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Ptolus - Campaign Journal
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<blockquote data-quote="Jeremy" data-source="post: 3847148" data-attributes="member: 4036"><p>I spent this morning honing my concentration, meditation is something more oft reserved for spellcasters but the Diamond Mind school of the Sublime Way teaches that through concentration one can alter their perception of time, have all the time in the world to analyze your opponents weaknesses, and in an instant exploit them. </p><p></p><p>Plus it makes you look mysterious and wise which after my… athletic… romps with Gloria might be a good thing. I can’t help it, what she lacks in outer beauty she makes up for in enthusiasm, flexibility, and I don’t need to worry about forgetting my own strength with her. Besides, she puts her life on the line almost as much as I do and receives little pay and no thanks for it, the least I can do is show the lonely girl a good time. There are plenty of others easier on the eyes, but they are usually expecting something in return. Gloria knows what she looks like, and the company I keep probably isn’t doing anything for her confidence but there’s only so much I’m willing or able to do for her. </p><p></p><p>Speaking of risking one’s life, apparently Voss’s tales of Gnarlfist’s demise were greatly exaggerated, he remains alive and by far the ugliest creature I’ve ever seen. Using some manner of stone the obese behemoth held open a portal through which poured out a flood of grotesquely mutilated townsfolk. They were crazed and gnawed upon and set to feeding on anything or anyone they could sink their teeth into. Even worse, in some cases it was spreading. I took up my weapon and fled to the Minstrel calling the others to arms but even as I did they were already upon me. Through the portal I could make out fires leaping from building to building almost as if Gnarlfist was herding the torrent of infected through the portal into Delver’s Square. </p><p></p><p>I tried to hold the doors but even as the townsfolk clambered over the corpses amassing at my feet more were pouring through the windows. Voss did what he could armed with only the frying pan he’d been cooking with. A young twig of a spellcaster named Rayth who had up until then been enjoying a quiet morning at the Minstrel also lent a hand felling more than half a dozen of the creatures with a well placed spell. A chaos of battle overtook the whole of the square as larger half-giant infected joined the fray and were met by all manner of Delver’s from beneath the Square. Spells flew in every direction and summoned creatures swept hapless infected townsfolk this way and that even as more innocents were alternately caught in the crossfire or subsumed by the infected. A huge scorpion rent its way through the mob until it vanished, buried beneath infected. </p><p></p><p>One of the half giants would have been the end of me were it not for Geery’s timely intervention. Worse the sounds of breaking glass and battle from upstairs answered why Emogen and Emerial had yet to join us. With the tide of battle set firmly against the defenders in the Minstrel, I attempted to use T’lan’s signet to summon any available aid within reach but received no response. </p><p></p><p>Backs to the walls we held as long as we could when two forms of unexpected help arrived, one was in the form of an entirely different visage of T’lan Windsong, his horrible bat wings were feathered and there was an almost angelic countenance to him until he landed and impaled two half giants on the bone-spiked ends of his strange leathery but yet somewhat feathered wings. Whatever he choose to look like, he is very comfortable at the center of carnage it seems. Were that not strange enough Geery’s form erupted into a hideous mass of rubbery slime, tentacles, and eyeballs all framing a number of gaping mouths that began devouring every infected—alive or otherwise—that his tentacles could bring to him. However when Voss eventually succumbed to the onslaught and turned his maddened eyes on the slight elf, Rayth, Geery’s tentacles latched onto him and flung him across the commons room into a wall. </p><p></p><p>T’lan cast down infected with his monstrous strength as well as with spells until at least the immediate area around us was safer at which point he again saved Voss which continues to anger the tiefling to no end. I relayed what had happened as best I could and answered both T’lan and Rayth’s questions before our strange patron took on a less eye-catching appearance and left us to our own devices. The fighting outside had subsided though the aftermath of what had happened was a grisly sight indeed. I went to check on the others and while Emogen and Emerial were alright I could find no trace of Suki save for a note she had left which offered little clue as to where she had gone. </p><p></p><p>Back down in the commons room Rayth plied Voss and I with questions until we told him a little of our current plans to seek the return of the Lieutenant Commander as well as find our Lithorian friend. This discussion became more interesting when the heavily armored woman we had beaten into submission only too recently showed up with her insane gnome friend and an elven battle mage, presumably the one the Watch had told us of. Jenna, that’s her name. She haughtily informed us that T’lan had instructed her to aid us then proceeded to sit down with her friends and do nothing of the sort. </p><p>Emerial and Emogen apparently must have received some word from St. Gustave’s about Dolan as they left soon thereafter and have yet to return. Jenna and her cronies held to the fact that T’lan had sent them to the Ghostly Minstrel to aid us and that such a mandate did not include leaving it to aid us against the Taurus encampment. Thus reduced in numbers to two when Rayth offered his help we took him up on it and Voss quickly asked if he knew of anyone else with the courage to join us. Actually his words were quite different but they escape me now, regardless, Rayth said he knew someone and headed back to his enclave to fetch her. </p><p></p><p>One good thing about defending an establishment like the Ghostly Minstrel, their gratitude can be very tasty. And with their own built in bard I had an eager ear for our tale of the day’s events. Unfortunately our future course was no where near as convenient. When Rayth returned with a beautiful elven wizard he named as Riley it took us quite some time to come up with a plan of action. Several options were discussed and Riley’s interrogation of Jenna was very entertaining, but in the end it was decided that the Taurus encampment was too heavily guarded for us to infiltrate with our current resources. Voss suggested seeing if T’lan had any tasks for us more within our means and I attempted to request a meeting with him on the morrow to discuss such. Bringing up T’lan embroiled us in all manner of dialogue over our employer’s nature, goals, methods, and our history with him. For the moment I left out the doomsday stories so as not to alarm and because I’m still hoping that the cultists’ rituals to bring about the Night of Dissolution are all just mumbo jumbo and that they don’t actually have the ability to sunder whatever it is that holds this realm together. Surely if they did have such ability the combined force of the Holy Palace would descend on them and the Daykeeper’s sacred armies would annihilate them to a man. With the Emperor of the Church currently staying in Ptolus with his son the Prince, I’m sure security is at an all time high and any whisper of truth to a tale like this would provoke a swift and deadly response. So for now I choose to focus on simpler things, the elves returned to Emerald Hill for the night and I decided enough time had passed that visiting Gloria again wouldn’t send the wrong message. </p><p></p><p>Our meeting with T’lan the next morning resulted in even more colorful discourse with T’lan disinterested in either limiting knowledge of this world’s true nature or coddling any would be allies of ours. Surprisingly Rayth was not put off at all by these revelations and even managed to pledge his service to House Windsong before Voss’s usual tact and charm exhausted T’lan’s patience and he left mid-sentence. What it did not result in though was a plan, regrettably T’lan had no work for us and was annoyed to be summoned at such a request at all. So after Voss and I finished T’lan’s interrupted story as best we could we are left with little else than to get Rayth and Riley guilded with the Delver’s and get to work under the city. I say we get after the ratmen. It’ll be good to get some practice with our new companions and learn to work together before we take on more deadly foes. And besides, with the riches to be found beneath Ptolus we may get lucky and return with the funds to put the Dreaming Apothecary to serious work. I need to see if T’lan would find it agreeable to allow me to requisition some resources for just that. Aside from the legacy weapons of each martial discipline of the Sublime Way I’ve heard tell of weapons being simply keyed to a discipline, with my growing skill of the Iron Heart discipline and study of the Tiger Claw I can think of no more potent tool in advancing my training. </p><p></p><p>* * * *</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jeremy, post: 3847148, member: 4036"] I spent this morning honing my concentration, meditation is something more oft reserved for spellcasters but the Diamond Mind school of the Sublime Way teaches that through concentration one can alter their perception of time, have all the time in the world to analyze your opponents weaknesses, and in an instant exploit them. Plus it makes you look mysterious and wise which after my… athletic… romps with Gloria might be a good thing. I can’t help it, what she lacks in outer beauty she makes up for in enthusiasm, flexibility, and I don’t need to worry about forgetting my own strength with her. Besides, she puts her life on the line almost as much as I do and receives little pay and no thanks for it, the least I can do is show the lonely girl a good time. There are plenty of others easier on the eyes, but they are usually expecting something in return. Gloria knows what she looks like, and the company I keep probably isn’t doing anything for her confidence but there’s only so much I’m willing or able to do for her. Speaking of risking one’s life, apparently Voss’s tales of Gnarlfist’s demise were greatly exaggerated, he remains alive and by far the ugliest creature I’ve ever seen. Using some manner of stone the obese behemoth held open a portal through which poured out a flood of grotesquely mutilated townsfolk. They were crazed and gnawed upon and set to feeding on anything or anyone they could sink their teeth into. Even worse, in some cases it was spreading. I took up my weapon and fled to the Minstrel calling the others to arms but even as I did they were already upon me. Through the portal I could make out fires leaping from building to building almost as if Gnarlfist was herding the torrent of infected through the portal into Delver’s Square. I tried to hold the doors but even as the townsfolk clambered over the corpses amassing at my feet more were pouring through the windows. Voss did what he could armed with only the frying pan he’d been cooking with. A young twig of a spellcaster named Rayth who had up until then been enjoying a quiet morning at the Minstrel also lent a hand felling more than half a dozen of the creatures with a well placed spell. A chaos of battle overtook the whole of the square as larger half-giant infected joined the fray and were met by all manner of Delver’s from beneath the Square. Spells flew in every direction and summoned creatures swept hapless infected townsfolk this way and that even as more innocents were alternately caught in the crossfire or subsumed by the infected. A huge scorpion rent its way through the mob until it vanished, buried beneath infected. One of the half giants would have been the end of me were it not for Geery’s timely intervention. Worse the sounds of breaking glass and battle from upstairs answered why Emogen and Emerial had yet to join us. With the tide of battle set firmly against the defenders in the Minstrel, I attempted to use T’lan’s signet to summon any available aid within reach but received no response. Backs to the walls we held as long as we could when two forms of unexpected help arrived, one was in the form of an entirely different visage of T’lan Windsong, his horrible bat wings were feathered and there was an almost angelic countenance to him until he landed and impaled two half giants on the bone-spiked ends of his strange leathery but yet somewhat feathered wings. Whatever he choose to look like, he is very comfortable at the center of carnage it seems. Were that not strange enough Geery’s form erupted into a hideous mass of rubbery slime, tentacles, and eyeballs all framing a number of gaping mouths that began devouring every infected—alive or otherwise—that his tentacles could bring to him. However when Voss eventually succumbed to the onslaught and turned his maddened eyes on the slight elf, Rayth, Geery’s tentacles latched onto him and flung him across the commons room into a wall. T’lan cast down infected with his monstrous strength as well as with spells until at least the immediate area around us was safer at which point he again saved Voss which continues to anger the tiefling to no end. I relayed what had happened as best I could and answered both T’lan and Rayth’s questions before our strange patron took on a less eye-catching appearance and left us to our own devices. The fighting outside had subsided though the aftermath of what had happened was a grisly sight indeed. I went to check on the others and while Emogen and Emerial were alright I could find no trace of Suki save for a note she had left which offered little clue as to where she had gone. Back down in the commons room Rayth plied Voss and I with questions until we told him a little of our current plans to seek the return of the Lieutenant Commander as well as find our Lithorian friend. This discussion became more interesting when the heavily armored woman we had beaten into submission only too recently showed up with her insane gnome friend and an elven battle mage, presumably the one the Watch had told us of. Jenna, that’s her name. She haughtily informed us that T’lan had instructed her to aid us then proceeded to sit down with her friends and do nothing of the sort. Emerial and Emogen apparently must have received some word from St. Gustave’s about Dolan as they left soon thereafter and have yet to return. Jenna and her cronies held to the fact that T’lan had sent them to the Ghostly Minstrel to aid us and that such a mandate did not include leaving it to aid us against the Taurus encampment. Thus reduced in numbers to two when Rayth offered his help we took him up on it and Voss quickly asked if he knew of anyone else with the courage to join us. Actually his words were quite different but they escape me now, regardless, Rayth said he knew someone and headed back to his enclave to fetch her. One good thing about defending an establishment like the Ghostly Minstrel, their gratitude can be very tasty. And with their own built in bard I had an eager ear for our tale of the day’s events. Unfortunately our future course was no where near as convenient. When Rayth returned with a beautiful elven wizard he named as Riley it took us quite some time to come up with a plan of action. Several options were discussed and Riley’s interrogation of Jenna was very entertaining, but in the end it was decided that the Taurus encampment was too heavily guarded for us to infiltrate with our current resources. Voss suggested seeing if T’lan had any tasks for us more within our means and I attempted to request a meeting with him on the morrow to discuss such. Bringing up T’lan embroiled us in all manner of dialogue over our employer’s nature, goals, methods, and our history with him. For the moment I left out the doomsday stories so as not to alarm and because I’m still hoping that the cultists’ rituals to bring about the Night of Dissolution are all just mumbo jumbo and that they don’t actually have the ability to sunder whatever it is that holds this realm together. Surely if they did have such ability the combined force of the Holy Palace would descend on them and the Daykeeper’s sacred armies would annihilate them to a man. With the Emperor of the Church currently staying in Ptolus with his son the Prince, I’m sure security is at an all time high and any whisper of truth to a tale like this would provoke a swift and deadly response. So for now I choose to focus on simpler things, the elves returned to Emerald Hill for the night and I decided enough time had passed that visiting Gloria again wouldn’t send the wrong message. Our meeting with T’lan the next morning resulted in even more colorful discourse with T’lan disinterested in either limiting knowledge of this world’s true nature or coddling any would be allies of ours. Surprisingly Rayth was not put off at all by these revelations and even managed to pledge his service to House Windsong before Voss’s usual tact and charm exhausted T’lan’s patience and he left mid-sentence. What it did not result in though was a plan, regrettably T’lan had no work for us and was annoyed to be summoned at such a request at all. So after Voss and I finished T’lan’s interrupted story as best we could we are left with little else than to get Rayth and Riley guilded with the Delver’s and get to work under the city. I say we get after the ratmen. It’ll be good to get some practice with our new companions and learn to work together before we take on more deadly foes. And besides, with the riches to be found beneath Ptolus we may get lucky and return with the funds to put the Dreaming Apothecary to serious work. I need to see if T’lan would find it agreeable to allow me to requisition some resources for just that. Aside from the legacy weapons of each martial discipline of the Sublime Way I’ve heard tell of weapons being simply keyed to a discipline, with my growing skill of the Iron Heart discipline and study of the Tiger Claw I can think of no more potent tool in advancing my training. * * * * [/QUOTE]
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