearly came through here.  They quickly surmise that this creature, whatever it is, knocked the pillars down as it came through.  The good news is that unless there’s another entrance the man with the spider tattoo has been thwarted as well.  They turn back around.

The horses are tiring rapidly.  They’ve been riding for over 24 hours.  Fortunately, the tracks are easy to follow.  Occasionally at the side of the trail there are huge burned swaths of ground.  After three hours the trail begins to look fresher.  They find a large hollow where it looks like the creature lay down to rest.  Kira starts to recognize landmarks.  They are a few hours from Rensers Lodge, a small town where an aunt of hers lives.  “She paints stuff,” shudders Kira, but it’s hard to tell if she’s shuddering at the thought of this beast attaching her aunt’s home, or at the thought of her aunt’s artwork.

As they crest the top of a small knoll they see and hear the town all at once.  There nestled in a little sunlit valley lies a tiny weathered village with prim white cottages with blue trim.  One, they can clearly see, has a multitude of painted rocks in the yard.  At the moment that this quaint scene appears they hear the screaming.  In the tiny town square a fiery black lizard sits on its haunches, its red and orange wings beat the flames around it like bellows.  Its skin moves and cracks releasing great gusts of hot steam in red flashes like the surface of flowing lava.

The party rides swiftly into the town square.  Kalina calms the horses and settles them down so they don’t bolt into the woods.  Lucre tumbles off his horse and behind a building activating skate as he rolls.

Kalina turns from the horses and creates a sleet storm sending icy rain down on the creature creating hissing steam all around.  The word, “Doooom!” resounds over the screaming and hissing as Terri casts, but to no affect.  

The creature turns and stumbles, clearly affected by the ice and rain.  It belches fire from its gut releasing furnace-like heat in a blast of pure hate and fury.

Kel spurs his horse forward, but as the horse’s hooves hit the slick icy ground around the fiery creature, the poor beast starts to slide.  Kel manages to remain in the saddle, and the horse manages to keep its footing, but they both slide directly into the creature’s side.  Kel’s lance glances wide in a move that is gallant, but utterly useless.

Lucre rushes in, hits the ice, lands on his butt and slides another ten feet.  While Kira starts to sing, Marja and Kalina descend on Borin.  Kalina casts protection from elements and Marja casts haste and fly.  As Borin rises into the air, he rages.  Both flying he and Marja circle the creature which tries to rise to its feet.  The pelting sleet gets in their eyes.  Marja’s ice knife goes wide, but the beast flinches from the splash damage as it falls again.  Borin smashes into its neck.  “Aim for the light spots,” he howls over the storm.  “They’re softer than the black spots.”  He swings again and missed, swinging just over the head of his cousin standing below.

“Hey,” Lucre rubs his head where he felt the swoosh of Borin’s axe.  “When they say I’m a head shorter than everyone else…”

Finally the beast regains its feet, and as Kel and Borin attack again, it slashes out with fury tearing Borin’s left arm to shreds.

Caerwyn finally dismounts, but he hesitates to run in onto the ice in his heavy armor.  Marja catches sight of him from the corner of her eye.  “He fights about as much as Kenyan,” she giggles.

In quick succession Lucre scored a critical hit, Marja sinks an ice knife deep into its flesh, and Borin hits it twice then takes refuge behind Lucre who taunts the creature.  It rises to its full height and exhales burning flames.  They both dodge, but Lucre suffers minor burns.  As the beast lowers its head to spray the ground with flame, Kel buries his great sword into its neck. Caerwyn charges, but it catches sight of him and opens its jaws wide.  One fang pierces Caerwyn’s helmet slashing his neck.

Lucre power attacks, but misses.  His sword, the Citadel, hisses in his head, “Foolish. Foolish.  Concentrate.”  “I’d have hit it if it were still lying on its back,” Lucre responds defiantly.  “Are your foes to lie prone for you?” asks the sword in disgust.

Kalina circles the battle field with her wand and heals Borin and Caerwyn.

Borin thrusts his fist violently across the side of the creature’s neck.  Kel climbs up on top of the beast preparing to attack.  Lucre moves in below and extends his long stretchy arms.  Remembering the words of the Citadel, he aims carefully and stabs his sword up between to swirling red scales.  The beast falls dead on top of him.  Muffled words burble out from under the huge belly.  Kalina finds a foot protruding from underneath and sends healing power rushing through his body.

Borin and Caerwyn push at the body while Lucre heaves from underneath.  They raise the creature enough for Kel to grap Lucre’s legs and pull him free giving him a body long brush burn as he does so.  “Next time, pull with the scales,” Caerwyn points out.

Lucre stands and brushes himself off.  “Thanks, guys.  By the way, who struck the killing blow?”

“Why you did!” Kel exclaims.

“No, really.”

From behind buildings and down narrow alleys the townsfolk appear.  Caerwyn heals those who are hurt.  A shocked-looking woman with a straw head decorated with fruit appears.  Terri approaches her with her hand extended, “You must be Aunt Matilda.  We’re friends of your niece.”  

“My niece Rosamund?” the lady asks puzzled.  

“No, Kira,” Terri offers.  

“Kira?  I don’t have a niece Kira.”  Terri points to Kira.  “Isn’t she your niece?” then looking at Kira, “Hey, what is your name?”  

”I like Sabine,” Kira offers sheepishly looking at her aunt.

“Esther, dear.”  The woman embraces Kira.  “What are you doing here?”


----------



## Blood Jester

I will point out that Caerwyn _did_ stab the beast while it was chewing on his head.  (He was using Toby tactics)


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*I Spy (run of 01-05-04)*

As Caerwyn and Kel move through the crowd healing any wounded townspeople, Lucre addresses the town.  “Good people, did this horrible creature destroy the tavern?”

“No, sir,” comes the weak response.

“Good.  Then somebody bring me a beer.”  Instead the barkeep ushers everyone into his tiny tavern and pours ale on the house.  Suddenly Kira’s aunt bolts upright, “I have a lovely idea.”  Without another word she scurries out of the tavern and doesn’t return the rest of the night.  

Our intrepid band of adventurers relax over ale and good food telling tails of their adventures to the gathering crowd to the distant sound of strange pinging noises from the cooling creature outside.

In the morning everyone feels refreshed, rising at varying times to greet the morning.  Kel and Caerwyn are up at sunrise and go to the temple for morning prayers.  Kalina and Fang head out into the forest for a quiet morning walk.  Marja sits quietly in her room mulling over the dreams of the night before as she slowly brushes and braids her hair.  Lucre accompanies Kira to her aunt’s house to see how she’s doing since she never came back last night.

The two approach the tiny home to find the curtains drawn and the doors shut tight.  Their knock is greeted with a long silence until finally Kira’s aunt appears at the door, one paintbrush held between her teeth, another tucked behind her ear.  “I’m sorry, dear,” she apologizes, “but I’m very busy today.  We’ll have to visit the next time you’re in town.”  Kira is relieved as the door shuts and they head back down the path into town.

Back at the tavern, everyone gathers for a hearty breakfast as Lucre tries to describe what he saw in the aunt’s yard.  “Tons of painted rocks.  Tons of them.  Big and small.  All painted.  Some of them were carved out to be things.”

Kira seems embarrassed, but can’t help exclaiming, “Her rock hats were the worst.”

“You should meet my mom,” Marja offers as consolation.  Many of the group nod as they think back on a pretty, but flighty woman with daisies in her hair.

“I had an uncle who made meat hats,” Lucre opines.  “He was eaten by a predator.”

The conversation turns back to Stonefell as they try to sort out the royal relationships.  Kira knows quite a bit and relates that the previous duke was a well-respected ruler.  He had one son by his first wife who died very young.  His second wife was said to be a stern woman, and many rumors rose around her relationship with the son.  The Duke died in a hunting accident, and his wife died soon after.  She was a healthy woman, but perhaps she died from grief.  

Lionell Harnett is a nephew of the old duke’s wife.  He and the current duke spend a lot of time together although they didn’t in their youth.  Lionell has a reputation as a ne’er-do-well although his business seems to thrive.  

The adventurers return to the road and travel into Stonefell.  On the way they debate endlessly on their course of action upon reaching the city.  Finally they decide on several steps.  Kira and Borin will set themselves up as lady-merchants in the market and try to talk to Harnett.  Caerwyn will ride through town looking ominous and official and poke his nose around loudly, mostly to draw suspicion away from the more subtle noses poking around more quietly.  Terri, being one of those quieter noses, will wander around with Kalina in cat form at her side picking up what they can.  Kel, Marja and Lucre will see what they can find out about Major Kieran.

Luckily for Borin and Kira, they find an open stall across the street from Harnett’s shop.  They buy some odds and ends at other stalls and set up a small shop of their own and settle in to watch for Harnett.  They have a pretty good description of him.  He’s tall with sandy brown hair and light brown eyes with a scar under the left.  He usually dresses very well.  His father had a reputation as a bit of a shark which the son seems to emulate.  Kira wanders around chatting with other merchants.  From the cooper on the corner she learns that a small man with spectacles opens Harnett’s shop around 9 each morning.  Harnett turns up briefly around mid-day and then tends to wander off.

Kira wanders into the shop and meets the spectacled man who introduces himself as Morgat.  He’s bored and reluctant to answer her questions, but asks a lot of his own more to ease his boredom than from any real desire to find out anything.  He doesn’t think much of his boss, but likes the prestige of working for a wealthy merchant.  Harnett is probably at the tavern having lunch, and probably won’t be back today.  Morgat seems disappointed that Kira isn’t really interested in buying anything.  They haven’t had any new business this week.  It’s very frustrating really.

Meanwhile…
Caerwyn is all tarted up in his shiny armor on his equally tarted up horse and is riding about town glaring at perceived evil-doers.  If he sees any of his companions, he glares particularly hard at them like he sees something he doesn’t like.  Marja is pretty sure he does see something he doesn’t like, but keeps her comments to herself.  Finally he comes across a young lieutenant of the town guard who steps up to him.  “How can I help you, my lord?”  He stands tall and proud and is obviously of noble birth.

“If I need your help,” Caerwyn answers haughtily, “I’ll ask.”  Young Lt. Rufus clicks his heels brightly and turns away with a quick salute.

Meanwhile…
Marja wanders from tavern to tavern around the guard posts.  It becomes clear that Maj. Keiran doesn’t hang out at any tavern.  The officers she meets let her know that he doesn’t socialize with the other officers much.  “Well, maybe he means to,” Marja offers, “But he’s wandered off in the wrong direction again.”  The young officers surrounding her laugh heartily getting the reference to the unfortunate incident which began Keiran’s carreer when he led a charge in the wrong direction.  Marja finally finds his aid-de-camp who tells her that Keiran’s a homebody.  He reads a lot about heraldry and fences at a private club.  With this news Marja turns down several offers to buy her lunch and heads into the street to find Kel and Lucre.

The three decide to try to get into the club.  As a young nobleman himself, Kel should be able to gain entry.  Marja can pose as his companion and Lucre as his servant.  A young man answers the door at the club wearing a long white floppy shirt and a towel around his neck.  Sir Kelly Windhill introduces himself carefully emphasizing the “sir,” and making brief reference to his lineage.  Although neither exptremely wealthy nor prestigious, Kel’s family is from a very old line.

The young man replies that he is, in fact, Sir Major Trevor Kieran.  “Well, the club is usually members only,” he sniffs, “but…”  He steps aside and allows Kel to pass into the house.  He takes him aside and motions at Marja.  “Women of her class.  Not usually done around here, old man.”  Kel blushes from head to toe, and had he his wits about him might have mentioned that she’s practically engaged to his uncle, a private joke he and Marja would have enjoyed, but instead he just flusters a weak “of course” and steps outside to talk to Marja and Lucre.  He tells them they can’t come in, and Marja quickly slips Garnet around his wrist to keep her eyes open.  As Kel reenters the house she overhears Kieran comment again in her direction and the word, “common,” clearly passes his lips.  Lucre grabs her hand as she is reaching into her spell pouch and pushes her into the bar next door.

“Common!  Did you hear that!  The bloody nincompoop!”  Marja is beside herself with rage.  “Come on, Marja,” Lucre tries to sooth her.  “He needs to feel superior to everybody.  That’s obvious, isn’t it?”  Marja is inconsolable, even by the few odd liverymen hanging around who offer her drinks.  She pouts to the bartender who warms up until she mentions the fencing club, then he too becomes laconic.  No one bites the hand that feeds, evidently.  Marja moves to a table in the corner and broods while Lucre chats with other men waiting for their masters from the club.

Garnet reports in with a steady stream of heckling comments that, over time, ease Marja’s immediate anger.  Evidently, Maj Kieran is cross-eyed and pointy-nosed, talks with constant sniffing, and is a terrible fencer.  Kel, who is no expert, has to struggle to keep the matches fairly even.  Finally, it’s obvious to Garnet that Kel can’t take another minute of the pompus windbag.  He is gracious as ever, thanks Kieran heartily and heads out to find his friends.

Meanwhile…
Borin hasn’t sold anything, but has talked with many passers-by.  The general feeling in the duchy is positive.  The young people are looking forward to the weekend and the horseracing tourney.  He learns that the young duke enjoys a good wager.  Kira returns, and they close up shop for lunch.  They head down the block to a tavern called the Balanced Ledger.  They hesitate for a moment as if trying to decide if they want to stay until they can spot Harnett and find a table near the booth where he and his friends are sitting.  Borin orders wine because he thinks it will look more lady-like than ale.  Kira orders the cider which is served in a glass tanker.  When she asks why she is told it etches the metal ones.

The three men are engaged in raucous conversation, and Borin hears them telling tales of last night when someone made someone else do something embarrassing for money.  It involved paint, and there is much laughter.  “When Edmund was offered 20 gp to stick an egg up his nose, I thought I would die.”  More laughter.  Borin sighs.  At this point Harnett notices Kira and winks.  He returns to his conversation, and Kira takes the bait.  She rises slowly and heads across to his table, drink in hand.  He moves over to allow her to sit.  After the perfunctory laying on of heavy charm which we spare the reader, he asks her to meet him tonight at a club called Vignor’s.  “Everybody who’s anybody goes.  It’ll be all the rage.”  She agrees to meet him there at 10.

Meanwhile…
Kel joins Marja at her table in the bar.  Lucre orders lunch, and the three trade stories.  Make that four.  Garnet keeps adding comments.

“I’ve never met such a group of pompous twits,” Kel exclaims.  “Who’s in what family.  Who’s making money.  I whooped their butts.  The worst is Kieran.  He’s terrible.  He’s no military man, either, but he’s into being a hero and being a noble.  He sees being commander of the guard as beneath him and has great expectations for himself.  He seems to feel his situation will change in the not too distant future.”

They finish up lunch and head to the market to find Kira and Borin.

Meanwhile…
Caerwyn makes a circle around town and heads back to where he met Lt. Rufus.  He asks for him and is directed toward the barracks.  As he crosses the street he notices Terri and a gray cat lounging in a sunlit alley.

Rufus takes Caerwyn into his private office.  Caerwyn shuts the door and gets straight to the point.  “Many guardsmen have been lost recently in nearby districts.  There is concern of tactical incompetence.”

“Sir,” replies Lt. Rufus, “My guards are very responsible.”

“Not guards,” Caerwyn leans forward confidentially, “leadership.”

Rufus stammers.  Clearly he feels in an awkward position agreeing completely, but wanting to be loyal.  “We are under orders to make no changes in this area.  The commander feels it best we do nothing to let the enemy know we are aware of their position.”

“Does this tactic seem sound to you?” asks Caerwyn.

“I am not certain it would be my method of address, but there is little I can do.”  Rufus looks hopefully at the young knight before him.

“I do not suggest that you disobey any orders,” Caerwyn begins carefully, “but I ask you to share any information to help root out incompetence for the sake of the men who were lost.”

Rufus scribbles a quick note on a piece of paper on the desk.  “Will you excuse me a moment, sir?” he asks.  He abruptly walks from the room leaving the paper behind.  It reads, “ Check his office.  Something isn’t right here.”  Caerwyn puts the paper in his pocket.

Lt. Rufus returns and never glances back at the desk.  “I’m terribly sorry, but something pressing has come up.  I can be available tomorrow if you wish.”  Caerwyn nods.  He strides across the room, opens the door, steps out of the office and says loudly over his shoulder, “I’ll speak to you again about interrupting my investigation.”  He is about to walk away when Rufus whispers quietly, “Tell the young lady with the cat to move a little back.”

Caerwyn mounts his horse and rides away.  As he approaches the ally he coughs, “not sublte,” and moves on to wander the market.

As one-by-one they find their way to Kira and Borin’s stall, they agree to find an inn for the night and discuss the day over dinner.


----------



## ledded

Finally took the time to go through this SH and I'm glad I finally did.

Very good stuff here folks, another one added to my subscription list.


----------



## Morgaine

So, I have four questions and one statement...
  Did Morgaine ever regain consciousness?
  What happened to Gemma (no mention is ever made -- she just disappears)?
  Are you still playing?
  What happens next?  (By my calculations, it's been several months with no update.  And for some people living vicariously it's too much suspense.)

My statement....this is one hell of a story hour.  I loved the flash-forward.  And since I knew most of y'all personally, this is an exciting read.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*stay tuned!*

Morgaine is still in her coma.  Gemma left to go on a quest.  I don't remember the details.  I guess I didn't write it up in the notes.  KidC was playing Gemma, but retired her when she started GMing.  I haven't posted an update in a while, but will shortly.

Chef


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

Oops posted the last entry again.  Let this be a place holder for the next one.  Sorry.


----------



## KidCthulhu

Morgaine said:
			
		

> So, I have four questions and one statement...
> Did Morgaine ever regain consciousness?




No.  But strangely, that hasn't stopped her.  See post coming soon!


----------



## Morgaine

KidCthulhu said:
			
		

> No.  But strangely, that hasn't stopped her.  See post coming soon!



Now I'm definitely intrigued...


----------



## Fade

Back in April, Alonir was putting together an .rtf of the story in chronological order. Did that ever get finished? I'd like to read it.


----------



## Morgaine

Fade said:
			
		

> Back in April, Alonir was putting together an .rtf of the story in chronological order. Did that ever get finished? I'd like to read it.




If he hasn't, since I posted most of the original stories (and still have most of them written on discs) I can get them to ya.


----------



## Fade

Morgaine said:
			
		

> If he hasn't, since I posted most of the original stories (and still have most of them written on discs) I can get them to ya.




That'd be great if you could. I updated my email address in my profile to something I've used in the last 3 years ( lonebadger0008 AT yahoo.com )


----------



## Fade

bump


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

Fade said:
			
		

> Back in April, Alonir was putting together an .rtf of the story in chronological order. Did that ever get finished? I'd like to read it.




He did, and I've been keeping it up to date.  Unfortunately, it's a .doc file right now and is very large.  We're working on finding a place to post it on line so that we can give people the url instead of sending a huge file.  We'll keep you posted on progress.

Chef.


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

Iron Chef BBQ said:
			
		

> He did, and I've been keeping it up to date.  Unfortunately, it's a .doc file right now and is very large.  We're working on finding a place to post it on line so that we can give people the url instead of sending a huge file.  We'll keep you posted on progress.
> 
> Chef.




How large is it?  Did you find a place to upload it?

GW


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

The doc is 745 KB, and I'm embarrassed to report that I've done as much work on finding a place to upload it as I have on writing the next installment of the story hour.


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

Iron Chef BBQ said:
			
		

> The doc is 745 KB, and I'm embarrassed to report that I've done as much work on finding a place to upload it as I have on writing the next installment of the story hour.




I'm checking with out Webmaster to see if he would mind hosting it on our local server for people who want to download it.

GW


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Terry "finds" a missive (run of 02-03-04)*

Later that evening Terry wanders back to Kieran’s office.  After some brief rummaging around she finds a mid-sized chest crammed full of papers.  After a quick scan she surmises that he is keeping a journal of sorts from which to write a book.  She carefully removes one long entry.  One page missing from this jumble will hardly be noticed.  Silently she creeps back to the inn.

The rest of the group has gathered in the common room of the inn for a light meal and a few drinks.  Marja willingly begins reading the pilfered letter to the group:

THE RISE OF THE KING
Being the True and Accurate Account of the Return of Taren the Fifth
Rightful King of Vesh
By his Trusted Liege
Invaluable Confort
Friend at Arms
Humble Chronicler and Advisor
Major Sir Hugh Kieran​
May 15
I shall set pen to paper to record the momentous and historic events that are about to transpire, for I’m sure they will be of great interest to all good folk of the kingdom in the years to come.  Under the glorious reign of the king, Taren V, children will sit with rapt attention to hear this tale read by the grizzled veteran who fought to restore his majesty.  Townsfolk will assemble on Coronation Day and hear the tale read with proud tears in their eyes and joy in their grateful hearts.  The words I record here will be the very…

But I get ahead of myself, in my zeal to tell the tale.

To begin, dear reader, I shall introduce your humble Chronicler.  I am Sir Hugh Kieran, first sonne of an ancient and noble house, of late fallen on hard times.  I am a military man by trade, and words do not come easily to we rough, gruff soldierly types.

I began my career with the Army of Vesh.  The Army has fallen greatly from the glory it knew when my ancestors fought the titan hordes, and stood beside the last king as he breathed his last in defense of the nation.  Common men, peasants of little breeding, sons of tradesmen, and _women of all things!_ Are given positions of command, while those of breeding, those whose birthright it is to command are denied the rank and privileges granted them by the gods.  Were it not for the truculence and incompetence of my men, their stubborn unwillingness to obey my orders, my cunning ruse would have won me the day and (long sentence, heavily scratched out).

May 16
I was forced to retire early last evening;  the recurrence of a troublesome headache made mine eyes too blurry to write.  But spare no thoughts of sympathy for your chronicler, dear reader.  My eyes are clear enough to comprehend the honor done to me.

I have received a secret missive, from one who has given my every earnest proof that he is indeed the long hidden scion of the royal family.  Rumors have run, and stories have been told since I was a boy that there was indeed a royal son, conceived on the eve of his father’s death, and delivered by Madriel from his dead mother’s womb.  Those who believed these stories were thought crackpots and lackwits, and hope slowly died in the people of Vesh, along with all reverence for right and good.

But, and my fingers tremble with joy as I write this, hope is born anew!  Let the clarion sound, for our King is found, and with his coming justice and righteousness shall be returned to us.

I was ordered to destroy his missive, so I cannot enclose it here for posterity.  But every word of it is burned in my memory.  He recalled my family’s service to his in years past.  Knew of my disquiet with the disgraceful state of the country, spoke of his great and glorious plan to return peace and right to Vesh.  Oh, that that happy day comes soon.  And Oh, that I have been worthy to play a small part in his plans.

Is not his wisdom made manifest by his order for secrecy and discretion?  Until he has amassed sufficient forces to take the kingdom, those jumped up merchants, degraded mongrels and thick muscled sword wavers who call themselves the nobility of Vesh would certainly take steps to destroy all my our fondest hopes.

June 9
There is little doubt that His Majesty’s plan is subtle and wise.  I am to serve him by drawing all attention away from His forces gathering in the southeast.  There, in the Bad Lands, they will train and make ready for the coming struggle.  Should the noble warriors of the King be discovered beforetimes, the plan will certainly fail.  But discovery can come in two guises.  Should I pull my guards away from the area, there will certainly be suspicion,  And if there should be no patrol, that would also arouse suspicion…

It is a treacherous path I must tread, and the balance that must be struck is a delicate one.

July 23
Lieutenant Rufus has questioned me again about the loss of men on the border patrols.  He is of a good family, but I begin to wonder if his connection with the dirty work we do is tainting him.  A man of his station should find interaction with the criminal element below him.  Let the patrolmen make the arrests, if arrests are needed.  Well-drilled and well-ordered troops are the purview of the officer, not crime and the sordid world of poverty and villainy.

Oh, how I long for my army days.  Once, while patrolling with my troops…

August 9
How dare they question me?  My own troopers have asked me about the men lost.  As if a few lives mattered in the glorious work my unwitting me do!  And I am deeply shocked that my officers keep such shoddy discipline that the men dare to question me, their better by birth and divine mandate…


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*A night on the town (run of 02-03-04, pt 2)*

“A knife between the ribs would let out all that hot air,” muses Terry.
“A better idea would be a drag through the streets to public humiliation,” chimes in Caerwyn.
Over the next several hours they hash out several plans.  None of them seem to completely satisfy.  As they talk Marja moves around the table braiding and updoing all the women’s hair.  Terry ducks under the table to avoid her, but Marja merely shrugs and moves on to Lucre who is anxious to have his beard braided with ribbons.

The plans range from taking Rufus into the Badlands to investigate, having Kel try to suck up to Kieran and sending Kieran messages through Kalina in hawk form with the command, “respond through the usual channels.”  Marja remembers that the man with the spider tattoo mentioned two people: one in the military, the other close to the Duke.  Perhaps this guy isn’t much more than a patsy and isn’t worth wasting time.

Borin cautions that nothing should be done until after they see what this evening brings, and they find they can all agree on that.

In preparations for the evenings festivities Lucre heads down to the baths while Terry pulls out her sewing kit and spruces up dresses for the other women.  Marja pulls a beautiful green velvet dress out of her pack.  It’s regal and exquisite with a very expensive look.  “I think Kira should wear it.  She’ll need to make an impression on the Duke, but,” she added looking over at Kira’s slender body and back at her own curves, “it will need to be taken in a little.”  Marja is still dejected from her encounter with Kieran.  She’s never even worn the dress, but can’t get up the energy to wear it herself.  Yet still she has some small sorrow in handing it over.  Terry gathers up all the available frocks and sets to work.  She even manages to baste together a new vest for Lucre.  As Kira watches her work she chimes in, “Perhaps you can ad a jaunty tam-o-shanter,  that’s a festive hat.”  Terry’s fingers fly through the work tucking and letting out, sewing festive ribbons onto drabber dresses, and in a heart beat she is handing back the frocks.  She hands Marja back her green gown.  “But I meant this for Kira,” Marja protests.  Terry says nothing, but thinks to herself that the cute and perky Kira was meant for satin and bright ribbons.  It’s the soft and green-eyed Marja who can carry off royal velvet.  She did alter a few surprises into the once noble dress, however, and Marja finds herself gazing into a mirror at a very low-cut cleavage.  “I hope this doesn’t make me look too ‘common’,” she is finally able to laugh.

Through all this Kel and Borin sit eating, doing their best to ignore the fussing and primping and talking strategy.  Caerwyn sits at the bar trying to find out if there are any local “witches” or other crazy old ladies who live in the area.  No one seems to have any information.

By 10 o’clock everyone is ready to go.

It’s a quiet walk through town.  All the shops are closed up, not at all like bustling Vesh which seems to never sleep.  Finally they approach a neighborhood of houses.  They find a home with a tall fence all around and a bouncer standing at the gate wearing a medallion.  This is Vignor’s Place.

Terry falls away from the group.  She intends to wander in and out most of the night.  They watch in awe as she slips unnoticed by the bouncer.  Marja, Kalina and Lucre go in next.  Lucre, his charisma boosted, pretends not to speak common so that people will talk in front of him.  Marja “translates” between him and Kalina effortlessly slipping between common and Dwarvish.  Marja has no trouble getting them past the bouncer, even before she mentions Harnet’s name.  He let’s them pass into a marble courtyard.  From there they notice stables, a small guard house and a three-story home with stone steps leading up to large double doors.  Two large men in livery are standing on either side, and they open the doors with a bow as the three ascend the stairs.

Stepping through the doorway, they leave the quiet of the courtyard and walk into a wall of sounds.  Music and voices mix in a large room almost completely taken up by a wrap-around bar.  Off to the right is a room with tables where people, mostly men, are sitting playing cards.  There is a large staircase at the back, but the top is dark, and they can’t see where it leads.

Marja sidles up to the bar.  An attractive young man wipes the counter in front of her.  “Yes, madame?”  “What’s the drink of the house?” she asks, her eyes wide with mock awe at the place.  “It’s called a Bloody Nose.  Would you like to try it?”  True to form the slightly inebriated man standing to Marja’s left insists that she would and indicates that it be put on his tab.  “How does she do that,” whispers Kalina to Lucre, who quickly remembers that he’s not supposed to understand so he doesn’t laugh.  Kalina strides up next to Marja.  “And get me an ale,” she orders.  Lucre also strides up to the bar, but finds that he can’t see over it.  “And get me a box,” he barks in Dwarvish.

Kalina spots Terry mingling with another group, and she points her out to the other two.  About 10 minutes later the others come in just as a tall, barrel-chested, bald man comes down the stairs.  He’s dressed in a black tunic and shiny black trousers.  This must be Vignor.

Marja picks up her drink and is about to move in when Kira beats her to it so she turns back around and listens in as best she can.  “How’d you like a bloody nose?” Vignor asks with a laugh.  He talks a lot, but says very little.  He does know that the Duke is expected tonight.  The Duke is hard to entertain, but he has a surprise for him, an expensive surprise.

Lucre chats with another dwarf, a jewel trader who laments having left Borok Torn and stone work.  Lucre, needing to get away to other conversations, tries to bore him with a discussion of clan structure and loses him on “Third son of…”

Vignor relates a story to Kira about the Duke betting on a cat and two bowls of cream  He bet lots of money on that silly wagers.  Kira makes a mental not to talk to Kalina about that!

Kel and Caerwyn are standing with two pretty, and very young, women who are giggling about how they snuck out of the house and how shiny the two men’s armor is.  Terry is standing right behind them engaged in quiet conversation with a non-descript man who is also hard to notice.

Borin wanders through the gaming room looking at the tables.  It wasn’t long ago that he was running a place not unlike this, but none of these tables have Enkili symbols anywhere he notes.  He finds the basement stairs and wanders down.

Kira notices Lionell come through the door.  He is attending another young man in his twenties.  He is sunken-chested and sallow with a weak chin, bright eyes and thinning strawberry-blond hair.  He is wearing an elaborate tunic with ruffles, velvet hose and good shoes.  Everyone briefly rises as he enters, and with a careless wave he ushers them all to be seated again.


----------



## KidCthulhu

Yay!  It's back.  I know this is my story, but I still like to read it.  For one thing, I don't remember from game to game what the heck I tell you guys.  If it weren't for the story hour, I'd have to invent some kind of "reality gremlins" to explain all the continuity errors!


----------



## Plane Sailing

Iron Chef BBQ said:
			
		

> The doc is 745 KB, and I'm embarrassed to report that I've done as much work on finding a place to upload it as I have on writing the next installment of the story hour.




.doc files compress very nicely with ZIP compression - what is the file size once you've zipped it?

Cheers


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

We have room on http://www.snotling.org  if you haven't found a spot for it.

GW


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Creature Battle pt 1 (end of run on 02-03-04)*

Lionell approaches Kira.  “My dear Annabella, may I introduce you to his lordship, Duke Edmund?”  The duke is impressed.  “Call me Eddy,” he croons as he takes her hand.  Lionell inserts himself between them and ushers them both downstairs.  The others follow.

The basement is a single large wooden-paneled room.  Chairs have been set up around a 20x20 square with low walls.  The inside of the square is filled with sand and sawdust to create an impromptu arena.  Each corner contains a large box with holes, presumably for air.  Caerwyn feels the hair rise on the back of his neck.  Those boxes are no good.

The duke settles himself into the only upholstered chair in the room.  Vignor bows, “Ready, your grace?”  The duke grins with anticipation.  “You’re gonna like this,” Vignor whispers.  Then to the crowd, “Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce tonight’s contestants.”

With a flourish of his hand he motions to four burly men who quickly open each box to reveal a glass panel so the crowd can see inside.  In the largest box they spy a creature our group has seen before, a giant ball of snakes.  The middle-sized box opens, but appears to be empty.  Marja prepares to cast see invisible when she notices a blur and detects a whirring sound inside.  There’s a bang as whatever it is smashes itself against the glass.  In the two smallest boxes the crowd can see a giant frog and a small frightened dark-haired puppy.

“Where did you get those things,” sputters Borin.  
“Gotta know people,” confides Vignor.  “Snakes were the hardest to get.  They’re controlled by law, ya know.”  He swings his thumb toward the duke.  “Knowing him don’t hurt,” he laughs.

Lionell hands the duke a bag of coins as the bookie shouts the odds.  The puppy is 20 to 1.  The blur is 30 to 1.  Our intrepid band places a wager on the puppy.  The duke bets what must be the budget for a small town on the toad, and Harnett wagers on the snakes.  They do look impressive.

Once the bets are secured, Vignor rings a bell.  The four burly men pull up the glass walls.  The frog runs into the center of the arena and tries to scream blasphemies at the crowd, but two of its vocal cords are cut.  The crowd is stunned.  The air is filled with a stench that must be unbearable in the ring.

Suddenly the blur rushes in and stabs the frog in the neck.  “Hey, that’s a quickling,” someone in the crowd.  The frog looks groggy, but shakes it off.  The quickling reels backward from the smell.

The snakes roll in, unaffected by the smell.  They pounce on the frog, but miss.  The wide-eyed puppy bounds out of its box and breaths fire across the arena.  Marja catches a glimpse of the quickling as it zooms out of the ring.  “Oh, this is going to end badly,” she whispers.

The frog pulls a chaos hammer from beneath the folds of its chin and stuns the hell hound pup as the quickling lunges for the door only to find it locked.  As the snakes pounce again on the frog, Marja whispers to Kalina to cast fairy fire toward the door.  Suddenly, the crowd can see a pink object zipping around.

Now the puppy is no where to be seen.  The frog attacks the snakes.  The arena is on fire from the hound’s breath.  The crowd begins to panic, running for the doors only to find them all locked.

The snakes pin the frog to the sand as the pup lunges out of nowhere and bites.  It’s momentarily sickened as its teeth pierce the frogs putrid flesh, but it holds its bite.  People are screaming now, but the Duke, oblivious, is standing on his chair rooting for the frog.  Kel throws his weight into the door which breaks with a crash.


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

It's been so long, I'm gonna have to read back to remember what has been happening.  Thanks for the update.

GW


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Creature Battle pt 2 (run of 02-10-04 pt 1)*

With the door open, the quickling darts to dash up the stairs and out of the building.  It can feel the cool air from the street rushing against its face.  A voice from behind says something.  “Sleep.”  Although the fresh air of night calls, the command to sleep sounds at the moment so much more appealing.  The quickling obeys, and where there was a pink glow buzzing and zipping a moment ago, now there is a pink glow emitting a faint snore.  Kel nods his head in satisfaction even as he and the quickling are swept up stairs by the rushing crowd.  Once in the open, he draws his sword and swings at the quickling.  One moment there is a snoring pink glow over his head.  The next there are two pink glows falling to the ground.  Now that Kel can see it he bends down to touch tiny hands, like a baby’s.  He feels a pang in his stomach until he turns over the head and sees two rows of sharp tiny fierce teeth.

The hell-puppy dashes away from the fights.  He puts his paws on the edge of the wall to watch the rushing crowd.  His tail is wagging, and he belches fire at the crowd in a playful way.  6 people fall to the ground.  More scream as their clothing catches on fire.

As the frog grows still to cast a spell, the ball of snakes jumps upon it, pinning it to the ground and pummeling it with each snake head.  The frog emits a terrifyingly loud “rabbit.”  The sound echoes off the walls and seems to congeal in the air.  Caerwin jumps over the wall (albeit not gracefully) and swings, but is overcome by the toad’s stench.  

Borin grabs the axe off of Lucre’s back and leaps over the wall in front of the duke.  “Oh, pwotect me! Pwotect me!” the pitiful duke pleads.  Hartnett runs for the door, and Terri  and Kira run after him.  Kalina casts quench and every fire in the room goes out, including the torches.  “Sorry,” she calls as she pulls out flint to relight the one nearest her.

After quickly scanning the room for anything that might be invisible, Marja sends four magic missiles at the toad.  Lucre attacks the hell-hound.  “I can’t believe you’re kicking the puppy!” Marja chides him even as his sword is buried deep into the pup’s shoulder.  The dog looks around with a sorrowful face and falls over dead emitting a plaintive puppy yelp as it falls.

Caerwyn reaches through the thick green stench and finds the holy flame of Corean and smites at the frog.  Unable to speak, the creature thinks every blasphemy he knows.  Borin rushes in, less affected by the smell, and strikes.  Kalina takes his place in front of the duke and draws her flame blade.  He screams.  “Chill,” says Kalina, rolling her eyes.  The duke jumps behind his chair.  “Protect me, brave citizens!”

Marja sends four more magic missiles at the frog then Lucre jumps in holding his breath and makes the kill.  “The snakes win!” Borin shouts as he and Caerwyn move in to dispatch the last remaining creature.

In the quiet aftermath, Kalina turns to the duke, “Shall we go?”  “Oh, spwendid.”


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*A Little Night Espionage (end of run of 02-10-04)*

Harnett picks the lock on a back door and heads down a long hallway and up a narrow staircase with Kira and Terri hot on his heels.  As he reaches the open air of the courtyard Kira jumps to sap him, but misses.  He turns around suspiciously, but only sees her dancing.  “I was just trying to get your attention,” she blurts out.

Kalina motions toward the door Harnett opened, and she and the duke make their escape.  When the duke reaches the courtyard he has regained his composure.  “Move awong,” he says to Harnett.  “I was trying, but she attacked me,” he cries pointing at Kira.  

“I so didn’t,” she protests.  “It was an evil bird,” she croons in her most convincing voice.  To Terri’s and Kalina’s surprise the two men start looking around in the sky for the vicious creature.

Kalina advises that they keep moving away so they all start walking.  The duke prattles on about the beautiful women who came to his rescue.  He’s really enjoying himself.  The visions of those creatures, people on fire, and blood have faded until all he can remember is a spectacle created for his pleasure.  He begins to retell the story, creating an heroic part for himself in it.

Kel is muscling his way back down the crowded stairs when he meets Vignor coming up with the bag of betting money.  “Out of my way,” Vignor growls.  Kel replies with a stern “No!” and pushes back.  “You don’t understand.  If they get away, there will be panic.”  What were you thinking arranging a fight with those creatures?”  “The duke is a hard man to please.”  At this Borin runs up behind Vignor, grabs him and slams him against the wall.  “Look at what you’ve done,” the dwarf/elf growls.

Caerwyn and Kel move around healing whom they can.  Four people lie dead.  Vignor doesn’t move as he stares at the bodies.  Borin jerks his head around, “Who are the Mormo worshipers you got that snake thing from?”

“Thieves guild,” Vignor squeaks.  “Triskelon.  He’s no Mormo worshiper, though.”

Borin grabs the money.  “We’ll take this as a fine.”  “But people made wagers!” Vignor protests.  “Pay them out of your take.”

Kel heals two men who get up and brush themselves off.  “You will be hearing from our attorneys,” they warn as they flounce off.  Borin whispers, “The snakes won,” and they smile as they make mental notes to pass that on.

Vignor tells them that he contacts Triskalon by leaving messages at the Split Ear Tavern.  Usually he just supplies exotic food and drink or exotic acts like jugglers or knife throwers or cocks for fighting.

Caerwyn lays out the dead and rises wiping his bloody hands on his face.  “What are you going to do the next time you have one of these fights?”  His voice booms in Vignor’s ear who looks sheepishly at the floor.  “Not going to have any more,” he whispers.

“I don’t know,” Lucre obliviously chimes.  “If you raise the walls and get creatures who don’t cast spells…”  His voice dies down as everyone stares at him.

Vignor gives them more information on the duke.  He runs with a fast crowd and gambles a lot.  There are rumors that he owes quite a bit to the thieves guild.  He bets on everything.  He likes particularly to watch fights and struggles.  Harnett doesn’t work much, but always seems to have lots of money.

Caerwyn and Kel start lecturing him again, but Marja gently silences them.  “I think we’re finished here,” she says quietly.  “Come on.”  And they leave to find the others.

Meanwhile, the others are walking down quieter streets.  Kira notices that the duke wears a brooch that used to have many jewels in it, but almost all of them are missing.  The duke is obliviously ready to head back to Vignor’s for the next fight.  “I’d love a pup like that for my stables,” he muses.  “Pups grow up,” Kalina warns.

“You’re such a great fighter, your grace,” Kira coos.  “Do you know Maj Kieien?”

“Oh, deadwy boring chap,” yawns the duke.  “Always going on about some boring battle or other.  I always seat him at the far end of the table.”

Harnett leads everyone to his place for a bracer.

“These are the three most spwendid wadies I’ve ever been wescued by,” beams the duke.  Terri gags.

Harnett’s apartment is very nice, but not lavish.  He pours everyone drinks, and drains and refills his cup immediately.  He was shaken up by the events even if the duke was not.

“Who did you bet on?” the duke asks him.  “I don’t bet, your grace,” is the sullen reply.  “I think I won,” the duke answers cheerily.  “I bet on the snakes!”  “You bet on the toad!” Kira reminds him.

They all sit for a short while then the duke excuses himself.  He offers the ladies an escort home, but they decline.  Kalina and Terry leave shortly after the duke.

Terri tails the duke and manages to slip into the palace after him.  His room is like a child’s.  There are clothes strewn everywhere.

Harnett continues to drink.  He makes a comment that he’s so wealthy he lends money to the duke, but then he falls asleep.  Kira wanders around the apartment as Kalina, in cat form, glides out of the shadows.  They find the room that is his study, and Kalina motions to a trunk that has a strong scent.  It’s locked, but Kira opens it easily.  Inside are bags of money, but only a small amount.  They find a leather portfolio with correspondence.  They rifle through finding several IOU’s from the duke and letters from someone called Spider.  The letters ask Harnett to keep the duke occupied and distracted, and he will be rewarded with money.  Spider is bringing something into the duchy he’d rather not pay duties on.  One letter asks him to keep the duke away from information on troop movement.  Kalina retakes her human form.  She and Kira take one letter and the bags of gold and shred the rest.  They ransack the place.  Kalina leaves with the letter and gold while Kira removes her clothes and climbs into the tangled sheets next to the sleeping Harnett.

Terri slinks back out of the palace, not passing anything worth steeling on her way out.  She finds Kalina, and they arrive at the inn together.  In the common room the rest of the group are in heated debate.  Caerwyn, Kel and Lucre are arguing with Marja and Borin about what to do with Vignor’s money.  “We killed those bloody things,” Borin protests.  “We should be paid for our services.”  “The money should be paid to the victim’s families,” Caerwyn is indignant.  “People lost their lives tonight.”  With Kalina’s new information, the money debate falls to the side.

Lucre suggests showing the letter to the duke and asking him to do the right thing.  “He’s too much in debt,” Keri responds.  “I learned from a guild member that he owes the thieves over 70,000 gp.”  “We need Harnett to lead us to Spider,” Borin insists.

“Hey,” asks Lucre looking around.  “Did Kira sleep with Harnett?”  

“Meow,” answers Kalina as she heads off to bed.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

That night, Marja dreams:

You are in a black, lightless space. You can feel that you are not
alone there. And there is a sensation of great weight all around you,
mountainous and looming.

"Are you ready, child?" whispers a sinuous voice in your head.

Without your willing it, your legs carry you forward. You're walking
in complete blackness. Black so complete that you can't tell if your
eyes are open or shut. And yet, you know where you're going. You hear
your guide moving behind you, wingtips dragging on stone.

The sensation of open space in front of you brings you to a stop. Your
toes stretch out, and like a child testing a stove to feel if it's hot,
feel the edge of a cliff. Quickly, you pull back from the edge.

Then you see them. Glowing in the dark. Eyes. Enormous, luminous
yellow eyes. Some quite close, and as big as your head. Some
infinitely far below you in the depths. All watching you.

"Welcome home" slithers the voice.

And you wake up.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

As soon as Borin is awake he goes and readies his horse to leave. He then goes to Marja's room. He makes sure she is alone and then tells her the following:

"Last night I was visited in my dreams by Morgaine...I think. I do not know if this dream is real or just an attempt by our enemies to distract us. I need to go into the wilderness and think about this...alone. I can not think well in this town. The buildings are stifling."

Marja offers to go with him, but he refuses.  He must go alone, he explains.  She asks for more details about the dream.  “I had a dream, too.” she offers, and quickly fills him in, but her dream is similar to many of her other dreams.  Borin’s was different.  “Morgaine has told me I can not remain an elf. However, becoming a dwarf again will involve another quest.  As such I must determine in my heart if this is just a distraction or is real."

Borin asks her to keep some of his things safe for him and leaves her with all of his non magical possessions (except his Masterwork Great Axe), his breast plate, his bearskin leather armor, his periapt of wisdom, and his sheepskin of polymorph.

He then leaves to seek out Lucre.

As Borin awaits the arrival of his compatriots in the tavern hall, he growls at anyone who sits close enough to his table to listen in on conversations. When everyone arrives in the common room for breakfast, Borin stands and quietly speaks, doing his best to be overheard by no one but them.

“I have had a strange dream last night. Some of you appeared in it, but not as yourselves. And while I do not think I should discuss the details right now, I do think it is important for me to determine if this is a real vision or a false vision. I can not hear myself think in this town and so I am going into the wilderness to sort this out...alone. I must know in my heart if this is real before I burden any of you with it.

“While I am gone, I know you will do what is best, but I wanted to share my thoughts with you.

“For the reasons presented by Caerwyn last night, I do not think the Captain is our best source of information. In fact, I think he will only serve to give warning to our enemies. I think that the Merchant is our best bet. He is greedy and self serving. Therefore it should not be hard to make him realize that it is in his best interests to help us. 

“I also think that we must pursue the thief as an information link. I do not think he knew what he was doing, but someone up his supply chain did. He was provided with a creation of Mormo. Some of us have dealt with Mormo worshipers before and failed to prevent them from recovering a piece of Mormo. This was the first failure that started us on the path towards that dream we shared. If he provides a link back to worshipers of Mormo we may be able to correct our mistake. More importantly, that dream we had makes me think that all of these titan worshipers who are trying to recover pieces of the titans are or will be working together.  Do with that what you will.”

Borin then chugs the rest of his ale and turns to leave. As he strides towards the door, some of the group notice that he is wearing nothing more than a simple set of traveling clothes. Across his back is his old Great Axe. 

As he passes Caerwyn silently hands him a wand with a wink (cure light wounds, 41 charges).   Borin, turns to Caerwyn and says, "Thank you, but I prefer to travel light."  He then hands the wand back.

He goes through the door and is gone.

Kel looks out the window watching him mount his horse and ride away:  “You know, I'd ask where he's going, but somehow I don't think I'd get an answer”


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Star Crossed Lovers (run of 02-23-04)*

Kira wakes up to pounding at the door.  Harnett’s man is knocking in earnest to wake him.  “Sir, we’ve been burgled!”  Harnett jumps out of bed.  The two men dash about the apartment yelling to each other.

Kira dresses and timidly wanders down the hall as if she’s never seen this part of the house before.  Harnett is berating his servant, demanding to know how this could have happened.  He seems mostly concerned about the loss of funds.  It doesn’t appear that he’s even bothered to look through his papers yet.

Kira steps gingerly into the room.  “I’m sorry you have to witness this, my dear.  Perhaps it would be better if you were on your way.”  Kira takes the cue, tells him to look her up some time and quickly exits the building.

Once around the corner, she picks up her skirts and runs to the tavern where she finds the others at breakfast.  Borin is not among them.  Kalina and Kel have vague memories of dreams that they can’t remember.  Marja is sullen.  Lucre is out of sorts.  “What’s up with you?” Kira asks.  “You have dreams too?”

“I feel used,” Lucre replies, and then realizing that he’s not making sense he expounds.  “Not in the ‘I’ve bought Marja drinks and now she won’t sleep with me’ used, but like my mind was used.  I’ve also been thinking about Morgan this morning.  It’s very odd.”

Kalina and Terri go off in search of the thief who sold Vignor his goods.

Kira noticed a portrait at Harnett’s of a young woman who bore a family resemblance to him.  She appeared to be about 13.  The frame of the picture was scratched and worn.  She and Lucre head back toward the Duke’s residence to see what they can find out about this young lady.

They meet a jolly young woman with keys around her neck just coming out of the palace.  She’s very chatty and introduces herself as Emily Hurcomb, the duke’s housekeeper.  When Kira mentions a young woman related to Harnett Emily becomes quiet.  They final coax out of her the sad story.  She name is Liza.  She’s Harnett’s younger sister.  She and the duke were very close growing up.  After the duke, his father, married Lady Silvey, it became harder for them to spend time together.  The duchess wanted to marry Miss Liza to Sir Silvey, the duchess’s brother.  Liza took vows at the temple of Madriel a number of years ago to avoid the marriage.  After that, the young duke began to withdraw and become different.

Kira and Lucre gather our band of intrepid adventurers together with this new information.  They travel to Madriel’s temple.  Caerwyn goes in to consult with the priestesses about talking with Miss Liza Harnett.  He comes back almost an hour later.  He’s had to make some promises, but he’s gained admittance for the women of the party.

As the women follow a priestess into the temple, Kel and Lucre decide that Caerwyn can buy the first round.  “We have so many leads to follow.  Don’t you think we should go do something?”  “We are doing something,” Lucre punches his arm.  “We’re drinking!”

“Come on, Caerwyn,” Kel pleads.  “We should really wait for the brains to come back before heading off anywhere.”  

The Cloister is a beautiful building of stone that runs along the back of the temple.  It’s large inner garden is cool despite the weather, and the faint rustle of leaves gives the place a far away, rural feel.  Liza Harnett is standing under a cherry tree in full bloom.  She’s wearing dark robes and a head scarf, but the women can see the similarity she shares with her brother.  She looks calm, but Kalina can sense her nervousness.  An older woman is sitting nearby in the shade, close, but not within earshot.

The women explain the events of the outside world as quickly, but with as much compassion as possible.  The sisters of Madriel keep a careful eye on what’s going on, but Liza is surprised to hear how low the duke has fallen and that Mormo worshipers may be involved.

“My brother, Lionel, is a vain bully.  All he cares about is money.  I would be very surprised is he’s actually involved in any Mormo plot.  More likely, he’s a pawn – a very well paid pawn.  Edmund, the duke, is a frightened child.  He was deeply affected by his mother’s death.  He confided in me that he felt like it was his fault, if he had only been a better boy.  The new duchess took pleasure in scaring him.  I can see he’s lost his way.  You must bring him here to me.”

Kalina leaves the temple and returns to the palace where she turns into a pigeon and scouts for the duke’s window.  She has no trouble finding it.  He’s only just waking up and is loudly complaining that despite three closets filled with clothes, he has nothing to wear.  He complains to his valet, a patient old man, these styles are so last week!  The old man sighs and heads back into a closet.  

Kalina grabs the opportunity.  She flies into the room and lands on the duke’s side table.  He is in mid shriek when she turns back into her human form.  The old man in the closet ignores the shriek thinking it’s still about the clothes.

“Do it again,” the duke pleads.

“I have someone who wants to talk to you,” she says and pulls Liza’s picture from her pocket.  Suddenly staring at the duke is like looking at a small boy.  His face is rosy and hopeful and almost cheerful.  “Do I get to be a bird?” he asks hopefully.

Kalina hides behind a curtain while the duke dismisses his valet.  With another sigh the old man leaves the room.  “What color do you think Liza likes?” Edmund asks as he scurries into his closet.  “Don’t you remember?” Kalina asks.  “Oh yes,” Edmund responds clapping his hands, “Blue!”

Five minutes later he emerges from the closet wearing blue, but every piece of clothing is mismatched.  It’s endearing somehow.  Kalina sits him down and works very hard at keeping his attention.  “There are rules,” she explains.  You must only follow me.  If you stray, you could be eaten by a cat.  If you get to far away from me, the spell will break and you will fall,” she fibs.  He nods his head emphatically.  “Just, I don’t want to be a dirty pigeon,” he offers.

Kalina puts on an act of large hand and body movements to make the spell seem more impressive, then they are both little sparrows and in an instant they are rushing across the wind to the temple.

They are ushered with the others into a private room where Kalina turns them back.  Liza walks in.  Edmund and Liza stare at each other in silence for a long time.  The others hold their breaths not wanting to be noticed.

Finally, she extends her hands and touches his face.  “I thought by now you would have forgotten all about me,” she whispers.  “Never.”  His voice is barely audible.  “You’re lost and hurt, I can see.”  She strokes his hair.  “I can help”  “But I’m having a jolly good time,” he lies to her then he bursts into tears.

Liza embraces him.  “It’s taken me ten years to receive Madriel’s healing, but if you will stay, we can help you.”  Edmund nods, “I just want to sleep again.”

“Don’t we all,” whispers Marja under her breath.

Liza ushers Edmund into the hospital wing, and the others turn and silently leave the temple.


----------



## KidCthulhu

This was really a very beautiful sequence.  The hints about the Duke's background of abuse and his very sad childhood were fairly subtle.   The party's first few encounters with Duke Edmund had them fairly firmly in the "Let's kill him and worry about the consequences later." camp.

But they responded very strongly to the clues that were there and did a great job handling the NPCs, who were by no means inclined to blurt all this stuff out.  The decision to redeem and heal him rather than write him off was theirs alone, and it was a beautiful scene.

They really came away from this whole adventure feeling good about themselves, which is the whole point!


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

Is the group of players here, completely different than the other groups with DOD and Abernathy's?

GW


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

Graywolf-ELM said:
			
		

> Is the group of players here, completely different than the other groups with DOD and Abernathy's?
> 
> GW




Let me see if I remember everyone:

KidC GM's this game and is Ernie in Abernathy's and was Nolan/is Eve in DoD.
PirateCat is Lucre in this game and is Dranko in Abernathy's and GM's DoD.
Aravis is Borin in this game and is Aravis in Abernathy's and Galthia in DoD.
Jobu who was Deke in this game was also in DoD, but I forget her character.

The rest of us don't play in the other games.  The players of Marja, Kalina, Kira (and Morgaine and Xenia who are no longer in the game) are all new players and all women.

Chef.


----------



## KidCthulhu

Also, Blood Jester and wife, who play Eternal Sentinel and Wave in PCs Mutants & Masterminds game, play Caerwyn and Terri.  

There is some overlap.  The person I feel sorry for is Aravis.  It's bad enough that he and I (and Kodiak) are caught in the Rat Bastard war between Sagiro & PirateCat.  He also has to endure my feeble efforts to tag along behind them.  I'm not a Rat Bastard yet, but I'm striving for it.  Call me Hampster Bastard!


----------



## Blood Jester

KidCthulhu said:
			
		

> Also, Blood Jester and wife, who play Eternal Sentinel and Wave in PCs Mutants & Masterminds game, play Caerwyn and Terri.
> 
> There is some overlap.  The person I feel sorry for is Aravis.  It's bad enough that he and I (and Kodiak) are caught in the Rat Bastard war between Sagiro & PirateCat.  He also has to endure my feeble efforts to tag along behind them.  I'm not a Rat Bastard yet, but I'm striving for it.  Call me Hampster Bastard!




Hamster Dance!!!

doo-doo-do-do-do...


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Rats! (end of run of 2-23-04)*

Our band of adventurers quietly leave the temple.  They stroll silently for about two blocks.  Then without a word to each other, they pick up the pace and head with determination to Harnett’s shop.

The place is empty when they arrive.  They enter, pull the shades and close and lock the front door.  Morgot looks up startled.  “What are you doing?  I’ll call the guards.”

Terri rummages around and quickly finds the second accounts book.  “Go ahead,” she dares.  “I’m sure they’ll be interested in this.”

Morgot turns pale.  “Look,” he stammers, “I have nothing to do with that.  If you call the guards, I’ll never work for a respectable merchant again.”

Kalina hand him the cash box.  “Oh, know,” she feigns shock staring at the empty counter.  “The shop has been robbed!”  She hands the box to Morgot and pushes him out the back door with a wink and her finger over her lips. 

Harnett calls from upstairs.  “Who’s there, Morgot?”  Quickly, Marja turns Kira invisible.  Kel goes first up the stairs, his sword half drawn.  Marja takes her quarterstaff off of her back.  They find Harnett at his desk.   Three guards sit idly at a table playing cards.  Marja moves across the room and sits on Harnett’s desk. 

“Is your visit here for business,” he asks scanning the group behind her, “or pleasure.”  He takes a long, slow look at the long legs stretching from the desk to his chair.

“All business, Baby, and I’m your new best friend or your new worst enemy.”  She pulls out the letter that Kira pilfered and starts to read.

“Not mine,” he interrupts, but Marja ignores him and finishes. 

“The Duke is not protecting you on this,” Kalina warns.  Harnett laughs, “I’m his best friend.”

“Liza is his best friend,” Marja retorts.  He pushes her violently off of the desk.  Lucre steps between them.

“Step aside, Little Man,” Harnett bellows.  “I have lots of influence in this town.”

“Not anymore.”  Lucre is nonplused.  “Now you’re guilty of treason.”

Marja silently casts charm as Harnett and Lucre stare each other down.  “I won’t let him hurt you,” she coos, “if you tell us what you’re in to.”

“Oh let’s just haul his sorry ass of to jail,” Kalina comments.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he says motioning to his guard, “except with you, of course.”  He winks at Marja who does her best not to gag.

The three guards stand up, and start to grow.  He rises from his chair and feels a sharp pain in his spine.  Kira appears behind him, her hands twisted and ready to strike again.  He sways.  Marja jumps to her feet and swings her quarterstaff, but he managed to move away from the stick and right into Lucre’s swinging fist.  He crumples to the floor, unconscious.

Marja turns and casts color spray at the guards.  Two of them look stunned, but they all keep growing.  Lucre steps over to one of them and swings the Citadel in a powerful arch, slicing across the chest.  Kalina shoots creeping cold and frost forms on the limbs of another.  He climbs over the table, icicles hanging from a long snout and hairy claws.  He lunges at Marja and sinks pointy teeth into her shoulder.  The saliva burns, and she howls in pain.

The word, “DOOM!” echoes in the air as Terri casts at Marja’s attacker.  Marja pulls out her wand of shocking grasp.  Blue sparks cover  his body, and he snarls.  Kira moves in with her magic dagger drawn from her ring.  He falls to the ground, and Marja breaths a sigh of relief as she rubs her tender shoulder.

Lucre swings the Citadel again and rips the chest off of his victim who falls dead at his feet.  The last remaining guard/creature dodges an attack from Kalina and lunges at Lucre sinking his teeth deep in the dwarf’s flesh.  “Welcome to the family,” he laughs.

“We’re going to miss you at the reunions,” Lucre snaps back.  Terri stabs at the beast, but her knife has no effect.

“Use your sling,” Marja yells, but Terri never gets the opportunity.  Kel strikes with his magic long sword, and Caerwyn rushes in with a gleeful cry, shoving the table out of the way and swinging his great sword.  Marja sends a few magic missiles, and the creature falls.

As they survey the room, Terri notices that the men on the floor seem to be healing.  Marja sends a bout of magic missiles into each of them, and they turn into dead rats on the floor.


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

Cool, out of nowhere, thank you,
GW


----------



## Blood Jester

I think I found the loophole...

Kel uses a Greatsword, Caerwyn used a Long Sword.

That explains the whooping and table-throwing I believe.


----------



## apintrix

Wah!  Catch up, I want to know what's happening now!  

~L

Um...or, in a more masculine tone:  "Pardon me, but, am I dead?  I could be dead and never know it!  That hardly seems fair!  All I get is the teasers..."

~Kel


----------



## Blood Jester

apintrix said:
			
		

> Wah!  Catch up, I want to know what's happening now!
> 
> ~L
> 
> Um...or, in a more masculine tone:  "Pardon me, but, am I dead?  I could be dead and never know it!  That hardly seems fair!  All I get is the teasers..."
> 
> ~Kel




'Dead' is such a...relative term, isn't it?  

I mean, well, in a quantum-state kind of way, yes?   

Nevermind, forget I spoke.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

GreyWolf has helped me get the complete story hour in one place where you can download and read at your leisure.  That is complete except for the last few posts.

Here it is!  Enjoy!

http://www.snotling.org/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=7


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Full Moon Over Vesh (run of 03-09-04, pt 1)*

_Discontinuity Note: In the last story entry you will notice that Caerwyn was definitely upstairs in the room and fighting with the group.  In this entry you will notice that Caerwyn enters the scene from downstairs completely unaware of the fight upstairs.  Caerwyn’s player was not present in the previous run, and we played his character for him.  That explains the gleeful cry and shoving of the table.  Then we forgot, and when he rejoined the game, we brought his character in as if he had not been present before.  Oops._ 

Having received the note from his friends on their whereabouts, Caerwyn rushes over to Harnett’s shop.  He intercepts a man fleeing down the back stairs.  “Where you going, friend?” asks Caerwyn, placing a firm hand on the man’s shoulder.  The man tries to move past him, “None of your business, Mack.”  Caerwyn holds the man fast.  “These guys are upstairs attacking me boss.  I’m going to get the law.”

“How convenient,” says Caerwyn, “since I am the law.  Let’s just go upstairs and sort this out.”  He turns the man back toward the stairs, but the man lunges and sinks his teeth deep into Caerwyn’s arm who is quite taken aback.  “Yield,” he commands as he draws his sword.  “Bite me,” the stranger snarls as he licks blood from his lips.  The man lunges to bite him again, even as he starts to transform, but Caerwyn is prepared.  As the creature leaps forward, Caerwyn moves his wrist slightly, aligning his sword, and the creature impales itself, reaching towards Caerwyn to claw and bite.  His claws scratch against Caerwyn’s armor and his teeth sink into the soft skin of his neck.  Caerwyn reels from the smell of his breath.  “You don’t get many dates, do you?”  The creature gurgles an answer and slides slowly off the sword and onto the ground just as Lucre appears at the top of the stairs.

Caerwyn reaches into his religious knowledge and realizes that Corean’s warriors wield silver swords against lycanthropes.  He calls up to Lucre, “Are you ok?”  Lucre slides down the banister.  “They turn into rats when dead,” he says pointing at the man on the floor.  “Otherwise, they heal.”  Caerwyn stabs the prostrate figure again and the body shrinks into a large rat.  “Good to know,” he smiles.

They drag his body and effects upstairs.  Kira is very concerned that Caerwyn, Lucre and Marja were bitten.  She relates the creatures comment to Lucre, “Welcome to the family.”  Caerwyn inspects the wounds, detecting evil, but senses nothing.  “I’m not sure, but I think this might be bad, more than a heal spell can handle.  We have a little time, though.”

Terri and Kalina slip off to go to the thieves guild while the others take Harnett to the guard.  Caerwyn finds Lt. Rufus, and the two of them slip into the office as the others take Harnett to the lock-up.  Marja passes Caerwyn the note.

“He had hired lycenthropes?”  Rufus is staggered.  He steps into a side room and comes back with a large, well-worn book.  He reads, “Statute 227/Stroke Zed – punishable by death.  What a birthday present!  Next you’ll be telling me Maj. Keiran fell off a bridge.  You know, they serve a good cup of ale at the Boot and Hole next door.  I would love to hear the story.”

“No time now.  We’ve got to be at the temple before the moon rises,” Caerwyn is all business as he turns to leave.  “However,” he pauses at the door, “Marja rarely turns down a pint, and she weaves a clever tale.  You might seek her out some time.”  In one of his rare casual moments he winks at Rufus as he leaves.

Out in the street he takes Marja and Lucre aside.  “I lined up your next date,” he tells Marja, but first we need to go to the temple.”  Marja is sure she’s been insulted, but she’s not exactly sure how.  They leave the group to head back to the inn, and they once again retrace the path to the temple.

Meanwhile, taking a cue from Garnet, Kalina has turned herself into a small snake and has wrapped herself around Terri’s wrist like a bracelet as Terri wanders from inn to inn talking to people with winks and innuendoes.  She has a long conversation about the weather, wink, wink, then heads to the dark corner of a tavern to talk to a man about exotic merchandise.  Finally the name of Triscalon enters the conversation along with a promise to “set you up right.”  She’s to go to the Rusty Nail at 10.

At Madriel’s Temple it doesn’t take long for the three to find a familiar face.  “we have a small problem,” Caerwyn whispers pointing at their bites.  “Of course, if the friends of our beloved Liza and our noble duke need healing…”  Caerwyn stops her from continuing.  “It’s more than that.”  He points to the bite marks again.  “Lycanthropes,” he whispers.  The young woman turns pale.  Gazing out the window at the sun she ushers them into a back room.  “We haven’t much time,” she cautions as she motions for them to wait and slips away.

Moments later an elderly, but straight backed priestess enters the room, Liza at her side.  “Oh how dreadful,” utters Liza, “after all you’ve done for us and our city.”  “Hush child,” coos the old woman.  “All will be made well again.”  She goes to a side table and crushes some herbs with a mortar and pestle.  “This is belladonna.”  “Thank you,” says Marja.  “Not you, My Dear,” the priestess chuckles, “the herbs.”  Marja blushes.  “Now step over to this basin and stick out your tongues.”  The three obey, approaching a long wash tub.  She places a dab of the herb mixture on each of their tongues.  Lucre and Caerwyn bend over in nausea from the taste.  Their eyes roll back in their heads and they vomit into the basin.  The herbs taste vile to Marja too, but she does not throw up.  She collapses to her knees as her body shakes with a high fever.  

“You will have to stay a little, My Dear.”  The elderly woman wipes Marja’s face with a towel.  Lucre runs over to help her to her feet.  “You can stay with her if you want to,” offers the priestess.  “Oh,” Lucre stutters, “We’re not that kind of friends.”  Then he looks at Marja who seems disappointed.  “I mean, we’re hang-out-in-the-same-tavern kind of friends, but…” He turns beet red.  “We’ll both stay,” offers Caerwyn.

Marja’s fever remains high.  They make her comfortable on some pillows in a small room and bring hot broth for her to sip.  The wound in her shoulder aches, and the skin around it feels very hot to the touch.  Several young clerics are brought through to watch her perform the belladonna test for them.  “You’re very kind to do this for us,” a teacher-priest thanks her.  Lucre pipes in, “Marja’s always willing to contribute to a young man’s education.”  “How generous,” says the priest as he ushers the novices out of the room. 

Finally, shortly after the sun has set, but before the moon has risen, the elderly priestess returns with an elderly priest.  They chant together and lay their hands on Marja’s head and shoulder.  Marja feels as though the wind has been knocked out of her, then a warmth spreads through her even as she feels her fever break.  An oily black mist seeps out of the wound, sinks to the ground and dissipates.  The silver rays of the full moon stream through the window.  “I guess I had a pretty close call,” she whispers.  The old man strokes her cheek.  “You’ll be fine now,” he assures her.  Marja pays for the healing, and the three walk into the crisp evening air.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*From the Lion's Mouth (run of 03-09-04 pt 2)*

So our band of hearty adventurers swanker into the Rusty Nail later that evening.  Everyone manages to look like they belong there except Kel, who clearly looks like he’s slumming.  

The Rusty Nail is a seedy neighborhood bar with great cheese fries.  Kira is immediately surrounded by men, and Marja is put out.  Terri wanders in and sits at a quiet table.  Marja would have missed her except that Garnet spotted Kalina in snake form wrapped around her pocket.  Everyone keeps his eyes open, watching and waiting, but no one notices a slender male figure approach and sit down next to Terri, not even Terri who jumps when she notices him.  Kalina detects magic and senses his ring, bracers and something in his pocket.

“You’ve supplied this town with some interesting creatures,” Terri decides not to beat around the bush.  “I’d never worked with that lot before, but it worked out pretty well, all the same,” he shrugged.  “Mostly I’m in for exotic foods, but I knows lots of people.  What’s it that you’re lookin’ for, Miss.”

“Not what,” Terri confides, “but who.  I want to meet the people who supplied you with the creatures at Varnet’s.”  He looks startled, “Why? Was somethin’ wrong with ‘em? What were they?”

“Well, one was an abomination.”

“With a capital A?”  Terri nods.  Triscalon starts to sweat.

Caerwyn walks up to the bar where Marja is standing and grabs her bum as he whispers, “He’s got shielding magic up.”  Marja slaps him across the face.  Caerwyn turns, rubbing his cheek, and heads back to Kel who is doubled over in laughter.  “You said that move always works,” he called to Kel loudly.

Marja moves closer to the table watching closely, but all their precautions are unnecessary.  Terri and Triscalon continue to talk.

“I got the stuff from Rover of Rover’s Traveling Circus,” Triscalon admits, “But he’s clean.  I’m sure he didn’t know what he was dealing in.”

“We need to move up the chain as far as we can go,” Terri explains.  Triscalon looks nervous.  “Is there trouble coming down?” he asks.  “Not this far,” Terri assures him.  “Well, I’m pretty sure Rover is clean, but I’ll see what else I can find out.”  Terri tells him to leave word for her at the inn.

One by one and two by two the band heads back to the inn for the night.  Kira lingers the longest, but to Kalina’s relief, she decides on her own bed and quiet sleep.

In the middle of the night Lucre wakes up to a rattling in his head like a creature trapped in a cage.  He pulls out his sword.  “What’s in my brain?” he asks.  An elderly voice responds, “Your mind is, as always, a vast wasteland.  You must turn on the light, meditate and seek within yourself.”  Well, two out of three aren’t bad he thinks.  He lights a candle, crosses his legs and quiets himself into his mind.  “My mind is like Burok Torn,” he muses.  “I must meditate more often to clean pathways here.”  He walks in meditation to the temple of Goran and finds the little cleric who cast the spell and sent him to his cousin.  “I’m the message in your brain,” the little cleric pipes.  “I’m not ready to be delivered, but my target is in danger.  A large creature with spikes will reach him in three hours.”

Lucre springs to his feet and yells waking half the inn.  The clerics and druid meditate for an hour while Marja helps Lucre and Kel prepare for the trip, and Kira wakes the kitchen and rustles up some food.

They all gather in the courtyard in a tight circle, and “poof” seven birds take to the air.  The feathers feel funky, but soaring is a great feeling even on top of they worry.  Lucre leads the way.  Everyone is fascinated by flight except Marja and Lucre who stay focused on the horizon.  In two hours they reach the Keldar Mountains.  About one quarter of the way up the side, Lucre spots a small ridge with a cave and a small climbing shelf below.  At the base is a tall lion-like creature with wings and a long tail with spikes.  Kel spots Borin in the mouth of the cave.

Borin is just waking up; his/her elf hair is all tussled.  It doesn’t look like it’s been brushed or braided since Marja last took care of it.  He spots the lion tail twitching.  He steps out of the cave and rages, attacking with the force of a fully rested dwarf/elf.  He brings his great axe down on the creature’s skull and blood flows as howls rise into the morning air.

Suddenly, a larger creature swoops angrily out of the sky.  From their vantage point, the seven birds surmise that the wounded creature is a child, and this is an angry father.  Borin hears the sound of wings and then feels himself pulled off of the ground.  Lucre lands on the beast’s back sinking his talons into the lion’s shoulder.  Caerwyn follows as does Terri.  Kel dives for its eye.  The baby takes to the air after its parent.

Borin breaks loose from the claws and makes a grab for the creature’s leg, but falls to the ground.  The beast flicks its tail, and six spikes fly loose embedding themselves in Borin’s back.  “After all this time of adventuring,” muses Kira as she lands and turns back into herself, “you’d think I’d learn that it always gets worse.”  Caerwyn swoops down and lays on hands, er talons.

Terri lands and sees another, a female, just as Kalina casts a cold snap on the baby.  The mother roars and takes to the sky shooting spikes at Kalina, hitting her with three.

Kel changes back into human form in mid air and plummets to the ground.  The baby shoots spikes at Borin.  Kira starts to dance and shoots her crossbow.  A bolt embeds deep into the baby’s brain as the creature twitches and falls to the ground.

Lucre, a dwarf again, draws the Citadel as he clings to the father’s back.  “Always thinking with your point,” growls the grandfather within the blade.

Kalina turns into a human, places her wand of cure serious on the ground and turns back into a falcon just as the female pounces, but her small bird form wriggles out of the way.  Kel rises to his feet and runs to the mother, slicing a deep gouge in her wing.

Marja casts fly on Borin, and as he rises into the air she sprinkles dust of disappearance over him.  He vanishes.  He flies directly up under the male beast and flanks as Lucre takes another blow.  The word, “Dooom!” echoes through the air.  The mother beast takes to the sky as Kel and Caerwyn move in.  Kel slices off her front leg as she rises.  She knocks Kira as she falls dead to the ground, but does not throw off Kira’s next shot.  The surviving creature turns on her, grabs her in his claws and soars.

Marja sends eight magic missiles from her fingertips straight into the creature’s chest.  It spirals to the ground still clutching Kira.   Lucre tumbles out of its way just in time, but Kira fares far worse.  She holds onto consciousness by a thread as the beast falls on top of her.  In an instant Kalina is nearby with her wand of salvation.

“Your arrival was well timed,” Boran remarks.  “Hey, family knows when you need something,” Lucre shrugs.  ‘Would it kill you to use a hairbrush?” Marja asks exasperated.  “What?” Borin looks perplexed, “I did.”


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Domestic Troubles (run of 03-23-04)*

Our intrepid band of adventurers takes a mere two days to arrive back in Vesh resisting the temptation to stop in again to see Kira’s aunt and her fine artwork.

Marja is thrilled to be back in the city, bustling with morning activity.  Kalina always finds the tall buildings and unnatural smells disturbing.  She and Fang plan to head for the park down by the river as soon as they’ve reported in.  

The band strolls leisurely through the market until they hear screaming.  They turn a corner into a small alley beside the delivery door to a dry goods shop.  A smallish man, wearing a leather apron with his sleeves rolled up to reveal thin, but muscular arms, has his wife backed against the wall.  She is trembling as he shouts every obscenity at her.  Her lip is bleeding.

He raises his hand to strike her, but Borin steps in and grabs it.  Lucre wraps his arms around the man’s legs, holding him fast.  “Let me go, you morons.  I can discipline my woman.  She’s driving me crazy.”  Borin hits him across the mouth and knocks him out.  Borin and Lucre stare at Borin’s clenched fist.  “How do you do that?” Lucre asks.  The two drag the man off to the stocks.  Terri pops the lock, and they take it upon themselves to insert the man there.  Marja has a quiet conversation with the wife who follows after her husband crying for his release.  After a few minutes, Marja reports that in her opinion this woman has never been abused before.  She seems shocked by her husband’s behavior.  He suddenly went crazy.  

Lucre concentrates and reports that the man has a faint glow, perhaps the glow of psionic enchantment.  Kalina dispels the magic and Caerwyn places healing hands upon him.  He wakes up and looks at his wife with her swollen lip.  “What have I done?” he cries.  “Oh, I’m a terrible person,” and he begins to babble on about how dreadful his behavior has been.  “Wait,” Lucre pleads.  “I need to know what happened to you this morning.”

“Oh, I’m lower than low.  I deserve to spend the rest of my wretched life in these stocks.  Oh, what have I done?”  He babbles on again.  Lucre and Borin step in to try to calm him down.  “Who are you?” he asks.  “I’m the guy who hit you,” Borin responds honestly.  “And I’m the guy who helped,” Lucre adds.  “Now tell us what happened this morning.”

“A wife-beater!” the man opines.  “That’s the lowest of the low.  I don’t deserve to live!”
“I’ll hit you again,” offers Borin.  To this the man startles and stops.  “We were unloading our new shipment.  The regular guy delivered.  I’ve know him for years.  There was a crowd of people, but there always is in the morning.  I didn’t see anything weird.”

Marja scans the crowd.  “I see something!” she shouts and takes off.  Kalina sees what she spotted, a young man with a psionic glow.  She casts fairy fire and summons an air elemental to give chase.  Kira starts to sing at the top of her lungs.  Caerwyn mounts his horse and takes off after the glowing pink man as Marja casts fly on herself, Borin and Lucre.  All this activity and the presence of an air elemental cause a panic in the crowd.

Kel shrugs his shoulders as his friends take off.  His armor won’t let him join in the chase.  He strolls over to a farm stand and buys a mellon which he slices open and begins to eat.

Kira runs into a china shop and meets two wide-eyed teenagers.  “Are you here about the pink guy because he went that way?”  They point out the back.  Kira touches her cohort tattoo and concentrates.  The party all feel a twinge and get a sense of direction.  They perform a house to house search, but he’s gone.


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## Iron Chef BBQ

*Why does it have to be snakes? (run of 04-06-04)*

Marja dreams that night of fighting.  She turns to her right and fights off winged demons with a ferocious claw and bite.  She turns to her left and is attacked, but the demons’ thrusts bounce off of her skin.  She turns from right to left again and again, and as she does her appearance changes.  To the right her hair streaks with copper, her incisors elongate and her nails sharpen and harden.  To the left she returns to normal…in her dream.

*****************************
Our adventurers get some much needed sleep although Marja complains of restlessness and doesn’t want to talk much over breakfast.  As they share a rather large repast prepared lovingly by Thomas, their hafling cook, who is just so gosh darn excited to have them back, and in one piece, they all feel a burning sensation in their tattoos.  Beltray is calling.  They hurry over.

“Sorry for the abrupt notice,” Beltray apologizes.  “I’m a little short staffed.”
“Is that a dward joke?” Lucre wants to know.

Beltray pays no attention.  He’s serious this morning.  “A hoard of Titan spawn on the edge of town,” he answers.  “A squadron of guards will be assigned to you.”

Kira looks excited.  “You mean we’ll be in charge of them?” she asks.

Lucre points to Caerwyn.  “Who says he’s in charge of them, raise your hand.”

All hands, but Kira’s rise.  Caerwyn turns around from perusing the bookshelf.  “What?”

No time is wasted.  They head out toward the Hornswythe River.

They approach base camp and are taken to a young Arian man with a tabard across his chest.  He salutes which makes several of the group chuckle.

“Lt. Marcus Trenton, 3rd army, 47th unit – The Stompers, at your service.”  He’s bright and energetic and clearly competent.  He shakes each hand as he is introduced and doesn’t seem perturbed by the groups eclectic mix or odd appearance.  He blushes each time he looks at one of the women.  More chuckles, but then the group get quickly down to business at he gives them the details.

The Hornswythe River area is being raided by snakes.  He’s unclear of the numbers which makes them nervous, too many to count.  It’s clear that something intelligent is directing them.  Trenton takes them out to see the squad.  They are standing in formation under a billowing flag with the symbol of a boot stomping on a snake.  “How appropriate,” Marja whispers to Kalina.  She detects a minor magic on the flag.  It allows all creatures under it to march at a 30 foot pace.  The troop is about 70% men and 30% women, and each member carries a long bow.

Lucre strides up and inspects the line.  He barks, “Question – fighting one or two intells and a hoard of fodder.  What do you aim for? You!” He points to someone in the front row.

“The officers, sir!”

“And you!”  He points to someone else.

“The command structure and then the troops, sir!”

“Well trained, Trenton,” Lucre comments.  “There all yours Caerwyn.”  The others all hide snickers behind him.

The meet the two second officers, Ens. Kickbarrell Varus, a very young dwarf with only a three inch beard, Ens. Rona Greenleaf, a tall half-elf.  Borin shakes each one’s hand.  “Nice to meet a fellow dwarf.  Nice to meet a fellow elf.”

They meet the two sergeants, Lawrence Potter, a human in his late 50’s whose armor and nails are spankingly clean and a tall man with a red beard carrying a long spear.  Trenton introduces him as Seamus Longspear.

“Do you get your name from your weapon, or your weapon from your name?” Marja asks. 

“All men call me Longspear.  Seamus is the only name I came with,” he answers.

Kira perks up.  “Do the ladies call you longspear, too?”

“I couldn’t say, madam.  I wouldn’t want to brag.”

As they assemble to march forward, Kalina turns into a hawk.  All heads in the front turn to look.  Lucre belts out, “Eyes front.  Haven’t you ever seen a woman turn into a bird before?”  “Sir, no sir!”

The scouts move to the front, and the group heads east.  After a day and a half of marching Caerwyn and Lucre see black dust on the horizon.  They’re close.  Kel blesses the group, Kira starts singing, and Marja makes Lucre fly.

At 300 ft they see a flock of black birds swooping toward them.  Kalina is in front flying as fast as she can.  They dive at Kalina, and Lucre flies in to intercept them.  Marja touches Borin and sends him flying into the air.  He quickly reaches Lucre.  The birds are the size of ravens, but they have snakes sprouting out of their shoulders and legs.  Three dive at Kalina, and she falls.  Lucre sends one spiraling to the ground.  He looks rather pleased with himself until he sees two dead birds falling from his cousin’s axe.

Kalina lands at Caerwyn's feet bleeding badly.  Kel rushes over to heal her.

Marja sends lightening bolts into the air killing twelve while Borin swings twice more bringing down two.  Kira and Terri pick them off one by one from the ground.  They rapidly pick off the remaining seven, but not before Marja and three troopers are injured slightly.

Lucre and Borin fly forward to scare up more.  As they crest the hill they find that they are on the top of a 100 ft cliff face.  Below is an open field with creatures wandering in and out of the woods beyond.  They see a pack of wolves, two bears and a pack weasels, all with snakes on them.


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## Iron Chef BBQ

*The Dogs of War (run of 04-20-04)*

Our adventurers stand in stunned silence on a hilltop over looking the battlefield.  Bears and wolves are roaming about snapping and snarling at each other, the vicious snakes that protrude from their deformed bodies send up a hissing sound that rings through the air like a low level hum.  Although they can’t see the weasels, they see the grasses undulating as small creatures scurry through.

Quickly and quietly they prepare for battle.  Terri prays to Enkhili, mumbling unobtrusively, and Caerwyn and Borin feel the strength of a bull swell within their chests.  Marja takes two beautiful, perfect diamonds out of her pocket.  Her hands grow cold and hard as she chants.   She rubs the stones between her palms and her magic grinds them into a fine, opalescent powder.  Chanting all the while, she paints the faces of Kel and Borin crafting beautiful runes upon their cheeks.  The magic spreads from the runes as their skin hardens.  Marja continues to chant, but this time she pulls feathers from her pocket.  Kel, Kira and she rise slightly into the air.  Their feet hover just inches off the ground.  Kel, himself, has been praying asking Corean to give him the strength of a bull and to bless Caerwyn with added endurance.  Kalina chants in a language that sounds like a flock of birds, and now everyone can understand her soft whispers and answer them in tweets and coos themselves.  Kalina continues her birdsong, changing the pitch, and everyone, but Kel, Kira and Marja, are transformed into small, fast, black hawks.  Just before Terri and Kira begin to transform, they join their rings and disappear.

Marja and Kel remain with the archers on the cliff face while the others fly quickly to a tree across the field.  Up close they identify 1 bear and 7 wolves.  Fang is upset by being in bird form and is only more agitated by the smells that he can only describe as wrong. 

The woods are riddled with holes.  They’ve been digging for something.  Now the creatures are just sitting, standing or walking about in the clearing like they are waiting for something.

Lucre tries to get an accurate count of how many weasels there might be, but keeps losing track.  “Math is hard.  Let’s go kill creatures,” whispers Terri. (aside: channeling Invisible Rogue Barbie).

They drop to the ground as silently as possible and turn back into humans.  Kalina starts the attack.  She chants in a strange tongue that sounds like rustling leaves, and briars begin to grow up along the edge of the field blocking retreat into part of the woods.  Marja sees the growth from across the field, swoops down and sends a lightening bolt into the wolf pack, killing 5 of them.

Kira and Terri creep through the grass and flank a weasel and obliterate it as they both come into view.  Five more wolves and two huge moose, all of them covered with snakes, come out of the woods.

Two wolves flank Lucre, their snakes grabbing at his ankles, trying to trip him.  He is glowing with psionic power.  He looks large and bear-like.  He keeps his feet, but it hurts.  Just as he regains his footing, a moose lunges at him trying to gore him with his antlers.  As the creature comes closer, Lucre can see that its fur is not hair, but thousands of tiny snakes.  He steps back and uses his psionic weapon focus and power attacks.  He kills the moose, but it brushes up against him as it falls, and he feels dozens of tiny fangs bite him.  He feels a spike of fever, but shakes it off.

Borin moves in and kills a wolf, retreating back into the woods as the first volley of arrows spring from the archers on the cliff.  Kel swoops down from the cliff following the arrows.  He swings with ferocity, lopping off the head of one wolf and continuing into the chest of another.  Both fall dead.

Marja lifts her head to the wind.  “I hear casting,” she cries.  Lucre feels like some other will is controlling his body, but only for a minute.  With a roar, he shakes off the feeling.  “Something in there can control minds,” he screams over the battle.  “If it gets that paladin, we’re all doomed!”

Marja moves toward the woods and casts a spell on herself.  She scans the woods for things invisible while the others all turn toward the ridge to the sounds of screams.  The bear, a moose and black birds are on the ridge attacking the archers.  Another wolf lunges at Terri, burying its fangs into her kneecap and pulling her on her back.

Suddenly the web of briars disappears.  Behind it stands the most beautiful and horrible creature anyone has ever seen.  A proud and noble horse stomps the ground, its body entangled in snakes, its eyes red with madness.

The battle rages on.  Lucre swings the citadel slicing off a moose horn.  Arrows continue to rain down with deadly accuracy.  Borin runs into the woods.  A viper appears, summoned by Kalina, and begins attacking.  Fang brings down a wolf.  Weeds and brambles spring up slowing down a bear, two wolves and the unicorn.  A bear and a moose charge through the archers sending bodies flying through the air, killing three.  The unicorn tosses its shimmering head, and a curtain of darkness descends over it.  Lucre kills the moose and refocuses.  Borin comes running out of the woods and strikes at the viper, killing it and pulling back.

Kel casts protection from evil on Marja as she continues to scan the woods for the caster.  A cloud of green and yellow gas fills the air engulfing Fang, Caerwyn, Kira, Terri and Lucre.  Fang drops to the ground.  Inside the cloud they see a vision of swirling fangs and eyes as if the world is full of biting snakes.  Then it’s gone.  Marja spots two hands rubbing together.  She indicates the direction, and Kira, Terri and Lucre dash after her into the woods.

The birds continue to peck at the archers who pick them off, unable to penetrate the hides of the bigger beasts.  Kel and Caerwyn slash with all their remaining might at the remaining creatures.

Lucre moves into the woods and spots an enormous female creature with gray skin, covered with warts and pustules, with wiry hair and yellow eyes.  He hustles over to her and slaps her lightly on the arm, but she reels like she’s been thrashed.  He empathically transfers many of his wounds to her (30 pts) as he heals.  Her skin blisters where his hand struck.  She meets his eyes, smiles and licks her lips with a snake tongue. 

Borin rushes Lucre, and the two struggle, rolling around on the ground.  “You’re going to be really embarrassed by this later,” Lucre says to his cousin.  The hag looks at Lucre.  “Stop fighting,” she commands.  She spread her hands, and her fingers spilt to the elbow and become writhing snakes, but before she can descend upon the cousins, she’s temporarily pushed back as Marja blasts her with a lightening bolt.

Kira draws her magical dagger and activates her ring.  She and Kira disappear.  They move in to flank the hag.

Meanwhile, out in the field, the archers continue to drop the birds.  Kel is a fighting machine.  He kills a moose and lunges at a bear.  Caerwyn grabs Fang and rushes out of the poison cloud.  Kalina is waiting to neutralize the poison.  The bear claws Kel who feels a burning sensation through his limbs.  His body feels heavy.  His bear’s strength is gone.  He presses on, however, flying at the next bear.  Lt. Trenton rallies his troops, and they succeed in bringing down a bear.  

Lucre keeps up a tirade of shouts.  “Can’t we all be friends?”  He lectures the hag, “I’ll have you know, you are morally and ethically bankrupt.  Let’s sit down and talk this out.”  He refuses to raise his weapon.

“I discuss nothing,” she hisses in reply.  “I serve the beautiful snake queen.”  A blue-black ray shoots out of her snake hands flying toward Marja who manages to fall to the ground avoiding the blast.  Marja thinks that it’s a spell known as enervation.  “Witch!” Marja calls out.  She looks out on the battle field and catches Kalina’s eyes.  Her wand is out as she attempts to heal Fang.  From out of the sky, gigantic snowballs fall and sleet and hail pummel down on Kalina, Caerwyn, and the weak Fang.  She reads Kalina’s face.

Marja hurls another lightening bolt at the hag.  “NO!” she screams, feeling Kalina’s pain, and even Garnet shudders around her wrist.

From out of the silence comes a double attack, and Kira and Terri appear next to the hag with magic dagger in hand and the word “DOOOM” echoing through the air.  Suddenly, Borin has dwarven rage across his beautiful elven face.  His friends are suffering at this creature’s hands.  His fist flies up and smashes into her stomach.

The unicorn gallops across the field toward Caerwyn.  The ivory horn misses his chest, but the pass knocks him unconscious.  Lucre sees Caerwyn drop, and points his sword at him.  Suddenly Caerwyn is in the woods next to Borin, and Lucre is in the field facing the one-horned beast.  “What?” asks Kel.  He was about to reach over and heal Caerwyn, but finds his hands almost touching Lucre.  Instead he grabs his sword, turns and kills a bear, turns and kills a wolf.  Kalina, loath to leave Fangs side, musters up all her energy and rushes over to Caerwyn and heals him.

The hag takes a step away from Borin’s fist and Kira’s dagger and sends the energy of a spell out from her hands.  Borin and Terri drop to their knees.  They feel the hopelessness and want to give up, but they see Kira howling with rage.  They jump to their feet and howl with her just as the chain lightening strikes all three.

Marja sends her last lightening bolt into the hag’s chest.  Clearly, she is resisting some of the damage from each blow.  Marja is tiring.  Terri is hurt.  Caerwyn is barely standing. 

Kira jumps forward and thrusts her dagger deep into the hag’s chest.  “Suck on it!” she shrieks.  Borin swings down with his great axe and splits the hag in two from her neck down.  Half of her falls on Kira, and half of her falls on Terri.  Snakes slither out of her body.

As she dies, Lucre wakes from his pacifist’s dream and hits the unicorn with his full force.  Kel steps in and kills it.  Suddenly, the field, red with blood and wet, is quiet.  A lone bird cries in the sky as one last arrow sends it hurtling to the earth.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Farewell, My Firend (04-21-04)*

Kalina kneels beside her fallen friend. She brushes the snow and ice off of his still body, the melting fragments mixing with her tears. Slowly and carefully as if not to inflict further injury, she lifts the mighty form. She walks into the woods ignoring the complaints of her muscles as they struggle with their burden.

The woods are still as she passes. The wind does not stir; birds look down quietly from branches above; deer watch from the brush. Kalina doesn't notice them. Nature's voice is silent.

A small clearing opens in front of her. Sun glints through the branches above softly illuminating an area of soft green grass. Wildflowers happily dot the clearing not understanding the solemn occasion. This is the place. Kalina softly places Fang in the clearing and begins her work. She asks the trees, shrubs and flowers for assistance in building an altar. For hours she works; weaving branches, vines, and blossoms into living tribute to the goddess Denev and to her lost companion. Without Kalina's notice, plants come to her aid as vines of ivy stretch to knit branches together into a stable and protective canopy.

Kalina loses track of time. Exhausted, she reclines alongside the still shape of her friend. She imagines his voice in her mind, and then shudders at the silence of its absence. She ponders the decisions of her past, remembering when she fled the city and her family to escape the pain that can accompany love. She gave herself to Nature, to Denev. She followed the path of the druids in near isolation. And then came Fang.

At first he was simply a ghost in the forest; his presence noted only by a crushed leaf here, a snapped branch there. He watched and followed at a distance, curious about the melancholy emanating from the half-elf. Kalina was cautious at first. Eventually, she became accustomed to the mysterious presence and her caution turned to curiosity.

Sitting beside the body of her friend, Kalina cannot recall when she realized that she and Fang had become inseparable. It just happened. Through her tears she laughs, for she once again feels the pain that true love can bring. Her "escape" from the city could not free her from that which she now understands to be a basic emotion and need. 

Kalina prays to Denev for answers. Finally, exhausted, she collapses and sleeps once more alongside her best friend.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*What comes of taunting (run of 05-04-04)*

Our band of adventurers stands around the body of the dead hag.  Caerwyn glowers at Lucre and Borin, angry at their lack of will, allowing themselves to be possessed.  Marja thinks he’s being hard on the two fighters who are always putting themselves out front.

They search the hag’s body and find all kinds of useful things, but as usual, they can’t tell what any of them do so they set out to experiment.  Kira finds a small gray metal cube.  She picks it up, and an image comes up from it.  The face is twisted and hideous.  “Is that you?” it asks.  “Do you have it?”  Kira drops the cube to the ground, looking at the group in horror.  Using all the common sense the gods gave a cockroach that can’t remember to crawl under things when the light comes on, Lucre picks up the cube and threatens to use the face to wipe his backside.  Caerwyn, already angry at the dwarf, smacks him in the head causing him to drop the cube.

Lucre puts on the hag’s cape and feels more confident.  He gives the cloak to Kira who gives her cloak of resistance to Kel.  Lucre then puts on the hag’s ring.  He feels nothing.  “Hit Borin,” someone suggests.  “Whenever I hit Borin, he knocks me unconscious,” Lucre quips.  “Hit Caerwyn then,” Marja offers, but they decide against it.  (Once identified, it proves to be a ring of counterspell.)  The hag had a small bag tied to her waist.  Kira reaches in and feels something furry.  She pulls out a weasel by the scruff of its neck.  Kalina says it wants to know what they want it to do.  “Gnaw on a dead bear,” she offers.  “Thanks, can I have the eyes?”  Kalina nods yes, and the happy creature sets about its meal until it disappears 10 minutes later.

Borin puts on a pair of gilded and embossed bracers.  “Hit Lucre,” someone laughs.  He smacks the gilded patterns together, and Kel and Marja, who are watching intently, are blinded by a flash of light.  “Cool,” says Kel as he gropes around.  Secretly Kel isn’t feeling well.  He was bitten in the last battle, the wound burns white hot.  He feels very weak, but holds himself together with all his might.

Kira and Lucre are experimenting with the potions.  Kira sips one that is silver and shiny.  Briefly there are two more of her, but they disappear.  Lucre sips a purple one.  His armor shimmers.  Marja is pretty sure it was momentarily enhanced.  Terri joins in and sips a blue one.  She feels a fire run through her veins.  She is startled for a moment, but the fire feels cleansing.  She thinks is might cure poison.

Kalina asks animals in the forest if there is a part of the forest where they will not go.  She assumes that if there is a piece of Mormo buried here in the forest, it will have created a dead space.  As a squirrel chatters away, Kalina gets a blank look on her face.  “I can’t understand him anymore,” she says.  “What do you mean?” asks Caerwyn.  “Isn’t that a druid thing?”  

“It is with the correct spell, but I have never had to cast it,” Kalina explains.  “I received that gift from the cave water.”  “That’s right,” Marja remembers.  They quickly explain to Caerwyn, Terri and Kira that they were in a Cave months ago where the water was blessed by Mesos.  Several of the group drank from the water, and each one received a special gift.  Kalina could speak with animals.  One of their group could walk upon water.  Now Kalina’s gift seemed to be gone.  She felt an emptiness inside.

There’s nothing more to be done today.

The next day Kalina again speaks with the animals of the forest, this time by casting a spell.  Neither birds nor ground animals avoid any place nearby.  She changes into a bird and takes Lucre’s heartstone of awareness and searches the forest, but finds nothing.  She tracks where the dire animals came from.  The moose tracks lead to a near by area.  She finds a two-day-old patch where the moose used to bed down at night.  There is a round scar in the ground where all the grass has burned away and it smells of rot.  There are faint echoes of transformation magic and large humanoid footprints.

She casts another spell and speaks to the tree near the spot.  “Small one, what do you want?” a whisper blows through the air.  She asks about the moose.  “He is gone,” answers the tree.  She asks what replaced him.  “Something wrong.  Bad water.  No sun.  Dry.  Felt it at my roots,” came the cryptic answer.  She asks about a bad part of the forest.  “There are no bad parts.  We are happy.”

They sit down to eat breakfast perplexed about what to do next.  Kalina knows of a spell that would let her commune with the ground to try to find anything buried there, but she doesn’t know the spell.  Marja feels a tingling.  “Something’s happening,” she says cautiously.  Everyone stares at her, and she looks like she is listening intently.  Borin begins to speak to ask her what is wrong, but she raises her hand to silence him.  She nods her head.  In her mind she hears Beltray speaking to her.

Marja.  Beltray.  Know anything about a Cliffside cave near Ontenazu?  Why would your name be written there?  Why cave destroyed?  Reply 25 words or less.

The group watches as she carefully counts on her fingers.  Then she says out loud, “Been there with Kalina, Borin, Naxos.  Kalina got Mesos magic there.  Magic gone yesterday.  Don’t know why name there, why destroyed.  Mesos body gone maybe?

She grows silent again, listening.  Wall says I ♥ Marja.  Mesos never had a body.  What more do you know?

They watch as Marja thinks.  Her brow furrows, and then she gets a sick look on her face.  She replies, “Mesos water was in cave.  I charmed spider guy.  I’m sick now.  Piece of Mormo here in forest.  Can’t find.  Need commune with nature scroll.”  She feels the connection break suddenly.

“What was that all about?” Kel asks.  She explains the conversation they only heard part of.  “So that cave was destroyed,” Kalina says.  “That must explain why that magic left me yesterday.  The water must have been destroyed.”  “Or worse,” Marja muses.  “They took Mesos’s essence out of the water to use it in their Titan puzzle.”  “What was written on the wall?” Kel asks again.  “I ‘heart’ Marja,” Marja gags as she says it and draws a little heart in the air to demonstrate.  “Remember when I cast charm on the guy with the spider tattoo?  The charm worked although he didn’t want to do much to please me.  He must have written it.”  “Why,” asks Caerwyn, “He can’t think you’ll be impressed.”  “Maybe, or maybe he’s baiting us.”  They all get quiet.

Lucre feels a prickling on the back of his head, like he’s being watched.  At first he thinks maybe Beltray’s trying to talk to him this time, but as he looks around he sees a weird hazy shimmer and three figures in robes appear out of nowhere.  They are human sized women all wearing porcelain masks.  The first is tall and slender with flowing blond hair.  Her mask has the image of a beautiful face, and she wears a fine silver girdle.  The second seems older.  She’s pudgy and has short red hair with a jolly mothering mask.  She wears a bronze girdle.  The third is shrunken and stooped.  Her gray hair flies out behind a crone’s mask, and beneath her robes is a girdle of iron.

The Maiden steps forward.  “You should not taunt Fell-Vralla.”


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Three Witches (run of 05-25-04)*

“You should not taunt Fell-Vralla.  In fact, you should not harm her or her friends again.”  The woman with the lovely porcelain face looks directly at Lucre as she gives her command.  All eyes turn to Lucre to see if he will obey her command, but they can see by his seething face that he has resisted her.

Marja steps up behind Borin and touches his shoulder lightly.  He feels his skin harden.  He whispers, “Close your eyes.”  He smacks his new bracers together sending out a blinding light.  The maiden stagers back, blinded.  Caerwyn drops his shield and swings with both hands on his sword, swinging with all his might at the mother’s chest.  She laughs as the swing misses her, but a dagger flies from Terri’s hand through the air to burry itself in her shoulder.

Lucre reaches into his mind to become more vigorous and wise (psionic activation of boosts to constitution and wisdom and activation of offensive precognition).  The crone sees the crackles in the air and smells the ozone.  “You feel their touch,” she says amazed.  “Why are you so insolent?”  Before he can answer, her other shoulder is pierced by a crossbow bolt from Kira.

Kalina casts dispel on the maiden and a shimmering aura of blackness disappears from her robes.  The haze clears from her eyes.  Caerwyn, who is standing right in fromt of her, winks.

The crone chants and weeds begin to grow and entangle around them.  The mother cackles, “Come out, my pretties,” and three little children slide out from under her girdle, three snake children.  Marja, Kel and the archers are entangled.  Lt. Trenton leads his men slowly to the left in an attempt to get out of the weeds.  Marja doesn’t move.  Her hands are free.  Her voice is clear, and she has no problem keeping her concentration.  She reaches over her shoulder and casts haste on Kel then turns back and casts it on Borin.

The maiden smiles at Borin, and he feels every muscle in his body seize up.  Caerwyn is so close to her, he can hear her breath.  He swings with the outrage of a paladin, smiting evil.  Lucre nimbly hustles through the weeds.  “I was so rude before.  I apologize,” he taunts.  “May I have permission to strike you?”  But he’s too cocky, and doesn’t take enough aim.  He swings wide.

Kalina dispels the hold on Borin, and he bounds forward swinging at the closest of the hags, the crone.  She is surrounded by a black aura (protection from good), but his axe slices through.

The mother, still until now, reaches over and rips the head off of one of her children.  As the blood of her child drips down her arm, she grows stronger.  Marja, Kel and Kalina are engulfed in flames that shoot from her hand.  Kalina jumps out of the way.  When the flames clear, Kel is standing, but Marja lies near death on the ground.

The crone pulls her hands from under her roves.  One hand is fiery red.  The other is black.  She grabs Borin with both hands.  The red hand touches the buckles on his bear-skin armor.  They begin to rust away.  The black hand touches his skin.  He feels older and less vigorous.

Kel manages to take a step through the weeds to reach Marja.  The light of Corean rushes through his hands into her near lifeless body.  She inhales sharply and clutches at his arms as she sits up.  Kel supports her back, and finds his other hand resting lightly on the violet tattoo circling her bear midriff.  He blushes crimson and pulls his hand away.  Marja pulls a scroll from her side and tries twice to dispel the entangling weeds, but she can’t.  Will she ever make that spell work?

Lt. Trenton’s archers have arrows ready, but he holds back on the command to fire.  The maiden begins to chant.  “Fire,” shouts the lieutenant.   A flurry of arrows flies toward her.  Two pierce her skin, but she’s able to concentrate through the barrage.  Flames shoot up around her, engulfing her in flames.  As the arrows hit her, the mother winces in pain.  Terri hurls a rock from her sling and hits the maiden hard in the chest.  Caerwyn swings and slices across her body, once on the upswing and again as he brings his blade down.  The flames surrounding her burn at his arms and legs.  “Does etiquette say right or left arm strikes first?” asks Lucre.  “I must be polite.”  He hits the maiden twice, and he too is burned by the flames.  The mother is looking harried and worn.

“Kill the snake babies,” Kel yells.  Borin swings at the mother hitting her three times.  She steps back, grabs another of her children and splits it in half, the blood spilling over her, healing her.

Kira sings, “Whenever I’m feeling down and need a little pick-me-up, I bathe in the blood of my own reptilian infants.”  The others giggle at her tune.  The voice seems to lilt across the field from nowhere.  She and Terri have disappeared.  

A black flash flies through the air hitting Borin in the chest.  “Why are you attacking her?” asks Lucre.  “I’m the one who was rude.”  “She hurt us and must be punished,” one replies.  “Cosette told us to kill you,” says another.  “Cosette is dead,” Lucre informs them.  “Killed by a troupe of adventurers.”  Lucre feels his muscles sieze up, but he shakes it off staring into the eyes of the maiden.

“Silly boy, you’re paying attention to the wrong one,” says the mother.  Lucre’s body freezes.  Every joint is full of fire and ice at the same time.

Marja casts fly on Kel just as he breaks free of the weeds.  Each times she casts, she can barely hold her head upright.  She tries to aim a lightening bolt at the crone, but her hands shake so, she hits a nearby tree.  She send magic missiles instead.  At least they strike true.

The maiden steps back to cast, but is assailed with a barrage of arrows.  Lt. Trenton’s arrow lodges deep into her collar bone, and she falls to her knees.  Lucre moves in and touches the mother.  “I wish to return the favor.  Thank you again for your pains.”  His touch transferred half of his wounds to her.

Kalina tries desperately to move closer to Marja, but her own wounds prevent her from moving through the weeds.  “We’re losing her,” she gasps, hoping that Kel will hear and return to help.  

Borin rages upon hearing the words.  He swings his axe in large circles around his head.  He slices the mother in two, pivots and slices the head off of the maiden.  The crone turns toward him, and suddenly Kira appears in front of her swinging with her blade.  Fire springs from the crone’s hands and wraps itself around Caerwyn’s and Lucre’s armor, Borin’s axe and Kira’s sword.  They feel the metal grow warm.  Finding herself so outnumbered, she touches her face and disappears.

The only sound that remains is the sobbing of a small snake child clutching the body of its mother.  Kel shows no pity for the abomination which was born to died for its creator’s health.  He kills it quickly, and then there is silence.  He flies over to the weeds and carefully carries Marja and Kalina to safety.

As they gather around Terri voices her anger at Lucre.  “You idiot!  They came because of you and your stupid taunts into that box.  Can’t you keep your mouth shut!”  Lucre apologies, but no one pays any attention.  Terri heals Kalina, and then Kalina and Kel lay hands on Marja.  Only after Marja is back on her feet do they turn to the rest of the party.  They avoid Lucre until he is reduced to sheepish mumbles, his head hanging low.  Kel and Kalina go over and attend to his wounds, but Terri is resolute.  Lucre tries every trick to get back in her good graces.  Finally he pulls a weasel out of the bag, and even Terri is forced to laugh.

They sit with Lt. Trenton and the guards around a campfire and chat about what they’ve seen and done these few days.  Kalina turns into an owl and flies away to be alone in the woods.  After a short time, she comes back on foot, dragging the large body of a slate black wolf with bright green eyes through the bushes.  The animal is badly wounded.  Kel lays his warm hands upon the creature which sits up and starts to talk.  “My name is Black Wind,” it says.  Kalina immediately begins to translate, but stops in mid sentence.  She can’t speak with animals without a spell now, and wait – the others understood him too.  “I confuse you all, I see,” he speaks in a low, soothing voice that rumbles from his belly.  “I am an incarnate in service to the Mother.”  “He must mean Denev,” Kalina whispers.  “I could run much faster when I was a stag,” he notes.

That evening they notice a falcon circling the campsite.  Lucre holds out an arm, and it lands, causing a little pain as its talons latch on.  On his leg is a small scroll with a note.  “You were looking for this.  Good luck.  Beltray.”  It’s a commune with natures scroll.

They waste no time and hike immediately 10 miles into the center of the forest.  Kalina opens the scroll and reads the incantation.  Everyone holds his breath.  They only have one shot at this, and it’s a spell beyond Kalina’s powers.  The words disappear from the page as she chants, and blue flames encircle her.  Success!  Everyone sighs in relief.  For an instant, Kalina feels like she is one with every living thing around her, then she passes out.  Caerwyn catches her as she falls forward and lightly taps her face to revive her.  “It all feels right,” she says, obvious relief on her face.  “There’s no titan taint here, and never was.  There’s no body to be found.”


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## Iron Chef BBQ

*Nightdreams or Nightmares (05-26-04)*

Marja’s Dream

The night after the visit from the three ladies, Marja has a hard time dropping off to sleep. Perhaps it was her near brush with death, or perhaps she senses that something waits for her in sleep, but she tosses and turns for hours, hearing voices on the edge of her consciousness.

Finally, she falls into a fitful daze...

And wakes to find she’s in the same cave of her dreams. She stands in the center of a great stone cavern, spotlighted in a shaft of light. She are suspended in mid-air, unable to move, slowly rotating counterclockwise.

All around her are eyes, scrutinizing, prying, curious and staring. They weigh her. They seem to find her wanting.

"We nearly lost it" hisses a voice.
"It is foolish. Too valuable to be lost" creaks another.
"Does it know yet what the One who Lays the Threads intends?" scrapes another, in a voice like rust.
"It has been shown. We brought the vision."

There is a long silence. The voices continue to whisper, but she cannot make out the words. They seem to be arguing.

"They were flawed. They did not learn what we had to teach. They deserved to be sundered." One voice breaks out of the pack.
"They could not work together in life. What makes you think It will have any more luck joining them after death?" drones a third, like a hive of angry bees.
"Still," hisses the first voice, "There is a danger. And we cannot act directly, lest the Children of the Sky discover us. This one is our instrument. See if it can learn better than the Children of Earth."

"Very well." says the rusty voice. From out of the darkness comes a man, or maybe a woman. The face is strangely androgynous and featureless. As if the person wearing it wasn't quite sure what a face should be and played it safe. But his shadow is that of a great winged beast. And his eyes are solid black.

"You will remember this Marja, Child of the Void, or you will never claim your heritage, and your world will die."

Remember that It seeks to join them together.

Burner, Bleeder, Mother of Snakes
Shaper, Eater, Father of Quakes
Disrupted One, and Untamed,
all feared and all unnamed,

Make eight legs for the Spider.
Its will is bent to find,
the Tear of the Lady, and
the Titans to bind.

She wakes up. Lucre is snoring. Some of the archers are standing watch. The air smells like ozone, and through her fingers crackles the faint blue ghost fire of electricity.

Marja sits up and starts to cry. She tries to remember the carefree, happy little girl she used to be a mere 30 odd years ago. A troubled adolescence filled with nightmares, drugs and poor choices should have been washed away with the quiet serenity of young adulthood. Instead death and destruction both helplessly witnessed by her own eyes and ruthlessly caused by her own hands have left her feeling old and weary.

Now, every night the dreams flood her sleep. Most nights in vague shadows, but some nights, like tonight, clearly. She was so tired, she was sure that she had really traveled to that cave and back again. They seemed so disappointed in her. Didn’t they realize that she no longer fought her visions, her destiny? Whatever her heritage she would embrace it. 

Every day she could feel its power coursing through her veins. When she bled, she felt she could see it in her bright red blood. She meditated every morning talking with the tiny statue Borin had bought her. Whatever came, she would not say no.

But they seemed impatient. What did they want her to do, grow wings right out of her back? Every day she found more coppery strands replacing her shiny black tresses. Her skin, still soft and supple to the touch, was thicker, and tiny veins ran through it creating a faint scaling pattern. Soon she would be a marked woman. Like Lucre, she would be shunned as Titan spawn and feared by good people. People with Caerwyn’s religious fervor would hunt her for sport. She knew that was the fate of many of her kin. Still she was not afraid. Yet still they seemed impatient.

Marja gains control of her sobbing and nudges Borin. His beautiful elven face, soft in repose, takes on an oddly dwarfish scowl as he wakes. “I need to talk to you,” she whispers, and draws him away from the group. At the edge of the camp they find Kalina, sleeping near enough to the others to maintain safety, but far enough away to feel engulfed in the forest around her. She has a sad, pained look on her face that Marja knows is her soul mourning Fang. Marja and Borin slip past her into the woods. “I’ve had another dream,” she begins, “and I want to tell you before it disappears…”

“Marja, I too have had visions, and that is what I think these are.  Not dreams, but visions.  The night before I left on my vision quest, I had a dream…

Borin’s Dream

Morgaine is there, in my dream. She's sitting across a table in a bar. She's drinking a blood read drink, with a spider shaped swizzle stick. The spider keeps trying to crawl off the swizzle and bite her hand, but she's successfully keeping it at bay.

"Borin, I thought I could reach your mind. You've got very low defenses against this kind of thing." She looks concerned. She takes a sip of her drink and makes a face. 

"I need to warn you about your mind. Form controls function. Always has. What you're shaped like shapes who you are."

I look at her in confusion, and find that it's Gemma sitting across from me. "I can't spend too much time in my mind, or I'll find myself. I'm a bit crazy, you know." She shrugs "I'll borrow some familiar minds, just so we can keep talking."

"You can't stay an elf," Kalina says urgently, her hawk beak dipping down to peck at the spider. She eats it whole, and a new spider grows from the top of the swizzle stick. Kel stirs the drink, and takes a gulp.

"If you stay an elf, your mind will become that of an elf." says Lucre.

Borin takes a long pause before continuing his dream

"You must seek the tear, Madriel's Tear, The tear of anger. She shed it for Goran, and only it can save the dwarves, and you." Morgaine is back again, but now she is wearing a stained white shift. Her hair is wild, and her face is covered with scratches. Her eyes are sunken and she looks utterly drained.

"...is looking for it." she whispers, but I do not hear the name.

The next day I left on my vision quest.  While I was meditating in that cave, I had another dream.

In my dream, I’m in an endless set of tunnels, and they smell of death. As I walk, I begin to see the bodies of dead dwarves. They are piled everywhere. And fallen with them are the bodies of dark skinned elves. Their faces are all pulled into masks of hate and fear. Some have died with their hands around each others necks, like a lovers embrace gone terribly wrong.

I walk in the tunnels for hours, days maybe, I’m not sure. And everywhere there's death. Nothing moves but rats, maggots, and flies.

And then I come around a corner, and there is an enormous cavern. And in the center of the cavern is a large, pulsing red gem. The gem is cradled in the hairy forelegs of a giant spider. The spider croons to me in a scratchy, sibilant voice.  

"Thank you. They are all dead, and you've helped"

Borin finishes: “Your dream seems to fit in with my vision. We must find the Lady's Tear that the dragon spoke of in your dream. My vision said it was needed to save the dwarves and myself. However, I think it goes beyond that. I think it may be needed to save our world. 

“We should talk to Lucre about this. In fact, if we are to go after the Tear, we will need to share these visions with everyone. We will need their help. Caerwyn showed us trust in revealing a secret of the Church of Corean, we should show him trust and share our dreams.

“And Marja, remember that these outsiders in your dreams are just that: outsiders. They try to use you as a pawn. Don't let them. You are the master of your own life. Go along for the ride as it suits you. Where your purposes and theirs meet, only then should you allow their purposes to be fulfilled. Go at your own pace. Ignore their impatience.

“As for the others, the ones who would hunt you down, they will find that hunt much more deadly than they expect.”


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## Iron Chef BBQ

The above posts should bring us up to date with what was lost.  Look for new posts within a week.

Chef.


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## Iron Chef BBQ

*Note Found*

On the body of the witch our adventurers killed in the forest, they find the note below:

_To the Most Vile and Depraved Lady Axhet, servant of the true Earth Mother and Slayer of Her Enemies:

Greetings.  Although we have not met, we serve in the same cause: the return of our great Mother, and the punishment of the usurpers and traitors who slew her.  It is in the name of this great cause that I venture to make a suggestion to one so exalted in Her service as yourself.

Mormo rests uneasy in her undeserved graves, and her agony calls to those sensitive enough to hear her.  Through my web of informants, sages and spies of all varieties, it ahs come to my attention that you may be well served to search for a substantial piece of the Mother in the country of the hated Veshians.

My sources tell me that you should search near a clearing of the crescent moon, north of the Hornswyth River.  I’m afraid I cannot give you a more exact location than that, as my diviners are sensitive threads, but not always precise.  I know that with your power and resourcefulness you should have no trouble locating this prize and extracting it, even from under the noses of the Vigils.

I hope that I can continue to be of service to you and to our great cause, an wish you very best success in this venture.

Lady Cosette Slaint

PS – You may trust the bearer of this note to return messages to me truly.  He bears my mark on his face and his loyalty is ensured by it._

This proves that Cosette is not dead, and that the man-with-the-spider-tattoo is working for her.  Bad news all around.


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## Graywolf-ELM

Yay, I found the link again.  Bummer for deleted subscriptions. 

Cool way for the DM to let you confirm suspicions.

GW


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## Iron Chef BBQ

*Homecoming (run of 06-01-04)*

Our adventurers return to Vesh with mixed emotions.  They are invigorated by their success in battle and relieved to find no trace of Mormo, however, the death of Fang, the resurfacing of Cosette and the destruction of the Mesos water had them deeply disturbed.  They head straight to Beltray when they enter the city.

Beltray rails at Lucre for his stupidity, but only briefly.  Matters are too severe to spend time on what is past.  “Marja, why is your name on the wall in that cave?  It does not breed confidence.”

Marja is miffed, “Can I control where my name is written?”  She proceeds to tell Beltray everything they know about Cosette and that cave.  Kalina gives Beltray the note Cosette from to Lady Axhet so he can use her handwriting for divination.

Borin has been paying very little attention.  He asked Beltray what he knows of Madriel’s tears.  They are powerful diamonds used in healing.  Borin wants locations.  The others are curious about his questions, but he remains silent.  Only Marja sits contentedly interested in Beltray’s response.  

Beltray orders lunch while he crawls through his books, listing locations of the holy diamonds one by one.  “Only one is lost,” he finally muses lifting his head up from his books, “the tear of rage.  Its existence has never been confirmed.  It would be in Barath Narn, if it exists.”  Borin and Marja perk up.  “Barath Narn is the city that was built by dwarves and dark elves as a city of brotherhood.  It was overrun by Churn in the Great War.  The dwarves believed that the dark elves were in league with Churn.”

“They were!” Lucre butted in to affirm.

Beltray continues paying no attention.  “They destroyed the bridges between it and Barak Torn.  It’s said that when the Goran and Nathalos fell, Madriel shed a tear of blood.  The power of such a thing…”  Beltray is lost in thought.  The others leave for home.  Borin and Marja are prepared to disclose their dreams over dinner once everyone has had a chance to wash and rest.

They arrive home to find the door unlocked, the house full of dust, and no Theo.  Terri noses around the neighborhood and finds out that the city guard dragged Theo off accusing him of beating up some woman.  They all head immediately to the jail.  Two filchers are sitting on the roof.  One winks at Marja.

Inside they ask to see Theo Mustardseed and find that he head-butted a woman.  They tell the Lieutenant in charge about their incident with the man who was beating his wife, hoping to establish a pattern of weird activity.  The lieutenant reports that they’ve had two other domestic attacks and an 8-year-old boy who beat his grandmother.  All were mild-mannered people.  Theo is distraught and has no idea why he did it.  They reassure him that everything will be ok.

Back at home Marja and Borin take some time upstairs with Lucre to tell him about their dreams while the others scrounge the kitchen and Kalina and Darkwind check out the house from outside.  The filchers tell Kalina they’ve sensed something on the roof watching the house.  Kalina feels fingers poking into her brain and then she spies the figure on the roof.  She yells and casts fairy fire blue.  In an instant the house springs into action.  Marja casts spells as she darts down the stairs.  Borin, Lucre and Kel are flying and Borin is invisible.  Kira starts to sing.  As she runs out the door, two frantic filchers grab her hands and drag her to the jailhouse.  Kel follows her.

Kalina feels those fingers twisting inside her brain again.  She falls unconscious.  Marja darts into the alley and sends a lightening bolt shooting toward the blue figure.  Caerwyn follows, shooting his crossbow as he springs across the alley.  He hits the figure in the chest.  “Nice shot,” Marja retorts taking cover next to him.

Lucre senses the psionic power.  “Put down your brain and surrender,” he shouts as he hits the figure.  The figure’s knees buckle and he disappears.  Marja thinks he was summoned or projected.  “He wore the symbol of Corean on his chest,” Lucre notes.  

“I’m not surprised,” Caerwyn says.  “Several years ago the Church started a project to rescue children of the ‘taint,’ but they had few positive results.”

“Perhaps if you didn’t call them tainted, but just called them children you’d have better luck,” Marja scowls.

Kalina heads to a quiet pool in the public garden to attempt a scry.  She sees inside a dark room.  There are several hooded figures. One is a young, but bald man.  One is a woman on fire, but not in pain.  One is in a sling with twisted limbs and bright, intelligent eyes.  He’s supported by an enormous half-orc and a dark-skinned elf with whit hair who is covered in tattoos.  All have pronounced blood marks.

The boy in the sling speaks, “I told you, you would mess it up.  I told you just to watch.  If they don’t find him, he’ll find us.  We’re his only real choice.  The Fellowship won’t have him.  We can’t stay here.  Jovan will find me.  Barrett,” he addresses the bald man, “your primary goal is to find the hate spreader.  His family is powerful and will try to hide him.

The pond ripples and the vision ends.


----------



## Iron Chef BBQ

*Family Matters (run of 06-22-04)*

Back at the house they map out the locations of the bizarre abuses.  All attacks occurred in and around the market place.  They decide to hang out there watching.  Lucre smells sulfur, but sees nothing.  He feels a wave of heat.  “Kalina, he’s here.”  Kalina detects magic and spots the figure.  She casts fairy fire.  “Hang on,” Lucre calls as the purple figure turns to run.  “We just want to talk to you.”  Lucre moves in front of him.  “I’m the same kind of person you are.  I don’t have any weapons.”  The boy smiles and reaches out to touch Lucre who feels that hot sensation again.  The boy climbs over a fence and drops down onto the lawn of a large manor.  Lucre causes his body to grow, reaches through the fence and grabs the boy who starts screaming.  Lucre knocks him out by banging his head against the fence.  Kalina scrambles the fence and ties the boy up.  Lucre can’t get his big frame off the ground so he dimension swaps with Kalina and gingerly picks up the boy.  Four men in sky-blue livery come running up.  Their crests show a castle and sword.

“Thanks goodness you’re here to help,” Kalina gasps at them.  “This man has been casting spells at us.”  Lucre tosses the body to Kalina.  Three crossbow bolts wiz past him.  “Stop right there.  Put Lord Robert back or you will be arrested.”  Lucre dimension swaps with Kalina again.  A whistle blows. 

“We’ll be back to talk to you,” Kalina promises and turns into a hawk.  Lucre grabs the boy, and they manage to lose the guard and slip back home.

Kira recognizes the livery.  “You kidnapped a Darcy.  We’re so screwed.”  Everyone looks blankly at her.  “Lord Windmere Darcy – one of three nobles who control the council of Vesh!”  

Marja and Borin go to the Darcy residence and announce themselves as Vigils with information on their son.  The house is lavish, but tasteful.  They are led into a small study.  “Wait here.  Don’t touch anything.”  After a few minutes, a gentleman enters.  He is gray at the temples and stands very straight.   “I insist that you return my son immediately.”

Marja tactfully explains what they know, but she suspects that she is not telling him anything new.  An elderly lady, also very straight and poised, enters the room.  Marja confronts them both.  “Your efforts to hide the boy aren’t working.  You have to get him help.  He can control his powers, if you get him help.”  Her gentle persuading works.  They agree to send the boy to a temple of Corean and intercede with the guard on behalf of the innocent bystanders who were arrested for abuse.


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