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Better Off Unknown (D&D 3.5 edition)
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<blockquote data-quote="aboyd" data-source="post: 3582767" data-attributes="member: 44797"><p><strong>The Journey Begins, part 1</strong></p><p></p><p>Two days out from Freeport, Govard and Castor lay on the floor, seasick and apparently hoping to find something solid to rest upon. Draden, Crommel and Alric gathered around a battered table. Having finished the "food" and muttering about its mysterious contents, the topic gradually returned to their destination.</p><p></p><p>Alric commented, "We cannot tell the captain to drop us in the midst of a battle against this Azarr Kul."</p><p></p><p>"Why not?" asked Crommel.</p><p></p><p>Alric replied, "He is an orc. He may very well be hoping the hobgoblin hordes win. He may be allied. If we tell him we intend to help slaughter his friends, he may not wish to drop us off."</p><p></p><p>Alric heard a strained voice coming from the floor. "What, then?" asked Govard. "Should we head back to reclaim Draden's 'throne?' Where was that again?"</p><p></p><p>Draden started to snap a reply, but stopped quickly as footsteps on the ladder announced visitors.</p><p></p><p>Scarbelly came up from the lower gangway, and took a seat at the end of the table. He waved over a short goblin that had been following him. "Cookie, fetch the rum allotment and six cups."</p><p></p><p>Crommel glanced over at Scarbelly, a smile becoming evident under his beard.</p><p></p><p>"So, you are away from Freeport and have paid me a lot of money to get you here. The question is, where do you want to be?" A frown flashed briefly across Scarbelly's face before continuing, "There are a number of places where this ship cannot go, but many more where we are welcome." He leaned back in the chair as Cookie returned with the rum. Cookie poured a draught into each of six battered silver goblets, and handed them out.</p><p></p><p>"To your health," saluted Scarbelly as he downed the rum. Castor didn't even try to drink, but Govard managed a swig. Cookie left the bottle in the center of the table, and headed back to the galley.</p><p></p><p>The captain grabbed the bottle with one hand and spread out a worn map on the table with his other hand. The original ink was faded but visible, although much was obscured by scrawls in a language unknown to the group. Basic landmarks were clear -- Flotsam and Jetsom, Freeport, The Pomarj, Keoland. But overlaid were thick lines and cruel scratches, which Alric presumed to be routes and secret ports that would serve an orc pirate well.</p><p></p><p>Although Alric worshiped the god of travel, he had never been very interested in the mechanics of travel itself. Looking over the map, he felt that perhaps he should have developed a greater respect for these things. But all that truly mattered to Alric was that he was on the move. And so he looked up at the imposing figure of the captain, and said with a smile, "We might be willing to be dropped anywhere you wish. So long as you do not deliver us to depths of the ocean, I believe we will survive. Although my friends may say otherwise."</p><p></p><p>For a while, they did. The discussion continued until it came down to a simple matter of food. Their stores would only last a few more days, unless one of the horses stabled below deck could be slaughtered to feed the crew. The very suggestion appeared to be abhorrent to Crommel. In the end, the agreement was to sail for the closest port, northwest. Their provisions would last that long, if the wind was fair.</p><p></p><p>Alric, Draden, and the captain headed topside. Perhaps still disturbed by the discussion, Crommel headed down to check on his pony. As if the gods wanted to deepen his paranoia, Crommel found the ship's cook sitting by the horses, sharpening his blades. The little goblin was staring cross-eyed, drooling, his knife whisking against the whetstone. Moving in front of the animals, Crommel met his beady eyes. It was time to deliver a warning.</p><p></p><p>Draden turned to Alric. "Do you hear that? Sounds like our orc friends down there are behaving like... orcs."</p><p></p><p>Alric shrugged. "No, I don't hear anything." Then came the dread sound of wood colliding with wood. The crew on deck began running towards the bow. "Oh, you mean that?"</p><p></p><p>"No I don't!" shouted Draden, who had already notched an arrow. He spoke without returning Alric's questioning gaze, his eyes instead scanning the front of the vessel.</p><p></p><p>Shouts in the orcs' guttural tongue flew between the captain and crew quickly. Then Alric saw it, a thick heavy ooze that rapidly engulfed the railing. He wasn't sure if it was the blurry transparency of the jelly-like creature, but it appeared that some wood under the beast was actually disintegrating. With a twinge of true fear, Alric rushed out a magical prayer, the words coming so quickly he barely registered what he was doing. But Draden had landed a shot before Alric even opened his mouth.</p><p></p><p>"Govard! Castor! Get up here!" Draden moved for a clear shot and whipped another arrow onto the string.</p><p></p><p>Alric finished his spell. "They're sick! We'll be lucky if they can hold their weapons right now. But CROM COULD LEND A HAND!" Alric was nearly screaming, hoping to draw up his comrade.</p><p></p><p>Below deck, Crommel had been knocked off-balance by the initial crash. He left the cook and rushed up, but turned back when he heard the captain shouting. Returning to the goblin he blurted, "Scarbelly is hollering for you to get soap!" Seeing the knowing look of panic on the goblin's face, Crommel paused for a moment and looked hard at the creature before him, then bolted toward the top deck.</p><p></p><p>As he sprinted onto the scene, he could see a crowd of orcs, wrestling with their spears. For a split second, it appeared as if they were trying to pull them out of mid-air. Then he understood. A clear, shimmering goo rose up before them, almost welcoming their weapons into its sticky mass.</p><p></p><p>From over head, arrows whizzed past. His companions were firing from the helm. Then Alric leapt down and raced toward the commotion. Even as he ran, his hands began to glow a warm red. Crommel knew that spell, the wonderful spell that meant healing was on the way. But it also meant that there were casualties already. As he followed the healer into the fray, he saw the beneficiary of that spell -- the captain, caught up in the amorphous mess. With his body contorted under crushing pressure, Scarbelly shouted back in a muffled gag, "get the cook!"</p><p></p><p>Crommel turned and raced below deck. In the ship's galley he found the goblin, eyes wide. In his arms he carried a huge pot, full of liquid slopping over the sides. "Get moving!" Crommel commanded. To his surprise, the little cook started running so fast that Crommel couldn't keep up. He got back on deck just as the goblin splashed the soapy water on the monster and retreated. Crommel ran toward the fight, axe raised.</p><p></p><p>Alric pulled back just in time, having healed the captain repeatedly. Nearly all of his spells were expended. The corpse of his summoned fire beetle was already being digested. Arrows and spears protruded at many angles. Crommel pushed forward and dropped his axe deep into the beast. Clear jelly gushed out of the gash. Crommel set his foot against the fallen body of a crew member, and with a defiant tug, wrested free his axe. To his right, another orc was slammed and overrun as the massive gelatinous monster moved forward.</p><p></p><p>The sea creature appeared to be intelligent enough to use materials that had stuck to it, including a large crate that it wielded like a club. But it didn't appear to be smart enough to wield anything like a shield. And so the crew landed blow after blow.</p><p></p><p>More arrows punctured and peppered the clear flesh of the beast. Crommel struck again, opening another deep gash. He nearly slipped on the soap-covered floor, but it was also working to their favor. Scarbelly was no longer stuck, and fighting fiercely. Two orcs had abandoned their spears and grabbed new weapons. In a few more gristly blows, the blob collapsed like a giant dead jellyfish.</p><p></p><p>The cleric began tugging at the orc bodies. "What are you doing?" Draden called out, "They're ORCS! You don't have to waste healing on THEM!" He jumped down from the helm and ran over.</p><p></p><p>Alric gestured toward a body. "Quickly, we might save some of them. Staunch the bleeding."</p><p></p><p>Draden stood for a moment, muttered something fierce, and turned to the fallen orc. "I cannot believe I'm doing this." He pulled the orc free. "He's alive, but I don't think I have time to save him. Look at his broken limbs, they're all going in the wrong direction. He'll stop breathing in a second."</p><p></p><p>Alric ran over and cast his last and most powerful healing spell. He looked at Draden, and said, "It probably won't work, but the fight is over, I hope. If the spell is wasted, it is okay. There is no other battle that needs us right now."</p><p></p><p>To both their surprise, the orc's body began to revitalize. Alric quickly placed the limbs back in a roughly correct arrangement, and the magic did the rest. Soon the orc was up and walking again, no thanks offered.</p><p></p><p>The crew was already attempting to remove the creature, as it had indeed digested some of the ship itself. Even in death it seemed to have a potent effect on the wood it touched. Being too large to heave overboard, the orcs had begun hacking it into smaller chunks, tossing each piece.</p><p></p><p>Draden joined in, picking a spot where a long-dead corpse -- presumably a victim of a previous attack -- remained captured in the goo. Draden cut into it and pulled out the body parts, eventually finding a ring on a bony digit. He removed the ring and pocketed it, but not before Scarbelly noticed the activity. The orc lumbered over and issued a command in the common tongue, "Give up yer bounty, the spoils are shared on this ship!"</p><p></p><p>Draden was unapologetic, and uncompromising. "No I will not. We risked our lives in this fight, and it wasn't even our battle. We paid your men for safe passage! You couldn't deliver, so I'm getting back some of my investment."</p><p></p><p>"Bah!" Scarbelly was irate. He began shouting in orcish. The rest of the crew stopped work and turned their attention to the argument.</p><p></p><p>Alric stepped in. "None of you would be around for this if I hadn't saved you. Let him have what he found. You have your lives."</p><p></p><p>Unmoved, the captain demanded the treasure again. Some of the pirates barked out comments in their unfamiliar language. Draden could guess that they were voicing agreement with their captain. He needed to do something. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a gold coin and flicked it at Scarbelly. "Fine, have the stupid treasure."</p><p></p><p>For a moment, the captain stood in disbelief. Then he said, "A single coin? That's it? You argued with me over a stupid piece of gold!"</p><p></p><p>"Aye." Draden stood firm, and looked Scarbelly right in the eyes.</p><p></p><p>"Why do you care about one measly coin? Down below you have chests full of treasure!"</p><p></p><p>With a sly grin, Draden said, "How do you think I got all that treasure?"</p><p></p><p>Scarbelly's confused expression slowly changed to dim awareness. Then he laughed. "Ah, greed! A good way to accumulate wealth!"</p><p></p><p>"Yes," said Draden quietly, "that's one way."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="aboyd, post: 3582767, member: 44797"] [b]The Journey Begins, part 1[/b] Two days out from Freeport, Govard and Castor lay on the floor, seasick and apparently hoping to find something solid to rest upon. Draden, Crommel and Alric gathered around a battered table. Having finished the "food" and muttering about its mysterious contents, the topic gradually returned to their destination. Alric commented, "We cannot tell the captain to drop us in the midst of a battle against this Azarr Kul." "Why not?" asked Crommel. Alric replied, "He is an orc. He may very well be hoping the hobgoblin hordes win. He may be allied. If we tell him we intend to help slaughter his friends, he may not wish to drop us off." Alric heard a strained voice coming from the floor. "What, then?" asked Govard. "Should we head back to reclaim Draden's 'throne?' Where was that again?" Draden started to snap a reply, but stopped quickly as footsteps on the ladder announced visitors. Scarbelly came up from the lower gangway, and took a seat at the end of the table. He waved over a short goblin that had been following him. "Cookie, fetch the rum allotment and six cups." Crommel glanced over at Scarbelly, a smile becoming evident under his beard. "So, you are away from Freeport and have paid me a lot of money to get you here. The question is, where do you want to be?" A frown flashed briefly across Scarbelly's face before continuing, "There are a number of places where this ship cannot go, but many more where we are welcome." He leaned back in the chair as Cookie returned with the rum. Cookie poured a draught into each of six battered silver goblets, and handed them out. "To your health," saluted Scarbelly as he downed the rum. Castor didn't even try to drink, but Govard managed a swig. Cookie left the bottle in the center of the table, and headed back to the galley. The captain grabbed the bottle with one hand and spread out a worn map on the table with his other hand. The original ink was faded but visible, although much was obscured by scrawls in a language unknown to the group. Basic landmarks were clear -- Flotsam and Jetsom, Freeport, The Pomarj, Keoland. But overlaid were thick lines and cruel scratches, which Alric presumed to be routes and secret ports that would serve an orc pirate well. Although Alric worshiped the god of travel, he had never been very interested in the mechanics of travel itself. Looking over the map, he felt that perhaps he should have developed a greater respect for these things. But all that truly mattered to Alric was that he was on the move. And so he looked up at the imposing figure of the captain, and said with a smile, "We might be willing to be dropped anywhere you wish. So long as you do not deliver us to depths of the ocean, I believe we will survive. Although my friends may say otherwise." For a while, they did. The discussion continued until it came down to a simple matter of food. Their stores would only last a few more days, unless one of the horses stabled below deck could be slaughtered to feed the crew. The very suggestion appeared to be abhorrent to Crommel. In the end, the agreement was to sail for the closest port, northwest. Their provisions would last that long, if the wind was fair. Alric, Draden, and the captain headed topside. Perhaps still disturbed by the discussion, Crommel headed down to check on his pony. As if the gods wanted to deepen his paranoia, Crommel found the ship's cook sitting by the horses, sharpening his blades. The little goblin was staring cross-eyed, drooling, his knife whisking against the whetstone. Moving in front of the animals, Crommel met his beady eyes. It was time to deliver a warning. Draden turned to Alric. "Do you hear that? Sounds like our orc friends down there are behaving like... orcs." Alric shrugged. "No, I don't hear anything." Then came the dread sound of wood colliding with wood. The crew on deck began running towards the bow. "Oh, you mean that?" "No I don't!" shouted Draden, who had already notched an arrow. He spoke without returning Alric's questioning gaze, his eyes instead scanning the front of the vessel. Shouts in the orcs' guttural tongue flew between the captain and crew quickly. Then Alric saw it, a thick heavy ooze that rapidly engulfed the railing. He wasn't sure if it was the blurry transparency of the jelly-like creature, but it appeared that some wood under the beast was actually disintegrating. With a twinge of true fear, Alric rushed out a magical prayer, the words coming so quickly he barely registered what he was doing. But Draden had landed a shot before Alric even opened his mouth. "Govard! Castor! Get up here!" Draden moved for a clear shot and whipped another arrow onto the string. Alric finished his spell. "They're sick! We'll be lucky if they can hold their weapons right now. But CROM COULD LEND A HAND!" Alric was nearly screaming, hoping to draw up his comrade. Below deck, Crommel had been knocked off-balance by the initial crash. He left the cook and rushed up, but turned back when he heard the captain shouting. Returning to the goblin he blurted, "Scarbelly is hollering for you to get soap!" Seeing the knowing look of panic on the goblin's face, Crommel paused for a moment and looked hard at the creature before him, then bolted toward the top deck. As he sprinted onto the scene, he could see a crowd of orcs, wrestling with their spears. For a split second, it appeared as if they were trying to pull them out of mid-air. Then he understood. A clear, shimmering goo rose up before them, almost welcoming their weapons into its sticky mass. From over head, arrows whizzed past. His companions were firing from the helm. Then Alric leapt down and raced toward the commotion. Even as he ran, his hands began to glow a warm red. Crommel knew that spell, the wonderful spell that meant healing was on the way. But it also meant that there were casualties already. As he followed the healer into the fray, he saw the beneficiary of that spell -- the captain, caught up in the amorphous mess. With his body contorted under crushing pressure, Scarbelly shouted back in a muffled gag, "get the cook!" Crommel turned and raced below deck. In the ship's galley he found the goblin, eyes wide. In his arms he carried a huge pot, full of liquid slopping over the sides. "Get moving!" Crommel commanded. To his surprise, the little cook started running so fast that Crommel couldn't keep up. He got back on deck just as the goblin splashed the soapy water on the monster and retreated. Crommel ran toward the fight, axe raised. Alric pulled back just in time, having healed the captain repeatedly. Nearly all of his spells were expended. The corpse of his summoned fire beetle was already being digested. Arrows and spears protruded at many angles. Crommel pushed forward and dropped his axe deep into the beast. Clear jelly gushed out of the gash. Crommel set his foot against the fallen body of a crew member, and with a defiant tug, wrested free his axe. To his right, another orc was slammed and overrun as the massive gelatinous monster moved forward. The sea creature appeared to be intelligent enough to use materials that had stuck to it, including a large crate that it wielded like a club. But it didn't appear to be smart enough to wield anything like a shield. And so the crew landed blow after blow. More arrows punctured and peppered the clear flesh of the beast. Crommel struck again, opening another deep gash. He nearly slipped on the soap-covered floor, but it was also working to their favor. Scarbelly was no longer stuck, and fighting fiercely. Two orcs had abandoned their spears and grabbed new weapons. In a few more gristly blows, the blob collapsed like a giant dead jellyfish. The cleric began tugging at the orc bodies. "What are you doing?" Draden called out, "They're ORCS! You don't have to waste healing on THEM!" He jumped down from the helm and ran over. Alric gestured toward a body. "Quickly, we might save some of them. Staunch the bleeding." Draden stood for a moment, muttered something fierce, and turned to the fallen orc. "I cannot believe I'm doing this." He pulled the orc free. "He's alive, but I don't think I have time to save him. Look at his broken limbs, they're all going in the wrong direction. He'll stop breathing in a second." Alric ran over and cast his last and most powerful healing spell. He looked at Draden, and said, "It probably won't work, but the fight is over, I hope. If the spell is wasted, it is okay. There is no other battle that needs us right now." To both their surprise, the orc's body began to revitalize. Alric quickly placed the limbs back in a roughly correct arrangement, and the magic did the rest. Soon the orc was up and walking again, no thanks offered. The crew was already attempting to remove the creature, as it had indeed digested some of the ship itself. Even in death it seemed to have a potent effect on the wood it touched. Being too large to heave overboard, the orcs had begun hacking it into smaller chunks, tossing each piece. Draden joined in, picking a spot where a long-dead corpse -- presumably a victim of a previous attack -- remained captured in the goo. Draden cut into it and pulled out the body parts, eventually finding a ring on a bony digit. He removed the ring and pocketed it, but not before Scarbelly noticed the activity. The orc lumbered over and issued a command in the common tongue, "Give up yer bounty, the spoils are shared on this ship!" Draden was unapologetic, and uncompromising. "No I will not. We risked our lives in this fight, and it wasn't even our battle. We paid your men for safe passage! You couldn't deliver, so I'm getting back some of my investment." "Bah!" Scarbelly was irate. He began shouting in orcish. The rest of the crew stopped work and turned their attention to the argument. Alric stepped in. "None of you would be around for this if I hadn't saved you. Let him have what he found. You have your lives." Unmoved, the captain demanded the treasure again. Some of the pirates barked out comments in their unfamiliar language. Draden could guess that they were voicing agreement with their captain. He needed to do something. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a gold coin and flicked it at Scarbelly. "Fine, have the stupid treasure." For a moment, the captain stood in disbelief. Then he said, "A single coin? That's it? You argued with me over a stupid piece of gold!" "Aye." Draden stood firm, and looked Scarbelly right in the eyes. "Why do you care about one measly coin? Down below you have chests full of treasure!" With a sly grin, Draden said, "How do you think I got all that treasure?" Scarbelly's confused expression slowly changed to dim awareness. Then he laughed. "Ah, greed! A good way to accumulate wealth!" "Yes," said Draden quietly, "that's one way." [/QUOTE]
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