Campaign Journal: From the Journals of Elis Took.

[thorr-kan]

From the Journals of Elis Took - 0
Those of you who follow, may not believe it, but I never intended to start out on this particular adventure. It had been several months since I had returned to the clan smial. My last series of freelance excavations had been successful, so I settled in for a long overdue vacation.

But after a few months, I was starting to feel that itch in my feet, that desire to see what’s over the next hill. The cousins were coming to me with more and more hairbrained ideas. My great-aunt, the clan matriarch and priestess of Cyrrollalee, gently (gently, I say!) suggested I might undertake a pilgrimage on her behalf.

In the interest of familial harmony (and let’s be honest, my own wanderlust), I boarded the Varion on behalf of Aunt Margaret. And shortly thereafter, I found myself ensconced in the current shenanigans.

One of the women in our group ran her first campaign in the 20yrs I've been with the group: 5E, Waterdeep Heist. After that experience, one of the men offered to run, paraphrased, "enough of that pansy 5E; we're gonna play pure-quill 1E." That got him a raised eye-brow from the previous DM and a LOOK. Older sister-younger brother; they've been gaming together forever.

(This is not dysfunction. This is good adult friends and family who've been together so long, we've to got real porous boundaries. She got her revenge though, though. She's running a gnome fighter with a Napolean complex. It is AWESOME.)

Since this is only the second 1E game I've ever played, I decided to go for the oldest of schools: hobbit burglar (OK, Stout halfling thief). And so I present:

Elis Took
Halfling Thief 5 (1E PH)

S – 20 (girdle of stone giant strength)
I – 09
W – 12
D – 18
C – 10
CH – 14

AC: 4 (leather armor and Dex bonus)
HP: 22
XP: 20,000

WP (2+1 4th-level):
Dagger
Sling
Short sword

NWP (3+1 4th-level):
Alertness
Blind-fighting
Rope Use
Swimming

Languages: Common, NG, dwarven, elven, gnome, goblin, halfling, orcish, thieves' cant.

Saving Throws:
PPDM – 12
RSW – 11
PP – 12
BW – 15
SP – 13

Thief Skills:
Base Dex Race Total
PP 50% +10 +05 65%
OL 42% +15 +05 62%
FRT 40% +05 +05 50%
MS 40% +10 +10 60%
HS 31% +10 +15 56%
DN 20% +00 +05 25%
CW 90% +00 –15 75%
RL 25% +00 –05 20%

Special Abilities:
All halfling characters have a high resistance to magical spells and spell: +2 for a 10 Con.

A halfling can gain a bonus to surprise opponents, but only if the halfling is not in metal armor. Even then, the halfling must either be alone, or with a party comprised only of halflings or elves, or 90 feet or more away from his party to gain this bonus. If he fulfills any of these conditions, he can surprise enemies 1-4/d6 or 1-2/d6 if opening a door.

Stoutish lineage: 60-foot infravision; can note if a passage is an up or down grade with 75% accuracy (roll a 1, 2, or 3 on 1d4). They can determine direction half the time (roll a 1, 2, or 3 on 1d6). These abilities function only when the character is concentrating on the desired information to the exclusion of all else.

Magic Items:
Girdle of Stone Giant Strength
Potions (x2 invisibility, x1 Extra-healing, x1 Fire Resistance)

[thorr-kan]

From the Journals of Elis Took.

However, Fate apparently had Other Plans. A storm blew in, and it was a doozy! However, that's not the interesting part. In said storm was a flying ship! You read that right: flying, not sailing. And the storm was pursuing it. Thunder and lightning boomed around and on the flying ship, which was headed straight at the Varion. In spite of the Varion's best efforts, the Varion was sideswiped. It sang like a shot. I was "lucky" enough to get a piece of wreckage for buoyancy. The last thing I saw in the storm, before succumbing to the waves, was the flying ship continuing on its way. I blacked out as I slipped beneath the waves.

I came to on a sandy shore. I still had my armor, my weapons, my prized belt, and my magic cache. What I did not have was coin or rations. I also had some companions. Some of the other adventurers from the Varion were ashore as well.

A fine crew we were, waterlogged and missing most of our equipment! The others seem a haphazard, but generally trustable lot, but without any more real sense of where we were than I had. My companions of fortune were:
Fergus, a male half-elf. He seemed a bit paranoid about something, but he also acted like druidish princess. Not shy about sharing his theories of divine retribution.
Gil, a female gnome. She was of even slighter stature than myself, but touch about the subject. Bit of a Napoleon complex there, I thought; she was certainly kitted out as a warrior, but missing a goodly portion of said kit.
Sean Dubh, another male half-elf. He was plain and soft-spoken; frankly he was so boring, something else must have been going on. He had no armor and minimal weaponry, but a variety of miscellaneous bits and pieces that whispered, "spellcaster..."
Angus, a male highlander. With all that entailed. A nice enough fellow, but very touchy about his honor. Also kitted out as a warrior, but missing parts of his kit after our little swim.

Having no real shelter or resources, we made our way inland. We found a widow-woman tending a small farmstead. After some small negotiation, we secured shelter and a bit of food for the night. It was a minor repast, but certainly better than eternal seawater!

We tried to repay our hostess by doing any minor chores, but she would have nothing of it. She recognized we had been placed under the protection of the Lord Wade, god of the sea. Apparently, we were expected to provide a service for him in return for our survival in the sinking. The widow was quite nervous about this, and ecstatic to see us leave. We were on an island, across which we could find a port, a ferry to the mainland, and access to the port of Iron Castle.

We made our way across the scrubby island, only pausing to an interruption from some ROUS. Intending to show my new comrades my mettle, I picked a rock and threw it at one, promptly dismembering it in a spray of entrails and viscera. I do so love my prized belt. My comrades proved equally skilled, and we proceeded to the ferry without further incident.

As we landed in Iron Castle, we were met by a servant of the Lord Wade and bid accomplish our task: return his chest, which had been stolen by the Wizards of the Golden Coast. We had been recovered to pursue where Lord Wade could not. And to establish his bonafides, the servant proceeded to remove his Lord's blessing momentarily. Our lungs began filling with water, as if we were back in the Channel. If we turn from, or fail in, our task, we will be returned to the sea. The Wizards are headed to the city of Lightning, in the Land of Men & Wanders and have a two day lead on us.

The Lord Wade is kind of a ****.

So informed, we agreed to said terms of the quest. We appear to have formed an adventuring party.

We were instructed to proceed to the Baleine Blanche tavern, to meet another agent of the Lord Wade. While the Baleine Blanche was a rough establishment, we were marked as off-limits by the Lord Wade. However, we should be wary of the followers of the so-called "Lord of the Mediterranean Sea".

We had several hours for personal business before our appointed meeting.

The DM is basing our campaign in a fantasy Europe based on a map of place-names translated into English. I've got a few of them; they're illuminating. We knew the ship was just a method of getting us together. I don't know where we're going, but I'm having fun getting there. And I *love* that girdle of giant strength.

Fergus is some type of priest of Frey; I dunno if he's actually a druid or a cleric. Sean is an illusionist, hiding from the Fey. Angus is played by our Highland dancer, who is very, very proud of her Scottish ancenstry. Gil; Gil is that revenge I spoke about in the previous post.

[thorr-kan]

From the Journals of Elis Took.

With time before our appointment at the Baleine Blanche tavern, Sean, Gil, and I made a collective decision to reprovision. Fergus wanted to consult his temple, and Angus accompanied him. Sean bartered some gems he retained for coinage and offered to fund a shopping spree for Gil and myself. Lacking time to use my skills to build a nest egg, I agreed. After some haggling, I found myself in possession of 50’ rope, pair of pouches, iron rations, and a waterskin.

Meanwhile, Fergus fared poorly with his temple meeting. He was accused of being a traitor, because he was marked by a god other than his own. Angus escorted him away before something untoward happened. They informed us of this when we met again at the Baleine Blanche tavern. Some of us quickly realized Baleine Blanche tavern is a wretched hive of scum and villainy.

And we didn’t have a lawyer.

The tavern was quite busy, but we quickly secured a table. Angus went to procure a round, but was accosted and insulted by a group of clerics of Neptune, who threatened to take it outside. I intervened, offering to arm-wrestle the insulter. (After all, arm-wrestling a halfling should be an easy victory, no?) Instead, he turned to a companion and asked, “Have you ever seen an uglier goblin?” Alas my Tookish nature rose up, and I countered with, “Then you haven’t met your mom!” And I got sucker punched.

So I belted the insulting cleric in return, intending to knock the miscreant out. Instead, I slew him! Oops. His three companions descended on me with tridents. I stood my ground for a minute, then retreated. My companions engaged the trident wielders. Fergus's hammer came apart hitting an "innocent" bystander who joined the fight. We slew one more opponent when the bartender stepped in to end the fight. So, we emerged victorious. And ordered beer.

Shortly, a slender young lady with green hair, green clothes, and greenish skin walked in. The locals deferred, mightily, to her. She was obviously trouble, and just as obviously, the Lord Wade’s servant. She gave Sean a map and a pearl. Place the pearl on the map, and it indicated the location of the chest we sought. A boat and some water spirits had been tasked to pursue our prey. They would send us up the river from Iron Castle.

Our opponents were followers of Neptune. They would be less numerous inland, but more active as we closed on the city of Lighting.

I feel better about getting some more of my kit back. And I can't believe I started that brawl with a "your mom" joke. That's not at all the character I was going for. But it just kinda leapt out there, so I ran with it and got whupped for it. Combat didn't go much better for the rest of the group. But we did win.

I don't think we're going to be very popular in town, so leaving sounds like a good plan.

[JadedDM]

How in the world did you secure a girdle of stone giant strength at level 5? Did you roll for it or something?

[thorr-kan]

How in the world did you secure a girdle of stone giant strength at level 5? Did you roll for it or something?
We started at level 5 with 5000gp to purchase magic items from our previous career. The Girdle is cheap, and funny on on hobbit. So I ran with it.

[JadedDM]

Wow, so that was half your gold. But I agree, it's a helluva investment. That's, what, +8 to damage? His sling is nearly a siege engine at this point. That's pretty funny, though.

[thorr-kan]

Wow, so that was half your gold. But I agree, it's a helluva investment. That's, what, +8 to damage? His sling is nearly a siege engine at this point. That's pretty funny, though.
Comedy gold, mate, comedy gold.

It was a lot of gold. The rest of it went to potions. There are a lot of 1E potions that allow you to use a portion of the potion for a lesser effect. Nice way to stretch the budget.

[JadedDM]

I look forward to hearing more of his (mis)adventures.

[thorr-kan]

From the Journals of Elis Took.

We left the tavern and proceed to the river docks to take possession of our haunted boat. On the way, we procured a REAL war hammer for Fergus.

Another agent of Wade awaited us at the docks. He explained how to manage the boat and the fresh water spirits that powered it. We were admonished that fresh water spirits are not reliable. We must tie off the boat, or it WILL wander off. Sean is provided an incantation to force obedience. But it will only work once. Our map shows our targets at a place called Stonewater.

It was only afternoon, so we departed and decided to run only during daylight hours. We hoped to limit any mischief by the water spirits. Fergus used his magic to heal us, and the night passed uneventfully.

We proceeded upriver until midmorning. Then, we ran into some bandits blocking the river with a rope and crossbows. They claimed a 1gp/person toll. In the interests of speed, we paid and proceeded. But we got a receipt! It may have been a legitmate toll, after all. Midafternoon, the boat started jerking about the river. We determined it was dodging rocks while trying to throw us. We successfully retained control of the boat. The rest of the day was uneventful. That night, some of us camped onshore, but Gil and Fergus remained in the boat.

My watch covered the middle of the night. I heard some splashing aways off from the boat. I snuck to the beach to observer. There were three figures washing clothes. In spite of my stealth, the noticed me and asked for assistance with these heavy baskets. They appeared elderly, bent over crones. Seeing no harm, I offered assistance after waking Angus. I realized the clothes in the basket were darkly stained and torn and noticed the crones were not shod and had webbed feet. Reconsidering, I attempted to find out where they required my assistance. This angered the crones, who circled me and called me a wicked boy. I dropped the basket, sipped a part of my invisibility potion, and bolted. I may have been screaming. The crones gave chase.

I led them between the camp and the boat, not directly to my comrades. They rousted themselves. I went to ground in scrub brush along the riverside; the crones went after the party. Gil and Fergus were on the boat; Sean and Angus were camped on shore. Fergus cast a protective spell and summoned a spirit weapon; he attacked the two crones engaging Gil. Sean flung a rainbow at the crones, to no effect. I positioned myself behind the crone fighting Sean and Angus, while Angus engaged the crone in melee. Sean cast a rainbow orb at the crone, injuring and conjuring a stinking cloud about her. Angus resisted the stench, but the crone struck him with a mighty blow.

The boat started shaking and moved away from the crones. Fergus kept his feat, but Gil fell. But the crones could not capitalize on their advantage; my comrades remained unharmed.

I shank the crone on Angus, but she remained standing. Gil arose but missed. Fergus's spirit weapon struck the one engaging him. The boat continued to try moving away, but they maintained their footing. Gil's opponent successfully struck him. Angus struck and slew our mutual foe. Sean lit the crone on the boat, but she remained unblinded; an area around the shore remained illuminated.

I flung a dagger at the crone engaged with Fergus and struck her. Fergus also struck his opponent, but Gil missed again. Angus jumped onto the boat and dislodged Fergus but not Gil. But the boat broke free and fled downstream. Fergus narrowly but successfully negotiated with the spirits, slowing tnhe boat. The remaining crones gave chase, running across the water.

I slung a stone at the crones, but missed. Gil waited to engage in melee. Sean and Angus followed along the shore. Sean attempted a taunt; one crone responded. Sean created a mesmerizing pattern; the crone was entranced. The other chased the boat.

I slung a stone at the one following the boat and struck a mighty blow. But the crone lived. Fergus steered the boat while Gil finally struck a mighty blow. Fergus struck as well. The crone chose discretion, rescuing the other crone, and fled upriver. We gave chase into their grotto.

I slung again, and missed. Fergus slew one crone with his spirit weapon. Sean threw a dagger and missed. Angus traded mighty blows with the remaining crone. Gil closed to attack.

I slung again, and dropped my sling. How humiliating! Fergus's spirit weapon attacked the remaining crone. Angus failed his attack. Sean struck with another dagger.

I recovered my sling, slung another bullet, and slew the remaining crone.

Fergus healed us with his magic. We recovered our weapons and searched the grotto. Fergus recovered one dager and padded leather armor. Both are magic. I claimed the dagger; Fergus tried on the armor. It was nearly translucent and appeared permeated with bubbles. It crinkled a bit when he walked. It appeared to help him float. We made our way back to the camp site, tied of the boat again, and rested for the rest of the night.

Once again, I seem to have initiated our encounter. That was a long, brutal combat with a lot of fumbles on our part. The crones were homebrew fae of some type. They had a lousy AC, but loads of hit points. Our casters *tried* coordinated spell use, but the winners were spiritual weapon and hypnotic pattern. I've never seen hypnotic pattern work before. But in the end, we emerged, victorious!

https://i.ibb.co/2qz6ZnD/Map-022621.jpg

[JadedDM]

I slung again, and dropped my sling. How humiliating!
Natural 1, eh? Happens to the best of us.

[thorr-kan]

Natural 1, eh? Happens to the best of us.
Alas, 'tis true! And I am far from the best of us.

We play with the house rule that a natural 1 is dropped weapon and a natural 20 is double damage.

Last Friday's session is hard to write up. It was RP heavy with antics that had us howling in laughter over the Zoom session. But my notes, which are very stream of consciousness, don't do it justice. I'll have to ponder more on converting them to a journal entry so I catch the gist of the humor.

[JadedDM]

Looking forward to it!

[thorr-kan]

From the Journals of Elis Took.

To those of you reading my journals, you have to understand. I did not know these people. We were thrown together by coincidence, and kept together by the whim and need of a cruel god. But they had pledged their words; I had pledged mine; we really had no choice. And Cyrrollalee help me, I was beginning to like these folks.

I mention all of this to explain in some small way what happened next. Things went Strange.

The next morning, Gil helmed the boat. Fergus helmed for mid-day, Sean for the afternoon. Nothing of note happened that day, and we camped for the night. That night it rained, we forgot a tent. Overnight Gil heard something in the distance downstream, but found nothing. The night passed without further events.

Fergus piloted the boat for the morning. The others saw a creepy figure observing us from shore, then step into a tree. Gil piloted for midday. We passed some boat traffic, but had no incidents. The locals showed some interest in our speed upriver, though. Angus had the evening shift piloting. There was a village at our stopping point, so we decided to procure some supplies. Sean remained with the boat. We went shopping for a tent or some tarps. Prominent in the village square was a bear statue. We spread about the market to do our business before everything closed down for the evening.

Gentle readers, some of what I'm about to relay to you is hearsay; I was not there at the boat for Sean's part of it. But with Cyrrollalee as my witness, the rest happened exactly as I related it. Those how claim otherwise are liars and cads who cannot hold their liquor. *I* am a Took, and my word is my bond.

(Editor's Note: Uncle Elis was a rogue and a drifter and a storyteller of the first order. His word bound him only so far as *he* desired it to. But Uncle Elis could tell a ripping good yarn. Caveat emptor.)

Some locals attempted to buy boat from Sean: "No joy, holy mission, our life depends on it, so sorry."

The local tavern had stew and bread; it seemed like a fine change from trail rations. We declined knowledge of the stew’s contents. But it was hot. The locals hit us up for the boat as well. "No joy, holy mission, our life depends on it, so sorry."

Meanwhile, having observed the uncanny behavior of our vessel, some children tried to get Sean to do tricks with the boat. He said later, not falling for such obvious distractions.

Back at the tavern, some locals bought us a round. Fergus neutralized poison, and we enjoyed the drink. Us little folk really enjoyed the mead. We got another round, and I VERY MUCH ENJOYED this round. After the third round...certain small folk were dancing on the tables! Had anyone clogs? I always wanted to try that with clogs! Angus lured me back to the boat with the promise of CLOGS! We retired for the evening.

As we moved through the village square, the others thought the bear moved; I was certain it had not. Gil tried to dance with the bear statue! It was a bad dance. But she loved it! We moved to leave, but the bear got down on all fours and shook itself awake. Gil tried to ride the bear. I helped Gil!

Angus & Fergus noticed a figure in the shadows waving a wand at the bear.

Fergus summoned his spiritual hammer. Gil fell off the bear. I got knocked on my butt as the bear charged Angus & Fergus, injuring both. Angus attacked the bear. Sean came towards the commotion, but some local children looked like they were going back on the boat.

Gil and I got up. Fergus missed with his spirit weapon. The bear missed...somebody. Angus attacked the bear, but blunted his weapon a lot. Sean stayed back from the fight in case of an attempt on the boat.

I attempted to lift the bear. Gil climbed on the bear. I maintained a wobbly grip. Fergus spirit weaponed the figure in shadows. The bear hugged Angus as I lifted it; Gil thought this was a friendly hug. Angus attempted to escape, but was restrained. The figure in shadow cast a magical projectile at Fergus. Sean assessed our combat; defend the boat or join the fight? One of the children unhooked the boat, so Sean returned to the boat. He neglected to inform the rest of us.

I staggered the bear towards the wizard. Gil remained on the bear. Fergus smote the wizard. Angus remained hugged by the bear. Fergus took another magical projectile. Sean ran toward the boat as the kids struggled with the controls.

I made it to the figure and dropped the bear in front of him. "Your bear is attacking us!" Gil maintained balance on the bear. Fergus missed with his spirit weapon. The wizard fled. The bear went immobile. Angus was stuck in the bear's embrace. Sean belly-flopped on the boat.

Gil tried to figure out why the bear wouldn't move; she dismounted but doesn't stick the landing. Fergus explained the evil wizard froze the bear, and pointed towards the boat. Sean stood up and started throwing children overboard. Angus felt the bear has touched her inappropriately. I began to free Angus without touching her inappropriately. Fergus successfully smote the bear. I maintained balance, and Angus was freed. We returned to the dock; Sean had shed all the children and returned to the dock. We climbed into the boat and headed upriver for an hour. We crossed to the other side and camped for the rest of the night.

Gil and I awoke the next morning feeling refreshed! No hangovers!! Though the previous night was foggy. Fergus needed to draw a picture to explain what happened.

https://i.ibb.co/CK7THqn/Gaming-Party.jpg
He knocked this out after the battle during post-session wrap up. It took him less than 10 minutes. I hate how talented my friends are. :smallcool:

We all got a little punchy this session. But *I* did not initiate this encounter. Gil's player is usually fairly reserved; her drunken dancing on tables was *not* expected. Me? I needed to blow of some steam. We were all laughing so hard by the time the combat was done. I just can't do it justice. It's one of those sessions you had to be there for.

https://i.ibb.co/BNkh2VL/Map-031221.jpg

[JadedDM]

That was great. But was it ever learned why someone animated the statue to attack?

[thorr-kan]

That was great. But was it ever learned why someone animated the statue to attack?
Not yet. We're not exactly a high-espionage group, here. :smallsmile:

Best OOC guess: the yokels we're chasing have divined our intent and are desperate to stop us. Well, maybe not desperate.

My original plan was to throw the bear at the shadowy figure who was casting hurty spells. But the gnome stayed on top, and then the Highlander got nabbed, and in my defense, I had had a bit of a tipple...

[JadedDM]

Best OOC guess: the yokels we're chasing have divined our intent and are desperate to stop us. Well, maybe not desperate.
Hopefully so, otherwise it means the party has a second unknown enemy.

[thorr-kan]

I need to get back to this. I've got four sessions worth of summaries to write.

We just met in person for the first time since COVID started. One last session before the "mid-season hiatus." DM picked that as a stopping point. Good news: I get XP! Bad news, I need 1 XP to level up, and we're onna break!

[JadedDM]

Wow, just 1 XP? As a DM myself, I usually try and find something to bump it up slightly when that sort of thing happens to one of my players.

[thorr-kan]

Wow, just 1 XP? As a DM myself, I usually try and find something to bump it up slightly when that sort of thing happens to one of my players.
DM gave us 20K XP to create the character. Thief needs 20001 XP for level 6. You generally don't level up mid-adventure; we were legitimately in continuous adventure until the last session.

I mean, I *tried* several times :smallsigh:. But the DM is right and is being consistent, and really, I'm not bent out of shape about it at all. Just, ya know, obligatory kvetching. :smallcool: We're all good.

(But. Just. Soooo. Close...)

[JadedDM]

Oh, I see.

Is the DM using the training rules, or will you just level up automatically when the time comes?

[thorr-kan]

Oh, I see.

Is the DM using the training rules, or will you just level up automatically when the time comes?
Nah, just you accumulate XP, but can't level up in the middle of an adventure. Our enforced quest is get the chest and return it. We got the chest.

Summer is here, and we have a harder time regularly gaming with everybody's activities. Plus the DM's been running while he's on call for 72-hour weekends, so he's a little ragged.

All that means breakpoint. We'll pick it up in the fall. Everybody's having too much fun with these characters to NOT see things through.

[JadedDM]

Yeah, I hear that. I've basically been working non-stop since the pandemic has started.

[thorr-kan]

From the Journals of Elis Took.

Checking the map that morning shows the villains have split their party!

Angus found the food box empty. Fortunately, Fergus was able to magic up a fine meal. I got to drive the boat for the morning! Hilton, the large city on the map, was approximately one-and-a-half days ahead. Sean took the midday shift without problem. But we found a burned-out boat similar to our own. We stopped to investigate.

We found a burned out hulk, with 6 corpses. Repellant was the only proper description of the remains. Gil, unfortunately, was unable to keep down her lunch. Fergus found a holy symbol of Wodun, while I discovered a map much like ours. As we feared, this unfortunate souls were our precursors. With some experimentation, I successfully activated the map. It mirrored our map exactly. Now we had two way to track the vile miscreants!

Moving onward, Gil successfully piloted the boat for the afternoon while Angus secured enough provisions for light dinners. Sigh. This was not the first nor the last time I adventured without adequate rations. Fergus healed our remaining injuries from the village fight. We found a defensible island to spend the night. I took the first watch, with Angus on the second. Angus reported much spooky noise in the distance. Gil took third watch and spied a giant woman riding an owl in the distance. She was headed towards our location, but not directly. Eventually, she passed overhead. There were no further encounters that night.

Fergus again created breakfast, which was much more adequate than our evening repast. I again drove the boat in the morning, but the spirits grew resistant! We drifted for a time, until I let Sean try. He was more successfully, but the struggle against the spirits threw me overboard. Fergus threw me a life preserver and managed not to kill me. Sean continued through the morning. At midday, I again tried and succeeded. The day passed uneventfully, save for the increase in traffic as we approached Hilton.

We arrived at Hilton at dusk. The entire city was mauve brick, the hue of which supposedly changed depending on the time of day: reddish, orange, or pinkish. Our map showed one dot still there, so we put in.

The docking fee was a minor 10sp, which provided a token for reclaiming our vessel. The fee includes security for docked vessels, especially during the festival. What festival? Why, the Poetry Festival, of course!

We were also informed of the weapon ban. We could take weapons to our hostel or out of town, but otherwise, weapons had to be checked. However, armor was *not* required to be checked. Daggers seemed a general exception to the ban. Heh, heh, heh...

We were asked if we intended to overnight. Wanting to find the dot, we inquired of lodgings and were directed to the Golden Lion Inn. We asked for and received a room immense enough for the party. We checked our weapons and lunched.

Inquiries turned up no details on wizard, but were mistaken by residents as talk of the Poetry Festival. Weren't the new band at the Three Daggers Tavern called The Wizards? Gil and I decamped to said tavern, while Fergus remained to pray, and Sean and Angus went to purchase various sundries we had not yet secured, such as a tent and food. We entered the main festival area. There were stages everywhere: theater, poetry, puppets, a minotaur in a toga reciting lines.

Aaaand I got my pocket picked, losing our boat token. Oops; I was so ashamed. But I confessed the loss to my friend (yes, by now, I call them friends); what else to do? I propose to contact the local thieves' guild before the day's take is divided and reclaim the token. We all nip into the Three Daggers Tavern, assessing our target. Three Burning Wizards (the band) took the stage. Not our target at all, according to Sean.

We then noticed our maps blinking. Using our new map, we began triangulating the location of our targets.

We split the party. I looked for a fence; Sean, Angus, and Gil pursued our targets.

They found a large stage with a chest surrounded by four large, armed guards. The chest was definitely our target. This turned out to be the prize for the Poetry Festival. Angus, meanwhile, enjoyed the nearby puppetry.

I found an obvious fence. Dropping into cant, we discussed where one could recover a nicked boat token? I was directed to Bert, at the Golden Swan Inn. I got directions to the mutterings of "Tourist." I thanked him, and took my leave. But I stopped to ask someone else for directions to the Golden Swan Inn. These directions did not match the previous directions. My benefactor warned me off, offered to buy me lunch, and was devastated when I declined her offer. "It is a terrible bar," she said. "Not safe." She followed for a while to make certain I was OK but eventually left off.

I strode in and sidled up to the bar. I made contact without getting lynched, and was told Bert would be contacting me.

Sean, Angus, and Gil returned to our rooms, updating Fergus, then left to shop. They secured both rations and a tent, but no weapons. Weapon smithing was not done during fair season. Gil was also unable to procure a helm to complete her armor.

Fergus, meanwhile, got a feeling he needed to brush up on his poetry.

I was contacted by Bert, in the back of the Golden Swan Inn. Bert was a middle-aged human female, reading a report and drinking win. We dickered for the token. She offered a job, but I denied any interest in the prize. But her job was perfect for a stranger to undertake; see as how they'll leave town. Bert started flipping the token, as if it was a coin.

I inquired as to the job. I was to procure a painting for her, from a rich family in town. They were snobs. They borrowed the painting; if it went missing, they'd be soooo embarrassed. There was no timeframe to the job; Bert was patient. I told her I must confer with my companions. She said, if accepted, deliver the package to the bar at the Golden Swan Inn. I head back to the Golden Lion Inn and meet Fergus. The rest of the party joined us.

Gil thought a heist was a wonderful idea; maybe there would be bears!

We debated plans. We might win the competition. We could bushwhack the winner after he wins. Sean might be able to win the competition. Should both Sean and Fergus enter it?

Should I solo the painting heist?

A much lower-key session, with a lot of inter-party and NPC roleplaying. In spite of that, my dice still found time to hate me, both in throwing me overboard and letting me get my pocket picked.

https://i.ibb.co/JnvNzqy/Map-032621.jpg

[JadedDM]

Ooh, a heist. What could possibly go wrong? :smallcool:

[thorr-kan]

Ooh, a heist. What could possibly go wrong? :smallcool:
What could possibly go wrong?

I will be getting back to summarizing these.

[JadedDM]

https://frinkiac.com/meme/S06E04/446044.jpg?b64lines=IEh1aC4gIFRoYXQncyB0aGUgZmlyc3 QgdGhpbmcKIHRoYXQncyBldmVyIGdvbmUgd3Jvbmcu

[flat_footed]

The Full Metal Mod: Home is behind, the world ahead.

[thorr-kan]

The Full Metal Mod: Home is behind, the world ahead.

And with that ominous note, I'll be continuing this journal, starting this weekend. The campaign didn't quit; life just caught up with me. Thanks, mods for letting me resurrect this thread.

We reached a stopping point last summer, but have just picked this up again for the fall. Perfect opportunity to catch up!

[rredmond]

Thanks, mods for letting me resurrect this thread. They are fair like that!
Looking forward to the tale's continuation :D

[thorr-kan]

From the Journals of Elis Took.

Fergus and Sean both decided to enter the Poetry Festival to compete for the prize! Sean felt his other-worldly troubled past may be of benefit, while Fergus has been *gently* *prodded* by his deity to enter. Gil and Angus decided to accompany me as muscle for the heist team.

Yes, we decided to SPLIT THE PARTY.

As Fergus and Sean both participated in the Poetry Festival, I had only their incomplete reports as to the Festival activities. But our party members did us proud!

The first round required a poem on Beauty. Fergus recited one of his own composition, while Sean gave an inspired performance of a well know poet. After much deliberation, Fergus ended in first place, with Sean as the runner up.

The second round required a poem on Truth. Sean led, with another work from a lesser-known, but gifted, poet. Fergus followed with another original work. After judging, they had switched places! Sean led, and Fergus was the runner up. There was much consternation among the locals, but the judges were adamant.

The final round required a poem on Fear. Fergus again led off with an original work, while Sean followed with another recitation from the gifted, but lesser known, poet. Fate (and Freya) smiled upon Fergus, and he secured a narrow victory over Sean in the Poetry Festival. Fergus dedicates his victory to Freya, as she had blessed him with much power!

Meanwhile, back at the heist...

There was much discussion as to whether I should undertake the heist myself, or whether Gil and Angus should assist. They lacked the skills necessary for a subtle heist. But their offer of a distraction was well-intended, so we included that in our planning.

It is at this point that I learned the target is the Home for Retired Gargoyles. Not architectural gargoyles, but real, actual Gargoyles. This was the story of my life; nothing was ever simple. It seemed the neighbors did not mind this collection of...inhabitants. But the building was likely uninhabited, as the Home offered admission! It was only 1sp per head, so I covered the admission for all of us. We even had free run of the place! Dear reader, it was like they were asking us to steal the painting...

(Editor's Note: As readers have no doubt figured out for themselves, Uncle Elis harbored a larcenous streak. While usually using his skills during adventuring career, Uncle Elis also often rationalized his thievery against other targets. We loved our Uncle very much, but there is no denying what he actually was: a skilled burglar in pursuit of wealth.)

I quickly ascertained there were inhabitants. As we wandered through the Home for Retired Gargoyles, they ignored us at first. But as time passed and we continued casing the grounds, a doggo-gargoyle took an interest in us. It was smaller sized, such that it could be ridden by smaller folk. Gil is as intrigued by the doggo-goyle as it is intrigued by her. It was available for adoption...with a fee of 5gp...Gil had A Thing about riding statuary...she adopted it!

NoKinkShamingingTheGnome'sPersonalHabits

Gil adopted the doggo-goyle. Care of the gargoyle required only filthy water; it returned *very* clear water. Gil named it Bronxy; Bronxy the doggo-goyle.

Meanwhile, I located the painting in an interior ballroom, two rooms into the house. It appeared not to have been moved. The subject was...unique. The subject looked like a younger Bert, my thieves' guild contact. The plot thickened...

The front door lock appeared formidable. Otherwise, security seemed minimal, as there were no guard posts. The second floor was closed to the public. However, I located stairway going up, blocked to the public, of course. I did not force my luck by ascending. I had a rudimentary plan...though I still twitched as the lack of security. But there did not seem to be any other possible targets. Also, gargoyles!

I explained my brilliant plan to Angus and Gil. They had no objections. Both were distracted by the adorable Bronxy-gargoyle. Gil determined it was bright enough to learn fetch!

Gil and Angus assumed their positions in hiding, in case a distraction proved necessary. I quaffed an invisibility potion and successfully ascended the wall to the second floor. Once there, I could hear gargoyles. I tried to be silent...but I managed to knock over a vase. Oops. But I caught it and placed it back without being noticed. Go team ME! Down the stairs I ghosted successfully. I found the painting, right where I left it...I'm surprised, really. I placed painting in giant invisible sack. Success! The painting is also invisible. My plan was a success so far.

I successfully ghosted back up the stairs and to the balcony I entered on. I roped up the bag and painting, then lowered it over the side. I attempted to get my companion's attention. *Angus* noticed me and came over, dragging the oblivious Gil. Gil got really excited. "He did it! I told you he could do it!" Had someone been drinking on the job?

Angus successfully retrieved the painting. Gil and Angus escaped back to our inn. I waited a bit for my compatriots to make their escape. It was still too quiet. I also made my escape, taking a different route back to our inn. All three of us and Bronxy successfully made our rendezvous.

I unsuccessfully "attack" Angus to cancel my invisibility. After some deliberation, Gil and Angus decided to attend the poetry contest, while I delivered the painting to the Golden Swan. I traded the painting for our missing boat token. As a bonus, the thieves’ guild delivered someone they found messing with our boat. Shockingly, Bert did not trust us to *not* try and skip town! I am hurt, HURT at the lack of trust among thieves. I carried hooligan back to our Inn. I snuck him back in and left him in our rooms. Huh; examination showed he was a mage. I waited for my comrades.

Back at the poetry competition, awards are being awarded. Fergus received a laurel crown, the best of three awarded, and a BOX! Sean also received a laurel crown, second of three. They were magical ability enhancers, which was a nice boost for my comrades. But the effect only lasted until next year's poetry contest. The victors were not required to return the laurel crowns, but they were encouraged to complete again next year.

The rest of the part returned to our inn, where we all congratulated Fergus. I explained the presence of the mage, who became quite agitated at the mention of Fergus's box. Angus watched over the prisoner, while the rest of the party moved out of the room, and I briefed them on the mage. Fergus then noticed a strobing effect from back in our rooms. We burst back into our rooms. The box was strobing. Angus ignored it; this was nothing compared to bagpipes. The mage was trying to back away, while still bound to the chair. Fergus tried to dispel magic on the box; Sean tried to dispel illusion. Gil led Bronxy away from the rooms.

The mage bounced off of me as he tried to walk his chair out the door. I picked up his chair.

Fergus successfully dispelled the magic! He then rushed out with the box. Outside of the inn, Fergus and Sean were mobbed by ardent poetry fans. They split the fandom. Sean got the socially adept fans; Fergus go the socially inept fans. Gil followed after Fergus.

I questioned Angus; did you notice the strobing box? Angus had not noticed the strobing box. Highlanders. Meanwhile, I tried again to make friendly with the mage. Angus setup to punch him if he got uppity. I removed his gag. There was a flash of light, and he was gone!

Outside, there was a flash of light on the bridge Fergus was crossing. It was a teleport. It was the escaped mage! Fergus struck him with the box; it greatly hurt the mage! Fergus struck him again! Gil joined in! The box started strobing, again. The mage then ran away, pursued by Gill and Bronxy.

Fergus unleashed his followers on the wizard. "That man hates poetry!"

From the inn, Angus and I saw a huge flash.

At the bridge, the flash knocked out Fergus, injured Gil, killed the enemy mage, and slew all the groupies!

Angus and I lit out from the inn. We met with Sean, and Gil hauled Fergus back on the doggo-goyle. We met, where I poured part of a healing potion down Fergus's mouth.

I opined that it was a good time to get out of town. Now.

Sean, Gil, and Fergus headed for the boat. Angus and I recovered our goods from our in. We dodged the Watch, headed back to the boat, and collect the boat. I noticed a local thief waving good-bye and returned the gesture.

Upriver we went.

Fergus starts the first poem: on beauty:
"Fleeing from persistent Morgana,
Arthur did seek shelter in a hut abandoned,
A hut unlived in;

The night didst storm and rage about him,
Fiercely did it rage like a Goddess Scorned;
A jealous lover.

He saw through the night
Many images scratched, portraits looming,
Of raging foemen carven.

When morning dawned fresh and clear
He saw that no paintings marred the plaster
Only windows, open clear

Sean reads a Yeats Poem.

Fergus takes 1st, Sean 2nd.


Next round on Truth: Fergus:
“Truly, o King, this chariot
an unbeatable bargain is!”
Sayeth the man with a ride to sell.
“Valued at a dozen talents,
but for you for Five I’ll sell.”

Indeed it was a shocking bargain
For that price it seemed a steal.
But of wood was strongly fashioned,
Shod in bronze was every wheel.

Stinging words brought him his horses,
Quickly harnessed to his ride.
‘Round the city didst he foray,
Clouds of dust didst he make fly.

Gladly did the Hero buy it,
Gladly parted he with gold,
Swift and sure the ride it pleased him,
Straight and true the chariot rolled.

But he found something unpleasant,
A ghastly reek began to smell.
Odors out from ev’ry crevice
Royal nostrils did assail.

Brought he the chariot back to th’ dealer;
Wrathful looks upon him cast.
He quailed and quivered, fearing justice
Flung himself down in th’ dust.

“Mighty Lord, pray stay your wrath!”
Cried out the weeping man before him
“I meant no insult to your glory,
But merely wished to sell this craft!”

“Speak, you wretched little worm,
Tell me why my chariot reeks!”
He became more amused than wrathful
Looking down upon the tragic man.

“O Fist of Heaven it was my error
I did not know the smell would stay.
A former owner of this craft did perish
Unfound by others for many weeks.”

“Now the reek will always linger,

Sean: John M. Ford

Sean took 1st; Fergus 2nd.


Third round on Fear: Fergus:
Arthur, entering a small hamlet at dawn, noticed a young couple being consoled by many townsfolk. 22:15
He approached, to find out what was the matter, and if there were any call for a HERO. 22:16
The young lady spake, "We had gone out to Nimue's Corner, as people do, though there had been rumors." 22:17
"Rumors of a madman," A townsperson added. 22:17
"A madman, yes, driven mad by Nimue's Curse. He had cut off his hand for love, you see, and replaced it with a metal hook." 22:18
"There were rumors that he attacked couples out at Nimue's Curve when the moon was full." 22:19
"Aha!" Said Arthur, the HERO. "You need someone to deal with this madman!" 22:19
"Um, well, no," Sayeth the young lady. "After we had been there a short while, I grew nervous." 22:20
"Anndar wished to try and go all the way, but I said no, that I was frightened." 22:21
"Finally he grew upset, and lashed the horse pulling our wagon into motion with a jerk." 22:21
"There was a noise as we moved, but I thought it was the wind, or an owl."
"Owls are sacred to Nimue," The knowledgable townsman spake again. Knowledgable, if not polite. 22:22
"But when we reached the village, we found this, sunk into the side of the wagon!" She pointed. 22:23
A bronze hook, with broken straps, was sunk into the backrest of the wagon!

Sean: John M. Ford, again.


Fergus squeaks out a victory due to close die roles! He dedicated his performance to Freya, and she blessed him with much power!

https://i.ibb.co/LZh7GV7/Bronxy.jpg

[thorr-kan]

From the Journals of Elis Took.

Sean piloted us upriver as the evening settles in. Eventually, we found a nice camping spot. After making sure it was not occupied, we settled in for the night. Gil and Bronxy took the first watch. To support our casters, I took the second watch.

I woke up before my shift, and the gnome and doggo-goyle were running away. I kicked Sean awake, warned that Gil is running, and took off after the wayward gnome. I caught them a half-mile later, with Gil in a tree and the doggo-goyle guarding the tree. I approached, but since the doggo-goyle knew me, I was not attacked. Instead, it pinned me and started panting over me. I hazarded a guess that Bronxy was excited to see me.

I exercised my vocabulary and asked Gil to call off the doggo-goyle. She demurred; she found being in this tree was just peachy for the time being.

Meanwhile, back at camp, unbeknownst to me, Angus had awoken and began tracking us.

I lifted Bronxy off myself and ascended the tree. I inquired as to what had spooked Gil; the gnome was utterly convinced that something in the darkness was going to slay her. I assured Gil this was not the case. I promised no harm would come to Gil. Gil responded by climbing higher into the tree.

Gnomes can be infuriating, can't they dear reader?

Meanwhile, the casters were back at camp, left to their own devices (i.e., defenseless). Fergus noticed a witch riding a serpent flying overhead in the moon light.

Angus tracked us to the tree and climbed up to join us. I briefed him on what happens. We conferred on a way to return Gil to camp without harming her.

The spellcasters stayed at camp, but saw another witch on a broomstick, flying overhead. Another witch on a raven followed shortly thereafter. Angus and I noticed the broomstick witch flying past us. I pointed to the witch and recommended to Gil that we should go in the other direction.

The spellcasters noticed two more witches fly over.

One last time, I tried reasoning with Gil. But I noticed three more witches fly overhead. As I worked to convince Gil to come down with me, Angus also decided staying in the tree was a wonderful idea. Defeated, I asked them to protect each other and told Bronxy to stay. I traveled back to camp, where there were no spellcasters.

Wonderful! But the boat was still here, so perhaps they had not gone far.

Sean and Fergus came out of hiding. While conversing, Sean and I saw a farmhouse fly by. Fergus noticed nothing, as he ranted about witches. I convinced the spellcasters to come back to the tree. Fergus thought climbing the tree was an excellent idea; he joined the other two.

Spellcasters will be my death, dear reader.

Sean took matters by the bit and attempted to hypnotic pattern the others out of the tree. Gil and Fergus came down; Angus strongly refused. Fergus and Gil both fell out of the tree following the hypnotic pattern; both managed to land without injuring themselves. We led them back to the boat. Angus stayed in the tree. Sean saw more witches flying overhead.

Back in our camp, I tried once more to reason with Fergus and Gil. Both slowly came around. Afterwards, Fergus and I returned to the tree to fetch Angus. We successfully convinced Angus to return to our camp.

And the witches just kept coming.

The witches were headed towards the mountains. Our targets, the wizards, were headed towards the mountains. We had to head to towards to the mountains, or we drowned.

Gil and Angus remained on guard. Sean, Fergus, and I went back to sleep. Night finished uneventfully.

With morning, we all awoke feeling refreshed. Sean piloted us upriver through the morning. Suddenly, we hit something. There was a break in the river, as if a priest has parted the river, crossed its bed, and left the parted river behind. Fergus prepared to dispel the...interruption, but there were a number of woodland creatures in the break. I attempted to scatter them and to drive them towards shore; why deplete the local population? We may have been on an involuntary mission for Lord WADE, but we still served our conscience. Instead, the woodland creatures gathered around me, as if fascinated. So, I picked up the boat and moved it across the break. Then I led the woodland creatures to shore. Fergus successfully dispelled the magic interrupting the river.

This was just in time for some locals to show up and harangue us about destroying their path across the river. As I was ashore and surrounded by local wildlife, they assumed I was a witch! But before serious combat could begin, my comrades landed the boat. I boarded it, and we took our leave of the hostile locals. Meanwhile, the local wildlife continued to follow us from along the shore. Gil tried taking us downriver. Not the plan! Angus took over and piloted the boat back upriver. But the local wildlife had started swimming out to the boat and boarding!

Giving up, we came ashore and setup camp again.

During his night watch, Fergus started screaming. Sean and I awoke to the screams. I tried to snap Fergus out of his fit but was unsuccessful; Sean failed as well. I carried Fergus to the shore and dunked him in an attempt to break his fear. I still failed. Sean tried to talk him down, but Fergus fled the camp. We failed in our attempt to restrain him. Sean stayed behind; I pursued Fergus. I finally treed him fifteen minutes later, about a mile away. I was unable to convince him to come down, so I joined him. And tried to hog-tie Fergus so I could take him back to camp. It took three tries, but SUCCESS! We went back to camp.

We noted every night, somebody's scared and climbs a tree. Then they stayed there. WHAT DID IT MEAN!?

Angus woke up and started screaming. I tried to hogtie him and missed. Then I tried the lasso thing. And it worked! But I could not drag the highlander back to camp; I had no leverage. I was slowly being pulled away from camp.

Meanwhile, Sean convinced Fergus to cast remove fear on himself. It seemed successful. Partially. Nope, not at all!

I changed plans. When hogtying failed, I fastened one end to a tree! SUCCESS! I tried to convince Fergus to come back and have a bit of tea and some scones. Angus refused; the highlander wanted haggis. I lied and offered haggis. Angus did not believe me! I was cut to the quick.

Fine. I decided if subtle would not work, it was back to hogtying. I was unsuccessful, and Angus broke free. I untied his legs and let him run.

I returned to camp and conferred with Sean. Had the sprites caused this as their bindings weaken? Sean said no, he was certain this was the work of witches.

(OOC: DM said, I hadn't thought of that. $#!+.)

I let Sean return to sleep; he had been trying to help. I kept watch, with crazy Fergus and the woodland creatures.

After the night passes, Gil woke up. I feed her and sent her after Angus. Fergus said he was fine. But if he was mind-controlled by witches, was that not exactly what he would claim? Eventually, I freed him, with the warning that I would eat ol' Longshanks if he gave me any more grief. That was a hollow threat, dear reader, but it had been a long night. In response, Fergus conjured a breakfast. The local wildlife, still gathered, provided me with nuts and berries. Gil and Angus returned. Angus still wanted haggis, but I lied. I shared my nuts and berries, while Fergus conjured black pudding. Angus was mollified.

We fortified ourselves with a good meal. And I took a nap. My compatriots noted the way the witches were headed. We might be out of the flight path shortly; getting an inn and sleeping through the night might work. We only seemed to be affected when we wake up. We high-tailed it for Bushton the Old.

This one is summarized WAY after the fact. I don't have any pithy recollections to share, unfortunately.

[JadedDM]

Welcome back. Looks like I have some catching up to do.

[thorr-kan]

OOC added and Bronxy the Doggo-goyle links corrected.

[LibraryOgre]

Library Ogre: Brief Awakening

[thorr-kan]

From the Journals of Elis Took.

We reached the waters of the river. Once there, the party debated what to do with the boat. We decided to leave; the spirits' binding will fade, and can then use the boat to flogat leisurely downstream! But first we hid the boat. Then it was off to Bushton the Old! Night fell before we arrived, but we pushed on.

Actually, we do not. My compatriots convinced me another night rough would not kill me. After dinner, I took first watch. Something approached our camp. I woke the gnome and the Highlander. It appeared to be a 12-year-old boy. I welcomed him to our camp and asked what can we do?

"Have you seen any witches tonight?" he asked.

"We have not, young sir." I replied

He had seen a meeting of witches and the Lord of Hell. He was on a quest to save a Princess of Knee and free her from a curse. We wished him good luck with that. I offered hospitality; he was grateful, because he had not eaten for days. He had hid from witches in hollow of a tree. He remained with us the rest of the night. My woodland menagerie fascinated him.

Night passed. The boy remained there in the morning. We split breakfast and sent him on his way. In morning's light, we belied last night's fear effect was the result of the Lord of Hell. We entered Bushton the Old. There, we were greeted by wanted posters with caricatures of us on them. There is a 2000gp reward for us, dead, offered by Wizards of the Coast. They desired our heads. I had an additional bounty for art theft, Angus for slaughtering small children in the temple, Sean for an unpaid bar tab, Gil for kicking puppies, and Fergus for committing plagiarism in his poetry contest.

Sean disguised us with his illusions, and we moseyed through town. But we were then mistaken for the boy, apparently named Izar, from last night by someone who turned out to be his older brother. We tried dissuading him in his belief. That proved difficult, as Gil and I were virtual twins of the last. The brother continued pestering us. Was it witchcraft? Were we possessed? Why were there two of us? We continued out of town, but a crowd kept gathering.

Fergus created water over the brother and other bystanders. We bolted out of town. As the part exited, they realized I was not with them.

The party returned to town. Several minutes later, I showed up with followers. Angus came to get me, and I kept going. The rest of the party followed, but I again fell behind. Angus picked me up, over my non-strenuous non-objections. The posse took exception to this and began stoning us. Angus was hit by one rock, and the rest of us took some injury, but we outran the posse. We travelled a bit further, then made camp for the night.

As we sat down to dine, six large wolves entered the camp site. Though seemingly unfriendly, Fergus offered them some of our conjured ham. The wolves took exception to this and bit Fergus. The fight was on!

I lifted the wolf that had bit Fergus, while Fergus blessed the party. Sean cast a colorful spell that knocked out a wolf. My wolf escaped, and the rest swarmed me. Gil and Bronxy savaged a wolf, while Angus struck two others.

I stabbed the one that got away from me. Fergus began chanting. Sean cast another colorful spell, throwing an orb at another wolf. The wolves then swarmed Fergus. Gil and Bronxy continued savaging their wolf, and Angus struck two more.

I stabbed another wolf. Fergus maintained his chant. Sean attempted to frighten one wolf, but it remained unafraid. Again, the wolves swarmed me. Gil and Angus each manage to slay their wolves. Bronxy then slayed the wolf fighting me.

I disengaged and quaffed a potion. Fergus continued to chant. Sean threw a dagger and winged one. The remainder attacked Fergus, negating his chant. Gil missed, but Angus and Bronxy both successfully battled their respective opponents.

I threw my dagger at one remaining wolf. Fergus healed himself. Sean also threw a dagger, but the wolf still stood! What did it take to kill this thing?! Wolves swarmed Angus and nicked Gil. Gil attacked her attacker. Ferus killed one. Bronxy attacked successfully.

I stayed out of combat. Fergus resumed his chant. Sean interposed himself between Fergus and wolf. Fergus missed. Gil missed. Angus missed. Bronxy missed.

I stayed out of combat. Fergus continued chant. Sean scrounged for a dagger. A wolf managed to nick Angus. Gil dropped her sword. Angus hit with a mighty blow. Bronxy missed.

I moved in and punched the ground. Fergus maintained chant. Sean missed with his dagger. The wolf missed. Gil picked up her sword. Angus missed. Bronxy slayed the beast.

Fergus healed most of the party's ills. We burned the corpses, concerned about lycanthropy. Sean found this unlikely; they were harmed by mundane weapons. Fergus could remove curse if necessary; he does so, just in case, on: myself, himself, and Angus. Gil will be cured tomorrow.

We camped for the rest of the night.

Again, summarized way after the fact. A brutal combat, but being pure of heart and mind, we once emerged, victorious!

[thorr-kan]

From the Journals of Elis Took.

Gil did not turn into a werewolf overnight. Our luck may have turned for the better. Fergus cast remove curse anyways, just to be certain.

We traveled for another uneventful day. By noon the next day, our magic map seemed to show us catching our quarry. We heard a ferocious boom as the ground quaked. Gil and Angus fell to the ground, though the rest of use kept our balance. Sean realized he no longer recalled his full complement of spells. A quick check showed the rest of us had many of our magic items nullified. We had been subjected to a mass arcane dispel, a tool used by an ancient order of priest to combat arcanists. (OOC: A call out to my Al-Qadim campaign!)

From the distance came the sound of much divine smiting raining down on some arcanists. There was also an unpleasant smell of burned flesh ahead.

I reconnoitered over the trail summit ahead of us. A quick peak showed a host of corpses and two groups, both in dire straights. Over 50 bodies had been turned to charcoal about 200' down slope from the summit. I gestured my comrades to come forward silently.

One group was equipped in the heraldry of Tyr. Those would be the chest owners and allies of Wade. The other group was our targets, the Wizards of the Coast. Gil unlimbered a bow, while I futilely sought any boulders to throw. I question Gil, "Could I throw Bronxy?" "Sure!" came the reply. I do. A HIT! But the dogoyle appeared injured as well. Oops!

The priest of Tyr fell. Fergus and Sean began acting stupid. Feebleminded! I later learned. Fergus attacked downslope with a hammer. Gil started shooting arrows; an enemy wizard went down. Sean sat down, petting his dog. Angus also charged downslope.

Bronxy fled the battlefield. A fireball struck Fergus and Angus, while a dire wolf attacked me. I slung a bullet at the remaining wizard and just missed. Angus engaged the remaining fighters, while Fergus continued his advance. Gil continued to rain arrows on the remaining wizard.

The wizard cast arcane bolts at Fergus and myself; Fergus fell. I knifed the wolf, as I realized it was no longer magical. Gil continued to pelt the wizard. Angus finally reached the wizard, but failed engaging him in melee. The paladins serving Tyr engaged the fighters serving the Wizards.

The dire wolf continued it's attack on me, but missed. The remaining wizard managed to put Angus to sleep. Bronxy returned to protect Gil. Gil shot the wizard with a might blow; he died! I engaged the dire wolf, but also missed.

The two groups of warriors continued to fight, not realizing their masters had fallen. Gil shot and slew the wolf. I raced forward to save our fallen comrades.

I penetrated the swirling, continuing melee and sought my comrades. Gil provided cover fire while Bronxy remained faithfully nearby.


A fighter struck me, but I sank a dagger into his ribs. I then flanked him and kicked Angus awake. Gil continued to cover us, engaging the fighters. Some paladins remained fighting.

Another fighter struck at me. I knifed him as well, yelling at Angus to patch up Fergus. Fergus regained consciousness, but remained stupid. Gil's archery finally failed to strike, as did the surviving paladins.

Both fighters futilely swung at me, but it was time to cut my losses. Angus handed me Fergus (Editor's note: Uncle Elis missed no opportunity to gloat about his girdle of giant strength-enhanced abilities.), and I rabbited up the hill. Gil continued providing cover fire. The paladins continued fighting inefficiently. Angus remained behind to fight the Wizards' servants.

Those servants reengaged and slew a paladin. I returned to the summit by Gil, badly injured. Gil continued to shoot arrows as the fighters. Angus remained in melee, assisting the paladins.

As the melee below continued, I dumped Fergus. For some reason, Bronxy growled at me. Ungrateful creature. Gil's archery skills again failed, as did Angus's melee skills.

An enemy struck Angus, but missed the paladins. I searched for the chest, to no avail. Gil's archery improved, killing one fighter and wounding another. Angus's melee skills still failed, but the remaining paladin struck the remaining fighter.

In return, said fighter slew the last paladin. I just missed using my sling. Gil missed with both arrows. Angus missed with his sword. Apparently, our former fortune had turned against us.

The fighter smote Angus mightily. Our ranged weapons attacks still failed. Angus chose discretion as the better part of valor and disengaged.

The remaining fighter gave chase. My sling bulled missed, but Gil's arrow did not! We held the field alone.

A quick search, and Gil discovered the chest. Angus performed first aid on the rest of us. Because of religious differences, we left the Tyrians.
Afterward, we fled the battlefield, travelling for a full day. Then we went to ground and rested for a day. We continued this pattern for three more days. On the fifth day, Fergus and Sean regained their senses.

And at that point, we took a mid-season break. Sessions 8 & 9 were from May 2021, so I'm a little behind. But the campaign did continue! I have rough summaries, and I'll get those written up and released at some point in another thread.

[thorr-kan]

Thank you to our mods for letting me resurrect this thread one last time. The campaign to date had been a lot of fun. I know a few people were interested in how things turned out, and I didn't want to leave anyone hanging.

[rredmond]

Thank you!

[thorr-kan]

Volume 2 has hit the broadsheets!
https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?656941-Campaign-Journal-From-the-Journals-of-Elis-Took-Volume-2