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Knightfall's World of Kulan: Tales of the Companions Story Hour (Final Update: Sep 20, 2014)
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<blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 284079" data-attributes="member: 2012"><p><span style="color: DarkOrange"><strong>JOURNEY SOUTH</strong></span></p><p></p><p><em><strong>From the Journal of Bactra Redwind, son of Minonus</strong></em></p><p></p><p><em><strong>The Keep of Ewerwell:</strong></em></p><p><em>I still don't understand why we let Dabuk talk us into this. The Keep was given to us by the Duke for our role in helping placate the bugbears of the Sunus Mountains. It would have been a great place to setup in. It had everything we could need including the alchemist's lab for me. Sure it needed some work but we didn't choose the adventuring life because it would be easy.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>But then again, that had been Dabuk's point. He said and I quote "I am not going to become someone's servant. My only loyalty is to my family and myself. If the Keep is still ours when we come back then great. If the Duke wants to give it to someone else then so be it. Life on the road is harder, which is the way it should be."</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>I guess it made sense from his point of view. But I wish there had been a way I could have done both. I can't believe I walked away from a fully stocked, free alchemist's lab. I guess I'm more like Dabuk then I'd like to admit.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>I did get to keep Hezra Blacktooth's spellbook and wand of fear, though. That plus the coins and gems we recovered were more than enough to restock our supplies and buy some better weapons. My new staff is a lot sturdier than my old one. It's shod with mithral heads and made out of strong foxwood that only grows north of the Greystone Mountains. It cost me quite a bit but it was worth it.</em></p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>DM's Note:</strong> This weapon was originally a better than average staff (But not magical), but now it is a masterwork staff for 3.5e.</p><p></p><p></p><p>* * *</p><p></p><p></p><p><em><strong>South of Minar:</strong></em></p><p><em>…We traveled south past the edge of the Duchy of Minar and into the Hather Plains. I heard rumors about this land when I was a child from my father. He told me that it was full of brigands and thieves riding across the plains stealing from travelers and each other alike. So far, all I've seen are rabbits and tumbleweeds…</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>…The Hather Plains provided nothing but to parch my throat. I was glad to run into civilization again as we came across several towns and villages. I asked some fellow travelers where we were. They called the place Liran pointing towards the east…</em></p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>"The capital city is that way but stay out of the Thunder Mountains, There is a huge city of orcs in the mountains and they'll eat your elven hide if they get a chance."</strong></p><p></p><p><em>That hadn’t sound like something I wanted to experience and we all agreed to keep going south. Dabuk was actually insistent that we kept going south until he said otherwise. Sometimes he can be a real pain in the-…</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>…Our decision brought us to the edge of a huge desert that stretched south in every direction. The leather-bound map, Mesik bought in Minar, of the southern lands hadn’t had any markings about a desert. Of course, it hadn't had any markings on it about Liran either. The rest of us agreed that he'd definitely been cheated…</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>…I had hoped that Dabuk would turn us around return to the north or at least skirt the edge of the desert heading west. But he is determined to brave the desert. The heat is almost unbearable and we were forced to purchase loose tunics and breeches for everyone and stock up on water from a roadside peddler.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>His prices were outrageous!</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>We pushed on into the desert, which the trader referred to as the Great Expanse. That didn’t sound promising. I'm beginning to wonder if Dabuk might be trying to distance himself from something.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Dvalin didn't like the idea of going through the desert period. He started sweating uncontrollably. We tried not to pay attention to his odor, but it was so bad. Jeddar has been closest to him during our time in the desert, and hinted that Dvalin should try rubbing sand all over himself to hopefully mask the smell. So far, it hasn’t worked very well…</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>…Soon after entering the Great Expanse a low mountain range becomes visible in the distance to the southwest. We all agree it might be better to travel near the mountains then in the open desert.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>They seemed to be fairly dry, as Dabuk noted that there aren't any visible snowcaps in the range. More than likely they would be barren without much life, but all agree the mountains might provide some shelter from the heat...</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>…The mountain range soon blocked the horizon to the west, as we traveled along the edge of the range, through dusty foothills. They’re very low mountains, indeed. Even the Sunus Mountains, which separate the Duchy of Minar from the Barony of Wolffire, put them to shame.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>However, they weren’t as lifeless, as we originally thought. Scraggly trees and bushes could soon be seen growing on the mountainside, but not much else. And while we hadn't come across any monsters or overtly dangerous terrain, Dabuk had refused to travel any closer to the mountains. He was sure that something lived in the deeper hills, but didn’t know what. Everyone was becoming tired and tense, at this point…</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>…Dabuk's suspicions had been correct. Something did live in the mountain range and it soon began stalking us. My cousin had found several large tracks like a lion's, but nothing else. The beast always evaded us somehow. Dabuk had refused to go any farther until the creature's intentions were discovered…</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>…Dabuk and Mesik soon became annoyed. They had no idea what was hunting us or how it seemed to be everywhere, all at once. I suggested that maybe there were more than one, which Jeddar didn't like the sound of. I hadn’t liked suggesting it either. However, my cousin had become sure there was only one creature and he had become certain it was unnatural…</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>…On the third night of being stalked by the beast, we discovered its secret. It could fly! The beast flew over us during the night and had roared at us. Fear had trickled down my spine, and it had felt like my strength of will was being drained from my body. The beast flew off while we stood side by side together in the darkness trying not to shake.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>The next day we worried about rogue dragons and fell beasts of legend. Dabuk didn’t think it was a rogue dragon, but he isn’t 100% sure. We didn’t see or hear anything, however, now watching the sky as well as the horizon.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Then on the fourth night it attacked. The beast flew in low and roared at us. Even with my elven eyes I had trouble spotting the beast in the night sky. Dabuk tried to knock it out of the air with his bow, while Dvalin finally lost his cool howling at the beast waving his axe in the air. I tried to prepare a spell to bring it down but found myself unable to move. The beast's roar is obviously a magical attack of some kind.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>It circled us several times staying well out of range of Dabuk's bow. I noticed Mesik on the ground shaking in fear, at this point. Jeddar tried his bow as well but lost his nerve when the beast flew in low right at him roaring again. Mesik had curled up in a ball and wouldn't move.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>The second time I hadn’t felt the fear, casting daylight into the night sky. Dabuk found his range putting an arrow into the beast's hide. The beast landed several feet behind me in the sand growling in rage. It was over 10 feet long with a cat-like face. Yet its body looked almost reptilian.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Dvalin charged into the beast his axe whipping through the air. Jeddar regained his composure putting an arrow into the creature's shoulder. I stepped back as Dabuk went charging by, his short sword cutting into the beast's hide, at the same time it pounced on Dvalin. Jeddar joined the fray, his twin blades flashing, while I tried to get Mesik to snap out of his fear induced stupor.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>The beast tried to take to the air with Dvalin but Jeddar and Dabuk succeeded in pinning its wings down. The beast snapped and clawed at them, releasing Dvalin. He looked bad.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Eventually, Dabuk and Jeddar severely wounded the beast. It didn’t get up again. We all stood around the creature wondering whether it was intelligent or not. Dvalin hadn’t been hurt as bad as I originally thought and Mesik soon recovered.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Dabuk hadn’t felt it was right just to leave it there to be claimed by the vultures and desert sand. We dragged it deeper into the hills and piled stones around it. We felt a little guilty. It hadn't been evil, we were pretty sure of that. It had simply been hungry. Dabuk said a prayer to Rillifane for the beast and we left the mountains behind to continue south, beyond the Great Expanse.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>I still say there had been more than one…</em></p><p></p><p>* * *</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Knightfall, post: 284079, member: 2012"] [COLOR=DarkOrange][B]JOURNEY SOUTH[/B][/COLOR] [I][B]From the Journal of Bactra Redwind, son of Minonus[/B][/I] [I][B]The Keep of Ewerwell:[/B] I still don't understand why we let Dabuk talk us into this. The Keep was given to us by the Duke for our role in helping placate the bugbears of the Sunus Mountains. It would have been a great place to setup in. It had everything we could need including the alchemist's lab for me. Sure it needed some work but we didn't choose the adventuring life because it would be easy. But then again, that had been Dabuk's point. He said and I quote "I am not going to become someone's servant. My only loyalty is to my family and myself. If the Keep is still ours when we come back then great. If the Duke wants to give it to someone else then so be it. Life on the road is harder, which is the way it should be." I guess it made sense from his point of view. But I wish there had been a way I could have done both. I can't believe I walked away from a fully stocked, free alchemist's lab. I guess I'm more like Dabuk then I'd like to admit. I did get to keep Hezra Blacktooth's spellbook and wand of fear, though. That plus the coins and gems we recovered were more than enough to restock our supplies and buy some better weapons. My new staff is a lot sturdier than my old one. It's shod with mithral heads and made out of strong foxwood that only grows north of the Greystone Mountains. It cost me quite a bit but it was worth it.[/I] [INDENT][B]DM's Note:[/B] This weapon was originally a better than average staff (But not magical), but now it is a masterwork staff for 3.5e.[/INDENT] * * * [I][B]South of Minar:[/B] …We traveled south past the edge of the Duchy of Minar and into the Hather Plains. I heard rumors about this land when I was a child from my father. He told me that it was full of brigands and thieves riding across the plains stealing from travelers and each other alike. So far, all I've seen are rabbits and tumbleweeds… …The Hather Plains provided nothing but to parch my throat. I was glad to run into civilization again as we came across several towns and villages. I asked some fellow travelers where we were. They called the place Liran pointing towards the east…[/I] [INDENT][B]"The capital city is that way but stay out of the Thunder Mountains, There is a huge city of orcs in the mountains and they'll eat your elven hide if they get a chance."[/B][/INDENT] [I]That hadn’t sound like something I wanted to experience and we all agreed to keep going south. Dabuk was actually insistent that we kept going south until he said otherwise. Sometimes he can be a real pain in the-… …Our decision brought us to the edge of a huge desert that stretched south in every direction. The leather-bound map, Mesik bought in Minar, of the southern lands hadn’t had any markings about a desert. Of course, it hadn't had any markings on it about Liran either. The rest of us agreed that he'd definitely been cheated… …I had hoped that Dabuk would turn us around return to the north or at least skirt the edge of the desert heading west. But he is determined to brave the desert. The heat is almost unbearable and we were forced to purchase loose tunics and breeches for everyone and stock up on water from a roadside peddler. His prices were outrageous! We pushed on into the desert, which the trader referred to as the Great Expanse. That didn’t sound promising. I'm beginning to wonder if Dabuk might be trying to distance himself from something. Dvalin didn't like the idea of going through the desert period. He started sweating uncontrollably. We tried not to pay attention to his odor, but it was so bad. Jeddar has been closest to him during our time in the desert, and hinted that Dvalin should try rubbing sand all over himself to hopefully mask the smell. So far, it hasn’t worked very well… …Soon after entering the Great Expanse a low mountain range becomes visible in the distance to the southwest. We all agree it might be better to travel near the mountains then in the open desert. They seemed to be fairly dry, as Dabuk noted that there aren't any visible snowcaps in the range. More than likely they would be barren without much life, but all agree the mountains might provide some shelter from the heat... …The mountain range soon blocked the horizon to the west, as we traveled along the edge of the range, through dusty foothills. They’re very low mountains, indeed. Even the Sunus Mountains, which separate the Duchy of Minar from the Barony of Wolffire, put them to shame. However, they weren’t as lifeless, as we originally thought. Scraggly trees and bushes could soon be seen growing on the mountainside, but not much else. And while we hadn't come across any monsters or overtly dangerous terrain, Dabuk had refused to travel any closer to the mountains. He was sure that something lived in the deeper hills, but didn’t know what. Everyone was becoming tired and tense, at this point… …Dabuk's suspicions had been correct. Something did live in the mountain range and it soon began stalking us. My cousin had found several large tracks like a lion's, but nothing else. The beast always evaded us somehow. Dabuk had refused to go any farther until the creature's intentions were discovered… …Dabuk and Mesik soon became annoyed. They had no idea what was hunting us or how it seemed to be everywhere, all at once. I suggested that maybe there were more than one, which Jeddar didn't like the sound of. I hadn’t liked suggesting it either. However, my cousin had become sure there was only one creature and he had become certain it was unnatural… …On the third night of being stalked by the beast, we discovered its secret. It could fly! The beast flew over us during the night and had roared at us. Fear had trickled down my spine, and it had felt like my strength of will was being drained from my body. The beast flew off while we stood side by side together in the darkness trying not to shake. The next day we worried about rogue dragons and fell beasts of legend. Dabuk didn’t think it was a rogue dragon, but he isn’t 100% sure. We didn’t see or hear anything, however, now watching the sky as well as the horizon. Then on the fourth night it attacked. The beast flew in low and roared at us. Even with my elven eyes I had trouble spotting the beast in the night sky. Dabuk tried to knock it out of the air with his bow, while Dvalin finally lost his cool howling at the beast waving his axe in the air. I tried to prepare a spell to bring it down but found myself unable to move. The beast's roar is obviously a magical attack of some kind. It circled us several times staying well out of range of Dabuk's bow. I noticed Mesik on the ground shaking in fear, at this point. Jeddar tried his bow as well but lost his nerve when the beast flew in low right at him roaring again. Mesik had curled up in a ball and wouldn't move. The second time I hadn’t felt the fear, casting daylight into the night sky. Dabuk found his range putting an arrow into the beast's hide. The beast landed several feet behind me in the sand growling in rage. It was over 10 feet long with a cat-like face. Yet its body looked almost reptilian. Dvalin charged into the beast his axe whipping through the air. Jeddar regained his composure putting an arrow into the creature's shoulder. I stepped back as Dabuk went charging by, his short sword cutting into the beast's hide, at the same time it pounced on Dvalin. Jeddar joined the fray, his twin blades flashing, while I tried to get Mesik to snap out of his fear induced stupor. The beast tried to take to the air with Dvalin but Jeddar and Dabuk succeeded in pinning its wings down. The beast snapped and clawed at them, releasing Dvalin. He looked bad. Eventually, Dabuk and Jeddar severely wounded the beast. It didn’t get up again. We all stood around the creature wondering whether it was intelligent or not. Dvalin hadn’t been hurt as bad as I originally thought and Mesik soon recovered. Dabuk hadn’t felt it was right just to leave it there to be claimed by the vultures and desert sand. We dragged it deeper into the hills and piled stones around it. We felt a little guilty. It hadn't been evil, we were pretty sure of that. It had simply been hungry. Dabuk said a prayer to Rillifane for the beast and we left the mountains behind to continue south, beyond the Great Expanse. I still say there had been more than one…[/I] * * * [/QUOTE]
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