Caliber's Storyhour (DragonStar ... well sort of)

[Caliber]

Session 8

It wasn’t long after landing that Syd suggested returning Milo in a soulmech body. The question of what to do about Milo had proved problematic. Without his body, Syd knew many resurrection magics would fail. But a soulmech was a possible solution.

No one was really happy with bringing Milo back as a soulmech, especially Zoltan. But no one wanted to let Milo remain dead, without at least offering him a chance to come back.

Thrabon quickly brought the party back to Gyguul’s where the party quickly gave a run down of what had happened within the githyanki base. Gyguul had heard nothing new as to the location of the drow. But he did know of a wizard who could assist the party with returning Milo as a soulmech. If the party could provide a soulmech body, that is.

Instantly, the robot husk strapped to the abandoned hover tank came to mind. Getting the number of the wizard from Gyguul, the party sprang into action.

Over several days Zoltan and Orendil trekked back to the hover tank, obtained the robot husk, and trekked back.

Syd identified all of the magically and psionically enchanted gear the group had obtained within the githyanki base.

Alahandra sold several of the group’s gems and unwanted enchanted items to provide money for Milo’s imminent resurrection.

The robotic husk was brought to a small robot manufacturer. Everything was arranged. Syd, Alahandra, and the wizard Gyguul knew flew back out to the githyanki base.

The three landed in a small clearing as far away as they could be, while still allowing the wizard to work his spell.

Suddenly, Orendil came in over Syd’s walkie-talkie.

“I found a priest who says he can resurrect Milo without a body. It’ll be cheaper.”

A short flight and a heavenly choir later, Milo was sitting up from a small altar, looking confused.

“I was dead?!?”

Milo was caught up to speed and some new gear was picked up for what Milo had lost.

Lacking anything especially pressing, and needing time to relax after the past few days, the party retreated into their hotel to relax. A message was left with Gyguul, asking him to contact the group if anything came up.

Several days later, and several repetitions of “we walked uphill with a robot on our back for you,” the party finally received a call.

“Where has the drow moved to now, Gyguul?”

“My sources still say the drow is at the githyanki base. No, instead I thought you might want to know a dispatch of githyanki ships are heading towards Caar as we speak.”

Everything within the hotel rooms was quickly picked up, and the party’s debt paid. Chartering a plane through Gyguul, the group was on route to Daar, a large city to the north, long before the githyanki reached Caar.

In Daar, the party found a wealth of goods that had been unavailable in Caar, and again began to shop with gusto.

Of particular note was the number of guns that Zoltan bought for both Orendil and Milo, using his ID.

“We have a record of your recent purchases Mr. Zoltan,” mentioned one store clerk.

“Are you accusing me of something pal?” Zoltan asked.

“Just reminding you that we keep track of your purchases. Here’s your blaster carbine.”

“If any of you need another gun, get your own ID!” Zoltan told everyone later.

Eventually though, the night approached and the party found a small hotel to shack up in. Renting two corner rooms next to one another, the party shacked up for the night.

In Syd and Alahandra’s room, loud footsteps were heard walking down the hallway. Whoever or whatever was outside was BIG. Suddenly there was a loud crash and a roar. What was going on?!?

In Orendil, Milo, and Zoltan’s room, everyone was bedding down when the door suddenly burst in. Standing in the doorframe was a massive creature. Nearly nine feet tall, the creature towered over everyone in the room. Large horns sprouted from the creatures head and it was holding two very large rifles, one in each hand.

This wasn’t going to be a restful night.

 

[Caliber]

Hey there! Time for some author commentary!

This was our first game after a three week hiatus, in which the DM was on vacation. As you might expect, e-mails about what to do with Milo went back and forth.

Milo's player didn't want to make a new character, but since we weren't able to secure a body, I knew resurrection would be difficult. I didn't really think True Resurrection would be a possibility, so I never brought it up with the group.

Milo's player thought up the Soulmech idea, which I thought was brilliant. It almost seemed like we had planned it from the beginning.

Before I go further, let me mention the robot husk. Without reading the first few sessions, I am not sure if I ever mentioned it.

See, in the hangar with the hover tanks, there was a non-operational assembly area with a robot builder. The robot builder had had all of its circuitry removed at some point, however, and all that remained was a metal humanoid robot husk. For some reason I still don't know, Milo insisted on bringing it along. When we were turning him into a Soulmech, it seemed fitting to use the robot husk for his future robot body.

And in fact we nearly made him a Soulmech. We had figured out how much everything was going to cost, and it was in the area of 11,000, I believe.

During all of this, Milo's player was looking in the PHB. Suddenly, he asks for the price of a True Resurection. We total it up, and we end up saving around 7,000!

Next thing you know Milo is talking about starting Milo's True Resurrection Life Insurance.

Anyway, the DM kept trying to get us to go to the hotel, or do anything other than shop really. We had a lot of money after selling the loot we had though. Many of the Psionic items the group picked up were useless to us, since we lack any Psionically active members.

As a side note, the two swords Orendil took from the base were both exceptionally powerful. One was a +4 Defender I believe. The other was a +5 Life-Draining Silver Sword.

Anyway, when we got to Daar (much to the DM's chargin) we shopped even MORE! When we finally went to bed, the guy burst into our room. It was so late though, we just called it a night.

Which is what I am going to do now. Bye!

 

[Caliber]

Ack! I update and I still fall off the first page!

Anyway, I have Session 9 done as well (told ya I would ) but I need to proof read it before I post it. What does this mean for you?

You can expect it some time tonight. Session 10 will take a bit longer, but I am trying to catch up with the game. We play Session 12 tonight, so I am closer now that I have been in a while.

Later.

 

[md3]

Good Explanations

Good explanation and comentary.

Looks great!

Later,
Manny

 

[Caliber]

Session 9

With a growl, the enormous creature let loose a barrage of automatic fire from both guns, many shots hitting Zoltan. Scrambling towards where their guns had been stowed, everyone in the room returned fire, seriously wounding the creature.

By this time, Syd and Alahandra had both exited out of their room to see the source of the commotion. While Alahandra joined in the firefight, Syd cast a spell, slowing down the creature significantly.

Finally, the creature (which Syd recognized as an uthek) fell. The uthek was tied up while Zoltan applied a large number of healing patches over his wounds. Once everyone had been sufficiently healed, what to do about the uthek came up. Searching through his gear revealed little. Aside from his weapons (which Zoltan quickly allocated into his pile of weapons) all he had was a credit card, a cell phone, and a strange device.

In the end, curiosity overcame the need for retribution, and a small healing patch was applied to the uthek. Slowly its eyes opened, and began to take it the surroundings. One of the first things he noticed was the large number of gun barrels leveled at him.

“What are you doing here?!?” Zoltan asked.

“I am … hunting G’Banrak.”

Certainly not the response anyone expected. Who would want the aasimar? And how exactly did the uthek find them when he was looking for the aasimar? In fact that was the next thing Zoltan asked.

“How did you find us?!?”

“Tracked you.”

“How did you track us?”

“Device. Should lead to … G’Banrak.”

“What did you want with G’Banrak?”

“Was never told. Just paid to find her.”

“Who paid you?”

“You’ll never know.”

And suddenly the room was suddenly engulfed in flames. Syd (who had been standing outside in order to wave off possible onlookers) quickly rushed to grab a fire extinguisher and began to spray down the room.

No one had been seriously burned. Even the uthek had survived with minimal burns, although he had lapsed back into unconscious. The room was another matter. The carpet had nearly burned away in spots and the walls all bore large scorch marks. The cost of this one battle was starting to mount.

Deciding that the amount of info that could be further extracted from the uthek didn’t equal the threat that he might catch on fire again, what to do with him became the problem.

While Syd waved away a staff member of the hotel, assuring him that damages would all be paid, everyone else was debating whether the uthek should be thrown out the window, thrown off the roof, thrown from some other building, or snuck out tomorrow.

All the debate ended when Syd walked back in.

“I could just polymorph him into something small.”

Zoltan, of course, was against it. Despite his protests, however, Syd soon found himself focusing on the image of a small frog as he chanted the words of his spell. And then before everyone’s eyes, the uthek began to shrink and change, until he was nothing but a tiny, little frog. A conscious tiny, little frog.

Hopping up, the frog formerly known as uthek quickly started to make its way out of the room. Catching it before it got far, Syd scooped the frog up and handed it to Zoltan.

“Do with it what you will. If he dies, the spell will end. I am going to bed.”

And with that, Syd went to bed. Everyone else attempted to repair the room as much as possible while Zoltan went out to a small bar, where he summarily flushed the uthek-now-frog down the toilet.

The next day found the party investigating what loot the uthek had left them with. The device seemed to be some sort of tracking device. Quickly, the party determined that the uthek had told the truth, and that the device was tracking the armored vests that the party had taken from Aphex.

Ditching the vests in the hotel’s garbage chute, the party went down and paid their fees, including fees for the room they had destroyed. Walking out, the party moved to a large park in the center of Daar before taking out the uthek’s cell phone.

Utilizing the same tactic they had used the last time they had captured someone’s cell phone, the group dialed the most recent number on the phone.

“Do you have her?” asked the voice on the other side of the phone.

“Who was I supposed to find again?”

“The aasimar you fool! Do you have her?”

“No, not exactly. Why were you trying to find her again?

“That is not of your concern. We paid you good money to find her. We expect you to have her here by tomorrow.”

“Where was I supposed to bring her again?”

“To Aphex Prison! We paid good money for your services, and we expect to get a return!”

“I am going to need more money. She has been harder to find than I thought.”

“More money!?! We paid one hundred and thirty thousand credits to you already, with another one hundred and thirty for her capture! You already have a small fortune! How can you even ask for more!?!”

“Oh yeah, that money. Never mind then.”

“If you don’t find her, we will find you.”

“Oh no, don’t worry about it. We’ll get her.”

Hanging up, Zoltan (who had become something of the party negotiator) quickly relayed the information he had discovered to the party.

The news did not bode well, for the party and for G’Banrak. Getting out the walkie-talkies, the group tried to contact G’Banrak over the frequency they had instructed her to use. There was no answer. Contacting Gyguul revealed little, except that the githyanki had left. Of G’Banrak, he knew nothing.

That avenue covered, the second thing the party did was to begin wondering how much money was actually on the uthek’s credit card. It didn’t take long to figure out. All of it was on the uthek’s credit card. Zoltan suggested turning G’Banrak in to get some more money, but no one really took him seriously.

Quickly splitting the money among the group, the party split up to pick up a few pieces of equipment that they had been desiring. Milo, Orendil, and Zoltan cleaned out several convenience stores, buying every healing patch available. Syd and Alahandra bought several rings to help protect the group from elemental attacks. Armor was bought by everyone, both to replace the Aphex Prison vests that the group had been forced to get rid of and to provide better protection.

Syd discovered that the Intergalactic Wizard’s Society had a chapter in the city of Daar, but without a proper ID he could not download any spells into his datapad. Making a small list of the spells he wanted to seek out at the next opportunity, everyone met up again in the park after a day of shopping.

Two decisions were reached. First, the group must return to Caar to warn G’Banrak, not to mention find out why she is so wanted in the first place. Two hundred and sixty thousand was a lot of money for just one aasimar. The natural paranoia of the party was beginning to show itself as everyone came to the conclusion that G’Banrak was not what she seemed.

The second decision was to return to the githyanki base. Gyguul still insisted the drow was hiding within the base. Better equipped, and better prepared, the party felt it was time to re-enter the base.

Bad things were going down.

 

[Caliber]

First of all, the Uthek was scary. Really scary. In the first round of combat, he blasted poor Zoltan for 70+ points of damage, I believe. The problem was that he was dual wielding automatic weapons. Defintely a nasty tactic. Although Zoltan and Orendil were both VERY happy to finally get some military grade hardware into their grubby paws.

Second, I guess I should mention that this session contained the great debate. See, apparently Uthek's possess Dispel Magic as a Spell-Like Ability. When I Polymorphed him into a frog, the DM went to Dispel the Polymorph and return him to regular form, conscious.

I (not knowing at the time) said he couldn't use a Spell-Like Ability in frog form. We couldn't find the rule anywhere. Eventually he was flushed down the toilet, unable to reverse the spell. Only later did the party learn its error. Did he survive? None of us know. Yet. If he did, I fully expect him to return seeking vengence.

Otherwise this session was MORE shopping. What can we say? We were deprived in the beginning, considering we started with no magic items (aside from Syd.)

At the end of the session, we lost our resistance to returning to the Githyanki base. Gyguul insists that drunken drow is there, so we will make sure we check every nook and cranny this time.

We just need to go check up on G'Banrak first.

Night!

 

[Zubenelschemali]

Well, I would just like to say a few words about the whole frog thing. What was written about the frog incident was totally correct, except that there was just a tiny little debate in between.

I (Zoltan) was at first just ready to kill the frog right there. The obvious problem with that action is the large dead uthuk body that would suddenly appear. So then we got to thinking, and I said I would go up to the roof and throw the frog down to the first floor; maybe in a passing dumpster or something. Splat. Dead Uthuk Body.

But, No! "That's Too Close!", they protest!

OK, Fine. I'll hurl the little creep with all my might, and being after midnight as it was, I doubt that many people would have noticed a tiny tree frog soaring through the air. Then, quite a ways away, Splat! Dead Uthuk Body.

But, No! "What if he doesn't die?" they implore!

Alright, They can figure it out! So, many many possibilities were discussed very very quickly, with Zoltan mostly not liking any of them. Then, the wicked little magic pipsqueek(Alahandra) used my very own "Zoltan Logic" on me and convinced me that I should simply go flush the frog down a toilet in another building. That way when the frog drowns in the pipes, he will die and burst forth as a large uthuk, destroying all the plumbing in the meantime. (I actually liked the practical joke part of it! )

Then everybody said they were going to bed and I was to deal with it. So, I went down the street to a local bar and went promptly to the bathroom and flushed him. And it was only as I watched the poor little frog swimming round and round for dear life, that I realized "What the $%#@ am I doing!!!" The frog will simply hold his breath, and come out in the sewer. Our only hope would be the local sewer croc! But, it was too late!

I went back to the hotel. Bad sleep. The next morning everyone wanted to know what I did. I told them and while looking at their totally stunned faces, I said "Blame it on her." Then, I went to pay the damage bill because the room was in MY name. I still half expect that we will see that Uthuk again. Either as himself, which would suck, or as the cute little tree frog with a mean streak who lashes his tongue at anybody and everybody.

Enough of that rant!

Thanks to Caliber for giving us yet another good summary of our adventures. I can't wait until the next one is out.

Zube

PS - I think it is funny that most guns and armor bought in this or the previous episode were on my ID (Something like 4 blasters ). These people must think I am a Gun Collector or something. And then I go torch my hotel room. Literally! Hopefully, by the time my reputation precedes me, I will actually have a useful reputation. Nudge. Nudge. Wink. Wink.

 

[Leopold]

update?

 

[Caliber]

Well, I am unsure how soon I will have an update up. Real life problems are keeping me from being able to devote the amount of time I normally do to the session write-ups.

However, I am trying to stay within 2 sessions of the current campaign timeline. So, hopefully, before next Wednesday (that would be July 24th) I will the next one done.

 

[Leopold]

Well, I am unsure how soon I will have an update up. Real life problems are keeping me from being able to devote the amount of time I normally do to the session write-ups.

However, I am trying to stay within 2 sessions of the current campaign timeline. So, hopefully, before next Wednesday (that would be July 24th) I will the next one done.

more lies!! it's friday..no dragonstar <sob!>

your letting your fans down here!!