Marsden is Here

<<< || Previous || Next || >>>

/ 4

B'fore any treas'r the keep we wus head'n f'r turn'd out t'be full o' 'obgoblins. T'boss stuck a Silence on'e dwarf's 'elm t'stop the clank'n and we snuck in past t'guards at dawn.

Gett'n d'nstairs past the barra'ks were a bit tricky'r. Takir disguised 'isself as an 'obbo 'n pretend'd I were 'is prison'r as a d'stract'n fr'm one door while t'others popped up an 'llus'ry wall 'tween t'other door 'n t'stairs.

Bottom 'o stairs surpris'd a pair of 'obbos, bit tougher th'n 'ey looked but we took 'em. Found some rooms then a s'cr't door straight to the 'obbos boss, wizard call'd Scarr'd.

/ 5

W th' advant'ge o' the silence 'n Takir bluffin' guards out o' the fight made short work o' the wizard. 'Ad some nice stuff on 'im, got some magic bracers. T' tiefing found a very nice dagg'r which she's become suspic' protective of.

Note t'boss likes to get big [Enlarge person] when 'e scrums w' that chain o' 'is.

/ 6

Found a way deeper down w'out any more 'obbos. Incubus wuz feel'n a bit poorly so we left 'im to watch the stairs & amuse 'imself w' and hobbo's 'oo migth follow.

Searchin' the basement di'nt turn up anythin' but some rats and an entry to some caves. Caves 'ad a drow 'untin' party but a peaceful partin' o the ways were negotiat'd.

Caves also 'ad an 'ydra [6] 'oo coul'nt follow us back into the tunnel so we lef' it alone. Back t'other way were some bears *big* bears t'boss decid'd we coul' take, mebbe get'a fur rug. Turn'd out they w'r chained up, coulda backed off 'n jus' blasted 'em, di'nt seem like a far fight so I blasted the pillars jus' a lit'l w' acid.

T'boss had made a misjudgem'nt. Even b'fore break'n loose the bears 'ad th' dwarf as chow (one fer one). didn't manage t'get t'wand o' Cure Light work'n prop'ly 'uff t'get 'im alive 'n t'boss back on is feet b'fore bear got me, last thin' I saw were Killarah 'ightail'n 't outta th're chased by a bear.

/ 7

Seems Killarah manag'd t' outrun th' bear 'n fetch Takir, 'n 'e manag'd to keep th' bears attent'n [flying out of their reach] while she pour'd healin' potions 'nta t'boss 'n me. Poor dwarf were already 'alf eaten. Will miss th' tin can.

R'treat'd back into th' basem'nt 'n rest'd up f'r a day or double.

/ 8

Goin' back prepared made short work of th' two left bears, I led one ona chase around th' loop so only one at a time. Just led it back wh'n this insecty devil thing [ooc: Thri-Keen Psychic warrior] pops out o' nowhere 'n rips into th' bear - real famish'd 'ppar'ntly. Been 'eld prison'r on t'other ide of t' 'llus'ry wall th' bears w'r guard'n. Name's Kik Kik Kik or sump'n.

Poked around back there a b't, found anoth'r demon pris'n like th' one und'r t'inn but empty, th'n a big 'all, interest'n library, alchemy lab (don' know much 'bout alchemy but t'boss got all excited ov'r some sorta "aboleth spit") then big copper do 'n lo! five godsforsak'n mind flayers in th' middle of summon'n something. Don' know what exactly, but I could see they weren't tak'n any chances w' the bind'n circle.

Honest, thought we wuz gon'rs. Th' shark's'd eat our brains f'sure. Made ready t' blast th' book one 'ad, seem'd importn't, but tiefling threw t' aboleth spit inta th' circle 'n all the magic 'n the summonin' jus' blew up. When m'head stopped ringin' the 'llith'ds were toast.

They 'ad some nice stuff tho', 'n we found 'n 'ole 'oard in a secr't room. Load'n up 'n getting out o' there b'fore any o' th'r cobb'rs arrive.

This would work better as a series of storyboards as my words to poor justice to the atmosphere I dreamt. Like many dreams this one did not occur in chronological sequence so I have had to piece it together.
~~~

The scene: a small Western town boasting a railway station and a sawmill and little more. A man from the east looks too well dressed to be asking about work in the foreman's office just inside the main entry of the mill. Outside the office his heavily pregnant wife stands with their luggage while a boy and girl of about five and seven respectively chase each other in a circle, singing and laughing in voices clear and sweet enough that they cut through the mill noise and cause the workers to pause and shake their heads in appreciation.

Suddenly the earth rumbles and shakes and everyone flees the building except the mother who is struck by a falling timber and goes into labour, the father who has his foot crushed trying to get to his wife (passing out after dragging himself free) and the little boy who clings to her. "Get help" she whispers to him and he scrambles up a ladder and runs along a walkway shouting out windows at the few people in the dusty street below - but they all seem frozen in time, paying no heed or turning to run. Exhausted he drags himself up a set of stairs to get to a door which leads to an external platform and half-falls through.

Outside (and moving at normal speed) people realise what has happened and mill workers rush to try and clear the pie of timbers and scaffolding which has fallen to block the entrance. The little girl is the only one with the presence of mind to run around the side of the building looking for another way in.

As she rounds the corner she finds herself, with her brother, in an impossible summertime field of flowers and grasses where peaceful feeling reigns supreme. A pale winged horse sits in the grass, a gangly (also winged) filly sprawled out next to her is obvious contentment. The mare lifts her head and speaks to the confused children, greeting them ans "brother" and "sister" and telling them it is good to see them again.

[context impossible to convey descriptively: the mare is somehow the little girl who is about to be born, communicating from the future where she is literally able to assume this form. The foal she introduces in passing as their niece.]

She tells them everything will be all right and they are transported back, stepping back through the door at the top of the stairs and running back down to be with their mother. A beautiful fae woman is kneeling there and the mother is weakly whispering "I cannot take that from them" or "It is not mine to give". The woman lifts her head and asks the children "will you give your voices to save your sister?" Not really sure what is being asked of them the two just nod dumbly.

When rescuers arrive they find a healthy child born and the mother near-death. During the early stages of her long convalescence she sometimes rambles about the "beautiful fairy" who helped her, which is put down to hallucination bought on by the stress of he experience.

Five years later ("now"): The boy has not spoken since that day but is not simple and can read and write to communicate. He works at odd-jobs around the mill and will grow into a strong man, but his dark eyes reflect a depth of things seen that makes some uneasy. His sister is mostly responsible for looking after the family and she speaks rarely. When she does it is quietly and quickly, glancing up shyly with usually downcast eyes. Often the two will be seen sitting together, he silent and looking away while she holds his hand and sings softly to him.

The father (an educated man) was offered a job doing the mill paperwork by the sympathetic owner who has never had reason to regret the decision. Despite his semi-crippling injury he is now foreman. The mother is weak and spends most of her time sitting up in bed but is otherwise fully recovered and the women of the town bring sewing and other work to her. Although it is common knowledge around town people do not mention the odd circumstances of the birth and have avoided asking about the family's past.

The now-5-years-old babe is healthy, fair of face, generally well behaved and generally adored by all around the mill community. When she manages to escape supervision she can usually be found in the mill stables running and skipping around the large draft animals. Despite the apparent risk she has never and will never come to harm here.

[Twist in the tale] It's entirely likely that the accident was caused by the fae woman as a ploy to take the voices of the children for her own.

<<< || Previous || Next || >>>

/1

Well, things gett'n a bit 'ot in this ol' city o' Tellarat 'n me bein down to me last gol' piece I've taen to th' a'ventur'n life, respond'n to 'n ad by a profess'nal dung'n delver fellow wit line on'n ol' keep full o' treas'r out'n th' mountains. No cash up fr'nt but'l shake 'em Academy sharks off me tail.

Japes alon' fer th' ride are bein

René duPlessis, bit o'n odd chap but e's th' one sett'n up this 'ere expedition so e's th' boss. [Human Factotum]

Player's description "Indiana Jones with a spiked chain instead of a whip."

Rothratur, dwarven 'oly knight 'n some sort o' quest and prob'ly th' most norm'l of us chumps by com'n stand'ns. Seems like a good bloke to 'ave at y' back mean'n e'd stay put 'n protect it unlike th' next two. [Dwarf Crusader]

Takir, genr'lly goes ar'nd as a good look'n human bloke but 'e dropped th' act for a bit 'n I seen 'im for what 'e really is, young incubus. Gods know (or mebee they don't) wot one o' them is doin' lark'n about on this plane. Most never shuts 'is damned (heh) mouth, always 'as to be stick'n 'is nose into evryt'n 'n tell'n people what to do ('n "persua'n" th'm when 'ey don't). [Incubus using "monster class" levels]

Killarah, 'nother off-planer tho' she jus' tryn t'hide th' horns 'n tail unner her wearables. S'posd t' be the sneak 'n search bod so I 'ope she's a bit more obs'rvnt th'n prov'n so far. Seen 'er about a bit b'fore, hooked up w' one o th' underside guilds. [Tiefling Rogue/Psychic Warrior]

~~~
So we 'ead out o' town and worst luck the first village we stop 'n gets wraith-bomb'd o'ernight. Most o' the villagers made it to th' inn which turns out 'as an old relig's ward roun' it, din't find this out 'til a coupl' of the others 'ad gone outside 'n tried to smack the wraiths round a bit. [Dumb japes. Y' don'ever get close to a wraith.] Bloody incubus was so upset t'be fac'n someth'n 'e coul'n charm or 'mpress 'e just stole a bow off some poor villager inside 'n sat on the roof shoot'n pointlessly. Meself just blasted 'em safely from th' window, lucky none came in from t'other direction tho' (not know'n bout th' wards at th' time).

Wraiths threw 'emselves at th' wards until dawn, when 'ey slunk off to 'ide out 'o th' sun for th' day. Rider was sent flat-tack to the city t'get some clerical 'elp, y'don' want wraiths wander'n this close t' a damn city. We 'ung around 'cos broken rest, too soon t'get spells back 'n might be a chance t' get paid fer blast'n wraiths t'night.

/ 2

Th' incubus or th' scout managed t'find an 'idden temple unner th' inn 'n first thing t' dwarf 'n me knew 'bout it was t' incubus telepath'n¹ up that th' boss 'ad mang'd t' walk innoo a gelly cube down b'low. Scoot'd down 'n blast'd t'ooze off've 'im ('n scooped up a bunch o' coin it 'ad picked up somewhere) 'n he went back upstairs 'n took a bath while we scouted out th' rest of th' level 'n loot'd some good qual'ty weapons fr'm an old armory.

Th' was a big stair down t' a lower level wh'r t' is/was a demon fr'm th' old wars bound 'n asleep to all 'pearences², 'n old holy alt'r to the goddes s of protectin' travellers wh'r I 'eft what 'ad bin m'last gol' piece fer luck, a few dead a'ventur's and a bleeding (so t'speak) vampire, 'oo tried (failed more th' pity) ta make a meal 'o the incubus but din't bother chas'n us.

¹ not keen on th' blighter bein able t' get innoo me head whenever 'e wants - enough sharks already b'n mess'n around 'n there.
² [until the incubus' repeated clairvoyancing back to that room to make sure it was still there and asleep woke it up, not that he told the rest of the party why he was even more hell-bent on getting out of there than we already were]

/ 3

Got back up t'stair to find the cavalry had arriv'd from t'city, liter'ly, force o' mounted relig's bods o' all sorts but all carry'n magic 'n led by a tall glow'n winged bod. Mebbee this place attracts 'em or th's a gate t'Sigil around or som'n. 'e weren't to pleased t'see t'other two w' us, looked at 'em 'ard but din't start w' th' smit'n. Dwarf had t' tell 'im all 'bout t' vampire 'n such down below but then 'ey sent a group down there 'n f'nd nuttin. So mebee we w' see'n things or mebee 'ey w'not see'n things or mebee th' sharks down b'low jus' moved out t'wait for th' dust t' settle.

T'wraiths (w' more) turned up agin o'ernight 'n we left 'em to th' holy folk. 'ey dealt w' some but waited for dawn t' follow th' rest back to th' nest, 'n we hightailed it off t'ward th' mountains because it din't seem 'ey were goin' t'pay for 'elp w' anyth'n but bless'ns.

Day'r so later 'n we were pass'n throo 'n old forest when th'r's this goblin standing 'n th' road bold as brass demand'n a 50 gol' piece toll. Now if any o' us 'ad that sort o' coin we wouldn't be on this lark inna first place 'n buggered if anyone were giv'n up a valuable piece o' equipment. Where th's one goblin th's usually a bunch more so we wer'n keen t' just walk over 'im. 'e said the coin were so 'e could buy bread fer 'is many kids, so we off'd to liberate any coin 'e might know of 'ereabouts which might be guarded by someth'n nasty 'n pay 'im out o th' proceeds (or, since 'e point'd us at'n ogre, the corpse fer eat'n).

Short story, t'scout mang'd t'sneak up on t'sleep'n ogre 'n ta'e 't out 'n one stab³. found a bag o' sliver 'n a magic ring ' n a necklace o' fireballs some'ow intact, lucky ogre nev'r roll'd ov'r onnoo it. Dragged th' body back to th' goblin 'oo were a bit surpris'd 'n he 'n th' scout nearly came t'blows, 'cept 'e called on 'is mates 'n 'bout 30 of the blight's popped up. Th't I might get t'do some blast'n after all, but it all calm'd down 'n toll accounted fer we moved on.

³ [DM had forgotten about the FORT save part of the coup de grace rules and after the rogue did 26ish damage on the strike the DC was 36, difficult even for an ogre barbarian. To his credit he gave us the kill rather than fudging the encounter.]

.

<<< || Previous || Next || >>>

Journal link: Sa-Dagget's version of events from joining the party until the end of the previous entry.

Author's note: I wasn't present at the table / Markos was not involved for much of the next two vignettes.
( Sa punches a bear )

( Getting Eric back on his feet )

( An ocean excursion )

( Brother Anthony )

<<< || Previous || Next || >>>

Character for a just-started D&D game, level 6.

Lochlan Burrfoot Foundlingson (Lochlan SpringHeel)

Halfling Warlock 3 / Warmage 3

Past

As his name tells Lochlan is a foundling halfling child adopted by the Burrfoot clan. His childhood among the Burrfoots (feet) was the happiest time of his life.

His magical ability was recognised by a “recruiter” for a prestigious warmage academy and he was given little choice but to enrol. Competition at the academy was fierce and discipline harshly enforced to keep the mostly evil-aligned students from “advancing past” (murdering) all their classmates before graduation. Lochlan managed to avoid the worst of the schemes by keeping low (pun intended), being generally likeable and staying aware of most of the plots which were happening. It helped that he was not an exceptional student; but his presence at the academy was ensured by the staff being aware of his warlock abilities (which were concealed from the other students) and potential.

On graduation the majority of graduates were Geased to serve a “patron” noble or warlord for a number of years and Lochlan was no exception. However he made his save against the Geas but bluffed his way through it until he was able to escape, stealing a magical shield and some other trinkets in the process. Now sought/hunted by his patron and/or the Academy who want back the money they had to refund his patron and to make an example.

Other possibilities floated here were:
- was partway through his unwilling service when the geas was broken by a spellcaster to whom he now owes a massive favour, left immediately, possibly sought as above.
- served out his time but chafed under it / was forced to take actions he strongly objected to in the process. Left as soon as he could with equipment either stolen or earned through service.

Present

Currently Lochlan is down to his last gold piece (literally) and looking for an adventure which pays, while trying to stay below the radar of those who might be looking for him. He manages food and accommodation selling his ability to destroy things (tree stumps, boulders, etc) through liberal application of Arcane blast (acid/fire); and performing/competing in feats of agility.

Future

Unknown. Mechanically another level each of Warlock and Warmage then Eldritch Theurge, possibly unlocking the fiendish or half-fiend templates as his powers mature further.

Personality

Lochlan generally presents as a typically cheerful halfling, slightly muscular and with an untidy shock of black hair which flies out wildly when he casts an Invocation. Privately he is prone to sudden fluctuations in mood, from genuinely cheerful to angry and despondent about the past and the likely future. Secretly he is haunted by the knowledge that he is not a “real” halfling, that he is part “something else”.

( stats )

From Friday 10am to Sunday 10am (a couple of hours ago) SAGA ran a 48 hour gaming event to raise money for charity. Although I didn't intend to do an all-nighter myself between running a mini-campaign over Friday evening - Saturday wee hours, a Hall alarm and then getting sucked into just one more game (until after sunrise) I actually spent ~39 hours straight a mostly-awake; the longest I have ever.

The mini-campaign was also, (despite all my years of gaming)
- the first time I have run such a thing (D&D levels 1-3 in one sitting and we probably would have gone another couple of hours had the Hall alarm not come in - luckily while the players were taking a break after their characters had returned from the dungeon a bit beaten up after gong "a room too far")
- the first time I have run a session that long (6-7 hours including breaks)
- the first time I have run a game which ran after midnight

I didn't actually get to play in any RPGs myself (was hoping for a Dungeon World game) but I did keep track of the board games (on FB)
- Seven Wonders win 86 points. Seven players leaders and cities.
- Lords of Waterdeep + expansions third 164 points
- Biblios last with 4 points
- King of New York - not a winner is me.
- Sentinels of the Multiverse - eventual win against Baron Blade on Mars. (Legacy, Tempest, Visionary)
- Cards against humanity : not last.
- Stone Age 3rd 139 points
- Kingsburg narrow win with 43 points.
- Shipwrights of the North Sea win 16 points
- Race for the Galaxy 3rd 26 points.
- Last hour with some not-very-awake people; cleanup then Dixit and a round of Love Letter.

Not quite as many as I hoped, and I would have liked another round of Seven Wonders and to play DC Heroes but Sentinels has taken over as /the/ superhero card game of the moment.

There were also not as many casual attendees as I expected - the number of people present was pretty stable and mostly the same people. I had expected larger swells of people only attending for a few hours and a few games in the afternoons and evenings - thus my pledge of $1 per attendee playing at least one game fell a bit flat. (I handed over closer to what I had expected anyway.) Probably I should have gone with "per game played" after all.

Nevertheless I had a mostly good time, with occasional lapses into boredom and fending off sleep-deprivation enabled moments of emotional collapse. As successful weekend.

Some of the games which were played