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Turn 20: The History of Hommlet
Chapter
1: A Darkness Gathering
Turn
20: The History of Hommlet
| Date: |
6 Lipanj (“Wealsun”), 592 |
| Location: |
Hommlet, The Viscounty of Verbobonc |
| Players: |
Danton Verbrugge (Rogue 3) |
| |
Nanoc (Barbarian 3) |
| |
Telemachos Rhavelle (Fighter 3) |
| Associates: |
Erky Timbers (Fighter 1/Cleric 2) |
While
Danton spoke with Aseneth, Nanoc and Telemachos quickly lost interest
in the restaurant’s menu and began watching the conversation
across the room.
“Hey
Tel,” said Nanoc, his gaze locked on Danton and the woman,
“Whata you think o' that blue light on the end o' that woman's
staff? I ain't to much for know'n bout wizards and such, but that
sure looks like the kind o' thing they'd a have. I'm a thinkin' maybe
she'd be able ta help you wit your uncle. Maybe she'd know if'n he's
been magicked or not. Think we oughta ask?”
Turning
back to the Furyondian sitting across from him, Nanoc added:
”Heck
Danton ain't got no shot with her anyhow, and like he said if you
don't go an’ ask you don't know. Plus it'll be fun ta interrupt
Danton when he's a trying ta put the moves on! Har Har Har....”
Telemachos
smiled. “It sounds like a good plan, my brutish friend. Hell,
he even had me fooled about this forlorn love of his, Vanessa. I
wonder if he'll write
her
about this beautiful woman that seems to have enchanted him.
Personally, I am quite struck by her beauty, but I for one am
loyal—to my mission in this case. Let's have some fun. Besides,
I think I noticed her looking at me more than our bard friend.”
Nanoc
laughed again as the duo stood up from their table. “She
weren't looking at you Tel. She was checkin' me out. Not every day
that a woman gets a gander at a handsome feller like myself, so don't
feel so bad. Alright lets have some fun.”
Seeing the pair approaching, Danton
sought furiously to surreptitiously wave them off, but the movement
of one so huge as Nanoc drew the eyes of everyone in the room,
including Aseneth, and the next thing Danton knew, Telemachos and
Nanoc were standing next to him and the woman.
Before Danton could say anything,
Nanoc leaned over, reached his hand under Danton’s chair, and
lifted both the chair and its occupant four feet into the air,
drawing gasps from all around the restaurant as he did so.
“Sorry miss,”
said the half-orc, “my friend here looked ta be bother’n
ya. I can takes him back to our table so he won’t give ya any
trouble. Plus his woman back home sure’d appreciate it as
well. Now I myself am free o’ things like girlfriends…or
what’s that word ya use Danton?? Beloveds or somthin’
like that…Har, Har, Har.”
“Killjoys
and cads doth seem to be the company that I keep! Prithee give me a
moment or two with the lass -- it may work to all of our
advantages. And put me down, forthwith!”
Nanoc
set Danton and his chair down with a loud thump well away from the
table, and then the barbarian sat down heavily on another chair,
placing himself squarely between Danton and Aseneth. While Danton
scowled, stood, and moved his own chair back to the table, Telemachos
sat down on the far side.
“Anywho,”
said Nanoc, “me an’ my friend Tel here sorta caught ya a
starin’ at us while you was a talkin’ to our friend. We
kinda a noticed your staff a glowin’ there and my friend Tel’s
uncle is in a bad way and he think he has been magicked and you look
like the type that might be able ta tell that sort o’ thing.
Maybe we could help you out if’n you could help us out?”
Danton kicked Nanoc
hard under the table at this point, particularly when he noticed the
half-orc’s gaze lingering overlong on the woman’s chest,
but if Nanoc felt the kick, he did not react in any way.
“It is indeed a pleasure to
meet you, my lady,” said Telemachos, interjecting himself into
the conversation. “I am Telemachos . . . from Furyondy,
son of Odysseus, a noble lord of the sword. Permit me to say
it, but you have quite a striking beauty. Too beautiful to be
subject to the hack poetry recited by our bard friend here.
What has he told you, that ‘your eyes sparkle like moonlight?’
Or, did he quote to you lines from the love letters of Murilva the
Skald?"
“Yeah,”
said Nanoc, “so what have you two been talkin’ bout anyway?”
Visibly taken aback by
all of the sudden attention, Aseneth looked back and forth at the
three men for several moments before responding. Danton repeatedly
hissed, “Leave me be!” to his two unwelcome comrades, but
neither made any move to leave the table.
“I am
asking…bard…” said the woman finally, “if
he and you maybe helping me finding some thing. I am not having money
because bad men taking it, but maybe could be helping with
this…uncle…if he is under spell. I am telling your
friend, bard, that very old temple close and also being ruined town
and castle. I maybe find what looking in these places; maybe you
finding money other…other things maybe you wanting.”
Upon
hearing these words, Nanoc finally stopped staring at the woman’s
body and looked up excitedly. “Oh boy, an old temple!
You ain’t a lookin’ for no magic axes are ya? Cause if
any is there I’ll be a claimin’ them. Wow, Danton, don’t
this just sound like a great adventure? Ol’ Grundar would jump
at this, that’s for sure.”
Turning back to
Aseneth, Nanoc added: “Maybe you can take a look at Tel’s
uncle before we go an see if ya can help. We’d be splittin’
the mooh-lah evenly, right? This will be fun. Say did Danton tel ya
how we done cleaned out the Sunless Citi-dale? It was like this…”
At this point Danton
kicked Nanoc so hard that the half-orc gasped out loud and fell
silent long enough to rub his injured calf. Unfortunately for Danton,
it was once again Telemachos who leapt into the breach thus created.
"You are a
traveler, no?” asked the warrior. “Have you heard much
about this Temple of Elemental Evil? Is that the old temple to
which you refer? It seems that it might have a connection to the
possible enchantment of my uncle, who could be a link to finding my
lost father . . . I know, I know, so many ‘could bes’ or
‘mights’ but those are all that I have to cling to right
now. Speaking of which, I don’t suppose you have heard of
the disappearance of my father and his men in the Furyondian navy or
of his possible whereabouts?”
Finally
able to get a word in, Danton said: “Lady, if I may, methinks
you’re not off to see the temple in the role of mere tourist—am
I not correct? Perhaps you could tell us exactly what it is that you do seek?”
“This is very
strange,” said Aseneth. “In east we are not speaking all
together. It is difficult understanding what all saying when speaking
same time, but like I saying maybe can looking uncle if helping me
find temple and other places. Here is map I buy of area from wise
man.”
The woman opened up a
small tube that had been sitting at her side and unrolled a small
parchment map that she pulled out of the tube.

“We are here,”
said Aseneth, pointing at ‘Hommlet’ on the map. “Sage
who sell map telling me this ‘motehouse’ is like castle,
but ruined. Then temple not so close north, next to what sage calling
‘ghost town’—saying no one living there now. I
would like visit motehouse, temple and town, maybe finding some
thing.”
Looking back and forth
between Nanoc and Telemachos, Aseneth concluded:
“You think if
wanting help me—if we having…deal. I will rest now, but
you can find me here at inn when have decision.”
“I’m
willing to help now if you’ll help us with my uncle,”
said Telemachos. “But I just have to emphasize that I'm not in
this business for the money, though I shall take my fair share of any
reward or pay, but if we are to work together, I must ask of you to
do all that you can to assist me in gathering information about my increasingly puzzling
and complex quest. I have taken many unintended paths so far in
my short journey to find my missing father."
“I’m
always wantin’ ta help a lady in distress!” blurted Nanoc
with a toothy grin. “I’m just that kind o’ guy!”
“We shall
converse and speak with you later,” said Danton firmly, trying
to elbow his way between the other two men. “And perhaps
‘twould be best if you and I were to speak alone—in order
that you not be bombarded by so many discordant—and I must
say—crude—voices all at once. We shall be in touch.”
The woman nodded
towards Danton, then smiled brightly at both Nanoc and Telemachos,
and gathered up her map, case, and staff. As she did so, Nanoc said
loudly:
“Well,
Aseneth, it was sure nice ta talk wit you. I gotta go take my bath,
you know I been on the road for a while and needs to get cleaned up.”
The huge half-orc
then leaned over towards the woman lowered his voice into a poor
attempt at a whisper, which all present heard, and added:
“Ya know if’n
ya need some protection tonight or some company, well I’d be
happy ta stay wit you. You know such a nice lookin’ young woman
as you might need some protection or somthin’, and I’ma
takin a bath.”
“That
is…very kind…” said Aseneth as she stood up. “I
can take care of self for now…here in town.” And with
that, the woman swept from the room. All eyes
followed her as she went.
When she had departed
and the three adventurers returned to their own table to order lunch
at last, Danton was in a foul mood.
“There
is a saying commonly heard in the temple district in Veluna City,”
he said. “’A prophet is not without honor, except in his
own country, and among his own comrades, and in his own home.’ Verily, I understandeth better now of what those clergy speak. A pox
on you both.”
“Aw yer jus’
sore ‘cause she likes me best!” said Nanoc.
“Oh, but of
course!” said Danton, rolling his eyes. “That line about
‘taking a bath’ hath no doubt caused the maiden to swoon
with desire. However did you come up with so effective a stratagem?”
“Be
that as it may,” said Telemachos, “the only pox I'll be
getting is from that woman when she chooses to bed me rather than
you. I wonder if that young druid hath any herbs of healing…”
“Enough!”
said Danton. “Let us focus on the business at hand.
Although you two have no doubt missed it, I am quite certain there is
more to this Aseneth than doth meet the eye. The lady doth play the ‘foreign innocent’ well, but, in case neither of you
noticed, she hath managed to avoid answering any questions in the
bargain.” (sense motive: 5+4=9)
“Well, I like her accent,” said Nanoc. “It’s so…foreign.”
“An’
these places she wants ta go, they’re right outta Grundar’s
stories! Plus such a beautiful woman can’t be ‘spected to
go out there on her own, why it just wouldn’t be right.
An’ if she can look at Tel’s uncle ta boot, why ain’t
that even better? I say we get our armor done an’ then hit the
road with her!”
After a lunch of
boiled, buttered crawfish, fruit, and cheese accompanied by a stout
beer brewed in Hommlet, the adventurers set back to work trying to
learn more of the town, its environs, and the mystery of Jaroo
Ashstaff. Using his time-honed techniques, Danton led the group in
acquiring as much information as could be had on the Temple of
Elemental Evil and its relation to the history of Hommlet (Gather
Information: 13+7=20), prying information from everyone the party
met.
In short order, the
Velunese picked up a good deal of information, particularly from a
pair of priests the party met near the town’s main square.
Terjon, a cleric of St. Cuthbert, and Yether, a priest at the temple
of Pelor, were engaged in a theological debate when the party
approached, but both agreed to speak to the party. Yether was in his
late fifties, ruddy-faced, and sported a short gray-white beard and
graying hair. Terjon was younger, more solidly built and had dark
hair and eyes. He was rather gruff with the party, while Yether
proved to be very talkative.
According to
Yether, twenty-five years previously, the forces of evil and darkness
gathered to the north and east of Hommlet and constructed a huge
temple. This was a bastion for their armies of gnolls, bugbears,
ogres, trolls, and giants—not to mention the evil human masters
of the place and the demons and other foul creatures that served
them. From this awful place, the malevolent denizens unleashed
earthquakes, storms, fires and floods upon the countryside. Monsters
were drawn to the area like metal to a lodestone.
A town, called
Nulb, sprang up near the temple, and became crowded with all sorts of
criminals and other undesirables whose business was to serve the
needs of the temple and draw some profit from its activities. As the
influence of the temple grew, its masters ordered the construction of
a fortress, known locally as the “moathouse”, not far to
the east of Hommlet. From here, raids were launched on Hommlet and
the surrounding countryside and the road to Verbobonc City was
effectively cut as the lords of the temple made it clear that they
were the new masters of the region.
The Temple of
Elemental Evil took three years to complete, but even in that time,
the leaders of Verbobonc, Veluna, and Furyondy knew that they could
not abide such a place. They rallied their forces and sacked the
place twenty-two years previously, sacking the moathouse during the
campaign. Thereafter, Nulb was abandoned in the face of the advancing
Velunese and Furyondian forces. The campaign culminated in the Battle
of Emridy Meadows, which was fought just north and west of the
temple. During the battle, most of the evil forces were destroyed or
driven off. The temple itself was badly damaged, but the underground
levels were extensive and dangerous even for the armies of Furyondy
and Veluna. So the place was sealed with powerful magic and many
malevolent creatures were trapped within.
Nine years later,
bandits began to appear around Hommlet. Evil humanoids and strangely
garbed priests were seen on the road. Within the following year, it
became clear that the Temple of Elemental Evil was rising again. This
time, the folk of Hommlet and the surrounding area coordinated and
fostered attacks by bands of adventurers against the ruined, but
still-occupied temple. Eventually the evil was again overthrown, and
this time the temple’s dangerous lower levels were destroyed
and collapsed. Since then, the region had prospered in peace.
With this
information gained, Danton and the others took their leave of Yether
and Terjon, but not before each cleric had invited the party to visit
his respective temple or church.
Danton next sought
out Elmo, the militia captain, once again. When the party found him
in the eastern part of town trying to settle a dispute between a
ranting, racist teamster and an elf, the trio was forced to wait
until Elmo calmed the situation before they could speak to him.
Thereafter, the man said he could talk to the party if they were
willing to accompany him on his rounds of the town and converse as
they went.
“We have
learned much of Hommlet’s campaign against the Temple of
Elemental Evil,” said Danton, “but I would know two
things more: who were those who led the second campaign against the
vile place and are you truly sure the threat was eliminated
once and for all?”
Elmo seemed
surprised by the second question and answered it first:
“We leveled
the place. Only a small section of the surface portion of the temple
remains standing, and it is occupied by naught but hobgoblins these
days. If you want to know more, you might speak to a man called Xaod
who is currently staying at Terrigan’s. He arrived in town six
weeks ago, asking the same questions you are asking now, and he too
was concerned that the Temple might still be a threat. I am told that
he recently visited the place and returned having found nothing
untoward.”
“But I
digress,” continued Elmo. “The lower levels of the temple
were destroyed completely—that had been the mistake the first
time and it was not repeated. You are welcome to visit the
place if you wish and to drive off the hobgoblins if you like. We and
the Badgers have done it ourselves more than once, but with the
forest so close, more hobgoblins always return.”
“The
Badgers?” asked Danton.
“Burne’s
Badgers,” said Elmo. “They are the mercenary company that
Rufus and Burne employ in the keep. Good fighters. They help to keep
the town secure, but have never truly been needed. I fear that
there are no more adventures to be had here in Hommlet. And that is
just the way we like it!”
“Perfectly
understandable,” agreed Danton. “But perhaps you could
tell me of those who were involved in the second defeat of the
temple.”
“Of course,”
said Elmo. “For I was one of them, along with my brother…who
did not survive the effort.”
“I’m
very sorry to hear that,” said Danton.
“It was a
long time ago,” said Elmo, his face expressionless. “Among
the other locals involved were Canoness Y’dey, from the Church
of St. Cuthbert, and Jaroo. Most of the outside adventurers who
joined us have long gone, but three remain. Rufus and Burne, who led
the campaign, stayed and built the keep after they received a
commission from old Viscount Wilfrick. And Spugnoir married a local
girl and settled down here. She died some years back, but Spugnoir
still lives here with his daughter and runs the potions shop on the
western end of town. Perhaps one of them might be willing to tell you
more about the old days if you are interested. I…prefer not to
talk about it any more than necessary.”
After the group
took its leave of Elmo and the man continued on his rounds, Danton
said:
“Let us go
find this Xaod next. ‘Twould appear that he might have the most
recent intelligence on the temple and could tell us what we might
find there should we accompany the fair Aseneth.”
“I already
know Xaod!” blurted Nanoc. “He’s an’ old
drinking buddy! We had a great contest last night. We even took out a
halfling! Made ‘im pass right out on the bar! I ended up on the
floor ‘ventually too, but I’m sure I could beat
Xaod if I got a rematch!”
“I don’t
suppose that when you were in your cups you thought to ask the man a
question or two?” asked Danton. “About the temple? About
anything else of interest?”
“Uh, not
really,” said Nanoc, looking as if the thought had never
occurred to him. “We were mostly just drinkin’ and
singin…”
Danton sighed. “As
I have told you my boy, I have learned a few signal verities in my
day. Regarding this constellation of interlocking clues and
personages and this temple, one verity doth come to mind: A first
time is happenstance, a second time is coincidence, but a third time
is enemy action. Ponder that piece of wisdom, and you wilt go
far—but only if you remember to ask questions!”
Even though it was
the middle of the afternoon, Xaod was indeed sitting at the bar in
Terrigan’s. Few other patrons were present at this hour and
there were plenty of empty seats around the huge man.
“Nanoc!”
said the big warrior, clapping the half-orc on the back as he sat
down. “You’re back for more!”
“Uh,
actually, Xaod, my head is still kinda spinnin’ from last
night—I think I better take it easy today,” said the
barbarian. “But these are my friends, Danton and Telemachos.”
Xaod shook hands
with both. His crushing grip did little to faze the Furyondian, but
Danton felt as though his fingers had been pressed in a vise.
“We heard you
been out to the ol’ temple north o’ here,” said
Nanoc. “Mind telling us what ya found? We were thinking o’ going out there with this pretty girl that kind of likes me an is
looking fer something.”
At this last
comment, Telemachos nearly choked on the drink that a barmaid had
just handed him, but he was coughing too much to say anything.
“It’s a
waste of your time,” said Xaod. “I went out there about a
month ago. Place is lousy with hobgoblins, but there’s nothing
else. And I mean nothing. I cut my way into the temple—what’s
left of it—and killed a bunch of the buggers. Wasn’t
nothing else to do out there, so I came back. I’m cut out for
better things than killing a bunch of motley bandits, so I’m
waiting here until something better comes along.”
“Just how
much of the temple is still standing?” asked Danton.
Xaod turned the
other direction to look at the Velunese. “Not much—just
one really big structure. It must have been some kind of cathedral or
meeting hall back in the day—just one part of a much bigger
building, but it’s all that’s left standing. The
hobgoblins occupy it and use it as lair. I cut a swathe through their
ranks, but the locals say they’ve done that before and that the
little blighters always just come back or new ones show up.”
After finishing
their drinks and taking their leave of Xaod, who went right back to
his own drinking, the party members next headed to the west end of
town where they had spotted the potion shop the previous day.
Like many
businesses in Hommlet, the shop with the sign reading ‘Potions
and Elixirs’ out front was a combined store/residence. When the
party members entered through the wooden front door, a bell rang.
Inside, instead of racks with wares, the party found only a small
open area blocked by a low counter. Behind the counter was a wall
with a single door. Movement could be heard through the door and
moments later a dark-haired girl of perhaps ten years of age bounded
through it and up to the counter.
“What can I
get for you?” she asked brightly.
Somewhat taken
aback, Danton quickly gathered his wits and said:
“We seek one ‘Spugnoir’ and were told he was the proprietor of this
fine establishment. Might he be present?”
The girl laughed. “That’s my dad! But he’s not here right now. Would
you like to buy a potion?”
“Actually, I
would,” said Nanoc. “Ya got any healing potions?”
“Of course!”
said the girl. “What kind of shop would this be if we didn’t?”
She withdrew a ledger of some sort from behind the counter and
examined it for several moments. “Looks like we got two minor
ones in stock and one that’s a bit stronger. The light ones’ll
cost you 55 gold each, and the strong one is 330.”
Nanoc withdrew his
bulging coin pouch and began rummaging through it. Dipping once again
into the coinage theoretically set aside for Mauser, the barbarian
began counting out a hundred and ten gold pieces. When he was
finished counting, with some help from Danton, he pushed the coins
across the counter towards the girl.
“I’ll
take both of the ‘light’ ones ya offered. The big one’s
a bit pricey for me right now, but mebee I’ll be back for it
later.”
“Sure!” said the girl brightly, sweeping up the coins. She then disappeared
through the back door for several moments before returning with two
small vials filled with some bluish liquid.
“There you
go!”
Nanoc scooped up
the two vials and carefully placed them into one of his pouches.
“Now that
Nanoc’s business is done,” said Danton, “might you
tell us where we could find your father? We truly do need to speak to
him.”
At this point,
movement could again be heard from the back room and moments later an
chainmail-armored dwarf emerged.
“Just who are
you fellows? And why so many questions?” asked the dwarf, his
hands crossed suspiciously across his chest.
Danton introduced
himself and his two companions and explained the party’s
interest in the history of the Temple of Elemental Evil and their
understanding that Spugnoir had played a part in the second downfall
of the vile place. With this explanation, the demeanor of the dwarf
brightened considerably (Danton diplomacy: 14+6=20).
“Spugnoir’s
gone out to the moathouse,” said the dwarf, after introducing
himself as Haunor, a friend of the family. “He’s been
going out to that place for years to explore the ruins, particularly
the dungeon below it. I don’t know exactly what he does out
there, but he’s never gone for more than a few days, so he
should be back before too long.”
“But this is
the longest he’s ever been gone!” interjected the girl.
“I think something’s wrong, Haunor! Maybe they could go
look for dad!”
“I told you
not to worry, girl,” said the dwarf. “Yer father can take
care of himself as well as anyone I know. Now fellows, unless you
want to make more purchases, I think it’s time for Renne here
to get back to her chores so that everything’s ship-shape when
her father returns.”
“Don’t
ya worry,” said Nanoc as he left the shop and turned to look
back at the girl. “We’ll find yer dad if we can!”
Danton only sighed.
After leaving the
potion shop, Danton, Nanoc and Telemachos next went in search of
Yundi again. When they found the young druid taking a nap on a rock
in the shade of the grove atop the hill, they woke him and asked him
to show them the path that the bear Tanak had taken when he
disappeared weeks previously.
Yundi agreed to do
so and from the grove near the top of the hill, he led the group
uphill, around the back of the keep, and then down the northern side
of the hill until he reached the river, near where it entered the
woods to the east of town. As the party followed this route,
Telemachos did his best to find any tracks the bear might have left
(tracking: 7+0=7), but without success. With over two weeks
having passed and with rain having fallen onto the soft ground
multiple times in the interim, the challenge was simply beyond the
fighter’s ability. The party would simply have to accept or
reject Yundi’s word that this was the route Tanak had taken.
Whether the bear
had gone into the river at this point or proceeded overland was
impossible to say. Yundi and the party walked west alongside the
river until they reached the closest bridge that would allow them to
go to the north side and then walked back to a point across from
where the boy said Tanak’s tracks had ended. But if the bear
had crossed the river, there was no sign of it on the north side.
By the time the
party took its leave of Yundi and returned to the center of town,
evening had come and the group decided to make its way back to the
Welcome Wench, where Nanoc rented a room and announced loudly that he
was proceeding upstairs for his bath. Telemachos took his leave as
well, leaving Danton alone to make his way into the restaurant and
common area.
There was, as yet,
no sign of Aseneth, but the terrible bard who had provided such
feeble entertainment the previous evening, Redithidoor Halfmoon, was
present, sitting in a corner and attempting to tune an old lute.
“Ho there,
Redithidoor, is it?” asked the Velunese, pulling up a chair and
sitting down.
“Indeed,”
said the half-elven entertainer. “And you are?”
“Danton
Verbrugge, of Veluna. It appears we have a mutual friend—Yundi
the would-be druid.”
“Ah, Yundi. A
fine lad. Always interested in a good song or story. Too bad he quit
working here.”
“Yes,”
said Danton. “He also spoke of you in the highest regard and
said you had told him much of things arcane, and that the two of you
had discussed the unfortunate condition of his mentor.”
“Tis true,”
said Redithidoor. “Jaroo’s condition is truly a sad
story—how the mighty are fallen, as it were.”
“Yundi said
you told him that Jaroo might be under some kind of spell…” began Danton.
Still attempting to
tighten an obstinate string, Redithidoor did not look up. “Yes,
well, sort of. Personally I believe Jaroo merely suffers from the
throes of advanced age, but Yundi refuses to accept that. He asked me
if magic could account for his mentor’s decline. I told him
such things were theoretically possible, but I wish I hadn’t.
Now he clings to that illusory hope to the exclusion of the mundane
reality—Jaroo is senile and that is that.”
Redithidoor paused
in his work and looked up. “You seem like an educated
man—intelligent enough to know that merely because magic could addle a man’s mind, not every old fool is the victim of
the dark arts, eh?”
“Say,”
added the bard suddenly. “Word around here is you all are going
out to do some exploring of the moathouse and the temple. If you’re
interested, I could be persuaded to join you. Been far too long that
I’ve been cooped up here. I was actually out at the moathouse a
couple of weeks ago. I think there might be some undead still active
out there in the dungeons!”
“Really?”
asked Danton. “What makes you say so?”
“Well, I
didn’t actually see anything,” said the main
defensively. “But I heard some weird noises that made me think
something might be moving around down there. And that could be
undead!”
“Interesting,”
said Danton, genuinely unsure what to make of the man’s words (sense motive: 12+4=16). “We shall consider your offer
and…get back to you.”
The Velunese stood
up, replaced the chair he had used at its table and walked from the
largely empty restaurant and towards the hall leading to his room
upstairs. But just as he turned the corner, a man coming from the
opposite direction bumped into him.
“My
apologies,” said the man, whom Danton recognized as the same
individual who had gone through the restaurant the previous evening
forcing himself into conversations with everyone present. His name
was Chatrilon, Danton remembered.
“Ah, you are
Danton—one of the ones considering going out to do some
exploring, or so they say,” said the man. “A word to the
wise—if I may—concentrate your efforts on the old temple.
The place is filled with hobgoblins and it would do the town good if
they were eliminated. You might try the abandoned town of Nulb as
well, for the two are close to one another. But I’d not bother
with the ruined moathouse—I was there not two weeks ago and
found it to be disappointingly empty. Neither challenge nor booty for
an adventurer worthy of the name to face or cart off. Heed my words
and you’ll do well. Take care, friend.”
And with that, the
man moved past Danton, down the hall, and out the front door of the
inn.
_______________________________________________________________
Notes for turn 21:
Please send postings for Turn 21 by
the end of Thursday, August 24th.
Keep in mind that for the bulk of
the party the date is now 7 Lipanj (“Wealsun”), but for
Mauser it is still 25 Svibanj (“Flocktime”).
Items gained this turn: 2
potions of cure light wounds (Nanoc)
Undivided Loot previously
gained: none
Items
used/lost/destroyed this turn: I’ll tally up all the
party’s living expenses for Hommlet whenever the group departs
town.
FOES DEFEATED:
This Chapter:
| Character |
Foes Defeated |
Percent of Total |
Most Powerful Defeated |
| Nanoc |
0/0 |
0% |
|
| Mauser |
0/0 |
0% |
|
| Telemachos |
0/0 |
0% |
|
| Danton |
0/0 |
0% |
|
| Erky |
0/0 |
0% |
|
Entire Campaign:
| Character |
Foes Defeated |
Percent of Total |
Most Powerful Defeated |
| Nanoc |
43/104 |
41% |
Sarcophagus Thing |
| Mauser |
19/104 |
18% |
Shadow |
| Telemachos |
29/104 |
28% |
Calcryx |
| Danton |
7/104 |
7% |
Bugbear |
| Erky |
6/104 |
6% |
Twig Blight |
Current Status
of the Party:
Nanoc
AC: 14 (presently without armor)
Hit points: 35/35
New XP: 0
XP total: 3390
XP needed: 6,000
Equipment: great axe, short bow,
short sword, studded leather armor, 46 arrows, 2 quivers, backpack,
waterskin, 7 days trail rations, bedroll, 2 sacks, 2 flint &
steel, bearskin, tent, 50’ rope, 1 sap, 2 small marble statues,
2 potions of cure light wounds
Gold: 113
Silver: 220
Mauser
AC: 18
Hit points: 31/31
New XP: 0
XP total: 3390
XP needed: 6,000
Spells Available:
0 Level (4): Detect
Magic
1st Level (4* one of these four spells must be a domain spell):Summon
Monster I, Command, Cause Light Wounds, Nystul’s Aura
2nd
Level (3*one must be a domain spell): Hold PersonX2
Equipment:
quarterstaff, heavy mace, light crossbow, scalemail, 36 crossbow
bolts, small wooden shield, backpack, pouch belt, 50’ silk
rope, 10 torches, waterskin, flint & steel, 2 holy water flasks,
peasant outfit, bedroll, entertainer’s outfit, cleric’s
vestment, healer’s kit, 14 days rations, four jade dragon
figurines, ½ potion of cure light wounds, 1 sap, 1 unknown
potion, scrolls of slow poison, command, cure light wounds,
inflict light wounds, unknown tome, morningstar +1, magical orb
from the Sunless Citadel
Gold: 10 (plus 148
left in not-so-safe-keeping with Nanoc)
Silver: 220
Danton
AC: 15 (16 vs. one opponent)
Hit points: 14/14
New XP: 0
XP total: 3390
XP needed: 6,000
Equipment: rapier,
6 daggers, light crossbow, studded leather armor, quiver with 13
bolts, bedroll, backpack, flint & steel, thieves picks,
waterskin, 9 days trail rations, hooded lantern, notebook, pen, ink,
gold ring engraved with the name Karakas, 1 sap, 1 metal key from
Yusdrayl, Everburning Torch, 2 unknown arcane scrolls
Gold: 294
Silver: 220
Telemachos
AC: 12 (without
armor at the moment)
Hit points: 32/32
New XP: 0
XP total: 3390
XP needed: 6,000
Equipment: short
sword, 2 daggers, longbow, quiver and 36 arrows, large wooden shield,
backpack, large sack, flint and steel, 10 days rations, waterskin,
bedroll, tent, 1 sap, Shatterspike (Longsword +1 with special
properties)
Gold: 127
Silver: 220
|