a druid and his rat
When we last left our characters, Zeek the gnome was just regaining consciousness from a door that led nowhere. The party was scaling a mountain looking for what they thnik is a murderous 1/2 orc druid. The inn they were staying in was attacked by dire rats and the trail, followed by a 14 year old orphan named Jethek led them to where they are now. Levvy, the halfling rogue and Crineus, the teifling abjurer, had been discussing the immediate future for the last hour while Zeek slept off the effects of a minor poison.
While Zeek slept, Crineus had discovered a ledge that looked like a trail leading up the side of the cliff. When Zeek recovered, the party decided to follow the trail. Wisely, they broke out Levvy's climbing tools and tied themselves together with her rope. She also kept her grappling hook handy in case they fell.
And fall they did. The 150' long winding trail, which should have taken them about 2 1/2 minutes took almost an hour. The rope and Levvy's quick reflexes saved many a life. She's definitely bruised, though, and might have damaged an ovary or something as often as her waist was yanked away from her. DM'S NOTE: This was unarguably the funnest and funniest part of the evening. Balancing on the ledge required a DC 10 Balance check. Failure by 4 or less meant no progress, while failure of 5 or more meant plummeting. Crineus rolled 3 natural 1's in a row, and probably 8 the entire time. The most hilarious image was that of all four characters dangling by the rope, with Zeek's feet a mere 3' from the ground because they fell so early in the trek.
After finally reaching the apex of the trail, the party discovered a door, badly camoflauged by a stone colored blanket. Learning from the other door, everyone took a part in searching the traps, cept for Jethek, who was a bit shaken and doubting his choice of traveling companions.
Secure in the safety of the door, Zeek offered a prayer to Heironious and openend the door into an unworked cavern littered with debris. Crineus, with his devilish darkvision, very clearly saw what could only be a fiendish dire rat and loudly informed his companions. Jethek, eager to prove himself, rushed in, but Crin stopped him quickly. Zeek's warmage training kicked in and he quickly caused the cavern roof to rain fist sized stones upon the rat, which promptly charged and attacked him. It just now struck me that he caught filth fever from that battle, but I forgot to apply it later in the game. Oops. Sorry Crinius. I'll get him next time. Two short rounds and a shocking grasp later, and Zeek had crispy fried the rat. He chugged a cure potion and the party spent about 10 minutes recovering their wits and searching the room.
They headed deeper into the lair and discovered a bedroom. Looting ensued. Levvy grabbed a climbing kit and pilfered some gems without the other character's knowledge, but when she gasped at the sight of a pile of gold in a chest, everyone jumped in, splitting up 400 gold with promises to put it back if the owner wasn't dead or evil.
A group effort managed to open a door that had swollen in its frame, but made a lot of noise. Crineus had Levvy put out her torch, plunging the cavern into darkness and the party formed a bumbling chain of blind led by a half devil. Talk about trust. At the end of the tunnel, the party entered a huge cavern behind a waterfall, and were met by the half-orc, holding a scroll and angry at their invasion of his home. As soon as he spoke, Zeek lit the area up with a spell and Levvy started to light her torch again.
When he asked why they were there, the party's weak explanation was that they were hunting a killer that had sent dire rats against the village. The druid replied along the lines of "I didn't send dire rats, but speaking of, how'd you get past my companion Elorg?" Telling him they'd accidentally crispy fried the rat didn't help and the orc quickly read down his scroll. As soon as that happened, Crineus cast true strike.
The orc had summoned yet another dire rat (cause I didn't feel like rolling up hit points for something else more appropriate), but didn't attack until someone attacked him. I don't remember the exact order, but I think Crineus threw his dagger at the orc, the orc dropped a swarm of spiders on Zeek and Crineus, Levvy lit a torch, Jethek smacked the rat, and the rat charged Crineus (being as he made the first attack). Zeek hit the orc with a hail of stone. Crineus rushed from the spiders and managed to cast daze before feinting from his wounds. Levvy swiped at some spiders with her torch, but missed, and Jethek tried to hit the swarm as well, but missed. Zeek gave himself fists of stone.
At the end of that round, both the swarm and the dire rat were unsummoned, so Levvy rushed the orc and flung an axe at him, getting a good swipe against his arm. Jethek was frustrated at the loss of his rat opponent and did nothing, while Zeek attempted to charge the druid with a rock hard punch. Unfortunately, he slipped on the wet floor and slid into the back of Levvy, dropping her prone with him. This gave the half-orc time to recover his senses, and realizing he was outnumbered if not outclassed, swagged a cure potion and decided to test his skill with his 2nd best friend, the waterfall. A quick cure potion recovered Crineus and the party searched the rest of the home.
A little worried about making an enemy for life, though (cause everyone knows DMs love that sort of thing), Crineus wrote a rather eloquent letter to the druid explaining the misunderstanding and apologizing for the death of Elorg. Realizing it's a stupid move to apologize after looting someone, the party (Levvy reluctantly) agreed to put all of the gold back in the chest and not take the druid's holy chalice or loot his alchemy lab or scroll materials. Of course, no one knew Levvy took the gems or climbing kit, so she kept those.
Upon returning to the village, Crineus had a brief argument with the gate guards, but Jethek freaked out and got everyone inside the walls. A congratulatory party was thrown at the inn and everyone was so drunk by the end of Levvy's recounting of the tale that no one picked up on the fact that the druid escaped, but neither did they grasp that he wasn't guilty. Crenius picked up a slightly older woman "that still has all her teeth", finally made some beautiful fortitude checks and kept Levvy up all night in the room next door with some serious porking. Levvy finally drank herself into oblivian.
The next day, Crineus' filth fever hit him full on. Five days and four Constitution point later and he recovered, but is severely weakend. In that time, Levvy met a knew friend, tentatively named Gregorious. Seems he's a ranger looking for somewhere to hunt something other than rolls. A bit poor, he definitely knows how to listen, which is what Levvy likes in a friend. The story came out that she's gotta earn some money fast to buy her family out of imprisonment from a theives' guild debt, but Crineus would rather pay off his "Lay Fee" so he doesn't have to enter military duty after graduating from the state funded warmage/wizard school he and Zeek attended. Zeek doesn't mind the thought of military duty, but neither does he like the thought of helping free a family of rogues and smugglers, wrongfully imprisoned or not....making him an uninterested party in any forthcoming arguments between Levvy and Crin on what to do with any treasure. Grego has no clue what he's getting himself into.
Aside from befriending the ranger, while Crin was recovering Zeek did his fair share of preaching about Heironious to Jethek. Now the poor boy's confused. During the hike up the mountain, Zeek marvelled at his tracking skill and suggested he should become a ranger. Now, he's suggesting cleric of Heironious. Regardless, from the interest the young barmaid showed him the night of their return, he's not sure he wants to leave the village just yet, so heading to Myrrlanthus to seek teachings from a deity of valor isn't the path he wants to take just yet. He's confused, as young boys always are, because Zeek's his hero, but is a bit reserved when Jeth brings up women. Levvy, of course, always tells him something like "Ask Zeek about the gnomish Cack Thwap," adding further to the boy's adolescent "wha?"
Now, though, the characters want to return to Myrrlanthus and rescue themselves and their families from all of their troubles, because the "gold rush" that got them to this remote village was a bust.
Tune in next time for Get Your Hand Off My Woman, Teifling Fucker or Wow, Jethek, That's Huge.
While Zeek slept, Crineus had discovered a ledge that looked like a trail leading up the side of the cliff. When Zeek recovered, the party decided to follow the trail. Wisely, they broke out Levvy's climbing tools and tied themselves together with her rope. She also kept her grappling hook handy in case they fell.
And fall they did. The 150' long winding trail, which should have taken them about 2 1/2 minutes took almost an hour. The rope and Levvy's quick reflexes saved many a life. She's definitely bruised, though, and might have damaged an ovary or something as often as her waist was yanked away from her. DM'S NOTE: This was unarguably the funnest and funniest part of the evening. Balancing on the ledge required a DC 10 Balance check. Failure by 4 or less meant no progress, while failure of 5 or more meant plummeting. Crineus rolled 3 natural 1's in a row, and probably 8 the entire time. The most hilarious image was that of all four characters dangling by the rope, with Zeek's feet a mere 3' from the ground because they fell so early in the trek.
After finally reaching the apex of the trail, the party discovered a door, badly camoflauged by a stone colored blanket. Learning from the other door, everyone took a part in searching the traps, cept for Jethek, who was a bit shaken and doubting his choice of traveling companions.
Secure in the safety of the door, Zeek offered a prayer to Heironious and openend the door into an unworked cavern littered with debris. Crineus, with his devilish darkvision, very clearly saw what could only be a fiendish dire rat and loudly informed his companions. Jethek, eager to prove himself, rushed in, but Crin stopped him quickly. Zeek's warmage training kicked in and he quickly caused the cavern roof to rain fist sized stones upon the rat, which promptly charged and attacked him. It just now struck me that he caught filth fever from that battle, but I forgot to apply it later in the game. Oops. Sorry Crinius. I'll get him next time. Two short rounds and a shocking grasp later, and Zeek had crispy fried the rat. He chugged a cure potion and the party spent about 10 minutes recovering their wits and searching the room.
They headed deeper into the lair and discovered a bedroom. Looting ensued. Levvy grabbed a climbing kit and pilfered some gems without the other character's knowledge, but when she gasped at the sight of a pile of gold in a chest, everyone jumped in, splitting up 400 gold with promises to put it back if the owner wasn't dead or evil.
A group effort managed to open a door that had swollen in its frame, but made a lot of noise. Crineus had Levvy put out her torch, plunging the cavern into darkness and the party formed a bumbling chain of blind led by a half devil. Talk about trust. At the end of the tunnel, the party entered a huge cavern behind a waterfall, and were met by the half-orc, holding a scroll and angry at their invasion of his home. As soon as he spoke, Zeek lit the area up with a spell and Levvy started to light her torch again.
When he asked why they were there, the party's weak explanation was that they were hunting a killer that had sent dire rats against the village. The druid replied along the lines of "I didn't send dire rats, but speaking of, how'd you get past my companion Elorg?" Telling him they'd accidentally crispy fried the rat didn't help and the orc quickly read down his scroll. As soon as that happened, Crineus cast true strike.
The orc had summoned yet another dire rat (cause I didn't feel like rolling up hit points for something else more appropriate), but didn't attack until someone attacked him. I don't remember the exact order, but I think Crineus threw his dagger at the orc, the orc dropped a swarm of spiders on Zeek and Crineus, Levvy lit a torch, Jethek smacked the rat, and the rat charged Crineus (being as he made the first attack). Zeek hit the orc with a hail of stone. Crineus rushed from the spiders and managed to cast daze before feinting from his wounds. Levvy swiped at some spiders with her torch, but missed, and Jethek tried to hit the swarm as well, but missed. Zeek gave himself fists of stone.
At the end of that round, both the swarm and the dire rat were unsummoned, so Levvy rushed the orc and flung an axe at him, getting a good swipe against his arm. Jethek was frustrated at the loss of his rat opponent and did nothing, while Zeek attempted to charge the druid with a rock hard punch. Unfortunately, he slipped on the wet floor and slid into the back of Levvy, dropping her prone with him. This gave the half-orc time to recover his senses, and realizing he was outnumbered if not outclassed, swagged a cure potion and decided to test his skill with his 2nd best friend, the waterfall. A quick cure potion recovered Crineus and the party searched the rest of the home.
A little worried about making an enemy for life, though (cause everyone knows DMs love that sort of thing), Crineus wrote a rather eloquent letter to the druid explaining the misunderstanding and apologizing for the death of Elorg. Realizing it's a stupid move to apologize after looting someone, the party (Levvy reluctantly) agreed to put all of the gold back in the chest and not take the druid's holy chalice or loot his alchemy lab or scroll materials. Of course, no one knew Levvy took the gems or climbing kit, so she kept those.
Upon returning to the village, Crineus had a brief argument with the gate guards, but Jethek freaked out and got everyone inside the walls. A congratulatory party was thrown at the inn and everyone was so drunk by the end of Levvy's recounting of the tale that no one picked up on the fact that the druid escaped, but neither did they grasp that he wasn't guilty. Crenius picked up a slightly older woman "that still has all her teeth", finally made some beautiful fortitude checks and kept Levvy up all night in the room next door with some serious porking. Levvy finally drank herself into oblivian.
The next day, Crineus' filth fever hit him full on. Five days and four Constitution point later and he recovered, but is severely weakend. In that time, Levvy met a knew friend, tentatively named Gregorious. Seems he's a ranger looking for somewhere to hunt something other than rolls. A bit poor, he definitely knows how to listen, which is what Levvy likes in a friend. The story came out that she's gotta earn some money fast to buy her family out of imprisonment from a theives' guild debt, but Crineus would rather pay off his "Lay Fee" so he doesn't have to enter military duty after graduating from the state funded warmage/wizard school he and Zeek attended. Zeek doesn't mind the thought of military duty, but neither does he like the thought of helping free a family of rogues and smugglers, wrongfully imprisoned or not....making him an uninterested party in any forthcoming arguments between Levvy and Crin on what to do with any treasure. Grego has no clue what he's getting himself into.
Aside from befriending the ranger, while Crin was recovering Zeek did his fair share of preaching about Heironious to Jethek. Now the poor boy's confused. During the hike up the mountain, Zeek marvelled at his tracking skill and suggested he should become a ranger. Now, he's suggesting cleric of Heironious. Regardless, from the interest the young barmaid showed him the night of their return, he's not sure he wants to leave the village just yet, so heading to Myrrlanthus to seek teachings from a deity of valor isn't the path he wants to take just yet. He's confused, as young boys always are, because Zeek's his hero, but is a bit reserved when Jeth brings up women. Levvy, of course, always tells him something like "Ask Zeek about the gnomish Cack Thwap," adding further to the boy's adolescent "wha?"
Now, though, the characters want to return to Myrrlanthus and rescue themselves and their families from all of their troubles, because the "gold rush" that got them to this remote village was a bust.
Tune in next time for Get Your Hand Off My Woman, Teifling Fucker or Wow, Jethek, That's Huge.
posted by Amazing Shafeman at 7:48 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home