Through the Looking Glass... Session One

Date: Thursday, August 30, 2001
Players Attending: Dave, Chris, Pam
Characters Introduced:

• Runic Aleskull, dwarven ranger
  
• Yonix, half-orc fighter
  
• Xiaoyu (aka Miss X), half-elf sorceress
  

Because of my lack of initial organization, I didn't have a definite starting point for the party, so I decided to let them meet in the small village of North Ettin, which is just south of the StoneHeart mountains. Players always seem to have a way of finding trouble all on their own. :)

• Runic Aleskull, a dwarven ranger who lives on the edge of the mountains near North Ettin, made a trip to town to pick up a few things.
• Yonix, an outcast of both human and orc society, lives a short distance southwest of North Ettin in the forest. He is also on a trip to provision himself.
• Xiaoyu, the beatiful but mysterious half-elf lady is travelling through, only stopping long enough to take in whatever the town may have to offer before moving on.

The party as a whole hasn't formed yet, but they are aware of each other, and have even spoke briefly on occasion.

Local legend has it...

1. Stop, thief! A gangly youth tries to wrest a purse from a lady walking by. Immediately, Yonix and Xiaoyu spring to apprehend the thief while Runic sees to the safety of the lady victim.
2. In his zealousness to bring the hooligan to justice, Yonix nearly kills the youth with his throwing axe. A local shopkeeper sees it happen, and soon the authorities arrive.
3. Pizzaro, the captain of the guard, approaches with two of his officers and briefly questions the party before detaining the party to be questioned further.
4. Each party member is interrogated separately, and once the stories are verified, the party is introduced to Count Nesbit.
5. Count Nesbit proposes a mutually beneficial plan. If the party can help him in finding a lost little boy, Count Nesbit will help them clear their names in North Ettin.
6. The party accepts, not really having much choice in the matter due to the trouble they're currently in. Count Nesbit buys them trail rations and the party is on their way.
7. After an uneventful trip to the caves, they finally discover the mouth of the cave set in the eastern edge of the hills.
8. Venturing bravely forth, they turn left at the first branch in the passageways and step into a room with six magically-darkened depressions in the floor around the edges of the room.
9. Xiaoyu suddenly is overcome with fear and leaves the room to collect herself outside by the cave entrance.
10. Yonix tosses a stone into one of the depressions, awakening six small zombies who immediately attack him and Runic. They are dispatched without too great a difficulty.
11. The duo set on, hardened by their struggle against the undead, only to encounter a much bigger adversary. This zombie stands dormant at the end of a hallway, and only awakens as Runic sinks an arrow into him!
12. Yonix charges forward to meet the creature, but inadvertently sets off a fire trap and is gravely wounded. The zombie chief wastes no time in knocking Yonix out.
13. Runic runs ahead to try to drag Yonix out before he is to badly hurt, and is about to be felled himself when Xiaoyu runs around the corner and launches a deadly magic attack at the creature.
14. Runic manages to escape the cave with Yonix in tow, and is greatly relieved when Xiaoyu emerges from the cave victorious, although exhausted and injured.
15. Two days are spent resting until the party feels it is up to the task once more, a little wiser for their efforts. This time, they take the right branch in the passageway and find the boy traumatized, standing on a mound of some sort.
16. In true half-orc style, Yonix rushes into the room to rescue the boy from this evil pit, only to alert five Giant Fire Beetles. Yonix does not miss a beat, however, continuing out of the room before any of the creatures can even get their pinchers on him.
17. Xiaoyu kills two of the beetles, while Runic takes up the rear and makes sure that Yonix can make it out with the boy. A chase ensues, but the beetles eventually give up.
18. To the joy of everyone, the boy is reunited with his parents. The party is fed and carted back to North Ettin almost immediately. When they arrive, Pizzaro is sufficiently impressed that he clears their name.

Thoughts from the party...

Yet to be updated