Wednesday, May 31, 2006
4 Alturiak 1373 - Breeding babies & Seakin city
This time we started in a run. Well, Babydoll started running. He's SO fast he caught the Kuo-Toan monk who was running to the breeding pool to warn them of the Reaver / sorrowsworn demon. He knocked the monk out, then caught a common 'Toan citizen and terrorized him (or maybe her) and then came back to let us know. Many of the citizens saw this happen and they ran to their city to warn the authorities.
We found ourselves in a large excavated cavern with a kind-of kidney bean shape. The place is full of the ancient Walktapoid city, but those remains are buttressed with an odd wood because it's loosing it's ancient, overwhelming magical aura. There are two portals here, obviously newer than the remains. One had written on it something like "This is to our most holy of birth places". It wasn't what we thought it was going to be.
We charged in, and twenty Goodhunters and five sorcerers later we owned the place. At least for a little while we did. Caulwen, who was still in Kuo-Toan form swam with the regular citizens and ...
Actually I'm ahead of myself there.
We rushed in through the portal like a dire rat running from a Holy Word. Except we were running toward the thing and it wasn't holy. It was kind of gross, actually, and probably actually unholy (or is that non-holy?).
Immediately in front of us were about a dozen Goodhunters. We took them by surprise. And boy did we. Lets see, it happened so fast it's hard to recall what happen in what order. There was a chop, and then another which chopped all the way and continued to chop into the next dish. That Flying Chef is really some fast fillet machine. He's a madman when it comes to cleaving people in twain. He made two more enemies out of one. A cone-shaped blast of cold which some dodged but most ate. Several daggers flying into fishy armpits. A columnar blast of holy fire. About eight angry arrows making monk kabobs. And then an electric spell that blasted one, and leapt to another, and leapt to another, and leapt to another, and leapt to another, and leapt to another, and leapt to another, and leapt to another, and leapt to another, and leapt to another, and leapt to another, and leapt to another to finish off all but a few of the original dozen or so Kuo-Toan Goodhunter monks. Somehow there were multiple balls of fire, which actually looked like some mad flaming elf god archer growing out of the earth and shooting an arrow into the midst next to him (I think it was a he. It's hard to tell with elves and the form was only from the waist up - but it was flaming) which exploded into another ball of roiling flames licking across the hot waters, and the steaming stone beach. There was mayhem everywhere. Well, not actual mayhem, but a lot of dead regular Kuo-Toans, and even more incredibly frightened ones diving off and swimming away like a frantic school of large silver fish. That was pretty much it for the monks.
Caulwen & Babydoll decided they needed a swim in that fish-head soup. They found a portal at the bottom with boiling water coming up from it (I think it is to the elemental plane of fire, and I think I'd like to go check it out sometime), Caulwen chased after and joined the fleeing regular 'civilians', and Babydoll noticed a small group of fish-faces standing on a chopped-off stalagmite, thirty feet in the air, and in the center of the centralized stone beach. I wonder if they have a building on the flipped-over top of that stalagmite flying around.
The last few Goodhunter monks were quickly, and easily, finished off by Celery and Thraxel. Bellumthain then gathered us all around him and dimention doored us over to the stone beach. It had pools all over it with Kuo-Toan eggs in them, and some of the eggs looked like they had little tadpoles in them. They are kind of cute in their egg/tadpole form. To bad they grow up to be mean Kuo-Toans who backstab, doublecross, and give preferential treatment to the drow (not to mention enslaving people and sacrificing them to their gods).
Most big folk, actually most folk all together, think of hin as children. A happy attitude, always smiling, and looking you square in the eye and laughing at your jokes as they pick you pocket. Well, some have been known to be such, but what people don't know, or actually what they don't think about, is the dualistic nature of being a hin. Sure we are happy, and small, and friendly, and we lighten the loads our friends have to carry - we are just nice, and pleasant that way. But we also have a mean martial side to us. Most know nothing about it because most don't even know hin have a country of their own (or they know but just don't think and realize that means we have rules and boundaries and such like anyone else). We have a need to protect just like anyone else. Now, it's one thing to be killed by your neighbor in a war (and when you live next to Dambrath that's always a threat), but to have your neighbor enslave you or sacrifice you to their god is a whole other matter. And that matter makes me mad. Really mad. As mad a hin can get ... and a bit worse, actually.
So there we are, sitting on a pleasant, though hard, beach/breeding area (and I'm all for breeding areas) when ... well, actually, I'm ahead a bit. The first thing was a cacophony of several fishmongers singing their songs of the catch of the day. I'm not to sure what happened but that tune made me think of home and get, actually, homesick. I'm glad it passed, 'cause I'm not going home for a long time - not until I have enough stories to tell for the rest of my years will I return to Luiren. But the tunes were distracting, haunting, melancholic, and not to bad musically speaking. And speaking of music and stories, I think I need to tell mine. Tell the stories of my travels these past few years, and perfect the arts of story telling so that when I do return home I'm good and ready to entertain the masses. I think I need some children, too. Enough of that, for now.
Then we popped over to the breeding pools area.
It's been a long time since I've actually been afraid for my life. A very long time. Not since we did not fight the three beholders and their pet manticore. And that manticore sure did have a prickly chin. ... But this time the shoes were on and being a hin I'm not as used to wearing shoes as most other people. There were five Kuo-Toa sorcerers or wizards (I really can't tell the difference) up on top and they just laid into us with the blasting of spells. First a giant wave, from this still pool, came rushing up and slammed into the group, knocking all of us into the water. Now even though I'm from the Hambone bay, I'm not a good swimmer. I'm actually a bad swimmer. Never liked it much. So I'm in a pool with killing in my mind, poison in my belt, anger in my eyes, the power of hate in my voice ... and I'm puppy paddling to the shore. Not very dignified, but it worked, kind of.
We all get back to the shore in various states and at various times. Celery's half dead and fully uncontious. Desicrist is healing him. Bellumthain is still in the water trying to get back, Babydoll swims like the Kuo-Toans, and Thraxel was ... I'm not sure where he was. Maybe off somewhere skulking in some shadow. But he was around. It all got fuzzy for me about this time, 'cause I was busy focusing on these little droplets of water which were dripping up out of my body. Not the water off my clothes, but the water in my guts. It was like someone transported a desert into my stomach and the water was escaping. I got pulled in every direction (even inward) all at once, and felt like a sponge being twisted for it's last drops of water. My mouth got dry, my tongue swelled up, my skin turned reddish (and bruised in areas), and all together I was not having a good day. I was close to not having a bad day either.
So, I did what any smart fella would do in a similar situation. I fell to the ground in unnatural exhaustion and played dead (not much acting was required). If Brandobaris ever did anything to help me help spread the word of his good deeds it was then. From above, or actually behind, me came a flying angel. Leaping high into the air with the most graceful arch I've ever seen a flying thing take, the demon-tinged angelic Flying Chef leapt on the top of the stalagmite and began his second course of the evening. Unfortunately, it was again, fillet of fish. But it was excellent fillet of fish. As always Celery made a great meal. We all owe him quite a lot for satisfying our hunger.
Lets see ... it was pretty much over then. The battle was, that is. Caulwen had followed the school of fish, and, I'm quite happy to report, found their city - The Kuo-Toan city of Seakin.
Abelalon Vo
Southern Hin Gentlemen
-------------------------------------------------
As Vo has relayed I followed the regular Kuo-Toas out of the breeding pool area. One of the Goodhunters had yelled for everyone to leave through another exit. I followed, and they led me to their city, Seakin. I'll have to say, it was, is, a rather magnificent place. It is one of the largest caverns I have ever seen in the world. And the pool of water on the shore of which the city stood next to is the largest collection of water I have seen anywhere. This water is cool and fresh. Clear and refreshing. Not like the other pools I have found. Those have brackish water, and are usually the same temperature as the surrounding rock. This one made me glad to be a Kuo-Toa, even for a small time, and not fully one, as I was.
But the city itself is quite a sight. There were many, many tall buildings of the same kind we had found being excavated. Multicolored block of a glass-like material towering high into the cavern. So high I could not see the tops. But these buildings had a less powerful, and identifiable, magical aura about them. This is the same magic used by the drow to make their ridiculous looking building stand up when any other would have fallen. The buildings were ringed in a helix pattern of open spaces allowing entry into them. No doors at ground level were apparent. Each spacing being several feet to a side and slightly taller than wide. There are dozens of buildings of this nature, all taller than I could see. Maybe even hundreds.
While this was a sight to be seen it wasn't the most impressive. The most impressive was the hundreds of Kuo-Toas flying around the city. They were flying as most would walk. Into and out of buildings, through the 'streets' and even hovering and discussing with each other in a leisurely manner. This was most impressive. Either magic runs through the veins of these Kuo-Toas or there is something about this city enabling them to do such. I think it's the latter, since they never fly when we have fought them.
I was in constant contact with the group becasue of a spell which Vo calls Bellumthain's Telepathic Bond, though the others call it Rary's Telepathic Bond - neither of which I have heard of. Though, since Bellumthain is the one who actually casts the spell I believe Vo is simply honoring him by changing the name to match that of the caster.
I relayed the information of what I was seeing to the group, and also told them of the many regular Kuo-Toas who were getting out of the water all around me, speaking some word under their breath, and flying high into the city. One ran in the opposite direction, behind me, and I turned to see an long, wide bridge crossing over the pool to an island in it's midst. On this island was a compound of other buildings, none more than 50' tall, and made of a mud brick, with no magical aura. There was one building of the correct shape and size to be the temple in which I was chained by the Kuo-Toas. I believe this island is their religious center, and that, like my own people, the religious center is their political center as well.
The one Kuo-Toa I saw run in this direction flew in the air and traveled this way along half the bridge, then landed and continued on foot. I followed him, though I was not able to hear the word they were saying so I could not fly. I was able to follow him into the complex and into one building, however, where he was franticly telling an officious looking Kuo-Toa about the attack on the breeding pool. Thraxil Invictus had made another illusion of the sorrowsworn demon near the end of the fight. I joined in and the two of us Kuo-Toas told the official how the "Reaver", as they call it, had entered the breeding area and attacked.
Interestingly the officious looking Kuo-Toa told us all was okay and he would send out two Clutches of Goodhunters to handle the problem. He sent us on our way, and that was really it. Except, when the Kuo-Toa who was with me ran half way along the bridge back to the city and began to fly and I did not he looked at me as if perplexed. I believe flight is a class issue, because some of them were walking around on the ground selling items, while the majority were flying, but not selling anything. Perhaps by not flying I indicated I was of the merchant class, and therefore should not have been in the breeding pool area at all.
Caulwen Silverthread (of the Threadfunnel family)
Chitine Silver Dragon Sorcerer
Cohort of Abelalon Vo
We found ourselves in a large excavated cavern with a kind-of kidney bean shape. The place is full of the ancient Walktapoid city, but those remains are buttressed with an odd wood because it's loosing it's ancient, overwhelming magical aura. There are two portals here, obviously newer than the remains. One had written on it something like "This is to our most holy of birth places". It wasn't what we thought it was going to be.
We charged in, and twenty Goodhunters and five sorcerers later we owned the place. At least for a little while we did. Caulwen, who was still in Kuo-Toan form swam with the regular citizens and ...
Actually I'm ahead of myself there.
We rushed in through the portal like a dire rat running from a Holy Word. Except we were running toward the thing and it wasn't holy. It was kind of gross, actually, and probably actually unholy (or is that non-holy?).
Immediately in front of us were about a dozen Goodhunters. We took them by surprise. And boy did we. Lets see, it happened so fast it's hard to recall what happen in what order. There was a chop, and then another which chopped all the way and continued to chop into the next dish. That Flying Chef is really some fast fillet machine. He's a madman when it comes to cleaving people in twain. He made two more enemies out of one. A cone-shaped blast of cold which some dodged but most ate. Several daggers flying into fishy armpits. A columnar blast of holy fire. About eight angry arrows making monk kabobs. And then an electric spell that blasted one, and leapt to another, and leapt to another, and leapt to another, and leapt to another, and leapt to another, and leapt to another, and leapt to another, and leapt to another, and leapt to another, and leapt to another, and leapt to another to finish off all but a few of the original dozen or so Kuo-Toan Goodhunter monks. Somehow there were multiple balls of fire, which actually looked like some mad flaming elf god archer growing out of the earth and shooting an arrow into the midst next to him (I think it was a he. It's hard to tell with elves and the form was only from the waist up - but it was flaming) which exploded into another ball of roiling flames licking across the hot waters, and the steaming stone beach. There was mayhem everywhere. Well, not actual mayhem, but a lot of dead regular Kuo-Toans, and even more incredibly frightened ones diving off and swimming away like a frantic school of large silver fish. That was pretty much it for the monks.
Caulwen & Babydoll decided they needed a swim in that fish-head soup. They found a portal at the bottom with boiling water coming up from it (I think it is to the elemental plane of fire, and I think I'd like to go check it out sometime), Caulwen chased after and joined the fleeing regular 'civilians', and Babydoll noticed a small group of fish-faces standing on a chopped-off stalagmite, thirty feet in the air, and in the center of the centralized stone beach. I wonder if they have a building on the flipped-over top of that stalagmite flying around.
The last few Goodhunter monks were quickly, and easily, finished off by Celery and Thraxel. Bellumthain then gathered us all around him and dimention doored us over to the stone beach. It had pools all over it with Kuo-Toan eggs in them, and some of the eggs looked like they had little tadpoles in them. They are kind of cute in their egg/tadpole form. To bad they grow up to be mean Kuo-Toans who backstab, doublecross, and give preferential treatment to the drow (not to mention enslaving people and sacrificing them to their gods).
Most big folk, actually most folk all together, think of hin as children. A happy attitude, always smiling, and looking you square in the eye and laughing at your jokes as they pick you pocket. Well, some have been known to be such, but what people don't know, or actually what they don't think about, is the dualistic nature of being a hin. Sure we are happy, and small, and friendly, and we lighten the loads our friends have to carry - we are just nice, and pleasant that way. But we also have a mean martial side to us. Most know nothing about it because most don't even know hin have a country of their own (or they know but just don't think and realize that means we have rules and boundaries and such like anyone else). We have a need to protect just like anyone else. Now, it's one thing to be killed by your neighbor in a war (and when you live next to Dambrath that's always a threat), but to have your neighbor enslave you or sacrifice you to their god is a whole other matter. And that matter makes me mad. Really mad. As mad a hin can get ... and a bit worse, actually.
So there we are, sitting on a pleasant, though hard, beach/breeding area (and I'm all for breeding areas) when ... well, actually, I'm ahead a bit. The first thing was a cacophony of several fishmongers singing their songs of the catch of the day. I'm not to sure what happened but that tune made me think of home and get, actually, homesick. I'm glad it passed, 'cause I'm not going home for a long time - not until I have enough stories to tell for the rest of my years will I return to Luiren. But the tunes were distracting, haunting, melancholic, and not to bad musically speaking. And speaking of music and stories, I think I need to tell mine. Tell the stories of my travels these past few years, and perfect the arts of story telling so that when I do return home I'm good and ready to entertain the masses. I think I need some children, too. Enough of that, for now.
Then we popped over to the breeding pools area.
It's been a long time since I've actually been afraid for my life. A very long time. Not since we did not fight the three beholders and their pet manticore. And that manticore sure did have a prickly chin. ... But this time the shoes were on and being a hin I'm not as used to wearing shoes as most other people. There were five Kuo-Toa sorcerers or wizards (I really can't tell the difference) up on top and they just laid into us with the blasting of spells. First a giant wave, from this still pool, came rushing up and slammed into the group, knocking all of us into the water. Now even though I'm from the Hambone bay, I'm not a good swimmer. I'm actually a bad swimmer. Never liked it much. So I'm in a pool with killing in my mind, poison in my belt, anger in my eyes, the power of hate in my voice ... and I'm puppy paddling to the shore. Not very dignified, but it worked, kind of.
We all get back to the shore in various states and at various times. Celery's half dead and fully uncontious. Desicrist is healing him. Bellumthain is still in the water trying to get back, Babydoll swims like the Kuo-Toans, and Thraxel was ... I'm not sure where he was. Maybe off somewhere skulking in some shadow. But he was around. It all got fuzzy for me about this time, 'cause I was busy focusing on these little droplets of water which were dripping up out of my body. Not the water off my clothes, but the water in my guts. It was like someone transported a desert into my stomach and the water was escaping. I got pulled in every direction (even inward) all at once, and felt like a sponge being twisted for it's last drops of water. My mouth got dry, my tongue swelled up, my skin turned reddish (and bruised in areas), and all together I was not having a good day. I was close to not having a bad day either.
So, I did what any smart fella would do in a similar situation. I fell to the ground in unnatural exhaustion and played dead (not much acting was required). If Brandobaris ever did anything to help me help spread the word of his good deeds it was then. From above, or actually behind, me came a flying angel. Leaping high into the air with the most graceful arch I've ever seen a flying thing take, the demon-tinged angelic Flying Chef leapt on the top of the stalagmite and began his second course of the evening. Unfortunately, it was again, fillet of fish. But it was excellent fillet of fish. As always Celery made a great meal. We all owe him quite a lot for satisfying our hunger.
Lets see ... it was pretty much over then. The battle was, that is. Caulwen had followed the school of fish, and, I'm quite happy to report, found their city - The Kuo-Toan city of Seakin.
Abelalon Vo
Southern Hin Gentlemen
-------------------------------------------------
As Vo has relayed I followed the regular Kuo-Toas out of the breeding pool area. One of the Goodhunters had yelled for everyone to leave through another exit. I followed, and they led me to their city, Seakin. I'll have to say, it was, is, a rather magnificent place. It is one of the largest caverns I have ever seen in the world. And the pool of water on the shore of which the city stood next to is the largest collection of water I have seen anywhere. This water is cool and fresh. Clear and refreshing. Not like the other pools I have found. Those have brackish water, and are usually the same temperature as the surrounding rock. This one made me glad to be a Kuo-Toa, even for a small time, and not fully one, as I was.
But the city itself is quite a sight. There were many, many tall buildings of the same kind we had found being excavated. Multicolored block of a glass-like material towering high into the cavern. So high I could not see the tops. But these buildings had a less powerful, and identifiable, magical aura about them. This is the same magic used by the drow to make their ridiculous looking building stand up when any other would have fallen. The buildings were ringed in a helix pattern of open spaces allowing entry into them. No doors at ground level were apparent. Each spacing being several feet to a side and slightly taller than wide. There are dozens of buildings of this nature, all taller than I could see. Maybe even hundreds.
While this was a sight to be seen it wasn't the most impressive. The most impressive was the hundreds of Kuo-Toas flying around the city. They were flying as most would walk. Into and out of buildings, through the 'streets' and even hovering and discussing with each other in a leisurely manner. This was most impressive. Either magic runs through the veins of these Kuo-Toas or there is something about this city enabling them to do such. I think it's the latter, since they never fly when we have fought them.
I was in constant contact with the group becasue of a spell which Vo calls Bellumthain's Telepathic Bond, though the others call it Rary's Telepathic Bond - neither of which I have heard of. Though, since Bellumthain is the one who actually casts the spell I believe Vo is simply honoring him by changing the name to match that of the caster.
I relayed the information of what I was seeing to the group, and also told them of the many regular Kuo-Toas who were getting out of the water all around me, speaking some word under their breath, and flying high into the city. One ran in the opposite direction, behind me, and I turned to see an long, wide bridge crossing over the pool to an island in it's midst. On this island was a compound of other buildings, none more than 50' tall, and made of a mud brick, with no magical aura. There was one building of the correct shape and size to be the temple in which I was chained by the Kuo-Toas. I believe this island is their religious center, and that, like my own people, the religious center is their political center as well.
The one Kuo-Toa I saw run in this direction flew in the air and traveled this way along half the bridge, then landed and continued on foot. I followed him, though I was not able to hear the word they were saying so I could not fly. I was able to follow him into the complex and into one building, however, where he was franticly telling an officious looking Kuo-Toa about the attack on the breeding pool. Thraxil Invictus had made another illusion of the sorrowsworn demon near the end of the fight. I joined in and the two of us Kuo-Toas told the official how the "Reaver", as they call it, had entered the breeding area and attacked.
Interestingly the officious looking Kuo-Toa told us all was okay and he would send out two Clutches of Goodhunters to handle the problem. He sent us on our way, and that was really it. Except, when the Kuo-Toa who was with me ran half way along the bridge back to the city and began to fly and I did not he looked at me as if perplexed. I believe flight is a class issue, because some of them were walking around on the ground selling items, while the majority were flying, but not selling anything. Perhaps by not flying I indicated I was of the merchant class, and therefore should not have been in the breeding pool area at all.
Caulwen Silverthread (of the Threadfunnel family)
Chitine Silver Dragon Sorcerer
Cohort of Abelalon Vo
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
4 Alturiak 1373 - Bustin' in, bustin' out & bustin' 'em up
Ha! My fishy friends have paid a price for their endeavors. Just like I was thinking they were going to sacrifice Caulwen to their dead god (who is still granting spells, somehow).
Bellumthain, I think it was he, detected we were being scryed and we deduced it was the prisoner from our last fight who was the target of the scry. We scryed back, but they didn't know we knew, or knew we'd known, and now know the taste of holy steel.
We chatted him up a bit, after their scry dropped, and them moved to another side of the room to discuss because they began scrying the prisoner again. As we talked he broke free and tried to attack us (or maybe just get away). To bad for him he didn't see our reasonableness and is now as his god.
We made a plan, and we were mad (at least I was); With the aid of Mystra we were able to go where we had only seen, and having seen we were correct. Caulwen was Caulwen again, though uncontious, and chained to a wall (and they added an imprompto set of manacles to attach all four of her arms). The room was occupied with about 50 Kuo Toas of various sorts (Whips, Monks, Priests [with spells], and their leader Joeparg Bluppol, Grandmaster (Thraxel has informed us when one is a Grandmaster the title of Grandmaster follows the name of the individual, unlike most other titles which procede the individual names).
We caused no small amout of havoc in this room (though they did put up a good fight) (though we were outnumbered about 10 to 1). The point is I hammered the Grandmasser with my daggers, Thraxel threw beads from his necklace, which detonated into fireballs, Bellumthain cast some spell that just outright kills large numbers of people (and got about eight of them), and Desicrist, my good friend, cast a holy spell which blinded and deafened many of they (interesting to note Thraxel was also blinded, and I think made deaf as well). They blasted us with two parallel collumns of green fire which spouted from fishes high above us, which Desicrist (he prefers not to be called Desi) informed us were divine spells (but from what god?). Then the whole mass of 25-30 monks (Goodhunters), swarmed and surrounded us and gathered up Joeparg Bluppol, Grandmaster's body (or severly hurt self as I had not caused lethal damage with each of my sneak attacks because I was hoping to capture him and make a trade for Caulwen's stuff). Just, then, as fast as we had arrived - well, actually it was a little slower than we had arrived - we un-arrived and re-arrived at our arrival location of origin (back in the old temple).
An interesting thing happened at this point. Babydoll - the strategic monk of a certain moral ambiguity - popped back in from some other place just as we were popping back in to our proper place. Now that was some strategic timing right there!
In the old temple we found eight of the Goodhunters milling about looking at the bodies of some other Kuo Toans who had attacked us. Yet another battle ensued. This is ended with one caught in a bubble of force and the others dead & us not much more hurt. Caulwen was awake again and cast several spells durring the short encounter. Unfortunatly she missed with every spell she cast. She really should stick with the spells that handle the targeting of their effects through the magic of their casting. But it was fun anyway.
We made the monk uncontious, and came up with a great plan. We would trick him into thinking the Reaver was in the room (could get into the room), since we knew they locked the doors specifically to keep the Reaver out, and have him lead us to the temple area while he ran for his life. Caulwen altered herself to be one of them, one of their Whips, Thraxel made an illusion of the Sorrowsworn demon, and Babydoll made a show of fighting it and supplied the noises of a good fight, while the rest of us laid around and looked dead. Caulwen fed the guy a healing potion and woke him up and showed him the demon to be afraid of and told him it was getting through the smaller areas so they had to go warn the Grandmaster. It worked, and he ran fast.
Caulwen followed him as a slower Whip and talked to us using Bellumthain's Telepathic Bond, so we could avoid the triggers of the traps. That mostly worked, except for Bellumthain falling face first into one of the pits and sticking to a couple spikes. He's okay, though, I think his pride is a bit hurt (being the powerful wizard he is). Caulwen and the walleye guy went through a hidden area and he had them split to warn the breeding pool (him) and the Grandmaster (her). Off he went to warn the breeding pool, and off we are to go keep him from doing so (or doing so fully).
Our next step is to take the breeding pool and trade it for Caulwen's stuff and a tribute for being so nice to them.
Abelalon Vo
The Cloth of Myst Adventuring Group
Bellumthain, I think it was he, detected we were being scryed and we deduced it was the prisoner from our last fight who was the target of the scry. We scryed back, but they didn't know we knew, or knew we'd known, and now know the taste of holy steel.
We chatted him up a bit, after their scry dropped, and them moved to another side of the room to discuss because they began scrying the prisoner again. As we talked he broke free and tried to attack us (or maybe just get away). To bad for him he didn't see our reasonableness and is now as his god.
We made a plan, and we were mad (at least I was); With the aid of Mystra we were able to go where we had only seen, and having seen we were correct. Caulwen was Caulwen again, though uncontious, and chained to a wall (and they added an imprompto set of manacles to attach all four of her arms). The room was occupied with about 50 Kuo Toas of various sorts (Whips, Monks, Priests [with spells], and their leader Joeparg Bluppol, Grandmaster (Thraxel has informed us when one is a Grandmaster the title of Grandmaster follows the name of the individual, unlike most other titles which procede the individual names).
We caused no small amout of havoc in this room (though they did put up a good fight) (though we were outnumbered about 10 to 1). The point is I hammered the Grandmasser with my daggers, Thraxel threw beads from his necklace, which detonated into fireballs, Bellumthain cast some spell that just outright kills large numbers of people (and got about eight of them), and Desicrist, my good friend, cast a holy spell which blinded and deafened many of they (interesting to note Thraxel was also blinded, and I think made deaf as well). They blasted us with two parallel collumns of green fire which spouted from fishes high above us, which Desicrist (he prefers not to be called Desi) informed us were divine spells (but from what god?). Then the whole mass of 25-30 monks (Goodhunters), swarmed and surrounded us and gathered up Joeparg Bluppol, Grandmaster's body (or severly hurt self as I had not caused lethal damage with each of my sneak attacks because I was hoping to capture him and make a trade for Caulwen's stuff). Just, then, as fast as we had arrived - well, actually it was a little slower than we had arrived - we un-arrived and re-arrived at our arrival location of origin (back in the old temple).
An interesting thing happened at this point. Babydoll - the strategic monk of a certain moral ambiguity - popped back in from some other place just as we were popping back in to our proper place. Now that was some strategic timing right there!
In the old temple we found eight of the Goodhunters milling about looking at the bodies of some other Kuo Toans who had attacked us. Yet another battle ensued. This is ended with one caught in a bubble of force and the others dead & us not much more hurt. Caulwen was awake again and cast several spells durring the short encounter. Unfortunatly she missed with every spell she cast. She really should stick with the spells that handle the targeting of their effects through the magic of their casting. But it was fun anyway.
We made the monk uncontious, and came up with a great plan. We would trick him into thinking the Reaver was in the room (could get into the room), since we knew they locked the doors specifically to keep the Reaver out, and have him lead us to the temple area while he ran for his life. Caulwen altered herself to be one of them, one of their Whips, Thraxel made an illusion of the Sorrowsworn demon, and Babydoll made a show of fighting it and supplied the noises of a good fight, while the rest of us laid around and looked dead. Caulwen fed the guy a healing potion and woke him up and showed him the demon to be afraid of and told him it was getting through the smaller areas so they had to go warn the Grandmaster. It worked, and he ran fast.
Caulwen followed him as a slower Whip and talked to us using Bellumthain's Telepathic Bond, so we could avoid the triggers of the traps. That mostly worked, except for Bellumthain falling face first into one of the pits and sticking to a couple spikes. He's okay, though, I think his pride is a bit hurt (being the powerful wizard he is). Caulwen and the walleye guy went through a hidden area and he had them split to warn the breeding pool (him) and the Grandmaster (her). Off he went to warn the breeding pool, and off we are to go keep him from doing so (or doing so fully).
Our next step is to take the breeding pool and trade it for Caulwen's stuff and a tribute for being so nice to them.
Abelalon Vo
The Cloth of Myst Adventuring Group
Monday, May 15, 2006
3 Alturiak 1373 - Still more: On the other side
We really need to rest and recover. I mean I'm basically okay, but I know Caulwen and Desicrist could use the time to get some more spells. Bellumthain and Thraxel too, probably.
Lets see, who's here: me, Caulwen, Bellumthain, Thraxel, Babydoll, Garrick & Desicrist (only missing Celery).
We start at the entrance to the newly dug-out chamber holding the glass walled buildings. It's hard to believe walkapoids (walking octopusses) could creat anything, let alone a civilization. Maybe that's why Ilithid's are so mean. They get made fun of a lot as kids for have tentacles all over their faces and prefering to eat the other kids' brains for lunch. I know I'd be upset if people made fum of me for being the way I was born. I know I am upset when people 'make fun' of me for this (This is usually humans with a need to pick me up. Funny how giants don't feel the need to pick up us smaller creatures, but humans think it's their right to pick up us "little cute things". I'm not a pet house cat. I'm a full grown man with a mean dagger strike.)
We were exploring these ruins and found that the mosaics on one of the walls made an image of a fight between a bunch of the walktapoids and some giants. Though, the giants heads were up above the ceiling area (they had not yet been dug out). Someone had the good idea of digging out more of the mosaic to see who the walktapoids were fighting, but we were entangled in our own fight first.
They started by double webbing the area and getting us all stuck to various extents. This was their best move as they were, and they knew they were, entirely outmatched by us. Only one or two escaped, and one we took as a prisoner (to have our evil ways with). Unfortunatly their tactics resulted in Desicrist being immobilized during the entire attack, and they captured Caulwen. I could not see, but the guys tell me they turned her into a lizard and then grabbed her and teleported away with her.
This is distressing. I don't know why they want to capture her, but I think they must have gone directly after her since she was the one to speak with them. Hopefully they are not going to try sacrificing her or something. That would make me very angry. I don't think they would like to dance with a mad hin. We can be very discerning in our prejudice to exact revenge and justice, especially us Stouthearts in Luiren.
But, I think our best plan is to regroup and recover first. We have no way of knowing which way the KTs are or where they took her, and we need to be able to avoids their traps as quickly as possible. There is some discussion as to what to do next, but I made my plan. Now we just have to do it.
AV
Lets see, who's here: me, Caulwen, Bellumthain, Thraxel, Babydoll, Garrick & Desicrist (only missing Celery).
We start at the entrance to the newly dug-out chamber holding the glass walled buildings. It's hard to believe walkapoids (walking octopusses) could creat anything, let alone a civilization. Maybe that's why Ilithid's are so mean. They get made fun of a lot as kids for have tentacles all over their faces and prefering to eat the other kids' brains for lunch. I know I'd be upset if people made fum of me for being the way I was born. I know I am upset when people 'make fun' of me for this (This is usually humans with a need to pick me up. Funny how giants don't feel the need to pick up us smaller creatures, but humans think it's their right to pick up us "little cute things". I'm not a pet house cat. I'm a full grown man with a mean dagger strike.)
We were exploring these ruins and found that the mosaics on one of the walls made an image of a fight between a bunch of the walktapoids and some giants. Though, the giants heads were up above the ceiling area (they had not yet been dug out). Someone had the good idea of digging out more of the mosaic to see who the walktapoids were fighting, but we were entangled in our own fight first.
They started by double webbing the area and getting us all stuck to various extents. This was their best move as they were, and they knew they were, entirely outmatched by us. Only one or two escaped, and one we took as a prisoner (to have our evil ways with). Unfortunatly their tactics resulted in Desicrist being immobilized during the entire attack, and they captured Caulwen. I could not see, but the guys tell me they turned her into a lizard and then grabbed her and teleported away with her.
This is distressing. I don't know why they want to capture her, but I think they must have gone directly after her since she was the one to speak with them. Hopefully they are not going to try sacrificing her or something. That would make me very angry. I don't think they would like to dance with a mad hin. We can be very discerning in our prejudice to exact revenge and justice, especially us Stouthearts in Luiren.
But, I think our best plan is to regroup and recover first. We have no way of knowing which way the KTs are or where they took her, and we need to be able to avoids their traps as quickly as possible. There is some discussion as to what to do next, but I made my plan. Now we just have to do it.
AV
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
3 Alturiak 1373 - On the other side
Present: Vo, Caulwen, Desicrist, Bellumthain, Garrick, Babydoll & Thraxel.
Why is it that you just can't trust some people? I try to be nice and they just are not trustworthy. Maybe Kuo-Toans are like the Drow and you just can't trust them in general. Looks like we will be making more fish fillets for a while now.
We moved on and on and found a room with pillars, two levels and a bunch of incense ash. Obviously a place of apparent importance. There was a door, and behind the door there was a hall. One might be inclined to call it a Hin hall if one were one of the big folk. But being a Hin myself the hall looked just fine to me.
After a short while a set of, I'd estimate, three Kuo-Toans came to the room. I heard them through the door on the other side of the hall, and alerted the group. We hid in the special room, but left the first door open. They, the 'Toans, saw the door and it made them pause. I had spent a few seconds unlocking this door, and they knew they had closed & locked it previously. So the trap was bust. We really must get better at this trap/ambush-laying thing. The problem is I have almost always traveled with lug-heads, or the self-righteous, who simply like to charge into battle, regardless of what they think they are fighting, screaming clever bits of dialog and swinging flashing weapons.
But the point is they went the other way and we had to follow. I snuck down the hall and found on of the KTs set to act as a guard. Caulwen crawled down the ceiling and dropped in on the guy and had a short chat. We learned they fight the sorrowsworn demon when it comes in and attacks them and that they are waiting for their (dead) god to return to free them of this blight. She suggested it was us who were sent from their dead go to free them (but not in so many words - actually it was in a lot more words but none of us could understand them because they were speaking in Kuo-Toan).
So this fish-guy said he'd go talk to his people and try to act as an intermediary between us and them so we would not have to fight them all them way through. He left and we waited (the other KTs were due back at any moment).
... and waited ...
... and waited ...
... and waited. But this was the last of our waiting. So we figured the worst and pushed forward (probably a bad idea). There were several traps we had to get through. None were to difficult. One had a dire dog summoned and i had to fight it, but Thraxel shot it with many arrows first. Again, this dog looked right at me and charged straight for my throat. I'm sick of this hiding thing, it doesn't work to well. This is the blindsight dungeon, where none so hidden shall ever be missed. Being invisible in this place would be like walking around in full plate armor in a crystal boutique.
I also got shot with three poisoned darts but nothing happened. I got cured too, so nothing happened again. They like to put double traps in this place. I've never been so pressed to show my secrets finding & device picking skills in such a short time. I guess this is why dungoneering is such a hazardous life.
All I really know if I need to get a little better at this, and a lot faster. It's just so long to search every single place, but I keep feeling like I'm missing interesting stuff and valuable things. At least I'm not looking at all the rooms in my new home. It's discouraging. Plus I have this rag-tag team of adventurers behind me poking me in the back trying to get my to move on faster. I know it's boring for them but I didn't make them choose their dundeon-dealving worthless lifestyles, did I. Really? Why can't I be like Brandobaris and just lead through example? Why do I have to deal with all this, and make decisions for them and look at their faces when they look at me waiting for a decision to be made.
Why, Why, Why?
Such is not what one would hope to hear from the Proprietor of the Cloth of Myst adventuring group, now is it? Okay, so I'm going to actually try this leadership thing out and see what happens. I mean if we all die, then we are all dead and no one will be left to blame me anyway. Right?
Abelalon Vo
Master Weaver
Merchant of Cloth
Proprietor of the Cloth of Myst adventuring group
Why is it that you just can't trust some people? I try to be nice and they just are not trustworthy. Maybe Kuo-Toans are like the Drow and you just can't trust them in general. Looks like we will be making more fish fillets for a while now.
We moved on and on and found a room with pillars, two levels and a bunch of incense ash. Obviously a place of apparent importance. There was a door, and behind the door there was a hall. One might be inclined to call it a Hin hall if one were one of the big folk. But being a Hin myself the hall looked just fine to me.
After a short while a set of, I'd estimate, three Kuo-Toans came to the room. I heard them through the door on the other side of the hall, and alerted the group. We hid in the special room, but left the first door open. They, the 'Toans, saw the door and it made them pause. I had spent a few seconds unlocking this door, and they knew they had closed & locked it previously. So the trap was bust. We really must get better at this trap/ambush-laying thing. The problem is I have almost always traveled with lug-heads, or the self-righteous, who simply like to charge into battle, regardless of what they think they are fighting, screaming clever bits of dialog and swinging flashing weapons.
But the point is they went the other way and we had to follow. I snuck down the hall and found on of the KTs set to act as a guard. Caulwen crawled down the ceiling and dropped in on the guy and had a short chat. We learned they fight the sorrowsworn demon when it comes in and attacks them and that they are waiting for their (dead) god to return to free them of this blight. She suggested it was us who were sent from their dead go to free them (but not in so many words - actually it was in a lot more words but none of us could understand them because they were speaking in Kuo-Toan).
So this fish-guy said he'd go talk to his people and try to act as an intermediary between us and them so we would not have to fight them all them way through. He left and we waited (the other KTs were due back at any moment).
... and waited ...
... and waited ...
... and waited. But this was the last of our waiting. So we figured the worst and pushed forward (probably a bad idea). There were several traps we had to get through. None were to difficult. One had a dire dog summoned and i had to fight it, but Thraxel shot it with many arrows first. Again, this dog looked right at me and charged straight for my throat. I'm sick of this hiding thing, it doesn't work to well. This is the blindsight dungeon, where none so hidden shall ever be missed. Being invisible in this place would be like walking around in full plate armor in a crystal boutique.
I also got shot with three poisoned darts but nothing happened. I got cured too, so nothing happened again. They like to put double traps in this place. I've never been so pressed to show my secrets finding & device picking skills in such a short time. I guess this is why dungoneering is such a hazardous life.
All I really know if I need to get a little better at this, and a lot faster. It's just so long to search every single place, but I keep feeling like I'm missing interesting stuff and valuable things. At least I'm not looking at all the rooms in my new home. It's discouraging. Plus I have this rag-tag team of adventurers behind me poking me in the back trying to get my to move on faster. I know it's boring for them but I didn't make them choose their dundeon-dealving worthless lifestyles, did I. Really? Why can't I be like Brandobaris and just lead through example? Why do I have to deal with all this, and make decisions for them and look at their faces when they look at me waiting for a decision to be made.
Why, Why, Why?
Such is not what one would hope to hear from the Proprietor of the Cloth of Myst adventuring group, now is it? Okay, so I'm going to actually try this leadership thing out and see what happens. I mean if we all die, then we are all dead and no one will be left to blame me anyway. Right?
Abelalon Vo
Master Weaver
Merchant of Cloth
Proprietor of the Cloth of Myst adventuring group
