I was sitting in the bar the other day sipping
an ale. There were three others with me around the table, whom I'd met
on the road back from another village (I was visiting some friends there.)
Two were elves, one a wood elf thief and the other a mongrel
half-orc. The only reason I was at the same table with him was because
there were no other tables. Anyway, the bartender was bringing us brews,
and on one of the rounds he told us that some guy up at the Green Eagle
was looking for people to find a merchant friend of his, who had apparently
been captured by a band of orcs beyond the old moat house. Sounded like
none of my business 'till I realized that these guys would probably be
offering a reward. The others with me expressed an interest in going, and
the foxy cleric that I'd befriended was also considering it, so we all
decided to go up there that night and talk to the guy at the Green Eagle.
A couple other friends in the bar also wanted to go along. So we
waited until happy hour was over, then boogied up to the Green Eagle.
On the way we met another elf who was on his way to the same place,
so we all trooped up there together.
The guy who lives at the Green Eagle is
Coridian Delmont, a magic-user of some type. He told us that we could all
split 500 gold pieces if we could bring back some evidence of the merchant's
fate, either him alive or dead, or his goods, which were apparently jewelry
and gems. Getting better all the time!
So the next morning we took off for the
orc cave. These were my travelling companions: the half-elf fighter,
the wood elf thief, the half-orc named Tarr, Ham the hobbit thief, and Hercules
the human fighter. The guy we met last was a magic-user thief named Tex.
And of course the cleric lady.
Soon we got to the cave and battled our
way in, killing most of the male orcs (one escaped.) We found a cave full of
huts with females and young, and were in the middle of interrogating them
as to the whereabouts of the merchant when a bunch of new orcs came in,
led by an orc cleric and a human in armor with a glowing sword. That was
one tough battle. Turned out the cleric had a wand of wonder and he managed
to blind us all for a short time, but I recovered quickly and chased him
into a tunnel, putting an arrow in him. He leveled the wand at me
and somehow blinded himself. I was laughing so hard seeing him flounder
around that I almost missed putting the next arrow through his right
eye.
I quickly grabbed the wand, and we all went exploring. The half-orc
was tearing away at the human's plate mail, so Ham, Hercules, Tex, and I
checked out the place. We found the orc temple and a secret door, killed two
zombies, and found some treasure. Us four quickly split the gold we found,
as well as the four potions, but we left the silver and electrum in the
chest so the others wouldn't suspect. Then we found another chest, but
about this time the others showed up. This chest had a couple of magical scrolls
in it and a map showing treasure in the middle of the swamp, which I quickly
memorized.
But apparently the others suspected us of stealing, for one of
the scrolls was a detect magic scroll which the high elf fighter evoked
as a spell (a magic-user also!), and probably sensed the magic from the
vials on us. However, I had the wand on me so I shouldn't have been too
suspect. We also found a magic ring and a bunch of money, but no jewelry.
Then we found another door, behind which was the merchant hanging from
a wall.
We took him back to town with us, killing a troll along the way.
It had a sack, and Tex carried that. We took the merchant to the Green
Eagle, and Delmont paid and fed us. But Tex left to take a piss, and
didn't come back. So we left, and spied him far ahead of us. We followed,
and he circled through town, then headed back towards the orc cave. Then
a band of gnomes stopped him, and we caught up. Turns out he was trying
to get away with whatever was in the bag. We started quarreling as
to who had the treasure map, when I spied the wood elf trying to give it
to his pet hawk. After being confronted he gave it up.
By this time the
gnomes had split, apparently not anticipating all of us showing up. So
we made our way back to the Inn, divided the stuff up, and went to bed.
Hercules got the magic sword, Tex got the ring he identified as a "feather
faller," the half-orc got the magic shield from the human we killed, the high elf got the magic spear we found, and I quietly
claimed the wand. I had also picked up some extra arrows and a halberd.
There was also a magical golden guitar the orc cleric had, obviously for
use by a bard, but useless to all of us. Hercules tried playing it, but
all that happened was that he glowed purple for a time, and he really couldn't
play well. So that we decided to sell. That being done, we retired
for the night.
The only one I saw this
morning was Ham. Another fighter-type and a strange-looking thief
had joined us for lunch. The fighter's name was Din-Garch, and the
other was called LiChin. Anyway, some one came in complaining about
more orcs down the east road. I was eager to try out my new blade,
so Ham, myself, and the other two set off. They didn't have horses,
so we walked. After about an hour a bunch of orcs jumped us on the
road. We managed to kill them, but they nailed LiChin good and we
barely got him patched up. Guy had no business fighting without armor
anyway, and with only daggers. They had a little gold, and we went
on.
Then we found a bag on the side of the road. Inside was
poor Hercules, his throat slashed from ear to ear. And his magic sword
gone! Realizing that we'd need some fighters and the cleric to tackle
the orcs in their cave, we turned back to town. An Ankheg surprised
us, but we managed to slay it. Oh yes, that human fighter, Din, had
somehow partially healed LiChin. I've heard about these types.
Call themselves anti-paladins. Really nasty guys, But the insect
beast ripped him up and we had to carry him back to town.
We got
him healed at the cleric's, then went to the Green Eagle, as we had some
gems and jewelry we wanted the merchant to appraise. We had found them,
along with a bone tube and a vial, in the Ankheg's tunnel. The merchant,
named Bleen FanLanster, offered us a job carrying a package on a weeks'
journey to somewhere, and bringing another package back. Turns out he was
a cleric also. This pay was 50 gold per day, with a week's credit
in advance to equip ourselves. He told us the piece of jewelry was
worth 5000 gold, the two gems 1000 each, and the four gems from the
orc cave which I still carried at 50 gold each. Then he told us
that those other guys had been there that morning, with a shithload of
jewelry. Apparently, they had found a secret door when we were off fighting
the zombies, and had held out on us.
We accepted the job offer and went back
to the inn to divide the gold. The jewelry and two gems we left at the Green
Eagle, as no one around could cash them in. We got a receipt, so I hope
they're okay. Ham and I, realizing that the others had duped us, split
the four gems right there. Then we all went to bed. I guess they forgot
I had the vial and the tube. The potion appeared to be some sort of oily
substance, I'm not sure what. The tube I'll check in the a.m. Oh yes, the
first vial I took turned out to be a potion of frost giant strength. Very
handy.
Tomorrow I'll have to have a talk with those
others about getting some part of that jewelry money. I don't expect them
to give up my fair share, but I should get something. Seems like they're
going on this trip with us too. Should be interesting. We'll see.
As we were riding to the orc cave we saw
a shadow in the moat house, so we decided to investigate. Shit. No sooner
had we gotten inside than a spider bites me. Next thing I knew, a couple
of St. Alphonso clerics are standing over me. They said they'd send me a
bill. 1000 gold pieces! Damn goodie-goodies. So neat and pretty on the
outside, but when it comes to actual work they'll gouge a fella for everything
he's got. Then they threatened me if I didn't give them a down payment.
Had to give up one of my gems. Cripes. Gonna burn that church some day.
Anyway, we left the horses in town and walked
back to the moat house. Searched through the whole place almost. All we
found was a crayfish, which we killed, and a buried body, which had a couple
of bracers and some platinum pieces. We also found a spear in a skeleton.
I grabbed that. Come to think of it, the buried body had nothing on it.
The treasure we found on the rotting body of an elf up in the spider's
nest. But the rest of the place was totally empty, except for rats and
slimes. We found a back way out, and went to the orc cave. That was totally
cleared out. That escaped orc must have brought someone back to clean
it up. All the huts were burned. On the way out we met four others from
town, led by some other magic-user, a helper of Burn's. They said they followed
someone up there from town yesterday. Wasn't us. Then we found three human-like
tracks leading into the swamp. We went home.
That anti-paladin killed Hercules. He's
got the magic sword. So far he seems mellow, but I wouldn't trust any of
them as far as I can spit. The monk wound up with the bracers, too.
fin
Today I traded in my scale mail and short
bow for splint mail and a long bow. I also bought a horse and a 2-handed
sword. Amazingly, I had money left over. It's nice being rich. Almost a hundred gold pieces left over.
This morning I'm going to trade in my splint
for plate. Also I'll leave my halberd in my room — I'm not good enough with
that. Yet.
Another freakin' half-orc. Calls himself
Fugyu. He came to the inn looking for Tarr. So of course Tarr came out
of hiding and wanted Fugyu to go with us. Everybody saddled up and rode
to the cleric's house. Dumb orcs didn't even mention they didn't have horses.
The cleric had to lend them a couple of hers.
Thoughts: Those other bastards are getting
me pissed off. I know they came back here, burned the huts when
they saw the lair cleaned out, then took off into the swamp after that
treasure. Might have gotten it, too. Can't trust anybody. I don't think
Tarr was involved, so he should feel miffed, too. He's a foul smelly creep,
but I'd rather have him on my side than have to fight him.