Jon Potter
First Post
Hairy Minotaur said:
Never been to Gencon myself, but that's certainly not the image I had in my head.
It's good that you picked up some devilish new booty to use in your game.
-
NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
The Realms of Enlightenment: The Grey Companions
- Thread starter Jon Potter
- Start date
Never been to Gencon myself, but that's certainly not the image I had in my head.
It's good that you picked up some devilish new booty to use in your game.
Jon Potter
First Post
[Realms #281] Break Like the Wind
Ixin had witnessed several 'Challenges of Claw and Wing' during her youth on the islands of Io's Blood. But the one she always remembered most vividly involved her grandmother, Lady Dominor Corastrixarosvith, and one of the great wyrm's own children, a dragonmongrel named Farnathrakinax. The challenge was supposedly one of honor and something about a place on the Council being denied to the younger dragon because of his mixed blood, but whatever the reason, it ended with ur-Corastrixarosvith facing off against ur-Farnathrakinax above the Field of Challenge on the Council Aerie. The outcome of the challenge was never truly in doubt, and Ixin remembered well the sight of the defeated challenger falling out of the sky, the sun glinting violet on his scales, smoke trailing from his tattered wings. Almost at the last moment, before he was sure to be broken against the stoney surface of the challenge area, ur-Farnathrakinax had twisted his enormous body and stretched out his wings to stall his descent.
Ixin remembered the scene as she fell and the memory saved her life. She twisted awkwardly to face the up-rushing ground and spread her wings. There was a jerk and a painful tearing sensation as her wings caught the air and temporarily broke the pull of Rontra's Grasp, allowing her to drift down to the ground. She still landed hard, but she rolled with the impact - or tried to - and managed to avoid any broken bones. The exertion of using her wings took a lot out of her, however.
She looked up at the swirling mass of vapor and drew mana from her inner reserves. "Magicus telum!" she intoned and directed two bolts of force into the airy thing as it bore down on her. The Magic Missiles knifed through the creature and the suggestion of the face within the mist contorted in pain a moment before it was on her with incredible speed. It slammed into the drakeling with bone-jarring force, driving Ixin off her feet. She landed on the ground a half-dozen feet away and lay there for a moment, stunned by the impact.
Feln growled in anger and went immediately to the rope. He was surprised to see that Grisham was already shimmying down toward the valley below. The barbarian was some twenty feet down from the cliff edge and descending fast - but not fast enough. Feln looked at the rope, looked at the ground... and jumped. He plummeted past Grisham and looked down to see the valley floor coming up to splatter him and then he grabbed for the rope. It was the sort of legendary feat that none of those who witnessed it would have believed possible had they heard the tale sung by a bard, but Feln had spent almost two decades learning to climb and the magical ring that Ixin had found further augmented his already considerable skills. He caught the rope in one hand, swung himself over and began to descend it at a fast - but controlled - pace.
"Gods!" Ledare hissed as she saw the half-orc's unbelievable display. She steadied the rope for Grisham and shouted for the others. "Hurry up! Let's get down there!"
"I don't need the rope," Vade said and began scuttling down the cliff using his Slippers of Spider Climbing.
Morier moved for the rope and started down as quickly as he dared. He made no pretensions about being as talented a climber as either Grisham or Feln were and he moved with the belief that "slow and alive" was of more value to the others than "quick and dead".
"Oi... what we 'ave 'ere is a Wind Monster," Karak pontificated. "They can be tough opponents... We need magick to defeat something as spiritual as this." After Morier was out of sight down the rope, the dwarf looked at the Janissary a little sheepishly and added, "By the by, Ledare you be mindin' if I borrow the twin moon blades that I be seeing me brother's fellows use sometimes? I believe I need the kiss o' the Moon Goddess to even hit yonder Wind Monster."
"Take them!" Ledare barked, turning her shoulders so that the dwarf could grab the swords crossed over her back. "But get down there!" Karak took the Matched Pair weapons and and smiled at Ledare.
"Ye have me thanks, lassie," the dwarf said and stepped off the cliff, buoyed at once by the magic of his Ring of Feather Falling. Even with the magic, his descent was fairly quick and he shot passed Moirer, Vade and Grisham as he fell, muttering a prayer as he went.
Ixin managed to sit up and begin weaving another Magic Missile spell when the thing slammed into her again. She struggled to retain her focus, but it was no use; the spell was disrupted and it fizzled even as her grip on consciousness did the same.
The misty monster gathered itself up and came at the next closest target: Feln. It was incredibly fast and it was on the martial artist almost as soon as he heard the telltale roar of its approach. He had just enough time to wrap his arms and legs tightly around the rope before it slammed into him, sending him roughly against the rocky cliff face. Pain blossomed all along his side, but he maintained his grip and kept climbing downward as fast as he could. The wind slammed him against the cliff again, opening fresh wounds all over his back, but he maintained his grip long enough to let go of the rope again and plummet toward the ground. Miraculously, he managed to catch himself on the rope again once he was out of the creature's reach. From there, he continued his slide downward. Karak waved to the half-orc as the dwarf fell past.
"Last one down be a rotten fish," he taunted. A moment later, Karak landed with a clatter and readied the borrowed scimitars. He looked up at the hazy form roiling above him and muttered a hasty prayer. "I know you 'n' me've not seen eye-to-eye in a while, My Queen, but I am still your faithful. I just be mad, so let's put this aside for now. I ask ye for your aid, Shaharizod. Please bless me and my fellows for what lies ahead." Filled with Divine Favor, Karak dug in his heels and waited for the "Wind Monster" to come for him.
He didn't have to wait long. It hurtled downward like a falling rock and struck him with nearly as much force. The dwarf's ears rang from the impact and he shook his head in surprise before closing with the thing. The scimitars were unfamiliar weapons although he had seen his brother use one often enough to know that they could be deadly. He threw considerable power behind the blows, but the monster avoided the blades with ease, darting to the side with unnatural swiftness.
Nearby, Feln landed unnoticed and tumbled toward Ixin's unmoving form. He uncorked a healing potion as he went and carefully poured the contents down the sorcerer's throat once he reached her. She coughed and sputtered and opened her eyes, alive, but just barely conscious.
Meanwhile, Karak endured another slam from the wind and slashed the scimitars into the mass of vapor. He put more care into placing his attacks and less muscle this time but still his off-hand was too unwieldy to strike properly. He felt the blade in his primary hand catch on something within the mass of air and mist and saw the wind monster jerk in apparent pain. He suffered mightily for that minor victory, however, as the thing redoubled its efforts to destroy him. He groaned in pain as the deadly winds pummeled him from what seemed all directions. But still, he stood his ground somehow, certain that the next blow that landed on him would be his last.
A throwing axe slashed into the vaporous thing from behind, hurled by Grisham who had finally made it to the bottom of the rope. The axe drew another jerk of pain from the Wind Monster and it threw itself at this new enemy with wild abandoned. Karak took the creature's momentary distraction as an opening to slash outward again with the scimitar. Despie its divided attention, it seemed ready for him and deftly avoided the blade.
Vade had also made it to the ground, and took a moment to turn himself invisible. He wasn't sure that the creature actually had a back to backstab, but he thought that being invisible was always a good way to enter a fight. He maneuvered himself into a good position, his hand on his dagger, but not drawing it lest the light on the enchanted blade betray his presence.
He didn't get a chance to draw the weapon before the Wind Monster began to spin in place, generating a massive whirlwind 40 ft. tall that sent up a vast cloud of dirt and debris where it touched the ground. The cloud blossomed outward, quickly blotting out all vision much beyond and arm's length.
Vade managed to nimbly avoid getting sucked into the cyclone, and couldn't see what was happening through the cloud of dirt, but he heard a scream nearby that might have been Grisham.
On top of the cliff, Ledare had too good a view of the proceedings 100 feet below. The whirlwind rose up out of nowhere, slamming into Grisham and tossing the man backward. More horrifying, however, was the fact that the top of the wind cone, which was at least thirty feet across, easily plucked Morier off of the rope. The albino might have screamed but if he did his voice was drowned out by the thunderous roar of the cyclone as it sucked him down into its spiralling depths.
Ixin had witnessed several 'Challenges of Claw and Wing' during her youth on the islands of Io's Blood. But the one she always remembered most vividly involved her grandmother, Lady Dominor Corastrixarosvith, and one of the great wyrm's own children, a dragonmongrel named Farnathrakinax. The challenge was supposedly one of honor and something about a place on the Council being denied to the younger dragon because of his mixed blood, but whatever the reason, it ended with ur-Corastrixarosvith facing off against ur-Farnathrakinax above the Field of Challenge on the Council Aerie. The outcome of the challenge was never truly in doubt, and Ixin remembered well the sight of the defeated challenger falling out of the sky, the sun glinting violet on his scales, smoke trailing from his tattered wings. Almost at the last moment, before he was sure to be broken against the stoney surface of the challenge area, ur-Farnathrakinax had twisted his enormous body and stretched out his wings to stall his descent.
Ixin remembered the scene as she fell and the memory saved her life. She twisted awkwardly to face the up-rushing ground and spread her wings. There was a jerk and a painful tearing sensation as her wings caught the air and temporarily broke the pull of Rontra's Grasp, allowing her to drift down to the ground. She still landed hard, but she rolled with the impact - or tried to - and managed to avoid any broken bones. The exertion of using her wings took a lot out of her, however.
She looked up at the swirling mass of vapor and drew mana from her inner reserves. "Magicus telum!" she intoned and directed two bolts of force into the airy thing as it bore down on her. The Magic Missiles knifed through the creature and the suggestion of the face within the mist contorted in pain a moment before it was on her with incredible speed. It slammed into the drakeling with bone-jarring force, driving Ixin off her feet. She landed on the ground a half-dozen feet away and lay there for a moment, stunned by the impact.
Feln growled in anger and went immediately to the rope. He was surprised to see that Grisham was already shimmying down toward the valley below. The barbarian was some twenty feet down from the cliff edge and descending fast - but not fast enough. Feln looked at the rope, looked at the ground... and jumped. He plummeted past Grisham and looked down to see the valley floor coming up to splatter him and then he grabbed for the rope. It was the sort of legendary feat that none of those who witnessed it would have believed possible had they heard the tale sung by a bard, but Feln had spent almost two decades learning to climb and the magical ring that Ixin had found further augmented his already considerable skills. He caught the rope in one hand, swung himself over and began to descend it at a fast - but controlled - pace.
"Gods!" Ledare hissed as she saw the half-orc's unbelievable display. She steadied the rope for Grisham and shouted for the others. "Hurry up! Let's get down there!"
"I don't need the rope," Vade said and began scuttling down the cliff using his Slippers of Spider Climbing.
Morier moved for the rope and started down as quickly as he dared. He made no pretensions about being as talented a climber as either Grisham or Feln were and he moved with the belief that "slow and alive" was of more value to the others than "quick and dead".
"Oi... what we 'ave 'ere is a Wind Monster," Karak pontificated. "They can be tough opponents... We need magick to defeat something as spiritual as this." After Morier was out of sight down the rope, the dwarf looked at the Janissary a little sheepishly and added, "By the by, Ledare you be mindin' if I borrow the twin moon blades that I be seeing me brother's fellows use sometimes? I believe I need the kiss o' the Moon Goddess to even hit yonder Wind Monster."
"Take them!" Ledare barked, turning her shoulders so that the dwarf could grab the swords crossed over her back. "But get down there!" Karak took the Matched Pair weapons and and smiled at Ledare.
"Ye have me thanks, lassie," the dwarf said and stepped off the cliff, buoyed at once by the magic of his Ring of Feather Falling. Even with the magic, his descent was fairly quick and he shot passed Moirer, Vade and Grisham as he fell, muttering a prayer as he went.
Ixin managed to sit up and begin weaving another Magic Missile spell when the thing slammed into her again. She struggled to retain her focus, but it was no use; the spell was disrupted and it fizzled even as her grip on consciousness did the same.
The misty monster gathered itself up and came at the next closest target: Feln. It was incredibly fast and it was on the martial artist almost as soon as he heard the telltale roar of its approach. He had just enough time to wrap his arms and legs tightly around the rope before it slammed into him, sending him roughly against the rocky cliff face. Pain blossomed all along his side, but he maintained his grip and kept climbing downward as fast as he could. The wind slammed him against the cliff again, opening fresh wounds all over his back, but he maintained his grip long enough to let go of the rope again and plummet toward the ground. Miraculously, he managed to catch himself on the rope again once he was out of the creature's reach. From there, he continued his slide downward. Karak waved to the half-orc as the dwarf fell past.
"Last one down be a rotten fish," he taunted. A moment later, Karak landed with a clatter and readied the borrowed scimitars. He looked up at the hazy form roiling above him and muttered a hasty prayer. "I know you 'n' me've not seen eye-to-eye in a while, My Queen, but I am still your faithful. I just be mad, so let's put this aside for now. I ask ye for your aid, Shaharizod. Please bless me and my fellows for what lies ahead." Filled with Divine Favor, Karak dug in his heels and waited for the "Wind Monster" to come for him.
He didn't have to wait long. It hurtled downward like a falling rock and struck him with nearly as much force. The dwarf's ears rang from the impact and he shook his head in surprise before closing with the thing. The scimitars were unfamiliar weapons although he had seen his brother use one often enough to know that they could be deadly. He threw considerable power behind the blows, but the monster avoided the blades with ease, darting to the side with unnatural swiftness.
Nearby, Feln landed unnoticed and tumbled toward Ixin's unmoving form. He uncorked a healing potion as he went and carefully poured the contents down the sorcerer's throat once he reached her. She coughed and sputtered and opened her eyes, alive, but just barely conscious.
Meanwhile, Karak endured another slam from the wind and slashed the scimitars into the mass of vapor. He put more care into placing his attacks and less muscle this time but still his off-hand was too unwieldy to strike properly. He felt the blade in his primary hand catch on something within the mass of air and mist and saw the wind monster jerk in apparent pain. He suffered mightily for that minor victory, however, as the thing redoubled its efforts to destroy him. He groaned in pain as the deadly winds pummeled him from what seemed all directions. But still, he stood his ground somehow, certain that the next blow that landed on him would be his last.
A throwing axe slashed into the vaporous thing from behind, hurled by Grisham who had finally made it to the bottom of the rope. The axe drew another jerk of pain from the Wind Monster and it threw itself at this new enemy with wild abandoned. Karak took the creature's momentary distraction as an opening to slash outward again with the scimitar. Despie its divided attention, it seemed ready for him and deftly avoided the blade.
Vade had also made it to the ground, and took a moment to turn himself invisible. He wasn't sure that the creature actually had a back to backstab, but he thought that being invisible was always a good way to enter a fight. He maneuvered himself into a good position, his hand on his dagger, but not drawing it lest the light on the enchanted blade betray his presence.
He didn't get a chance to draw the weapon before the Wind Monster began to spin in place, generating a massive whirlwind 40 ft. tall that sent up a vast cloud of dirt and debris where it touched the ground. The cloud blossomed outward, quickly blotting out all vision much beyond and arm's length.
Vade managed to nimbly avoid getting sucked into the cyclone, and couldn't see what was happening through the cloud of dirt, but he heard a scream nearby that might have been Grisham.
On top of the cliff, Ledare had too good a view of the proceedings 100 feet below. The whirlwind rose up out of nowhere, slamming into Grisham and tossing the man backward. More horrifying, however, was the fact that the top of the wind cone, which was at least thirty feet across, easily plucked Morier off of the rope. The albino might have screamed but if he did his voice was drowned out by the thunderous roar of the cyclone as it sucked him down into its spiralling depths.
Jon Potter
First Post
[Realms #282] A Blustery Day
"So, it's a goin' to be this way is it?" Karak grumbled as bits of dust and dirt scoured his face. He could see nothing in the cloud of debris, but tucked one scimitar under his arm and started backing up away from the roar of the whirlwind. As he went, he fumbled blindly with the straps of his pack. "Time ta get the power o' the dwarves to fix myself right up a'fore headin' off to hurt a little wind devil!"
Nearby, but effectively out of earshot thanks to the noise of the cyclone and completely concealed by the dust cloud, Ixin looked up bleary-eyed at Feln. The half-orc was doing his best to shield her body with his own and though it was accomplishing little, she appreciated the gesture. She tried to get up and a horrible pain shot through her chest as she did so; being slammed around by the Wind Monster had taken a heavy toll on her. She produced a healing potion from her magical cloak and downed the contents, feeling better but still far from healthy.
Elsewhere in the cloud, Vade saw Grisham stagger briefly into view. The man was bleeding from a head wound, but still seemed eager to battle the whirlwind; he was holding Winower, The Hound's magical longsword, in one hand and one of his own hand axes in the other. The look of feral rage in his blazing green eyes made the halfling gulp nervously. Then the cyclone turned and slammed into the man again. Grisham was lifted momentarily off his feet, but managed to avoid getting sucked up into the vortex. Even so, he suffered a heavy pelting from the rocks and sticks that were kicked up by the wind.
Vade endured the same, and was scarcely able to jump back in time to prevent himself from being lifted into the air, but he managed. Predictably, the whirlwind's contact, even unintentional, was enough to cause his faulty Ring of Invisibility to fail. He became visible again, much to his chagrin and watched as Grisham unleashed a whirlwind of his own, slashing with sword and axe in a deadly flurry of steel. His longsword seemed to make the cyclone wobble in pain with each strike, but the axe blow that came between them connected with nothing.
Oblivious to the actions of the barbarian, Feln looked down at Ixin concernedly. "Are you alright?" he asked as she downed her healing draught. She nodded despite the fact that she clearly wasn't, but right now, none of them were. "We need to get out of the open. Let's head away from the whirlwind." He helped Ixin to her feet and they moved away from the roar of the cyclone. After a dozen paces or so, they stepped out of the cloud and could see the base of the cliff to their right and some trees and underbrush that might offer cover ahead and to their left. They made for the latter and as they went, Feln quaffed his last Cure Light Wounds potion.
At the top of the cliff, Ledare stared indecisively down into the cyclone. She held her hand crossbow aimed at the vortex, but every time she was about to fire, Morier's form would cycle across her target. He was moving around erratically within the whirlwind, being savaged by the winds and she couldn't bring herself to risk adding further injury to the man who had stood beside her through so much. She had seen too many friends die already and wouldn't be responsible for adding to that total. She holstered the six-shooter and headed for the rope.
In the heart of the whirlwind, Morier was buffeted from all sides. As the winds whipped his pale form, he was sure that he would soon be making the journey to the afterlife. He didn't intend to go quietly, however, and managed to focus his not-inconsiderable powers of concentration on the casting of a spell of True Striking. Then he readied his greatsword, a predatory smile playing across his lips.
"Where is that confounded magic stick?" Karak groused as he rummaged through his pack for the wand. At last he pulled it out and held it aloft, triumphantly. Of course, in the cloud of debris, no one could see his victory, but still... "Ah, here it be!" he bellowed and, after looking around furtively to make sure no one could see him, he whacked himself in the head with the wand. His expression changed quickly from embarrassment to surprised relief. "Well, now! That feels a might better! Now to show tha' Wind Monster he can't just blow down here, hurt my friends, blow little bits o' dust, dirt, rocks, and all manner o' things into me face and get away with it!"
He shoved the wand into his belt and turned to face the direction that the wind was howling.
Ixin moved the rest of the way into the treeline and then turned back toward the melee. The cloud of dust and dirt completely obscured the base of the whirlwind, but it extended a good twenty feet above that and the sorcerer could see a humanoid form spinning around within - no doubt one of her friends although which one she couldn't tell. The suggestion of an enormous face leered at her from the side of the cyclone and it was at this that she directed her Magic Missiles.
They arced across the clearing, slicing into the misty visage and making it twist in pain. Then it bore down on her with unimaginable swiftness. In the process, it swept passed Karak, sucking the dwarf up into its center without even quite realizing that he was there. Then it was on Ixin and it did the same to her. She tried clinging in vein to the tree beside her, but she was easily ripped away and slammed bodily into Karak. Her head struck his armored pauldron and she lost consciousness again.
Feln, who had been standing beside the sorcerer when she was taken, managed to roll behind the tree, avoiding the cyclone entirely. He rushed off into the trees, swallowed at once by the concealing cloud.
Grisham and Vade (who had craftily activated his Ring again and so was invisible) were suddenly left standing in open air as the debris cloud travelled with the whirlwind. Vade stood clutching his glowing dagger and looked up to see Ledare swinging unsteadily on the rope above. The Janissary was still 80-feet or so up and moving carefully, but with purpose toward the bottom of the cliff. Grisham, in the grips of a blood-rage, ignored the glowing dagger of light to his left and charged passed Vade into the cloud of dust, a warcry echoing in his wake. Vade trotted in that direction as well.
Morier endured another rock to the torso as he whirled around inside the tornado, but he held onto his concentration and with an ecstatic release, channeled the power of a cantrip into his sword as pure electrical energy. The greatsword crackled with sparks and the albino thrust it with all of his might into the misty form that swirled elusively around him. Under normal circumstances, the blow would have gone horribly awry; augmented by the spell of True Striking, however, it slashed unerringly through the insubstantial vapor controlling the cyclone, cleaving it in half and then frying what was left with lightning.
There was a loud sucking sound, like the rapid intake of a giant's breath and the wind stopped. The shear momentum of Morier's cyclic journey vaulted him into the trees. He plunged forty feet toward the ground, through layer-after-layer of thick spider webs. And landed on his feet, shaken and bruised but miraculously alive.
Karak landed hard on his head and lay there for a moment unable to much more than groan, "Oi..."
Ixin fell on her back and blood sprayed from her mouth at the impact. She made a weak gargling sound but did not move.
"So, it's a goin' to be this way is it?" Karak grumbled as bits of dust and dirt scoured his face. He could see nothing in the cloud of debris, but tucked one scimitar under his arm and started backing up away from the roar of the whirlwind. As he went, he fumbled blindly with the straps of his pack. "Time ta get the power o' the dwarves to fix myself right up a'fore headin' off to hurt a little wind devil!"
Nearby, but effectively out of earshot thanks to the noise of the cyclone and completely concealed by the dust cloud, Ixin looked up bleary-eyed at Feln. The half-orc was doing his best to shield her body with his own and though it was accomplishing little, she appreciated the gesture. She tried to get up and a horrible pain shot through her chest as she did so; being slammed around by the Wind Monster had taken a heavy toll on her. She produced a healing potion from her magical cloak and downed the contents, feeling better but still far from healthy.
Elsewhere in the cloud, Vade saw Grisham stagger briefly into view. The man was bleeding from a head wound, but still seemed eager to battle the whirlwind; he was holding Winower, The Hound's magical longsword, in one hand and one of his own hand axes in the other. The look of feral rage in his blazing green eyes made the halfling gulp nervously. Then the cyclone turned and slammed into the man again. Grisham was lifted momentarily off his feet, but managed to avoid getting sucked up into the vortex. Even so, he suffered a heavy pelting from the rocks and sticks that were kicked up by the wind.
Vade endured the same, and was scarcely able to jump back in time to prevent himself from being lifted into the air, but he managed. Predictably, the whirlwind's contact, even unintentional, was enough to cause his faulty Ring of Invisibility to fail. He became visible again, much to his chagrin and watched as Grisham unleashed a whirlwind of his own, slashing with sword and axe in a deadly flurry of steel. His longsword seemed to make the cyclone wobble in pain with each strike, but the axe blow that came between them connected with nothing.
Oblivious to the actions of the barbarian, Feln looked down at Ixin concernedly. "Are you alright?" he asked as she downed her healing draught. She nodded despite the fact that she clearly wasn't, but right now, none of them were. "We need to get out of the open. Let's head away from the whirlwind." He helped Ixin to her feet and they moved away from the roar of the cyclone. After a dozen paces or so, they stepped out of the cloud and could see the base of the cliff to their right and some trees and underbrush that might offer cover ahead and to their left. They made for the latter and as they went, Feln quaffed his last Cure Light Wounds potion.
At the top of the cliff, Ledare stared indecisively down into the cyclone. She held her hand crossbow aimed at the vortex, but every time she was about to fire, Morier's form would cycle across her target. He was moving around erratically within the whirlwind, being savaged by the winds and she couldn't bring herself to risk adding further injury to the man who had stood beside her through so much. She had seen too many friends die already and wouldn't be responsible for adding to that total. She holstered the six-shooter and headed for the rope.
In the heart of the whirlwind, Morier was buffeted from all sides. As the winds whipped his pale form, he was sure that he would soon be making the journey to the afterlife. He didn't intend to go quietly, however, and managed to focus his not-inconsiderable powers of concentration on the casting of a spell of True Striking. Then he readied his greatsword, a predatory smile playing across his lips.
"Where is that confounded magic stick?" Karak groused as he rummaged through his pack for the wand. At last he pulled it out and held it aloft, triumphantly. Of course, in the cloud of debris, no one could see his victory, but still... "Ah, here it be!" he bellowed and, after looking around furtively to make sure no one could see him, he whacked himself in the head with the wand. His expression changed quickly from embarrassment to surprised relief. "Well, now! That feels a might better! Now to show tha' Wind Monster he can't just blow down here, hurt my friends, blow little bits o' dust, dirt, rocks, and all manner o' things into me face and get away with it!"
He shoved the wand into his belt and turned to face the direction that the wind was howling.
Ixin moved the rest of the way into the treeline and then turned back toward the melee. The cloud of dust and dirt completely obscured the base of the whirlwind, but it extended a good twenty feet above that and the sorcerer could see a humanoid form spinning around within - no doubt one of her friends although which one she couldn't tell. The suggestion of an enormous face leered at her from the side of the cyclone and it was at this that she directed her Magic Missiles.
They arced across the clearing, slicing into the misty visage and making it twist in pain. Then it bore down on her with unimaginable swiftness. In the process, it swept passed Karak, sucking the dwarf up into its center without even quite realizing that he was there. Then it was on Ixin and it did the same to her. She tried clinging in vein to the tree beside her, but she was easily ripped away and slammed bodily into Karak. Her head struck his armored pauldron and she lost consciousness again.
Feln, who had been standing beside the sorcerer when she was taken, managed to roll behind the tree, avoiding the cyclone entirely. He rushed off into the trees, swallowed at once by the concealing cloud.
Grisham and Vade (who had craftily activated his Ring again and so was invisible) were suddenly left standing in open air as the debris cloud travelled with the whirlwind. Vade stood clutching his glowing dagger and looked up to see Ledare swinging unsteadily on the rope above. The Janissary was still 80-feet or so up and moving carefully, but with purpose toward the bottom of the cliff. Grisham, in the grips of a blood-rage, ignored the glowing dagger of light to his left and charged passed Vade into the cloud of dust, a warcry echoing in his wake. Vade trotted in that direction as well.
Morier endured another rock to the torso as he whirled around inside the tornado, but he held onto his concentration and with an ecstatic release, channeled the power of a cantrip into his sword as pure electrical energy. The greatsword crackled with sparks and the albino thrust it with all of his might into the misty form that swirled elusively around him. Under normal circumstances, the blow would have gone horribly awry; augmented by the spell of True Striking, however, it slashed unerringly through the insubstantial vapor controlling the cyclone, cleaving it in half and then frying what was left with lightning.
There was a loud sucking sound, like the rapid intake of a giant's breath and the wind stopped. The shear momentum of Morier's cyclic journey vaulted him into the trees. He plunged forty feet toward the ground, through layer-after-layer of thick spider webs. And landed on his feet, shaken and bruised but miraculously alive.
Karak landed hard on his head and lay there for a moment unable to much more than groan, "Oi..."
Ixin fell on her back and blood sprayed from her mouth at the impact. She made a weak gargling sound but did not move.
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Jon Potter
First Post
[Realms #283] Should We Stay or Should We Go?
Karak brought an armored hand to his head and groaned again. "Oi... I feel as if an elephant is sitting on my chest, me chalak, I can nae breathe."
Nearby, Grisham staggered forward and slumped to his knees gasping for breath. The ragged remnants of a battle cry wearily pulled themselves from his throat as he sagged to the ground. Vade ignored him and bounded passed invisibly.
"Oh, no!" he cried as he worked to get to his healing potions. "Ixin are you... alive!?" The sorcerer didn't answer. The halfling produced his last vial of Cure Light Wounds and started to unstopper it when he spied his two flasks of Gash Glue. He grabbed one of them instead and went to work on Ixin's bleeding injuries. "Don't die!" he pleaded as he applied the sticky substance, becoming visible once more in the process. "Don't die!"
With great effort, Karak rolled his steel-jacketed form onto his belly and from there propped himself onto his elbows. He lay that way for a moment, watching as Vade did his best to bind Ixin's wounds. "Oh... the lass do nae seem to be the right color no more, me chalak," the dwarf mused. "I sure do wish you were here to do the Queen's work a'properly now. I be just a clan warrior; I be nae healer, as you were." He hoisted himself to his knees, fishing for his wand as he did so. "I do believe I left the healing stick in my belt. Ah... 'ere it is."
Vade's hands were a sticky mess, but he seemed to have stabilized the drakeling nonetheless. With a sigh of relief he turned to look at Karak as the dwarf got to his feet with some effort. "She's in bad shape," Vade said. "She needs some healing."
"Aye," Karak agreed and knelt beside Ixin, opposite Vade. The dwarf clasped the wand against his beard with both hands and looked to the morning sky. "Shaharizod, me Queen," he intoned. "Let your healing breath rain upon the lass, 'ere." Then he rapped the wand lightly against Ixin's forehead. The wand glowed and a suffuse light settled over the mage's body, healing some of her wounds, but she didn't stir. Scowling with concern, Karak laid his hand against Ixin's chest to feel for a heartbeat; moonlight swelled up beneath his palm, outlining his fingers with silver and when it had faded, Ixin opened her eyes and smiled weakly.
"Thank you," the drakeling said and Karak harrumphed.
"I weren't sure that magic stick was gonna work this time," he grumbled and Vade tapped him on the shoulder.
"I don't think the wand did work this time," the halfling said smugly, and thrust the Wand of Healing into Karak's hands. "You weren't even holding it when your hand went all glowy."
Karak took the wand in his right hand and looked curiously at his left as if he suddenly didn't recognize it. "Must be a bit o' the thing's mojo rubbed off on my hand," he said, but not even he seemed to believe it.
"Sure," Morier said as he swaggered back into the clearing as if being sucked into a cyclone, slaying a Wind Monster and surviving a 40 foot fall were all everyday occurrences for him. He pulled sheets of webbing out of his hair as he came. "That must be it."
Karak grinned like a child with a new toy and waved his wand in the air. "Allright, ye buncha sallies," he said in a flustered tone. "Who needs a good thumpin' from this 'ere magic stick?"
Feln found that moving along the floor of the crater valley was like walking through eternal twilight. The heavy, light-blocking canopy high above him was made even denser by the numerous layers of spider web that covered the trees. The ground beneath his feet was nearly bare of plant life. Thick carpets of moss and some low-lying ferns were all that managed to survive in the sun-starved environment. The ground was spongy with moisture, and a thin mist billowed and curled around his ankles as he darted silently from shadow to shadow. Drops of dew hung overhead, catching what little light there was and glittering like gems suspended in the webs above.
Given the amount and size of the webbing, he shuddered to think of stumbling across the spider that had spun it. It was much, much larger than the ettercap webs that he had encountered amongst the Wandering Trees, but being the disciplined warrior that he was, he pressed onward. It wasn't as though they had much choice, anyway; several of his comrades were in little shape to travel let alone make a hundred foot climb to the top of the cliff. There was nothing for it but to press on.
And sadly, after a couple of minutes spent in quiet searching, he'd found sign of no further opponents. With a sigh, he pointed himself toward the rattling jangle of Karak's plate mail and went to rejoin the others.
"Is everyone alive?" Ledare asked as she trotted over to the others. She was out of breath and sweaty from the long climb down the rope.
"Oh, aye!" Grisham growled, his lip curled in disgust. "We're fine. No thanks to you."
Ledare looked embarrassed and had nothing to say in her own defense. Vade, however, shot Grisham a withering look that would have put a medusa to shame. The barbarian didn't even notice.
"I have these," the Janissary offered, holding three potions of healing in her hands. Karak shook his head gruffly.
"Nae, lass. Save them!" the dwarf instructed, holding up his two wands. "It seems that I be the only one what can make these 'ere magic sticks work proper like. So ye'd best save your healin' draughts for when I be nae aroun' or knocked out or somethin'."
Morier looked at Ledare and shrugged, indicating the 8 vials of Cure Light Wounds lined up in the potion belt at his waist. "He said the same thing to me," the albino told her.
"Aye!" Karak grumbled as he hit Grisham a second time with the gnarled Wand of Vigor. "An' it be sound advice! Ye'd do well to-" Just then Feln burst out of the underbrush nearby and joined the others.
"An' just where've ye been, orcblood?" the dwarf demanded.
"I have searched the immediate area and there seems to be no spellcaster controlling that wind demon," the martial artist told them. "I would guess it was either a magical trap or something random we encountered... Of course, our quarry would have had to deal with it as well, and it seemed at full strength."
"You've done real well spotting things up to now," Grisham said derisively and Feln regarded him stonily.
"It was very dark and I can't be sure," the half-orc admitted. "A spell caster may have been able to hide himself or something."
"Good point, Feln," Ledare said as she stepped forward. "My eyes are keen. I'll just do a little perimeter surveillance while-"
"You?" Grisham snorted laughter. "Why don't you stay here where it's safe. I'll go take a look around." The barbarian skulked off into the trees and the shadows seemed to fold him into their embrace as he went; he vanished almost at once.
"It's a good thing he ran off or I'd have to kick his smelly ranger butt!" Vade said, shaking his tiny fist. "Nobody talks nasty about, kitten!"
"Perhaps I should go with him," Morier offered, getting to his own feet.
"You can help me set up camp," Feln countered and Morier looked confused.
"Camp?" he asked. "It's not even midday yet."
"Are you telling me that you're not tired after that ordeal with the whirlwind? And you don't need to recover any spells?" the half-orc argued and the albino held up his hands in acceptance. "I would recommend that we rest up near here, and keep at least two up on watch and a fire going. That should at least give the spiders something to think about before coming into camp."
"Spiders?" Ledare asked, her face gone suddenly the color of curdled milk. "Did you see any?"
"I found nothing but large webs, which would indicate very large spiders," Feln told her. Vade kicked the half-orc un-subtly in the shin and shot a look at Ledare. Seeing the expression of horror on the Janissary's face, the martial artist hastily added: "Sorry."
"Why don't we just climb back up to the top and head away from here?" Ixin asked. "I'm voting we go back and find those followers of Flor. That is now the clearer mission in my mind."
"We have come this far," Feln countered. "I do not think it wise to give up now."
"I don't know, Feln," Ixin argued. She winced with lingering pain from her strained wings. "Unless there are some clues here that could lead us to more answers about this mission, I see little compelling reason to press on."
"Yeah!" Vade chimed in and bounced to his feet. "I bet that creature was guarding something! Let's do a search of the area." Feln nodded in agreement and moved to join the halfling. Vade took the half-orc's hand as they walked passed Ledare and in a stage-whisper the halfling added, "Stay together and beware of spiders."
They found nothing and sometime later, Grisham returned with similar news and another grim realization.
"There's no game in the valley," the man said as he emptied edible mushrooms and truffles from his satchel. "I gathered what I could, but there's little worth eating here abouts. Unless you've a taste for spider." He chuckled, missing entirely the shiver of fear that shot through Ledare at his sarcastic suggestion.
"Any idea how this trail will continue?" Feln said quickly to change the subject. "Do you have a clear route on where to go next?" The barbarian nodded his shaggy head and spat into the fire.
"Plonius' killer went straight off toward the western rim of the valley," he explained moving his hand in a straight line to the west. "Followin' the same path as Plonius was. The same as we've been followin' right along. His trail's about a day old."
"Soon to be two," Ledare told him. "We need to rest."
Grisham spat into the fire again and then wiped his chin with his hand. "I thought you might say that," he said, glowering at the Janissary. "I'd press on alone, but given what we've already faced in this valley I fear that I would stand little chance of success without help. I could use a stout swordarm at my back." He looked around at the others and pointedly did not include Ledare in his glance.
"I say we bed down for the time being and rest," Karak grumbled. "I'll take first watch."
"Relax, Karak," Ledare said as she patted him on the shoulder and took a position at the perimeter of their camp. "Even the bravest of dwarves need to rest a bit now and then."
It came during the night.
Karak was on watch with Grisham when there was a rustling sound at the edge of the wood. It seemed to be coming from a particularly thick patch of brush. Karak tapped Grisham's arm and pointed at the underbrush; the scraggly-looking saplings growing up out of the bushes were moving. The barbarian squinted into the darkness and then his face twisted into a grimace of horror as the "bushes" themselves rose up off the ground and they found themselves facing a spider fully 20 feet across and over 10 feet high!
The firelight glittered orange in the half dozen eyes mounted above the scimitar-sized mandibles that reached out of the darkness for the two warriors.
Karak brought an armored hand to his head and groaned again. "Oi... I feel as if an elephant is sitting on my chest, me chalak, I can nae breathe."
Nearby, Grisham staggered forward and slumped to his knees gasping for breath. The ragged remnants of a battle cry wearily pulled themselves from his throat as he sagged to the ground. Vade ignored him and bounded passed invisibly.
"Oh, no!" he cried as he worked to get to his healing potions. "Ixin are you... alive!?" The sorcerer didn't answer. The halfling produced his last vial of Cure Light Wounds and started to unstopper it when he spied his two flasks of Gash Glue. He grabbed one of them instead and went to work on Ixin's bleeding injuries. "Don't die!" he pleaded as he applied the sticky substance, becoming visible once more in the process. "Don't die!"
With great effort, Karak rolled his steel-jacketed form onto his belly and from there propped himself onto his elbows. He lay that way for a moment, watching as Vade did his best to bind Ixin's wounds. "Oh... the lass do nae seem to be the right color no more, me chalak," the dwarf mused. "I sure do wish you were here to do the Queen's work a'properly now. I be just a clan warrior; I be nae healer, as you were." He hoisted himself to his knees, fishing for his wand as he did so. "I do believe I left the healing stick in my belt. Ah... 'ere it is."
Vade's hands were a sticky mess, but he seemed to have stabilized the drakeling nonetheless. With a sigh of relief he turned to look at Karak as the dwarf got to his feet with some effort. "She's in bad shape," Vade said. "She needs some healing."
"Aye," Karak agreed and knelt beside Ixin, opposite Vade. The dwarf clasped the wand against his beard with both hands and looked to the morning sky. "Shaharizod, me Queen," he intoned. "Let your healing breath rain upon the lass, 'ere." Then he rapped the wand lightly against Ixin's forehead. The wand glowed and a suffuse light settled over the mage's body, healing some of her wounds, but she didn't stir. Scowling with concern, Karak laid his hand against Ixin's chest to feel for a heartbeat; moonlight swelled up beneath his palm, outlining his fingers with silver and when it had faded, Ixin opened her eyes and smiled weakly.
"Thank you," the drakeling said and Karak harrumphed.
"I weren't sure that magic stick was gonna work this time," he grumbled and Vade tapped him on the shoulder.
"I don't think the wand did work this time," the halfling said smugly, and thrust the Wand of Healing into Karak's hands. "You weren't even holding it when your hand went all glowy."
Karak took the wand in his right hand and looked curiously at his left as if he suddenly didn't recognize it. "Must be a bit o' the thing's mojo rubbed off on my hand," he said, but not even he seemed to believe it.
"Sure," Morier said as he swaggered back into the clearing as if being sucked into a cyclone, slaying a Wind Monster and surviving a 40 foot fall were all everyday occurrences for him. He pulled sheets of webbing out of his hair as he came. "That must be it."
Karak grinned like a child with a new toy and waved his wand in the air. "Allright, ye buncha sallies," he said in a flustered tone. "Who needs a good thumpin' from this 'ere magic stick?"
Feln found that moving along the floor of the crater valley was like walking through eternal twilight. The heavy, light-blocking canopy high above him was made even denser by the numerous layers of spider web that covered the trees. The ground beneath his feet was nearly bare of plant life. Thick carpets of moss and some low-lying ferns were all that managed to survive in the sun-starved environment. The ground was spongy with moisture, and a thin mist billowed and curled around his ankles as he darted silently from shadow to shadow. Drops of dew hung overhead, catching what little light there was and glittering like gems suspended in the webs above.
Given the amount and size of the webbing, he shuddered to think of stumbling across the spider that had spun it. It was much, much larger than the ettercap webs that he had encountered amongst the Wandering Trees, but being the disciplined warrior that he was, he pressed onward. It wasn't as though they had much choice, anyway; several of his comrades were in little shape to travel let alone make a hundred foot climb to the top of the cliff. There was nothing for it but to press on.
And sadly, after a couple of minutes spent in quiet searching, he'd found sign of no further opponents. With a sigh, he pointed himself toward the rattling jangle of Karak's plate mail and went to rejoin the others.
"Is everyone alive?" Ledare asked as she trotted over to the others. She was out of breath and sweaty from the long climb down the rope.
"Oh, aye!" Grisham growled, his lip curled in disgust. "We're fine. No thanks to you."
Ledare looked embarrassed and had nothing to say in her own defense. Vade, however, shot Grisham a withering look that would have put a medusa to shame. The barbarian didn't even notice.
"I have these," the Janissary offered, holding three potions of healing in her hands. Karak shook his head gruffly.
"Nae, lass. Save them!" the dwarf instructed, holding up his two wands. "It seems that I be the only one what can make these 'ere magic sticks work proper like. So ye'd best save your healin' draughts for when I be nae aroun' or knocked out or somethin'."
Morier looked at Ledare and shrugged, indicating the 8 vials of Cure Light Wounds lined up in the potion belt at his waist. "He said the same thing to me," the albino told her.
"Aye!" Karak grumbled as he hit Grisham a second time with the gnarled Wand of Vigor. "An' it be sound advice! Ye'd do well to-" Just then Feln burst out of the underbrush nearby and joined the others.
"An' just where've ye been, orcblood?" the dwarf demanded.
"I have searched the immediate area and there seems to be no spellcaster controlling that wind demon," the martial artist told them. "I would guess it was either a magical trap or something random we encountered... Of course, our quarry would have had to deal with it as well, and it seemed at full strength."
"You've done real well spotting things up to now," Grisham said derisively and Feln regarded him stonily.
"It was very dark and I can't be sure," the half-orc admitted. "A spell caster may have been able to hide himself or something."
"Good point, Feln," Ledare said as she stepped forward. "My eyes are keen. I'll just do a little perimeter surveillance while-"
"You?" Grisham snorted laughter. "Why don't you stay here where it's safe. I'll go take a look around." The barbarian skulked off into the trees and the shadows seemed to fold him into their embrace as he went; he vanished almost at once.
"It's a good thing he ran off or I'd have to kick his smelly ranger butt!" Vade said, shaking his tiny fist. "Nobody talks nasty about, kitten!"
"Perhaps I should go with him," Morier offered, getting to his own feet.
"You can help me set up camp," Feln countered and Morier looked confused.
"Camp?" he asked. "It's not even midday yet."
"Are you telling me that you're not tired after that ordeal with the whirlwind? And you don't need to recover any spells?" the half-orc argued and the albino held up his hands in acceptance. "I would recommend that we rest up near here, and keep at least two up on watch and a fire going. That should at least give the spiders something to think about before coming into camp."
"Spiders?" Ledare asked, her face gone suddenly the color of curdled milk. "Did you see any?"
"I found nothing but large webs, which would indicate very large spiders," Feln told her. Vade kicked the half-orc un-subtly in the shin and shot a look at Ledare. Seeing the expression of horror on the Janissary's face, the martial artist hastily added: "Sorry."
"Why don't we just climb back up to the top and head away from here?" Ixin asked. "I'm voting we go back and find those followers of Flor. That is now the clearer mission in my mind."
"We have come this far," Feln countered. "I do not think it wise to give up now."
"I don't know, Feln," Ixin argued. She winced with lingering pain from her strained wings. "Unless there are some clues here that could lead us to more answers about this mission, I see little compelling reason to press on."
"Yeah!" Vade chimed in and bounced to his feet. "I bet that creature was guarding something! Let's do a search of the area." Feln nodded in agreement and moved to join the halfling. Vade took the half-orc's hand as they walked passed Ledare and in a stage-whisper the halfling added, "Stay together and beware of spiders."
They found nothing and sometime later, Grisham returned with similar news and another grim realization.
"There's no game in the valley," the man said as he emptied edible mushrooms and truffles from his satchel. "I gathered what I could, but there's little worth eating here abouts. Unless you've a taste for spider." He chuckled, missing entirely the shiver of fear that shot through Ledare at his sarcastic suggestion.
"Any idea how this trail will continue?" Feln said quickly to change the subject. "Do you have a clear route on where to go next?" The barbarian nodded his shaggy head and spat into the fire.
"Plonius' killer went straight off toward the western rim of the valley," he explained moving his hand in a straight line to the west. "Followin' the same path as Plonius was. The same as we've been followin' right along. His trail's about a day old."
"Soon to be two," Ledare told him. "We need to rest."
Grisham spat into the fire again and then wiped his chin with his hand. "I thought you might say that," he said, glowering at the Janissary. "I'd press on alone, but given what we've already faced in this valley I fear that I would stand little chance of success without help. I could use a stout swordarm at my back." He looked around at the others and pointedly did not include Ledare in his glance.
"I say we bed down for the time being and rest," Karak grumbled. "I'll take first watch."
"Relax, Karak," Ledare said as she patted him on the shoulder and took a position at the perimeter of their camp. "Even the bravest of dwarves need to rest a bit now and then."
It came during the night.
Karak was on watch with Grisham when there was a rustling sound at the edge of the wood. It seemed to be coming from a particularly thick patch of brush. Karak tapped Grisham's arm and pointed at the underbrush; the scraggly-looking saplings growing up out of the bushes were moving. The barbarian squinted into the darkness and then his face twisted into a grimace of horror as the "bushes" themselves rose up off the ground and they found themselves facing a spider fully 20 feet across and over 10 feet high!
The firelight glittered orange in the half dozen eyes mounted above the scimitar-sized mandibles that reached out of the darkness for the two warriors.
Jon Potter
First Post
[Realmd #283a] A Quiet Conversation
Earlier that evening, before the first watch...
"I would speak with you, greenskin," Grisham muttered quietly when he walked passed. He made no eye contact with Feln, but instead cast his eyes covertly over his shoulder to where the others were setting up camp. Loudly, he added, "Come, let us gather fire wood!"
Reluctantly, Feln followed the man into the woods where they mechanically went about the business of picking up fallen branches. Most of the wood was wet, however and would burn poorly, if it burned at all.
"At my birth I was sworn to the wolf totem," Grisham said as they worked. "I have followed the lessons of the wolf throughout my life and he has taught me many things."
"Hmmm," Feln intoned by way of answer, unsure what the barbarian was going on about.
"One of the wolf's lessons is that the pack can only be strong with a strong alpha to lead it," Grisham went on. He stood and looked intensely at Feln, adding, "Our current pack suffers with the weakness of its alpha."
"What are you talking about?" Feln asked.
"The wood baby. Ledare," Grisham said. "She is an ineffective leader. We need a pack leader who gets into the thick of the fight and leads by example, not someone who hides at the back until the fighting is over." The barbarian spat on the ground for emphasis.
"It is not for me to choose and it is certainly not for me to lead, Grisham," Feln told the man, calmly. "My allegiance is not to Ledare anyway... It is to this group."
"Then you should be wary of following her commands," Grisham said. "I, too, think of the group when I say that she is unfit to command. Someone who is unafraid to bare their blade needs to challenge her for control." Feln shook his head.
"It will not be me," Feln said. "But I will listen to whomever makes suggestions."
"The wood baby doesn't do even that," Grisham replied sullenly.
"I do feel that Ledare is the best to represent us to strangers however," Feln added. "She has skill with words and the authority of her office. And besides, in battle we do not wait for a leader; we act." The barbarian considered this and nodded his head ruefully.
"That sort of unplanned approach will serve us only so long," Grisham muttered and started back toward camp with his armload of damp wood.
Karak and Grisham took the third shift on watch, and the night was wearing on into its blackest hours. The two warriors sat on a log some distance from the camp fire that warmed the others. The night was eerily quiet apart from the hiss and pop of the fire and the sounds of their sleeping companions. Grisham cast a look over at them arrayed on the far side of the fire in a rough semi-circle before he spoke to Karak.
"I have been talking to some of the others," Grisham began in hushed tones. "About something that has been troubling me."
"Aye?" the dwarf replied. "What is it be weighin' on ye?"
"The wood baby. Ledare," the man replied. "I worry that she is ill-suited to lead us."
"Do nae worry on tha'," Karak replied. "She be a fine choice ta lead."
"I disagree. And I think some of the others share my feelings," Grisham countered. "She has yet to draw her sword. Not against those things that attacked me and the greenskin up above. Nor against this wind demon, neither. It damned near killed us all and she cowered out of reach the whole time."
"Now jus' hold on," Karak grumbled. "A warrior of the front she may nae be. Dealing death with axe and sword like you and I, she may nae do. But I tell you this, tracker: a leader with an eye for the truth and justice she be. A leader with a cool head under battle I have seen her be. A leader with the mind and quick wit to see the whole puzzle rather than just the pieces afore her, she be."
"Every pack needs a strong alpha who leads by example," Grisham countered. "Not one who weilds words more keenly than her blade." The dwarf sighed in response and tugged thoughfully at his beard for a few moments before answering further.
"In my clan, my clan leader and king surely do lead from the front with axe and shield," Karak explained. "But she be not a dwarf and I nae hold her to the same standards. I know she cares for those under her charge. I have seen her grieve for the loss of her comrades."
"I fear that she will have more fallen comrades to grieve if we blindly follow the commands of one such as she," Grisham spat into the darkness. "She's no leader."
"Yeah, she be a leader, and just a fine one, too," the dwarf argued. "She can leave the fighting to me in the fore. That be fine with me, because I know she always be looking out for my back. You, Grisham, I do nae know you. You seem able with axe and sword, but you're a touchy fellow. One minute bellowing about like a boar the next docile as a new born babe."
"I am a man of passions," Grisham explained, clearly off-balanced by this turn of the oncersation. "Amongst the Forest People my ways are common."
"Fair enough. But ye nae be amongst the Forest People now, eh. Ye be here. And you are here because we let you be here," Karak said plainly, assembling his argument with the orderly, unhurried nature of a dwarven engineer. "You are able to track the one we need to follow right now, so your skills are useful."
"That is the extent of our association, then?" the barbarian grumbled. "I am a mercenary, not a brother-in-arms?"
"Do nae mistake my meaning, ranger, every good axe arm is needed now," the dwarf explained. "But your concern for the leadership of a group that does not belong to you is misplaced concern in my mind. I say you figure on keeping up with the trackin' and fightin' and we will get along fine. As for looking for my help to misplace Ledare as our leader, you will nae find it with me. In fact wild one, you would have to go through me first."
"Is that a threat, hairface?" the barbarian asked and Karak could sense the man's body readying to leap into action should Karak make any aggessive moves.
"Nae, lad," the dwarf chuckled softly. "But there ye go again, misplacin' my meaning. I just want you ta know where I stand. Yeah?"
Grisham nodded and his body relaxed.
"Yeah," Karak nodded slapping the man on the back. "Now let's ye an' me get ta watchin'. I would nae want one o' them big spiders to come a walkin' in here an' catch us yappin' like a pair o' halflings!"
Earlier that evening, before the first watch...
"I would speak with you, greenskin," Grisham muttered quietly when he walked passed. He made no eye contact with Feln, but instead cast his eyes covertly over his shoulder to where the others were setting up camp. Loudly, he added, "Come, let us gather fire wood!"
Reluctantly, Feln followed the man into the woods where they mechanically went about the business of picking up fallen branches. Most of the wood was wet, however and would burn poorly, if it burned at all.
"At my birth I was sworn to the wolf totem," Grisham said as they worked. "I have followed the lessons of the wolf throughout my life and he has taught me many things."
"Hmmm," Feln intoned by way of answer, unsure what the barbarian was going on about.
"One of the wolf's lessons is that the pack can only be strong with a strong alpha to lead it," Grisham went on. He stood and looked intensely at Feln, adding, "Our current pack suffers with the weakness of its alpha."
"What are you talking about?" Feln asked.
"The wood baby. Ledare," Grisham said. "She is an ineffective leader. We need a pack leader who gets into the thick of the fight and leads by example, not someone who hides at the back until the fighting is over." The barbarian spat on the ground for emphasis.
"It is not for me to choose and it is certainly not for me to lead, Grisham," Feln told the man, calmly. "My allegiance is not to Ledare anyway... It is to this group."
"Then you should be wary of following her commands," Grisham said. "I, too, think of the group when I say that she is unfit to command. Someone who is unafraid to bare their blade needs to challenge her for control." Feln shook his head.
"It will not be me," Feln said. "But I will listen to whomever makes suggestions."
"The wood baby doesn't do even that," Grisham replied sullenly.
"I do feel that Ledare is the best to represent us to strangers however," Feln added. "She has skill with words and the authority of her office. And besides, in battle we do not wait for a leader; we act." The barbarian considered this and nodded his head ruefully.
"That sort of unplanned approach will serve us only so long," Grisham muttered and started back toward camp with his armload of damp wood.
Karak and Grisham took the third shift on watch, and the night was wearing on into its blackest hours. The two warriors sat on a log some distance from the camp fire that warmed the others. The night was eerily quiet apart from the hiss and pop of the fire and the sounds of their sleeping companions. Grisham cast a look over at them arrayed on the far side of the fire in a rough semi-circle before he spoke to Karak.
"I have been talking to some of the others," Grisham began in hushed tones. "About something that has been troubling me."
"Aye?" the dwarf replied. "What is it be weighin' on ye?"
"The wood baby. Ledare," the man replied. "I worry that she is ill-suited to lead us."
"Do nae worry on tha'," Karak replied. "She be a fine choice ta lead."
"I disagree. And I think some of the others share my feelings," Grisham countered. "She has yet to draw her sword. Not against those things that attacked me and the greenskin up above. Nor against this wind demon, neither. It damned near killed us all and she cowered out of reach the whole time."
"Now jus' hold on," Karak grumbled. "A warrior of the front she may nae be. Dealing death with axe and sword like you and I, she may nae do. But I tell you this, tracker: a leader with an eye for the truth and justice she be. A leader with a cool head under battle I have seen her be. A leader with the mind and quick wit to see the whole puzzle rather than just the pieces afore her, she be."
"Every pack needs a strong alpha who leads by example," Grisham countered. "Not one who weilds words more keenly than her blade." The dwarf sighed in response and tugged thoughfully at his beard for a few moments before answering further.
"In my clan, my clan leader and king surely do lead from the front with axe and shield," Karak explained. "But she be not a dwarf and I nae hold her to the same standards. I know she cares for those under her charge. I have seen her grieve for the loss of her comrades."
"I fear that she will have more fallen comrades to grieve if we blindly follow the commands of one such as she," Grisham spat into the darkness. "She's no leader."
"Yeah, she be a leader, and just a fine one, too," the dwarf argued. "She can leave the fighting to me in the fore. That be fine with me, because I know she always be looking out for my back. You, Grisham, I do nae know you. You seem able with axe and sword, but you're a touchy fellow. One minute bellowing about like a boar the next docile as a new born babe."
"I am a man of passions," Grisham explained, clearly off-balanced by this turn of the oncersation. "Amongst the Forest People my ways are common."
"Fair enough. But ye nae be amongst the Forest People now, eh. Ye be here. And you are here because we let you be here," Karak said plainly, assembling his argument with the orderly, unhurried nature of a dwarven engineer. "You are able to track the one we need to follow right now, so your skills are useful."
"That is the extent of our association, then?" the barbarian grumbled. "I am a mercenary, not a brother-in-arms?"
"Do nae mistake my meaning, ranger, every good axe arm is needed now," the dwarf explained. "But your concern for the leadership of a group that does not belong to you is misplaced concern in my mind. I say you figure on keeping up with the trackin' and fightin' and we will get along fine. As for looking for my help to misplace Ledare as our leader, you will nae find it with me. In fact wild one, you would have to go through me first."
"Is that a threat, hairface?" the barbarian asked and Karak could sense the man's body readying to leap into action should Karak make any aggessive moves.
"Nae, lad," the dwarf chuckled softly. "But there ye go again, misplacin' my meaning. I just want you ta know where I stand. Yeah?"
Grisham nodded and his body relaxed.
"Yeah," Karak nodded slapping the man on the back. "Now let's ye an' me get ta watchin'. I would nae want one o' them big spiders to come a walkin' in here an' catch us yappin' like a pair o' halflings!"
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Hairy Minotaur
Explorer
Hey, I read in Grisham's background, in the Rogue's gallery, a little blurb about Redhurst. Do you have the book? and how do you like it? I'm using Path of the Magi in my campaign and was looking to supplement it. 
Also is Grisham's "jack-of-all-trades" level progression planned? or are you going to be taking him in in one direction eventually?
Also is Grisham's "jack-of-all-trades" level progression planned? or are you going to be taking him in in one direction eventually?
Jon Potter
First Post
Hairy Minotaur said:
Sadly, no. I just have the "Player" download available for free at the Green Ronin site. All of the fluff/none of the crunch. It's one of those books that I always planned to pick up at my LGS (from the discounted table, no less) and when I finally went back with money in hand the book was already gone.
If the group decides to head to Battle City, I'll probably need to get the full version since I've painted myself into a corner with all the hints that I've dropped.
What do you mean, "jack-of-all-trades"? He's highly specialized in one thing: kicking ass!
No, seriously, Grisham's character build is lifted straight out of Goodman Games' "Power Gamer's Warrior Strategy Guide". He's following the Light Infantry multiclass archtype with a few twists tossed in. And by a few twists, I mean that he's a Frankenstein's monster of rule variants.
Grisham uses the Wolf Totem barbarian variant, the Whirlwind Rage barbarian variant, and the Favored Territory ranger variant from Unearthed Arcana. If he lingers in the campaign, I planned to have him follow the non-spellcasting ranger variant from Complete Warrior; he's angling for a Weapon Style feat from that same book (High Sword Low Axe). It was all I could do to not give him the Wolf Totem Focus from Badaxe Games' "Heroes of High Favor: Half Orcs" at first level, but I opted to stay true to the Light Infantry build instead.
So far, I have no complaints. The original adventure (an old AD&D online mod that I converted over) featured Grisham as a straight 5th level ranger. I thought this was much more interesting. They also had him as a nice-nice helper guy. I simply couldn't have that!
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
Jon Potter
First Post
[Realms #284] That's a Spider?!?!
"Well... well...," Karak muttered getting slowly to his feet and turning to face the gargantuan arachnid. "What 'ave we 'ere? It seems you and me woke up a mighty big one, ranger." Grisham said nothing in response, but the dwarf saw him clutch the wolf fetish around his neck and mouth a few words over it - a prayer most likely. It was the first time that Karak could remember seeing Grisham look frightened or reluctant to enter into battle.
"Listen up lads and lassies! We seem t'ave woken up a beastie 'ere in the night!" the dwarf bellowed in the loud baritone that he normally reserved for forge chants and he heard the others stir on the far side of the fire. "Me and the tracker will hold 'em back for a while! Get up an' wake up! Get your wits about you, and when we need you I will go a' callin'. This nae be somethin' we can nae handle!"
The spider seemed unimpressed with Karak's inspirational words. It let out an unnatural shriek and darted forward, sinking its fangs between the plates of steel armor and into the dwarf's flesh. He roared in pain from the stab wounds and felt the burn of venom, but he didn't worry about that in the slightest.
"I'm a dwarf, ye great hairy git!" he taunted. "You can nae poison a dwarf!" It was true that his tremendous natural fortitude had saved him from the spider's venom, but it was a near thing. And the bite itself had felt like getting stuck deeply by a pair of spears. But there was no reason to let the spider know that.
Vade was the first roused out of his bedroll, and he grabbed the sling under his pillow and a rock off the ground as he rolled to his feet. "Hey you! Stinky spider!" he sing-songed and let the stone fly. It struck the spider in the mass of eyes that covered the front of its head and it turned its attention to the halfling. "Over here! Can't catch me!"
Ixin was next up and she hurriedly fumbled in her cloak for a potion of Mage armor. She downed it and saw a shimmering glow surround her body for a moment before it faded to an invisible barrier.
"Now spider! You and me are a'goin' ta tussle!" Karak growled, stoking the fires of rage within himself. He gripped his waraxe firmly with both hands and struck the spider's nearest leg. Once! Twice! The blade bit deeply, nearly severing the limb. The arachnid horror squealed in agony at the blows and drew the leg back reflexively, giving Grisham an opening to roll under the limb and tumble around the creature.
"Flank it! Flank it!" he was yelling as he went. Unfortunately, the spider wasn't as distracted as the man had hoped and it darted forward, plunging its fangs into Grisham's back as he moved. He screamed as the bite sank down, but he kept rolling and brought his longsword up and into the creature's soft... ahem... backside, burying the sword hilt deep in its vitals. The spider shrieked again in pain, and this time the cry was of a timbre high enough to shatter glass.
"Wand, wands, where are my wands ?" Morier was asking as he scrambled out of his bedroll. "Oh yes, here they are!" he got to his feet and moved toward the battle, readying the Wand of Burning Hands as he went.
Flen rolled into a crouch, shook the sleep from his head and then darted into the fray. He stayed near Karak to provide a distraction to the spider - or at least another viable target.
The spider turned toward the tormentor who had just deprived it of the opportunity to ever procreate. Grisham tried to ward off the attack with his handaxe, but it plunged its fangs into the barbarian's chest, staggering the man.
Vade watched the ranger get mauled by the giant vermin. He'd had worse times and although he held no love for Grisham, he knew that once the barbarian fell, the spider would turn its attention to one of his friends. He drew out a flask of alchemist's fire and threw it with all his might against the creature's side. It shattered there, coating the spider's abdomen in flaming goo. The hit was a little too close to Grisham, and the man was splashed by a few flaming drops. The scent of burning hair filled everybody's nostrils.
Nearby, Ixin cast Dancing Lights in the space near Grisham, conjuring a humanoid form composed entirely of ghostly light. If the vermin was confused by the apparition, it was difficult to say, because a moment later, Karak was savaging its legs again with his waraxe. One cut sank deeply, but the second was turned aside by the spider's thick natural armor. On the vermin's other end, Grisham found his luck deserting him as neither his sword nor his handaxe could penetrate the creature's heavy chitinous armor.
"Irakulus!" Morier shouted, pointing his wand at the spider and sending a cone of fire across the thing's legs. It shrieked in pain as its hair crisped and its exoskeleton charred. It seized the opportunity to turn and bite into the albino's torso, pumping poison into his body. Morier was no dwarf and he felt the venom burn through his veins, stealing his strength. He fell back weakly.
Letting out a ululating kai shout, Feln vaulted over near the eldritch warrior, did a hand spring and drove both feet into the spider's head as it turned back toward Grisham. It was a powerful blow, and while it didn't finish off the creature, the vermin was clearly staggered by it - so much so that it missed sinking its fangs into the barbarian. It also failed to see Vade's sling stone before it struck the pulpy mass trailing from its ruined abdomen. That tiny impact was all the more the thing could take, however and it shuddered and careened onto its side with a resounding crash.
Karak stepped in close and buried his waraxe in the creature's still-flaming belly; Grisham planted Winower's blade in the spider's head. Vade jumped up and down, waving his sling.
"Yippee!" he cried merrily. "I did it! I did it!"
"Yes, little one," Grisham agreed as he staggered forward, his leather armor slick with his own blood. He smiled approvingly at the halfling. "Well done."
Vade looked shocked at the man's back as he passed, but before he could reply, Feln called for their attention. He was holding Morier's pale body in his arms while the albino shivered and foamed at the mouth. "He's been poisoned," the half-orc announced unnecessarily.
"I'll... I'll be fine," Morier managed to stammer unconvincingly.
"Sure you will," Grisham said, producing a potion from his belt. "Once you drink this." He crouched down, roughly grabbed Morier's face and poured the liquid down the elf's throat. Morier sputtered and choked, but the tremors wracking his body quickly subsided.
"Thank you," Morier said and tried to sit up. His body felt like lead.
Grisham grunted in acknowledgement of the albino's appreciation, but looked critically at the way the elf was moving weakly. "We'll see how you feel in the morning. If your strength is still gone then, I'll give you another potion I've got. It should restore some of the weakness."
"Lucky you had tha' potion, tracker," Karak panted as Grisham turned away from Morier and turned toward the dwarf. The barbarian nodded and limped toward him.
"I spent some time doing bodyguard work in Battle City," Grisham told him. "Some of the shadier gangs there like to use poison on their blades. I got pretty good at fighting off the ill effects, but it pays to have a little insurance on hand."
"Aye," Karak agreed, leaning heavily on the handle of his axe.
"Now how's about you break out that wand of yours and patch me up some," Grisham suggested, indicating the bleeding wounds on his chest. He grinned at Karak. "I'm afraid that if the wind starts blowing, I'll sound like a flute with all these holes in me. Wouldn't want anyone to mistake me for a bard."
"Well... well...," Karak muttered getting slowly to his feet and turning to face the gargantuan arachnid. "What 'ave we 'ere? It seems you and me woke up a mighty big one, ranger." Grisham said nothing in response, but the dwarf saw him clutch the wolf fetish around his neck and mouth a few words over it - a prayer most likely. It was the first time that Karak could remember seeing Grisham look frightened or reluctant to enter into battle.
"Listen up lads and lassies! We seem t'ave woken up a beastie 'ere in the night!" the dwarf bellowed in the loud baritone that he normally reserved for forge chants and he heard the others stir on the far side of the fire. "Me and the tracker will hold 'em back for a while! Get up an' wake up! Get your wits about you, and when we need you I will go a' callin'. This nae be somethin' we can nae handle!"
The spider seemed unimpressed with Karak's inspirational words. It let out an unnatural shriek and darted forward, sinking its fangs between the plates of steel armor and into the dwarf's flesh. He roared in pain from the stab wounds and felt the burn of venom, but he didn't worry about that in the slightest.
"I'm a dwarf, ye great hairy git!" he taunted. "You can nae poison a dwarf!" It was true that his tremendous natural fortitude had saved him from the spider's venom, but it was a near thing. And the bite itself had felt like getting stuck deeply by a pair of spears. But there was no reason to let the spider know that.
Vade was the first roused out of his bedroll, and he grabbed the sling under his pillow and a rock off the ground as he rolled to his feet. "Hey you! Stinky spider!" he sing-songed and let the stone fly. It struck the spider in the mass of eyes that covered the front of its head and it turned its attention to the halfling. "Over here! Can't catch me!"
Ixin was next up and she hurriedly fumbled in her cloak for a potion of Mage armor. She downed it and saw a shimmering glow surround her body for a moment before it faded to an invisible barrier.
"Now spider! You and me are a'goin' ta tussle!" Karak growled, stoking the fires of rage within himself. He gripped his waraxe firmly with both hands and struck the spider's nearest leg. Once! Twice! The blade bit deeply, nearly severing the limb. The arachnid horror squealed in agony at the blows and drew the leg back reflexively, giving Grisham an opening to roll under the limb and tumble around the creature.
"Flank it! Flank it!" he was yelling as he went. Unfortunately, the spider wasn't as distracted as the man had hoped and it darted forward, plunging its fangs into Grisham's back as he moved. He screamed as the bite sank down, but he kept rolling and brought his longsword up and into the creature's soft... ahem... backside, burying the sword hilt deep in its vitals. The spider shrieked again in pain, and this time the cry was of a timbre high enough to shatter glass.
"Wand, wands, where are my wands ?" Morier was asking as he scrambled out of his bedroll. "Oh yes, here they are!" he got to his feet and moved toward the battle, readying the Wand of Burning Hands as he went.
Flen rolled into a crouch, shook the sleep from his head and then darted into the fray. He stayed near Karak to provide a distraction to the spider - or at least another viable target.
The spider turned toward the tormentor who had just deprived it of the opportunity to ever procreate. Grisham tried to ward off the attack with his handaxe, but it plunged its fangs into the barbarian's chest, staggering the man.
Vade watched the ranger get mauled by the giant vermin. He'd had worse times and although he held no love for Grisham, he knew that once the barbarian fell, the spider would turn its attention to one of his friends. He drew out a flask of alchemist's fire and threw it with all his might against the creature's side. It shattered there, coating the spider's abdomen in flaming goo. The hit was a little too close to Grisham, and the man was splashed by a few flaming drops. The scent of burning hair filled everybody's nostrils.
Nearby, Ixin cast Dancing Lights in the space near Grisham, conjuring a humanoid form composed entirely of ghostly light. If the vermin was confused by the apparition, it was difficult to say, because a moment later, Karak was savaging its legs again with his waraxe. One cut sank deeply, but the second was turned aside by the spider's thick natural armor. On the vermin's other end, Grisham found his luck deserting him as neither his sword nor his handaxe could penetrate the creature's heavy chitinous armor.
"Irakulus!" Morier shouted, pointing his wand at the spider and sending a cone of fire across the thing's legs. It shrieked in pain as its hair crisped and its exoskeleton charred. It seized the opportunity to turn and bite into the albino's torso, pumping poison into his body. Morier was no dwarf and he felt the venom burn through his veins, stealing his strength. He fell back weakly.
Letting out a ululating kai shout, Feln vaulted over near the eldritch warrior, did a hand spring and drove both feet into the spider's head as it turned back toward Grisham. It was a powerful blow, and while it didn't finish off the creature, the vermin was clearly staggered by it - so much so that it missed sinking its fangs into the barbarian. It also failed to see Vade's sling stone before it struck the pulpy mass trailing from its ruined abdomen. That tiny impact was all the more the thing could take, however and it shuddered and careened onto its side with a resounding crash.
Karak stepped in close and buried his waraxe in the creature's still-flaming belly; Grisham planted Winower's blade in the spider's head. Vade jumped up and down, waving his sling.
"Yippee!" he cried merrily. "I did it! I did it!"
"Yes, little one," Grisham agreed as he staggered forward, his leather armor slick with his own blood. He smiled approvingly at the halfling. "Well done."
Vade looked shocked at the man's back as he passed, but before he could reply, Feln called for their attention. He was holding Morier's pale body in his arms while the albino shivered and foamed at the mouth. "He's been poisoned," the half-orc announced unnecessarily.
"I'll... I'll be fine," Morier managed to stammer unconvincingly.
"Sure you will," Grisham said, producing a potion from his belt. "Once you drink this." He crouched down, roughly grabbed Morier's face and poured the liquid down the elf's throat. Morier sputtered and choked, but the tremors wracking his body quickly subsided.
"Thank you," Morier said and tried to sit up. His body felt like lead.
Grisham grunted in acknowledgement of the albino's appreciation, but looked critically at the way the elf was moving weakly. "We'll see how you feel in the morning. If your strength is still gone then, I'll give you another potion I've got. It should restore some of the weakness."
"Lucky you had tha' potion, tracker," Karak panted as Grisham turned away from Morier and turned toward the dwarf. The barbarian nodded and limped toward him.
"I spent some time doing bodyguard work in Battle City," Grisham told him. "Some of the shadier gangs there like to use poison on their blades. I got pretty good at fighting off the ill effects, but it pays to have a little insurance on hand."
"Aye," Karak agreed, leaning heavily on the handle of his axe.
"Now how's about you break out that wand of yours and patch me up some," Grisham suggested, indicating the bleeding wounds on his chest. He grinned at Karak. "I'm afraid that if the wind starts blowing, I'll sound like a flute with all these holes in me. Wouldn't want anyone to mistake me for a bard."
Hairy Minotaur
Explorer
Jon Potter said:
oohh, a little foreshadowing?
When I read the update the first time, I thought the dwarf had yelled to "flank" the spider, which had me laughing at the thought of a 4' dwarf trying to flank a 30' x 30' spider.
Jon Potter
First Post
Hairy Minotaur said:
Come on now. You saw his stats in the Rogue's Gallery. Does he seem like bard material to you?
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