Rybaer
First Post
Session #7.1 – The Life and Times of Robyn Steele
With their new found acquaintance Robyn leading the way, the group set off from Shadykin’s eastward. The elf was to lead them by his home village, a settlement of no more than a hundred elf war refugees that was about a week’s journey on horse.
During the trip, Robyn tried his best to get into the good graces of the group, seeing them as an adventurous bunch to travel with. They, however, had a cooler reception to him. They had just lost the first member of their party, they had all grown up together, and they were all on a mission from the leadership of their hometown. Robyn was an outsider.
Three days out, a nasty summer storm swept upon them in the early evening. While seeking shelter in a small wooded area, they were set upon by a pair of trolls. The trolls were among the tougher foes they had yet faced, and the need to use fire to kill them was made difficult by the torrential downpour. Zalman was nearly killed by the second of the pair who had charged in from behind while the others were dealing with the first troll. Tactical use of a couple tanglefoot bags followed by a heaping helping of fire-based spells and Nigel’s flaming longsword finished off the beasts.
The very next night, they were attacked in the middle of the night by a dire wolverine. They hardly broke a sweat.
The night after that, they were disturbed by an owlbear. They were also growing weary of the constant interruptions to their efforts to sleep. Amblin, who was on watch when the creature approached, charged in to fight in spite of his poor human night vision. The owlbear managed to grapple the monk while the others were launching attacks in retaliation – Zalman with magic missiles, Kisty with her sling, and Nigel displaying incredible marksmanship with his bow. Robyn tried to put his bow to good use, but accidentally plunked an arrow into Amblin’s leg. When the owlbear was dispatched, the monk had some unkind words for the newcomer. This did little to further endear the elf to the party, but would set the stage for the irony of ironies yet to come.
The sixth day out, they crested the top of a large hill and looked down upon a broad valley full of thousands upon thousands of bison. They decided to go around the herd, skirting to the right side along the hill tops and among the trees as possible. Not quite halfway to the next woods, they noticed that they weren’t the only ones observing the herd – a large red dragon was preying upon them. The group made a dash for the trees, except for Amblin, who felt it wiser to retreat back to the hill they’d just come over as it was closer.
From the safety of cover, they watched as the dragon hunted. Once fed, it belched a gout of fire through the herd and flew off to the north. Amblin finally caught back up with the others. Much disagreement and anger was sparked among some of the party due to Amblin’s unwillingness to follow the party’s leader (Nigel) and thereby put the party at greater risk by splitting up again. Zalman was particularly peeved and a few sharp barbs tossed his way courtesy of Kisty put him in a truly foul mood. With everyone on edge and most refusing to speak to one another, they continued onward.
Mid-afternoon the next day, they finally approached the village and were greeted by a pair of sentries. While the group was warmly welcomed to the small community, it was clear that the elves were reserved in their enthusiasm with Robyn’s return. They were introduced to Healana and Noalas, the husband and wife leaders of the village, who offered them use of a small hut and announced that a small feast would shortly be held in their honor.
Dinner was a pleasant affair. They ate with the members of the community on long tables under the trees. Food was simple but tasty, served with wine. Rurik hid his disappointment at the lack of ale by drinking even more wine. The others spoke of their journies, their home of New Selmar, and potential trading opportunities between the communities. The elves were receptive to the idea and offered to give it further consideration.
Joining them at the dinner table was the eldest elf in the village, a wizard by the name of Tehloan. His apprentice, a young elf by the name of Sinea, took an instant liking to Nigel and flirted shamelessly with him. Zalman took a keen interest in the elder wizard and arranged to meet and discuss matters wizardly at noon the next day. Amblin was happy to enjoy the music and food while letting the others talk on matters of their own interest. Kisty spent most of her time playing with the young children of the village, showing a heretofore unseen gentle side to her nature.
Rurik, while pursuing a state of drunkenness in quiet solitude, was accosted by two elvish brothers shortly after the meal was complete. He was not keen to speak with them until they produced a seemingly steady supply of wine for him. They asked if he had any knowledge of the operation of mines, refining ore, and metal work. As any full-blooded dwarf and cleric of Moradin, he answered that of course he was. The pair explained that the community had a shortage of metal and that they were considering trying to mine parts of a long abandoned dwarvish iron mine not far from the village. They had surveyed bits of it earlier in the week were curious as to whether he’d be willing to join them on a short trip there tomorrow to provide expertise on the matter. The flattery worked. As no one had any pressing plans to leave right away, Rurik’s companions agreed to let him go. Amblin was game for tagging along and Robyn, friend with both of the brothers, was also invited.
Nigel, meanwhile, had arranged a dinner date on the following evening with the young wizard apprentice. They would meet on the shore of the nearby pond for a picnic after her studies were complete for the day.
The next morning, the mine-exploring party departed on horse for their day trip. Kisty was off teaching the children new games. Zalman was studying, awaiting his appointment with the wizard. Nigel was bored and wandering about the village when Healana came upon him.
She commented upon the beauty and apparently quality of both his bow and quiver. Nigel was only too happy to show them to her. Talking shop led to an impromptu archery competition a ways away from the eyes of the rest of the village. They took turns splitting arrows and scoring bullseyes until the elder elf finally edged out Nigel. He was impressed, as was she. She asked him what he knew of the Order of Arcane Archers. Little, he replied, but he was eager to learn more. Healana spent the rest of the day teaching him the basic teachings of the Order, basically initiating him to their ranks on the spot.
Zalman met the apprentice at their shared two-room house. Sinea was studying a strange magical object that had been retrieved just a couple days earlier by the two brothers exploring the mines. It looked like a softball-sized egg made of smooth brown stone. Writing was inscribed upon it. The item had come in a small wood box. She had made little progress with it. Tehloan, the wizard, came out of his room at this point and discusses the item with Zalman. Zalman produces his magic candle from his bag and lights it, causing the strange words on the egg to become decipherable: Incarnate, Chaos, Mylocon. Tehloan returned the egg to its case and suggested that Sinea work on other studies for now.
The master led Zalman to a cramped room, shooing away his squirrel familiar. For hours they discussed magic and some of their experiences. Zalman was intrigued by the differences in their teachings, and yet saw some similarities. His own master, Sangelais, was an elf, after all.
Shortly after noon, the mine explorers reached the old shaft. The remnants of old houses and buildings surrounding it had long since fallen into disrepair and been overgrown by the surrounding forest. The shaft led directly into the side of a large hill. Rurik’s assessment suggested that the mine had not been used in close to a century. They wandered around a bit, checking the structural integrity of side tunnels and ore grade. It would take some effort, the dwarf knew, and some tunnels had already collapsed, but it might be workable again. The ore grade up near the entrance was poor, though.
As they ventured further back, the pair of elves noted where they had found a small wood box with a magical item resembling an egg earlier in the week. The spot he indicated was up against the wall in the main corridor leading back. One of the brothers had dabbled briefly in magic and recognized the item as being powerful enough for him not to dare messing with, so he had turned it over to the wizard to study.
They pressed on until they came upon a wider chamber with an open pit. A winch mechanism with chains indicated it was an elevator shaft. They couldn’t see the bottom. As they were about to press onward, a strange noise came to them from further back in the mine…almost like whispering. Unsure what it was, they positioned themselves about the room with weapons drawn and waited.
Just as they caught the first glimpse of something coming down the passageway toward them, the volume of the whispering went from soft to very loud. It was a maddening garble of gibberish that penetrated deeply into their minds, confusing and stunning several of them. Amblin, unable to shake the effect, found himself lashing out at Robyn, the nearest person, as if he were a foe. Several rapid strikes from the monk pummeled the poor elf. Robyn was able to shake off the mind effects emanating from the monstrous blob of eyes and mouths that rounded the corner long enough to get a clear look. Rather than get away from the insane monk, though, he chose to take a shot with his bow at the gibbering mouther. This afforded Amblin an attack of opportunity, which knocked Robyn into unconsciousness…and down the elevator shaft he was standing right next to. (Payback for getting an arrow in the leg?)
One of the elvish brothers fled the mines in magically induced fright. The others, witnessing the actions of Amblin and being repulsed by the horrific appearance of this creature, decided to follow suit. Amblin was horrified at what he had just done. With his mind once again clear, he chose to flee and contemplate the implications of his actions later. Outside, they mounted up and returned hastily back to the village.
Meanwhile, Nigel met up briefly with Zalman after the wizard’s afternoon-long discussion with his elvish counterpart. Nigel thought that Zalman was looking a little pale, but thought nothing more of it as he hurried off to his picnic dinner.
Sinea was already waiting for the ranger on a patch of soft grass near the pond. She looked sweet and innocent, her thin dress splayed out about the ground. They shared a pleasant dinner and a bottle of wine as the sun made its decent through the woods. The mood was right, the moment had come, and the leaned toward one another to kiss…
…but Sinea suddenly went into convulsions. Nigel was helpless watching her break out into a furious sweat, her body taut and thrashing about the ground. He yelled for help and a dozen elves appeared in moments, surrounding the girl. She eventually stopped thrashing and settled into unconsciousness. They decided to take her back into the town proper and seek better help.
Zalman, not feeling terribly well, decided to retreat to the hut lent to them rather than eat dinner. While laying upon his bedroll, he went into spasmodic convulsions as well. His empathic link with Hooty triggered a panic in the familiar. Zalman tried to get up, to get to the door, but collapsed into unconsciousness.
Nigel was frantic, unsure what to do about the girl. The village had no clerics and only an herbalist with much skill in healing. They laid her upon a table in the middle of the town while Nigel went looking for Zalman, the next best alternative without Rurik around. When he reached their hut, however, he found Zalman and immediately made a connection between the two. He carried the wizard outside and laid him beside Sinea, then went in search of the villages elder wizard.
The wizard’s hut was seemingly empty, aside from a pair of squirrels in the back room. Nigel went back outside and searched for any signs of forced entry or unusual tracks. Nothing. He went back inside and found that the squirrels were paying an usually keen amount of attention to him. With a bit of deduction and nodding or shaking of heads from one of the squirrels, Nigel concluded that: 1- one of the squirrels was quite possibly the wizard and 2- something inside a small wood box sitting on the apprentice’s desk was not to be touched but might somehow be involved. Nigel returned to gathered townsfolk with two squirrels in tow.
Rurik, Amblin, and the pair of elves returned about this time. They were still shaken from their own experience and were surprised at what was going on here in town. Nigel dragged Rurik over to the pair on the tables. Rurik immediately noted that neither Zalman nor Sinea looked like themselves. Both looked swollen and pale and, well, different.
Rurik cast curative spells, but nothing seemed to cause their conditions to improve. As the assembled people continued to watch, it became clear what was happening to the two. Zalman was assuming the form of Sinea, and Sinea was assuming the form of Zalman. Within a half an hour, the transformation was complete and both returned to groggy consciousness. When they were told what had transpired, they were at once shocked and surprised. That the elder wizard had been turned into an exact copy of his familiar was now quite obvious as well.
-Rybaer
With their new found acquaintance Robyn leading the way, the group set off from Shadykin’s eastward. The elf was to lead them by his home village, a settlement of no more than a hundred elf war refugees that was about a week’s journey on horse.
During the trip, Robyn tried his best to get into the good graces of the group, seeing them as an adventurous bunch to travel with. They, however, had a cooler reception to him. They had just lost the first member of their party, they had all grown up together, and they were all on a mission from the leadership of their hometown. Robyn was an outsider.
Three days out, a nasty summer storm swept upon them in the early evening. While seeking shelter in a small wooded area, they were set upon by a pair of trolls. The trolls were among the tougher foes they had yet faced, and the need to use fire to kill them was made difficult by the torrential downpour. Zalman was nearly killed by the second of the pair who had charged in from behind while the others were dealing with the first troll. Tactical use of a couple tanglefoot bags followed by a heaping helping of fire-based spells and Nigel’s flaming longsword finished off the beasts.
The very next night, they were attacked in the middle of the night by a dire wolverine. They hardly broke a sweat.
The night after that, they were disturbed by an owlbear. They were also growing weary of the constant interruptions to their efforts to sleep. Amblin, who was on watch when the creature approached, charged in to fight in spite of his poor human night vision. The owlbear managed to grapple the monk while the others were launching attacks in retaliation – Zalman with magic missiles, Kisty with her sling, and Nigel displaying incredible marksmanship with his bow. Robyn tried to put his bow to good use, but accidentally plunked an arrow into Amblin’s leg. When the owlbear was dispatched, the monk had some unkind words for the newcomer. This did little to further endear the elf to the party, but would set the stage for the irony of ironies yet to come.
The sixth day out, they crested the top of a large hill and looked down upon a broad valley full of thousands upon thousands of bison. They decided to go around the herd, skirting to the right side along the hill tops and among the trees as possible. Not quite halfway to the next woods, they noticed that they weren’t the only ones observing the herd – a large red dragon was preying upon them. The group made a dash for the trees, except for Amblin, who felt it wiser to retreat back to the hill they’d just come over as it was closer.
From the safety of cover, they watched as the dragon hunted. Once fed, it belched a gout of fire through the herd and flew off to the north. Amblin finally caught back up with the others. Much disagreement and anger was sparked among some of the party due to Amblin’s unwillingness to follow the party’s leader (Nigel) and thereby put the party at greater risk by splitting up again. Zalman was particularly peeved and a few sharp barbs tossed his way courtesy of Kisty put him in a truly foul mood. With everyone on edge and most refusing to speak to one another, they continued onward.
Mid-afternoon the next day, they finally approached the village and were greeted by a pair of sentries. While the group was warmly welcomed to the small community, it was clear that the elves were reserved in their enthusiasm with Robyn’s return. They were introduced to Healana and Noalas, the husband and wife leaders of the village, who offered them use of a small hut and announced that a small feast would shortly be held in their honor.
Dinner was a pleasant affair. They ate with the members of the community on long tables under the trees. Food was simple but tasty, served with wine. Rurik hid his disappointment at the lack of ale by drinking even more wine. The others spoke of their journies, their home of New Selmar, and potential trading opportunities between the communities. The elves were receptive to the idea and offered to give it further consideration.
Joining them at the dinner table was the eldest elf in the village, a wizard by the name of Tehloan. His apprentice, a young elf by the name of Sinea, took an instant liking to Nigel and flirted shamelessly with him. Zalman took a keen interest in the elder wizard and arranged to meet and discuss matters wizardly at noon the next day. Amblin was happy to enjoy the music and food while letting the others talk on matters of their own interest. Kisty spent most of her time playing with the young children of the village, showing a heretofore unseen gentle side to her nature.
Rurik, while pursuing a state of drunkenness in quiet solitude, was accosted by two elvish brothers shortly after the meal was complete. He was not keen to speak with them until they produced a seemingly steady supply of wine for him. They asked if he had any knowledge of the operation of mines, refining ore, and metal work. As any full-blooded dwarf and cleric of Moradin, he answered that of course he was. The pair explained that the community had a shortage of metal and that they were considering trying to mine parts of a long abandoned dwarvish iron mine not far from the village. They had surveyed bits of it earlier in the week were curious as to whether he’d be willing to join them on a short trip there tomorrow to provide expertise on the matter. The flattery worked. As no one had any pressing plans to leave right away, Rurik’s companions agreed to let him go. Amblin was game for tagging along and Robyn, friend with both of the brothers, was also invited.
Nigel, meanwhile, had arranged a dinner date on the following evening with the young wizard apprentice. They would meet on the shore of the nearby pond for a picnic after her studies were complete for the day.
The next morning, the mine-exploring party departed on horse for their day trip. Kisty was off teaching the children new games. Zalman was studying, awaiting his appointment with the wizard. Nigel was bored and wandering about the village when Healana came upon him.
She commented upon the beauty and apparently quality of both his bow and quiver. Nigel was only too happy to show them to her. Talking shop led to an impromptu archery competition a ways away from the eyes of the rest of the village. They took turns splitting arrows and scoring bullseyes until the elder elf finally edged out Nigel. He was impressed, as was she. She asked him what he knew of the Order of Arcane Archers. Little, he replied, but he was eager to learn more. Healana spent the rest of the day teaching him the basic teachings of the Order, basically initiating him to their ranks on the spot.
Zalman met the apprentice at their shared two-room house. Sinea was studying a strange magical object that had been retrieved just a couple days earlier by the two brothers exploring the mines. It looked like a softball-sized egg made of smooth brown stone. Writing was inscribed upon it. The item had come in a small wood box. She had made little progress with it. Tehloan, the wizard, came out of his room at this point and discusses the item with Zalman. Zalman produces his magic candle from his bag and lights it, causing the strange words on the egg to become decipherable: Incarnate, Chaos, Mylocon. Tehloan returned the egg to its case and suggested that Sinea work on other studies for now.
The master led Zalman to a cramped room, shooing away his squirrel familiar. For hours they discussed magic and some of their experiences. Zalman was intrigued by the differences in their teachings, and yet saw some similarities. His own master, Sangelais, was an elf, after all.
Shortly after noon, the mine explorers reached the old shaft. The remnants of old houses and buildings surrounding it had long since fallen into disrepair and been overgrown by the surrounding forest. The shaft led directly into the side of a large hill. Rurik’s assessment suggested that the mine had not been used in close to a century. They wandered around a bit, checking the structural integrity of side tunnels and ore grade. It would take some effort, the dwarf knew, and some tunnels had already collapsed, but it might be workable again. The ore grade up near the entrance was poor, though.
As they ventured further back, the pair of elves noted where they had found a small wood box with a magical item resembling an egg earlier in the week. The spot he indicated was up against the wall in the main corridor leading back. One of the brothers had dabbled briefly in magic and recognized the item as being powerful enough for him not to dare messing with, so he had turned it over to the wizard to study.
They pressed on until they came upon a wider chamber with an open pit. A winch mechanism with chains indicated it was an elevator shaft. They couldn’t see the bottom. As they were about to press onward, a strange noise came to them from further back in the mine…almost like whispering. Unsure what it was, they positioned themselves about the room with weapons drawn and waited.
Just as they caught the first glimpse of something coming down the passageway toward them, the volume of the whispering went from soft to very loud. It was a maddening garble of gibberish that penetrated deeply into their minds, confusing and stunning several of them. Amblin, unable to shake the effect, found himself lashing out at Robyn, the nearest person, as if he were a foe. Several rapid strikes from the monk pummeled the poor elf. Robyn was able to shake off the mind effects emanating from the monstrous blob of eyes and mouths that rounded the corner long enough to get a clear look. Rather than get away from the insane monk, though, he chose to take a shot with his bow at the gibbering mouther. This afforded Amblin an attack of opportunity, which knocked Robyn into unconsciousness…and down the elevator shaft he was standing right next to. (Payback for getting an arrow in the leg?)
One of the elvish brothers fled the mines in magically induced fright. The others, witnessing the actions of Amblin and being repulsed by the horrific appearance of this creature, decided to follow suit. Amblin was horrified at what he had just done. With his mind once again clear, he chose to flee and contemplate the implications of his actions later. Outside, they mounted up and returned hastily back to the village.
Meanwhile, Nigel met up briefly with Zalman after the wizard’s afternoon-long discussion with his elvish counterpart. Nigel thought that Zalman was looking a little pale, but thought nothing more of it as he hurried off to his picnic dinner.
Sinea was already waiting for the ranger on a patch of soft grass near the pond. She looked sweet and innocent, her thin dress splayed out about the ground. They shared a pleasant dinner and a bottle of wine as the sun made its decent through the woods. The mood was right, the moment had come, and the leaned toward one another to kiss…
…but Sinea suddenly went into convulsions. Nigel was helpless watching her break out into a furious sweat, her body taut and thrashing about the ground. He yelled for help and a dozen elves appeared in moments, surrounding the girl. She eventually stopped thrashing and settled into unconsciousness. They decided to take her back into the town proper and seek better help.
Zalman, not feeling terribly well, decided to retreat to the hut lent to them rather than eat dinner. While laying upon his bedroll, he went into spasmodic convulsions as well. His empathic link with Hooty triggered a panic in the familiar. Zalman tried to get up, to get to the door, but collapsed into unconsciousness.
Nigel was frantic, unsure what to do about the girl. The village had no clerics and only an herbalist with much skill in healing. They laid her upon a table in the middle of the town while Nigel went looking for Zalman, the next best alternative without Rurik around. When he reached their hut, however, he found Zalman and immediately made a connection between the two. He carried the wizard outside and laid him beside Sinea, then went in search of the villages elder wizard.
The wizard’s hut was seemingly empty, aside from a pair of squirrels in the back room. Nigel went back outside and searched for any signs of forced entry or unusual tracks. Nothing. He went back inside and found that the squirrels were paying an usually keen amount of attention to him. With a bit of deduction and nodding or shaking of heads from one of the squirrels, Nigel concluded that: 1- one of the squirrels was quite possibly the wizard and 2- something inside a small wood box sitting on the apprentice’s desk was not to be touched but might somehow be involved. Nigel returned to gathered townsfolk with two squirrels in tow.
Rurik, Amblin, and the pair of elves returned about this time. They were still shaken from their own experience and were surprised at what was going on here in town. Nigel dragged Rurik over to the pair on the tables. Rurik immediately noted that neither Zalman nor Sinea looked like themselves. Both looked swollen and pale and, well, different.
Rurik cast curative spells, but nothing seemed to cause their conditions to improve. As the assembled people continued to watch, it became clear what was happening to the two. Zalman was assuming the form of Sinea, and Sinea was assuming the form of Zalman. Within a half an hour, the transformation was complete and both returned to groggy consciousness. When they were told what had transpired, they were at once shocked and surprised. That the elder wizard had been turned into an exact copy of his familiar was now quite obvious as well.
-Rybaer
