Even though i have felt like my combat has been more of a comedy routine I can feel myself getting stronger. I feel like things that were out of my grasp are getting easier. The only odd thing is I feel like bond with Paleor has not. Perhaps it is due to this plane. We already know that we have issues feeling the presence of our gods here. We know this due to Ragnars casting. Ever since we arrived on this plane he has had to use a bubble to be able to cast his spells. Maybe this is why my fighting has become sloppy, because my connection with Paleor is weakened. This must be what it is like to not be in a gods favor.
In the mean time i should not dwell on it. If i start questioning my skills it will only put my friend and me in danger. This is the last thing I want to do. We have come so far and gone through so much, that it would not be right if i questioned myself and got us killed. I need to be sharp for we are in our most dangerous position to date and any weakness we show could leave to our down fall.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Things are looking better
Well the last few hours have been favorable for us. We able to neutralize two wizard. The first wizard was a wizard of the seven Vails, who had history with Ken. After some encounters it was apparent she knew him and after thinking about it Ken remembered who she was. So we decided another route was needed to stop her. We decided that Aracadius would be a better option for trying to kill her. So we gave him some protection items and spells and he was able to beat here down to the point that we should not see her any more today. We were able to track her down by employing dog water to track her. That was the best gold I have spent. We were also able to find and free Crunch.
The second wizard was the necromancer. He came across him for the second time today when we were trying to destroy his falactory. It became quickly apparent that he was working for the abalith not by choice. So Arcadius gave him the chance to leave. I can understand why he gave him the chance, it is one less person we have to deal with. Our list of unfinished business is getting large. We need to be careful allowing to much to get away from us, but for now it is what it is. Well off to the next portal.
The second wizard was the necromancer. He came across him for the second time today when we were trying to destroy his falactory. It became quickly apparent that he was working for the abalith not by choice. So Arcadius gave him the chance to leave. I can understand why he gave him the chance, it is one less person we have to deal with. Our list of unfinished business is getting large. We need to be careful allowing to much to get away from us, but for now it is what it is. Well off to the next portal.
Arcadius and the Shadow Dragon
PART VII - VICTORY AND A JOURNEY
I was wounded where the breastplate of my armor met the backplate, a deep puncture as from a stiletto or arrow. I spun around and there stood the Drow servitor woman with a weapon instead shaped much like a stinger or gigantic thorn, covered in some foul-smelling ooze. I felt momentarily ill, but then the radiant power of Lord Pelor coursed through my body, and whatever it had done was swept away. She, the Drow looked startled, and disappeared again. However I charged the place she seemed to be in motion toward, and by good fortune was able to strike a blow. She was no warrior, and dropped immediately.
Then I turned around and saw the Drow guard attending to his Lady, or as it turned out, rather reaching for the amulet at her chest, which looked to be the same as that of the Lord. I charged him, and throwing my body weight into it, forced him out of that spot before could complete the necessary activation. He leapt up and nicked me with his sword, but I then struck him down. Now however, I heard motion, and turned around to see the Drow lord. By some magic on his person, he had been revived. He was casting, and struck me full-on with a lightning bolt. I reeled, but advanced to face him. He felt for his amulet, but finding it gone, raised his sword instead, a grim look in his eyes.
We dueled, and he was a skilled swordsman, but he was gravely wounded and I only moderately so. It was a foregone conclusion, and in the end I slew him, this time freeing him of his head to be sure he didn't rise again. Only then did I remember whatever had been forming in that place of power, but looking over saw it instead fading, as if indeed something had not been completed.
I then made sure the others were truly dead, then cleaned them and the area of all the weapons, implements and gear they had possessed. The Drow had traveled lightly, and all that they had could be fit into a single large chest that they had stowed to one side. The altar seemed to have been something raised or carved of the stone of the place itself. Looking around I saw that the columns of this part of the cave, and no other, were faintly carved in ancient, water-weathered glyphs and images, gruesome-looking, though not I think the work of Drow. I took note of what they looked like, then held tight to the chest and activated MY amulet.
The now-familiar magic activated, and I returned to the area of the Drow city. I went straight to see lady Alis, who was most pleased to hear my report, and to receive the items I had taken from her foes. I asked for the lady Viriya, and wonder if any emotion showed through in my voice. The lady Alis however merely answered mildly that she had been sent on a mission. O' fate! She bid me rest for a day, and recover. During that day, the stinger-like weapon was examined, and it was discovered to bear some sort of horrible, invariably deadly, and fast-acting disease, rather than a mere common poison. I humbly thank all the gods and Pelor most of all that I am a Paladin! After that day had passed, the lady Alis sent me with folk of her house to yet another departure point, and from there I was transported without delay to the Northlands.
It was joy itself to see the sun again.
I was wounded where the breastplate of my armor met the backplate, a deep puncture as from a stiletto or arrow. I spun around and there stood the Drow servitor woman with a weapon instead shaped much like a stinger or gigantic thorn, covered in some foul-smelling ooze. I felt momentarily ill, but then the radiant power of Lord Pelor coursed through my body, and whatever it had done was swept away. She, the Drow looked startled, and disappeared again. However I charged the place she seemed to be in motion toward, and by good fortune was able to strike a blow. She was no warrior, and dropped immediately.
Then I turned around and saw the Drow guard attending to his Lady, or as it turned out, rather reaching for the amulet at her chest, which looked to be the same as that of the Lord. I charged him, and throwing my body weight into it, forced him out of that spot before could complete the necessary activation. He leapt up and nicked me with his sword, but I then struck him down. Now however, I heard motion, and turned around to see the Drow lord. By some magic on his person, he had been revived. He was casting, and struck me full-on with a lightning bolt. I reeled, but advanced to face him. He felt for his amulet, but finding it gone, raised his sword instead, a grim look in his eyes.
We dueled, and he was a skilled swordsman, but he was gravely wounded and I only moderately so. It was a foregone conclusion, and in the end I slew him, this time freeing him of his head to be sure he didn't rise again. Only then did I remember whatever had been forming in that place of power, but looking over saw it instead fading, as if indeed something had not been completed.
I then made sure the others were truly dead, then cleaned them and the area of all the weapons, implements and gear they had possessed. The Drow had traveled lightly, and all that they had could be fit into a single large chest that they had stowed to one side. The altar seemed to have been something raised or carved of the stone of the place itself. Looking around I saw that the columns of this part of the cave, and no other, were faintly carved in ancient, water-weathered glyphs and images, gruesome-looking, though not I think the work of Drow. I took note of what they looked like, then held tight to the chest and activated MY amulet.
The now-familiar magic activated, and I returned to the area of the Drow city. I went straight to see lady Alis, who was most pleased to hear my report, and to receive the items I had taken from her foes. I asked for the lady Viriya, and wonder if any emotion showed through in my voice. The lady Alis however merely answered mildly that she had been sent on a mission. O' fate! She bid me rest for a day, and recover. During that day, the stinger-like weapon was examined, and it was discovered to bear some sort of horrible, invariably deadly, and fast-acting disease, rather than a mere common poison. I humbly thank all the gods and Pelor most of all that I am a Paladin! After that day had passed, the lady Alis sent me with folk of her house to yet another departure point, and from there I was transported without delay to the Northlands.
It was joy itself to see the sun again.
Journal of Arcadius
Choices
Having passed the Mirror of Opposition and attained the lower level, we soon found that the gate was not particularly nearby. Thanks to Dogwater's extraordinary powers of location, we found it soon enough. Once there, we realized we did not have the magic requisite to destroy it.
Ragnarr, Pelor protect him, told us he would call upon the power of our Lord directly to try to destroy this gate, and if possible, all of them. This, we knew, would be a dangerous course of action - one that could potentially leave him stranded on the Aboleth's plane.
However Ragnarr is a brave and true servant of Lord Pelor. He bid us go through the portal back to our plane. This we did. We waited for a time, then were called back by Ragnarr. To destroy all the gates would exact a price that Lord Pelor, merciful, would not inflict on his servant. However, the one gate was acceptable. This Ragnarr prayed for, and the miracle was granted. We watched as the gate was destroyed.
From there, we decided to have Dogwater guide us to the place where Crunch was imprisoned.
We faced and fought, yet again, the Wizard. She hid herself behind various magic barriers, which we overcame one by one. At last, she hid herself behind prismatic barriers while turning etherial. Keniroh, whose colorful robes protected him from such things, was eager to follow, but he had been repeatedly bested by this Wizard, and after quick discussion we agreed that I should don the robes and pursue her instead.
I did so, passed the barrier, and then into a prismatic sphere, through the earth, and finally back again, all the while she kept turning from material to etherial and back again. I called upon the power of Lord Pelor to smite her, and dealt blows such that I think she would have perished save for some protective magics upon her.
In the end, she escaped, though we thereby had achieved our goal of liberating Crunch. We also found Ix, who hissed furiously at us, along with a Gnome who claims to have come to the plane accidentally via playing with magic she didn't truly understand. From anyone but a Gnome, I would find this improbable.
Now, on to the next gate, and the dangers with it!
Having passed the Mirror of Opposition and attained the lower level, we soon found that the gate was not particularly nearby. Thanks to Dogwater's extraordinary powers of location, we found it soon enough. Once there, we realized we did not have the magic requisite to destroy it.
Ragnarr, Pelor protect him, told us he would call upon the power of our Lord directly to try to destroy this gate, and if possible, all of them. This, we knew, would be a dangerous course of action - one that could potentially leave him stranded on the Aboleth's plane.
However Ragnarr is a brave and true servant of Lord Pelor. He bid us go through the portal back to our plane. This we did. We waited for a time, then were called back by Ragnarr. To destroy all the gates would exact a price that Lord Pelor, merciful, would not inflict on his servant. However, the one gate was acceptable. This Ragnarr prayed for, and the miracle was granted. We watched as the gate was destroyed.
From there, we decided to have Dogwater guide us to the place where Crunch was imprisoned.
We faced and fought, yet again, the Wizard. She hid herself behind various magic barriers, which we overcame one by one. At last, she hid herself behind prismatic barriers while turning etherial. Keniroh, whose colorful robes protected him from such things, was eager to follow, but he had been repeatedly bested by this Wizard, and after quick discussion we agreed that I should don the robes and pursue her instead.
I did so, passed the barrier, and then into a prismatic sphere, through the earth, and finally back again, all the while she kept turning from material to etherial and back again. I called upon the power of Lord Pelor to smite her, and dealt blows such that I think she would have perished save for some protective magics upon her.
In the end, she escaped, though we thereby had achieved our goal of liberating Crunch. We also found Ix, who hissed furiously at us, along with a Gnome who claims to have come to the plane accidentally via playing with magic she didn't truly understand. From anyone but a Gnome, I would find this improbable.
Now, on to the next gate, and the dangers with it!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Bael'thas
I don't much care for wizards. I mean, they can be useful and even irreplaceable in the right circumstances, sure. But more often than not they're arrogant, cocky, and stuck up. Most of the time, this trait can be their downfall, but sometimes you get one that's also level-headed enough to cause real problems. I suppose those are the ones that end up living long enough to get really powerful, and then we get the kind of things we're seeing in service to the aboleth.
We've seen an uncanny sense of self-preservation in the two mages we've fought today. The lich waited until I was seconds from being able to fill him with arrows before disappearing through the wall, and this human wizard has escaped us at least three times now. Most recently though, I think we did manage to catch her off guard by sending a fabulous looking Arcadius after her, instead of Keniroh, as she was likely expecting. Still, she managed to slip away somehow at the last second. And after all this, we don't even have what's needed to sever this particular planar connection that she was guarding.
Which brings me to Keniroh. They tell me he cast a spell on the other dwarf that basically got the guy killed. And after however many days, he suddenly reveals an ability to change himself into all sorts of horrid creatures. I mean, the guy just suddenly turns into a beholder, and everyone's okay with this? He's lucky I didn't put out his eye when he pulled that stunt.
Oh, Ehlonna, this is truly looking like it's going to be the test you promised.
(edit: third paragraph expanded)
We've seen an uncanny sense of self-preservation in the two mages we've fought today. The lich waited until I was seconds from being able to fill him with arrows before disappearing through the wall, and this human wizard has escaped us at least three times now. Most recently though, I think we did manage to catch her off guard by sending a fabulous looking Arcadius after her, instead of Keniroh, as she was likely expecting. Still, she managed to slip away somehow at the last second. And after all this, we don't even have what's needed to sever this particular planar connection that she was guarding.
Which brings me to Keniroh. They tell me he cast a spell on the other dwarf that basically got the guy killed. And after however many days, he suddenly reveals an ability to change himself into all sorts of horrid creatures. I mean, the guy just suddenly turns into a beholder, and everyone's okay with this? He's lucky I didn't put out his eye when he pulled that stunt.
Oh, Ehlonna, this is truly looking like it's going to be the test you promised.
(edit: third paragraph expanded)
Hrefna's Calling: Stonekeep
We have fought a bitter battle to regain Stonekeep. The cost was high, but the enemy has been repelled from her shores.
I had been working here for some months trying to develop enough resistance to turn the tide and undermine the servants of the Evil Ones with some success. My position has generally been fragile, but I eventually managed to garner enough support in the right quarters that if they could be distracted we would have a chance.
But it would require a distraction.
I have sat on this for quite some time, hoping that perhaps when the Pelor-driven Paladin party went after the Egoist an opportunity would present itself. They ran off to what I can only assume will be their deaths on the Seer's plane, and instead we received help from a singular unexpected--and I am sure unintended--source.
A young aquatic elven woman came in through our gates dressed in what I can only describe as the scantiest uniform I have ever seen, comprised entirely out of skin-fitting black leather, and carrying a rod-like flogger over her shoulder. She was, suffice it to say, somewhat underdressed for the cold weather up here, but she had a variety of protective spells up and seemed to be carrying a turtle on her shoulder. Keep guards came out to meet her, and while I do not know the details of the conversation, she seemed to say something about how they weren't very nice "fishies" and proceeded to cast a spell on the guards who went from hostile to calling her "mistress" and falling over themselves as they escorted her into the main building of the Keep.
I can only hope that she is an enemy of the Evil Ones and thus transiently not actively fighting us. After what they have done to her people I would not be surprised, but at the same time, I am fairly certain that she is not on our side either. I also sensed a deeper power that she was tapped into, something that she was channeling with every step, that in truth scares me as much as the Evil Ones do if she has a chance to become established. I recognized her immediately as a former companion of the Pelor-driven Paladins, but some change has seemed to overcome her since then, and I am not sure I want to know what she has become.
Regardless, I cannot say for certain what her purpose here is. I could see that it was an opportunity we should not miss, and mobilized everyone so that they were ready to go. Several hours later she left and we went in immediately, fighting a pitched battle with the soldiers for control of the keep. They seemed disorganized, as if they had lost the communication capabilities that had made them so effective earlier, but they were still highly dangerous and many people were lost.
When we finally made it into the officer quarters, we could not find any trace of the officers or the leaders of stone keep, just a few scared squirrels.
I am not sure what she did to the officers, but whatever it was, Stone Keep is now ours and I have been working with the local wizards to establish additional magical protections to keep it from happening again. I have found a way to counter the Evil One's psionics using magic, and while those aren't foolproof they should give us some additional protection should they ever come again. So I am happy to say that, for the moment, we are safe.
At least until this "Nigori" decides to come back.....
I had been working here for some months trying to develop enough resistance to turn the tide and undermine the servants of the Evil Ones with some success. My position has generally been fragile, but I eventually managed to garner enough support in the right quarters that if they could be distracted we would have a chance.
But it would require a distraction.
I have sat on this for quite some time, hoping that perhaps when the Pelor-driven Paladin party went after the Egoist an opportunity would present itself. They ran off to what I can only assume will be their deaths on the Seer's plane, and instead we received help from a singular unexpected--and I am sure unintended--source.
A young aquatic elven woman came in through our gates dressed in what I can only describe as the scantiest uniform I have ever seen, comprised entirely out of skin-fitting black leather, and carrying a rod-like flogger over her shoulder. She was, suffice it to say, somewhat underdressed for the cold weather up here, but she had a variety of protective spells up and seemed to be carrying a turtle on her shoulder. Keep guards came out to meet her, and while I do not know the details of the conversation, she seemed to say something about how they weren't very nice "fishies" and proceeded to cast a spell on the guards who went from hostile to calling her "mistress" and falling over themselves as they escorted her into the main building of the Keep.
I can only hope that she is an enemy of the Evil Ones and thus transiently not actively fighting us. After what they have done to her people I would not be surprised, but at the same time, I am fairly certain that she is not on our side either. I also sensed a deeper power that she was tapped into, something that she was channeling with every step, that in truth scares me as much as the Evil Ones do if she has a chance to become established. I recognized her immediately as a former companion of the Pelor-driven Paladins, but some change has seemed to overcome her since then, and I am not sure I want to know what she has become.
Regardless, I cannot say for certain what her purpose here is. I could see that it was an opportunity we should not miss, and mobilized everyone so that they were ready to go. Several hours later she left and we went in immediately, fighting a pitched battle with the soldiers for control of the keep. They seemed disorganized, as if they had lost the communication capabilities that had made them so effective earlier, but they were still highly dangerous and many people were lost.
When we finally made it into the officer quarters, we could not find any trace of the officers or the leaders of stone keep, just a few scared squirrels.
I am not sure what she did to the officers, but whatever it was, Stone Keep is now ours and I have been working with the local wizards to establish additional magical protections to keep it from happening again. I have found a way to counter the Evil One's psionics using magic, and while those aren't foolproof they should give us some additional protection should they ever come again. So I am happy to say that, for the moment, we are safe.
At least until this "Nigori" decides to come back.....
Journal of Crunch, Day 303a
-day303-A:
The day has not gone well so far, however, it is going far better than previous attempts. We have encountered two enemy casters, one of which expressed a disturbing desire to dismantle me. We have also encountered a security implement that requires the accessor to battle a moralistically-opposed doppleganger. Unfortunately, I was unable to defeat myself and so was captured by enemy forces. Fortunately, there was a civilian gnome who came across a means of accessing the Plane of the Seer Aboleth via the laboratory of my imprisonment, who managed to lead the others to my holding cage. Her name is Albi, and she does not seem to be a tinker.
Keniroh has taken to wearing female-specific attire to bypass a number of the facility's defenses. Arkadesh has recently borrowed the attire for use in battle against the sorceress who imprisoned me. It would likely be very attractive were it not for the layer of grime and grease. Keniroh has also proven capable of turning into a variety of strange and disturbing creatures, which grant him special powers. Ix, the so-called "dragon", is agitated as Ragnarr threw him into the previously-mentioned security implement without his permission. The application of fish has calmed him down. Dogwater's contract has been extended to include the pursuit of the sorceress. He has not made an act against my appendages.
I realize now that there is a matter of great concern. Rusty is not magically guarded against mental intrusion, and while I am uncertain if its mind can be accessed maliciously, inquiries with those who might know are easily done. Rusty does not enjoy the prospect of being made public so suddenly, but I believe it is to be done for a very good reason.
The day has not gone well so far, however, it is going far better than previous attempts. We have encountered two enemy casters, one of which expressed a disturbing desire to dismantle me. We have also encountered a security implement that requires the accessor to battle a moralistically-opposed doppleganger. Unfortunately, I was unable to defeat myself and so was captured by enemy forces. Fortunately, there was a civilian gnome who came across a means of accessing the Plane of the Seer Aboleth via the laboratory of my imprisonment, who managed to lead the others to my holding cage. Her name is Albi, and she does not seem to be a tinker.
Keniroh has taken to wearing female-specific attire to bypass a number of the facility's defenses. Arkadesh has recently borrowed the attire for use in battle against the sorceress who imprisoned me. It would likely be very attractive were it not for the layer of grime and grease. Keniroh has also proven capable of turning into a variety of strange and disturbing creatures, which grant him special powers. Ix, the so-called "dragon", is agitated as Ragnarr threw him into the previously-mentioned security implement without his permission. The application of fish has calmed him down. Dogwater's contract has been extended to include the pursuit of the sorceress. He has not made an act against my appendages.
I realize now that there is a matter of great concern. Rusty is not magically guarded against mental intrusion, and while I am uncertain if its mind can be accessed maliciously, inquiries with those who might know are easily done. Rusty does not enjoy the prospect of being made public so suddenly, but I believe it is to be done for a very good reason.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)