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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rhael" data-source="post: 445895" data-attributes="member: 5269">Player's Perspective (014)Party UpdateRhael (Human Ranger/Cleric), Shadow (Human Rogue), Terjon (Human Paladin), Warramayl (Human Monk), Mareth (Elf Fighter), Taklinn(Dwarven Fighter), Hejkan (Human Barbarian/Cleric of Kord)Unjustified TrepidationI the only way I could describe my hesitation in going to this tower which we had heard rumours about back in Taureth was that it just sounded like one of those places where you-go-in-the-door-slams-behind-you-and-you-can’t-come-out-until-you-climb-to-the-top-and-solve-some-riddle-which-if-you-get-it-wrong-you-die.Sounds like a bit of a cliché, but while I don’t subscribe to the theory that all mages are wacked-out crazies bent on destruction, some of them do worry me.Anyway, I voiced my concerns, there was some nodding and general agreement that it could be quite dangerous, but the consensus was to go anyway.  Shadow was particularly vocal in encouraging us to go.“A wizard’s tower!  Think of all the fat, [I[magical[/] loot we might find in there!”  The word’s ‘fat loot’ must have passed his lips on at least a half-dozen occasions during the discussion.  “We’ll be able to boost all sorts of stuff!”  I noticed Hejkan watching his young companion reprovingly during his excited tirade.  I almost thought Shadow was going to challenge us all to a race to get there – sanity prevailed and when we did set off, but in a more considered formation.  The path that Longstride had indicated lead us further away from Taureth, but after a while curved back to the south and we were almost heading back in the direction of the city when we crested a hill and saw what we could only guess was the “fabled wizard’s tower”.  I could see Shadow getting quite excited and he immediately questioned why we hadn’t come here before.  I muttered something about having more important things to do as we set off down the hill to the front door.It wasn’t until we got closer and more level with the base of the tower that it’s proportions became fully apparent.  The tower was around a hundred feet tall and constructed from huge stone blocks.  The tower had a distinct stair-step appearance as the north-facing or left hand wall went straight upwards, but the south wall was in a three-step structure whereby the tower was only a third as wide at the top as at the base.  There was a massive teak door set in the centre of the base of the tower, measuring at least ten feet high and five feet wide at it’s base.  After a few deep breaths we cautiously entered the tower.  The interior of the tower was lit by blue-tinged globes that were affixed to the walls at regular intervals.  This room appeared to encompass the entirety of the bottom floor of the tower and had two staircases leading up to a mezzanine level, upon which was what looked like a room with two doors leading into it and a corridor surrounding it.  After a thorough exploration of the floor revealed nothing either dangerous or interesting with the exception of the blue globes – one of which Shadow attempted to pry from the wall, but succeeded only in breaking the tip of his dagger.We checked the doors on the mezzanine level – we found some giant beetles in one of the rooms.  They attacked us on sight but were dispatched with no difficulty whatsoever.  We found some stairs leading upwards in the corridor behind the rooms and followed it upwards.On the next level we found some giant rats, dire bats and some goblins, which once again posed very little challenge.  The next level up contained what I guessed to be the beginning of a series of riddles.  The answer to the riddle set in a plaque upon a solid-looking door: “Feed Me and I live, give me a drink and I die.” appeared obvious, but what we had to do was not as apparent.  The unfortunate thing was that the door-handle badly burned anyone who touched it.  I cast a resist elements spell on myself and we tried several different approaches – saying ‘fire’ and turning the handle, casting create water spells before finally I must have said ‘fire’ while turning the handle and the riddle appeared to be answered for the door swung open.“Well, that’s a little pedantic.”  I thought to myself.  Lo and behold behind the door was another set of steps.  On the next level we met with two lizard-man statues that came to life as we approached a door and attacked with their shortspears.  Once again, we didn’t have any real problems hacking them down and watching them turn to dust on the floor.The next level contained a real challenge.  A shambling mound moved to attack us as we entered a room I can only guess was very near the top of the tower.  It packed a mean punch and several of us were looking quite worse-for-wear by the time it lay lifeless.  Mareth and Warramayl had been engulfed and knocked unconscious by the creature and Hejkan and Taklinn had taken some fairly solid hits.  We could see that each of our attacks was having little effect, but we wore it down and finally Terjon delivered the killing blow.In a small room beyond the mound we found a light shining down on a short pedestal from the ceiling – there being no apparent source for the light.  Of course, Shadow was the one to discover that it wasn’t harmful as he rose in the light and disappeared through the ceiling.  The rest of us followed, some with more apprehension than others.  However, the only thing that greeted us in this room, which I could only guess to be the top of the tower was a big pile of treasure.  Shadow was beside himself, and appeared ready to leap into one of the chests full of silver and take a bath.  There were two chests full to overflowing with silver pieces, one full of gold and some gems.  There were two sets of full plate, one for smaller people than any of us and one human-sized which Hejkan informed us was magical – I was very excited.  There was a longbow that only Taklinn and I could draw effectively and a few other bits and pieces.  I entreated the party for the right to keep the magical armour in light of my need for it so that I could enter the Knights of the Chalice – they were happy enough for that to occur and I volunteered to take only a minor share of the loot from this find.  After the excitement died down we started thinking practically again and the subject of how we would get this back to Taureth was raised – even how we’d get it out of this room, was an issue.  At least until good old, inquisitive Shadow found the teleporter behind a secret door and before we knew it we and all the loot had been transported to the grass out the front of the tower.  It would be a slow trip back to Taureth carrying these chests and such, but lacking any other options – a slow trip it would be.We made it back to Taureth with almost no incident although it took us a whole day of travel where, by my reckoning the distance could have been traversed in roughly half that time.  A pair of giant spiders with their web spun across a wider part of the path was our only obstacle and we came through that encounter unscathed.Things were slightly different on the trip home – my new metal casing prevented me from being much use as a scout so Shadow was left to do that on his own now – which I think he preferred, to be honest.Needless to say that we spent up big that evening at the tavern and made plans to go looking for some good-quality equipment the next day.Only two things are certain in life…In the middle of our revelry three men, one in fairly elaborate-looking robes of state and the other two in Taureth City Guard livery.  He stood silently for a few moments until we had all noticed him.“Good evening, gentlemen.”  He had one of those slightly smooth voices that reminded you of a snake.“And to you, good sir.”  I replied.  I stood as I said this, wondering what was going on.The man explained that he was from the Office of the Exchequer and that our spending had come to their notice.  Of course, this meant nothing to us and we were just as likely to listen to him as ignore him, but when he said that they were going to tax us, retrospectively for ten percent of our earnings, based on value of assets.  The reason for this was that our spending around town and our minor fame for ‘shouting the bar’ on occasion had reached the ears of officialdom and they wanted their slice of our earnings.  There were some loud protests at this, but the man raised his hand and explained that we had two other options.  One was to become Crown Questors – this would mean that we wouldn’t be taxed, but could be called upon once a year to perform a task for the king with no compensation.  The other option was to pay two thousand gold, biannually to be registered in the Dallarn Freeholds as a mercenary company – this would mean that our incomes would not be taxed and we could take out crown contracts.After a brief discussion of the ins and outs of the various options and a few more protests, we agreed to meet the man the next evening in the tavern.The ensuing conference was quite loud.  Shadow and Warramayl were in favour of just skipping town, I was personally in favour of the Crown Questors option, as was Terjon, and the others seemed in favour of the Merc company.  Since our group ran on a democratic-type arrangement, the rogue and the monk’s idea was quickly shouted down and we were left with the other two options – the idea of paying taxes never even came up.Eventually, we agreed that the mercenary company idea was probably the best one.  We then had to determine who the captain and the corporal at arms (required positions for the purposes of the registration) would be and the name of our company.I was elected to be the captain – which I admit I was a little chuffed at – and Mareth was to be the corporal at arms.  The role of the captain and the corporal is to negotiate and accept the contracts on behalf of the company and be the official face of the group.  I was in favour of Terjon being the corporal, but the chance of him opening his mouth during an important conversation was deemed too great to risk it.Naming the company was a difficult process and some of the names we came up with, in retrospect, would have been just embarrassing.  In the end we came up with The Obsidian Hammers, and I hoped fervently that it wasn’t already taken after the length of time it had taken for us to come up with a name we could all agree on.We all hit the sack, our plans made for the next day.  Warramayl was going to look for a better quality sling.  Mareth was going to canvass the gemsmiths again, looking for a diamond for Longstride.  I had seen some suits of armour around in full plate with spikes on the shoulders, arms, shins, feet and hands and decided that I wanted to have similar accoutrements fitted to my latest acquisition.  Shadow had fairly amorphous plans relating to the market area, Terjon was going to try to give away as much of his share as he possibly could and Taklinn and Hejkan were elected to renew our supplies in amongst whatever else they planned to do.</blockquote>

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