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Give me that chain shirt over there ans an old helmit , They wont be able to tell I’m an all powerful Wizard.
Week 7- A Mage Hunter
With Captain Uptight demanding we stay and fight with the army and Beck be escorted to the Red Sunners, we did the only thing we could. We left. We did consider just killing everybody but that seemed excessive.
Hocho said we should head to the scene of the crime where the church of pelor was attacked by the mages. That made a lot of sense, clear our names and perhaps gather some proof that the mages aren’t really the problem. The army didn’t let us keep our horses, mule or wagon. I’m used to walking so I didn’t mind.
On the third day we crested a small rise and saw smoke off in the distance. Maybe just a few hundred yards from where we were. The rolling landscape blocked our vision so we couldn’t see what was going on but we were a bit bored and it’s hard to ignore something on fire. Just as we started to head that way, Cryl yelled out something about riders approaching from behind us.
Turns out a few Red Sunners and their dogs were looking for something. Maybe us. Zorander greeted them as they road up and did his best to diplomatically tell them we weren’t the wandering adventurers they were looking for. They didn’t seem to be buying what Zor was selling and they sent their dogs into sniff around. Maybe dogs can sniff magic or stuff that makes magic.
Cryl warned em. I definitely heard him. Something like, ‘call you damn dogs are they’re gonna get hurt. Har har’. They didn’t and one of the dogs moved up to give Cryl’s cod piece a good sniff’n. Cryl’s axe handle crashed down on the dog’s skull causing it to yelp loudly as blood spewed from the top of its head and its eyes rolled back.
We all knew how this was gonna go down as soon as they road up so we were all ready. Hocho’s subtle training was starting to seep into our thick skulls. Hocho, Cryl, Krex and I surrounded one of the Sunners while Beck and Zorander cast spells. Grim fired off great bolts from his enormous crossbow.
The Red Sunners were pretty well trained but they were no match for us. A few seconds in, both dogs were dead as was one of the Reds. The other two turned to get the hell out of there but it was too late. The first went down under an onslaught of swords and axes and the other took some sort of magic bolt to the back from Beck and fell from his horse.
We didn’t take time for a victory lap. The smoke was still calling to us, plus we could hear some stressed yelling from that direction. We took off at full speed across the rolling grass.
Once we came into view of the source of the smoke we had our first visual of what the Reds were calling ‘Mage Hunters’. Looked like a cross between a giant hound and a demon if you ask me. He was busy terrorizing a mage looking fella in the back of a wagon and his Duegar body guard. Right in front of us were three Red Sunners. One of which seemed to be a geared up high priest with a giant hammer.
Luckily we didn’t need any dialogue to know how to act. We launched ourselves at the three Reds. Cryl and I flanking the Priest, Hocho and Krex taking on the other two with Grim firing support from behind. Beck did his thing and he seemed relieved that he didn’t have to pretend not to be a mage. Zorander was a lot busier this time around trying to keep us from dying. These guys were tough.
We were giving as good as we got when all of the sudden the area around the wagon exploded in flames. Fire raced across the grasses and everyone got a bit torched. The wagon, the mage, the Duegar and the Mage Hunter were lying about in various stages of burnt to death.
It took some doing but we managed to outlast the Sunners. Their priest could cause damage while ours could heal it. Give me a healer anytime.
We learned a few things from this that will likely come in handy. Some of these Reds are pretty damn dangerous and mostly evil, mage hunters are real and they’re creatures not men and we have clearly made some enemies. As if red eyed Ogres, Orcs and Goblins weren’t enough.
Whatever happened to the good ol’ fight, do what you’re told, fight again, eventually die, or fight again.
Thanks for the recap, knee-capper!
But… have we really made any enemies if we leave no witnesses behind? I mean, sure the guy from house whatever and Cryl made sure he’d make it his life’s purpose to hunt us down and kill our extended families by his harsh interrogation techniques, and us having committed ourselves to a house in the game of thrones that may be the most evil house for all we know all because I feel a fatherly fondness for a young lass that we were asked to escort, but other than that, have we made any enemies?
Sorry, forgot the troll we killed in town. But other than that…
[meta: reminds me of the old joke, “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?]
Week 8. Humans Bah!
So the lands on both sides of the mists are full of monsters these days but the real monsters it seems to me are of the human variety. Sure we have fought some red-eyed Ogre, Goblins and Orcs but nothing really compares to the back stabbing, get ahead at any cost, humans.
So we talked to the dead wizard using some kind of magic and he gave us another path than the one we were on. Projected an image of a map in Zorandor’s mind too. So much for investigating the scene of the crime where the priest were killed. We turned our horses and headed south.
Bhulstafer maybe? Hard to know. Since the great map burning nobody really seems to know where we are or where we’re headed. All I know is we are trying to figure out why the Red Sunners are hell bent on killing the wizards and who is setting up the wizards as fall guys. Why? Who has something to gain from the wizards being forced under ground? Humans, go figure.
I was pondering these thoughts as we rode along when off in the distance I could hear the baying of hounds. Hounds on the hunt and headed our way. I notified the group and we gathered up, ranged weapons at the ready.
The dogs loped into view. They were doing normal dog stuff, barking, snarling and circling. We were doing normal adventure stuff like shooting arrows at them and crushing their skulls. Dogs are dumb.
Soon enough the real enemy showed up. A squad of solider types from house Lorraine. Lomane? I don’t know. Who can keep track these days. There were a couple of noble types that seemed to be in charge. A brother and sister. Brother’s name was Peter and he was the bastard son of the House patriarch whose true born had died of illness. The sister’s name escapes me but she was a cute, plump little thing with a permanent nasty snarl on her face. Still, cute.
At first they started off with lovely conversation. They didn’t seem to care too much that we had just killed their dogs. They wanted us to repent of our wicked awol ways and follow them back to join the army. All except Beck of course. But, as quickly as we told them to go pound sand, they changed moods. The fight was on.
Krex, Cryl and Hocho lept into battle as they always do. Some of Hocho’s tactics have seeped into the flow of battle without us even knowing. He doesn’t need to shout things at us near as much as he used to. Beck set about making people into giants while Zorandor did his level best to keep us from dying.
I have finally figured out my best role in battle is to roll in behind the bad guys and try to draw their attention so one of the big three can lay waste from the flank. As usual, Grim would launch a few bolts doing decent damage before abandoning the crossbow for his great axe. I don’t think anyone else has noticed but Grim gets this really big grin on his face when he is in axe mode. I think his heart is with the blade.
Cryl can be heard cackling over the sounds of battle and it is still very unnerving. Even for me, when I’ve heard it for weeks now and I know he is on my side but it sure seems like he could slip of the end of something at anytime and kill everyone in sight. He does enjoy the flight of blood and I do mean ‘flight’.
They were trained well and good fighters. Hell, Peter surprised us all by launching fireballs at us. That was nearly a game changer. Honestly we probably were headed for our first loss if it wasn’t for Shade and his Gnome wizard friend. They apparently had been tracking us as well and showed just in time. The Gnome had magic of his own and quickly turned the battle in our favor. That Shade is a pretty creepy human but he certainly seems to be the most on our side of any human we have met so far.
Last time we saw Shade, he was headed in one direction and we were headed in the other, and now he mysteriously shows up as if he were right behind us the whole time. Something very fishy going on here, and I don’t trust him or anyone else that I don’t routinely break bread with. We are being manipulated without much subtlety and I think we should resist being told where to go and what to do. “Oh but Hocho, they’re just looking out for us and the good of the people!” Really, because all factions think they’re the heroes and therefore justified in manipulating others to do their will. My vote is to continue on to the temple and the legendary Hell Treasure ™ alleged to be under heavy guard there.
Otherwise we’re just faction X’s famed 101st Knob Polishing Brigade, dancing on the strings of some faceless puppet master, whom I will henceforth refer to as the “Meister of Doogans,” after a homely old aunt of mine whose mustache shamed my own. Aunt Meister was relentless in her guilt tripping.
I do enjoy hearing these stories around the campfire. Somehow, I don’t remember any of the details of these fights like you do. hehehehehe
“Level best” is about the top of my abilities as the lot of you seemed set to meet Cayden at the soonest! I swear, all offense and no one thought to use their Shield!
Week 9- Bulstapher?? Damn this world and its lack of a map
Kinda a busy, not much time. We are deep in it this time. Searching for the 7th Mage or the Red Dog, whichever comes up first. We got a lead while in Bulestapher and started asking questions. One person we asked was the bard from Jar-Har keep. What a loud mouth!
Any who. Something broke loose cause a couple of dudes left the Inn as the Bard wove his tales and gave away too many secrets. I followed em and wound up on the seedy side of town. Why is it always the seedy side of town? There once was a place down below one of the buildings there. A place holding a portal perhaps? We thought at first the brothel.
After the boys got there jollies, we figured out it wasn’t the brothel but the office for the brothel just down the way. Hocho and Beck arranged some invisibility potion for me and whip whammo! I was in the joint in no time.
I managed to get the door unlocked and as the rest of the group started to work their way in, all hell broke loose. Lots of death and dying taking place at the moment. Hope I live to tell about it!
Week 10. Red Dog Underground
We had to fight for every inch of ground from the bottom floor of the brothel office to this fella named Aaron in the last room at the end of the last hall of the underground.
I got smacked around pretty good. I was thankful Zor was always near by to take care of my wounds. Krex was there too, to inflict the real pain. My best move is to get in behind and cause trouble giving my guys the best chance to break some heads.
I’m really good at finding and disabling traps but you sure couldn’t tell it this night. I kind of felt like Cryl must feel when he gets in a rage and just starts charging. That’s what I did when I saw the archer at the other end of one of the halls. Took off, setting off one trap and then another. Darts slamming into me like I was pincushion. Stupid.
Zor put a light spell on Hocho’s shield was we explored what used to be the Red Dog. This place was crawling with soldier types. All trying to keep us from robbing their home. I believe somebody tried to convince them to just let us come and explore and get what we came for but they weren’t going to let that happen.
We explored hall after hall and any and all that stood against us died. One poor chap decided it was time to run and give up but he probably should have told Krex what he was doing first. He didn’t make it.
We finally ran into a gent named Aaron who put his hands up and called for an end to the bloodshed. He then explained that what we wanted and what he wanted was the same thing. Stop the demons responsible for the mists, the red eyed infection and the attacks from the savage lands. Cryl was the last one to reluctantly put his weapon away. He didn’t look too happy about it but everyone else let out a sigh of relief.
There is a portal nearby that once we go through will refresh us and set us on the path to pass the 7th mage’s test. This is getting interesting.
Some misunderstandings create hurt feelings, others create hurt.
Some evil enterprises present themselves as misunderstandings so they have an opportunity to deliver some hurt.
Tippy, I had no idea you missed a trap back there. Seemed we all found it one way or another. Hehehehe
Week 11- Portal Romper Room
Short and sweet. In the middle of battle. *Ack* SLASH, DODGE….Not much time for notes.
Went through Aaron’s portal and then the real test started. More magic portals scattered about in an underground maze had us ‘popping’ all over the place. Before we knew it, we were fighting giant dwarf looking creatures.
Lots of craziness from there. Spells going off, blood flying and all the time trying to deal with these giant dwarves trying to pile drive us into the nearest portal.
One of em got lucky with Cryl and sent him flying back into a portal. He disappeared and then a few seconds later I could hear that crazy maniacal laughter echoing from somewhere deeper in the maze. I guess Cryl was just fine with getting bounced around. We could sure use his help though.
Hocho’s instructions continue to resinate in our brains as we move into formations to give us the advantage. I just hope Zor’s healing can keep up.
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