WotBS: Adrana's Diary

Vyvyan Basterd · Jan 20, 2010

Entries in the journal of the elven refugee Adrana:

I'm grateful to have found work in the stables. Mother has tried her best to care for us since father sent us away to Gate's Pass. Living in such ugly squalor has really taken its toll on her. We all look forward to the time when rumors of war pass and father sends word that it's safe to return to our forest home.

~~~

The griffons are magnificent! Graceful, beautiful creatures. It must be a wonder to ride through the clouds patroling the surrounding countryside for danger. I stood in such awe that I thought the master breeder was going to dismiss me. But he just smiled, patted my head, and chided me to get back to cleaning up.

~~~

Today was amazing! One of the females gave birth. The master breeder explained to me what a rare occurence this was. It was so tiny! I can't believe such a grand creature starts its life so small.

~~~

I fear for the baby griffon. It looks sickly and the master breeder has been tending to it often and quite curt. I can tell he is very upset. I pray that he can help it. If only it would eat it could grow strong.

~~~

The master breeder walked away today with his head hung low. I started to cry. I ran to see what had happened, though I was already sure what must have occurred. The little griffon just laid there. I could not believe it had died. I entered the stall and cradled it in my arms. He wasn't dead! But he barely lived. I tried to feed it as I saw the master breeder do countless times. I was amazed to see the little griffon start to feed! I looked up through my tear-soaked eyes and saw the master breeder standing there with a burlap sack. He had the same look upon his face as mine.

~~~

Quesselle (I've decided to name the little griffon such) is doing much better. The master breeder cannot believe the recovery he has made.

~~~

I asked the master breeder today what would happen with Quesselle. He told me that he has never seen a bond so strong and that if it weren't for me the little griffon would have died. So he said I am to care for Quesselle!

~~~

The cavalry riders have taken me under their wing (he he) in appreciation for what I've done with Quesselle. They even let me train with them. They all laughed when I picked my weapon. So what if the sword is as big as me! I'm stronger than I look and I'm sure I'll get the hang of it.

Vyvyan Basterd · Jan 23, 2010

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Adrana, level 1
Elf, Ranger
Fighting Style: Beast Mastery
Beast Companion Type: Raptor

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 12, Dex 14, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 8.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 12, Dex 12, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 8.

AC: 15 Fort: 14 Reflex: 13 Will: 14
HP: 24 Surges: 7 Surge Value: 6

TRAINED SKILLS
Nature +11, Perception +11, Athletics +7, Dungeoneering +9, Heal +9

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +1, Arcana, Bluff -1, Diplomacy -1, Endurance, History, Insight +4, Intimidate -1, Religion, Stealth +1, Streetwise -1, Thievery +1

FEATS
Level 1: Beast Protector
Feat User Choice: Mark of Handling (DM allowed swap from Mounted Combat with Military affiliation)

POWERS
Ranger at-will 1: Hit and Run
Ranger at-will 1: Predator Strike
Ranger encounter 1: Synchronized Strike
Ranger daily 1: Hunt's End

ITEMS
Hide Armor, Greatsword, Javelin, Adventurer's Kit, Sunrod (2)
RITUALS
Raise Beast Companion

Vyvyan Basterd · Feb 1, 2010

Training has been going well. Rumors of war have spread further. I worry about father. One of my friends in the cavalry told me that the Ragesian emperor died and that his replacement wants to take Gate Pass again. I want to help, but I don't know what to do.

~~~~~~~~~~~

My friend introduced me to others who want to see Gate Pass stay free. They've formed a resistance movement to fight the Ragesians if they try to take Gate Pass by force. Rumors fly that the council wants to negotiate peace with the new ruler.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The council continues to give up our freedoms to the Ragesians. They've taken arcancists into custody to appease their ruler. I've started working with the resistance. The other members of my cell are just as devoted to Gate Pass' freedom. We've trained together a bit, I just hope we're ready.

~~~~~~~~~~~

We were sent on a mission to retrieve important information for the resistance. But the contact had been attacked and someone stole the information. The Ragesians also attacked with Wyvern riders and bombing attacks. Quesselle and I have done our part in the fight, I just need to work on his tendency to fly off impestuosly into harm's way.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The bombing attacks cracked open the foundation of our cell's quarters last night. Horrid unliving beasts crawled out of the depths. I lost two good friends to the undead and almost lost Quesselle before reinforcements arrived. Poor Quesselle is at death's door and I minister to him as the master breeder trained me in hopes that he will recover.

Vyvyan Basterd · Feb 8, 2010

I thought for sure that my dwarf compatriot Harbeck was dead, but the clerics were able to revive him from the very edge of death's door. But he's been acting weird since his near-death experience. I don't know how much longer I can put up with his new attitude or his smelly cigars. We finally got a lead on the information we were seeking. We visited "the Castle," better known as the wizard school, to see an eladrin wizard. She didn't have the box, but brought us to see what was inside it on our insistence. She wanted to take it east to the eladrin leaders and convey the information by ritual to the Resistance, but I wanted to know how they would do that if there were items or maps in the box. She didn't even know what was in the box! She took us to an eladrin hideout and when she saw what was in the box she decided the information would be more useful to the Resistance. I was ready for an argument because there were maps and drawings in there! I knew I was right, but she gave in easier than I thought she would. The Ragesians are pressuring the council to let the inquisitors in, so we knew we had to get out of the city. We found some info in the box about the assassination plan of one of the councilmen. We brought the info to him and asked for passage out of the city in return. The councilman hatched a plan to call for a favor from a watch captain. We disguised ourselves as watchmen (and watchgirl?) and were going to slip away from the group during their patrol outside the walls. I thought things were going awry when trouble broke out inside the city. People were rioting. We helped capture a halfling thief and his accomplices. Except for one. Harbeck killed a man in cold blood. I know they were out for our blood for trying to stop their robbery attempt, but we had all agreed to refrain from bloodshed. We finally got outside the walls and I write this by a small campfire inside an old abandoned watchtower. I hope I can find my sleep after today's events because we have a long journey ahead of us.

Vyvyan Basterd · Feb 16, 2010

We were harrassed again by bounty hunters! I think we found their camp and hopefully we disrupted it enough so we won't have to see them again. We found an underground route through the mountains. A dwarf "king" distracted us from our journey long enough to help him with some minor troubles. Fools couldn't even spot kobold tracks! They were right there in the dirt. We made our way south to a most horrible and beautiful sight. I'd heard of the Burning Forest before, but it was nothing like I pictured. We met a grumpy old mage and had our first encounter with an actual Inquisitor who was trying to arrest the old man. The Ragesian Inquisitors will pay for the suffering they've brought to the land. I hope father is well and staying out of their evil hands.

Vyvyan Basterd · Mar 29, 2010

The heat of the forest is intense! It is sad to see what has happened to this beautiful wood. And the realization of what's actually going on here! It's terrible. I wondered how the woods hadn't burnt down to the ground during the last 40 so years. But we encountered miserable creatures in the forest. It was as if they were burning from within. And when we struck them down in defense of ourselves they rose again with a mockery of life. These creatures, the forest burn eternally in pain unless we can do something about it. I had hope when we met the dragonborn fellow. He invited us to rest at his cabin. It was the first place protected from the heat we had encountered since netering the burning woods. He had a plan, a ritual, that he thought could release the crwatures and the forest from the fire. A dryad and her children live in a grove near his home. We tried to help him release them from the fire. They were in such agony, I would have had tears streaming down my cheeks if not for the dry heat evaporating them instantly. I wish we could stay to help, but we only have supplies to withstand the heat for a few more days.

Vyvyan Basterd · Apr 5, 2010

We happened upon a strangely-named fire creature who claims to be the cause of the blaze. We've decided to help free this creature in hopes of saving the forest. My companions convinced me to help them do so, though I still fear we may be undoing the work of someone's noble sacrifice and unleashing a destructive creature to cause damage beyond the boundaries of the forest.

Vyvyan Basterd · Apr 12, 2010

So, Indominatability told us to end the song to free the forest from the fires. But now the fae that keep the song going say they and the forest will die if the song ends. I knew I didn't trust that creeture. It probably intends to burn everything in its path once released, including us. One of the fae women has a book that might help. If we can get the crazy folk of the forest to work together and actually tell us something that makes sense. I wonder if the creature's threats about us being trapped here if we don't free it are true?

Vyvyan Basterd · Apr 19, 2010

My instincts were right. We tried to recover a memento of a fallen elven hero from an insane nymph peacfully, but her mind was too far gone and we had to fight her. The memento was the ponytail of the fallen elf, an old love of the nymph who also had a connection to the dryad of the great tree. We convinced the dryad to help save the seelie. She told us we had to remove the sword that was pinning Indomitablilty to the bottom of the lake and destroy him while he was in his weakened state. She also told us that whoever pulled the sword would become bound to it and the seelie's fate would be tied to their own. I had to do it! I could not bear to see them suffer anymore. The sword is a large branch from the First Tree. The "blade" felt natural in my grasp as I felt a wave of serenity wash over me. I knew I had to strike hard and destroy the creature before he grew stronger and escaped the forest to cause more harm. My eagerness caused my fall. The creature spat poison upon me and everything went black. I awoke to me friends reviving me before I slipped into death.