Well, we managed to survive the sea (once again). We were assaulted by what turned out to be a clever illusion of a storm. We made a break to try to get back to port, and were eventually attacked by the Sea Witch (or at least we think it was her).
Hrefna was able to illuminate our attacker with fairy-fire, and thus give us a target to attack. Kalidas and I were able to get a few shots at her, but it was Mistera who was able to land the most decisive blows with some powerful spells. We were then able to fish the body out of the water. We found a number of items on her, one of which was a crystal which Hrefna said might contain her soul, or something else that would cause trouble later, if it wasn't destroyed. Unfortunately, destroying it released an evil spirit that was able to escape into Fflam's body. As a precaution against it taking over, we tied him up and headed back to port.
When we got back, we didn't get a lot of success in finding someone who could get the spirit out of him. Most people simply suggested drowning him, or at least killing him and then raising only Fflam. Luckily Mistera was able to find an alternative solution (which will hopefully work, as 'Raise Dead' spells are not cheap).
However, before we headed out, I wanted to get some gear so that if we met the Kraken again we'd be prepared this time. For reasons unknown to me, A. Hab was completely against this. She refused to allow us to bring a few barrels, nets, harpoons, lances, and some rope with us because "it would take too much time and too much space" in spite of the fact that we had sufficient space and it would have taken 5 minutes to load the stuff but instead it was apparently better to argue over it for an hour!
We went back and forth on this with virtually everyone but A. Hab seeing the value of preparing. I might have resigned myself to A. Hab's experience in such things, but I distinctly remember just before this last time we went out, I had been talking to someone (I believe it was Hrefna) about how to hunt Krakens and I'd suggested using a net, to which A. Hab retorted "That's stupid! A net would never hold a Kraken!" and so I figured she knew what she was talking about, only to curse that trust when but two days later people were asking "Why didn't anyone think of bringing a net!" (When Mistera said that I seriously had to resist the urge to scream out "I did think of it, but 'The Expert' here convinced me otherwise!" But at the time I realized that wouldn't have helped our group dynamic).
Thus this time, I was less willing to simply take her word for it. A. Hab has the irritating habit of calling others retarded or stupid, in spite of the fact that she regularly makes foolish decisions. Instead of taking five minutes to load the gear, she felt it was better to argue against it and instead trust to the prophetic powers of "Wishful Thinking" that the super-smart Kraken wouldn't try something like 'Attack when we're neither expecting it nor prepared for it' because surely the Kraken would never think of that and it's totally worth risking our lives on that tenant to save five minutes!
A. Hab has done little but sabotage my every attempt to aid her in any way of attacking the Kraken, leaving those of us without magic to try swimming along after it in any fights we have (not even getting close to it's speed, as soon as we get near, it easily swims away), effectively leaving her as the only one with any real shot of engaging it, a task she is clearly not capable of doing alone. And the only benefit she seems to get from this is the ability to laugh at us for being unable to help! She is, without a doubt, one of the most incompetent adventurers I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with, and this coming from one who TRAVELS WITH TUPPER!!!
...
Unfortunately, now that we are no longer working with her, we no longer have a ship to go after the Kraken with (and I'm not just disappointed that we won't get a shot at it's treasure trove, although that is part of it). Perhaps we can find someone else to aid us. Or perhaps this is just an unnecessary distraction: with the Sea Witch apparently dead, the Kraken may simply leave the area and stop attacking ships. But I'd prefer to make sure the Kraken is gone before moving on.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Journal of Lt. Tupper, Day 232-234
Day 232
The good news is we escaped the temple without further confrontations with the drow. The bad news is that they evacuated the temple because of a horrible phenomenon that had enveloped the place. For a sizable area around the temple, the sun does not shine. Hrogar says he saw this sort of thing before at the Battle of Stonekeep. It took over two hours of wind-walking to reach the edge of it, and even assuming the other edge started at the temple, that makes for a very large… thing.
As for Leaf, Ragnar believes she is the actual power behind the Staff of Ehlonna, which would explain how she casually wandered off to a faraway town while we were discussing the situation. Ragnar wind-walked Chris and I off at this town to find her. We found the remains of a battle inside a tavern, and Leaf huddled up on the second floor. She says some drow ripped the place apart, though there's no drow corpses, or any corpses. Lots of blood and property damage, though. She also can't remember us, or the escape. If you find this journal abandoned next to a batch of bacon and eggs, that food may very well be what's left of me.
Herakles' answer to diplomacy involves chuckingbarrels at ambassadors ambassadors at barrels each other.
Day 233
Well, at least we don't have to worry about Leaf anymore.
Ragnar came back with the rest of the group and the prisoners today. The prisoners are being cared for at a Temple of Pelor. Went to report the ruckus at the tavern, and found that the City Guard is being led by a man with a crystal necklace and likely allied with the forces of the Spooky Underwater City/Kingdom. We will have to watch our actions carefully here, especially since Ragnar is now- but I'm ahead of myself.
Ragnar prayed to Pelor for advice on how to handle Leaf. Apparently, Pelor told him to take her to a city of doors, which can only be reached by travelling through the planes. Leaf has no problem planehopping, but a bit of an issue of remembering where to go. Ragnar has thusly volunteered to take her to the city, and Chris has volunteered to go with Ragnar. That they have set off on some epic universe-spanning quest before I even had lunch is more than a little humbling.
After saying our farewells and watching them phase out, we split up to comb the city for information and supplies. Managed to find some decent replacement lockpicks. Fflam loaded up on Alchemist's Fire. Ariella found somewhere else to be altogether, apparently. Mystera found a ship captain and two armed goons who say there's been a kraken attacking local ships and that we have to kill the damned thing. So tomorrow, instead of doing something useful like tracking down the final piece of that staff that could protect us against whatever the hell is out there, we are going out on a boat to carve up an angry overgrown squid. Business as usual.
Herakles thinks planehoppping means jumping around in a field.
Day 234
I hate the ocean. Always have, always will.
The morning found us on the ship alongside sea captain Anuschlockus ("call me Ahab") and our new friends Azan and Kalida. Kalida took up camp in the crow's nest, which I find is creepy as a hell. Tactically sound, as it turned out, but creepy. Pretty soon a storm started up and a large shadow appeared under the water. A lot of the others jumped off the boat to fight it, I stayed back since damned if I know how to swim, and Kalida… started attacking the storm. After a few shots into ostensibly the open sky, both the storm and the beast retreated. Mystera says the spells used during the battle could only have come from a fellow druid, which would also explain the control over the kraken. Since then, we have returned to port since Kalidas is temporarily blind and in need of clerical attention. Given my overall assistance today, I will be staying in town instead of going back out with the others tomorrow. I have a few ideas I wished to pursue, anyway.
Herakles once halted a blight upon a town by refraining from washing upstream from them.
I'm kidding, of course. Herakles never bathes.
The good news is we escaped the temple without further confrontations with the drow. The bad news is that they evacuated the temple because of a horrible phenomenon that had enveloped the place. For a sizable area around the temple, the sun does not shine. Hrogar says he saw this sort of thing before at the Battle of Stonekeep. It took over two hours of wind-walking to reach the edge of it, and even assuming the other edge started at the temple, that makes for a very large… thing.
As for Leaf, Ragnar believes she is the actual power behind the Staff of Ehlonna, which would explain how she casually wandered off to a faraway town while we were discussing the situation. Ragnar wind-walked Chris and I off at this town to find her. We found the remains of a battle inside a tavern, and Leaf huddled up on the second floor. She says some drow ripped the place apart, though there's no drow corpses, or any corpses. Lots of blood and property damage, though. She also can't remember us, or the escape. If you find this journal abandoned next to a batch of bacon and eggs, that food may very well be what's left of me.
Herakles' answer to diplomacy involves chucking
Day 233
Well, at least we don't have to worry about Leaf anymore.
Ragnar came back with the rest of the group and the prisoners today. The prisoners are being cared for at a Temple of Pelor. Went to report the ruckus at the tavern, and found that the City Guard is being led by a man with a crystal necklace and likely allied with the forces of the Spooky Underwater City/Kingdom. We will have to watch our actions carefully here, especially since Ragnar is now- but I'm ahead of myself.
Ragnar prayed to Pelor for advice on how to handle Leaf. Apparently, Pelor told him to take her to a city of doors, which can only be reached by travelling through the planes. Leaf has no problem planehopping, but a bit of an issue of remembering where to go. Ragnar has thusly volunteered to take her to the city, and Chris has volunteered to go with Ragnar. That they have set off on some epic universe-spanning quest before I even had lunch is more than a little humbling.
After saying our farewells and watching them phase out, we split up to comb the city for information and supplies. Managed to find some decent replacement lockpicks. Fflam loaded up on Alchemist's Fire. Ariella found somewhere else to be altogether, apparently. Mystera found a ship captain and two armed goons who say there's been a kraken attacking local ships and that we have to kill the damned thing. So tomorrow, instead of doing something useful like tracking down the final piece of that staff that could protect us against whatever the hell is out there, we are going out on a boat to carve up an angry overgrown squid. Business as usual.
Herakles thinks planehoppping means jumping around in a field.
Day 234
I hate the ocean. Always have, always will.
The morning found us on the ship alongside sea captain Anuschlockus ("call me Ahab") and our new friends Azan and Kalida. Kalida took up camp in the crow's nest, which I find is creepy as a hell. Tactically sound, as it turned out, but creepy. Pretty soon a storm started up and a large shadow appeared under the water. A lot of the others jumped off the boat to fight it, I stayed back since damned if I know how to swim, and Kalida… started attacking the storm. After a few shots into ostensibly the open sky, both the storm and the beast retreated. Mystera says the spells used during the battle could only have come from a fellow druid, which would also explain the control over the kraken. Since then, we have returned to port since Kalidas is temporarily blind and in need of clerical attention. Given my overall assistance today, I will be staying in town instead of going back out with the others tomorrow. I have a few ideas I wished to pursue, anyway.
Herakles once halted a blight upon a town by refraining from washing upstream from them.
I'm kidding, of course. Herakles never bathes.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Sit and wait
So after further investigation we have discovered that there is a wizard and a kraken. At first we thought it to be a kraken that could cast but after a confrontation we found out quickly that there was a wizard flying in the clouds. Since this encounter we have went back to port were we picked up a wizard named Revna. Apparently the group knows her from earlier this year. After being formally introduced we headed back out to sea. We decided to go to some islands that local sailors have suggested as a good place to start looking for the kraken lair. We should be there in a few days.
We have arrived at the island. Revna is utilizing some of her spells to try and locate the wizard and the kraken. Until she is done I will just keep a look out.
According to Revna the wizard is a few days travel by sea and the kraken is below us. We decided we should go after the wizard. Hopefully we will not need to fight the kraken. We are not prepared enough to do so.
After going under the water and exploring a abandoned ruin it was apparent that the wizard has left. Our quick encounter with what I can only assuming was the kraken last night alerted her that we were on the way, which was very apparent as we tried to surface and there was a layer of lighting preventing us from doing so. Fortunately Revna dispelled it in time so I could get back on the ship just in time to see the ship was on fire. With buckets of water and a very prepared druid we were able to put out the flames before any real damage was done. In the mean time Revna had determine the wizard is gone. I have no doubt in my mind that the kraken is on it’s way and an encounter is avoidable. So know we sit and wait. Pelor guide us and give us the strength to defeat this evil.
We have arrived at the island. Revna is utilizing some of her spells to try and locate the wizard and the kraken. Until she is done I will just keep a look out.
According to Revna the wizard is a few days travel by sea and the kraken is below us. We decided we should go after the wizard. Hopefully we will not need to fight the kraken. We are not prepared enough to do so.
After going under the water and exploring a abandoned ruin it was apparent that the wizard has left. Our quick encounter with what I can only assuming was the kraken last night alerted her that we were on the way, which was very apparent as we tried to surface and there was a layer of lighting preventing us from doing so. Fortunately Revna dispelled it in time so I could get back on the ship just in time to see the ship was on fire. With buckets of water and a very prepared druid we were able to put out the flames before any real damage was done. In the mean time Revna had determine the wizard is gone. I have no doubt in my mind that the kraken is on it’s way and an encounter is avoidable. So know we sit and wait. Pelor guide us and give us the strength to defeat this evil.
From the Journal of Hrogar
We heard rumors of a spell-casting Kraken that was terrorizing the local seaways. We investigated and found that it was actually a Sea Witch and a Kraken working together.
After the first battle, they escaped, and we returned to port. We asked around town and were able to find out where the Kraken and Sea Witch were likely based, and planned to head out to that area and look for them.
But before we left, lo and behold, Fflam met Hrefna in town! I'm not entirely sure what she's been up to, but I hope to catch up on the journey out to hunt down our enemies (she's apparently interested in helping out with the Sea Witch, and the gods know we could use all the help we can get).
*Later Entry*
So, here we are, out on the ocean, two days away from port, and about to fight a Kraken that we knew we were likely going to have to fight, but still we didn't buy any special equipment for it.
Halmyr will not be happy with me.
Still, I'm working on a plan to make use of what equipment we do have. It might work.
After the first battle, they escaped, and we returned to port. We asked around town and were able to find out where the Kraken and Sea Witch were likely based, and planned to head out to that area and look for them.
But before we left, lo and behold, Fflam met Hrefna in town! I'm not entirely sure what she's been up to, but I hope to catch up on the journey out to hunt down our enemies (she's apparently interested in helping out with the Sea Witch, and the gods know we could use all the help we can get).
*Later Entry*
So, here we are, out on the ocean, two days away from port, and about to fight a Kraken that we knew we were likely going to have to fight, but still we didn't buy any special equipment for it.
Halmyr will not be happy with me.
Still, I'm working on a plan to make use of what equipment we do have. It might work.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Kalidas: I'm On a Boat
I do not understand the ocean.
Home, in Baihata Hamdev, a single day might bring a dozen deaths. The invaders, their pleas for redemtion echoing in their every action, provided limitless opportunities for glorifying the Dark Mother. The only thing to slow down the sacred work was the need for caution, and the need to send off each penitent to their next life properly.
Out here, it was a days travel to find the kraken the first time. When found, he and the sky lady who we now believe employed him fled. So now we journey again.
A days travel to the kraken's isle. It seemed foolish to strike him first, to attack the servant instead of the master. The servant saw us, and we pursued the master anyway.
The kraken, in spite of it's size, proved to be as cowardly as it's master. A single arrow, and it fled. I wonder that I will manage to give a single death at this rate.
But still, I will try. It has been too long since I have sent a soul home to Kali, and will give the goddess her due, one way or another.
The mother be praised.
Home, in Baihata Hamdev, a single day might bring a dozen deaths. The invaders, their pleas for redemtion echoing in their every action, provided limitless opportunities for glorifying the Dark Mother. The only thing to slow down the sacred work was the need for caution, and the need to send off each penitent to their next life properly.
Out here, it was a days travel to find the kraken the first time. When found, he and the sky lady who we now believe employed him fled. So now we journey again.
A days travel to the kraken's isle. It seemed foolish to strike him first, to attack the servant instead of the master. The servant saw us, and we pursued the master anyway.
The kraken, in spite of it's size, proved to be as cowardly as it's master. A single arrow, and it fled. I wonder that I will manage to give a single death at this rate.
But still, I will try. It has been too long since I have sent a soul home to Kali, and will give the goddess her due, one way or another.
The mother be praised.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Musings of Mistera - The Casting Kraken
I was curious when I first heard the rumors of a casting Kraken, until I saw the ruse on the ship.
Kraken nowhere to be seen, and then tentacles sprout from nowhere. One successfully grapples me, but I twist out of it, shifting into a rat and squeaking away. I look around, still no Kraken, as a lightning bolt misses me by inches.
"But, that's a druid spell," I squeak out, scurrying across the deck and up the mast.
Arrows fly off into the clouds, followed by a woman's screeching. One of our new additions has found the spellcaster, who has since retreated through the stormy skies.
Casting Kraken... I knew I shouldn't have trusted paladins with spellcasting.
Kraken nowhere to be seen, and then tentacles sprout from nowhere. One successfully grapples me, but I twist out of it, shifting into a rat and squeaking away. I look around, still no Kraken, as a lightning bolt misses me by inches.
"But, that's a druid spell," I squeak out, scurrying across the deck and up the mast.
Arrows fly off into the clouds, followed by a woman's screeching. One of our new additions has found the spellcaster, who has since retreated through the stormy skies.
Casting Kraken... I knew I shouldn't have trusted paladins with spellcasting.
A. Hab's Log
Day 233:
Met an unusual group today. The group Poseidon told me would eventually come finally showed up. Fewer Paladins than I was expecting. Only 2. One Hrogar and one Fflam. Odd dwarf that Fflam. No hair. Then there is Misteria, a druid of Artemis. Tupper, a supposed Inquisitor for Point of Origin. And 2 companions they just met called Azam and Calada. I know not much of them. Except Calada asks of magic and the sea.
Tomorrow, we fight Krakken and hopefully we finally beat it.
Day 234:
Mistera and Calidas have discovered something most interesting. The spell-casting is coming from above, not the Krakken. They spent their time on ship fighting the caster.
Azan, Fflam, Hrogar, and I dove in for the Krakken. Alas, I was the only one who could get close quickly and the blasted bugger caught me. The others made a valiant effort, but swimming is so slow!
Alas! The bugger got away before we could do any real damage to it!
Tomorrow we will take it down!
Met an unusual group today. The group Poseidon told me would eventually come finally showed up. Fewer Paladins than I was expecting. Only 2. One Hrogar and one Fflam. Odd dwarf that Fflam. No hair. Then there is Misteria, a druid of Artemis. Tupper, a supposed Inquisitor for Point of Origin. And 2 companions they just met called Azam and Calada. I know not much of them. Except Calada asks of magic and the sea.
Tomorrow, we fight Krakken and hopefully we finally beat it.
Day 234:
Mistera and Calidas have discovered something most interesting. The spell-casting is coming from above, not the Krakken. They spent their time on ship fighting the caster.
Azan, Fflam, Hrogar, and I dove in for the Krakken. Alas, I was the only one who could get close quickly and the blasted bugger caught me. The others made a valiant effort, but swimming is so slow!
Alas! The bugger got away before we could do any real damage to it!
Tomorrow we will take it down!
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