Adding a scout to the party

In a dark back alley, a small door opens and closes quickly as a dark shape slips inside…

Faolán: This place is hard to find. I think the lamp outside has run out of oil.

Contact Agent: Ah, cadet, glad to see you alive after I heard about your squad.

Faolán: I said, this place is hard to find. I think the lamp outside has run out of oil.

Contact Agent: Right, I heard about you. Um… The boy who lights it was sent to buy bread. He must not be back yet. Now, lower that crossbow and tell me where you’ve been the past week.

Faolán: Three days out from home, I was out checking the perimeter of the camp we had just made. My three fellow cadets back at camp were careless and didn’t follow procedure. They gave our location away to a group of yuan-ti who happened to be nearby. They were dead before I could back to help but I would have died too in that fight. Captain and the last cadet fled but were pursued by the yuan-ti. It was a long, chaotic game of hide and seek over two days before the yuan-ti finally captured and killed Captain. I became all turned around trying to contact and help Captain while at the same time trying to stay hidden.

I wandered aimlessly for another two days before I found a small group of humans. I don’t know what they were doing out there at the edge of the swamp but they seemed lost too. Just after I found them, a different squad of yuan-ti found us. I overheard them say something about me being possibly too small for the ceremony but they’d let their shamans decide. We were taken to the mountain and imprisoned in a dungeon.

I was left there for another two days until a small group of adventurers crawled up the hole where the yuan-ti had been throwing all the waste. It turns out that mountain held both the yuan-ti ceremonial site and the tomb of some long-forgotten necromancer. I offered to help the adventurers as much as I could and they decided not to send me off with the other prisoners. They had also just lost their trap-finder to a green slime so I could really help them there.

Contact Agent: Tell me more about these adventurers.

Faolán: They’re led by Krieger the Relentless. There is also Civlis the Summoner.

Contact Agent: Yes, we’ve had some news out of the Bastard recently so those two names are known to us. The one who died must have been their acquaintance Baezel.

Faolán: I believe so but they don’t talk favourably of him, if they mention him at all. They also travel with two clerics, Alcot, whom we know well, and an adept of Kord, a dwarf named Ulrik.

Contact Agent: Yes, Alcot we know well but I’ll have to pass the name Ulrik back to our superiors to see if we can get his background.

Faolán: They also travel with Gromjin the Alone.

Contact Agent: There’s a name we had all but forgotten; probably because he had all but forgotten it himself when he turned to drinking so heavily. Are they aware of his past?

Faolán: I brought up the subject with Krieger. He seemed to think that Gromjin was still capable and did not care to hear about the other failed parties only Gromjin had survived. He seemed to think that proved Gromjin’s ability to survive more than question why everyone around him seemed to die.

Krieger gave me a few items from their fallen comrade but most of their treasure was stolen two nights ago by a green dragon. I have left what they gave me behind in my room at the inn. The rest of the party will discover them when I don’t come down for breakfast in the morning.

Contact Agent: You had better hurry back and get those things before anyone else finds them! You should sell what you can’t use to buy some better equipment. You passed your training and have been promoted to Wanderer One.

Faolán: Wanderer One? You want me to remain with the adventurers?

Contact Agent: Yes, Faolán. We will miss your skills in the Scouts but these adventurers are getting quite the name for themselves. Our allies are happy with their work. Their successes may mean a little less work for our Scouts and Spies but, after all the difficulties these past many years, a little rest will be welcome. Also, adventurers cover vast areas and can learn some very valuable information. If we need you, we will contact you, and then you must try to guide the adventurers to complete your tasks.

Faolán: Yes, sir! I will send reports when I can and I will await your further instructions.

Attempted, theft, and return

We got Krieger brought back to life. It seems someone thinks my group will be the one to stop the Yuan-ti threat. The past two days just whirred by as we were repeatedly whisked between towns by magical means to have Krieger resurrected and to have meetings with powerful people who had information for us. I contributed quite a bit for Krieger's spell but it's worth it. His ideas on communal party property are misguided but he's stalwart in battle. It buys me lots of time to use my arcane tricks and to pick my spots when I resort to my daggers.

I have also seen the most impressive wizard's library and I can barely remember where it was or to whom it belonged, the day was such a blur.

It appears the Yuan-ti know we're after them and what we're carrying. I awoke in our inn with one just pulling the box I found out of my pack. We were able to deal with him and his two accomplices quickly and recover our property. I also discovered the Yuan-ti are using misinformation against us with local lawmakers. Taking that paper off the mayor was so easy and was so informative! I don't know if I'll be able to resist helping myself again given a similar opportunity in the future.

We also discovered the Yuan-ti have a major weapon to use against us in this fight. We were miles away from Gatwar and the Granite Temple was two or three times again that distance but we still felt the earth shake and saw the bright light. The devastation in Gatwar was beyond belief.

Gromjin has already proven his worth by solving the clues in Gatwar and leading us through the bogs so we could catch the bugbears. I'm glad none of them got away to warn others. It's also good no one noticed that I hit the one that tried to flee right in the back with my thrown dagger well beyond the light that Civlis created. I even searched him in the dark while everyone else was distracted! We found more notes from the Order of the Black Worm looking for help to find something in our territory. If we weren't stopping their pleas for help, they would have promised away all their treasure before they found anything.

That Ulrik is getting more annoying all the time. He's incessantly singing and now that whole effort to get his pony down the cliff. I don't know how we'll get back up. We'll probably have to go around the long way with all the prisoners we rescued.

The passing of Krieger

I hate snakes. First we were plagued by vampires, then demons, and now the theme is snakes.

My parents made treasure-hunting sound like so much fun but I think that’s only because I was getting the highlights from their two perspectives. The endless trudging between towns, getting lost in all the damn forests in this area of the world… It’s wearing on me. And now, watching Krieger squeezed and pummeled to death by that more snake than man Yuan-ti. After the first snake-man looked into my eyes so that I felt compelled to back away, I was then useless from just twenty feet away. It’s just getting to be too much.

I don’t know why I’m out here and how I ended up with this bunch. The past few months have just flown by. We were pressed into service and have had no time to get to know anyone before death has taken them. I’m the last of the original group with which I first went down into the Bastard’s cellars. Torvald, Nazdreg, Friar Gregory, and now Krieger are all dead. At least we have Krieger’s body. Maybe we can convince his soul to return so that he may fight again.

Not that his return would improve my situation. Sure, he meets enemies head-on so Civlis and I can concentrate on using magic without a monster in our face but his ethics are so twisted, possibly by the loss of his mentor. He drives us on without rest so we can help the people of the area but he vetoes any helping each other. Civlis is the same. He and I could both benefit by sharing our arcane knowledge but he also feels no need to cooperate with those who, for now, are closest to him. Bizarre that they’re so eager to help those they barely know but look at me with such suspicion. And the lectures when I helped them with that figurine! Only death could shut Krieger up on the subject.

I want to help others and I do my best to achieve that but it gets me nothing in return. Maybe it’s time to look out for myself a little more and do whatever makes me happiest.

The passing of Friar Gregory

I've done it! After the stories my parents told me, and the few items my mom showed me, I've found my first wondrous item since I embarked on this adventure. With the note stuffed in it, I assume it's been given to the dragon to try and buy its service. But now this item has come to me, though I buy it at a great price. But, I guess I should start at the beginning of this little episode.

Once we were ready to leave the Bastard, which I don't know if I care to return to since it's under its new "captain," we travelled back to Civlis' home. We got there to find the elves packing and leaving. Their numbers were being depleted as their hunters and scouts were not returning from trips outside of their borders. The seven archers who survived the attack on the Bastard had also not returned.

We mapped where most of the disappearances seemed to be occurring and noticed a pattern to the Southwest. The village leader, Servitus, accompanied us as we set of to look for better clues. We suffered one attack from a crocodile which would have dragged Friar Gregory to his death if Krieger hadn't stepped up and nearly chopped the crocodile in two. Signs indicated that we might be dealing with some ferocious crocodiles further up the river.

We came to a waterfall with a large crocodile sleeping underneath. Under Civlis' direction, we built a platform above the falls which Krieger was supposed to use to drop down and catch the crocodile unaware. Krieger had barely set foot on the platform when it gave way and he was swept over the falls. Luckily, we had secured him with a rope and we were able to pull him out of the water right away. A second attempt and Krieger and I were safely down beside the crocodile which we finished off before it could wake up.

I could detect the thoughts of another, larger crocodile snoozing just inside the dark cave. We decided to shuffle inside and, when our newest party member, Ulrik, saw that we were close enough, Friar Gregory would throw in some light so the others could see and Civlis would summon one of his magical beasts to help us fight the master crocodile. Or so we thought.

Just as we were about to strike, I sensed another, more powerful mind and saw a large, green head at the end of a long neck come towards us. The source of the strong, unidentified chemical smell, which had been troubling me, became apparent as Krieger, Servitus, and I were doused in chlorine. We were in the layer of a green dragon but the world went dark to me.

I don't think I was out long when I awoke to see the Friar standing over me. Servitus was attempting to influence the giant crocodile, as druids are wont to do, but Krieger didn't want that threat still around and dispatched it. Now, indecision gripped our party as we had a dragon roaming around its lair in the dark. We didn't have a good idea of its power so we didn't know whether to attack or fall back. It knew to attack and we were again sprayed with a great volume of acid. Krieger then sounded the attack.

Friar Gregory, Krieger, and I went invisibly into the main area of the lair while Servitus went down the other passage. I sensed the dragon squeezing through a hole so I webbed him in place. While he tried to free himself, Krieger and Servitus attacked from opposite ends of the dragon's small passage. Even I was able to move in and find two points of weakness while it was distracted by a mighty blow of Krieger's which, unfortunately, went astray. Civlis delivered a precise fireball from the far end of the lair. The dragon was able to get away from us and spew another blast of acid. I had learned enough from my previous two soakings so I anticipated the blast and was able to completely dodge out of the way. Friar Gregory and Servitus were overcome by the acid. I ran to Servitus' aid while Krieger and our new friend, Ulrik, went to help Friar Gregory. Another fireball and the dragon was looking to flee.

The dragon came in for some parting shots but Civlis and Ulrik both fled. (Poor Ulrik, he wandered into the Bastard just a few days ago and then found himself face to face with a dragon! I looked at him with my arcane sight and determined that he had just the weakest of divine magic about him. His power will grow quickly if he hangs around with us much more.) Again, I could tell that more acid was coming and I got out of the way but poor Friar Gregory, still lying on the ground, was helpless as the edge of the acid blast fell over him and pooled around him on the floor. As the dragon looked to finish its escape, a last barrage of magic missiles from Civlis brought it crashing to a halt.

It fell to Civlis and me to inspect the hoard while others tended to the hurt and made sure of the dragon's demise. That's when I found the small, silver statue. Civlis was distracted by something else so I slipped it into my haversack. I know I have the best skill to unlock the statue's secrets and then I'll reveal it to my friends. We had to clean up quickly as it seemed we encountered the smaller of two dragons which lived in that cave. I don't know what we'll do with the Friar. We have the gold to bring him back to life but we have to find someone powerful enough to perform the rites. Though, he may choose to serve a little closer to Pelor.

Children of the night

"Death to the weaklings! The snake tribe shall triumph over all. Are we not the bravest, the most clever, the most daring? We planned our assault on the hated southlings in three parts, in the darkest part of the night. The Snorri twins would take command of our two giants and the main party of the assault to try first and direct assault up the side of the west wall. Yrthm would transform to an animal shape and drop a master and me on top of the magus tower to slay that small threat. Offan the trickster would wait until others were drawn off and then raise the main gate; he would control the greatest strength of ragers, ettercaps, little poison brothers, and the masters who would accompany them. Lastly, our wyvern riding little sorcerer brother would circle and support where needed. How could their pathetic forces deny us?

But somehow, they did. Somehow, the bastards were aware of us. The giant brothers were hurt before they could get the ladders up, and even thought they did damage, they were driven off too fast.

Something was happening at the front gate too; they couldn't get the portcullis up, and had to come up over the wall to get in; Offan misted through the gate and dispersed the small threat from the militia with his tricks, but could not get it open still. Our sorcerer brother crashed too early; there were strange enemies afoot, and they were mobile and wrecked the little brother before he could unleash his strongest magic.

I landed, though. My speed was furious, and the burnt man trembled at my coming. Two strokes and the mage was down. However, another rose to meet me, some man hiding behind a shield. Magics swirled from behind him, which stole my strength and forced me down. Yrthm tried to back me up, to slay these foes, but it all changed so fast. The druid was slain in two lucky hits and fell down to the bottom of the wall.

Lying... dying... we went from victors to defeated in only moments. I could hear the master below me moving through the tower. It's clear he retrieved what he came for, but it mattered not for our tribe. Something monstrous had trapped our strongest down below the main gate and they could not climb. The giants flung the Snorri brothers over, but they were too little too late. I pulled myself to the edge of the tower. I watched Offan die. The small brothers had scattered. We would not succeed this time, and our masters would not be pleased. I earned my place on our totem though, but failed."

- Yogham, Long Arm of the Long Snakes


Memorable highlights:

• Gary Glitter does some seriously good work. Zanita hides under a table.
• "Civlis, avenge me!"
• New phrase: a frivolous omelet
• Friar Gregory learns to wield the Force-kin while working under Matron
• Sergeant Gont is fun to role-play, consarn it

Deal with the devil

"It ain't right.

I had my day already. When the Stormcrow were captain, or Shaulk the bloody, things were right. Enough men, enough engineers, enough magic to bleed our enemies. Now we got nothing what will serve, no planners, no eyes, and no gnomes to back us. I ain't a captain, never were, and this is what comes of handing lordship over to a sergeant too old to know what's best. Ennis and Matron still done nothin, so now the kids is forced to call the shots as best they can.

So far, they ain't been wrong. They seen to the countryside around, recruitin' elves and green warders and whatnot. They made it back from bein' captured by bandits, barghests, an even Heartwood Rot, and there ain't none that went worse than him. There's still trouble out there, but they done their dooty. The Long Snakes are on the move, and they're being supplied or led by these snakey Yuan-ti. That prolly means they ain't going to do the usual thing and try to batter us down, so even with the warning we got, we needin' to be watchful fer new tricks.

Even so, we're still too skinny on the ground. Half-starved villagers will be easy meat for barbarians and their pals. So now we got to shake hands with the devil, as it were. Downstairs we went; Mazzarbul forced me to a dark deal, but I done my dooty, as I always done. Shaulk allus said you got to save the most you can by any means you can... I jus wish the price weren't so high. Still, with the new captain's help, we got a reasonable chance. Ain't nothin that'll come at us from below, and anyone coming at night is in fer a shock. Hah!

And now we wait. We don't even got enough men to mount a proper watch and form work parties. That Elfy druid sent a clutch of shooters, but they ain't enough to make much difference. We got arms and armour aplenty, but not enough seasoned hands to hold them. We're in it deep fer sure, unless these kids can pull our asses outta the fire again."

-Old Gont, former sergeant and town leader



Selected highlights:

• Vampires with frickin' lasers
• Dire daschund = fearsome opponent with a gas attack
• Civlis almost gets his Elf status revoked for conduct unbecoming the master race
• "Wait a moment... with prompting, Krieger remembers to turn and critically chop the druid behind him into bits."
• "Yay, I'm useful!" Baezel

Garden of Heartwood Rot

"The most sserendipitouss thing! Rescued by a party of blundering humans at the final moment.

Volunteers for the masster are happily in short ssupply, so I was ordered out to scout and recruit. However, all the villages and camps I tried were depleted; of necesssity, I went further west than I preferred. Although I was pleased to see the Samarkandian infiltrators performing their roles, by an appalling chance I was waylaid by a Woodwife. She led me to this erstaz garden, uncaring of the horror that awaits fauna here.

The ancient treant known as Heartwood Rot has decayed; his focus is now tending his groves of trees by feeding them the bodies of the dead and dying. His twissted but uncompromising logic is that fewer interlopers and greater nutrition are both achievable with one sstroke.

I ssuffered such agony on those trees. He punctured my entire body twice to impale me on two nearby branchess, then caused them to grow. This foul creature has learned something of druidic magic from ssomeone, curse them to the ebony pits of the Abyss.

As I hung, suspended and dying, I heard the ssoundss of Humans and Elves approaching. they were pursued by wargs and forestkith, and were so distracted by their pursuit that they did not notice the obvious clues of that garden. Heartwood Rot animated the nearby trees, killed the pursuers, and captured the pursued to join me in the trees.

However, they won our freedom. They convinced the insane shepherd to keep watch for further pursuit, and their hedge wizard managed to escape. Over-compassionate that they are, two of them felt obliged to endanger themselves and free me from my agony. They even used healing magic to repair my physical trauma! I did not stay to be interrogated (I know far too much that these humans musst never learn), but did not take advantage of their lapse to kill them; I am required now by Merrshaulk's law to preserve the lives of those two at least once.

They did not see me transform into viper form, but I cannot return home now until all my tasks have been discharged. Curse and twist these wretched apes! They think they are safe behind the walls of their ancient forts; what strength are walls that stand empty? The masster's coils are tightening even now, and ssoon this land shall be ours to rule."

- Ochorr, Yuan-ti half-blood



So many highlights:

• "This is your second ultimatum." 
• Things can never get too loamy for an Elf
• the first time a trap-finder has decided to take 20 on their removal roll. Also, the first perform checks!
• a penetrating discussion of earth elemental orifices
• "This is your one chance today to be useful!"
• Nature trail to hell, indeed. Big escape sequence.
• We were up $h1+ creek with Harry Smears, pinching and flowing and... yuck.