# Journal of Daebron Stormbringer



## maddman75 (Sep 22, 2002)

This is the journal of Daebron Stormbringer, son of Iregeld Stormbringer, Blood of Damien Stormbringer and rightful heir to the Bronze Throne of the Halls of Krytha. 

I'm beginning these notes at the start of my journey to return to me rightful place in those ancient halls.  I was the youngest son of King Iregeld, and had planned to spend my life devoted to Moradin the Soulforger.  But that was before the traitor Regalis had let the forces of vile giants and wizards into our home, my family and clan had been decimated, and I fled with my steward just barely a man.  My father, mother, and uncles were all slain.  My brothers and sisters are gone as well, and I assume them dead. 

That was ten years ago.  Tharnian trained me well in the use of the axe - a weapon sacred to my order and clan.  One of my most vital missions is to recover that sacred weapon from the scurvy dogs that had taken it.  I set out from the secluded cavern that had been my home to recover my birthright and crack as many giant and orc skulls as possible along the way. 

I traveled out of the remote reaches where we had hidden into the lands the humans call Geoff, leaving Tharnian in the hidden valley.  He is most wise and a true friend, but an old man now.  These lands are no place for him now.  I plan to set that right. 

After a couple weeks I met some barbarians that were friendly enough, traded for some supplies.  The only dwarves they knew of were in a mine some two weeks to the east.  Had to start somewhere, and finding some o' me own people sounded like a good place to start. 

I was about five days from the mines, when I heard some movement ahead on the trail.  I scrambled up onto a ledge over the trail to see what was coming.  I could see that I was on a crossroads with signs of heavy travel.  Finally getting closer to civilized lands. 

A group of seven orcs came around the bend.  They had half a dozen captives chained up with them, women and children.  Most seemed to be simple peasants, though the last two wore the facepaint of the barbarians I'd met a few weeks back.  The two guards behind them carried large packs.  The orcs themselves didn't seem like the scurvy dogs I'd tangled with before.  They marched with military precision and had matching uniforms.  These orcs had a leader somewhere. 

As they got closer, I prepared a javelin to get the attention of the leader.  Be damned if I was going to leave these people to the appetites of orcs!  I looked back at the trail to make certain there were no more orcs when I spotted another figure moving toward the orcs.  He seemed to be trailing them himself.  As he slid down the hillside to get closer his cloak slipped off his head. 

A drow elf!  What in the nine hells was that devil doing up here?  I looked at the mountains in the distance and said a little prayer. 

"Gettin to kill orcs and drow in the same day!  Thank ye Moradin!" 

And let my javelin fly toward the orcs' leader.


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## Bob Aberton (Sep 24, 2002)

Oo!! Good Start!

It has a very legendary feeling introduction.

and I see that you have already mastered the art of the cliffhanger....

Anyway, here's a vote of support.  Keep writing!

Oh, and while you're at it, why not visit my storyhour?  Just follow the link in the sig.


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## maddman75 (Sep 24, 2002)

Thanks Bob!  I'm a big Piratecat fan, so I guess I've been studying the master.  I'll post an update tomorrow night and be sure to check out your story hour.


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## maddman75 (Sep 25, 2002)

My javelin missed its mark and landed squarely at the orc leader's feet.  The drow took this as a good time to get in on the action and started casting one of his dark magics.  Cowardly dog!  One of the orcs and two of the slaves fell to the ground asleep. 

One of the guards at the back of the caravan and the leader rush at the drow.  The three orcs at the front start scrambling up the ledge to get at me.  I swung me axe down and split one of their heads open fer their trouble. 

The barbarian girls - twins by the look of it - start struggling with their chains.  One of the lasses wraps the chain around the neck of the remaining guard and wrings him good.  She kneels down for a key at his belt and starts to free her sister and the other slaves. 

The drow takes a step back from the orc guard and chucks a dagger into its throat.  The leader has gotten over to him now.  He lets out a blood curdling scream and lands his greataxe into the dark elf's chest, collapsing him to the ground.  This fight is not going my way.  I was so lookin forward to killing me a drow, and now the two orcs had gotten up on the ledge and had me flanked. 

The barbarian sisters had gotten free and grabbed their axes.  With battle cries of their own, they charged at the orc leader.  He swung his axe around and knocked one of them to the ground. 

Seems then that another group heard the fightin and wanted in on the fun.  I wasn't going to argue.  A gnome came up and started swinging his shortsword at the orc on one side of me.  A halfling come in from behind a rock, but not no halfling like I ever seen.  He was naked to the waist, painted with all manner of tribal tattoos on his body, and he held a scimitar over his head in both hands, screaming like a demon.  He scoots across the battlefield and plunges his scimitar into the leader. 

A third companion comes out.  He's apparently a wizard of some sort, and start casting a spell.  I feel the magic working on me and I start to fade off to sleep.  As I go down, I mutter a small prayer that the orcs on either side of me are going out as well.


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## saFire (Sep 25, 2002)

Great update...

The battle suddenly got a lot more confusing, I guess.

And what's that halfling...a Kamikaze Midget?   Always good for a laugh...


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## maddman75 (Sep 26, 2002)

Thanks saFire.  The halfling would be a halfling barbarian that is, well, a little off.


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## maddman75 (Sep 30, 2002)

When I wake up, the gnomish fellow is slapping my face yelling "hey wake up wake up wake up!"  I grab his neck and he stops.  He looked very excited and said "I've been looking for you!" 

"Seems that ye found me."  I got to my feet and looked about.  Most of the attackers were tending to their wounded and greeting each other.  "As I guess you might know, I'm Daebron Stormbringer.  Who might you be?" 

"Oh, I didn't know who you were, just that I was looking for you.  I'm Jacquebeau Boosnickles." 

"If ye didn't know who I was, why were ye looking for me?" 

"My god told me to find you.  He said that if I found you we'd have a chance to build great things." 

I thought for a moment about the lost halls, profaned for a decade now by the conquering orcs and giants.  I'd surely need a good craftsman to get everything back in working order.  "Mayhap we will, my gnomish friend." 

We start walking back to the rest of the group.  One of the barbarians had bound up the drow's wounds, and he looked to still be breathing.  Good - I was curious as to what the black skinned bastard was doing on the surface.  Surely it wasn't for sightseein. 

The wizard was going through the pockets of the fallen orcs.  Then I saw the halfling berserker walking toward the prisoners with his blood stained sword out and a grim look on his face.  He got up next to them and held his sword over his head.


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## crystalblue (Oct 1, 2002)

looking good... that's about all i remembered from the battle as well.


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## maddman75 (Oct 1, 2002)

Thanks!  My plan is to post these short updates on wednesdays and sundays.  Hopefully this will keep me in material until we play these guys again in November.

(For those in the peanut gallery, crystalblue plays one of the Barbarian Sisters.)


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## maddman75 (Oct 3, 2002)

"NOOOO!" we yelled out in unison.  "Are ye daft?  Don't kill the prisoners!"  The halfling put his sword down and sat down on a rock with a pout on his face.  He was fierce, but I'd have to keep an eye on that one.  He didn't look right in the head. 

The prisoners were most grateful for the rescue.  They said they were from a refugee camp about three days to the east.  The orcs come and take slaves and supplies whenever they like.  There had also been a lot of owlbears nabbing townsfolk here and there.   

The halfling speaks up again.  "Owlbears - them are good eatin." 

One of the barbarian sisters found a note on the leader.  It was scrawled in simple orcish script.  The sorcerer knew that tounge and read it aloud. 

"Grog - bring back slaves or meat - Thar." 

Seemed like a simple enough message, and now we knew who was in charge of these orcs.  Now we had to deal with the drow and we could get moving. 

Though it pained me to use Moradin's blessing on such a beast, I laid my hands on the drow and closed his wounds.  He opened his eyes and looked about.  I spoke to him in undercommon. 

"Are ye lost, boy." 

"I'm not your boy, and neither am I lost." 

Cocky little devil.  "Don't see many of your kind up here.  What are you doing?" 

"I left my people.  Got up here just a couple hours ago." 

"Why were ye attacking the orcs?  Hopin to take the slaves fer yourself?" 

He responded in common.  "Speak in their tounge.  I wasn't going to take any slaves - just wanted to help those people." 

"Yeah, I'm sure, just wanted to free them out of the kindness of your black soulless heart."  I'd had about enough of this drow.  I called upon Moradin to let me peer at his soul.  That would put an end to any doubts the drow was trying to seed. 

There wasn't any stain about his soul.  He must have been disguising his aura.  "Sorcerer!  Can you see if he has any spells on 'im?" 

The sorcerer made a gesture and concentrated for a few seconds.  "Just a spellbook.  No enchantments." 

Still, he could be using some kind of trick.  I decided to let him stay around so I could figure out what he's up to.  I looked at the group and stood up. 

"Well, lets get off this road and find somewhere to rest for the night.  In the morning we head back to the refugee camp."  Everyone agreed.


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## Warpriest2002 (Oct 3, 2002)

Madd, You are off to an excellent start. This group is one of the more exciting that I have been a part of for quite a while. Keep on kickin' butt.


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## maddman75 (Oct 3, 2002)

Thanks WP2k2.  Like I told Crystalblue, updates wednesday and sunday.  We need to get her or my sister to do some character sketches so we can get some PC banners made up - see the Knights of Spellforge Keep storyhour to see what I'm talking about.

(Warpriest2002 plays the drow elf)


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## maddman75 (Oct 6, 2002)

We got camp set up and introductions went around.  The sorcerer was Ian, a friendly enough sort, but something wasn't right about his eyes.  I warned him against catching us in his sleep spells, as it could prove disastrous should an ally fall and a foe resist.  He seemed inexperienced, but certainly powerful.  He had overcome my natural resistances to magic after all. 

The barbarian sisters were indeed twins, Etta and Gretta.  Their tribe had been heavily assaulted by the orc armies and were looking for some payback.  Heh - now these lasses were the sort I need around. 

The halfling was Eldan, but he didn't say anything about his background.  I'd guess that it was long and bloody.  The drow said his name was Colson Sel'yrth.  Damn devils don't even know how to put letters together properly! 

We built up a fire and put the townsfolk closest to it.  Jacq shook me awake a couple hours before dawn.  "Daebron - I hear orcs outside the camp."  I told him to wake the party...


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## Bob Aberton (Oct 7, 2002)

You've got the beginnings of a great storyhour here, maddman75.

My favorite character so far is the halfling - no offense to Daebron, but crazy Little People are just so cool...

Twins are always fun, two (pun intended).  My game has a pair of twins two (typo there, but it looked so funny I kept it the way it was...).

Speaking of my game, my storyhour's just been updated.  You might want to take a look-see.

(I believe you already visited my storyhour once, right?)


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## maddman75 (Oct 7, 2002)

Thanks Bob - yeah, you're on my regular reading list.  Here's a nickel for you


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## Bob Aberton (Oct 8, 2002)

Thanks, maddman...

But I could make more use of a friendly *BUMP*...my storyhour's falling faster than...something

(puts nickel in his piggybank, joining the thousands of others gained the same way.)


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## warlord262002 (Oct 9, 2002)

Hey maddman doing great keep up the good work can't wait to here more. See you the 19th.


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## maddman75 (Oct 9, 2002)

Thanks - you know I can't wait.  I'll update tonight if I get home in time .

(Warlord is our DM)


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## maddman75 (Oct 12, 2002)

Apologies for the delay.  Its been a busy week.  We are getting ready for my Ravenloft game, which Warlord said he may do a story hour on himself.  I hope so, because I've got some great ideas.

Well, enough of that - here's your update.

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I got up, grabbed me shield and axe.  The others roused as well.  Jacq went off in one direction, Eldan went in the other.  We hear a brief scuffle, and a huge orc comes out of the darkness, holding a dagger to the halfling's throat.  "Surrender" he said in rough common.  Several of his buddies come out at the same time.  They had us surrounded. 

The drow steped forward.  "I suggest you stand down."  The orc looked confused.  

"Why you with these guys?" 

Colson gestured toward Ian.  "They have a powerful wizard amoung them.  He has bent me to his will.  You'd best not anger him." 

"Why you on surface?"  The orc demanded in undercommon. 

"I was seeking Thar to negotiate between our people.  Not something I expect a dog like you to know something about!" 

"But....drow elfs already work with Thar!  Why you not know that?" 

Ian took the drow's hesitation as a sign to act.  He uttered the words to his _sleep_ spell.  One of the guards fell over, but the cheiftan resisted.  Luckily, Eldan fell under his spell and slipped away from the orc's dagger. 

The rest of us sprang into action.  One of the barbarian sisters chopped an orc down.  Jacq made short work of another one.  He then made a gesture and pulled his glowing lights into the camp.  It let the humans see better and hindered the orcs, though the drow was stunned. 

I swung my axe into the leader, biting deeply into his shoulder.  He tossed the halfling into me and moved over to the drow.  Greta moved in to defend the drow from the leader. 

On the other side of the camp, one of the orcs lunged at Ian, his grubby claws narrowly missing the sorcerer's body.  He was well trained, and obviously knew that wizards were helpless if you wrestled them to the ground.  He took a step back and chanted again, making the orc doze off.  Etta was struggling with an orc, swinging his axe like a madman.  Jacquebeau moved in with his sword to help her out. 

The drow managed to get the sparkles out of his eyes.  He took a step back and flung a couple daggers into the leader.  Greta followed up with a powerful swing, removing the leader's head from his body.   

Etta finally gets a good hit in and drops the orc guard to the ground.  There is only one left.  Jacq turns to him and points his scabbard at him.  He aims and pushes a small button.  His wooden, steel tipped scabbard shot off his belt and flew twenty feet to the remaining orc, burying itself in its neck.   

We finally get the orcs out of the camp and do a quit scouting to make sure there weren't any more.  The townsfolk were shaken, but no one got hurt.  After getting some rest, we set out for the refugee camp at dawn.   

We were just a few hours from the camp when we heard some rustling in the brush.  It wasn't loud, possibly a rabbit or something.  But it turned out to be a fair bit larger.  An owlbear came rushing out from its hiding place, a horrible screech coming from his blood stained beak.


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## maddman75 (Nov 24, 2002)

Just *bumping* this back so I can find it.  I'll start updating again, I promise!


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