# Stories from the Steppe Episode 4



## Guido (Dec 2, 2003)

Hi everyone, this is a new thread to continue one started by a friend of mine (Plane Sailing) who very kindly posted it on my behalf.

Stories from the steppe is an account of the adventures of a disparate band of characters of growing renown as they journey forth in search of wonder, excitement, fulfillment and purpose in the realm of Sirrapenta.

It is part of an ongoing DnD 3.0/3.5 campaign captured initially at this location:

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=42984

Episode 4 picks up the scene some time in the future from the previous thread. See if you can spot any of your favourite characters?

All feedback is gratefully received.

Episode 3 may well emerge later (in a kind of 'flashback' form I guess)
That's what comes from not keeping up with the write-ups!
Massive apologies to anyone who started reading the previous material but was left in the lurch. Hope you can find it in you to forgive, and hopefully enjoy what follows (if I have the upload process right)!

Cheers,
Guido


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## Plane Sailing (Dec 3, 2003)

Yay, thread ahoy!

The missing episode (3) could easily be subtitled "the astonishing importance of having a bard with you". Imagine a scenario where every enemy seems to be singing a mind-affecting song which puts you under some overall controlling minds power. Bardic counter-song never sounded so good!


Cheers


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## Plane Sailing (Dec 5, 2003)

Just a quick additional reply to give a live link to the previous portions of this storyhour

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=42984


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## robberbaron (Dec 5, 2003)

Yaay, Guido!

Good to see you here, bud. Looking forward to getting a GM's-eye view of the game.

Speaking personally, I hope to see Episode 3 as it contains some "important happenings" for my character.


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## Guido (Dec 7, 2003)

*Back to the Ruins:*
Somewhat let down by the sombre mood in the city, the party’s spirits pick up when they are offered a substantial reward in goods up to 20kgp each by the Duke’s Chamberlain, and an honorary knighthood. The Duke it seems is indisposed, still suffering from the shock of having nearly been toppled from power by the foolhardiness of a simple adventurer probing too far into the ruins.

Rumours abound, but the Chamberlain keeps the characters out of sight until a deal is done. Rewards in return for silence and co-operation. It would appear that the public message is that their rescue mission had been ‘organised’ by the Duke’s government, and if it hadn’t have been for ‘prompt government action’ to hire this team of ‘capable mercenaries’, things would have been a lot worse! Most of the team agree to go along with this, and take part in a number of carefully staged parades at which they are seen but not heard, and the Polochenko magnates lap up the glory. Kraven however seems to have obtained for himself some kind of office with the Duke and is whisked away from the main party with unseemly swiftness. He is glimpsed in distant corridors once or twice but is otherwise not seen again.

The goods are available in various forms but the party opt for magic items across the board. There is an esoteric mix of things available and they choose wisely, ever aware that the gathering of such objects must have been a dangerous and difficult task in a realm that fears and despises arcane power. If the Church of Saints found out about this lot the Polochenko might well fall rapidly out of favour.

All is still not well in the city however, and the Chamberlain is keen to see them leave before things get out of hand. Various powers are flexing their muscles and the added complication of talkative heroes is the last thing the Government needs. His last words as they leave the town in the late Spring early light resplendent in their fine new trappings are, ‘this very eve the Council meets to pass an edict forbidding passage within one mile of the ruins on pain of death, I trust after this last escapade you shall not return there again’. It is a statement not a question.

Wanda stays back in the shadows as the party pass out of the gate and after a moment when the Chamberlain and his frozen faced guards have turned away, dives down a dark alley heading for another exit. Scamp keeps contact with them while Wanda scurries back to the next gate along the city wall. No-one questions the bent-backed crone with her pack at this time of the morning. She hums quietly as she marches and lets her awareness drift out to the edges of the morning, sensing scamp’s stealthy pursuit of the group through the empathic resonance that bonds them together.

Shrugging nonchalantly at the Chamberlain’s words the party pass out of the South gate and are immediately joined by an escort of 20 stout soldiers and a trio of Priests from the Church of Saints. They are accompanied by this dour bunch until the sun reaches it’s zenith, when the escort peels away without a word. It is suddenly very quiet.

They march on until Gwayne is sure that the escort are out of sight and kick left off the road, describing a curve back to the North over the next few miles. They’ll have to ride hard to get to the ruins before nightfall.


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## Guido (Dec 7, 2003)

Wanda has guessed well, and leaving scamp to keep contact progressively cuts down the distance between herself and the party, by cutting off the corner until she is barely a mile away. An hour of waiting and listening to scamp’s emotional feedback reassures her and Wanda strides forth to make an entrance. She almost misses the camp, so well chosen is it that she nearly blunders over the ridgeline but the sight of the ruins across the valley brings her up short. A muffled horse’s whinny to the right brings her back on course.

The party’s studied indifference to Wanda’s arrival is an illusion as Gwayne’s grunted warning has them all ready to unleash power and violence in the blink of an eye. The plain clad stranger draws many questions, but in time they warm to her, encouraging her to join them at the fire and help them cook a meal. The well-chosen camp is guarded from sight and thin cooking-fire smoke from the fire disperses in the overhanging trees without a discernible trail. It seems that Wanda is just out hunting rabbits and came across the party by chance. This unlikely story resists even Troy’s considerable powers of bardic persuasion, and the gentle buzz of conversation is broken only by Fareena’s sudden challenge. If this stranger will not allow a simple charm person spell between friends then fire-forbid, there’ll be toasted flesh instead. Wanda digs deep into her knowledge and decides the spell will be a better risk than this fearsome groups quick blades and fingers. She concedes, the spell is cast, and the tension fades. If this interloper is a Church spy, she’ll trouble them not this night. Droog finds the weasel’s tracks after about an hour of searching and follows them back to Wanda’s snoring form. No sneaky animal spies about either, good.

They rise just before dawn and leaving the horses hobbled, set out across the valley unimpeded. Soon within the brooding walls once more, they are struck again by the eerie stillness. Not a bird or bug in sight. Strange. Odd humps and shapes in the ground tease their curiosity to no avail until the happen upon the dragon statue. Based on a single piece slab sided basalt block, the beast rears up some 50-60’ with spread wings and open maw. Various divinatory magics are brought to bear and the party decide this is a real dragon that has been turned to stone. Too big to contemplate dispelling or breaking, they move on.

Next is a row of three walls each 100’ square and about 10’ thick made from dark polished rock and pierced with several large circular holes from a line about 5-‘ up. The tossing of stones and arrows through the holes brings forth rich bell-like tones by magical means from within the walls themselves, and strangely these holes then disappear and reappear in other places on the wall. Gwayne nudges Fareena and points at horsemen on the horizon near their overnight camp. Unable to determine the purpose of these strange structures and keen to get out of sight of the distant patrol the party moves on past the toppled spike to a feature they recalled from their first visit. A huge crater tears the ground to a depth of about 50’, shallow at one end, steeper at the other. The teardrop shape of this blemish hints at an object impacting from height but at a shallow angle and with great speed. A dark rip in the ground at the lowest point suggests an object has torn through into a chamber below. Droog and Gwayne study the ground and decide that some otherworldly creature patrols the crater’s edge at least once a day. Other signs suggest Kobolds and maybe minotaurs.


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## Guido (Dec 7, 2003)

Droog’s careful inspection at the lip of the tear reassures that no awful surprise waits below and they rappel down with some difficulty. Ironically, Droog discovers a very finely crafted rope and grapnel at the bottom.

A great circular chamber, clearly crafted rather than natural surrounds them, vaulted at its peak and smashed asunder apparently by a vast black object that lies rubble-bound at the back. Hints of the remnants of other rooms show in the walls as curved and shadowy niches, some perhaps used as bathing rooms or kitchen areas.

Drucilla applies power from one of her new items and a secret door is discovered in a dark recess of the rubble. One turn of a rock and they are in!

Progressing carefully, the party pass into a circular chamber about 30’ across, again vaulted at the ceiling and every area of wallspace pierced with niches. A storeroom? A trapdoor is revealed in the floor, and Droog leads the way down a 6’ shaft into a similar space below. 

The party eases it’s way into the space and leaves by the one visible exit, a broad stairway leading downwards into another chamber. This is a larger space the high vaulted roof of which was clearly lined with crystal at some point but now shattered off entirely and lying in myriad pieces on the floor. Suspicious of this, Droog carefully steps out seeking to avoid scuffing any of the pieces and finds that there is a small area that appears to be fixed down. Curiously he steps further and discovers that a long pace away is another similar space where the pieces have been glued. Drucilla proffers a bag of flour to help mark a trail and the party string out across the area to an opposing exit that disappears downwards into darkness.

Then someone slips and kicks up a small area of loose shards. A waft of wind brushes their faces, then a gust, and suddenly a whirlwind thunders into cacaphonic reality right next to them. Razor sharp shards scream about them in a blinding rage as the air elemental tries to pluck Fareena from her feet into the maelstrom. The shards flay their skin and blood flies as Fareena reels back. The warriors wrench out weapons and wade with narrowed weeping eyes into battle. Unable to pluck these sturdy foes from their feet, the furious form lurches back flailing with fists of force. The pseudopods find their mark and a deadly duel lurches back and forth across the space with blades and missiles both magical and real lashing the amorphous creature. A final blow finishes the beast and it dissipates with a sudden rush. All is still, blood drips, breath comes in gasps.

Patching themselves up with the power of Holy Heiro and Wee-Jas they venture forth once more, down into another chamber, this time with a strange pedestal in the middle that appears to be filled with hot glowing crystals. This seems very similar to one they have seen before, and Fareena braves the heat to pocket one of the glowing motes. It is too warm for most to handle but Fareena loves the heat. Perhaps the addition of more ‘power’ might heat it up more. Maybe they can try later.

A single stair exit leads up to another domed chamber, larger again than the elemental room. Droog and Llewellyn lead the way onto a balcony that overlooks this space about 40’ up. Two exits lead from the space to left and right, and below in the centre of the chamber a naked maiden washes herself with jugs of water and sings a pleasant song. They lean over the balcony to see a little more, and it gives way with alarming speed.


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## Guido (Dec 7, 2003)

Droog and Llewellyn plummet to the floor, eyes widening in horror as caltrops spew out of a slot at the base of the wall below. They thud into the ground, impaling themselves badly but amazingly escaping the poison coating. A heavy sounding double thump vibrates through the rock from somewhere above. No-one wants to investigate. Badly bruised but otherwise only shaken, the two warriors stand, pat each other down and start sweeping the caltrops aside for their companions who stare down in surprised shock from above.

Without warning, a massive crystal javelin slams into Droog, and another, this one impaling clean through the body. The third one thankfully misses. At the same time a small arrowhawk appears in front of Llewelyn and flaps over him, electrical sparks crackling down to burn him through his armour. A huge minotaur has appeared at the right-hand exit, its chest encased in a vast crystal breastplate, axe in one hand, javelins appearing as if by magic in the other.

Undeterred, Droog bites back the pain and charges forward to strike down this foes, his trusty blade rocking the creature back on its hooves. The party open up from the edges of the former balcony way above with spells and missiles, some of them striking true. A Dire ape appears behind Droog as another arrowhawk pops into existence in front of Llewelyn. This is getting out of hand. 

Droog trades blows with the Minotaur who has swapped to a huge white hafted greataxe. Troy’s confusion spell momentarily throws it but it recovers and the axeblade crashes down on Droog’s head, splitting him to the skull. He falls dying to the floor. The helpless party rages at the opening, spells and missiles raining down on arrowhawks and minotaur both. The axe bearing monster receives a dispel from somewhere behind him in the gloomy strairwell.  Llewelyn hews hopelessly at the arrowhawks, wounding one but taking more back, and takes a crystal javelin in the flank to add to his woes. Another minotaur appears at the left hand entrance and summons electrical elemental power from thin air onto Fareena who sends a dispelling spell back that crackles round myriad defences but has no apparent effect. A flapping fiendish monster appears in front of the party, reaching out with it’s claws but fortunately missing. 

Apparently renewed, the great axe-bearer charges down on Llewelyn. The sturdy paladin stands his ground but is cut down with ease. The shocked party stare down at the destruction in horror. Two down! The dire ape stoops and picks up Droog’s bleeding corpse like a toy, viciously biting him in the head. It seems curious at the taste.

The arrowhawk flaps up to zap Fareena, but Wanda’s faithful scamp scurries forth to nip her ankle and release a welcome healing spell. Fareena spends some power on personal defences. More electrical fire lashes down but Troy’s reflexes save him from most of the pain, and he tosses back a glitterdust spell that forces the beast back rubbing its eyes. Troy sends one of the hovering hawks to its doom as Clint sends shaft after shaft into the Minotaur below. Gwayne takes shots at the hovering creatures, occasional hits sinking into flapping foes with satisfying thuds. The Dire ape wanders away up the right hand exit with Droog’s limp and apparently dead body and out of sight.


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## Guido (Dec 7, 2003)

The axe wielding minotaur rages below them, ordering them to leave, and frustrated at the missiles piercing his flesh, plucks a javelin out of Llewelyn’s body and heaves it back at Fareena. The point bites deep but she stands. They are shaken a little by the monster’s rage. Troy finishes the other arrowhawk that is already pin-cushioned by several missiles, and hesitates, longsword poised. How to stop that flapping fiend? Reaching desperately for the only weapon he has that will reach, he lashes out blindly with the cast-off spiked chain recovered from that strange fighter girl they met in the ruins the first time. Amazingly it’s a glorious hit and the monster lurches back hurt, but not in the right place. Troy catches his breath, it’s an illusion! Meanshile, Drucilla is determined that Llewelyn won’t go the same way as the hapless Droog and sends her faithful bat Vince down to release an efficacious magic. The Minotaur sees it coming, reflexively swings his axe and connects with the frail familiar with a stomach-churning slap. Vince whirls broken to the floor, close to death among the caltrops. Troy gets his breath back and shouts a warning to the others about the apparition. Drucilla turns gaseous and floats down to Llewelyn as Wanda’s arrows crunch into the big Minotaur. Troy suddenly remembers that he knows ‘feather-fall’, and casts the spell, allowing Clint seconds later to make a heroic leap behind the horned beast, flipping neatly to avoid it’s reflexive back stroke. Clint’s blade pierces deep into a vital organ wounding the creature severely. It staggers. A final searing bolt from Fareena crisps through its fur, filling the air with the stench of scorched flesh. They watch breathless, as the massive monster topples backwards and crashes to the ground. It’s all over, and the naked maiden continues to sing.

Though momentarily stunned, the party rally rapidly, and with Troy’s help, throw themselves headlong into space, feather-falling to the ground clear of the caltrops.  While Drucilla tends to Llewelyn,  the rest rush to the right hand entrance to see where Droog’s body was taken. There is a wall of stone blocking the way. Dashing back across the room they charge up the stairs into another space, and onwards into another. A long corridor stretches to yet another room in the distance and, Clint, Fareena and Gwayne’s (with his dog Trigger) charge forward. There is a feint click in the gloom and the walls of the corridor crash together in pairs from the far end, each closer than the last. They throw themselves back in panic, avoiding crushing annihilation by a hairs breadth as the final pair slams at their heels. The way is blocked and there are no other exits. Clint scouts about and eventually finds a panel in the floor. A switch? He tests it, success!, As the blocks fly open again he jams the pad with a spike. They rush up the corridor once more, mindful that every moment sees their foe further away. This time the walls stay put, and they disable another panel at the other end for good measure.

This room appears to be a stonemason’s workshop from which a single exit leads up into another smaller space. A hole in the roof of this place runs up through a central bath with an illusionary water effect and they stare down a set of stairs into another space! This place is a labyrinth. Strange smells waft up the stairwell, but they can’t hear anything and there are no tracks. They double back and Drucilla deploys her wand. A Secret door is quickly detected in the far side of the larger chamber, and carefully they trigger a wall pad to open it. A plain niche-cut but otherwise empty store-room meets their gaze. It is remarkably clean. They can discern no secret exits by magical means and decide without further searching, that this is a rather odd dead end.

Returning a little forlorn to the chamber where they fought the battle they are amazed and disheartened to find that the big minotaur has disappeared with his axe. How did the foe get past them? How did the minotaur recover? Was he healed? Did he regenerate? Where did Droog’s body go and who created that wall of stone? Why didn’t they cut the minotaur’s horned head off? What are they going to do now?


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## Plane Sailing (Dec 8, 2003)

Ah Guido, you should pace yourself more! Think how long we are going to have to wait until the next installment now!

As teasers for things that happened in part 3 (the unwritten part of this campaign as of yet)


encounters with creatures where a strange singing sound turned hearers over to their side
In fact EVERY encounter involves mysterious mind-sapping singing!
A city under siege, and a desparate attempt to lift the siege by a party of adventurers striking into the forbidden ruins(tm)
The beneficial effect of Pyrotechnics for breaking up mounted charges
The sad demise of party members such as Dariol, Alavarielle, Alavarielles back up character, Alavarielles second back up character 
Desparate last-ditch struggles under the earth against foes with wierd magic

There's good stuff going on!


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## Guido (Dec 9, 2003)

I know, so much in a rush. For those of you keen to get the beginning of episodes 2 and 3, follow this link:

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=42984&page=2&pp=25

Sorry if this has you skipping around a bit. Not used to the posting regime. Having said that, it is good to be able to fill in the gap without things getting out of 'sequence' too much.

Thanks for your comments gang,

enjoy

Guido.


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## robberbaron (Dec 9, 2003)

Plane Sailing said:
			
		

> As teasers for things that happened in part 3 (the unwritten part of this campaign as of yet)
> .
> .
> .
> ...







Oh man, the suspense!

Seeing the story on my screen makes me appreciate the game all the more.


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## robberbaron (Dec 17, 2003)

Don't know when Guido will be able to update this so..

Bumpedy-bump.


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## Guido (Dec 29, 2003)

*Enter Katarn*

Katarn gazes out across the waving grassland at the distant pine clad hills, silhouetted in the washed out morning light, the sun’s rim not yet visible above the ridge. A feint drizzle of rain kisses his skin blown on a zip of wind that smells of sea coast although that lies many leagues to the East. Behind him the dawn sounds of the rising camp grow slowly. Kan-tra strolls up behind him, four sturdy ponies following in an obedient line. ‘Come Katarn, let us away before the sun rises full. You said you wanted back to the city to see your friends full swift, move your skinny elf butt’.

Katarn blinks back a cold-wind tear, sniffs and playfully slapps at Kan-tra’s broad leather-bound back. ‘Full swift it is then, last one to the green-sea’s edge is a dog-dropping-breathed son of a gnoll’. Tumbling in a somersault to the saddle of the nearest beast he spurs away before the hill-bred Kan-tra has moved, the entire line of ponies scrambling after him in surprise. The burly barbarian grunts in annoyance and thanking the gods that his pack was on the last pony, speeds after the disappearing train on swift feet.

Neither of them is particularly keen to enter the city which appears to be in a state of confusion as they gaze down upon it from a safe hilltop. But go into it they must if they are to join up with their friends again. The surly guards question them closely on entry and Katarn’s glib manner is pushed to it’s limits to avoid giving away too much. This end of town seems to be hosting an unusual number of soldiers from the Earl Avayasev’s retinue and the Polochenko gate guard appear tense and twitchy.

Iinitial enquiries reveal news that the party of ‘heroes’ have departed that very morning from the South gate, with an honour guard of cavalry and Priests of the Church of Saints. The honour guard is back apparently and Katarn’s careful enquiries suggest that the group is safely on their way to Rura-Faran. The news of a planned ban on entry to the ruins is easier to discover, clearly gaining much favour from the populace and due to go to Council that evening. Katarn knows his friends well and making haste to the South gate places a quiet wager with Kan-tra that the ruins are exactly where the party might be found.

Sure enough, by duskfall the trail of the errant group has turned distinctly East and then North, looping back towards the ruins, but marked by a second group of horsemen. Someone else is following them. Katarn and Kan-tra slow their pace, having no intention of blundering into the pursuers in the dark, and eventually camp on a ridge line about 2 miles from the ruins.

Morning finds them scouting the next ridge carefully, to find a group of some 20 Polochenko cavalry and a priest or two rummaging about in what must be the party’s overnight camp. The well chosen location must be Droog’s excellent work, and the pair of them watch carefully as the cavalry split into pairs in a variety of directions searching for signs of the occupants’ intentions. One pair of riders gallops away towards Chupek, perhaps to report, perhaps to return with reinforcements. It appears that the interdict on the ruins is in full swing already?

Katarn and Kan-tra work their way along the ridge, taking care to keep away from the ridge top to avoid being silhouetted. Kan-tra’s keen eye spots movement in the distant ruins, tiny figures disappearing into what appears to be a large crack in the ground. They find a shielded gulley away from prying eyes and work their way into the city as stealthily as possible, leaving the mounts in a ruined tower.

Access to the crack is made easier by a rope left dangling by those who have so recently gone before and the agile pair descend with ease. It takes only a moment to figure out where the party have gone, and they pursue the group into a series of circular rooms connected by a mixture of stairs and corridors. The architectural style is highly varied with connecting corridors and rooms of clearly different eras. Scarcely have they passed more than a few rooms in when distant sounds of battle reach their ears. Springing forward with weapons in their hands they are nearly shaken from their feet by the sudden and very solid crunch of massive stone slabs dropping into doorways behind them. Cut off, only way now is forward!

Sprinting through various rooms it takes them nearly a minute to reach a balcony area overlooking a large domed circular chamber. Some kind of balustrade has fallen away from this balcony and they skid to a halt just in time to prevent a forty foot fall onto what appears to be a mass of caltrops. Blood stains the floor, and the signs of magical battle are clear from the extensive range of scorch marks on the walls. Katarn’s eye’s narrow and spotting a set of concealed hand holds in the wall he and Kan-tra silently slip off the balcony and begin to descend. Seconds later his friends, together with a couple of figures Katarn doesn’t recognise burst into the room panting and frustrated, brows furrowed.

Stories are quickly exchanged, and the welcome break used to assess the position. Katarn is shocked to hear that Droog has been killed. This place would appear to be some kind of ancient accommodation structure converted into a labyrinth. The way out is apparently blocked, and armed pursuers probably behind them anyway. Forwards lies an unknown tangle of rooms, traps and foes. However, all the fables and songs about minotaurs known to the bards in the group talk of great wealth and wonder guarded by these territorial creatures. Though Droog was not particularly popular, perhaps his death can be avenged and made good in some small way by the garnering of booty?

The new party members are Wanda, a pale mystical robed figure who reveals little about herself, and Lewellyn, a chain clad paladin of Heiro the Righteous and very clear about his role in the world.

Drucilla wanders away to investigate the wall of stone, and with Fareena, determines that this is not shadow magic but a truly solid chunk of stone. She aims an item at the wall and let’s rip a Lightning bolt with a clap of thunder. Scorched stone shards splinter in all directions and a small hole appears in the centre of the blockage. With some help it is widened with tools and Drucilla passes her brave little familiar Vince the bat through the tiny portal. Vince flaps away into the gloom and Drucilla closes her eyes to absorb the empathic messages flowing back to her.

Meanwhile, Troy has been gazing with some interest at the illusion in the centre of the room that still sways and croons lasciviously. Yes, there, in the centre of the image is a statue. A female form about lifesize and holdings a longspear that can now be seen to extend outside the limits of the illusion but presumably not visible before because of the power of the suggestion created by it. Around the statue’s neck is a copper plaque on a fine silver chain, upon which are finely inscribed a sequence of indecipherable runes.

Troy stares at it for ages and begins to work out the patterns, reckoning that an hour or two of effort might give enough of the gist to determine roughly what it says. He points out the basics to Wanda who tells him exactly what is on it, her surreptitiously cast ‘Comprehend languages’ spell coming to the fore!

It says:

Hocus Pocus, Trouble I see
Now left, now right, then stone I be

If I desire to right this state
A clever trick then must I make

A gift from Mefnil’s hand so kind
In mine own hand the cure I’ll find

Yet how shall I escape this bond
I stand as still as a lily pond

This jest no doubt Mefnil amuses
Full besting any bardic muses

Investigation of the figure’s left hand shows it to be oversize for the scale, and moulded perhaps from clay rather than stone. They chip away at it carefully and a small clear glass vial of oily liquid is revealed. Do they dare try this on the statue? It could be another enemy, or a trick? Who the heck is Mefnil?


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## Plane Sailing (Jan 1, 2004)

Guido said:
			
		

> Returning a little forlorn to the chamber where they fought the battle they are amazed and disheartened to find that the big minotaur has disappeared with his axe. How did the foe get past them? How did the minotaur recover?




Great big Doh! from us here. Why didn't we check he was really, really dead? Just too darn nice I guess. Plus we didn't like the idea of the spellcaster getting away. 

Mostly Fareena's fault for getting everyone charging after the invisible wizard, although the entire battle might have gone a little more quickly if Troy had realised that he had featherfall and it could affect the entire party!

Cheers


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## robberbaron (Jan 2, 2004)

Plane Sailing said:
			
		

> Great big Doh! from us here. Why didn't we check he was really, really dead? Just too darn nice I guess. Plus we didn't like the idea of the spellcaster getting away.
> 
> Mostly Fareena's fault for getting everyone charging after the invisible wizard, although the entire battle might have gone a little more quickly if Troy had realised that he had featherfall and it could affect the entire party!




And I kept my mouth firmly shut while the Dire Ape wandered off with my body, sucking on what was left of my brains.


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## Plane Sailing (Jan 3, 2004)

I guess that part of the problem with the dire ape wandering off with Droog was 

i) we were sure that the dire ape was a summoned creature, and didn't think it was going to hang around that long

ii) we thought that Droog was dead at that point anyway.

iii) nobody realised that we had any way of getting down 40ft into a sea of caltrops and the main fighters had already gone down to the beefy minotaur and summoned beasties which were still hanging around

and possibly 

iv) - with all due respect Droog had not made himself terribly popular in the previous adventure by deliberately cutting down another party member (albeit a mind-controlled one) and that may have meant that he was less likely to get anyone jumping to his aid than, say, Troy   

Cheers


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## robberbaron (Jan 11, 2004)

Plane Sailing said:
			
		

> I guess that part of the problem with the dire ape wandering off with Droog was
> 
> iv) - with all due respect Droog had not made himself terribly popular in the previous adventure by deliberately cutting down another party member (albeit a mind-controlled one) and that may have meant that he was less likely to get anyone jumping to his aid than, say, Troy




Yep, the unfortunate result of Role-Playing - sometimes the other characters just don't like what you do.

For the record, Droog's mental process (such as it was) went:

This person (can't actually remember her name) has only just arrived and the first thing she does is set about her, attacking my companions, taking Droog down to single-digit hit points with her spiked chain. Could be another enemy within the ranks (at this point, we'd had at least 2 that I can remember) so its not worth taking chances. So I took her down as quickly as I could. Drucilla, I knew was an MU of sorts, and I figured I could take her out with a punch or two, so I did.

Hey ho, sometimes actually playing the character works, sometimes not, but Half-Orcs with Barbarian heritage can't be lovable and cuddly all the time.


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## Plane Sailing (Jan 12, 2004)

robberbaron said:
			
		

> This person (can't actually remember her name) has only just arrived QUOTE]
> 
> Ah, that was Shockwaves "PC of the week". Poor chap has the worst luck with characters I've ever seen! I remember Elevarialle the elven cleric, the human druid/barbarian, this character who was quite a departure (no magic spells!) and a pretty effective spiked chain wielder and the current character a cleric/wizard of boccob (aiming at mystic theurge IIRC). I can't remember whether there was another character in between the cleric and the barbarian. Oh, I've just remembered that there was another character in between the chain wielding warrior and the cleric/wizard... I think he was a piratical ranger-or-rogue type dual wielder. He retired rather than died though.
> 
> ...


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