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The Adventures of the Knights of Spellforge Keep- UPDATED 6/6
- Thread starter Dr Midnight
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Dr Midnight
Explorer
They stood silently outside as leaves blew around them. The three Spellforge children were gathered at the graves of their parents. Raelin was weeping softly. Kyler was as well, though he tried to hide it with his cowl.
“They were so good to us, Kizz,” Raelin said.
“I know.”
“You were probably too young to remember this, but Mom sewed capes for us. Little capes. Dad crafted swords for us. Sticks with simple illusion spells cast over them. It wasn’t much, but it meant the world to us at the time. We’d run around in the tiny backyard we had and we just thought we were the kings of Greyhawk. Dad would sometimes pretend to be a big monster of some sort. He’d make himself look like an ogre, and he’d yelp as we chased him around the yard poking him with our sword-sticks. He’d yell ‘Eughh!’ and fall down.” He laughed, then sniffled. “Mom would tell stories with pictures. She would cast these moving illusions and put on little plays for us featuring heroes and monsters. The heroes were always named after us, and when there was a fair maiden to save, it was always ‘Kizzlorn.’”
He sighed and wiped his eyes. “Anyway. Something I wanted to ask you, Kizz…”
“Yes?”
“Why not have them resurrected? I mean, they could be right here, back with us.”
“I thought about that for a long time. Before I ever went up to Acessiwal’s cavern, I’d given it hours of thinking. I came to the decision that- well- they’ve been dead for fifteen years. That’s a long time to spend in Pelor’s grace. I thought it might be cruel to take them from heaven and put them back on Oerth, where things can be cold and cruel. Even if it brought us unimaginable joy to have them sitting at the table with us at dinner tonight, can we know they’d prefer to be here with us, instead of watching us from heaven?”
Kyler thought about that for a while. ”You may be right.”
“She IS right,” Raelin said, touching the medallion of Pelor that he wore about his neck. “They’re happier with Pelor, as anyone would be.”
“Don’t mind Rael,” Kyler whispered. “He’s a little Pelor-crazy these days.”
Raelin spoke defensively. “I’m a cleric! I’m not ‘Pelor-crazy’.”
“Yes, you became a cleric after you went Pelor-crazy.”
Kizzlorn laughed at her bickering brothers.
Raelin glared at them both, but he couldn’t help but smile just a bit. “Oh, now you’re both mocking me. You, Kyler, need a lesson in humility.”
“Oh? Think you’re man enough to do it?” They began wrestling, and collapsed to the ground.
“Submit, heretic!”
“Ack! Kizz, help, I’m being pummeled by a Pelor-crazy madman!”
They wrestled about in the grass, and Kizzlorn could barely breathe, she was laughing so hard. It did her heart wonders to have her brothers here with her again, and she felt something like a human being again, rather than an adventurer with unearthly powers. She’d forgotten how much she missed it all.
Kyler’s head shot up from the mass of flailing limbs. “What’s that smell?”
Raelin sniffed and said “Ooh. Is that…”
Kizzlorn brushed some hair behind her ear and grinned. “Dinner… let’s go!” They raced back to the Keep.
Inside, the dining hall was laid out with the most delightful banquet the Spellforge boys had ever seen. The dragon steaks really did smell like the best meal ever grilled over an open flame, and when you’ve been living on trail rations for months at a time, the concept of an excellent dinner at a table in a dining hall with family is just about the greatest thing you can imagine.
The others in the room stood up to greet Kizzlorn’s brothers. They had been politely left alone whilst paying their respects at the graves of their parents outside, but now it was time to meet the Knights.
Kizzlorn said “Everyone, these are my brothers, Raelin and Kyler Spellforge. This is Grumbar…”
The half-orc smiled and waved with a friendly grin. “Hi!”
“…Over there, that’s Edge. He’s also fairly new to the group. That’s Oaken, you’ve met him… that’s Vek, or ‘Uncle Vek’, as I call him sometimes. He knew Mom and Dad well, he has lots of great stories about them. That on the end there is Gregg Flamebrow.”
Gregg Flamebrow, otherwise known as Jamison, grinned nervously.
“Nice to meet you all,” Raelin said warmly. They sat down and began to eat. “Wow, this isn’t what I was expecting. We were told all about the group, and it looks like you guys have a high mortality rate. I heard that for a while, you were traveling with Jamison Crow… that character who was evil for so long and is still wanted in Greyhawk.”
Jamison’s posture stiffened, and it dawned on Kizzlorn now that with their parents’ murderer in the room, it might not be the best time to open the subject of Jamison’s infamous history.
Kizz said “Uh, really? Well, who told you that?”
Kyler said “The old man told us. He’s still pretty bristly about it, too.” Raelin elbowed his brother sharply. “Ow, what was that for?”
Kizz asked “Who’s ‘the old man’?”
Raelin sighed and glared at Kyler. “The old man is a fighter in our group. He knows you, and helped us to find our way here. Dartan, his name is.”
MORE TO COME...
“They were so good to us, Kizz,” Raelin said.
“I know.”
“You were probably too young to remember this, but Mom sewed capes for us. Little capes. Dad crafted swords for us. Sticks with simple illusion spells cast over them. It wasn’t much, but it meant the world to us at the time. We’d run around in the tiny backyard we had and we just thought we were the kings of Greyhawk. Dad would sometimes pretend to be a big monster of some sort. He’d make himself look like an ogre, and he’d yelp as we chased him around the yard poking him with our sword-sticks. He’d yell ‘Eughh!’ and fall down.” He laughed, then sniffled. “Mom would tell stories with pictures. She would cast these moving illusions and put on little plays for us featuring heroes and monsters. The heroes were always named after us, and when there was a fair maiden to save, it was always ‘Kizzlorn.’”
He sighed and wiped his eyes. “Anyway. Something I wanted to ask you, Kizz…”
“Yes?”
“Why not have them resurrected? I mean, they could be right here, back with us.”
“I thought about that for a long time. Before I ever went up to Acessiwal’s cavern, I’d given it hours of thinking. I came to the decision that- well- they’ve been dead for fifteen years. That’s a long time to spend in Pelor’s grace. I thought it might be cruel to take them from heaven and put them back on Oerth, where things can be cold and cruel. Even if it brought us unimaginable joy to have them sitting at the table with us at dinner tonight, can we know they’d prefer to be here with us, instead of watching us from heaven?”
Kyler thought about that for a while. ”You may be right.”
“She IS right,” Raelin said, touching the medallion of Pelor that he wore about his neck. “They’re happier with Pelor, as anyone would be.”
“Don’t mind Rael,” Kyler whispered. “He’s a little Pelor-crazy these days.”
Raelin spoke defensively. “I’m a cleric! I’m not ‘Pelor-crazy’.”
“Yes, you became a cleric after you went Pelor-crazy.”
Kizzlorn laughed at her bickering brothers.
Raelin glared at them both, but he couldn’t help but smile just a bit. “Oh, now you’re both mocking me. You, Kyler, need a lesson in humility.”
“Oh? Think you’re man enough to do it?” They began wrestling, and collapsed to the ground.
“Submit, heretic!”
“Ack! Kizz, help, I’m being pummeled by a Pelor-crazy madman!”
They wrestled about in the grass, and Kizzlorn could barely breathe, she was laughing so hard. It did her heart wonders to have her brothers here with her again, and she felt something like a human being again, rather than an adventurer with unearthly powers. She’d forgotten how much she missed it all.
Kyler’s head shot up from the mass of flailing limbs. “What’s that smell?”
Raelin sniffed and said “Ooh. Is that…”
Kizzlorn brushed some hair behind her ear and grinned. “Dinner… let’s go!” They raced back to the Keep.
Inside, the dining hall was laid out with the most delightful banquet the Spellforge boys had ever seen. The dragon steaks really did smell like the best meal ever grilled over an open flame, and when you’ve been living on trail rations for months at a time, the concept of an excellent dinner at a table in a dining hall with family is just about the greatest thing you can imagine.
The others in the room stood up to greet Kizzlorn’s brothers. They had been politely left alone whilst paying their respects at the graves of their parents outside, but now it was time to meet the Knights.
Kizzlorn said “Everyone, these are my brothers, Raelin and Kyler Spellforge. This is Grumbar…”
The half-orc smiled and waved with a friendly grin. “Hi!”
“…Over there, that’s Edge. He’s also fairly new to the group. That’s Oaken, you’ve met him… that’s Vek, or ‘Uncle Vek’, as I call him sometimes. He knew Mom and Dad well, he has lots of great stories about them. That on the end there is Gregg Flamebrow.”
Gregg Flamebrow, otherwise known as Jamison, grinned nervously.
“Nice to meet you all,” Raelin said warmly. They sat down and began to eat. “Wow, this isn’t what I was expecting. We were told all about the group, and it looks like you guys have a high mortality rate. I heard that for a while, you were traveling with Jamison Crow… that character who was evil for so long and is still wanted in Greyhawk.”
Jamison’s posture stiffened, and it dawned on Kizzlorn now that with their parents’ murderer in the room, it might not be the best time to open the subject of Jamison’s infamous history.
Kizz said “Uh, really? Well, who told you that?”
Kyler said “The old man told us. He’s still pretty bristly about it, too.” Raelin elbowed his brother sharply. “Ow, what was that for?”
Kizz asked “Who’s ‘the old man’?”
Raelin sighed and glared at Kyler. “The old man is a fighter in our group. He knows you, and helped us to find our way here. Dartan, his name is.”
MORE TO COME...
Last edited:
Dursk Starkfire
First Post
this is absolutely brilliant Doc!
Morte
Explorer
Ancient History
I've just finished reading the KotSQ archives, up to their first battle with Accessiwal, and I was wondering a bit about what went on in game terms there.
As it reads, you'd just saved the world and whatnot after many an adventure, and Dartan was using the downtime to look for Gorgoldand. Pretty much out of the blue at the wedding a fortune teller popped up and said "go north and fight some other dragon to get to the one you want". Only you got pretty badly hammered by the white and then... it all stopped kind of suddenly. Next thing we know, we're into "three years later", "six years later" etc.
What went on there? Was the battle with Accessiwal meant to be the beginning of a new campaign that got abandoned for some reason?
I've just finished reading the KotSQ archives, up to their first battle with Accessiwal, and I was wondering a bit about what went on in game terms there.
As it reads, you'd just saved the world and whatnot after many an adventure, and Dartan was using the downtime to look for Gorgoldand. Pretty much out of the blue at the wedding a fortune teller popped up and said "go north and fight some other dragon to get to the one you want". Only you got pretty badly hammered by the white and then... it all stopped kind of suddenly. Next thing we know, we're into "three years later", "six years later" etc.
What went on there? Was the battle with Accessiwal meant to be the beginning of a new campaign that got abandoned for some reason?
Dr Midnight
Explorer
What happened there was that the campaign almost folded. The party was crushed by Acessiwal, and it drove spirits down. We took a long break from the campaign. When we came back, I had a few vague ideas of how we could pick things back up, and the most interesting was the concept of one of the Spellforge children (prophesied by the Amkietha) picking up the fight some time down the road.
What I liked about the end of the first part of the campaign (Session 37) was that the party failed. The theme for the whole campaign up until then was that even heroes die, and great people fall. That cemented it nicely- some of them lived, but they were exiled and cast across the Oerth.
Now, we're seeing things rebuilt, and the promise of great things restored by the next generation.
The short answer is: We took a break.
What I liked about the end of the first part of the campaign (Session 37) was that the party failed. The theme for the whole campaign up until then was that even heroes die, and great people fall. That cemented it nicely- some of them lived, but they were exiled and cast across the Oerth.
Now, we're seeing things rebuilt, and the promise of great things restored by the next generation.
The short answer is: We took a break.
Neverwinter Knight
First Post
So what! He'll just touch a certain gem again, remember his evil self and kill them all. MUAHAHAHAHAHA....
*Oops, sorry Doc, didn't want to post a spoiler*
*Oops, sorry Doc, didn't want to post a spoiler
**clicks on the Story Hour messageboard link*
*notices the list of Moderators*
*spews his drink across the room in surprise*
Wha-- Dr. Midnight is a moderator? When did this happen?
Congratulations, Doc! Now you'll wield ever more power around here!
*fetches a rag to clean off his monitor*
Johnathan
*notices the list of Moderators*
*spews his drink across the room in surprise*
Wha-- Dr. Midnight is a moderator? When did this happen?
Congratulations, Doc! Now you'll wield ever more power around here!
*fetches a rag to clean off his monitor*
Johnathan
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