Tonight Don the Magnificent's player was out sick, so I took him on as a NPC in cases where the group needed his help. Because he is the only good knowledge character in the group, his help is sometimes pretty critical.
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The players also got started on a new background / contacts system that I have been working on. It provides lifepaths to replace the existing trait system, and then provides a structure for getting and tracking goals, affiliate groups, contacts, and relationships.
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The last two weeks of game time has been spent repairing and augmenting the Thornhold's defenses so the party could move on to other things. Felix has taken over tactical planning for the keep and added a moat complete with spikes and oil barrels that can be dumped into it and set fire. 6 ballistas were added to the keep (in addition to the cannon, 2 springals, and firewyrm). A secondary gate was added to the main entrance so invaders will be trapped in the tower if they break through the main gate. An iron drawbridge has also been added to provide a way over the moat.
After doing some searching of the surrounding areas, the party decided to get a wizard from Waterdeep to teleport them into Mirabar to try to sell the domesticated landshark (bullette) they obtained. However, with Don's player out, we decided to skip that until he is available.
The party then had Don lead them deeper into the Sword Mountains in search of the hidden gnomish town of Ieirithymbul. After about a day and a half of travel through rough country (too rough for the horse or for Don, who had to be put on a broomstick of flying) they came across what appeared to be a young girl, sitting on the mountainside.
Felix approached the beautiful, beautiful girl (CHA = 26), exchanging greetings and noticing an 8 foot tall golem with an adamantine battleaxe sitting next to the girl. The girl introduced her friend as Chum. Felix explained how they were searching for Elminster. Neva, the small red-headed gnomish girl, lit the rest of the party up with faerie fire to let Felix know she could see them. She then asked for who was traveling with Elminster. Felix consulted the group and only Don could remember that it was Marta, Ally's gnome friend that Elminster had with him. After giving her the name, she teleported the group impressively quickly to her location.
After further introductions, a gargantuan gold dragon appeared speckled in bright glowing light. He was old -- older than any dragon the party had ever seen, perhaps one of the oldest dragons in all of Faerun. He introduced himself as Palarandusk and appreciated the complement of beauty that Sandra gave him. From the beginning he gave the party the sense that they had a mission to accomplish as part of a bigger plan. They were going to retrieve a magical mace from a temple -- the Mace of the Sun.
The dragon took flight, a magical aura about him scooping up the party and Neva (who road on Chum's shoulder). They descended after a while into a valley bordered by a perfect circle of mountains. Felix noticed a large cave up on one side which he presumed was Palarandusk's lair. The party saw a small gnomish city with typical round stone houses thatched and at the center, built of white rock, a temple jutting out of the ground.
They landed and Elminster and Marta came out of the temple to greet them. Marta asked if Ally was really gone. The group affirmed and Palarausk said that Ally was where she needed to be and was doing well. Don was further awed by this knowledge that Palarandusk was a plane-jumper and kept his distance.
Elminster explained that the party was going into the dungeons below the temple to retrieve the artifact and that each member could ask one question to assist them.
Don asked how big this dungeon was under the temple: It is 10 levels but we do not know which level the artifact is on.
Felix asked if there would be gold and riches: Yes, but they will be useless if you do not retrieve the artifact.
Sandra asked what all will we encounter: Good and bad, all sorts of things beyond your knowledge and dreams (and beholders).
Elliot asked what his necklace was: He was told that the answers he sought would come to him at the right time and that he would have his answer before he returned above ground from the mission.
Corrail asked what would be the best question to ask: He was told that for him, a different question would have been better.
Miroku asked what the best equipment would be to take with them. Palarandusk pondered it for a moment and replied, 'A torch, because its dark down there, and you can't do much if you can't see." Miroku was distraught by this answer.
Palarandusk leaped into the air and into invisibility and left them. Elminster returned to the temple with Marta. Neva lead the group to the local tavern.
The party was greeted by cheers of gnomes. Drinks were on the house. The barkeep pointed to an old painting, cracked with hundreds of years of age, and said, 'We've been expecting you for a very long time." The painting was a perfect painting of the party and Neva and Chum.
The drinking began. Elliot, Miroku, and Don all passed out. Felix drank until he nearly passed out, but instead retired to the inn next door with two gnomish ladies. Neva drank and chatted with the remaining party members, letting on that she was both a sorceress and a psionisist.
Several well tanned (almost orange) gnomes appeared and grabbed the drunken party members up and toted them back to the inn. Sandra screamed out about Oompa-loompas, but no one knew what she was talking about.
Chum drank a bit, and then would burp, shooting flames out of his mouth.
The party retired for the night eventually, and met at the entrance of the tavern as ordered. There were no hangovers, and Don surmised that this was something that they added to the drinks the night before.
Neva explained that it was time to gear up and head down.
---
Players were given the opportunity to propose 4 items to get in the store, realizing that the gnomeish city is small and isolated and will have limited items. I set the rough limit at +4 items. Players will send this out via email to get answers before the next session. Especially nice is the fact that the Paizo PRD online know includes Ultimate Equipment.
---
The players also got started on a new background / contacts system that I have been working on. It provides lifepaths to replace the existing trait system, and then provides a structure for getting and tracking goals, affiliate groups, contacts, and relationships.
---
The last two weeks of game time has been spent repairing and augmenting the Thornhold's defenses so the party could move on to other things. Felix has taken over tactical planning for the keep and added a moat complete with spikes and oil barrels that can be dumped into it and set fire. 6 ballistas were added to the keep (in addition to the cannon, 2 springals, and firewyrm). A secondary gate was added to the main entrance so invaders will be trapped in the tower if they break through the main gate. An iron drawbridge has also been added to provide a way over the moat.
After doing some searching of the surrounding areas, the party decided to get a wizard from Waterdeep to teleport them into Mirabar to try to sell the domesticated landshark (bullette) they obtained. However, with Don's player out, we decided to skip that until he is available.
The party then had Don lead them deeper into the Sword Mountains in search of the hidden gnomish town of Ieirithymbul. After about a day and a half of travel through rough country (too rough for the horse or for Don, who had to be put on a broomstick of flying) they came across what appeared to be a young girl, sitting on the mountainside.
Felix approached the beautiful, beautiful girl (CHA = 26), exchanging greetings and noticing an 8 foot tall golem with an adamantine battleaxe sitting next to the girl. The girl introduced her friend as Chum. Felix explained how they were searching for Elminster. Neva, the small red-headed gnomish girl, lit the rest of the party up with faerie fire to let Felix know she could see them. She then asked for who was traveling with Elminster. Felix consulted the group and only Don could remember that it was Marta, Ally's gnome friend that Elminster had with him. After giving her the name, she teleported the group impressively quickly to her location.
After further introductions, a gargantuan gold dragon appeared speckled in bright glowing light. He was old -- older than any dragon the party had ever seen, perhaps one of the oldest dragons in all of Faerun. He introduced himself as Palarandusk and appreciated the complement of beauty that Sandra gave him. From the beginning he gave the party the sense that they had a mission to accomplish as part of a bigger plan. They were going to retrieve a magical mace from a temple -- the Mace of the Sun.
The dragon took flight, a magical aura about him scooping up the party and Neva (who road on Chum's shoulder). They descended after a while into a valley bordered by a perfect circle of mountains. Felix noticed a large cave up on one side which he presumed was Palarandusk's lair. The party saw a small gnomish city with typical round stone houses thatched and at the center, built of white rock, a temple jutting out of the ground.
They landed and Elminster and Marta came out of the temple to greet them. Marta asked if Ally was really gone. The group affirmed and Palarausk said that Ally was where she needed to be and was doing well. Don was further awed by this knowledge that Palarandusk was a plane-jumper and kept his distance.
Elminster explained that the party was going into the dungeons below the temple to retrieve the artifact and that each member could ask one question to assist them.
Don asked how big this dungeon was under the temple: It is 10 levels but we do not know which level the artifact is on.
Felix asked if there would be gold and riches: Yes, but they will be useless if you do not retrieve the artifact.
Sandra asked what all will we encounter: Good and bad, all sorts of things beyond your knowledge and dreams (and beholders).
Elliot asked what his necklace was: He was told that the answers he sought would come to him at the right time and that he would have his answer before he returned above ground from the mission.
Corrail asked what would be the best question to ask: He was told that for him, a different question would have been better.
Miroku asked what the best equipment would be to take with them. Palarandusk pondered it for a moment and replied, 'A torch, because its dark down there, and you can't do much if you can't see." Miroku was distraught by this answer.
Palarandusk leaped into the air and into invisibility and left them. Elminster returned to the temple with Marta. Neva lead the group to the local tavern.
The party was greeted by cheers of gnomes. Drinks were on the house. The barkeep pointed to an old painting, cracked with hundreds of years of age, and said, 'We've been expecting you for a very long time." The painting was a perfect painting of the party and Neva and Chum.
The drinking began. Elliot, Miroku, and Don all passed out. Felix drank until he nearly passed out, but instead retired to the inn next door with two gnomish ladies. Neva drank and chatted with the remaining party members, letting on that she was both a sorceress and a psionisist.
Several well tanned (almost orange) gnomes appeared and grabbed the drunken party members up and toted them back to the inn. Sandra screamed out about Oompa-loompas, but no one knew what she was talking about.
Chum drank a bit, and then would burp, shooting flames out of his mouth.
The party retired for the night eventually, and met at the entrance of the tavern as ordered. There were no hangovers, and Don surmised that this was something that they added to the drinks the night before.
Neva explained that it was time to gear up and head down.
---
Players were given the opportunity to propose 4 items to get in the store, realizing that the gnomeish city is small and isolated and will have limited items. I set the rough limit at +4 items. Players will send this out via email to get answers before the next session. Especially nice is the fact that the Paizo PRD online know includes Ultimate Equipment.
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