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Post by puffthemagicdragon on Jun 18, 2008 14:20:07 GMT 1
The elf stands up abruptly, following suit with the others, a group he would like to learn more about and adventure with for many more days.
Quickly throwing his hand into the mix, "For Jukia."
Add, can't think of anything,
just waiting on the tease from Achinca.
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Post by achinca on Jun 26, 2008 17:24:24 GMT 1
This group of strangers, forged in the fire of the battle in a goblins lair dominated by a black dragon is now united to rescue a former member of the group, the falsely assumed promiscuous Jukia.
The group returns to Barrow’s Edge, with the intent to free the cleric but as they get closer to the village, they start to see columns of smoke coming up from that location.
As the group hurries, they saw that the village is a scene of devastation and war. A lot of the structures in the village have suffered partial or total fire damages. The multi faith temple has been destroyed, Stern Emporium is half burned and Wallie’s inn has suffered heavy damages. There are dark stains on the dirt street, more likely blood. An aura of despair and destruction is reigning in the village.
As the heroes enter the village, Stern the halfling comes running from the ruins of her building. Her eyes are puffy and tears are flowing down her cheeks. With a broken voice she welcomes the adventurers and more particularly Odlin, Augustine and Stadvas who rescue her.
“I am so glad you are still alive and did not abandon us. An awful tragedy has stuck the village and this time it is not the fault of the goblin tribe. It is all because of Jukia and Zlak. While were away Jukia returns and the poor girl made the mistake to make her presence known. I told her many times that she should start a new in a place where her mother’s past would not be such a burden. But poor Jukia had a heart of gold as you know. Anyway, Zlak, the cleric who hired you originally had returned and arrested Jukia.”
She stopped and suddenly looks very ashamed of herself. “I should have stood up to that old bully but I did not. Not even Wallie. He arrested her because deep inside he wanted her. I believe all the males in Barrow’s Edge wanted her. This is why she has been tricked so many times. I am ashamed because if we would have stood up, the awful events would have not occurred. Once she was arrested, Zlak put her into Wallie’s basement as a prison. Then the following day, a group of men or beasts arrived. That group was scary. It was led by a man who I did not caught the name but he kept his face covered at all time. He was accompanied by a halfling, a human, an elf or half elf and a few of hobgoblins. Zlak welcomed then and ordered that Jukia is brought to the center of the village. There, Zlak had her put in chains and strip naked, claiming she was the heiress. The leader nodded and ordered the man to put poor Jukia on his horse. At that time Wallie started to react that tried to take away Jukia from them. This is when hell got lose. That group started attacking people while the hobgoblins started fire while Zlak was laughing. Wallie got badly hurt and a few people died. They destroyed and hurt and killed for the pleasure of it. After a while, when I guess they had their fill of evil, they left with Zlak and Poor Jukia. This is all I know. I have been tending to the hurt and my building. The village is in a state of shock as we have lost our clerics.”
At that moment Brettnor steps up. “Lady Stern, I have found out that my vocation was for healing rather than fighting. I will be more than happy to provide the little healing I can do until you can fight a new appropriate replacement.” He turns to t he group and give the wand of cure light wounds to Augustine “Brothers in arm, it was an honor to fight with you but as you noticed; I was not cut to be in the heat of the fire. I believe my god will be better served by me staying at Barrow’s Edge.”
Stern looks at him flabbergasted, not believing what she hears. “Then you need to come and help Wallie. She is about to join the great beyond.” She then turns to the other four adventurers “I guess we paid full price for blindly going with Zlak accusation. We should have stood up when he arrested Jukia. I will be ashamed for the rest of my life to what has happened to the poor girl.”
She grabs Brettnor by the hand and directs him toward on of the least damaged building: Thamior the wizard house.
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Post by Caledonian Achilles on Jun 26, 2008 18:46:23 GMT 1
The fire in Odlin's belly is slowly replaced by horror when he finally witnesses the carnage and destruction created by the hobgoblins.
Many thoughts tumble through his mind
Was Zlak a duplicate? a copy of the real cleric? Or was Zlak always an evil schemer?
Maybe his plan all along was to hire some adventurers to scupper Noak's plans of conquest? A convoluted power struggle between different goblin tribes?
Jukia! How is she wrapped up in this? Is she alright?
Stern's tale is too much for him and he has to sit down, holding his head in his hands. Eventually he comes round to some semblance of sanity and sets off to investigate the attack with the rest of his friends, intent on fingding clues such as horses' tracks or a dropped item that may give answers to the mysterious raid.
He decides against troubling Stern for the money she has promised the group, the halfling has other more pressing concerns right now.
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Post by Ilya on Jun 26, 2008 23:12:05 GMT 1
Stadvas' inner world is simpler than his wizard companion's, and filled with thoughts of revenge. After having listened to the story, his face struggling not to become a grimace of frustration, he states, "We find Zlak, maybe ask questions, then get him." The warrior does not specify what 'get him' means, but the sound of it is threatening.
His goodbye to Brettnor is cold, perhaps because Stadvas is angry at him leaving, but more probably because of the other news he has just heard. "See ya. Get going, you're needed, and help Wallie, we owe that."
During the search for clues, Stadvas' face remains as emotionless as he can keep it, but signs of his concern for Jukia and anger at the whole situation occasionally show.
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Post by achinca on Jun 30, 2008 15:58:12 GMT 1
Stern leads the group to Thamior house and the wizard shop is not a makeshift hospital. The wizard looks annoyed but when he sees Stern and the heroes, he smiles as he says “This is the solution to our problems. Let’s meet in the street as we cannot meet in my office anymore”.
He leads the group including Stern but without Brettnor who is relieved of being done adventuring in the middle of the street. “Gentlemen, as you can see, we have a slight problem. We have a s small invasion situation and we sort of need, hum, a revenge mission. Seeing you in one piece tells me that you solved our goblin problem so the village would greatly appreciate if we could count on your effort to deal with the situation at hand.”
“Cut through the crap. Thamior.” Wallie has appeared at the door of the house. She looks extremely pale and weak if is not for her voice which is still strong. Brettnor is next to her trying to convince to go back and rest. “I do not have much energy so I will be brief. For some reasons which we do not get, Zlak has gone insane and turned on us. In addition to humiliating and degrading one of our own Jukia, he to has brought a group of monsters and murdered create havoc on the village. I want his threat to be eliminated and Jukia returned to the village. You can have whatever you want that you will think will be helpful: horses, supplies, water, name it. And Thamior, tell them what you have learned while you were hiding in an empty barrel like a child.”
“I was not hiding, I was spying. Well, the main man kept asking Zlak if he was sure she was the heiress and Zlak kept confirming it. I guess they were talking about Jukia. The man threaten Zlak that if he was wrong, he would be sorry. He also said that if she was indeed the heiress, Zlak would be rich beyond his dreams. Then he called his thugs saying that the road to Kingsholm was quite long and they left.”
Here what you know about Kingsholm.
It is about 1 week away by horse through forests and plains. Kingsholm lies at the base of a series of rolling foothills. No one knows how long the community has existed Kingsholm appears much like every other town in the land, with one exception—its graveyard.
Built on and in the nearby hills, the graveyard has existed for centuries. Some townsfolk believe the graveyard predates the community, and nearly all the people living in Kingsholm evince a particular pride in that fact. Prominent individuals who die in Kingsholm have the honor of being interred in the graveyard's mausoleum, the centerpiece of the graveyard. Kingsholm's guards—known as sentinels—patrol the graveyard almost as frequently as they patrol thecommunity's streets.
The most notable feature of the graveyard actually lies a little over a mile north of the town, high up in the hills. There stands the statue of an ancient king. No one in Kingsholm knows who he was or why the statue was erected there, but the townsfolk live in awe of the monument. Indeed, while the common folk have no fear of their maintained graveyard, few venture up to visit the forgotten king.
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Post by Caledonian Achilles on Jun 30, 2008 16:50:30 GMT 1
Odlin is brief and decisive.
He instructs Wallie to get riding horses for the band and a pack horse. Rations for a week's travel if they can spare it, otherwise they'll forage for food. "Can we restock our ammunition Wallie?"
Odlin ensures that Augustine and Ryx have enough ammo. He looks At Stadvas' armour and asks Stern if she has anything sturdier they could have using their credit at her store. The wizard wonders if the halfling has anything left.
He shows Thamior the unidentified loot from the goblin adventure. "We have credit, but I'll thank you to help us with the rest too."
Odlin is reluctant to ask the villagers for more even though his anger towards them stilll simmers gently beneath his skin. Hurrying after the kidnappers gives the dwarf a welcome relief to be away from Barrows Edge, he lets Augustine ride ahead to watch for clues and tracks. It will be a few days but he suggests they stop and plan their next moves once they are one day outside Kingsholm
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Post by puffthemagicdragon on Jul 1, 2008 4:45:56 GMT 1
Ryxikor is gald to be back on the road as they head back to Barrow's Edge. As the group talks of the battles in the underground tunnels, Ryx injects some of his own comments about the fights that he was able to be involved in, including the one that brought the adventurers together, even though one has decided the adventuring life isn't for him. The elf casts a glare towards the cleric, then reaches into his pouch and begins playing the master work flute that he found in the kitchen after the fight with the large mean weasel, named honeycup. As the march back to Barrow's Edge wears on the group, so does the practicing, Ryx has been doing with the instrument. Until suddenly they top a rise and see the columns of smoke coming from the small village. Once they arrive, Ryx doesn't quite know how to help. So he moves to investigate the grounds around the village, trying to discern the number and nature of the group they will soon be following. Once they leave, Ryxikor rides up with Augustine to help look for clues and or tracks.
Can someone put up a list of the loot? At least the part I get a share from,  And are all the XP up? |
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Post by Caledonian Achilles on Jul 1, 2008 13:56:49 GMT 1
Stadvas is grim. His intial search of the pillaged Barrows Edge does little to lighten his mood. His companions sense his eagerness to hit the road and ride down Jukia's abductors. Odlin throws the big man a glance, trying to guage his thoughts. He nods his resoluteness at the warrior. On their travels, the group can't help but mull over what they heard. Jukia. An heiress. However that does not belittle the serious mistake that Zlak has made in kidnapping their friend. Odlin can't help but opnly speculate on Zlak's future fate but he decides to give the decision to Jukia. Augustine warns everyone to be on the look out for ambushes. Zlak has been preparing for this for some time so he will have considered that someone may ride after them.
just posting for absent players. gives me a chance to put this up. Puff, you should bookmark these links. party loot hereXP thread here |
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Post by achinca on Jul 1, 2008 15:05:20 GMT 1
Thamior, although complaining about the cost if it does identify the ring and the cloak. These items have been magically charged to protect the wearer (ring of protection +1, cloack of resistance +1).
The potions found in the former shrine to Moradin are Cure Moderate Wounds, Bull Strength and Oil of Magic weapon +1. The scrolls are Cure Light Wounds, Magic Missile and Burning Hand.
Stern is ready to buy anything they want to sell (or take it for free if they want to give it) and sell them anything they want to buy (or give it for free if they do not want to pay).
When all transactions are done, a villager comes with 4 horses. None of them are speedy purebred but all are a better alternative to walking. The cook from Wallie’s inn brings a week worth of rations for 4 as well as 4 filled waterskins.
Fully re-stocked and re-armed the group goes after the people who took Jukia. Augustine and Ryxikor look at the tracks and they determine that they have about a day lead. Given the quality of their horses, it is doubtful that they can catch them. The tracks are indeed going towards Kingsholm.
Stadvas, the big man is quiet although rage is burning inside him. The unfairness of what has been happening to Jukia is eating at him and he wants nothing more that put the people that took her to the sword.
Augustine is quieter, focusing on the track, confirming that the group ahead is gaining some ground but not much.
Odlin is trying to make sense of what is happening? How cold Zlak, the quiet and well maneauver priest who hired them in the first place be the same man that humiliated and gave away Jukia his apprentice? What does Jukia being the heiress mean? Heiress of what? How can a prostitute daughter in a small village be an heiress?
Ryxikor keeps quiet and helps Augustine when needed. He does not have the same connection to Jukia as the other 3 but he can feel their pain. He is proud to be with men who take friendship so much to heart.
After 6 days of riding, the group stops. They are about 1 day ride to reach Kingsholm and Odlin, the formerly cowardly wizard decides it is time for a plan.
OOC: Cal, thanks for playing the playing on vacations and keeping the story moving.
OOC2: I have opened a new thread: Barrow of the Forgotten King
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