17) (Middle) Dark Season 1618 (The
Big Broohaha) (October 23, 1999)
Party: Present in Person: Durnfal Strongspear, (Yemalio ex-Farmer now Baron of
Goldenears (Gary); Greystone (Waha herder)(Doug Sh.); Simon (still mysterious
stranger)(Henry); and Hooman (Pentan warrior)(Darryl)
The Regular NPCs: Tamerlan (Waha noble); and Burning Willow (Votanki hunter).
The party got a well deserved week to rest and recuperate from their
battles with the broos. King Skilfil did not reward them for their work against the
broos which started certain party members wondering why they were helping him and whether
the King had their best interests in mind. Being a loyal follower Greystone tried to
distance himself from these sentiments.
After their week of rest they learned that once again a party of
broos had been spotted digging at the site. King Skilfil summoned them to his
presence and sent them back out to kill these broos too. They had to wait almost
seven days however for ice and snow storms to abate. They asked whether this weather
was normal and no one among the locals seemed to find it all that peculiar. Only
Hooman was unaffected by the cold however, the rest found the cold quite unbearable.
They managed to spend some of their time waiting in practising walking in
snowshoes, a skill they would definitely need. Simon tried to get close to Halleujah
Harnsdottir but she told him to bugger off. Greystone collected some special equipment to
handle broo carcasses, long poles with hooks on the end, etc.
They finally got some a clear weather so pulling a fair bit of food
behind them on sleighs they set off. They didn't make good time and were snowed in
again for two days after the first night on the trail. They finally got some more
clear weather. They proceeded cautiously in the direction of the dig noticing that
there wasn't much in the way of animal life to be seen. They did spot a crow and
wondered whether they should use their Guise of the Crow spell to mask
their approach. Since Simon and Hooman didn't know the spell they decided it wasn't
worth it just yet. As they got closer Simon used his sorcerous flight to move up to
tree top level to see if he could spot anything. Once he got a little ahead of the
party a huge flock of crows arose out of the trees and swarmed him. His sorcerous
damage resistance protected him and he started back toward the party. When the
party saw the huge flock of crows and fearing that Granny Keeneyes couldn't be far away
Durnfal, Burning Willow, Greystone and Tamerlan moved into the woods casting their Guise of the Crow spells as they
went. They neglected to warn Simon or Hooman so Hooman stayed to use his bow on the
crows. Simon found himself under the effects of a slow spell which rendered him
immobile. Soon after Hooman found himself under the effects of one as well and he
could only stand there gaping as 10 broos with bows moved out of the woods.
The party in the woods were scanning and Durnfal spotted a lumpy
looking cloaked figure off in the woods along with three attending broos. He shot
two arrows at the figure hitting it twice. When Burning Willow found out what he was
doing she was horrified, since she was the only female around and if he killed Granny
Keeneyes' host she'd be the only suitable vessel. Sure enough it was Granny Keeneyes
and she called on the party to surrender saying they wouldn't be killed right away.
Not being known for their surrendering the party (including the still horrified Burning
Willow ("Don't kill her dammit!" She had briefly considered running away
instead but decided she couldn't run fast enough.) charged her and her broos. The
broos moved to intercept.
Out in the open Simon managed to kill one of the broos with his
crossbow but their return fire was slowly whittling down his hit points. He summoned
a wind which started blowing him away and the broos turned their attentions to Hooman.
He yelled for help and Greystone moved over to help him. Meanwhile the three
still in the woods were now facing the broos there. Durnfal found himself
immobilized by Granny's slow spell and when the broos in the woods ran up the unbearable
stench emanating from the middle one knocked him unconscious. This left Tamerlan who had
been sickened by the stench and Burning Willow who had been hoping to stand behind Durnfal
and fight to face Granny's elite broos. Greystone returned dragging Hooman and
faced him up so that he could join the line. Greystone moved over to the right
flank. The broos outside the woods took some more shots at the rapidly disappearing
Simon and then headed into the woods.
The party exchanged some blows to little effect and where then dealt
another severe blow (pun intended) when a broo critically head butted Greystone in the
skull knocking him down with 12 points to the head. (It was at this point that the
party started seriously considering Granny's offer of surrender. They started
inflating this offer of surrender into the idea of switching sides and joining chaos,
shouts of I want a chaos feature! were heard, but there was no way the stout Wahas were
going to join chaos). Greystone, Hooman and Burning Willow all failed their d.i.'s but
Tamerlan once again successfully d.i.'d and all the party members wounds were healed,
damaging spells removed and consciousness returned. (Even to the drifting Simon who
proceeded to return to the ground and headed back to where the party was).
Things still looked grim as they were battling twelve broos (the
group from the opne having moved in and surrounded the party). Granny quickly cast
more demoralizes and affected most of the party. Hooman lost his scimitar in the leg
of one of the elite broos and proceeded to show his bravery by grappling a broo by the
head and trying to throw him. (Everyone was impressed by this act of valour but
questioned the wisdom of going into close combat with a known disease carrier). He
soon switched to a dagger and swore to carry two swords in future fights.
Fortunately it took the broo with the sword in his leg several rounds to pull it out and
return to the fight. The fight turned into the usual grind with no wounds being
exchanged unless someone rolled a critical or special. Burning Willow had her arm
taken out and was forced to try healing herself before she could return to the fight.
Hooman managed to hold off three broos for quite a while armed only with a dagger
and shield before he was struck in the abdomen and knocked down. Fortunately he was
healed before he bled to death. All throughout the fight Granny kept calling on the
party to surrender but no one took her up on her offer. As her broos were being
whittled away she screamed something about, "How the hells am I ever going to catch
my giant if you keep killing all my help!"
Simon returned and used his flight spell to good advantage flying
just high enough so that he had all the advantages of being mounted versus unmounted foes.
He quickly struck one broo down but Granny cast a demoralize on him reducing his
effectiveness. When he got his dagger stuck in another broo he moved higher up out
of the broos reach and then Granny cast a slow on him forcing him to call a new wind up to
blow himself away. The three big broos were all slain (one's spirirt had tried to
possess Greystone but had flailed ineffectually away at Greystone's mighty spirit) and
half of the lesser broos as well. Granny, frustrated by the quality of help she was
getting had slunk away by this time and the last five remaining broos tried to flee as
well. Tamerlan and Greystone cut two down but the other three got away.
The party tried to clean up the bodies but didn't have much success
because of the trees so they decided to leave the bodies where they had fallen.
Hooman, Tamerlan and Burning Willow all managed to catch diseases from the broos (in
Burning Willow's case three of them despite her 17 CON!) The party decided to return
to Dykene.
18) (Early) Storm Season 1618 (My
mama told me...you'd better shop around) (November 12, 1999)
Party: Present in Person: Durnfal Strongspear, (Yemalio ex-Farmer now Baron of
Goldenears (Gary); Greystone (Waha herder)(Doug Sh.); Simon (still mysterious
stranger)(Henry); and Hooman (Pentan warrior)(Darryl)
The Regular NPCs: Tamerlan (Waha noble); and Burning Willow (Votanki hunter).
While the party discussed returning to Dykene Blueface appeared and
helped them to recover from their diseases. He released a golem to clean up the
broos, apologising to the Earth Goddes for tainting her realm and led the party to a
better camping ground. He told them that he had a plan to get rid of Granny Keeneyes
once and for all but he needed their aid. (See The Hunt for Granny Keeneyes for the
plan). The party agrees and tells him about Granny's plan to put her spirit in a
giant body. Blueface is appalled at this and his desire to get Granny is
reinforced. After waiting until they are healed the party returns to Dykene
accompanied by Blueface and Greyrunner Runefang. Their Blueface enlists King
Skilfill's aid and he sends out hawk riders to find Bunscotto and Granny. The party
gets the sword and some gold and decide to go find themselves a Lunar (despite jokes about
using animals, broos or a "Hooman" host for Svart's soul). No one bothers
to consult Svart even though Simon thinks this would be a good idea. They travel to
Elkoi meeting no one on the way much to their displeasure.
To read what happened then read An
Investigation into...
19) (Early) Storm Season 1618 (A
Letter from Balazar) (December 04, 1999)
Party: Present in Person: Durnfal Strongspear, (Yemalio ex-Farmer now Baron of
Goldenears (Gary); Greystone (Waha herder)(Doug Sh.); Simon (still mysterious
stranger)(Henry); and Hooman (Pentan warrior)(Darryl)
The Regular NPCs: Tamerlan (Waha noble); and Burning Willow (Votanki hunter).
Fleeing Elkoi with Halcyon's body the party meets a strange Lunar...
20) (Early) Storm Season 1618
(Another Letter from Balazar) (February 16, 2000)
Party: Present in Person: Durnfal Strongspear, (Yemalio ex-Farmer now Baron of
Goldenears (Gary); Greystone (Waha herder)(Doug Sh.); Svart Ulfsson (Humakti warrior and
part-time occupant of Greystone's body)(Henry)
The Regular NPCs: Tamerlan (Waha noble); and Burning Willow
(Votanki hunter).
The party continues on to Trilus
fleeing Lunar pursuit.
21) (Middle) Storm Season 1618 (He's
Baaack) (March 04, 2000)
Party: Present in Person: Durnfal Strongspear, (Yemalio ex-Farmer now
Baron of Goldenears (Gary); Greystone (Waha herder)(Doug Sh.); Svart Ulfsson (Humakti
warrior and part-time occupant of Greystone's body)(Henry); and Bjorn Windchaser (Darryl)
The Regular NPCs: Tamerlan (Waha noble); and Burning Willow (Votanki
hunter).
The party entered the citadel of Trilus accompanied by the Orlanthi, their wounded and
dead, the prisoners and the loot. As the Orlanthi entered the citadel Torath Manover
quizzed his newest follower Bjorn Windchaser as to the names of the seven Lightbringers.
Bjorn couldn't name any beyond Orlanth and Torath and the other Orlanthi were appalled.
(Later Torath told Bjorn that he didn't want to continue their relationship. Bjorn asked
the party if he could join them in their travels so he could find his brother and they
agreed). The party took as their share just the four surviving Lunars. The party settled
in at the Stuck Pig Inn ran by Djimm Mith, Joh Mith's son. The party decided to test the
prisoners to see who would be most suitable as a host for Svart. Tossing things to the
three peltasts and the initiate quickly eliminated two of the peltasts. The surviving
peltast and the initiate wrestled and ran foot races and the party decided that the
peltast was the best candidate. (Some discussion was made though about using the homely
female peltast as the candidate, after first getting her pregnant. They also
discussed putting Svart into a body and then selling him into slavery deep in the Lunar
Empire. Good sense finally prevailed though).
They decided that they would contact Rhegus Whitehair the local Lunar merchant to see
whether he would take the rest of the prisoners off their hands by paying their ransom.
Rhegus wanted to pay them off in furs or hides but the party wasn't crazy about such bulky
goods. Rhegus was unable to pay money so he said that he would see whether the king of
Trilus would give him some money or some less bulky goods in advance of receiving ransoms
from Elkoi. He told them that he would contact the king and get back to them. The party
visited the Lightbringers Hall to visit the Lhankhor Mhy priest Bluebird to see whether he
could magically identify the items the group had taken off of Simon and Halcyon var
Enkorth's bodies. He agreed at the cost of 300 L per spell. The party agreed to wait until
he cast and recovered three spells.
Rhegus spoke with Yalaring and got eight mammoth tusks worth roughly the
ransoms of the captives. The party spent all but two of the tusks on spells, room and
board and provisions. They learned from Bluebird that Simon's ring was a MP storage device
(on top of making Orlanthi feel uncomfortable, which they already knew) Durnfal took that
item. They learned that the red sphere would make you invulnerable to fire elementals if
you gave it a point of POW and the other small crystal was also a MP storage crystal. The
party then left Trilus after a week and travelled back to Dykene. (Fresser and his party
stayed behind in Trilus and said that he would travel on to Elkoi eventually).
The party arrived back at Dyene where Blueface was happy to see them. After they settled
in the party decided that they would offer the peltast (whose name was Lapsas) his freedom
if he could beat one of their party in a battle with the black sword. He agreed after
making them swear on their gods that they would do so. Durnfal decided to battle Lapsas
who wore Tamerlan's armour for the battle. They cast magic on their weapons and armour and
engaged. Durnfal tried to disrupt Lapsas while he tried to demoralize Durnfal. The battle
was on and the pair exchanged blows. Lapsas managed to damage Durnfal's spear a bit but
Durnfal hit him a couple of times most seriously crippling his arm. The battle stopped so
Blueface could heal him because they were worried that he would be killed outright if he
took another such a blow. Tamerlan told Durnfal to switch to aimed blows at the abdomen
and Durnfal did knocking Lapsas down. He lay there and started bleeding to death.
Durnfal tore his armour off and tried to disrupt him before he died but he wasn't able to
do so.. Bueface quickly healed him up and once again Svart Ulfsson was in charge of
a body.
22) Sacred Time 1618 (Sniff ya later)
(April 29, 2000)
Party: Present in Person: Durnfal Strongspear (Yemalio ex-Farmer now
Baron of Goldenears) (Gary); Greystone (Waha herder)(Doug Sh.); Svart Ulfsson (Humakti
warrior)(Henry); and Bjorn Windchaser (Darryl)
Virtual Presence: Hallelujah Harnsdottir (Babeester
Gor axe maiden and mother to the prophesised Dog Boy) (Doug St.)
The Regular NPCs: Tamerlan (Waha noble); and Burning Willow (Votanki
hunter).
After getting his new body Svart immediately spent a lot of time
getting used to it. He asked Blueface if he would help him create new foci for him
and Blueface did. Svart also tried to negotiate new terms for the use of Bane as a
trap for Granny Keeneyes but Blueface didn't want to since the party had already agreed to
dedicate the sword to that purpose. Svart asked him for a replacement and finally
Blueface said that he could tell the party where the Windsword of Orlanth was hidden.
Svart settled for this and some new points of spirit magic. Other party
members rested and trained. Blueface asked them for their assistance in protecting
Hallelujah during her imminent birth and they agreed to do so.
For more details see Burning Willow's
Tale.
This page last modified March 08, 2000
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