The Sylvatic Erudians (Kalamar)
- Thread starter Wicht
- Start date
Wicht
Hero
Darklone said:
Bare is using the 3.5 version, courtesy of the SRD . His favored anemy is Goblinoid. I just forgot to include it above.
His player, my son Joshua, rolled amazingly well in his fights against goblins. Until the very last goblin, I don't think he rolled under 15 on his 'to hit' rolls.
SpaceBaby Industries
First Post
While I will miss the antics of the great Barbarian and Rogue duo your sons played last campaign (the attempts to activate additional powers of a certain magic ring still cracks me up), I look forward to their new adventures.
Are they continuing to choose the classes that are not purely magical in focus (granted, Bard is getting pretty close) to avoid the attendant complications? Or do they come up with these character concepts based on whatever strikes them at the moment? I'm trying to remember their ages, and there's no doubt Barbarians and other Fighter types have less to keep track of, making for a more straightforward character experience.
Of course, these guys are bordering on veterans by now, so they'd probably manage being a Cleric or Wizard better than a D&D neophyte.
Are they continuing to choose the classes that are not purely magical in focus (granted, Bard is getting pretty close) to avoid the attendant complications? Or do they come up with these character concepts based on whatever strikes them at the moment? I'm trying to remember their ages, and there's no doubt Barbarians and other Fighter types have less to keep track of, making for a more straightforward character experience.
Of course, these guys are bordering on veterans by now, so they'd probably manage being a Cleric or Wizard better than a D&D neophyte.
Wicht
Hero
Chapter 1
1.1
Spring in Lendelwood this year had brought goblins and war to the village of Oakheart. The first actual melees with goblins had been the two brief sorties involving Bare and Hullifan, the apprentice wizards. But in the weeks that followed several other bands of goblins were encountered and more often then not, dispatched with ease. The goblin parties had been small and they seemed to be scouting parties more than anything else. Still, several elves had been injured and one wood elf had gone missing.
Of late though the rumors of war had been overshadowing the threat of goblins. For one thing, no goblin had been seen in two weeks. For another thing, the tale of some massive invasion effort on the part of Eldor was taken as a very real and eminent danger. Five years previously the nation of Eldor, which lay just west of the elven forest had declared war on the elves. Skirmishes had been frequent and the humans seemed to take the war seriously though they had yet to send a full invasion force. The elves, for their part, had taken a defensive position, sniping at soldiers from hiding and allowing few to return home alive. But the humans of Eldor far outnumbered the elves of Lendelwood and the elves feared a large scale battle. Even if they won they toll would be too high.
Most of the skirmishes had been fought south and west of Oakheart and thus far, Oakheart had seen little in the way of action. The more friendlier nation of Cosdol was just as near as the nation of Eldor was. In point of fact the elves of Oakheart occasionally traded with people of Cosdol. But the latest rumor of war placed the next attack from Eldor in the north, and the elves of Oakheart feared it would not be much longer before they saw battle.
Their fears were confirmed in the person of Thalanaeorive Rawannaesian. This much esteemed commander, the elf in charge of the defenses of the entire forest, flew into Oakheart upon his hippogriff one morning and called for a general assembly of the village. The rumors, he said, were true though the size of the invasion was exaggerated. But an army of 500 men was poised to enter the northern border of Lendelwood near to the Cosdol border.
Thalanaeorive then proceeded to lay out his plan to the villagers. A sizeable body of elves was going to ambush the invaders and attack the human soldiers from the trees. He needed volunteers for the ambush, elves that could shoot well and who could be ready to go within a day. Other messengers had been sent to other communities and a rally point was already chosen.
The elves were not violent people but neither were they cowards. Hunters and trappers and wood-elves of all stripes quickly stepped forth to serve.
It was only natural that Bare and Hullifan wanted to volunteer as well.
These two elves had studiously applied themselves to books and learning since returning from their minor quest for honey. Their master, the renowned Tamilthim Redimolvan, had been pleased both with the honey and with their subsequent strides in learning. Bare had graduated up to his very first book of spells and Hullifan, who had been rather uncomfortably close to dying after meeting goblins, had mastered the tricky art of healing magics. But the fights with the goblins (and the thrill of sneaking into a hive of giant bees) had put the taste for adventure in their mouths and an ambush on the humans of Eldor seemed just the thing.
They did not get far.
“Bare Wancalein,” Bare had said to Thalanaeorive, “I want to volunteer.”
“Me too,” said Hullifan excitedly.
Thalanaeorive had looked them over and then had said, “Sorry, I’m afraid not. You both look too young. This is an ambush and I know young elves are more likely to lose their heads then older more steady elves.”
“What!” said Bare.
“But we want to go!” said Hullifan.
“Sorry,” said Thalanaeorive, “If this was an open pitched battle, young bloods like you would be ideal, but this is an ambush and as commander I must feel like I can have confidence in my troops. Give yourself another fifty years or so.”
“Besides,” he added sadly, “There’s a chance we might fail and then you two, and others like you will be all that stands between death and those who cannot fight.”
Bare and Hullifan had been outraged, but there was nothing they could do, though they certainly thought about it.
“I bet we can form our own little army and fight this war ourselves,” Bare had fumed.
Their teacher had been no help.
“If Thalanaeorive doesn’t want you to go then you aren’t going,” the wizard had said matter of factly, “It’s his army. If its any consolation I’ll give you lots of work to take your mind off of it.”
In the end, a good many of the men of Oakheart went with Thalanaeorive. Even Daeorian, the priest of the Great Huntress had gone to offer healing and advice on archery. The town seemed fairly empty, though it was not, in fact, entirely deserted.
True to his word, Tamilthim had given them plenty of studying to do. They did not actually mind reading and so it was not as bad as it might have been. Hullifan even ran across a subject on his own that caught his fancy and soon caught the fancy of Bare as well. It was an old and forgotten tome, stashed on a back shelf in Tamilthim’s collection entitled, “The Lost Art of Magical Candies.” The book discussed ways in which the ancient elves had used sweets much like more modern wizards used potions.
Bare, upon discovering Hullifan reading the book had demanded that he be allowed to look at it as well and they ended up passing it back and forth. Caught up in the notion of making magical candies, they soon realized that they would also have to learn how to make more mundane candies and so they sought out books on that as well.
And so the days passed.
It was four days after the departure of Thalanaeorive and the ambushers that Xa’Ceelia, the dryad druid sent for the two young elves. They were on the lawn in front of Tamilthim’s tower. Hullifan was reading on the proceedures for making magical candies and Bare was watching the clouds pass by through the leaves of a tree. A pigeon fluttered down out of the sky and landed next to Hullifan.
“Hello,” said the pigeon, “Are you two Bare and Hullifan?”
“Hi,” said Hullifan, “yeah that would be us.” Bare sat up and looked at the pigeon.
“Xa’Ceelia wants to talk to you,” said the pigeon.
“Okay,” said Bare.
“Thank you,” said Hullifan more politely. The pigeon cooed once, its job done, and then it took off into the air and flew back the way he had come.
The elves wasted little time in getting up and wiping themselves clean of grass. Then they walked the few hundred yards to the Oak in the center of the village.
Xa’Ceelia was standing besides her oak, a book on the grass by her feet, along with Gragoriae Timbleflute, the Bard-priest of Banadar. On the ground between the two was a dimunitive little man, little more than 18 inches in height, a brownie by the looks of him, who was engrossed in conversation with Xa’Ceelia. The priest was listening to the conversation politely.
As Bare and Hullifan approached The Oak, Xa’Ceelia saw them and smiled her warm and beautiful smile.
“Greetings young ones,” she said, “I am glad you came. There is a problem that has been brought before me and you two are just the ones that me and Gragoriae think would be perfect for seeing to the solution.”
“Really,” said Hullifan excitedly.
“What’s wrong,” asked Bare more guardedly.
“An old friend of mine, Dargin, this small rascal you see here…”
“Ach, Xa’Ceelia,” said the brownie, “yer breaking me heart! I’m notta that bad noo.”
“The rascal,” continued Xa’Ceelia with a fond smile, “brings me grave news. It seems that the goblins we hoped had gone away have in fact come back.”
“Goblins is right,” interrupted the brownie, “I was down in the south a visitin’ some friends o’ mine when I decided to come back up home. I got back yesterday evening and stopped by to see some other friends o’ mine, a nice little family of elves that lives about three miles west o’ this here village and when I gots there, there was a no answer at the door, but I do keen I saw some goblin tracks. That did no a make me happy and so I went to spend the night in a favorite haunt o’ mine, a nice big oak with a good sized hollow spot that I ‘ave made comfortable over the years. And when I get there I finds two goblins resting up in me very hole! I fair near ‘scaped with my life I did and this morning when I thought better o’ it I thought that Xa’Ceelia here did oughta know that there are goblins not five miles away.”
“Five miles is too close,” said Gragoriae gravely, “Who knows what mischief they are up to. You will be familiar with the family Dargin is talking about Bare. The Willowcoats. He’s a hunter and she is a weaver.”
Bare nodded. He knew them. They were a nice family.
“We want you two to investigate for us,” said Xa’Ceelia, “Most of our more experienced woodsmen are gone and you two have shown you can handle yourselves with goblins. But be careful if you decide to go, we don’t want to lose you. Will you do it?.”
“Sure,” said Hullifan.
Bare thought a moment and then nodded, “I will do it.”
“Good. Take this,” said Gragoriae, handing them two small vials, “they are healing draughts from Xa’Ceelia and me. Don’t take unnecessary chances.”
The two elves took the potions, one apiece, and then after getting some details from Dargin about how to find his oak tree, they went to make preparations. Dargin, who had said something about staying at the Stag for the night, stayed and talked to Xa’Ceelia.
Gragoriae, for his part, headed back to his shrine, humming to himself. Something the brownie had said had inspired him with a tune.
“Xa’Ceelia,” he sang to himself softly, composing on the spot, “Your breaking my heart…
1.1
Spring in Lendelwood this year had brought goblins and war to the village of Oakheart. The first actual melees with goblins had been the two brief sorties involving Bare and Hullifan, the apprentice wizards. But in the weeks that followed several other bands of goblins were encountered and more often then not, dispatched with ease. The goblin parties had been small and they seemed to be scouting parties more than anything else. Still, several elves had been injured and one wood elf had gone missing.
Of late though the rumors of war had been overshadowing the threat of goblins. For one thing, no goblin had been seen in two weeks. For another thing, the tale of some massive invasion effort on the part of Eldor was taken as a very real and eminent danger. Five years previously the nation of Eldor, which lay just west of the elven forest had declared war on the elves. Skirmishes had been frequent and the humans seemed to take the war seriously though they had yet to send a full invasion force. The elves, for their part, had taken a defensive position, sniping at soldiers from hiding and allowing few to return home alive. But the humans of Eldor far outnumbered the elves of Lendelwood and the elves feared a large scale battle. Even if they won they toll would be too high.
Most of the skirmishes had been fought south and west of Oakheart and thus far, Oakheart had seen little in the way of action. The more friendlier nation of Cosdol was just as near as the nation of Eldor was. In point of fact the elves of Oakheart occasionally traded with people of Cosdol. But the latest rumor of war placed the next attack from Eldor in the north, and the elves of Oakheart feared it would not be much longer before they saw battle.
Their fears were confirmed in the person of Thalanaeorive Rawannaesian. This much esteemed commander, the elf in charge of the defenses of the entire forest, flew into Oakheart upon his hippogriff one morning and called for a general assembly of the village. The rumors, he said, were true though the size of the invasion was exaggerated. But an army of 500 men was poised to enter the northern border of Lendelwood near to the Cosdol border.
Thalanaeorive then proceeded to lay out his plan to the villagers. A sizeable body of elves was going to ambush the invaders and attack the human soldiers from the trees. He needed volunteers for the ambush, elves that could shoot well and who could be ready to go within a day. Other messengers had been sent to other communities and a rally point was already chosen.
The elves were not violent people but neither were they cowards. Hunters and trappers and wood-elves of all stripes quickly stepped forth to serve.
It was only natural that Bare and Hullifan wanted to volunteer as well.
These two elves had studiously applied themselves to books and learning since returning from their minor quest for honey. Their master, the renowned Tamilthim Redimolvan, had been pleased both with the honey and with their subsequent strides in learning. Bare had graduated up to his very first book of spells and Hullifan, who had been rather uncomfortably close to dying after meeting goblins, had mastered the tricky art of healing magics. But the fights with the goblins (and the thrill of sneaking into a hive of giant bees) had put the taste for adventure in their mouths and an ambush on the humans of Eldor seemed just the thing.
They did not get far.
“Bare Wancalein,” Bare had said to Thalanaeorive, “I want to volunteer.”
“Me too,” said Hullifan excitedly.
Thalanaeorive had looked them over and then had said, “Sorry, I’m afraid not. You both look too young. This is an ambush and I know young elves are more likely to lose their heads then older more steady elves.”
“What!” said Bare.
“But we want to go!” said Hullifan.
“Sorry,” said Thalanaeorive, “If this was an open pitched battle, young bloods like you would be ideal, but this is an ambush and as commander I must feel like I can have confidence in my troops. Give yourself another fifty years or so.”
“Besides,” he added sadly, “There’s a chance we might fail and then you two, and others like you will be all that stands between death and those who cannot fight.”
Bare and Hullifan had been outraged, but there was nothing they could do, though they certainly thought about it.
“I bet we can form our own little army and fight this war ourselves,” Bare had fumed.
Their teacher had been no help.
“If Thalanaeorive doesn’t want you to go then you aren’t going,” the wizard had said matter of factly, “It’s his army. If its any consolation I’ll give you lots of work to take your mind off of it.”
In the end, a good many of the men of Oakheart went with Thalanaeorive. Even Daeorian, the priest of the Great Huntress had gone to offer healing and advice on archery. The town seemed fairly empty, though it was not, in fact, entirely deserted.
True to his word, Tamilthim had given them plenty of studying to do. They did not actually mind reading and so it was not as bad as it might have been. Hullifan even ran across a subject on his own that caught his fancy and soon caught the fancy of Bare as well. It was an old and forgotten tome, stashed on a back shelf in Tamilthim’s collection entitled, “The Lost Art of Magical Candies.” The book discussed ways in which the ancient elves had used sweets much like more modern wizards used potions.
Bare, upon discovering Hullifan reading the book had demanded that he be allowed to look at it as well and they ended up passing it back and forth. Caught up in the notion of making magical candies, they soon realized that they would also have to learn how to make more mundane candies and so they sought out books on that as well.
And so the days passed.
It was four days after the departure of Thalanaeorive and the ambushers that Xa’Ceelia, the dryad druid sent for the two young elves. They were on the lawn in front of Tamilthim’s tower. Hullifan was reading on the proceedures for making magical candies and Bare was watching the clouds pass by through the leaves of a tree. A pigeon fluttered down out of the sky and landed next to Hullifan.
“Hello,” said the pigeon, “Are you two Bare and Hullifan?”
“Hi,” said Hullifan, “yeah that would be us.” Bare sat up and looked at the pigeon.
“Xa’Ceelia wants to talk to you,” said the pigeon.
“Okay,” said Bare.
“Thank you,” said Hullifan more politely. The pigeon cooed once, its job done, and then it took off into the air and flew back the way he had come.
The elves wasted little time in getting up and wiping themselves clean of grass. Then they walked the few hundred yards to the Oak in the center of the village.
Xa’Ceelia was standing besides her oak, a book on the grass by her feet, along with Gragoriae Timbleflute, the Bard-priest of Banadar. On the ground between the two was a dimunitive little man, little more than 18 inches in height, a brownie by the looks of him, who was engrossed in conversation with Xa’Ceelia. The priest was listening to the conversation politely.
As Bare and Hullifan approached The Oak, Xa’Ceelia saw them and smiled her warm and beautiful smile.
“Greetings young ones,” she said, “I am glad you came. There is a problem that has been brought before me and you two are just the ones that me and Gragoriae think would be perfect for seeing to the solution.”
“Really,” said Hullifan excitedly.
“What’s wrong,” asked Bare more guardedly.
“An old friend of mine, Dargin, this small rascal you see here…”
“Ach, Xa’Ceelia,” said the brownie, “yer breaking me heart! I’m notta that bad noo.”
“The rascal,” continued Xa’Ceelia with a fond smile, “brings me grave news. It seems that the goblins we hoped had gone away have in fact come back.”
“Goblins is right,” interrupted the brownie, “I was down in the south a visitin’ some friends o’ mine when I decided to come back up home. I got back yesterday evening and stopped by to see some other friends o’ mine, a nice little family of elves that lives about three miles west o’ this here village and when I gots there, there was a no answer at the door, but I do keen I saw some goblin tracks. That did no a make me happy and so I went to spend the night in a favorite haunt o’ mine, a nice big oak with a good sized hollow spot that I ‘ave made comfortable over the years. And when I get there I finds two goblins resting up in me very hole! I fair near ‘scaped with my life I did and this morning when I thought better o’ it I thought that Xa’Ceelia here did oughta know that there are goblins not five miles away.”
“Five miles is too close,” said Gragoriae gravely, “Who knows what mischief they are up to. You will be familiar with the family Dargin is talking about Bare. The Willowcoats. He’s a hunter and she is a weaver.”
Bare nodded. He knew them. They were a nice family.
“We want you two to investigate for us,” said Xa’Ceelia, “Most of our more experienced woodsmen are gone and you two have shown you can handle yourselves with goblins. But be careful if you decide to go, we don’t want to lose you. Will you do it?.”
“Sure,” said Hullifan.
Bare thought a moment and then nodded, “I will do it.”
“Good. Take this,” said Gragoriae, handing them two small vials, “they are healing draughts from Xa’Ceelia and me. Don’t take unnecessary chances.”
The two elves took the potions, one apiece, and then after getting some details from Dargin about how to find his oak tree, they went to make preparations. Dargin, who had said something about staying at the Stag for the night, stayed and talked to Xa’Ceelia.
Gragoriae, for his part, headed back to his shrine, humming to himself. Something the brownie had said had inspired him with a tune.
“Xa’Ceelia,” he sang to himself softly, composing on the spot, “Your breaking my heart…
Wicht
Hero
SpaceBaby Industries said:
They both surprised me by being so dogmatic about their character concepts. Joshua (Bare) is seven and Caleb (Hullifan) is six. This is their first attempt at playing real spellcasters but on the whole they are not doing too badly.
Joshua wants a Wizard/Ranger and Caleb wants the Arcanoligist prestige class (from Bad-Axe Games Elves book). For their amusement I threw in the idea of magical candies and they latched onto it so we will see where they go with that.
This is a good time to update their characters (I was generous with the Exp on the first adventure to give them a little bit of an edge with just the two of them.)
***************************
Bare Wancalein, Male High Elf Rgr1/Wiz1: CR 2; HD 1d81d4+4; hp 15; AC 16 (leather); Init +4; ATK +2 melee (1d6+1 rapier) or +5 ranged (1d8 longbow); SQ Ranger Abilities; SV For +4, Ref +6, Will +5; ALI NG; Str 13, Dex 19, Con 15, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 9.
...Skills and Feats: Concentration +3, Craft (Bows) +7, Handle Animal +3, Hide +8, Knowledge (Nature) +7, Listen +9, Move Silently +8, Search +8, Spellcraft +3, Spot +9, Survival +7; Scribe Scroll, Track, Wild Empathy, Favored Terrain (forest).
Favored enemy: Goblins
Familiar: Hawk - Cyarma
Bare is an elf in love with the forest. The trees, the animals, they all beckon to him and invite him to play. He is also fascinated with magic and hopes to one day be a powerful wizard.
**************************
Hullifan Tarrinall, Male High Elf Brd2: CR 2; HD 2d6; hp 7; AC 14 (leather); Init +2; Atk +2 melee (1d8+1 longsword) or +3 ranged (1d6 short bow); SQ Bard Abilities; SV Fort +0, Ref +5, Will +4; AL NG; Str 13, Dex 15, Con 11, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 14.
...Skills and Feats: Appraise +6, Craft (musical instruments) +3, Decipher Script +7, Escape Artist +4, Gather Information +7, Hide +4, Jump +4, Knowledge (Arcana) +6, Listen +3, Perform +6 Search +4, Spellcraft +7, Spot +3, Use Magical Device +6; Combat Casting.
Hullifan is driven by a love for ancient things, particularly those things magical. He hopes with the proper training to one day be a renowned Arcanologist. Until then he is devoted to his studies.
Elder-Basilisk
First Post
It's good to see your kids games again. About halfway throught the prologue, I was beginning to wonder if these were your kids. . . .
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