Number47
First Post
Here is another Markov-chain text, made from Wulf Ratbane's story hour. This time, I cleared out the non-story stuff before I ran it through. I can't tell if that made it better or worse.
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Eager to put the whole neighborhood. The old man wrapped up the axe and the halfling sitting wide-eyed in the right hand side of the tower.
Now, Wulf was
overcome with a lockpick himself. "No,
*I* got it, I got
plenty of money." And with that, he flung wide the door open, his grin vanishing as he tried to be
some sort of abandoned warehouse, and if yer could
help, in yer room scribblin' away... I thought yer were
making a scroll to get any further! Ach, for the burning to pass. "Now THAT'S how
a dwarf finds a trap. (cough) All clear up
here. Still... all... clear...")
The orcs were running out of the scheduled
time. The exact details of plots against the ground as the
throne before a huge fireball roaring up the hill, his furious brows and put away his fire and lamp oil. Keldas and locked eyes with the blow had knocked him
unconscious, so he wouldn't be arrested, or perhaps he was
willing to risk sending anyone across
alone. Back and forth, muttering and mumbling, though between
babbling and begging she seemed to
turn around. "Very well, come in, come in. The Illithid Wars! For such a
noble cause, of course I can find something." The dwarf stood with his constant
kibitzing and second-guessing of his
acolytes, who began quietly and unobtrusively laying hands on their own
mortality was the
only thing keeping Halma alive at the far end of the town was having.
The northern caves were mostly raw, unworked stone, but they concentrated their
attacks on him and
started hacking a path to defeat. They got the better of Wulf again as his next
victim. As Wulf dispatched the last to die-- alone. He
swung his greatsword hissing as he pondered this.
But by far his thoughts were preoccupied with the little gnome until Kellick, too,
fell. The angry warriors turned to dusk, and night was falling rapidly, but
the hall was silent. They could still hear the sound of the tower.
Now, Wulf was mad, and he'd fought a bloody dragon, right?
Fortunately, the gorilla turned its attention on Wulf, wounding him deeply. It seemed nothing
more than the ones they'd seen previously. The
breastplates they all regained
their senses.
Keldas the dragon was probably an illusion too.
He'd simply focused his eyes and his temple
infiltrated, they were all dead. In his brief moment of clarity, it
seemed to him NOW."
"Ahh, yes." His eyes flickered across the floor.
Wulf drew axe and dagger, the halfling rogue: "Protect the mage and the
party to a nasty ravine. There was no match
for him in desperation, they would catch him.
Keldas was the day a dwarf can't nick up the back of
the stage. Blood came gushing from her neck, spraying the actors in
front, and she toppled over, revealing a disgusting creature on her
back. It had disgusting grey skin, wild wiry hair, and the halfling who had drained the Roach took the axe would burst into
the ground, and was
paid off shortly as two scruffy-looking ratmen tried to calm the crowd as they
passed the large open-air market where many of the tower. Moments later, the party continued down the stairs ahead of her.
A good night's rest and recuperate
in the forges being
worked off to the north. ("Yep. All clear up
here. Still... all... clear...")
This wasn't Wulf's kind of silent rogues' language, though he half suspected the
peck had simply dreamed it up into the thick of the
curtains at the creature, and was already pacing the floor,
where his keen eyes soon uncovered just such a portal. The door opened
onto a long way
down to the gorilla, to face the
sorceror. It was an
arrogant, superior, and utterly intolerable elf. Wulf was pre-occupied
with the battle more
desperate. Diessa did her best to counter the evil priestess and protect
her party. Keldas was unable to understand the gutteral Orcish
language of the prisoners, promised they'd have better
luck in the front door, the old man with tan gums.' " Wulf smiled and made a wide battle-stance behind him, and it was a
short walk from the
bell tower in the hall. Together they crossed the
length of the dragon-- his comrades back out the caves-- more grick, more
trogs, some yellow mold and even a roper-- leaving only the second floor. He could dive out. He could hear Halma's footsteps returning up the back stairs, alone, to check out the deeper levels, you will find a young dragon that has taken
up residence there. She has some small amount of gold, some small magical trinkets,
and a lady at that. He shrugged. In the end, blood and battle were his
loves. He had little time to waste." Wulf kept moving through the orc leader, and matching daily rates from the alleyway. It was a hole, a chimney
of some sort, with smoke wisping out.
The party settled down for a flask of oil. He was beaten, bruised, and shamed, but
still hanging on to the orcs!
Now we have for you?"
They all nodded, so the arrow would pop out of sight.
Wulf was sure to take the ass-whippin' yer got a were-rat problem, right?"
"Apparently, yes." Her icy calm was surely long gone. No invisible enemies
were around to a
startled-looking man and asked, "Who does this tower belong to?"
"Uh... uhh... to the edge of the second vat. Toss a little bit of her skill and magic, and those who were not
ready for the guard finally arrived. Unfortunately,
such lawlessness, no matter how timely and beneficial, posed a sticky
problem for the one they were no clues to lead them to their shots. Halma
registered little opinion other than the righteous butchery of evildoers,
it was the
only thing keeping Halma alive at the people around
them. "Relax. They'll just peace-bond it, see?"
Wulf was in town, was thankful for their fellows. Unfortunately, his
Shield was too late.
"Ach. Well. No offense, friend, but it was a mighty cheer from the other side of the old man.
"Wanted yer to try to
cheat the rest of the tower. Moments later, the party was
under no circumstances to disturb his eternal rest by Raising him from
the back ranks and sent a huge half-ogre of some unknown little peck!
Nevertheless, the halfling was long since out of the cavern.
"Now just hold on a couple of flasks of oil-- since Halma insisted he wouldn't make it back to their word, the western area was home to quite a
few more coins in their torchlight, and screamed out an agonizing wail. The
party watched helplessly as their contents spilled onto each other,
mixed, and sent a huge half-ogre of some kind, had
taken a back way an' take out any
hidden catches. Nothing. The dwarf followed the old woman. ?Who is the day he deserves to die. One at a time as they seemed. The witch
suddenly appeared in the doorway of the
axe. Whang! Taranak was unharmed, but the creature had hit him, and he stalked across the room
beyond, an atrium of sorts. Several passages led off into the house, with the ruthless efficiency that only
half-crazed, knife-wielding circus acrobats can do. The surreality of
the town well and could at least point you in the
center of town had had a PLAN.
Oblivious to the gate stopped them unexpectedly,
things went from bad to worse.
"No weapons in the party. Wulf saw the man stagger, and looked wistfully over. If
he had to be out of the cavern.
"Now just hold on a small room guarded by three large statues: dour dwarven warriors,
with wide bronze axes held high. Each ominous statue stood impassively
watching a different exit.
Wulf halted the party out of the duergar using illusions before, so it had only taken
him a moment for
something to happen. "Hmm... And, praise Moradin!"
Wulf sniffed. "Right. That oughtter do it. Yer can come up the path home, either. If the orcs only had two guards at the north held a beautiful young girl, trapped in the midst of a hill. Perched at the front, and
Halma able to inform them that, as the troglodytes were close enough, the duergar sorceress. Wulf brought his axe again... He was
well pleased to meet him."
"Right. Gotcha. Thanks. Hey! Tell him to
back away. ("Better yer than me...")
Wulf heard the inevitable trip-wire or
latch that would... <click>
"Oh bloody..."
There was a little bit of a pretty little chit.Eager to put his back on them. He was hurt, but not badly. More importantly,
the trail was starting to look a little bit of info was discovered the next cavern-- it wasn't exactly the kind of writ or summat like that, yer ought
to get handy with the others cruising confidently
in his wake, as the old man's protests.
"I got no rats in there? No rats here!"
That clinched it. Wulf and Halma could only suppose it
was better to leave a locked door behind them than an open passage. The
party turned to Halma.
"Ey. Put this on, an' don't mention it. Just be there to greet
them. Wulf straigtened his back to him.
"Who do you propose, then?" The warriors eased their aim just a closet, really. Inside were two tanks of liquid, with
two tubes that ran up to
intercept it and stared the halfling moved in and have a meeting with the halfling.
"Hear anything?"
"Sounds like... wings flapping. I think they're getting clo..."
A small swarm of leathery-winged creatures came bounding onto the shaft of the room behind them, the party's behalf-- despite the
fact that they wouldn't screw up.
"Fine fine fine! Ten crowns for the love of..." Wulf stomped over and found a young dragon that has taken
up residence there. She has some small magical trinkets,
and a couple of kicks in the jam packed back room was bleeding from
places that ordinarily shouldn't-- eyes, ears, noses-- and the
barbarian surged forward, dragging tendrils of mist after him. Keldas
and Alliane were taking the worst of it, that wasn't so bad after all.
A low whistle from the other side. It would take to climb down and, as always, how
risky it would be useless against the local
vermin. See? Take care of yerself like I do and yer'll have the truth out of the door but
was confounded by the clever craftsmanship. Keldas suggested a return to the Great Hall, expecting his allies to follow right behind him. Misty was down;
Keldas had abandoned them (apart from his watchpost atop a wagon and cast his Shield spell. The halfling
stepped nearer and pulled the Roach took the saddlebags off the sorceress with one last acid arrow...
Wulf forced the halfling as he pondered this.
But by far his thoughts were preoccupied with the dragon. They were
willing to risk sending anyone across
alone. Back and forth, muttering and mumbling, though between
babbling and begging she seemed to be wading in amongst them, but the creature
collapsed in one cleaving blow.
Keldas was ready with Glitterdust, though."
"What!?" In the countless times Keldas had driven off Turvin and his longsword came whistling out in the doorway out
of the rope bridge.
"How the hell did yer find your way back to town to the bridge first, to take out the other side; Keldas toyed with the blow as best he
could to take
circumstances into account if you ask me--
tough, yer know... like a nice piece o' goblin jerky." The very old man... and he dashed to the Baron's manor house. They were greeted
by the time to squabble over bragging rights-- there were still doing fine, still happily tethered up in the windows. The tower top
was like a windmill. (A windmill of DEATH!)
Wulf cackled as orc after orc fell beneath their blades. Occassionally
an arrow would pop out of trouble. The party looked to Wulf-- he was going
to rest with Keldas, perhaps scribe a scroll to get
past... Hey... whatcha doing?"
Wulf climbed up onto the desk, whiskers twitching, and began reading the book. He
couldn't manage to turn his attention to the routine. "Open door now?"
Wulf and Halma finally managed to be forgotten.
---------
On their way back here?"
"Easy. Follow left hand wall."
"Good on yer, boy. Got a few things they told ME. For the right hand side of the forges to the bookshelf where Keldas was angry now.
"Yes, but as you know, the Baron is busy preparing for his
alchemist's fire, but was only faintly aware of their last outing, but Wulf's incessant
grumbling made it across. The orcs had made her lair. It was when the halfling was to blame.
Wulf wrestled with the sounds of battle as the old
man into the jaws of death waiting in the Sunless Citadel,
and to scribe a few sacks of coins, some gems,
a spare weapon or two. Halma was merely looking forward
to the right-- back to full strength with a stout iron door leading to the orcs!
Now we have reclaimed them. You are not needed here. Turn back-- or you
will all pay dearly!"
"Oh really?" Wulf hitched up his axe. "I figure yer got coming to yer."
Wulf was in much better during the day. As they passed through the
north door.
The party agreed with this logic-- but the orcs to
kill-- and he
quickly scuttled over to whisper to Wulf. "I'll handle this."
He drew his axe and
grabbed the critter with his
longsword to hold sword... kill orcs."
Halma shrugged; the unlikely heroism of his
healing potion down his throat. In
the appropriately heroic time,
of course.
"Right. Right then, no problem." He smiled cheerfully. "Just so long as it started-- to the
floor but Wulf
stood his ground and took a staggering blow that made him think better of Wulf again as his rope-arrow snaked out of the room.
Keldas acted quickly, using his magic to transform himself into a small closet
door adjacent to the party's next adventure
began in the eyes.
"That's right." Captain Shella of the
situation before they were operating out of the usual
paltry sum of a few gold coins per man. The halfling threw some burning oil out into the crevasse right
after the 200-pound body of the innkeeper-- they'd have a meeting with the blow as best he
could to take
circumstances into account if you ask me--
tough, yer know... like a kid caught reaching for their help
with the ratmen, but was being slowly worn
down by Big Ulfe. Every time the big half-ogre's axe came down, Wulf was knocked backward and felt himself
falling off the last moment he struck out instead at
the priestess, but she quickly stepped to a window at the apex was the pre-eminent topic of conversation. Kellick insisted
that, should he ever go to the surface caves to rest-- and plan a
more successful assault.
It was nearing midnight, but the old Captain hadn't helped any. Now, with
the silence. With rat-men about, Wulf trusted no one. Surely they'd try
to pin a murder on him. He felt the burden of leadership, so he moved to
the heroes' side for a moment sooner,
Kellick would have been put off by the displacement.
Alliane stepped into the darkness, swathed in black scales. He chuckled to
himself.
"Next one out of the viscous
greek fire, heaved back his arm, and prepared to hurl it backhanded at
the beckon call to battle, Halma
swept up his axe. "I figure yer got coming to yer."
Wulf was the first contingent of orcs, led by a Shield, and readied his sling and sent
us to give you his warmest welcome. If you'd be to draw steel. Peck."
The party spent a while longer cleaning out the darkened
basement, while Halma trooped up the back room, but at the temple will ascertain that." She directed two of them, now. Alone.
Kellick was the first to regain his senses, drawing his sword quivering. He whispered to Wulf, at least-- another gibbering blob flopped
out and began to change
shape again-- this time, no one would care...
Unfortunately there was a yelp from the back of
the creatures retreated back into the half-ogre's
hide, dropping him to stay
covered, and still perform the selfless task of keeping the party was once again
an alarm called out before him...
He'd spent years in the bell tower. Though it was too late.
"Ach. Well. No offense, friend, but it was blind
and helpless... ("It's blind, right?" "YES!") He tumbled over behind Halma, followed
shortly by the clever craftsmanship. Keldas suggested a return to town to the door.
"Ach, yer sons o'... aah!" Something was stabbing at him, and assumed it was simply relieved
that they wouldn't be alive when the slaughter starts. We can come on in there!?
Quiet!" The guard reached out and knocked on the head and shoulders.
This was much worse than before-- doubled over, clutching
his stomach in nausea. Keldas looked suspiciously like the usual
paltry sum of a pretty upstanding
fellow. If his own dead--
not my problem."
"Well, I didn't get to Halma. As he lay flat on his beard, trying to save the remaining actors. Wulf continued to applaud, but Keldas
spotted a secret door behind them than an open passage. The
party watched helplessly as his
barbarian buddy trampled his battered body onto the witch behind. The halfing stood
shock still, even as the constant threat from the back way and come take a few things they told ME. For the right words, and
addressing the priestess directly. "Aluv•! We make a deal with her if yer
*have* to run, of course."
The party gathered up quietly and unobtrusively laying hands on their own to the priestess. "The boy respects your power. We do
not want to know what information we have reclaimed them. You are not needed here. Turn back-- or you
will all pay dearly!"
"Oh really?" Wulf hitched his thumbs into his back. Almost
immediately the creature flushed red as it turned to
the local blacksmith and offered a strong pair of orc guards
who were obviously, at that very moment, contemplating doing the exact
same thing to do than wait around at
his belt, and waited atop the shrine, struck him, then resonated between
him and Halma. He grit his teeth for the local dutifully explained that,
being the guildmaster, and a few things they told ME. For the right PRICE,
of course."
One glance over his axe again... He was
fond of them, but the creature seemed to melt out of sight. Alliane was left waiting on the way and deftly
unknotting the ropes with practiced fingers.
"And who might yer be, then?"
"My name is Turvin."
"RAT!"
Wulf sat up with a strange accent Wulf could not be helped, and concentrated on
what could. He charged back across the stream,
onto Wulf's other hand. "Let's go."
They nearly tripped over Misty's body on the road between two steep slopes. The
keen-eyed halfling spotted some movement on the mad sorceror, whose twisted mind was no time to miss with their feed bags. He rounded up the corpse, but Wulf was a fine pair of dwarven arms to watch, unable to understand the gutteral Orcish
language of the arcane carefully
studying the runes covering the blade. Wulf quietly laid claim to
this and slipped it into his off-hand. The two rogues
took it on together, each one stabbing it from behind as it was still attached the rest of the forges and
onto the duergar sorceress. At length
she spoke up. "We see the acolyte on the dragon's hoard was in a mad dash forward, hoping to come booming out with finesse.
"Not bad. Now use yer other hand." Wulf forced the halfling were soon
scampering up behind him and
started up the
hall to join him when he saw one. And he
couldn't simply give the rope bridge.
The bridge was cut. The bodies were gone. Wulf moved closer,
picking off any orcs who tried to use Glitterdust to
reveal invisible foes, he'd always guessed their location wrong and
wasted the spell. "That thing is useless! Give us webs and pounded mercilessly. It soon became clear to Wulf for tact and brevity, shrugged, and told him to the halfling moved stealthily up
the path towards the baron hired to rout the orcs to kill the oversized critter and allow the double-sword warrior to
step onto the desk, whiskers twitching, and began to applaud
wildly. "Huzzah! Now THAT'S a play!"
Another half-dozen of the items that party had picked up the mountain, skillfully and quietly, and approached the
chimney. A quick look at that, and the pay was negligible-- but unlike many dwarves, Wulf's
thirst is for battle and blood, not goods and gold-- and the terrified squeaking of the Baron's speech. The plan moves forward!"
It was nearing midnight, but the dwarf just shrugged.
"Knock yerself out." He stepped out of reach of the expanding fireball right in the city.
But..." and here she winked at Wulf, whose utter disdain was painted in
broad strokes across his finest selection of riding animals.
The halfling just lay there,
pouring his life's blood out onto Halma's head and urged his comrades back out the caves-- more grick, more
trogs, some yellow mold and even less through his armor.
"Getthisfilthythingoffme! Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" Wulf dropped off his roll and dipped it into his spellbook. Wulf marched in to end the argument. "Let's respect the dead. Come
on." He pointed the halfling had just entered the room through the large cavern and up into the
town of Brindenford. It was a small room to the other side. It would take her to get the bridge first, to take phenomenal dexterity to get to it. I was faking! Suckers! Ha ha ha!"--
and pulled out stone axes to close.
By now Wulf expected Halma to be a surprisingly apt pupil. Wulf gave up and poured the last of the shrine and found two halflings locked in
concentration on this single, monumental task. ("I'll kill yer myself if
we live through this!") He had little luck convincing her of his own ear and he, too, could make out the door, and a young dragon that has taken
up residence there. She has some small magical trinkets,
and a couple of horses were
quickly disemboweled before the pounding started on the way you came before?"
"Aye, meant to ask yer about that... How did yer miss THAT?" Wulf howled at the closet door.
Not unexpectedly-- to Wulf, and he and Wulf had the only magic weapon in the humble fashion of so many others: hired on as guards to
babysit a caravan of goods from one of
the breastplate (...closer...). He'd be damned if he only knew the command word, so the action started quickly. The first night
the party was asked to
accompany them back to full strength with a bit to protect his allies. Halma
rallied as soon as we get back from killing all those orcs."
3) The local thieves' guildmaster is NOT willing to "loan out" magic
daggers to wandering pecks.
2) The local thieves' guildmaster IS apparently willing to pay
for? Hmmm?"
The party agreed with this logic-- but the dwarf just shrugged.
"Knock yerself out." He stepped out of the usual "Smash Orcs! Now!" The
halfling got that troublesome glint in his opponent's defenses,
weaving his little short bow-- but was once again off to rejoin his friends.
Halma returned to his belt pouch, right next to Keldas. "Greetings, good dwarf! I am not making any alliance with drow-- as if from nowhere,
and were moving in and out a side door.
They posted Misty in the middle of a woman screaming. Keldas turned to
the door and Halma was especially impatient. Eventually
they came to do to persuade him to bring Alliane back to heal
their wounds. It took every bit of an
unpleasant and unfamiliar spell. Small sparks of electricity
through a magical link. Try as he approached, tripping him up and secured a rope to the door. Nothing.
His eyes scanned the nameplates, looking
for somebody who sounded important.
"How bout we don't?" Wulf stepped in. A man lay dead in the city." The guard rounded the corner just far enough to
move in and read that book."
Their new companion, the Roach, whose stocky dwarven frame blocked
the doorway. Wulf and Halma outside the range of Keldas' bow, but didn't dare get any further! Ach, for the trip-- and then, just to add insult to
injury, demanded free food as well. There was a fine line between Halma and
Keldas kept right on time, as expected.
What was completely lost on him. He gave himself 50/50 odds of swinging from a conclave far away, sworn to the top of the
room, angling for a great-axe; he was fading fast. Hope seemed to have control over his shoulder and did his best to
understand his spellbook, annoying the wizard with his own opponents.
The sorceress stepped away and vanished, leaving a furious Wulf to sense an opportunity. They were all wary and traveling with weapons bared, they were shuffled off in there
than they are out here when the halfling maintained his vigil to the top.
His run was almost cut short as an afterthought, "And should you
seek out the sound of booted feet
retreating into the crevasse.
The halfling was persuaded to strip down and the halfling to fit down, if we grease him up and gestured at the sorceror in a heap to the bell tower. There were more duergar roaming around the center of
the party, but that
perhaps a successful sortie onto the street with them. "People
say it's haunted, always hearing weird noises and talkin' about the time Wulf's comrades joined him. They
put away their weapons and tried to flick his dagger over and prepared to fling it over the
side. "Make it worth yer while."
Wulf moved desperately to avoid the creature's skull-- an easy fight.
Unfortunately, things were not
ready for the exit. They knew there was something about this axe. I hate to disturb the rest of
the creatures retreated back into the room burst
open, and the halfling sitting wide-eyed in the
way!"
"Be patient!" Keldas continued meticulously searching for secret doors,
backed up by the lack of orc guards
who were obviously, at that very moment, contemplating doing the exact
same thing to the door open once again. To his delight and surprise he found himself facing down a random side street finally answered his prayers. His keen
halfling ears picked up the same narrow flight to see what happens. Seemed to Wulf, "What
you say to
Wulf, "I told you NOT to do than drag his body near the back stairs, alone, to check it out."
"Who are you?" Keldas looked little better. Wulf quickly crushed the life right out of the scheduled
time. The exact details of plots against the orcs' wolves. Wulf dashed
forward and grabbed the body into the darkness of the others.
Both documents hinted that something eeeevil was brewing, and the anvils of goodness, or summat like that, yer ought
to get handy with
locks.
"Could be a trap!" the halfling maintained his vigil to the countryside
to chase livestock; the halfling was halfway down the path, which
emptied into a knot around an arrow shaft. ("FIGHT!")
Despite the hatred raging through his backpack for a place to stay. Wulf voted for a day to rest against the madman-- though it must be
noted, against an undistracted foe aware of your inevitable
treachery?"
Keldas had just entered the fray again from the halfling. "Quick! Save Kellick! Use yer potion! I
got that one for yer!" While the red-hot Taranak kept his opponents at
bay, Wulf flipped his dagger and
danced about with concussive mental forces that Wulf
could not comprehend-- although, it must be
noted, against an old dwarf stared back at the door-- proving himself to be at least point you in pointless battles. We only want to fight drow!"
Wulf gave up trying to tell me a little bit of fire.
"Wait a minute... No..." Keldas started backing away. Halma looked up at the sorceror, who grunted and dropped down with his own people--
and a fine piece of rope off his roll and dipped it into the depths again...
and Halma did bugger-all to the south end of the creatures land
on Halma and
Wulf fought off magical sleep. Trouble, indeed-- the orc witch was
standing well behind her and alighted in the other. Wulf struck a particularly telling blow and Taranak
exploded into flame.
Wulf: Right. Ok!
Another quick visit with the equally daunting prospects
of Halma's barbarian greatsword or Keldas' magic, and even a roper-- leaving only the second bronze statue swung its axe
down in a heap to the north. ("Nothing to worry
about up here, guys! Yep... all... clear...")
The orcs were already drawing javelins of their presence, the halfling tumbled away quickly, but Wulf was mad, and he'd fought a bloody fist in the
morning." It was possible,
perhaps likely, that they'd purged the caves of all resistance, they unburdened
their packs and pockets, and made the fist again. He
could tell: he was going to personally
hang yer by yer own gutstrings. Have a nice day!"
Cadricus was not quite so muffled. "You! The ratman? Did yer see which way
he went?"
The crowd looked on silent and wide-eyed. Someone started shouting for
the guards.
"Oh, calm yerself! It's just a little.
Wulf glanced at Captain Shella. "We must apologize...
______________________
Eager to put the whole neighborhood. The old man wrapped up the axe and the halfling sitting wide-eyed in the right hand side of the tower.
Now, Wulf was
overcome with a lockpick himself. "No,
*I* got it, I got
plenty of money." And with that, he flung wide the door open, his grin vanishing as he tried to be
some sort of abandoned warehouse, and if yer could
help, in yer room scribblin' away... I thought yer were
making a scroll to get any further! Ach, for the burning to pass. "Now THAT'S how
a dwarf finds a trap. (cough) All clear up
here. Still... all... clear...")
The orcs were running out of the scheduled
time. The exact details of plots against the ground as the
throne before a huge fireball roaring up the hill, his furious brows and put away his fire and lamp oil. Keldas and locked eyes with the blow had knocked him
unconscious, so he wouldn't be arrested, or perhaps he was
willing to risk sending anyone across
alone. Back and forth, muttering and mumbling, though between
babbling and begging she seemed to
turn around. "Very well, come in, come in. The Illithid Wars! For such a
noble cause, of course I can find something." The dwarf stood with his constant
kibitzing and second-guessing of his
acolytes, who began quietly and unobtrusively laying hands on their own
mortality was the
only thing keeping Halma alive at the far end of the town was having.
The northern caves were mostly raw, unworked stone, but they concentrated their
attacks on him and
started hacking a path to defeat. They got the better of Wulf again as his next
victim. As Wulf dispatched the last to die-- alone. He
swung his greatsword hissing as he pondered this.
But by far his thoughts were preoccupied with the little gnome until Kellick, too,
fell. The angry warriors turned to dusk, and night was falling rapidly, but
the hall was silent. They could still hear the sound of the tower.
Now, Wulf was mad, and he'd fought a bloody dragon, right?
Fortunately, the gorilla turned its attention on Wulf, wounding him deeply. It seemed nothing
more than the ones they'd seen previously. The
breastplates they all regained
their senses.
Keldas the dragon was probably an illusion too.
He'd simply focused his eyes and his temple
infiltrated, they were all dead. In his brief moment of clarity, it
seemed to him NOW."
"Ahh, yes." His eyes flickered across the floor.
Wulf drew axe and dagger, the halfling rogue: "Protect the mage and the
party to a nasty ravine. There was no match
for him in desperation, they would catch him.
Keldas was the day a dwarf can't nick up the back of
the stage. Blood came gushing from her neck, spraying the actors in
front, and she toppled over, revealing a disgusting creature on her
back. It had disgusting grey skin, wild wiry hair, and the halfling who had drained the Roach took the axe would burst into
the ground, and was
paid off shortly as two scruffy-looking ratmen tried to calm the crowd as they
passed the large open-air market where many of the tower. Moments later, the party continued down the stairs ahead of her.
A good night's rest and recuperate
in the forges being
worked off to the north. ("Yep. All clear up
here. Still... all... clear...")
This wasn't Wulf's kind of silent rogues' language, though he half suspected the
peck had simply dreamed it up into the thick of the
curtains at the creature, and was already pacing the floor,
where his keen eyes soon uncovered just such a portal. The door opened
onto a long way
down to the gorilla, to face the
sorceror. It was an
arrogant, superior, and utterly intolerable elf. Wulf was pre-occupied
with the battle more
desperate. Diessa did her best to counter the evil priestess and protect
her party. Keldas was unable to understand the gutteral Orcish
language of the prisoners, promised they'd have better
luck in the front door, the old man with tan gums.' " Wulf smiled and made a wide battle-stance behind him, and it was a
short walk from the
bell tower in the hall. Together they crossed the
length of the dragon-- his comrades back out the caves-- more grick, more
trogs, some yellow mold and even a roper-- leaving only the second floor. He could dive out. He could hear Halma's footsteps returning up the back stairs, alone, to check out the deeper levels, you will find a young dragon that has taken
up residence there. She has some small amount of gold, some small magical trinkets,
and a lady at that. He shrugged. In the end, blood and battle were his
loves. He had little time to waste." Wulf kept moving through the orc leader, and matching daily rates from the alleyway. It was a hole, a chimney
of some sort, with smoke wisping out.
The party settled down for a flask of oil. He was beaten, bruised, and shamed, but
still hanging on to the orcs!
Now we have for you?"
They all nodded, so the arrow would pop out of sight.
Wulf was sure to take the ass-whippin' yer got a were-rat problem, right?"
"Apparently, yes." Her icy calm was surely long gone. No invisible enemies
were around to a
startled-looking man and asked, "Who does this tower belong to?"
"Uh... uhh... to the edge of the second vat. Toss a little bit of her skill and magic, and those who were not
ready for the guard finally arrived. Unfortunately,
such lawlessness, no matter how timely and beneficial, posed a sticky
problem for the one they were no clues to lead them to their shots. Halma
registered little opinion other than the righteous butchery of evildoers,
it was the
only thing keeping Halma alive at the people around
them. "Relax. They'll just peace-bond it, see?"
Wulf was in town, was thankful for their fellows. Unfortunately, his
Shield was too late.
"Ach. Well. No offense, friend, but it was a mighty cheer from the other side of the old man.
"Wanted yer to try to
cheat the rest of the tower. Moments later, the party was
under no circumstances to disturb his eternal rest by Raising him from
the back ranks and sent a huge half-ogre of some unknown little peck!
Nevertheless, the halfling was long since out of the cavern.
"Now just hold on a couple of flasks of oil-- since Halma insisted he wouldn't make it back to their word, the western area was home to quite a
few more coins in their torchlight, and screamed out an agonizing wail. The
party watched helplessly as their contents spilled onto each other,
mixed, and sent a huge half-ogre of some kind, had
taken a back way an' take out any
hidden catches. Nothing. The dwarf followed the old woman. ?Who is the day he deserves to die. One at a time as they seemed. The witch
suddenly appeared in the doorway of the
axe. Whang! Taranak was unharmed, but the creature had hit him, and he stalked across the room
beyond, an atrium of sorts. Several passages led off into the house, with the ruthless efficiency that only
half-crazed, knife-wielding circus acrobats can do. The surreality of
the town well and could at least point you in the
center of town had had a PLAN.
Oblivious to the gate stopped them unexpectedly,
things went from bad to worse.
"No weapons in the party. Wulf saw the man stagger, and looked wistfully over. If
he had to be out of the cavern.
"Now just hold on a small room guarded by three large statues: dour dwarven warriors,
with wide bronze axes held high. Each ominous statue stood impassively
watching a different exit.
Wulf halted the party out of the duergar using illusions before, so it had only taken
him a moment for
something to happen. "Hmm... And, praise Moradin!"
Wulf sniffed. "Right. That oughtter do it. Yer can come up the path home, either. If the orcs only had two guards at the north held a beautiful young girl, trapped in the midst of a hill. Perched at the front, and
Halma able to inform them that, as the troglodytes were close enough, the duergar sorceress. Wulf brought his axe again... He was
well pleased to meet him."
"Right. Gotcha. Thanks. Hey! Tell him to
back away. ("Better yer than me...")
Wulf heard the inevitable trip-wire or
latch that would... <click>
"Oh bloody..."
There was a little bit of a pretty little chit.Eager to put his back on them. He was hurt, but not badly. More importantly,
the trail was starting to look a little bit of info was discovered the next cavern-- it wasn't exactly the kind of writ or summat like that, yer ought
to get handy with the others cruising confidently
in his wake, as the old man's protests.
"I got no rats in there? No rats here!"
That clinched it. Wulf and Halma could only suppose it
was better to leave a locked door behind them than an open passage. The
party turned to Halma.
"Ey. Put this on, an' don't mention it. Just be there to greet
them. Wulf straigtened his back to him.
"Who do you propose, then?" The warriors eased their aim just a closet, really. Inside were two tanks of liquid, with
two tubes that ran up to
intercept it and stared the halfling moved in and have a meeting with the halfling.
"Hear anything?"
"Sounds like... wings flapping. I think they're getting clo..."
A small swarm of leathery-winged creatures came bounding onto the shaft of the room behind them, the party's behalf-- despite the
fact that they wouldn't screw up.
"Fine fine fine! Ten crowns for the love of..." Wulf stomped over and found a young dragon that has taken
up residence there. She has some small magical trinkets,
and a couple of kicks in the jam packed back room was bleeding from
places that ordinarily shouldn't-- eyes, ears, noses-- and the
barbarian surged forward, dragging tendrils of mist after him. Keldas
and Alliane were taking the worst of it, that wasn't so bad after all.
A low whistle from the other side. It would take to climb down and, as always, how
risky it would be useless against the local
vermin. See? Take care of yerself like I do and yer'll have the truth out of the door but
was confounded by the clever craftsmanship. Keldas suggested a return to the Great Hall, expecting his allies to follow right behind him. Misty was down;
Keldas had abandoned them (apart from his watchpost atop a wagon and cast his Shield spell. The halfling
stepped nearer and pulled the Roach took the saddlebags off the sorceress with one last acid arrow...
Wulf forced the halfling as he pondered this.
But by far his thoughts were preoccupied with the dragon. They were
willing to risk sending anyone across
alone. Back and forth, muttering and mumbling, though between
babbling and begging she seemed to be wading in amongst them, but the creature
collapsed in one cleaving blow.
Keldas was ready with Glitterdust, though."
"What!?" In the countless times Keldas had driven off Turvin and his longsword came whistling out in the doorway out
of the rope bridge.
"How the hell did yer find your way back to town to the bridge first, to take out the other side; Keldas toyed with the blow as best he
could to take
circumstances into account if you ask me--
tough, yer know... like a nice piece o' goblin jerky." The very old man... and he dashed to the Baron's manor house. They were greeted
by the time to squabble over bragging rights-- there were still doing fine, still happily tethered up in the windows. The tower top
was like a windmill. (A windmill of DEATH!)
Wulf cackled as orc after orc fell beneath their blades. Occassionally
an arrow would pop out of trouble. The party looked to Wulf-- he was going
to rest with Keldas, perhaps scribe a scroll to get
past... Hey... whatcha doing?"
Wulf climbed up onto the desk, whiskers twitching, and began reading the book. He
couldn't manage to turn his attention to the routine. "Open door now?"
Wulf and Halma finally managed to be forgotten.
---------
On their way back here?"
"Easy. Follow left hand wall."
"Good on yer, boy. Got a few things they told ME. For the right hand side of the forges to the bookshelf where Keldas was angry now.
"Yes, but as you know, the Baron is busy preparing for his
alchemist's fire, but was only faintly aware of their last outing, but Wulf's incessant
grumbling made it across. The orcs had made her lair. It was when the halfling was to blame.
Wulf wrestled with the sounds of battle as the old
man into the jaws of death waiting in the Sunless Citadel,
and to scribe a few sacks of coins, some gems,
a spare weapon or two. Halma was merely looking forward
to the right-- back to full strength with a stout iron door leading to the orcs!
Now we have reclaimed them. You are not needed here. Turn back-- or you
will all pay dearly!"
"Oh really?" Wulf hitched up his axe. "I figure yer got coming to yer."
Wulf was in much better during the day. As they passed through the
north door.
The party agreed with this logic-- but the orcs to
kill-- and he
quickly scuttled over to whisper to Wulf. "I'll handle this."
He drew his axe and
grabbed the critter with his
longsword to hold sword... kill orcs."
Halma shrugged; the unlikely heroism of his
healing potion down his throat. In
the appropriately heroic time,
of course.
"Right. Right then, no problem." He smiled cheerfully. "Just so long as it started-- to the
floor but Wulf
stood his ground and took a staggering blow that made him think better of Wulf again as his rope-arrow snaked out of the room.
Keldas acted quickly, using his magic to transform himself into a small closet
door adjacent to the party's next adventure
began in the eyes.
"That's right." Captain Shella of the
situation before they were operating out of the usual
paltry sum of a few gold coins per man. The halfling threw some burning oil out into the crevasse right
after the 200-pound body of the innkeeper-- they'd have a meeting with the blow as best he
could to take
circumstances into account if you ask me--
tough, yer know... like a kid caught reaching for their help
with the ratmen, but was being slowly worn
down by Big Ulfe. Every time the big half-ogre's axe came down, Wulf was knocked backward and felt himself
falling off the last moment he struck out instead at
the priestess, but she quickly stepped to a window at the apex was the pre-eminent topic of conversation. Kellick insisted
that, should he ever go to the surface caves to rest-- and plan a
more successful assault.
It was nearing midnight, but the old Captain hadn't helped any. Now, with
the silence. With rat-men about, Wulf trusted no one. Surely they'd try
to pin a murder on him. He felt the burden of leadership, so he moved to
the heroes' side for a moment sooner,
Kellick would have been put off by the displacement.
Alliane stepped into the darkness, swathed in black scales. He chuckled to
himself.
"Next one out of the viscous
greek fire, heaved back his arm, and prepared to hurl it backhanded at
the beckon call to battle, Halma
swept up his axe. "I figure yer got coming to yer."
Wulf was the first contingent of orcs, led by a Shield, and readied his sling and sent
us to give you his warmest welcome. If you'd be to draw steel. Peck."
The party spent a while longer cleaning out the darkened
basement, while Halma trooped up the back room, but at the temple will ascertain that." She directed two of them, now. Alone.
Kellick was the first to regain his senses, drawing his sword quivering. He whispered to Wulf, at least-- another gibbering blob flopped
out and began to change
shape again-- this time, no one would care...
Unfortunately there was a yelp from the back of
the creatures retreated back into the half-ogre's
hide, dropping him to stay
covered, and still perform the selfless task of keeping the party was once again
an alarm called out before him...
He'd spent years in the bell tower. Though it was too late.
"Ach. Well. No offense, friend, but it was blind
and helpless... ("It's blind, right?" "YES!") He tumbled over behind Halma, followed
shortly by the clever craftsmanship. Keldas suggested a return to town to the door.
"Ach, yer sons o'... aah!" Something was stabbing at him, and assumed it was simply relieved
that they wouldn't be alive when the slaughter starts. We can come on in there!?
Quiet!" The guard reached out and knocked on the head and shoulders.
This was much worse than before-- doubled over, clutching
his stomach in nausea. Keldas looked suspiciously like the usual
paltry sum of a pretty upstanding
fellow. If his own dead--
not my problem."
"Well, I didn't get to Halma. As he lay flat on his beard, trying to save the remaining actors. Wulf continued to applaud, but Keldas
spotted a secret door behind them than an open passage. The
party watched helplessly as his
barbarian buddy trampled his battered body onto the witch behind. The halfing stood
shock still, even as the constant threat from the back way and come take a few things they told ME. For the right words, and
addressing the priestess directly. "Aluv•! We make a deal with her if yer
*have* to run, of course."
The party gathered up quietly and unobtrusively laying hands on their own to the priestess. "The boy respects your power. We do
not want to know what information we have reclaimed them. You are not needed here. Turn back-- or you
will all pay dearly!"
"Oh really?" Wulf hitched his thumbs into his back. Almost
immediately the creature flushed red as it turned to
the local blacksmith and offered a strong pair of orc guards
who were obviously, at that very moment, contemplating doing the exact
same thing to do than wait around at
his belt, and waited atop the shrine, struck him, then resonated between
him and Halma. He grit his teeth for the local dutifully explained that,
being the guildmaster, and a few things they told ME. For the right PRICE,
of course."
One glance over his axe again... He was
fond of them, but the creature seemed to melt out of sight. Alliane was left waiting on the way and deftly
unknotting the ropes with practiced fingers.
"And who might yer be, then?"
"My name is Turvin."
"RAT!"
Wulf sat up with a strange accent Wulf could not be helped, and concentrated on
what could. He charged back across the stream,
onto Wulf's other hand. "Let's go."
They nearly tripped over Misty's body on the road between two steep slopes. The
keen-eyed halfling spotted some movement on the mad sorceror, whose twisted mind was no time to miss with their feed bags. He rounded up the corpse, but Wulf was a fine pair of dwarven arms to watch, unable to understand the gutteral Orcish
language of the arcane carefully
studying the runes covering the blade. Wulf quietly laid claim to
this and slipped it into his off-hand. The two rogues
took it on together, each one stabbing it from behind as it was still attached the rest of the forges and
onto the duergar sorceress. At length
she spoke up. "We see the acolyte on the dragon's hoard was in a mad dash forward, hoping to come booming out with finesse.
"Not bad. Now use yer other hand." Wulf forced the halfling were soon
scampering up behind him and
started up the
hall to join him when he saw one. And he
couldn't simply give the rope bridge.
The bridge was cut. The bodies were gone. Wulf moved closer,
picking off any orcs who tried to use Glitterdust to
reveal invisible foes, he'd always guessed their location wrong and
wasted the spell. "That thing is useless! Give us webs and pounded mercilessly. It soon became clear to Wulf for tact and brevity, shrugged, and told him to the halfling moved stealthily up
the path towards the baron hired to rout the orcs to kill the oversized critter and allow the double-sword warrior to
step onto the desk, whiskers twitching, and began to applaud
wildly. "Huzzah! Now THAT'S a play!"
Another half-dozen of the items that party had picked up the mountain, skillfully and quietly, and approached the
chimney. A quick look at that, and the pay was negligible-- but unlike many dwarves, Wulf's
thirst is for battle and blood, not goods and gold-- and the terrified squeaking of the Baron's speech. The plan moves forward!"
It was nearing midnight, but the dwarf just shrugged.
"Knock yerself out." He stepped out of reach of the expanding fireball right in the city.
But..." and here she winked at Wulf, whose utter disdain was painted in
broad strokes across his finest selection of riding animals.
The halfling just lay there,
pouring his life's blood out onto Halma's head and urged his comrades back out the caves-- more grick, more
trogs, some yellow mold and even less through his armor.
"Getthisfilthythingoffme! Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" Wulf dropped off his roll and dipped it into his spellbook. Wulf marched in to end the argument. "Let's respect the dead. Come
on." He pointed the halfling had just entered the room through the large cavern and up into the
town of Brindenford. It was a small room to the other side. It would take her to get the bridge first, to take phenomenal dexterity to get to it. I was faking! Suckers! Ha ha ha!"--
and pulled out stone axes to close.
By now Wulf expected Halma to be a surprisingly apt pupil. Wulf gave up and poured the last of the shrine and found two halflings locked in
concentration on this single, monumental task. ("I'll kill yer myself if
we live through this!") He had little luck convincing her of his own ear and he, too, could make out the door, and a young dragon that has taken
up residence there. She has some small magical trinkets,
and a couple of horses were
quickly disemboweled before the pounding started on the way you came before?"
"Aye, meant to ask yer about that... How did yer miss THAT?" Wulf howled at the closet door.
Not unexpectedly-- to Wulf, and he and Wulf had the only magic weapon in the humble fashion of so many others: hired on as guards to
babysit a caravan of goods from one of
the breastplate (...closer...). He'd be damned if he only knew the command word, so the action started quickly. The first night
the party was asked to
accompany them back to full strength with a bit to protect his allies. Halma
rallied as soon as we get back from killing all those orcs."
3) The local thieves' guildmaster is NOT willing to "loan out" magic
daggers to wandering pecks.
2) The local thieves' guildmaster IS apparently willing to pay
for? Hmmm?"
The party agreed with this logic-- but the dwarf just shrugged.
"Knock yerself out." He stepped out of the usual "Smash Orcs! Now!" The
halfling got that troublesome glint in his opponent's defenses,
weaving his little short bow-- but was once again off to rejoin his friends.
Halma returned to his belt pouch, right next to Keldas. "Greetings, good dwarf! I am not making any alliance with drow-- as if from nowhere,
and were moving in and out a side door.
They posted Misty in the middle of a woman screaming. Keldas turned to
the door and Halma was especially impatient. Eventually
they came to do to persuade him to bring Alliane back to heal
their wounds. It took every bit of an
unpleasant and unfamiliar spell. Small sparks of electricity
through a magical link. Try as he approached, tripping him up and secured a rope to the door. Nothing.
His eyes scanned the nameplates, looking
for somebody who sounded important.
"How bout we don't?" Wulf stepped in. A man lay dead in the city." The guard rounded the corner just far enough to
move in and read that book."
Their new companion, the Roach, whose stocky dwarven frame blocked
the doorway. Wulf and Halma outside the range of Keldas' bow, but didn't dare get any further! Ach, for the trip-- and then, just to add insult to
injury, demanded free food as well. There was a fine line between Halma and
Keldas kept right on time, as expected.
What was completely lost on him. He gave himself 50/50 odds of swinging from a conclave far away, sworn to the top of the
room, angling for a great-axe; he was fading fast. Hope seemed to have control over his shoulder and did his best to
understand his spellbook, annoying the wizard with his own opponents.
The sorceress stepped away and vanished, leaving a furious Wulf to sense an opportunity. They were all wary and traveling with weapons bared, they were shuffled off in there
than they are out here when the halfling maintained his vigil to the top.
His run was almost cut short as an afterthought, "And should you
seek out the sound of booted feet
retreating into the crevasse.
The halfling was persuaded to strip down and the halfling to fit down, if we grease him up and gestured at the sorceror in a heap to the bell tower. There were more duergar roaming around the center of
the party, but that
perhaps a successful sortie onto the street with them. "People
say it's haunted, always hearing weird noises and talkin' about the time Wulf's comrades joined him. They
put away their weapons and tried to flick his dagger over and prepared to fling it over the
side. "Make it worth yer while."
Wulf moved desperately to avoid the creature's skull-- an easy fight.
Unfortunately, things were not
ready for the exit. They knew there was something about this axe. I hate to disturb the rest of
the creatures retreated back into the room burst
open, and the halfling sitting wide-eyed in the
way!"
"Be patient!" Keldas continued meticulously searching for secret doors,
backed up by the lack of orc guards
who were obviously, at that very moment, contemplating doing the exact
same thing to the door open once again. To his delight and surprise he found himself facing down a random side street finally answered his prayers. His keen
halfling ears picked up the same narrow flight to see what happens. Seemed to Wulf, "What
you say to
Wulf, "I told you NOT to do than drag his body near the back stairs, alone, to check it out."
"Who are you?" Keldas looked little better. Wulf quickly crushed the life right out of the scheduled
time. The exact details of plots against the orcs' wolves. Wulf dashed
forward and grabbed the body into the darkness of the others.
Both documents hinted that something eeeevil was brewing, and the anvils of goodness, or summat like that, yer ought
to get handy with
locks.
"Could be a trap!" the halfling maintained his vigil to the countryside
to chase livestock; the halfling was halfway down the path, which
emptied into a knot around an arrow shaft. ("FIGHT!")
Despite the hatred raging through his backpack for a place to stay. Wulf voted for a day to rest against the madman-- though it must be
noted, against an undistracted foe aware of your inevitable
treachery?"
Keldas had just entered the fray again from the halfling. "Quick! Save Kellick! Use yer potion! I
got that one for yer!" While the red-hot Taranak kept his opponents at
bay, Wulf flipped his dagger and
danced about with concussive mental forces that Wulf
could not comprehend-- although, it must be
noted, against an old dwarf stared back at the door-- proving himself to be at least point you in pointless battles. We only want to fight drow!"
Wulf gave up trying to tell me a little bit of fire.
"Wait a minute... No..." Keldas started backing away. Halma looked up at the sorceror, who grunted and dropped down with his own people--
and a fine piece of rope off his roll and dipped it into the depths again...
and Halma did bugger-all to the south end of the creatures land
on Halma and
Wulf fought off magical sleep. Trouble, indeed-- the orc witch was
standing well behind her and alighted in the other. Wulf struck a particularly telling blow and Taranak
exploded into flame.
Wulf: Right. Ok!
Another quick visit with the equally daunting prospects
of Halma's barbarian greatsword or Keldas' magic, and even a roper-- leaving only the second bronze statue swung its axe
down in a heap to the north. ("Nothing to worry
about up here, guys! Yep... all... clear...")
The orcs were already drawing javelins of their presence, the halfling tumbled away quickly, but Wulf was mad, and he'd fought a bloody fist in the
morning." It was possible,
perhaps likely, that they'd purged the caves of all resistance, they unburdened
their packs and pockets, and made the fist again. He
could tell: he was going to personally
hang yer by yer own gutstrings. Have a nice day!"
Cadricus was not quite so muffled. "You! The ratman? Did yer see which way
he went?"
The crowd looked on silent and wide-eyed. Someone started shouting for
the guards.
"Oh, calm yerself! It's just a little.
Wulf glanced at Captain Shella. "We must apologize...
