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From humbug Wed Jul 21 18:13:33 1999
From: humbug
Subject: Diddle Daddles.
Newsgroups: redbrick.rpg.board
Organization:
Summary:
Keywords:
User-Agent: tin/pre-1.4-980202 (UNIX) (SunOS/5.7 (i86pc))
Status: RO
Content-Length: 10384
Lines: 165
Next to most recent happenings. Slow link, bye.
Things continue where they last left off. After a small amount of debate,
the party decide to head down the hill to the forest, in search of the
clearing previously used to rest in. A large hollow (like a canoe) log
lies in the clearing, and the group climb in to be hidden and rest. Too
dark to meditate, people settle down to rest, with Los keeping watch.
Come morning Slate is already near full health, and sets off to
have a look at the castle. The wizards begin meditating as soon as there
is enough light, Greebo until around midday and Nickos until the evening.
Slate returns during the day to report that the castle is now full of
bugbears. By the evening after the first nights rest most of the party
have regained a little health, and Greebo decides to open the spellbook
found on the body of the fireball mage. As soon as he turns the first page
a shrieking noise fills the air. "STOP THIEF", "STOP THIEF", "STOP THIEF"
over and over and over, in a shrill piercing voice. Not very useful in the
current situation. Greebo closes the book, but the shrieking continues.
Nickos takes the book and wraps it in a blanket and a sack, but there is
no noticeable lessening in the noise. Chanti and Slate are getting quite
agitated, and everyone is worried that the noise will attract unwanted
attention.
Much disagreement occurs. Nickos and Greebo want to keep the book,
and try to explain the probable value of it. The others want to get away
from the noise, and walk off towards the trail to the castle, leaving
Nickos and Greebo in the clearing with the book. Slate reckons that the
book should be used as bait for an ambush on people from the castle, or
forest creatures for food (which is running short, even thought Los
doesn't eat, Greebo eats berries, and Slate can manage without food for a
time) but others point out that the castle is miles off, and that edible
forest creatures don't normally head towards loud noises. Nonetheless the
ambush is set. Nickos and Chanti hide in trees, Slate in the log, Greebo
blends into the underbrush and Los waits a ways off, ready to come
running. The night is spent with the book sitting in the log, still
shrieking, but nothing happens during the night.
In the morning it is decided that Slate should run back to town
with the book, thus leaving the rest of the party relatively safe, and at
least quiet in the forest. Slate is to get horses and supplies also. He
sets off, but returns after a couple of hours, reporting that the book has
stopped making noise. Slate leaves the book with the party, and again sets
off for town, supplies and a means of getting back to town still being
necessary. Late in the same afternoon Chanti urges the party to be quiet,
that there are people moving through the trees. Two humans take form as
they walk towards the party, apparently talking to each other. They notice
the group, and call out their greetings, but the party are wary. A woman,
apparently a healer, offers to heal anyone who needs it, and the other, a
wizard, appears jumpy, but friendly.
Slate is not due back for a week, and the party spend the time getting to
know Anya (the healer) and Intar (the mage). Thankfully they have
supplies, so that problem is solved. During the time spent waiting Nickos
and Los are troubled by dreams of Eltric, and Nickos' quest, and between
them they realise that perhaps if the piece of rock containing Eltric's
essence, or heart, can be found and returned to the other clerics of the
passing on Tooraka, then the quest (near impossible to complete now) will
be lifted or fulfilled.
After about a week Slate returns with provisions and horses, and
preparations are made to set out for town. Slate is wary of the two new
strangers, but then, he's wary of everyone. That night, Chanti sets out
back up the hill to see if the can recover Eltric's heart from his stony
corpse. Slate goes as far as the edge of the forest, and watches the
trail. Chanti succeeds, and returns with a piece of rock from Eltric's
corpse that Los and Nickos recognise as being the correct one.
Intar says he knows the way through the forests around here, and
leads the party uneventfully back to town. Checking out the docks as soon
as the party arrives, a ship is seen casting off, but it is too late to
stop it. Pondering what to do next, the group head for the Inn of the
Dying Minotaur, a busier place than the Dwarven tavern the party had
previously stayed at. The group sit down for dinner and conversation, and
somebody realises that the ship might be docking at the town on the other
side of the island before sailing towards (presumably) Irrendi and
(hopefully) Tooraka. Slate leads the party to the horse trader from whom
he rented the horses used in the forest, the idea being to race to the
other town. Nickos remembers he needs spell components from an armourers
or tanners and Intar joins him, looking to buy a dagger.. Or so he says.
Walking down an alley, Nickos is just wondering where Intar has
gotten to.. when two 'magic missiles' slam into him, and Intar's
appearance changes to that of the first mage encountered by the party on
Bone Hill. The mage proclaims himself as Eltar, and attacks (some more).
As the fight begins both mages begin to cast spells. Eltar gains the
initiative, and casts 'web', but miscasts, and the spell is centered on
himself instead of Nickos, but he dispels it. Meow was going to attack,
but doesn't, as a result of the web. Nickos goes to cast 'summon swarm'
but also miscasts, his spelling fizzling into the air. Nickos spends the
rest of the round shouting "FIRE!" "FIRE!" and other such things.
Next round Nickos decides that up is the best way to go. Meow
jumps up onto him, and he levitates off, intending to climb onto a
rooftop. Eltar was casting 'stinking cloud', and by the time he does so,
Nickos is two stories up, just at the edge of the range. The spell does
succeed however, and Nickos fails to save. He loses concentration, but
collapses onto the rooftop along with Meow.
In the next round it is all Nickos can do to crawl towards the
middle of the roof, but by the end of the round Eltar has cast 'levitate'
and gotten up onto the roof, and is standing in front of Nickos.
Nickos is unable to do anything effective, so attempts to roll off
the roof, and levitate down. He ends the next round levitating above the
'stinking cloud' in the alley. In the same round, Meow, less affected than
Nickos, attacks, but misses. Eltar attempts to cast a spell, but luckily
for Nickos it again fizzles.
With the 'stinking cloud' below, Nickos spends the next round trying to
claw his way onto the adjacent rooftop, but is hit by another two 'magic
missiles'. Meow does manage to hit Eltar this round, but only being a
little cat, only does a little damage. In the next round, Nickos is
hopeful that he has gotten away, there are people in the street below, and
the sound of an alarm can be heard. He levitates down, and runs towards a
nearby shop. Meow attacks, and jumps down, but Nickos sends Meow off to
find the little man (Slate). Eltar's actions that round are unclear, until
Nickos' beltpouch begins to rip and tear, as if something inside is
growing. The bat figurine that Nickos took from Eltar's possessions in the
tower has now grown into a large snarling bat creature. Nickos' gold is
scattered all over the street, along with the piece of stone from Eltric's
corpse.
Next round Nickos is trying to get into the shop, and shut the door behind
him. The bat creature attacks, and the last thing Nickos remembers is
closing the door of the shop. Nickos awakens with a crowd of people,
including the party, standing over him, and explains what happened. The
horses, along with their owner (who is going to bring them back from the
other town) are here, and everyone mounts up and begins chasing after
Eltar. Nickos' backpack has been taken, and consequently all his stuff,
including his spellbook. Nickos remembers his beltpouch, and goes to the
spot where it ripped open. The gold is gone, naturally, but Nickos finds
the heart of Eltric.
Heading for the nearest road out of town, a guardpost confirms
that Eltar did pass that way. Most of the party are unaccustomed to riding
horses, so Los, with Greebo clinging on, charge on ahead, with Anya and
the horse trader guiding the rest of the party. The larger group reach a
turn in the road, but go straight on through the forest, Nickos confirming
the tracks. Soon enough the sound of "STOP THIEF!" "STOP THIEF!" is to be
heard. Anya dismounts and finds the discarded spellbook in a bush.
Continuing onwards, after a time the group are met by Los and Greebo, who
report that there is no sign of Eltar up ahead. Everyone (except for
Nickos) decides that getting the boat in Garrotin is the most important
course of action, and set off on the horses. Nickos wants his book back,
but can't get it on his own, and goes along. Another two days are spent
racing north, but the group do manage to arrive in time to catch the boat.
About 50gp is paid for the party to spend the journey to Irrendi in the
brig. This being the only deal, is accepted. The journey is again
uneventful, and stops off on White Island (home off the ill-fated Kaori).
Los has her gold medallion, and show it around, but just scares the
natives. The ship has stopped on the island to take on board a hard black
ore, and Slate helps with the loading.
The next stop off is Biloela Keep, but by the evening of the day after
that the group have arrived at Irrendi. Taking the option of staying at
the first Inn encountered after getting off the boat, rooms are paid for
at the Slimy Peer. With all of the expensive boat travel, and horse
rental, the party are broke. The idea is to get to Tooraka, but with no
money, this isn't going to be easy.
Everyone sets about getting a job. Anya offers her services as a healer
and a cook to the local garrison. Slate and Chanti get jobs in the Slimy
Peer as doorman and sweeper-upper. Nickos finds a job helping out in a
herbalists shop. Los and Greebo make the most money. Non-magical fire is
still not working, and Greebo (with Los carrying him around) makes his
money by casting 'burning hands' and 'affect normal fires' in Inns and
shops to get the fires going again, for a time.
And that was roughly where we left it.
humbug.
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