Rivers End.....

[RayneBlythewood9]

(Just so readers know, well if anyone reads this. Anything in parenthesis will be out of character. Like (this). I hope you enjoy our gaming group and sessions.)

For any and all who read this journal--may the knowledge and experiences enclosed be of some sound mind and help.


The adventures of Hopes Folly.

Hobart Zadrahl's journal of life's events.
It's never to late to start recording my life's details and events. The knowledge I have gained should be preserved and passed on for others to learn from and experience. I am currently an adventurer in a party of humans named Hopes Folly. Naming ourselves was more of an adventure than one would think. I refer to the group as Hobbs Folly. Myself being Hobbs of course. Well let me put a little background information in as to how and why I became an adventurer. It first started out when I left home to hit the city and become a rich merchant. River's End was going to be the pot of gold at the end of my rainbow. I joined up with a caravan heading to the city and met a couple of people heading to the city for a new beginning also. We conversed along the days travel and ended up staying at the same Inn. The only way to earn money was to be a group and do jobs posted at the adventurers guild. So we became Hobbs Folly.
Hobbs Folly:
As it stands now 3 of the original 6 are still alive, but only two are still in the group. Myself and Ryu a ranger/dervish. The other living member is a halfling barbarian who joined the underground arena and has become one of the most underestimated savages in the circuit. The first to perish was a student of the wizard college named Jast. I didn't know him that well, but he was a good man of noble blood. The next to perish was a large country boy named Aire. He carried a large great club and had some type of divine grace about him and could sort of cast a few spells. Some would say his soul was favored by the god of strife. His soul was set free by an axe wielding orc barbarian who would critical hit anything in his way. He served us after his own tribe deemed him dead, because we captured him. He only lasted a day or two, but fought very well for us. The last character to perish a Spirit Shaman/Druid named Polk. He was very weird and talked to things like they were people. It was sad to see him go.

We currently have 3 new people in the group replacing some of our lost companions. We have a fighter/wizard named Drassell and a Cleric of the god of strife that has a composite greatbow. The third is a wizard that loves to substitute acid for a lot of things. The wizard/fighter has basically taken on the same role that Jast occupied. The cleric and the wizard are totally a diffrent role that this group didn't have and now love.

I myself am a teller of tales and a historian. I sieze any opportunity available to me and try to make the best out of every situation. I first started out my life trying to be a sort of swindler or broker. I have sinced changed my ways or actually I haven't needed to swindle. I have become the groups faceman and bard. A jack of all trades and a master of very few. Most of all the luckiest of them. I will attempt to get some of the other party members to log some of their thoughts and group lessons also to have other point of views.

As for now I have to gather some information on the underground area of the bakery section of old town. We are looking for the ruins of an old evil cult and believe they are located their.
Perhaps I can continue after lunch.
Hobbs

 

[RayneBlythewood9]

occupied...

I couldn't write in the journal after lunch, because exciting events were unfolding. It turns out the current bakery over the area we believe the ruins to be never recieves morning deliveries. How do you bake bread and other things without milk and eggs. I did some researching and found the old baker that sold the current building. I managed to get into the bakery next door and have a look around and even went into the basment area where the grains are kept. They keep them in the basement to protect the city if a fire occurs. One of the main reasons why I came to the city in the first place. I have a tremendous fear of fire. The stuff is so unpredictable and devastating, but let me get back to the days events that unfolded.
We left to investigate the underground area and manage to lease a sewer run from the local thieves guild. We traveled a few minutes underground and ran into a dire rat. Our wonderful ranger Ryu told us all to stand back while he befriends the dirty creature. The same results as usual occured and the rat did nothing, which is better than attacking I suppose. Our scholarly wizard companion decides to try and converse with the beast through his familiar and presents it from his pocket. Seeing the rat the dire rat than bursts into a tentacle flailing sewer monster. The wizards yelled O-tug. One of those trash eaters that dwell in the sewers. After a minute or two of minor combat we are actually able to converse with the beast and find out that he is a druid of nature. I was a bit shocked to see a druid o-tug, but anything could happen as you will see later on in this tale.
He tells us that the rat man has been upsetting the balance of the sewers and causing rats to fight each other and do wierd things. We tell him we ran into some rat-assasins not to long ago. We explain that we were not rat lovers and were actually looking for them ourselves. He allows us to move on in our hunting seeing as how we had the same goals and combat was not necessary between us. A few minutes down a couple more sewer runs and we hit a small room with one human and a dire rat on patrol. Behind them were some stairs and a door. We come up with a plan to take out the guard and rat without alerting the occupants inside the door. We backtracked a few corners and cast silence on the arrow of the cleric and crept back up to the edge of the corridor. I had my magic missile wand ready and the wizard had a magic missile ready for the rat. The cleric shot and dropped the guard out of the chair. We weren't sure if the guard died or was just knocked out of the chair. So I used the wand and they didn't connect with the body because it was already dead. Then the wizard pumped the rat and it dropped too. A perfect ambush and little was expended. Ryu the ranger then crept up to hall and set off a trap, so I took the lead. I searched and found a few pressure plates and the lever to turn them off. We got to the stair and I didn't find anything else so I began to approach the door. Four steps up and a burning hands trap goes off......... Manure Ocureth...... Who uses fire traps in their lair. Don't you evil people know that you could set things on fire. Not only would you kill the intruders, but burn down your booby trapped little hideout. Common sense says use lightning or sonic damage, anything but fire. Jeez. I then took a moment to collect myself and think about how lucky I am to evade those blast effect damaging blasts. With my leather jerkins slightly soiled I proceeded to unlock the door and let the invisible ranger enter. At that time we all begin to hear the alarm going off from the front hall and so we all rush in. Just then rat swarms begin to pour in the bottom room. We close the door behind us for safety. As we did the large doors to the left were slowly beginning to open. Inside was a large rat-ogre beast and a small skinny human. The human said greetings my master awaits your presence in the thrown room. Shocked that they knew we were coming and wished to converse we entered the room and waited for the master.
A few rat men poured into the room and then entered a human with silver slick hair. He sat upon the throne and greeted us. He inquired as to our savage entry and requested payment for his lost guards. We told him that we were unable to meet his requests and reinburse him for his lost guards. He wished to know why we savagely entered his lair and began to kill things. After a few minutes of needless controversy and insults we managed to find out that we entered a rival guild and were speaking to the leader the Quick Silver King. He was rather upset and told us we should beg for our lives.
Putting previous events together and stepping out on a limb I asked if the ruins were a better living quarters than the wooden crate he arrived in. Back when we first started adventuring we cleaned out a warehouse of some rat infestation and saw a silver headed rat escape into the sewer drain. He then stated that I looked familiar and shortly after that the cleric of strife could not restrain his will and drew back his bow.
Let me continue the details of the epic battle in my next entry as it is time for me to partake of dinner.
Hobbs

 

[RayneBlythewood9]

Sorry I've been quite busy lately, but let me get back to the last tale I was telling.

The epic battle:


It was actually very quick. On the first round I was able to pop off a glitterdust to try and blind the rat group before the split up. I reacted quickly and managed to act before them and blind all but the quick silver king's rat companion. We were outnumbered until that point. There was a rat ogre behind us. Four rat henchmen, a purplish colored robed one and the QS King in front of us. I managed to affect 3 minions and the king himself with my spell. The gods must have been looking out for us in this battle. I didn't think that he would fail against my little magic.

Blinded the QS King took the form of the silver headed rat and bit the tail of his companion who then scurried behind the throne leading his master away. We tried to stop his escape, but were unable with the battle still going on. We quickly dismantled the two minions that could see and the ogre also. Marcus had a hard time dealing with the ogre's presence. It seemed everytime he tried to cast a spell he would worry about the ogre being able to hit him and get distracted and fail. Well that only happened twice I believe.

We finished with the battle that lasted less than the duration of my glitterdust spell, which should last around 30 seconds. We then bursted into a few of the adjacent rooms trying to find where the rat's could have scurried off to. Two rooms later and we found them hiding in some bedding. Surrender he did.

Trying to come to some type of agreement was difficult with this arrogant fellow. He insisted that his defeat was based on us getting lucky. He claimed that most of his minions were out doing chores and his defensed were greatly depleated at the time of our coming. He insisted that if we didn't let him go we would all die and we found that hard to believe. He could control rat swarms, but we didn't think he could do it while unconscious. So we knocked him out and attempted to get out of the sewers.

It turns out that the last order he gave the swarms was to come in and kill everything if he didn't tell them anything in a minute or so. So we had some hundreds of rats chewing through doors trying to get to us. We woke up the QS King and told him to order the rats to stop and renegotiate. He ordered them to stop, and as soon as he did Marcus the wizard tried to club him and knock him back out. Marcus thought that the rats would obey the QS King's last order until he told them otherwise, which may have worked, but we never found out.

Marcus missed and Hal my robot cohort asked Marcus if he should knock him out and Marcus had doubt form in his mind about the mechanics of how he controlled the swarms and told Hal not to. The QS King was rather upset about this attempt to decieve him, but could still do little. We managed to get out to the sewers, but ran into two more rat henchmen with our Rogue guide. They were shocked to see that we had the QS King captured.

Just then we had more negotiating to do and the QS King's was getting more leverage. The terms that we finally came to let three of our party go with the Rogue guide and three of us were to stay and get all the information and questions we could out of the QS King and then let him return to the imperial side of the river. We agreed and Ryu the ranger, Terek the cleric, and myself the whatever is needed at the time stayed behind to ask questions and find out more information.

The other three that left were taken in for questioning by the Guild about what had occured that night and were somewhat resistant in telling the story and were held. A few hours later when we left the QS King we ended up getting the same treatment, but they were a little bit more flexible with me and I told them everything they needed to know. I also had to vouch for my three companions and get them out of their cell.

I also inquired about any reward that their may have been and they said they would get back to me on that subject. They asked us to remain in town and a few days later we recieved 8,000 gold for all the information we had on the QS King. The reward was 10,000, but they felt that the guide that led us to were we wanted to go should get 2,000.
If only we had known that little fella was worth two grand when we negotiated for his life down in the sewers. He may not have made it up.

Well I've got some errands to run. Got to get some scrolls and such. Marcus is going to make me a cloak to boost my charisma. I also need to get some supplies for our next adventure. Terak is going to upgrade Hal's armor and shield. I also think that Terak is making his bow more magical and Marcus is making something for Ryu also.
Until next time....

 

[RayneBlythewood9]

(I prevoisly typed this section and lost it near the end when he laptop hibernated cause it wasn't plugged in. When I plugged it in and tried to bring it back up it didn't work. So this may have been better written but you'll never know.)

I have been neglecting my duties to document the groups daily tasks and adventures. Let me try and catch the journal up to our present setting.

After recieving our reward for routing the QS King we equipped ourselves with needed items and set out for our next adventure. We are attempting to visit the Broken Fang.

The Broken Fang is an old dwarven mining stronghold that is now inhabited by new found enemies of our group. They recently set an ambush and tried to kill us. After interrogating one of the bodies for information with Speak with Dead we found some information leads and we are on our way.

Along the way we ran into a couple of scuffles and faired well in all the encounters. Making out with a decent amount of treasure.

Our first encounter we ran into two ogre's getting ready to cook a young screaming tied up maiden. Terak was able to sever the large iron pot from the chain with a precise arrow and scald the ogre stirring. With ranged attacks we took the two out and approached to untie the helpless women. Upon approaching we became overly cautious and Terak began to cast detect magic and the women blasted us with a cone of cold. Then invisible Ogre's attacked from the flanks.

With the ambush sprung we reacted with heavy offense upon the maiden and kill the would be Ogre Mage and then each other Ogre in sessesion.

Our next encounter was another ambush. This time we were crossing a large crystaline bridge and Manticore attacked us from above with quills and flyby attacks. We weathered their initial ranged onslaught and returned fire. We killed one quickly and pretty much tortured the other. Marcus cast Burning Blood on the beast and I managed to blind it with Glitterdust. It wasn't able to fly well blinded and we made quick work of it.

The manticores had a nice cash of hidden treasure at the top of a craggy cliff. We were surprised with the haul and the 10,003 copper pieces.

Our next experiencing combat occured with two Hill giants that we were able to slay with our superior ranged attacks and lucky spells. We entagled them and I was even able to glitterdust one of them. With fair amount of warning combat against these creatures isn't too difficult. I recommend using trees for cover as we did, because they hurl some very large boulders with ease.

We also revisited the Star rock that fell from the sky and entered the metal caverns inside it. We attempted to gain entry to the door we weren't able to before, but were unsuccessful. It reacted bad to magic and we didn't gain any further ground then before. Our ranger insists we return better supplied to find out what's behind the door, but I'm not so sure it's a wise idea.

My next entry will involve our battle at Broken Fang and our imminent death from a frontal approach on a dwarven stronghold with arrow slits, boiling oil, and murder holes.

 

[RayneBlythewood9]

( I'm posting my character hobbs for readers to see. the little that I have that is.

Hobbs
8th level
Rogue-2/Bard-5/Mind Bender-1
young male 20 years of age about 5'10" brown hair and brow eyes 160lbs
str-7
dex-14
con-12
int-12
wis-8
cha-17/19 with cloak

fort-5
ref-9
will-6

bab-4
hit points=40
ac=17 +5 armor+2 dex

some of my skills:
appraise 5
bluff 12
decipher script 6
diplomacy 17
disable device 6
disguise 6
forgery 3
gather info 16
Hide 4
intimidate 10
knowledges:
local 6
religion 6
nobility & royalty 2
history 6
bardic 8

Move silenty 4
open lock 6
perform oratory 9
search 8
sense motive 5
spellcraft 8
tumble 10
use magic device 22

Feats
persuasive
investigator
Magical aptitude
Leadership

possessions
+1 mithral chain shirt
Ring of Use magic device +5
Hat of Disquise
Hewards Handy Haversack
+1 vest of resistance
+2 cloak of charisma
medal of gallantry
Slippers of spider climb

wands
magic missile 9th level caster
magic missile 7th level caster
magic missile 3rd level caster
shield
invisibility
repair light wounds
shield of faith
lesser acid orb
ray of enfeeblement

scrolls
34 of them
currently
all kinds of odd stuff

 

[Ovinomancer]

Reserving this space for interesting DM perspective story. More to come

 

[RayneBlythewood9]

My cohort...

Hobbs, entry

I know you have been wondering about the follower I have. The party named has named him Hal. We found Hal in a meteor/star that fell from the sky. We went to explore the sky rock and discovered two tribes fighting over control of it. They worship it. We found that this star had a cavernous system and was made up of a red metal type substance.

After much exploring and setting off odd mechanisms and traps. We fought some sort of animated iron golem or type of effigy. I haven't ever seen an effigy only heard of them from another bard. A few rooms later we ran into a suit of red metal plate mail. Oddly enough it became animated and scanned me over. I used my ability to manipulate magic items and then it started to obey and follow me about.

Hal has a body makeup of a suit of adamantine plate mail. He doesn't heal normally and requires repair like some sort of living construct. So far he is immune to sleep effects, fatigue and exhaustion. I'm sure he has other immunities also, but they are yet to be revealed. He can be critically hit in combat, but has the ability to shrug off some of the blows about a quarter of the time.

He is able to recieve spells to help him fight and boost his abilities just like any other humanoid. However healing spells only do half their respected capability. This may be because of his strong body armor or perhaps our cleric currently hasn't been in his god's favor.

The best thing about Hal is that he doesn't need to eat, sleep, or breathe. As my new bodyguard he is pretty much always on watch.

He has a Large red shield and a large arm blade that he can use with great ease. It just shoots out of his arm when he needs it. He is a large intimidating force to be dealt with.
I have managed to get his weapon, shield and armor magically enchanted to better help him and me. I've also gotten him a few more items that will help him to protect and defend me.
He now also has a ring of protection +1, Guantlets of Ogre Power minor +2, a ring of enlarge 2x per day, and a new creation to hit the town an armband of might.

well that's enough for tonight and that's pretty much everything I know about Hal, but he is a big metal machine of mystery so i'm sure I can always add something new about him.

 

[RayneBlythewood9]

Hal's character sheet

Hal

fighter 5
devoted defender 1 (from sword and fist)

str 18/20 with guantlets
dex 12
con 19
int 12
wis 10
cha 4

fort 10
ref 4
will 1

Hp 67
Ac 25

skills
intimidate 8
jump 5
listen 6
search5
sense motive 4
spot 11

feats
weapon focus arm blade
power attack
weapon specialization arm blade
alertness
improved bull rush

special abilities
warforged traits
light fortification 25%
adamantine body
living construct
doesn't need to eat, sleep or breathe
doesn't heal naturally
can be raised
Harm's Way (sword and fist)

Items/Equip
+1 Full plate
+1 Heavy steel shield
+1 Armblade
Ring of deflection +1
ring of enlarge 2x per day
Gauntlets of Strength +2
Armband of Might

 

[RayneBlythewood9]

The old dwarven stronghold....

Ok so broken fang happens to be an old dwarven stronghold that the dwarven miners could fall back to in dire times. In a shocking coincidence they have abandoned it, and now people that ambushed us are its new occupants. We were able to use some prying eyes to sneak in and check the place out. Marcus described what they saw as they went around.

At the front was the cave mouth and two guards. About 30 feet in was a wall with some doors and numerous defense positions. Arrow slits, murder holes, and even a boiling substance. Inside of that gate was a type of holding room. You would be surrounded on all sides by walls, with a gate behind you and infront of you. With defensive positions all around you.

That was just the front two rooms of course. After we viewed all we could with the prying eyes, we scanned the mountain side for the secret entrance. All dwarven strongholds have a secret entrance. Well we heard that it might and could have one. The odds were against us in finding it, but we did of course. It was a couple hundred feet above the front entrance. Gaining access wasn't really difficult, just slow and steady.

We get to the top by the area we think the door should be. It is a well hidden plateau and rock outcropping with a great view. We were able to find some sort of swivel mount system for something on the edge of the rock ledge. The piece we saw twinkle in the sun from down below. Other than that piece we were unable to find exactly where the door was or how to open one if it was their.

Night fell and we set watches and camped and slept on the cliff face, without any fire. Around the middle of the night a really old stocky dwarf comes out of the mountain side. Every hair on him was super grey, almost mithril and kinda glowed in the moon light. He had a large spy glass in his hands and placed it in the metal swivel. He then looked over in Ryu our ranger's direction and in dwarven he said, "you are relieved". Then he began scanning the area below and beyond the treeline.

Ryu saw him and spoke in a friendly tone to greet the dwarf. The stocky fellow turned white and was shocked someone was their. He did'nt even see any of us sleeping on the right side of the platform. He just came out and got to work. He drew his axe and readied it for defense. After a few minutes of negotiation we were able to figure out he was a ghost stuck in a loop of afterlife. He would take watch everynight.

We gathered as much info from the old dwarven ghost that we could and also found the secret entrance into the mountain. We managed to get a layout of the stronghold and were going to assault in the morning.

I'll add more about this subject after I get some hot food from the kitchen and a nice warm bath. It's been a while since I could enjoy some of the more fond city life benefits. The wizard begins researching and crafting items, and I just soak in a warm bath. Somewhat unfair, but I hope he finishes my item...

 

[RayneBlythewood9]

The assault

Ok so let me finish the exciting attack that occured. Ok so it turns out that a frontal attack would have ended all of our lives. They had too many strong defense points to bombard us from behind.

Luckily the stairs to the mountain top lookout were a secret and came down just inside the last set of defense doors. Once we popped out in that room we only had to kill one guard with a bow sitting behind an arrow slit wall. Their was an identical guard on the other side of the room, but we closed and locked his arrow slit hall.

Once inside that room we cast a hold portal on the double doors and put the bar across the door. This would hopefully prevent the dozen or so guards at the first set of defense doors from getting back to fight.

So are surprise assault worked we attacked while a bunch of guards were eating breakfast and a good many were still asleep. We fought a few right in the dining hall and then moved on to the sleeping quarters. Not the simple guards in the barracks, but the actual leaders an bosses that were running the stronghold. They even had some type of sand elemental two sword fighting creatures that were their as ambassadors.

The plan was for me to hold the back door with the scroll of hold portal and then move to the hall of leader rooms. In case I didn't mention before we used prying eyes to scout out the stronghold and see where things were and find the leaders rooms.

Hal was going to attack the guards eating. Which were only 2, but the 2 cooks jumped out with a cleaver and chef knife. They were pretty much no threat and went down easily. Ryu and Drassell were to go to the far hall and prevent hordes of guards from pouring in. Which they did easily with Ryu's Dervish dancing and Drassell's whirling blade.

Marcus and Terak were to assault the leader rooms with my help after I secured the back door. We had the large blue goblin room on the right, but it was locked and the Sand people popped up out of the floor. They pretty much rose out of the sand by the front of their door which was straight down the hall before it turned to the left.

They put up the biggest fight and took the longest to deal with. While we dealt with them, the door next to them contained a wizard type character and he popped out to assault us. Seeing his spells as a bigger threat than the dual blade wielding sand guys, our concentration changed to focus on him. With the three of us placing our pressure on the wizard guy he went down in a couple of rounds.

We were able to take out one of the sand people, but heard spellcasting from inside the door at the end of the hall and decided to get in and prevent further strenghtening of a soon to be conflict of intrests. It turned out to be some sort of demon that had abilities to cast some wierd things, sort of like a sorcerer, but different.

Marcus and Terak concentrated on him and managed to drop him, but they never checked the corpse when it fell behind the makeshift desk. Somehow he wasn't their later when we returned to search and gather.

While they dealt with the demon I was face to face with one of the dagger sandmen. I'm not much for brutal violence and was trying to persuade him to stop attacking me. I tried glitterdust, but he had some sort of eye membrane that protected him from the spell. So I pretty much kept moving away.

Hal was coming to my aid as well as Ryu. Ryu was able to show the creature his superior two blade ability and bested the creature. Ryu and Drassell also dealt with the blue goblin thing that kept teleporting around and blasting them.

After we took out the big threats and the leader type figures we swept through the barracks. Many of the guards got their armor on, but it didn't help. They swarmed a few of use but didn't like it when Marcus cast acid hands and took out a bunch of them.

Later that night we returned to the mountain top and waited for the dwarven ghost guard to return. When he did, we informed him of our victory. Now that we were the owners of the stronghold we were able to relieve him of his duty and he thanked us and dissapeared.

We found some books and journals detailing the strongholds occurances. It turns out their would be another ambassador coming to the stronghold for negotiations tomorrow. So we were going to wait and see what we could do about the Empire's alliances. Ill get to that after I get some rest. On a quick side note, I found two fantastic items in town today. One is called a Medal of Gallantry. It helps me with my diplomacy, but hinders my ability to bend the truth. The best thing about it is the effect of keeping me out of the fight.
The other item I found is Armbands of Might. They are for Hal. They provide him with more strength on his strength checks, and they also grant him more damage on his attacks if he forgoes some of his accuracy.

But enough for now, let me get some rest.