KidCthulhu's Scarred Land story hour
KidCthulhu
First Post
The great thing about this encounter was that Deke's player (Jobu), Borin's player (Aravis) and I all realized what the thing was right away, and were biting our tongues to keep from yelling "Troll". We were trying not to suggest fire or acid, information we have but not our characters. And it was the newer players (after a year, they're not really newbies!) who came up with the fire and acid. And we knew they didn't know that that's how you kill a troll.
So, yay to the Newsters (better than newbies), for clever thinking!
So, yay to the Newsters (better than newbies), for clever thinking!
KidCthulhu
First Post
A week? C'mon. Morgaine's been traumatized since we started this gig.
Dinkeldog said:
Or in this case, provides enough guilt and feelings of indebtedness to keep her adventuring.
I'm finally all moved back from CT. My computer is set up. And I've found the disk with all the stories on it again -- I had some momentary panic when it was lost for two days. So I'll have the rest of this adventure up tonight. Then we're back to the beginning of the story hour and can continue from there (in order, this time).
And the stories that follow are quite exciting. Including riddle-telling sentries, hordes of goblins, a fight with an all-powerful sorceress, a party member's death and a conversation with a dragon.
Stay tuned.
Each member of the party with a weapon in hand gets the chance to attack the troll as it passes through their personal space, en route to Morgaine. Stunned as they are, however, no one manages to hit it except for Deke. Using the only weapon he has in hand, he jabs the wooden masterwork crossbow up into the belly of the troll as it sails past him in the air. There is a resonant splintering sound as the enormous weight of the troll rends the now useless weapon in two. Tossing it aside with only a slight whimper, Deke whips out his rapier and stabs in into the side of the troll.
Marja recovers from her momentary shock to conjure another set of magic missiles, which she focuses between the creature’s eyes. Xenia finally remembers the ogre-club and quickly hefts the large cudgel in the air, growing ten feet tall in the process. She swings the mighty weapon to deliver a tremendous blow to the hideous troll before her. The troll staggers slightly from the impact of Xenia’s strike and backs up from Morgaine. Just as it is about to attack the mage again, the acid from her arrow emits one last burst of the burning poison and the troll drops unconscious.
Realizing they must burn the troll to kill it, Kalina summons the element of the South, fire, and creates a flaming sword in mid air. With the flameblade, she severs the troll’s arms. The flesh sears, creating a foul stench. Borin and Xenia push the still regenerating troll over the edge of the ledge, where Morgaine tosses her alchemist fire onto its body. Kalina jumps down and continues to burn it with her flaming sword. Deke also leaps down, rapier drawn. With one swift motion, he slices neatly across the troll’s throat in a coup de gras. In one final stab, Kalina jabs her blade into its head. The tentacles of muscle that had been twitching stop and the wounds stop healing themselves. At last, they’ve killed it. To be on the safe side, however, the party cuts up the troll into pieces and places its head on a spike at the head of the trail leading to the cave, as a warning to any other interlopers.
Marja recovers from her momentary shock to conjure another set of magic missiles, which she focuses between the creature’s eyes. Xenia finally remembers the ogre-club and quickly hefts the large cudgel in the air, growing ten feet tall in the process. She swings the mighty weapon to deliver a tremendous blow to the hideous troll before her. The troll staggers slightly from the impact of Xenia’s strike and backs up from Morgaine. Just as it is about to attack the mage again, the acid from her arrow emits one last burst of the burning poison and the troll drops unconscious.
Realizing they must burn the troll to kill it, Kalina summons the element of the South, fire, and creates a flaming sword in mid air. With the flameblade, she severs the troll’s arms. The flesh sears, creating a foul stench. Borin and Xenia push the still regenerating troll over the edge of the ledge, where Morgaine tosses her alchemist fire onto its body. Kalina jumps down and continues to burn it with her flaming sword. Deke also leaps down, rapier drawn. With one swift motion, he slices neatly across the troll’s throat in a coup de gras. In one final stab, Kalina jabs her blade into its head. The tentacles of muscle that had been twitching stop and the wounds stop healing themselves. At last, they’ve killed it. To be on the safe side, however, the party cuts up the troll into pieces and places its head on a spike at the head of the trail leading to the cave, as a warning to any other interlopers.
Exhausted, wounded and bleeding, the group makes their way back into the cave. It is still several hours before dawn and they hope to get at least a little bit of sleep before setting out on their way. Deke puts on the sheep costume again, hoping to mend his wounds. Sure enough, he once again becomes a sheep and feels his injuries heal somewhat. Borin does the same and he also feels some relief from the gashes in his shoulder and arm. Gemma and Kalina tend to the wounds as best they can, since neither of them has the strength to perform healing on their friends. Sure that no one has life-threatening injuries, the party retrieves their bedrolls and drifts off to a brief slumber in the front of the cave. Fergus and Xenia offer to stay on guard for the remainder of the evening, since neither of them is hurt or even winded.
In the morning, Kalina remarks that she is beginning to hear and understand the plants and animals around them. She informs the group of her connection with Fang and that she feels a renewed sense of kinship with the natural world. Gemma recognizes similar phenomena in that she understands the water. Realizing the magical water gave them all special gifts, Deke tries out his “numb” skin by asking Xenia to punch him hard. Always willing to throw a punch, Xenia happily obliges but is dismayed to find Deke unharmed. Again she winds up and thrusts her fist into his abdomen and again he is not even winded. Deke giggles gleefully when he thinks of all the bar fights he can start. Morgaine’s benefit is acute hearing, leaving only Xenia to discover what her blessing was. She understands that she can feel the weight of the rocks around her. She is held to the earth by a strong force. In an experiment, she walks to the edge of the ledge and steps off. In stead of falling straight down and landing with a thud, she gracefully floats to the lower rocks, wafting like a feather.
In the morning, Kalina remarks that she is beginning to hear and understand the plants and animals around them. She informs the group of her connection with Fang and that she feels a renewed sense of kinship with the natural world. Gemma recognizes similar phenomena in that she understands the water. Realizing the magical water gave them all special gifts, Deke tries out his “numb” skin by asking Xenia to punch him hard. Always willing to throw a punch, Xenia happily obliges but is dismayed to find Deke unharmed. Again she winds up and thrusts her fist into his abdomen and again he is not even winded. Deke giggles gleefully when he thinks of all the bar fights he can start. Morgaine’s benefit is acute hearing, leaving only Xenia to discover what her blessing was. She understands that she can feel the weight of the rocks around her. She is held to the earth by a strong force. In an experiment, she walks to the edge of the ledge and steps off. In stead of falling straight down and landing with a thud, she gracefully floats to the lower rocks, wafting like a feather.
They make their way out of the cave, down the rocks – a considerable easier climb than on their way in – and out into the forest, continuing the trek toward Otenazu. Just inside the treeline, the group hears a group of elves ahead, singing a traveling song in praise of Tanil. Deke immediately becomes one with the underbrush while Gemma scoots up the nearest tree, out of direct sight. The rest of the party tries to find cover amidst the trees. A slight elven woman noiselessly appears from behind a tree and tells Morgaine – who was trying ineffectually to hide – that it is dangerous to travel the woods alone.
Morgaine blurts out that her friends are all nearby, forcing the party back out of their hiding spots. They all make their way toward Morgaine and the three strangers, with the exception of Gemma and Deke who remain in their cover. Morgaine, forgetting her elven heritage, immediately offers to shake the elf’s hand. Her offer is politely rebuffed but one of the male elves recognizes her and mentions her beloved uncle. In fact, the elves recognize Kalina and Marja as well, asking about their lineage. The elves ask why the group is traveling with a dangerous dwarf and then the woman directs her comments to Gemma, in the tree.
In a strange display of fealty, the elves recognize Gemma, and bow low before her, offering praise of deeds long past. Gemma waives them up and reticently acknowledges their requests for her health. She declines their offers of assistance as she alights from the tree. They spend some minutes in conversation then take their leave, once again bowing to Gemma. As they pass by, the woman calls out something to Deke (still hidden in the bushes) and mentions his parents. Deke, an orphan who grew up in Amalthea, is unsettled by the thought that he had parents at all. He picks Kalina’s pocket to make himself feel better and shake off the disconcerting pang he felt at the mere mention of a family. Gemma refuses to discuss why the elves treated her with such deference and moves quickly ahead to continue scouting their trail.
Several hours later, as they crest a large hill the group gets their first glimpse of Otenazu, a small frontier town nestled between the Keldar Mountains. Looking down from bluff they see the neat homes and buildings arrayed before them, the winds whipping at their faces slightly.
Morgaine blurts out that her friends are all nearby, forcing the party back out of their hiding spots. They all make their way toward Morgaine and the three strangers, with the exception of Gemma and Deke who remain in their cover. Morgaine, forgetting her elven heritage, immediately offers to shake the elf’s hand. Her offer is politely rebuffed but one of the male elves recognizes her and mentions her beloved uncle. In fact, the elves recognize Kalina and Marja as well, asking about their lineage. The elves ask why the group is traveling with a dangerous dwarf and then the woman directs her comments to Gemma, in the tree.
In a strange display of fealty, the elves recognize Gemma, and bow low before her, offering praise of deeds long past. Gemma waives them up and reticently acknowledges their requests for her health. She declines their offers of assistance as she alights from the tree. They spend some minutes in conversation then take their leave, once again bowing to Gemma. As they pass by, the woman calls out something to Deke (still hidden in the bushes) and mentions his parents. Deke, an orphan who grew up in Amalthea, is unsettled by the thought that he had parents at all. He picks Kalina’s pocket to make himself feel better and shake off the disconcerting pang he felt at the mere mention of a family. Gemma refuses to discuss why the elves treated her with such deference and moves quickly ahead to continue scouting their trail.
Several hours later, as they crest a large hill the group gets their first glimpse of Otenazu, a small frontier town nestled between the Keldar Mountains. Looking down from bluff they see the neat homes and buildings arrayed before them, the winds whipping at their faces slightly.
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