Defenders of Daybreak, The Early Years.

Sialia · Feb 16, 2002

Here follow some excerpts from the Travel Journal of Arcade Deltarion, the Memoirs of Sister Cadrienne, and the Diverting Anecdotes of Dylrath Birdhouse. It is hoped that others who recall the early years of the Defenders of Daybreak will feel free to add their commentaries as well.

Bandeeto · Feb 16, 2002

From the Journal of Arcade Deltarion – High Mage of Gaunt, regarding the adventures of the Defenders of Daybreak

The group assembles for the first time:
At the Inn of the Flaxen Manticore, I met Cadrienne (that cleric of Morphat who I’m always running into at the spell components shop) and Tagkris Crimson (ranger/cleric of Death) to listen to a new bard in town named Nolin. After getting peeved at me for over-tipping for an elven song, Nolin suggested that we might want to join him and the dwarf at the bar Grundo (a Battlerager) in a quest for gems thought to be found up the Gloam River in a glade where it was always winter.

After woofing my cookies when the dwarf uncorked his ale, I determined to show myself in a better light and agreed almost immediately. I may have also had too much of my favorite drink, Griffon Grog. I sent an urchin back to the farm to deliver a note and get my adventuring equipment while my adoptive grandfather Ortigal (a Transmuter) was asleep, and spent the night with Nolin. He is from Farin. Given to introspection and black moods. The next day we set off, picking up Tagkris at his cottage. He is a little impetuous and not overly respectful, but dependable and a nice guy. I picked some snortwort to ward off the dwarf's stench.

We met Tom-Tom Badgerclaw from Rhymeburrow Shire, and his bodyguard Maddoc of Oursk and they joined us on our journey. Tom-Tom seems to be very good at throwing things and making chemicals. Cooks with too much cinnamon, adds it to everything. He has agreed to teach me about locks. Has a fixation about squirrels and wants to kill and wear them. His uncle Baylock Grithamper is missing. For some strange reason he thinks that Arcade should wear pink bunny slippers.

Tagkris debates philosophy with Cadrienne constantly. She seems taken with him.

Bandeeto · Feb 16, 2002

From the Journal of Arcade Deltarion

On the way to Winter’s Glade:
We met a small boy named Michael who informed us that his friend Frolic, apparently a faerie dragon, has been missing for two weeks....

... we found Michael and Frolic's magical purple ball, and were attacked by creatures known as tasloi overnight. The next day we found their cavern. All the tasloi were in a strange state induced by the "euphoria" breath weapon of the faerie dragon. Tagkris, Nolin, and I approached under a white flag, and the tasloi treacherously rose up and threw spears at us. (Cadrienne, thinking perhaps that we were still trying to be friendly, handed one of the spears back, butt-first, and was stabbed.) After defeating them we rescued Frolic, getting breathed on for our pains....

...we broke open an iron door releasing an undead dwarf that we first turned, then killed, then burned, then killed again (!), finally putting his dust into several separate glass vials and putting him back in his tomb. In the tomb we found four scrolls, including a history in dwarven of how Grumsted Nightforger had betrayed his clan and been imprisoned in here.

We collapsed the cavern entrance, just in case.

Piratecat · Feb 17, 2002

It does indeed mean throwing up. Grundo was... sweaty... and Arcade was a sheltered, delicate sort of fellow. Grundo also liked to drink "Gutshaker," a drink made from raw alcohol, beer, sour goat's milk and other mysterious ingredients. It wasn't exactly palatable, but it DID leave an impression on you!

I remember that first adventure: "Drake," from Dungeon magazine. I thought Drake was a dumb name for a fairie dragon, and changed to to Frolic. It worked really well; the delightful fun of the fairie dragon was a nice counterpoint to the dark and twisted evil of the pathetic tasloi and the undead dwarf. Cadrienne giving the tasloi back its weapon (a morningstar, I seem to remember, not a spear; I remember her holding it by the spikes) was the best moment of the whole game! Where were the sadistic power players I used to game with? Not here, that's for sure.

I also remember being scared as hell when starting it. I hadn't DMed for years, and wasn't sure if I could carry it off. I felt better after that first game; we all had fun (except perhaps for Maddoc, who left after a few sessions), and there were no real rules squabbles. More importantly, the group meshed well, and it made for a good start.

- Piratecat

Piratecat · Feb 17, 2002

Nolin's version of Arcade's Diary:

"Dear Diary,

Nolin still cuter than me.

Still not noble.

Other mages still snubbing me. Perhaps a familiar would understand me as these fellows can not?"

Bandeeto · Feb 17, 2002

Definitely a spear P'Cat. I'll scan in and email you the map from the encounter. It shows the barricade which the spear-wielding tasloi were hiding behind. I noted in the journal that Arcade Color Sprayed the lot of them with devastating effect.

Of note, Arcade accidentally Color Spray'ed Alix several times over the years. Ooops.

------------------------------------------
Arcade's version of Nolin's Diary

"Dear Diary,

I bet no one in the party is as miserable as I am.

Not famous yet.

Well... perhaps famous as a philanderer. Hmmmm."

Bandeeto · Feb 17, 2002

Arcade’s Journal, covering part of the Winter’s Glade Adventure.

After leaving the tasloi, we traveled through the forest for a few days before meeting a wood elf named Sulfanas. Wonderful experience. There are so few elves in Rampart. (Nolin snarled and was as unpleasant as possible the whole time.)

Sulfanas told us that a Lady of the Wood was somehow involved in the mystery of the glade....

...found the entrance to a series of underground chambers inside a cave within the glade. Appears to have been a temple of some kind. It’s freezing. The floors are covered with ice....

...discovered the diary of a half-elf named Raind. He describes the steady decline in temperament of Sollers Vestius, the elven mage who had employed him. Vestius became moody, and began committing evil acts. Raind seems to say that Vestius turned to the worship of Imbindarla. Cult was thought to have been eradicated centuries ago, after the sack of a temple of Eris (Goddess of Healing). The last entries are dated Toraz 12, 230 years ago....

...there are frozen skeletons everywhere....

...a riddle carved into the wall near the trap door.

“Spear of magic
Summer’s bane
Friend of snow but
Son of rain
Pointing down or plunging deep
In Winter’s Heart life’s blood will seep

I fought the fiends, the wood’s half-men
I tried to grow above my ken
I failed somewhat, I have been cursed
To end my pain, a hardened thirst

I challenge all to walk this way
Your lives will pass
Your bones will stay.”

The descent awaits us....

Piratecat · Feb 17, 2002

It was en route to this adventure that the PCs are ambushed by the bard/confidence man "Fallane Deepleaf." Up in a tree, Fallane introduces himself grandly and demands the PCs' money. They refuse, Grundo hits him with a thrown warhammer, and in a fit of pique Fallane casts sleep on all of them. No save... Whump! Every single PC falls asleep except for Maddoc. Fallane demands that Maddoc drop his sword, Maddoc refuses and takes a swing - and fumbles horribly, throwing his own sword into the nearby river. While Maddoc dives into the river to look for it, Fallane merrily proceeds to loot everyone except for Nolin, who unbeknownst to me happens to be carrying most of the party's cash at the time.

--> It would be a beautiful in-game explanation to say that way back then I already knew "Fallane" (Eritain) was actually Nolin's half-brother. It'd also be a lie! The truth is that I thought I had asked everyone how much money they had, and I simply missed KidCthulhu - so Nolin never got robbed. It made a nice plot hook, though, so we ran with it. Fallane was my first repeating NPC, never hurting the PCs but always making life interesting for them. Lots of fun, and it gave the group someone to really hate.

"The Winter's Glade" was also a Dungeon adventure, one which I modified a bit. I remember undead satyrs attacking the group, and a nice sense of loss as the elf fell under a curse. This was a good adventure; you'll like the denouement.

Interesting; I abandoned my unique month/day names ages ago. How'd the name for a month end up as the name for my God of Murder?!? I never noticed that before.

KidCthulhu · Feb 17, 2002

Piratecat said:
Interesting; I abandoned my unique month/day names ages ago. How'd the name for a month end up as the name for my God of Murder?!? I never noticed that before.

Well, they say January is the cruelest month.

Jobu · Feb 18, 2002

Bandeeto said:
I noted in the journal that Arcade Color Sprayed the lot of them with devastating effect.
Of note, Arcade accidentally Color Spray'ed Alix several times over the years. Ooops.

This tendency of Arcade's to Color Spray party members is the begining of what we called "Maneuvers". We had them numbered and would call them out before certain things happened in combat. When Arcade was about to cast Color Spray he would call out Maneuver 1 and the group would know to close thier eyes. I still have the whole list but maybe we should wait till they pertain to the story.
Like the maneuver that involves throwing Dilly to the monster and fleeing - my personal favorite.