I love travelling. I love new places. I love not nearly dieing every other day! I have a lot to catch up on here, since I have not had much of a chance to write lately! So much to learn! So much to see! So much gold to be made!
When I got my horse from Ismir, I had intended to go home. Instead I found a missive from my father telling me that he had heard Al-Andalus was a grand city full of canals and beautiful architecture and new music! He heard this from a merchant who said he was that far east because oddities from the Steppes are, though every day items to those in the Steppes, worth small fortunes in Al-Andalus. Since I am in the area, my father requests I go gather stories and music to bring back with me.
And so I find myself in Málaga, the capital city. The architecture is something to behold! It is far different from anything in Ismir and the rest of the continent! The buildings are full of undulating lines and amazing stucco work! The reliefs out of stucco are so detailed, so ornate! Yet, they also have elements of the Land of the 5 Rivers, from what Arcadius has told me of his homeland.
Indeed, I have seen many buildings dedicated to Pelor. Almost as plentiful are dedications to a Sea Goddess, but the people here are not forth coming with information about her. I have not yet figured out why. All I know is the main temple to her is built on it's own little island in the canals and when the high tide comes in, it reaches all the way to the doors of the temple. It's black and white marble facade shines in the evening sun. Near it, is the main temple of Pelor which is a sight to behold when the sun rises.
I am set up at one of the nicest inns available. Apparently, gnomes are not common in this area either. I have been here almost a month now and have already performed for several Don y Donna. They are all fascinated by my stature as much as they are for the music and tales I bring from the Steppes. I have even taught a few nobles to polka!
I have met many other Bards here too. It is almost a cultural center for Bards right now! I have been teaching one such Bard, a native named Carmina, to play violin and she has been teaching me guitar! I have decided I must learn guitar because I must learn to play the music and learn the dancing here. Both are very lively and very entrancing! There are two main types.
The Tarantella, which suits my violin just fine. It is a fast, lively tune! It is why Carmina wants to learn the violin.
I want to learn the guitar because the other form of dance and music, Flamenco, is far more suited to a guitar's strings than a violin. Though admittedly, I am not sure I get the point of the dancing portion. They do little other than shrill, stand, and randomly clank castanets!
But what is even more fascinating right now, is the city itself. It does not have roads, but rather canals. Boats travel from point to point. The city appears to float on the canals. I inquired as to how this was possible and was told that there are pillars underneath every building that support them and hold them above water.
There is a masked festival in the city tonight. I must make preparations. The tailor has made me an outfit, much like my traditional clothing from the Steppes, but out of very, very fine fabrics. The Don y Donna who wish to be my patrons have commissioned the outfit for tonight's festivities. I should prepare. I just hope their son likes the dress as much as I do!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Giornale di Aurelia
Well, Pelor has essentially told Ragnarr that we should not be looking for Jacob and when asked if we should continue on, Pelor mentally thwapped Ragnarr. I take it that Pelor doesn't want us looking for Jacob. We should continue on.
But while we were searching the area anyways, I found gnoll tracks. A small tribe. We followed them to make sure they had not eaten Jacob when we found that they were joining up in an army.
Tupper tried to get closer and ended up getting caught. Ragnarr went in to save him. Apparently this meant climbing over the wall of the city the gnolls were set up to siege. We eventually got word through Chris that Ragnarr was safe and that we should meet him elsewhere, since he is getting out of the city via a route that will not throw him back at the gnolls.
All in all, for me it was quite uneventful and dull. I would rather action. Ah well.
But while we were searching the area anyways, I found gnoll tracks. A small tribe. We followed them to make sure they had not eaten Jacob when we found that they were joining up in an army.
Tupper tried to get closer and ended up getting caught. Ragnarr went in to save him. Apparently this meant climbing over the wall of the city the gnolls were set up to siege. We eventually got word through Chris that Ragnarr was safe and that we should meet him elsewhere, since he is getting out of the city via a route that will not throw him back at the gnolls.
All in all, for me it was quite uneventful and dull. I would rather action. Ah well.
Ragnarr: Day Sitting the Keep, Surrounded by Gnolls
It's been an odd couple of days.
For starters, Arcadius has not been his usual self. He's been quiet. Very quiet. Which, considering everything that's happened, is quite surprising. I hope that he's feeling alright, though overall it might not have been a terrible thing.
We've lost Jacob, apparently for good. I sent him a missive, telling him where we were going. But two full days of searching led only to the loss of a couple of lantern archons I summoned to help us in the search, and a great deal of frustration. We don't know where he's gone, all of my method's for finding him have failed, and Pelor has responded to my pleas only with "bonk," which is not bloody helpful. He seems to think I know the correct answer, and I think I do, too. But I get the feeling that Pelor and I might have a different idea of what that answer is.
Everything that I've learned from Pelor says that, even if Jacob's done something stupid, we owe it to him to find him and make sure he's alright, make sure he at least gets to safety, even if he doesn't come with us. But if that's what Pelor wants us to do, he's sure not helping us.
So we finally left. There was nothing for us to do. We decided to travel near the edge of the kingdom, just this side of the mountains, where the border patrols are a bit more permissive and the land outside of the kingdom is nearby, just in case. There's the occasional band of gnolls, but we can deal with those.
Which is how we found gnoll tracks, decided to be of help, and ended up finding an army of gnolls surrounding a human keep.
This is where Arcadius's quiet seemed even stranger. I know that I sometimes am the one who decides when there is a moral quandary or what not, but I've always tried to let Arcadius make the decisions in battle. He's a paladin, by Pelor's beard, and that's what he's supposed to be doing. But instead he just stood around, waiting for us to come up with a plan.
Which we did, of sorts. Tupper was to scout out the area, see what the gnolls were up to, and make sure that they weren't, say, working for a good wizard and laying siege to a keep filled with fish worshiping bastards. We weren't sure how best to render aid, except for maybe to try and make a distraction to give the army inside a chance to attack or something. We almost did, when the bastards opened up a big old portal. But all they brought through was trees for some siege equipment, and they were finished before we had run foolishly to within a range where I could have destroyed the portal, so we backed up and luckily hadn't been spotted.
Which is how Tupper ended up playing scout.
Pelor works in mysterious ways. Sometime he makes you able to do things you never knew you could, to get through the situation somehow. Sometimes, he make you completely unable to do a damn thing. This time was that.
So I ended up in the gnoll camp, where they mistook Tupper for my slave and let him go, holding me responsible. And then had be hauled up over the keep's walls to try and negotiate a truce, the terms of which seemed to be "Open the gates, everybody dies." Not a lot of room for negotiation, honestly, so I didn't feel too bad telling the man in charge that we had a wee pack of paladins ready to attack if there was anything useful we could do. He was pretty clear the answer was no. And not just no, but the kind of "Please don't, because if you do we'll all die, and if you don't we'll get reinforcements" kind of no. And they'll get me back out tomorrow, where I can rejoin the party and try and banish whatever the hell spells the gnolls put on Tupper.
All in all, then, not too bad. Perhaps Pelor sent Arcadius's distraction, along with Tupper's incompetence.
At the end of the day, I suppose Pelor's still a god. And if he wasn't being mysterious and confusing most of the time, he wouldn't be doing his job.
But he'll get us through this. I'm pretty sure.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Giornale di Aurelia
Today has been a long day. I found a camp in the woods that had most definitely been torn apart by a large creature. I followed a trail of blood to no avail, but determined that the person leaving the blood behind would be near the road when my group reached that point.
When we found him, it was a Ranger. He and a comrade were sent to investigate the lack of wildlife. It He couldn't remember what exactly happened, but it sounds like a shadow dragon. He took Arcadius and I took Fflam, and we spread out from the camp to see if we could track down his fallen comrade. I followed an odd set of tracks that were heading into the camp. When I reached where they began, they began out of thin air. Fflam and I raced back to camp. It was then that we discovered Arcadius and the Ranger were very quickly teleporting and covering a very vast distance.
We were able to catch up. We did not, luckily, send Arcadius with the dragon in human form. At least, I am pretty sure we did not.
The trek ended at a keep that looks like the dragon might be using it for a nest. Or was until lately. While we were in there, vines began to cover the place. Jacob and Chris stayed behind and fought the vines valiantly!
Jacob seems to have bravery in him, yet he seems to lack wisdom. From what I have heard, he did not start things off well with the group. It appears he has gotten himself into more trouble.
In the land we are in, arcane magic is forbidden. He created interest by inquiring as to the fine if one were to use said magic. All I know is, I was awoken in the middle of the night by a guard at the door. This is becoming too common an occurrence for my comfort! I let the guard take Jacob, figuring a good questioning would possibly straighten him out.
Though it appears that he has disappeared. Using arcane magic. He does indeed lack wisdom. But he is brave and has good magic in him. I am afraid, as much as I hate to admit it, we may very well need him. I have a feeling we'll be delaying our journey into the desert to go find him.
For the record: I still do not regret letting the guards take him in the first place.
When we found him, it was a Ranger. He and a comrade were sent to investigate the lack of wildlife. It He couldn't remember what exactly happened, but it sounds like a shadow dragon. He took Arcadius and I took Fflam, and we spread out from the camp to see if we could track down his fallen comrade. I followed an odd set of tracks that were heading into the camp. When I reached where they began, they began out of thin air. Fflam and I raced back to camp. It was then that we discovered Arcadius and the Ranger were very quickly teleporting and covering a very vast distance.
We were able to catch up. We did not, luckily, send Arcadius with the dragon in human form. At least, I am pretty sure we did not.
The trek ended at a keep that looks like the dragon might be using it for a nest. Or was until lately. While we were in there, vines began to cover the place. Jacob and Chris stayed behind and fought the vines valiantly!
Jacob seems to have bravery in him, yet he seems to lack wisdom. From what I have heard, he did not start things off well with the group. It appears he has gotten himself into more trouble.
In the land we are in, arcane magic is forbidden. He created interest by inquiring as to the fine if one were to use said magic. All I know is, I was awoken in the middle of the night by a guard at the door. This is becoming too common an occurrence for my comfort! I let the guard take Jacob, figuring a good questioning would possibly straighten him out.
Though it appears that he has disappeared. Using arcane magic. He does indeed lack wisdom. But he is brave and has good magic in him. I am afraid, as much as I hate to admit it, we may very well need him. I have a feeling we'll be delaying our journey into the desert to go find him.
For the record: I still do not regret letting the guards take him in the first place.
Journal of Lt. Tupper, Day 210b-214a
And if that was all that happened today, I would have been fine with it. But then Ragnar found a beaten and unconscious man on the side of the road who is named Marshall and claims to have been attacked by a dragon. Following the trail of this dragon took us to an abandoned and decrepit old keep with one of those coral gates in a tower. Our attempts to reactivate the gate led to the keep getting swallowed up in shadowy tentacles that also snagged into Jake and Chris' feet in some unfathomably grotesque way. Fortunately Marshall was able to dislodge them with a dagger and bugger off in search of his partner who disappeared when the dragon attacked, but not before warning us that the lands to the south of here are wary of arcane magics, to the point of forbidding it outright. I'm going to end up with a hatchet through my neck, I just know it.
Day 213
We have arrived at a city called Frostguard. It is well fortified against zombies, which is good. It is not in any immediate danger of zombie attack, which is very good. It is part of the empire that distrusts arcane magic, which is bad. Given that I have enough magical armaments to, well, clothe an idiot in magical items, I am not keen on this place. Still, an inn always beats camping outdoors; and as long as I don't cast a spell, I'll be alright. It'll be hard on Chris and Jake, sure, but we've been through worse. Tried to bury my spellbook at the bottom of my satchel; only when I was done did I realize the futility of the act.
The zombie attacks are apparently a biannual event, in which hordes of undead siege the town for weeks. The next one is in six month's time, hopefully we are not anywhere near here when it goes down.
Day 214 - Jacob is missing & we've been summoned by local auth., reason unknown. If found, return this journal to Brigadier-General A. Stuart of the Sable Lions, P.o.O.
Day 213
We have arrived at a city called Frostguard. It is well fortified against zombies, which is good. It is not in any immediate danger of zombie attack, which is very good. It is part of the empire that distrusts arcane magic, which is bad. Given that I have enough magical armaments to, well, clothe an idiot in magical items, I am not keen on this place. Still, an inn always beats camping outdoors; and as long as I don't cast a spell, I'll be alright. It'll be hard on Chris and Jake, sure, but we've been through worse. Tried to bury my spellbook at the bottom of my satchel; only when I was done did I realize the futility of the act.
The zombie attacks are apparently a biannual event, in which hordes of undead siege the town for weeks. The next one is in six month's time, hopefully we are not anywhere near here when it goes down.
Day 214 - Jacob is missing & we've been summoned by local auth., reason unknown. If found, return this journal to Brigadier-General A. Stuart of the Sable Lions, P.o.O.
Monday, January 25, 2010
From the Journal of Jacob Cayle
Damn you, Pelor! But I'll get back to you later...
First, let me take a moment to say that I really hate lands that literally die a little when you use magic. And all the laws that go along with such lands. I can understand the dislike of magic in these parts, I really can. But I've spent enough time in Police States and prison cells. The gods know I'd certainly never want to visit Arcadius's lands...
Back to Pelor. You jack-ass son-of-a-bitch. I've risked my ####ing life for you and your damn quest, on numerous occasions. I'd like to think I've proven that I'm not here for entirely selfish purposes. I think I've proven I'm willing to be flexible and work within the confines of the law most of the time. But a simple misunderstanding and something goes wrong, and your stupid gies goes off and starts screwing me over. If you're not willing to give, then I see no reason for me to. God or no god, I will not dance like a puppet. And if that's not going to work for you, you and your quest can go to the underworld! Until I get this gies off of me, I'm not helping any more!
Which is a pity, because I'd like to help. I honestly don't want the world to end. But this is intolerable. First things first: I'm getting rid of this gies. Then I'll continue helping, but in MY way!
For now, I want to make sure my associates know what has happened. I'm not just going to leave and abandon them utterly. I'll stick around in the general area, hopefully avoiding any guards that may come after me. I'll make sure not to use magic, and keep an eye out for the others in case they come looking for me. Once they've been informed of what happened, and my stance on the gies (I'll make sure not to cuss-out Pelor in front of the Paladins), I'll make my way out of this territory. Maybe back through the woods and toward the valley of many places? Maybe the monks can help me get rid of the gies? If and when I get rid of it, perhaps then I'll see if the group still has need of my help (assuming Pelor doesn't smite me first, the bastard). But for now, I just need to stay out of site of anyone I don't want seeing me.
First, let me take a moment to say that I really hate lands that literally die a little when you use magic. And all the laws that go along with such lands. I can understand the dislike of magic in these parts, I really can. But I've spent enough time in Police States and prison cells. The gods know I'd certainly never want to visit Arcadius's lands...
Back to Pelor. You jack-ass son-of-a-bitch. I've risked my ####ing life for you and your damn quest, on numerous occasions. I'd like to think I've proven that I'm not here for entirely selfish purposes. I think I've proven I'm willing to be flexible and work within the confines of the law most of the time. But a simple misunderstanding and something goes wrong, and your stupid gies goes off and starts screwing me over. If you're not willing to give, then I see no reason for me to. God or no god, I will not dance like a puppet. And if that's not going to work for you, you and your quest can go to the underworld! Until I get this gies off of me, I'm not helping any more!
Which is a pity, because I'd like to help. I honestly don't want the world to end. But this is intolerable. First things first: I'm getting rid of this gies. Then I'll continue helping, but in MY way!
For now, I want to make sure my associates know what has happened. I'm not just going to leave and abandon them utterly. I'll stick around in the general area, hopefully avoiding any guards that may come after me. I'll make sure not to use magic, and keep an eye out for the others in case they come looking for me. Once they've been informed of what happened, and my stance on the gies (I'll make sure not to cuss-out Pelor in front of the Paladins), I'll make my way out of this territory. Maybe back through the woods and toward the valley of many places? Maybe the monks can help me get rid of the gies? If and when I get rid of it, perhaps then I'll see if the group still has need of my help (assuming Pelor doesn't smite me first, the bastard). But for now, I just need to stay out of site of anyone I don't want seeing me.
What am I going to do?
So we made it to a town were apparently it is illegal to use arcane magic. Apparently the locals believe use of magic destroys the world. I have never seen this, but I was taught casting magic has a price and casting magic should not be taken lightly. I must admit, if I had time I would love to test and investigate this, but we do not have the time for me to look into this. So I am just going to keep my head down and not drawing any attention to myself. Hopefully we can get though this land with out getting into any trouble with the locals. Tonight I am going to just drink a little then go back to my room. It is going to be a long trip and I am not sure how much I will be able to help the group out. O well. I will have to wait and see.
Later that night…
Well it appears that Jacob decided to go a different route then me. He apparently fled the area using his dimension gate when the local authorities were asking him questions. I still do not know all of the details, but this can not be good. I hope I am not going to be thrown into the fire due to his action. Well going to have to wait and see.
Later that night…
Well it appears that Jacob decided to go a different route then me. He apparently fled the area using his dimension gate when the local authorities were asking him questions. I still do not know all of the details, but this can not be good. I hope I am not going to be thrown into the fire due to his action. Well going to have to wait and see.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Journal of Arcadius
Appended, for official record, is a Writ of Justice, in the old and correct manner as detailed in lessons sent by my father during my apprenticeship in the service of Pelor at Point of Origin. This document was used in the wilds to properly hear and record the matter of the charge and execution of an evildoer. Because we were pressed in terms of time, I have used the short version of the traditional Writ.
*A*
*******************
WRIT OF JUSTICE
Before witnesses
Before our consciences
Before the law
Before the watchful eyes of the gods
Let it be read, let it be heard
Judgment must be made
Justice must be done
O' Witness
O' Reader after the fact
We commend you to do, to see, to speak, to think what is right
O' most exalted gods
We beg you to guide us in that which is right
For grave choices must be made. Grave deeds must be done.
Before us stands one accused of evil purpose
Before us stands one against whom evidence of evil can be presented
Before us stands one accused of crimes
Before us stands one against whom evidence of crime can be presented
Before the gods, let the witnesses be named...
Ragnarr,
Priest of Lord Pelor, Radiant Servant of the light of Pelor, speaker of truth and doer of what is right,
Let him be known!
Aurelia,
Servant of Diana, hunter of the wilds, mistress of wild creatures, brave one in this time of danger
Let her be known!
Chris,
Wizard, dutiful follower of Lord Pelor, pillar of wisdom and calm reflection, font of mighty power,
Let him be known!
Jacob Cayle,
Wielder of strange yet undoubted powers, under the firm watch of Lord Pelor, valiant companion,
Let him be known!
Fflam,
Heroic paladin of Moradin, he who fears not the fires of danger, enduring and persevering no matter what the consequences,
Let him be known!
Walter-Tupper,
Let him be known!
I stand before you,
Ar-Khadesh, son of Ar-Mahdin, Paladin of Pelor
Know my name and hear my words
We stand, ones who follow a path of right
We stand, in a remote place bereft of authority, even that served by Walter-Tupper
We stand, worthy to act with authority where there is none
We stand, with knowledge of the matter at hand
Now then, let the light of inevitable justice shine down on one more...
The evildoer. a Gnome, whose name even now remains unknown to us, for he cannot be trusted to speak without using his voice to work evil magic.
This one sits before us, his deeds, as are known, must still be detailed, for him, for us, and for the gloried gods, so that nothing may be missed and all may be recorded.
He has attacked you in the wilderness with ill intent
He has sought to harm you
He has sought to rob you
He is in service to forces of immense malevolence spreading harm and destruction in many lands
He has sought, specifically, to steal a piece of a staff of great importance and power, in furtherance of the aforementioned forces.
He has refused to negotiate or reason in any way
When brought before proper authorities in the land of his attempted robbery, he used corrupt means to escape
He has lied and borne false witness
Through his lies, he arranged for your false and unjust arrest
To achieve his goals, he has aided in the corruption and undermining of rightful governments, aiding in their destruction from within.
[several page detailed description of the Gnome's actions, with notes and commentary, follows]
I call upon you, o' Ragnarr, to give your assent and seal to the truth of this
I call upon you, o' Aurelia, to give your assent and seal to the truth of this
I call upon you, o' Chris, to give your assent and seal to the truth of this
I call upon you, o' Jacob Cayle, to give your asset and seal to the truth of this
I call upon you, o' Walter-Tupper, to give your assent and seal to the truth of this
I do myself give assent and seal to the truth of this
[signatures, marks, seals etc]
Now then,
But one fate can await one who as done such deeds, who has escaped punishment from prior misdeeds and has begun his misdeeds anew. For such a one, no lesser punishment can be trusted. For such a one, only death awaits.
In a remote place bereft of authority, even that served by Walter-Tupper, the duty of imposing and carrying out such punishment must fall on those who are at hand.
We stand, ones who follow a path of right
We stand, in a remote place bereft of authority, even that served by Walter-Tupper
We stand, worthy to act with authority where there is none
We stand, with fitness to impose punishment
I call upon you, o' Ragnarr, to give your assent and seal to this punishment
I call upon you, o' Aurelia, to give your assent and seal to this punishment
I call upon you, o' Chris, to give your assent and seal to this punishment
I call upon you, o' Jacob Cayle, to give your asset and seal to this punishment
I call upon you, o' Walter-Tupper, particularly, to give your assent and seal to this punishment
I do myself give assent and seal to this punishment, and shall carry it out
[signatures, marks, seals etc]
Before witnesses
Before our consciences
Before the law
Before the watchful eyes of the gods
Let then, it be done.
*A*
*******************
WRIT OF JUSTICE
Before witnesses
Before our consciences
Before the law
Before the watchful eyes of the gods
Let it be read, let it be heard
Judgment must be made
Justice must be done
O' Witness
O' Reader after the fact
We commend you to do, to see, to speak, to think what is right
O' most exalted gods
We beg you to guide us in that which is right
For grave choices must be made. Grave deeds must be done.
Before us stands one accused of evil purpose
Before us stands one against whom evidence of evil can be presented
Before us stands one accused of crimes
Before us stands one against whom evidence of crime can be presented
Before the gods, let the witnesses be named...
Ragnarr,
Priest of Lord Pelor, Radiant Servant of the light of Pelor, speaker of truth and doer of what is right,
Let him be known!
Aurelia,
Servant of Diana, hunter of the wilds, mistress of wild creatures, brave one in this time of danger
Let her be known!
Chris,
Wizard, dutiful follower of Lord Pelor, pillar of wisdom and calm reflection, font of mighty power,
Let him be known!
Jacob Cayle,
Wielder of strange yet undoubted powers, under the firm watch of Lord Pelor, valiant companion,
Let him be known!
Fflam,
Heroic paladin of Moradin, he who fears not the fires of danger, enduring and persevering no matter what the consequences,
Let him be known!
Walter-Tupper,
Let him be known!
I stand before you,
Ar-Khadesh, son of Ar-Mahdin, Paladin of Pelor
Know my name and hear my words
We stand, ones who follow a path of right
We stand, in a remote place bereft of authority, even that served by Walter-Tupper
We stand, worthy to act with authority where there is none
We stand, with knowledge of the matter at hand
Now then, let the light of inevitable justice shine down on one more...
The evildoer. a Gnome, whose name even now remains unknown to us, for he cannot be trusted to speak without using his voice to work evil magic.
This one sits before us, his deeds, as are known, must still be detailed, for him, for us, and for the gloried gods, so that nothing may be missed and all may be recorded.
He has attacked you in the wilderness with ill intent
He has sought to harm you
He has sought to rob you
He is in service to forces of immense malevolence spreading harm and destruction in many lands
He has sought, specifically, to steal a piece of a staff of great importance and power, in furtherance of the aforementioned forces.
He has refused to negotiate or reason in any way
When brought before proper authorities in the land of his attempted robbery, he used corrupt means to escape
He has lied and borne false witness
Through his lies, he arranged for your false and unjust arrest
To achieve his goals, he has aided in the corruption and undermining of rightful governments, aiding in their destruction from within.
[several page detailed description of the Gnome's actions, with notes and commentary, follows]
I call upon you, o' Ragnarr, to give your assent and seal to the truth of this
I call upon you, o' Aurelia, to give your assent and seal to the truth of this
I call upon you, o' Chris, to give your assent and seal to the truth of this
I call upon you, o' Jacob Cayle, to give your asset and seal to the truth of this
I call upon you, o' Walter-Tupper, to give your assent and seal to the truth of this
I do myself give assent and seal to the truth of this
[signatures, marks, seals etc]
Now then,
But one fate can await one who as done such deeds, who has escaped punishment from prior misdeeds and has begun his misdeeds anew. For such a one, no lesser punishment can be trusted. For such a one, only death awaits.
In a remote place bereft of authority, even that served by Walter-Tupper, the duty of imposing and carrying out such punishment must fall on those who are at hand.
We stand, ones who follow a path of right
We stand, in a remote place bereft of authority, even that served by Walter-Tupper
We stand, worthy to act with authority where there is none
We stand, with fitness to impose punishment
I call upon you, o' Ragnarr, to give your assent and seal to this punishment
I call upon you, o' Aurelia, to give your assent and seal to this punishment
I call upon you, o' Chris, to give your assent and seal to this punishment
I call upon you, o' Jacob Cayle, to give your asset and seal to this punishment
I call upon you, o' Walter-Tupper, particularly, to give your assent and seal to this punishment
I do myself give assent and seal to this punishment, and shall carry it out
[signatures, marks, seals etc]
Before witnesses
Before our consciences
Before the law
Before the watchful eyes of the gods
Let then, it be done.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Ragnarr: Damn It Jacob
I don't know quite what happened to make Jacob run off, but it cannot be good.
I mean, I'm sure that the authorities will insist that he ran, escaped from justice or some shite, but I've got to wonder. It would seem out of place for him to run off, abandon us for no reason.
I'm sure that Arcadius will disagree, and likely some of the others. I don't know quite what Jacob did, to be honest. I know there was whatever happened with that book, but that was some time ago. Frankly, I don't even quite know what the enormous problem was. Seeking out information about your enemies is not a bad thing, even if he could have shown a wee bit better judgment by, say, bringing a Paladin to look further into the lad speaking infernal.
But alright, he made a mistake. From what I gather, the half naked lad whose soul we're bound to rescue made far more than that, yet we're still trying to rescue him. And he's dead.
Jacob is still alive, and he's going to need us damn soon. We owe him that much. For every time he's been the one to step through the portal, without concern for his own life. For every time he's transported some of us into danger, knowing damn well that he's been stuck before. For the dragon's keep, where he stayed behind with Ryan to try and destroy that portal, even as the shadows made to eat the whole bloody keep, or the times when he's been in the grasp of a horrific sea monster, and kept blasting away with no concern for his own safety.
It would be nice if we could get permission from the local authorities, to find him, take him out of the limits of the empire, and make our way around the long way. (Unless Ryan can teleport from the memory of the vision. I'll have to find out.)
But if the authorities say no, I think we owe it to Jacob to find him anyway, to locate him before the army does and get him out of their jurisdiction.
I don't doubt they'll find him, too. His dress is recognizable enough that it would be a simple thing to track his coat, his gauntlets. And if that doesn't work, the folks here could ask the gods his location as surely as I could.
The only thing we might have going for us is that they might have to organize a search party. We can just go.
Supposedly. Too often, it seems that we sit and argue while every other bloody person on the planet moves quicker than us.
I think I'll have to go, one way or another. No arguments, no long debates. If the Paladins would like to join me, that would be brilliant.
If not, so be it.
I've got a Jacob to find.
I mean, I'm sure that the authorities will insist that he ran, escaped from justice or some shite, but I've got to wonder. It would seem out of place for him to run off, abandon us for no reason.
I'm sure that Arcadius will disagree, and likely some of the others. I don't know quite what Jacob did, to be honest. I know there was whatever happened with that book, but that was some time ago. Frankly, I don't even quite know what the enormous problem was. Seeking out information about your enemies is not a bad thing, even if he could have shown a wee bit better judgment by, say, bringing a Paladin to look further into the lad speaking infernal.
But alright, he made a mistake. From what I gather, the half naked lad whose soul we're bound to rescue made far more than that, yet we're still trying to rescue him. And he's dead.
Jacob is still alive, and he's going to need us damn soon. We owe him that much. For every time he's been the one to step through the portal, without concern for his own life. For every time he's transported some of us into danger, knowing damn well that he's been stuck before. For the dragon's keep, where he stayed behind with Ryan to try and destroy that portal, even as the shadows made to eat the whole bloody keep, or the times when he's been in the grasp of a horrific sea monster, and kept blasting away with no concern for his own safety.
It would be nice if we could get permission from the local authorities, to find him, take him out of the limits of the empire, and make our way around the long way. (Unless Ryan can teleport from the memory of the vision. I'll have to find out.)
But if the authorities say no, I think we owe it to Jacob to find him anyway, to locate him before the army does and get him out of their jurisdiction.
I don't doubt they'll find him, too. His dress is recognizable enough that it would be a simple thing to track his coat, his gauntlets. And if that doesn't work, the folks here could ask the gods his location as surely as I could.
The only thing we might have going for us is that they might have to organize a search party. We can just go.
Supposedly. Too often, it seems that we sit and argue while every other bloody person on the planet moves quicker than us.
I think I'll have to go, one way or another. No arguments, no long debates. If the Paladins would like to join me, that would be brilliant.
If not, so be it.
I've got a Jacob to find.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Journal of Lt. Tupper, Day 207-210
Day 210
Yesterday was... interesting.
So we found an abandoned underground holy site yesterday, with rocks that radiated wrongness. As we began to explore this temple of elemental evil, we came across a locked door with asmiley jenk poison trap still armed; one that I triggered when I picked it. After Ragnar roused me, I proceeded to step on a floorplate when I went into the room to investigate. Then there was the spike pit trap that I narrowly avoided getting impaled in. And the ancient disease I caught when Arcadius blew the dust off a pet's food bowl. And the magical trap that caught my hair on fire. And the poison gas trap that Fflam accidentally triggered which knocked out the wizard and I for half a day. To top it off, my fingers are sore.
But today, today was much better, oh yes. Today I found a room filled wall-to-wall with floorplates which protected a room with a crusher ceiling, the door to which now has the business end of my favorite lockpicks stuck in its lock. Happy godsdamn birthday. On the other hand, we have located and subsequently disabled an old base of those coral-quartz bastards. We also found a magical tome, a vial of magical holy water, and a round magical black thing. And I still have my backup lockpicks, so I guess the past few days haven't been a total wash. Still, I would like a day or two of rest now.
Yesterday was... interesting.
So we found an abandoned underground holy site yesterday, with rocks that radiated wrongness. As we began to explore this temple of elemental evil, we came across a locked door with a
But today, today was much better, oh yes. Today I found a room filled wall-to-wall with floorplates which protected a room with a crusher ceiling, the door to which now has the business end of my favorite lockpicks stuck in its lock. Happy godsdamn birthday. On the other hand, we have located and subsequently disabled an old base of those coral-quartz bastards. We also found a magical tome, a vial of magical holy water, and a round magical black thing. And I still have my backup lockpicks, so I guess the past few days haven't been a total wash. Still, I would like a day or two of rest now.
Monday, January 18, 2010
From the Journal of Jacob Cayle
So, we traipsed around inside an ancient temple/stronghold, mostly setting off traps. Thankfully, it was Tupper who set off most of them, and mostly on himself. And in the end, we got through the maze and eventually found what it was hiding: a portal!
I went through carrying a earring of underwater breathing, with spells of protection against cold on me, and it's a good thing I did! For the portal lead me into the underwater city of the Ancient Evil! In the distance, I could see shadowy shapes moving about. I quickly made my way back through the portal.
Interestingly, the specific location in the city looked like a run-down area, with collapsed buildings around it. Considering the fortress we entered through looked like it hadn't been visited for thousands of years, it's quite possible that our enemies forgot about this portal.
Upon returning, the others decided to destroy the portal, to make sure that the enemies did not follow back through it. Admittedly, it would be really bad for them to re-populate the fortress we found it in. On the other hand, we may never again find a secret pathway into the underwater city. We may have just destroyed one of our greatest tools to use against our enemies. I pray that such is not the case.
I went through carrying a earring of underwater breathing, with spells of protection against cold on me, and it's a good thing I did! For the portal lead me into the underwater city of the Ancient Evil! In the distance, I could see shadowy shapes moving about. I quickly made my way back through the portal.
Interestingly, the specific location in the city looked like a run-down area, with collapsed buildings around it. Considering the fortress we entered through looked like it hadn't been visited for thousands of years, it's quite possible that our enemies forgot about this portal.
Upon returning, the others decided to destroy the portal, to make sure that the enemies did not follow back through it. Admittedly, it would be really bad for them to re-populate the fortress we found it in. On the other hand, we may never again find a secret pathway into the underwater city. We may have just destroyed one of our greatest tools to use against our enemies. I pray that such is not the case.
Watch your step
We came across an abandoned strong hold today and two thoughts popped in my head as we went through it. The first was, man we just walk into any place and are ready to attack anything we come across. I just know one of these times we are going to go in and start fighting some people that are good people o wait we already did that hmm. Anyway the second is fear.
Tupper must have forgotten how to look for a trap because he was tripping everyone we came across. Thankfully he was the only one feeling the brunt of his mistakes, but I was worried that it was not going to be to long before other people where going to get hurt. Sure enough it happened, but it was not Tupper’s fault. Flam and Jacob teleported behind a door were they set off a trap, which released a gas. The gas took Tupper and me out and if it were not for the quick thinking of our group I would not be writing this entrée.
These close calls are getting closer and closer. Not sure how many more I will be able to escape.
Tupper must have forgotten how to look for a trap because he was tripping everyone we came across. Thankfully he was the only one feeling the brunt of his mistakes, but I was worried that it was not going to be to long before other people where going to get hurt. Sure enough it happened, but it was not Tupper’s fault. Flam and Jacob teleported behind a door were they set off a trap, which released a gas. The gas took Tupper and me out and if it were not for the quick thinking of our group I would not be writing this entrée.
These close calls are getting closer and closer. Not sure how many more I will be able to escape.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Giornale di Aurelia
We have started into the mountains. This terrain is similar to, but not quite like the mountains I am used to. It has been eerily quiet. Too quiet, really. No birds in the trees. No chipmunks or other vermin.
The group has been focused very much on what is ahead of them, not what surrounds them. Luckily for them, I understand the true meaning of an all-too-quiet wood. I have found little of interest, but that does not mean that nothing is out there.
During one of the patrols, Luc and I found an abandoned temple, overgrown with vines. The writing on it is very ancient. I drew their attention to it, because it seems curious in this mountain range and it is so close to the fort that once held what we are fighting. Indeed, if I understand all of what they say we are fighting correctly, we are fighting something ancient itself.
We decided to explore. What did we find? Depictions of the sea. We are fighting what comes from the sea. We continued on. The entire place was full of traps and defenses. Tupper missed a few traps, but quickly learned and managed to not die disarming them.
We found an obsidian circle that the group says is for transportation. They sent Jacob through with an earring of underwater breathing. Good thing they did. He came back sopping wet. It was agreed to destroy it.
At least we all made it out alive and we accomplished something, though there is no specific proof that they planned to come through the portal, at least we took away their escape in a place of defense.
I am still weary of what the mountains and their silence hold. In the wood, the only thing there is to really fear is silence.
The group has been focused very much on what is ahead of them, not what surrounds them. Luckily for them, I understand the true meaning of an all-too-quiet wood. I have found little of interest, but that does not mean that nothing is out there.
During one of the patrols, Luc and I found an abandoned temple, overgrown with vines. The writing on it is very ancient. I drew their attention to it, because it seems curious in this mountain range and it is so close to the fort that once held what we are fighting. Indeed, if I understand all of what they say we are fighting correctly, we are fighting something ancient itself.
We decided to explore. What did we find? Depictions of the sea. We are fighting what comes from the sea. We continued on. The entire place was full of traps and defenses. Tupper missed a few traps, but quickly learned and managed to not die disarming them.
We found an obsidian circle that the group says is for transportation. They sent Jacob through with an earring of underwater breathing. Good thing they did. He came back sopping wet. It was agreed to destroy it.
At least we all made it out alive and we accomplished something, though there is no specific proof that they planned to come through the portal, at least we took away their escape in a place of defense.
I am still weary of what the mountains and their silence hold. In the wood, the only thing there is to really fear is silence.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Ragnarr: Post Ruined Temple
There's a lot of ways to build a temple. The way a temple's built can tell you a lot about the god that's worshiped there. If it's got man sized cages to hold the sacrifices, it might be a problem, for instance. If it's got a bar better stocked that most pubs, your probably looking at a dwarven god, and so on.
I've never seen a temple of Pelor. That says something about him, too, at least in the parts I've been. I've been to Pelor's orphanages, his soup kitchens, his hospitals, but I've never seen more than a small chapel to the fellow.
It's a lot of what I love about Pelor. He's got it down. If you've got the money to build a temple, you've got the money to build something to help the lives of a whole arseload of people. And sure, temples might bring the occasional person to Pelor, but Pelor's folk know who he is. The people who are brought over might make a shrine to him, between them and Pelor, and they don't need anybody else to tell them that Pelor saved their lives.
But why would you build a temple you don't want anybody in? I mean, some of the Helmite temples are pretty damn fortress like. But those are usually staffed by a platoon of scowling Helmites, so that they can get out of the way and let people in. If the people can't get in, they won't pray to Helm, and the poor Helmites won't have any money to buy every one of their guards a third pole axe. But they're not big on, say, traps. They'd like to kill invaders, sure, but they discriminate a wee bit. They don't kill folks who want to give them money.
So what sort of bastards would build a temple that was trapped out the ears?
The sort of temple being built by folks who don't need the money. People with enemies, sure, who are trying to destroy them. Folks with so much power, so much wealth, that they don't believe they need anyone else's.
That's who we're fighting. Bastards with so much power that they didn't think they needed anyone else's to win the war.
They were wrong, last time. But I wonder if they learned that lesson, then. Perhaps that's why they have the crystals. This time, they'll make sure they have all the power and all the wealth before they move.
It would make sense of the trading city take over, too. They aim for the money to be theirs.
Which could make them all the more dangerous. By the time these bastards come out of hiding, they may already have more power than they ever had before.
May the light of Pelor show us the shadows they hide in before that happens.
I've never seen a temple of Pelor. That says something about him, too, at least in the parts I've been. I've been to Pelor's orphanages, his soup kitchens, his hospitals, but I've never seen more than a small chapel to the fellow.
It's a lot of what I love about Pelor. He's got it down. If you've got the money to build a temple, you've got the money to build something to help the lives of a whole arseload of people. And sure, temples might bring the occasional person to Pelor, but Pelor's folk know who he is. The people who are brought over might make a shrine to him, between them and Pelor, and they don't need anybody else to tell them that Pelor saved their lives.
But why would you build a temple you don't want anybody in? I mean, some of the Helmite temples are pretty damn fortress like. But those are usually staffed by a platoon of scowling Helmites, so that they can get out of the way and let people in. If the people can't get in, they won't pray to Helm, and the poor Helmites won't have any money to buy every one of their guards a third pole axe. But they're not big on, say, traps. They'd like to kill invaders, sure, but they discriminate a wee bit. They don't kill folks who want to give them money.
So what sort of bastards would build a temple that was trapped out the ears?
The sort of temple being built by folks who don't need the money. People with enemies, sure, who are trying to destroy them. Folks with so much power, so much wealth, that they don't believe they need anyone else's.
That's who we're fighting. Bastards with so much power that they didn't think they needed anyone else's to win the war.
They were wrong, last time. But I wonder if they learned that lesson, then. Perhaps that's why they have the crystals. This time, they'll make sure they have all the power and all the wealth before they move.
It would make sense of the trading city take over, too. They aim for the money to be theirs.
Which could make them all the more dangerous. By the time these bastards come out of hiding, they may already have more power than they ever had before.
May the light of Pelor show us the shadows they hide in before that happens.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Journal of Lt. Tupper, Day 206
Day 206
Smoke, near the mountains. Turned out to be a campfire. Ariella says there's at least one troll in the area. Met a troll once, people called him Ed. He used to be a dragonwing mule in the Thrums. Every other Monday he'd drop a box of it off at my store and lumber back to wherever he'd come from. When I ratted him out after the crate incident, it turns out he thought he was delivering cookies all that time. After all, what else would be made on Mill Street? Nice fellow though. Could lift a goat over his head single-handed. We're camping nearby in the hopes of meeting the locals peacefully.
~
Fuck trolls, fuck wizards, and fuck those godsdamn crystal necklaces.
Smoke, near the mountains. Turned out to be a campfire. Ariella says there's at least one troll in the area. Met a troll once, people called him Ed. He used to be a dragonwing mule in the Thrums. Every other Monday he'd drop a box of it off at my store and lumber back to wherever he'd come from. When I ratted him out after the crate incident, it turns out he thought he was delivering cookies all that time. After all, what else would be made on Mill Street? Nice fellow though. Could lift a goat over his head single-handed. We're camping nearby in the hopes of meeting the locals peacefully.
~
Fuck trolls, fuck wizards, and fuck those godsdamn crystal necklaces.
Monday, January 11, 2010
From the Journal of Jacob Cayle
I really need to work on my tactics. For instance, throwing up the wall of fire first and then summoning the fire elemental would have been better than reversing that order. Not that it would have made a huge difference (as the invisible mage would have still dispelled the summon) but it would have decreased the effectivity of the archer and also done some initial damage to the trolls as they charged us. While this could be viewed as a minor mistake; especially considering we defeated them and not one of us died; it's mistakes like that at critical junctures that get people killed.
That being said, throwing up walls of flame to divide our enemies and hinder their ranged attacks isn't a bad idea, and it's something I must remember to continue doing in the future (assuming we aren't in a forest of dry timber or something like that).
In other matters, the mage who was helping (and perhaps leading) the trolls in their attack on us was wearing a crystal which tends to show alignment with (or at least control by) "the enemy from the deep" (or whatever we're calling it). The fact that we ran across one of these scoundrels is a disturbing sign indeed. Either there are enough of them in this area that we can happen to just stumble on them (which means there are a lot of them around) or they're following us. Either option does not bode well. The latter has obvious implications. The former means they are likely after the same thing we are (or already have it). And it's quite possible that all of the above is true. We must be on guard, even more so than normal.
That being said, throwing up walls of flame to divide our enemies and hinder their ranged attacks isn't a bad idea, and it's something I must remember to continue doing in the future (assuming we aren't in a forest of dry timber or something like that).
In other matters, the mage who was helping (and perhaps leading) the trolls in their attack on us was wearing a crystal which tends to show alignment with (or at least control by) "the enemy from the deep" (or whatever we're calling it). The fact that we ran across one of these scoundrels is a disturbing sign indeed. Either there are enough of them in this area that we can happen to just stumble on them (which means there are a lot of them around) or they're following us. Either option does not bode well. The latter has obvious implications. The former means they are likely after the same thing we are (or already have it). And it's quite possible that all of the above is true. We must be on guard, even more so than normal.
Good Night Sleep
I do not think I have ever cast so many spells in such a sort time. We where attacked by some trolls this morning. I had to cast some fireball spells, a couple lighting spells and two Evard’s Black Tentacles. I must admit I was very excited that I finally had a need to cast Evard’s Black Tentacles. I have not been able to cast that spell since I learned it. There just was not good situation. Hmm. It has been a long time since I was back home. The vision that brought me out here has lead to some great experiences and I have met some good friend. Overall I would have to say it has been an enjoyable part of my life, but I do miss having a bed to sleep in. Traveling so much we go days without sleeping in a bed. We mostly sleep on the ground, in the cold. I should not dwell on the past. What I am doing is so much more important. If I do not carry on the world as I know will change and I think it will not be for the better, besides it looks like everyone is packed up and ready to go. Back to traveling south hopeful we can get to a town soon.
Giornale di Aurelia
I hate trolls. They are vile creatures.
We reached the mountains. Well, the foothills at least. We found an encampment on one hill. It looked like the occupants would most likely return, so we proceeded to another hill. I was able to determine that the occupants were large. Why we decided just moving to another hill and not farther away is beyond me. I am not sure why I did not suggest going further away. My instincts told me to get far away, but I did not speak them. Blessed Diana, I should have done better in your service.
I did, however, notice that we were being scouted by at least one troll. We beefed up our patrols. Not enough though. We must come up with a patrol system that means more of us are armed and awake if and when an attack comes. We were practically caught snoozing!
As for the fight, I of course tried to take down the ranger. Then Jacob built his wall of flame in my way. Blood and ashes! That got in my way. By then, fortunately, Tupper had fallen so I had good aim at one of the Trolls in camp.
Thankfully Chris was able to do some of his magic and figure out where their caster was located! We finally were able to overcome them, but the Ranger still got away. I intend to follow him. Whether everyone else wants to or not. He cannot get away. Too dangerous.
What really frustrates me is that we were sloppy. There is no excuse for how careless we were last night. And we survived. I would not have blamed the Gods if they had seen fit for us not to survive.
We reached the mountains. Well, the foothills at least. We found an encampment on one hill. It looked like the occupants would most likely return, so we proceeded to another hill. I was able to determine that the occupants were large. Why we decided just moving to another hill and not farther away is beyond me. I am not sure why I did not suggest going further away. My instincts told me to get far away, but I did not speak them. Blessed Diana, I should have done better in your service.
I did, however, notice that we were being scouted by at least one troll. We beefed up our patrols. Not enough though. We must come up with a patrol system that means more of us are armed and awake if and when an attack comes. We were practically caught snoozing!
As for the fight, I of course tried to take down the ranger. Then Jacob built his wall of flame in my way. Blood and ashes! That got in my way. By then, fortunately, Tupper had fallen so I had good aim at one of the Trolls in camp.
Thankfully Chris was able to do some of his magic and figure out where their caster was located! We finally were able to overcome them, but the Ranger still got away. I intend to follow him. Whether everyone else wants to or not. He cannot get away. Too dangerous.
What really frustrates me is that we were sloppy. There is no excuse for how careless we were last night. And we survived. I would not have blamed the Gods if they had seen fit for us not to survive.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Ragnarr: As the Trolls Burn
If there's one thing that I've learned in my adventures, it's that the monsters of all parts of the world seem to know when the only bastard wearing armor is the bastard who doesn't much need it.
Take these trolls. Foul smelling things, I've got to say. It's too bad you need fire to end the things. They smell damn awful. But it's better than having to fight them, I suppose.
But that's not really the point. The point is that they wait until I'm the only bastard still wearing his armor. Not the bloody paladins, no. They certainly don't need to be wearing a damn thing. Poor Flam bought himself a nice suit of plate mail, and hasn't fought in it yet.
But me? Aside from the time when the gods decided that the adventure's of the aquatic dwarf would make a damn fine tune for the bards some day, I've been wearing everything, every time we get attacked. And I don't even fight, not really. Sure, I've been known to throw a punch or two defending the dubious honor of a lassie here and there, and there was that damn gnome I smashed pretty good. But I've never made a lad's head explode with a sword, not like these paladins. And I've sure as hell taken a lot fewer beatings.
But for all that, I'm not sure which is worse: the fighting, or the walking. I spent a long life earning my fetching barrel shape, and I did it the proper dwarvish way: by sitting on a bar stool and drinking more ale than any damn human could hope to match. But at the rate we're walking, I'm afraid I'll be able to see my own toes in a few more days. Well, aside from the beard, anyway.
By Pelor's beard. Unless regular exercise is what makes the hair go away. Could that be what happened to Flam?
May the gods help us all.
Take these trolls. Foul smelling things, I've got to say. It's too bad you need fire to end the things. They smell damn awful. But it's better than having to fight them, I suppose.
But that's not really the point. The point is that they wait until I'm the only bastard still wearing his armor. Not the bloody paladins, no. They certainly don't need to be wearing a damn thing. Poor Flam bought himself a nice suit of plate mail, and hasn't fought in it yet.
But me? Aside from the time when the gods decided that the adventure's of the aquatic dwarf would make a damn fine tune for the bards some day, I've been wearing everything, every time we get attacked. And I don't even fight, not really. Sure, I've been known to throw a punch or two defending the dubious honor of a lassie here and there, and there was that damn gnome I smashed pretty good. But I've never made a lad's head explode with a sword, not like these paladins. And I've sure as hell taken a lot fewer beatings.
But for all that, I'm not sure which is worse: the fighting, or the walking. I spent a long life earning my fetching barrel shape, and I did it the proper dwarvish way: by sitting on a bar stool and drinking more ale than any damn human could hope to match. But at the rate we're walking, I'm afraid I'll be able to see my own toes in a few more days. Well, aside from the beard, anyway.
By Pelor's beard. Unless regular exercise is what makes the hair go away. Could that be what happened to Flam?
May the gods help us all.
Monday, January 4, 2010
New Friends
Meet some interesting people today. Even more interesting then the people is how we meet. So the group is headed to a keep where the magical staff is located. We did some investigating and decided that we should wait until the next day to try and get the item. Well the group that occupied the keep would not have it. A monk came out and attacked us, so we decided it was now or never. So we decided to try and split up the group. I went with the group whose job was cause a distraction. Things for the most part went well for us, but not for the other group. They were captured and a cease fire was called for. It was at this point we discovered these people were good people. Thankfully no one was killed.
I spent the rest of the night learning more about these people. They believe in balance and that is why they want to keep the staff with them. I have to admit they probably can protect the item better then us. So we will allow them to keep it for now. I would like to spend some more time with them and learn more about their ways, but now is not the time. We are headed out tomorrow to try and find some work and try and track down the next temple from our dreams.
I spent the rest of the night learning more about these people. They believe in balance and that is why they want to keep the staff with them. I have to admit they probably can protect the item better then us. So we will allow them to keep it for now. I would like to spend some more time with them and learn more about their ways, but now is not the time. We are headed out tomorrow to try and find some work and try and track down the next temple from our dreams.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
From The Journal of Jacob Cayle
So, we're off to the desert. Which on the plus side, means we won't have to worry about breathing underwater (knock on wood). The disadvantage of course is that we should make sure we've got enough water to drink. I'll have to see if the cleric has the ability to conjure water from thin air for us (clerics can be so useful for such situations).
I should also take advantage of any towns we come across to see if they have any interesting magical items for sale. I'm not sure how common magic is in this part of the world, but it's always useful to find out what's available locally, if there are any local specialties and what-not. What is common here may be rare elsewhere and vice versa.
And I may have to keep an eye out for any shamans in the area that may be more helpful to me in finding out what that thing is that's been hovering over my shoulder.
Journal of Arcadius
Notes
We are preparing for a long overland journey to the temple or fortress that was our goal prior to the theft of the staff by the gnome. As mentioned it is in a land to the east and somewhat north of my own, beyond the cities of the vile demon-worshipers and the lands of the accursed barbarians.
However, from THIS direction, those obstacles are not present, and though it may take two or three weeks, it is still likely to prove simpler that getting back to Izmir, dealing with or evading corrupted authorities, and trusting that we can arrange the necessary means to get there by magic.
Also, Ragnarr has been acting strangely lately. If I am opening my eyes and mind correctly to the light of Pelor, I would say Ragnarr has seen much pain in his life. What that means for his behavior is however somewhat mysterious. I do not doubt the strength of his faith or the greatness of his heart. However, he is drinking more than usual, and I could swear he has been eyeing Aurelia and the human female monks.
*A*
We are preparing for a long overland journey to the temple or fortress that was our goal prior to the theft of the staff by the gnome. As mentioned it is in a land to the east and somewhat north of my own, beyond the cities of the vile demon-worshipers and the lands of the accursed barbarians.
However, from THIS direction, those obstacles are not present, and though it may take two or three weeks, it is still likely to prove simpler that getting back to Izmir, dealing with or evading corrupted authorities, and trusting that we can arrange the necessary means to get there by magic.
Also, Ragnarr has been acting strangely lately. If I am opening my eyes and mind correctly to the light of Pelor, I would say Ragnarr has seen much pain in his life. What that means for his behavior is however somewhat mysterious. I do not doubt the strength of his faith or the greatness of his heart. However, he is drinking more than usual, and I could swear he has been eyeing Aurelia and the human female monks.
*A*
Journal of Arcadius
Of Rhinos and Justice Done
When Jacob and Walter-Tupper were teleported into the depths of the keep, they found the defenders prepared. A monk and some sort of mage awaited them, ready for battle. Neither Jacob nor Walter-Tupper are men trained extensively for hand-to-hand battle, though Jacob is still dangerous in a fight thanks to his magic.
Little would any, least of all the enemy mage, have guessed what form that magic would take.
Rather than immediately using his blasting power, Jacob summoned a Rhinoceros. Rhinos are formidable creatures known in my part of the world. They are huge, armored, and have massive yet sharp horns on their noses that they favor using by charging into their foes. Curious, if fortunate, that Jacob knew of them.
The Rhinoceros appeared and he ordered it to charge forward against the enemy mage. The room was, it seems, large enough for the rhinoceros to charge, and woe to he who is the recipient of a rhino's charge!
It is fortunate for all concerened that the ceiling in that room was not dependent on internal pillars for its support.
It was unfortunate for the enemy mage that he was in its path. After crushing him against a crystal wall protecting the staff, the rhinoceros then proceeded to stomp on him for some time, during which his own allies kept reviving him with healing magic. He seems to have been conscious, if helpless, through most of the proceedings. May the gods have granted him perseverance.
In the meanwhile, however, the monk made short work of our party members, particularly Walter-Tupper. When our friends awakened, they were in a cell WITH the accursed gnome. It seems it was at this point that things began to become clear.
Praise be to Pelor that the light of knowledge illuminated our way!
We must also remember to use Rhinos again in the future.
Meanwhile, as noted previously, the main party had come to realize the defenders of the fort were not our enemies at all, and come to terms with them. Also, as noted, they handed over the gnome to us.
Ragnarr and I prayed to Lord Pelor for guidance on what to do. In this matter, it was clear we were not under the jurisdiction of any extant lawful government, and thus had to execute justice ourselves. There was some discussion as to what form this should take.
Walter-Tupper seemed to think that justice could only be done by handing the gnome over to some secular ruler such as the King of Izmir. But how so? How does a faraway king whose own commitment to justice in this matter is, I think, subject to question, have power over affairs here? In wild and lawless lands, law must be made.
It is to the gods that we must answer, and they have commended us to this task. In the end, the others saw the wisdom of executing this evildoer. However, it is very important that such things be done correctly, for justice is not vengeance, nor it is it murder.
Accordingly, I prepared a writ of punishment in the old and correct form as used in my homeland, taking care to clarify to Walter-Tupper, in detail and at length, points that might be unclear to him.
The others were set by as witnesses.
I read the writ of punishment out to the vile and wicked gnome, listing his crimes and his worthiness for punishment in the style I had seen my father use many times - though rarely for crimes so severe - to the best of my ability. Then, I carried out the sentence, beheading him in one clean stroke. We burned his remains, and Ragnarr and I prayed that his soul, once it had undergone its suitable punishment in the afterlife, could someday find redemption.
Still, it was a strange, feeling for a time as much like a Guardian of the Land of the Five Rivers as a Paladin of Pelor. I wonder what my father and my family are doing at this very moment. Are they well? If this darkness, this horror from the sea succeeds, they will most certainly not be. Nor will anyone. I am reminded of the gravity of the path we have accepted, my companions and I. I will follow the duty it entails to the very end.
Rightly we have done, rightly we do, and rightly may we do in the times to come.
*A*
When Jacob and Walter-Tupper were teleported into the depths of the keep, they found the defenders prepared. A monk and some sort of mage awaited them, ready for battle. Neither Jacob nor Walter-Tupper are men trained extensively for hand-to-hand battle, though Jacob is still dangerous in a fight thanks to his magic.
Little would any, least of all the enemy mage, have guessed what form that magic would take.
Rather than immediately using his blasting power, Jacob summoned a Rhinoceros. Rhinos are formidable creatures known in my part of the world. They are huge, armored, and have massive yet sharp horns on their noses that they favor using by charging into their foes. Curious, if fortunate, that Jacob knew of them.
The Rhinoceros appeared and he ordered it to charge forward against the enemy mage. The room was, it seems, large enough for the rhinoceros to charge, and woe to he who is the recipient of a rhino's charge!
It is fortunate for all concerened that the ceiling in that room was not dependent on internal pillars for its support.
It was unfortunate for the enemy mage that he was in its path. After crushing him against a crystal wall protecting the staff, the rhinoceros then proceeded to stomp on him for some time, during which his own allies kept reviving him with healing magic. He seems to have been conscious, if helpless, through most of the proceedings. May the gods have granted him perseverance.
In the meanwhile, however, the monk made short work of our party members, particularly Walter-Tupper. When our friends awakened, they were in a cell WITH the accursed gnome. It seems it was at this point that things began to become clear.
Praise be to Pelor that the light of knowledge illuminated our way!
We must also remember to use Rhinos again in the future.
Meanwhile, as noted previously, the main party had come to realize the defenders of the fort were not our enemies at all, and come to terms with them. Also, as noted, they handed over the gnome to us.
Ragnarr and I prayed to Lord Pelor for guidance on what to do. In this matter, it was clear we were not under the jurisdiction of any extant lawful government, and thus had to execute justice ourselves. There was some discussion as to what form this should take.
Walter-Tupper seemed to think that justice could only be done by handing the gnome over to some secular ruler such as the King of Izmir. But how so? How does a faraway king whose own commitment to justice in this matter is, I think, subject to question, have power over affairs here? In wild and lawless lands, law must be made.
It is to the gods that we must answer, and they have commended us to this task. In the end, the others saw the wisdom of executing this evildoer. However, it is very important that such things be done correctly, for justice is not vengeance, nor it is it murder.
Accordingly, I prepared a writ of punishment in the old and correct form as used in my homeland, taking care to clarify to Walter-Tupper, in detail and at length, points that might be unclear to him.
The others were set by as witnesses.
I read the writ of punishment out to the vile and wicked gnome, listing his crimes and his worthiness for punishment in the style I had seen my father use many times - though rarely for crimes so severe - to the best of my ability. Then, I carried out the sentence, beheading him in one clean stroke. We burned his remains, and Ragnarr and I prayed that his soul, once it had undergone its suitable punishment in the afterlife, could someday find redemption.
Still, it was a strange, feeling for a time as much like a Guardian of the Land of the Five Rivers as a Paladin of Pelor. I wonder what my father and my family are doing at this very moment. Are they well? If this darkness, this horror from the sea succeeds, they will most certainly not be. Nor will anyone. I am reminded of the gravity of the path we have accepted, my companions and I. I will follow the duty it entails to the very end.
Rightly we have done, rightly we do, and rightly may we do in the times to come.
*A*
Journal of Arcadius
Of Mistaken Identity
We were attacked in the night by a lone female monk, who moved with blinding speed and unerring grace, attacking us - particularly Walter-Tupper - quite effectively, and then leaving as suddenly as she had come.
Though we knew this must be some sort of effort to unsettle us and draw us into attacking their prepared position, it was also clear they knew exactly where we were, and could strike with greater force at any time. Despite the appearance of a trap, and our own weariness, we attacked the fort immediately.
We sent Jacob and Walter-Tupper into the depths of the fort by magic, in hopes that they could sneak in and retrieve the staff. To that end, the rest of us were to distract the enemy. Ragnarr held back to wield the healing power of Pelor, while the rest of us assaulted the front gate.
The defenders poured arrows down upon us. Chris created a stone ramp up their wall, but the enemy, with mages of their own, prompty damaged it. Trusting in Lord Pelor, I ran up the remnants of the ramp and reached the top, but it crumbled behind me. At the top I began battling the defenders, and was soon joined by Fflam and Chris. Aurelia fired arrows to support us from below.
We soon gained control of the first wall of the battlements, and sent two of the mages tumbling off from towers. Then, much to our shock, the remaining guards surrendered. At this point, something odd became apparent, far from looking or acting like bandits, these men seemed to be disciplined soldiers.
We still faced the assault on the keep itself, but all seemed momentarily well.
Then, a magically amplified voice called for a truce. Given the honorable behavior of these foes thus far, and the incongruities of what they seemed to be relative to what we had expected, it seemed reasonable to do so.
Several robed leaders left the keep and came to speak to us. They were elders of grave dignity, and clearly not bandit chieftains. A short discussion established that they were in fact an order of monks who had recently taken over this place from its former masters, who were the very evil-aligned bandits we had been chasing.
As was soon revealed, they had thought WE were allies of those bandits, but had come to realize otherwise. It turned out they had captured both the gnome and the staff, and were guarding the latter.
Praise be to Pelor!
After some discussion, it was made clear that they had not confidence in us to guard the staff ourselves, and I believe they are correct. Our missions take us constantly to the forefront of danger, and it must be admitted that we have already lost the staff once.
We were able to come to terms, offered hospitality for a few days in preparation for our journey to the next location of our mission, and, importantly, given jurisdiction over the gnome.
Meanwhile, it seemed the other fight had not gone so well.
*A*
We were attacked in the night by a lone female monk, who moved with blinding speed and unerring grace, attacking us - particularly Walter-Tupper - quite effectively, and then leaving as suddenly as she had come.
Though we knew this must be some sort of effort to unsettle us and draw us into attacking their prepared position, it was also clear they knew exactly where we were, and could strike with greater force at any time. Despite the appearance of a trap, and our own weariness, we attacked the fort immediately.
We sent Jacob and Walter-Tupper into the depths of the fort by magic, in hopes that they could sneak in and retrieve the staff. To that end, the rest of us were to distract the enemy. Ragnarr held back to wield the healing power of Pelor, while the rest of us assaulted the front gate.
The defenders poured arrows down upon us. Chris created a stone ramp up their wall, but the enemy, with mages of their own, prompty damaged it. Trusting in Lord Pelor, I ran up the remnants of the ramp and reached the top, but it crumbled behind me. At the top I began battling the defenders, and was soon joined by Fflam and Chris. Aurelia fired arrows to support us from below.
We soon gained control of the first wall of the battlements, and sent two of the mages tumbling off from towers. Then, much to our shock, the remaining guards surrendered. At this point, something odd became apparent, far from looking or acting like bandits, these men seemed to be disciplined soldiers.
We still faced the assault on the keep itself, but all seemed momentarily well.
Then, a magically amplified voice called for a truce. Given the honorable behavior of these foes thus far, and the incongruities of what they seemed to be relative to what we had expected, it seemed reasonable to do so.
Several robed leaders left the keep and came to speak to us. They were elders of grave dignity, and clearly not bandit chieftains. A short discussion established that they were in fact an order of monks who had recently taken over this place from its former masters, who were the very evil-aligned bandits we had been chasing.
As was soon revealed, they had thought WE were allies of those bandits, but had come to realize otherwise. It turned out they had captured both the gnome and the staff, and were guarding the latter.
Praise be to Pelor!
After some discussion, it was made clear that they had not confidence in us to guard the staff ourselves, and I believe they are correct. Our missions take us constantly to the forefront of danger, and it must be admitted that we have already lost the staff once.
We were able to come to terms, offered hospitality for a few days in preparation for our journey to the next location of our mission, and, importantly, given jurisdiction over the gnome.
Meanwhile, it seemed the other fight had not gone so well.
*A*
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Ragnarr: Whenever
These monks brew a decent beer. It makes me go all maudlin. A terrible display for a servant of Pelor, so I'll just write it down and spare my companions the horror of a weepy dwarf.
There more I travel with this group of bastards, the more I think there might be something to the idea that we're fighting against the end of the world, here. Whatever the sea slugs are up to, it seems it might be serious. (I don't know that they're slugs, but I like to think of them as slugs. Something that might be disgusting, could be a problem, but in the end maybe we'll find they can be killed by leaving out a pint of beer. It's better than thinking about them as some kind of horrible thing man was not meant to know that eats crunchy dwarves.)
If the world is ending, I'll be a bit sad that I never had the chance to have a proper son. The closest I ever got was the lad my ex-wife tried to tell me was my son. The lad that inherited all my strong, dwarvish features; the long, blond hair, no beard, the tall and skinny body, and the pointy bloody ears. And no, she hadn't noticed that that bloody Lothlander cleric has been smirking at me every time we walk by him.
You know what I'd like to do? I'd like to see that bloody whore again. Just once. I'd like to look her in the eye, and tell her that forgive her all that shit, that I wish her nothing but the best, and hope her son grows up to be everything she'd like.
That would piss her off like nothing else. And then, boom, world ends. The sea slugs can lay babies in her stomach or something.
Or she might already be working for the sea slugs. That could be nice, too. I mean, it would be unfortunate to have to execute her, but damn, what else is there to do?
I just hope she finally came clean with that poor lad, or else he's growing up the most confused half-dwarf the world'll ever see.
There more I travel with this group of bastards, the more I think there might be something to the idea that we're fighting against the end of the world, here. Whatever the sea slugs are up to, it seems it might be serious. (I don't know that they're slugs, but I like to think of them as slugs. Something that might be disgusting, could be a problem, but in the end maybe we'll find they can be killed by leaving out a pint of beer. It's better than thinking about them as some kind of horrible thing man was not meant to know that eats crunchy dwarves.)
If the world is ending, I'll be a bit sad that I never had the chance to have a proper son. The closest I ever got was the lad my ex-wife tried to tell me was my son. The lad that inherited all my strong, dwarvish features; the long, blond hair, no beard, the tall and skinny body, and the pointy bloody ears. And no, she hadn't noticed that that bloody Lothlander cleric has been smirking at me every time we walk by him.
You know what I'd like to do? I'd like to see that bloody whore again. Just once. I'd like to look her in the eye, and tell her that forgive her all that shit, that I wish her nothing but the best, and hope her son grows up to be everything she'd like.
That would piss her off like nothing else. And then, boom, world ends. The sea slugs can lay babies in her stomach or something.
Or she might already be working for the sea slugs. That could be nice, too. I mean, it would be unfortunate to have to execute her, but damn, what else is there to do?
I just hope she finally came clean with that poor lad, or else he's growing up the most confused half-dwarf the world'll ever see.
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