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Jarek: Into the Jaws of Darkness, Round 01

With two fiendish creatures in front of me, I had to re-consider my battle tactics. I was far away from my companions and the monsters were blocking the way back.

"These are sinspawns!" Gryffin's voice echoed through the tunnel. There was a tone of fear and dread in the wizard's voice.

"What are these monsters?" I tried shouting back, but I only managed to mutter a few words. I felt my head getting heavy and my muscles growing tired. My vision began blurry and I felt the bow in my hands getting heavy.

Damn creatures! I thought to myself. Their bite must be poisonous or something. I was overwhelmed with a sense of lethargy and dread. I felt like dropping to the ground and let the darkness consume me.

"Blessed corellon. May your light shine upon jarek and let him be healed of his wounds..."

Guy's holy prayer sounded like the morning dawn banishing the darkness. His voice was the music of a dozen tenors, singing a haunting rhapsody, filling my body with a sense of hope, renewing my spirit.

I felt the fatigue and soreness fade away. The eladrin's hymn of praise gave me the strength and the clarity of mind to continue on fighting.

Feeling might of Corellon coursing through my body, I gave a howl of fury. The two sinspawns were taken a back. They never expected someone to resist their attacks.

I braced myself and charged towards one of the creatures. Using my elbows as a shield I bashed through the monster in front of me. I felt the monster's claw ripping through my shoulders, its poison tipped talons struggling to pull me down. But I continued on moving forward, knocking the sinspawn to the wall.

The other monster tried to grapple me down, but I kept pushing forward. My own momentum kept me running and I felt the monster's claws sapping my strength.

I kept moving, past the two creatures, Arao, Lloyd and Guillaumes. I made it back towards my companions, pass another sinspawn.

By the time I caught my breath, I was behind the eladrin priest. My hands were torn and bleeding from the sinspawn's talons. I couldn't believe how I managed to run pass three of those monsters and survive.

"Thank Corellon you're still alive," Guy muttered. His eyes beaming with pride and divine fevor. "You are trully a living testimony to his power!"

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Arao: Jaws of Darkness, Rd.1

The ranger has moved too far ahead. We need to get him back.

This thought pervaded my mind even as my knees buckled from the pain of the monster's cut on my belly. I heard the warlord shout the same concern as he headed off one of the monsters with his shield. I heard the eladrin priest chant a prayer of healing for the ranger.

Sucking up a lungful of air for renewed energy, I crossed the monster's threshold, ignoring the damage of its opportunistic stabbing attack, and brought the light of my sunrod unto the ranger's area. The ranger was truly in trouble, dazed and unnerved from the ferocity of the monsters' attacks.

"Jarek! Move back towards us!" I shouted as I began to channel Pelor's divinity to him. "Reject! In Pelor's name... Divine Mettle!"

A warm holy light bathed the ranger. I could see him recover from his stupor. "Now fall back toward us!" I shouted to him.

Jarek gave me a bewildered look, and I thought that he might have more ailments on his senses. But then I followed his gaze behind me... and the solid rock wall. Cognizance flashed on me; Lady Avandra wasn't with us today.

Oh brother, now we're hemmed in.



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Guillaume: Into the jaws of Darkness, Round 01

at the warning of ambush by our dear friend the ranger who had been scouting ahead of us from beyond the shadows, to which i pray that he might find safety, we all readied our weapons and prepared for the worst. gryffin briefly described what appeared out from the darkness. it did little to appease the tug of fear at the pit of my stomach. i have not seen anything like it before. the creature was grotesque. it seemed to spit on everything that was sacred and beautiful. corellon shall protect us!! i declared outloud and unwavering. it was much to encourage my companions who i have come to know lately to have little faith in such things.

the creature ran straight towards the dragonborn and viciously assaulted him. "foul creature!" i challenged it in the hopes that it gets dissuaded from arao, though it did not seem to understand speech. "hear my prayer lord corellon. banish this abomination! the power of corellon compels you! the power of corellon compels you!"

i moved closer and behind lloyd so that i could jarek. i barely could
see him. but there were two other creatures on top of him. and he
appeared badly hurt. there was no time to loose. "blessed corellon.
may your light shine upon jarek and let him be healed of his wounds. i
prayed.

1 comments

Lloyd: Into the Jaws of Darkness, Round 01

Lloyd heared Jarek’s shout of alarm and the succeeding scream after that.

Darn it Jarek! You just had to keep yourself that far!

The half-elf looks up the tunnel and sees Jarek carefully making his retreat from a cave opening. Thanks to his elven heritage, even from the dim light, Lloyd is able to see the forms of the three repulsive looking creatures attacking the human.

“Gryffin! Jarek’s in trouble. I need to know what we’re up against!”

Lloyd takes a second to look for his eladrin friend. He finds him likewise lurking in the outer edge of the sunrod’s light.

No help there. Even the paladin seems to be stunned by the sudden appearance and ferocity of the attack of the creatures.


The half-elf grabs his sword and slashes at the creature attacking Arao. He wounds the creaure’s shoulder with his blade and then manages to push it back with his shield, giving the paladin just enough time to recover.

“Arao! You take this one. I’ll take the one attacking our ranger!”

Lloyd then scoops up a rock with the tip of his sword and flicks it towards the creature attacking Jarek. The throw was pretty feeble to do any damage but it did caught it’s attention. The creature reared its head back at the young warlord, its jaws spread wide and dripping with the ranger’s blood.

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Sinspawns: Into the Jaws of Darkness, Round 01

Summoned and warped by nefarious enchantments, the Sinspawns respondedwith the only emotion they possess -- rage.

Three stood ready in the darkness, sensing the emotions of the living nearby. Years of slumber had made them hungry, and the guards' bodies did little to pacate their growing appetite.

One of them raised its head as the first human drew closer. It sensed the fear and the anger inside its victim. Before the human could alerthis comrades, the Sinspawn attacked.

Claws lashed out, slicing through flesh. The human cried out and quickly retreated further in to the corridor.

"We're being attack!" The human shouted. He was obviously weakened from their attack, but he managed to alert his companions.

The second Sinspawn moved closer to follow the wounded prey. Sensing the dark rage inside the human, it gnawed through the human's armor, tearing out pieces of cloth and flesh. The ranger easily bats away its searching arms, but as he focuses on them the sinspawn lunges forward with its head, its horrible jaw stretching open and clamping down on Jarek's neck, causing him a world of hurt

With it's access to teh human blocked by its companion, the third Sinspawn ran towards the light, hoping to startle the others with its horrible visage. It sensed a familiar aura radiating from its next prey -- a holy and serene sensation radiating around him.

Howling in rage, the Sinspawn swung its large bony hand into the paladin, hoping to crush its victim before he tries to do anything against them.

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DM: Into the Jaws of Darkness

And then it comes.

A horribly deformed humanoid, hairless and emaciated, lurches out of the shadows. Its unnaturally long arms end in three-fingered talons, and its legs bend like those of a dog. A withering network of bulging veins form dark blue patterns across its pallid skin. But worst of all is its face - its nose is little more than a pair of slits and its eyes are bulging and red. The lower jaw splits in half at the chin into two wretched arms that end in tiny three-pronged hands to either side of an open, needle toothed open gullet with a long, pointed, searching tongue.

Its pale face is stained with the glistening sheen of blood. The things spreads its arms towards you, tongue searching out in the light, sensing your presence. Its red eyes darting across you all, judging its prey. It bellows a high, thin screech, and then pounces forward across the tunnel towards you.

Gryffin recognizes the beast at once. It is a Sinspawn, a horrid beast of legend. They were created by the ancient Runelords near the end of the Thassilonian rule. Runelord Alaznist, the Runelord of Wrath, created them as her foot soldiers. You have read of them before in your studies, but you had thought that they would all have died out long ago, what with the centuries that have passed since the old empire faded.

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[OOC] Converting Your Character: Best of the Rest

Rounding out the list of character classes from 3rd Edition is a motley array from various sourcebooks.

Archivist (Heroes of Horror)

This divine spellcaster shares many characteristics with the cleric class (not the least of which is his spell list), so I recommend the devoted cleric build (Player's Handbook p61). Any deity might have an archivist in its service, though Ioun, Erathis, and Avandra seem the most appropriate.
With your DM’s permission, consider trading your turn undead power for this new option:

Channel Divinity: Dark KnowledgeArchivist FeatureYou draw on hidden secrets to hinder your enemies.EncounterDivine
Standard Action Close burst 5 (8 at 11th level, 12 at 21st level)
Special: When you use this power, choose a monster origin from the following list: aberrant, elemental, fey, immortal, or shadow.
Target: Each creature of chosen origin in burst
Attack: Wisdom vs. WillHit: Until the end of your next turn, the target is weakened and grants you and your allies combat advantage.Miss: The target grants combat advantage to the next attack you or any of your allies makes against it.

Artificer (Eberron Campaign Setting)

A sneak preview of the artificer class is slated for publication on D&D Insider. That article will provide all you need to build an artificer for 4th Edition.

Dragonfire Adept (Dragon Magic)

This class is mechanically similar to the 3rd Edition warlock, so you’re probably best using that class. The scourge warlock build (p130) is a good choice, focusing on damage-dealing rather than deception. You’ll probably want to re-flavor some of the warlock spells to have a draconic theme (and you might even want to try designing your own draconic pact abilities).

Along those lines, try replacing your eldritch blast with dragonfire blast. It functions exactly the same except that it deals fire damage (and adds Fire as a keyword), and is “Ranged 5 or Blast 3” instead of Ranged 10.

Dread Necromancer (Heroes of Horror)

This arcane spellcaster has a mix of spells and class features drawn from the 3rd-Edition wizard and cleric classes, along with a few unique powers. At lower levels, the class feels like a traditional striker—plenty of single-target damaging effects such as charnel touch and inflict wounds—but at higher levels it broadens into more area-effect spells appropriate to a controller (Evard’s black tentacles, acid fog, mass inflict wounds). Your best fit is probably the scourge warlock build (p130) with the infernal pact, adding in a few wizard powers via multiclassing.

Healer (Miniatures Handbook)

This one-note spellcaster focuses exclusively on restoring the health of her allies. Choose the devoted cleric build (p61), and take every opportunity to select powers that heal or boost your allies. Keep in mind that in 4th Edition, it isn’t as easy to forgo contributing on offense as in previous editions of the game—you can’t give up attack powers to gain extra utility healing powers.

Marshal (Miniatures Handbook)

This class inspired what became the 4th Edition warlord, so use that class for your converted character. The biggest change to your tactics is that instead of using passive auras to aid your allies, you'll be activating attack and utility powers to grant particular boosts to one or more comrades. Oh, and you'll finally be able to provide healing, which you've probably been wanting since 1st level!

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Jarek: The Bloody Tunnel

"If you trying to hide in the shadows, you're not doing a good job," Gyrffin said to me. The eladrin wizard stared right at me, despite the fact that I was covered in darkness. "I can see you in the dark."

Damn it! Those stupid faeries can see in darkness. I always forgot Shalelu's lesson about the fae. That's why she beats me in our battle trainings at night.

"I prefer to stay hidden," I explained. "Put the element of surprise on our enemies."

"This is not like one of your stupid pranks," Gyrffin answered back. There was a hint of frustration in his voice. "We need you in front of the group."

"Is there any problem?" The dragon-born suddenly intervened. "Why isn't the woodsman scouting ahead?"

I shook my head and entered the light. "I can't see anything ahead. I'm not as gifted like some people."

"But you can still track the monster," Arao continued. "You can stay at the edge of the light and look for the monster's trail."

"What if something pounces on top of me?" I asked, raising my voice. "I don't want to stay in front."

Gryffin shook his head in frustration. "You've got that fancy new bow to protect you," he snapped. "Stop whinning and go do your work!"

"We promise to stay close behind you," Arao replied. "Just in case anything happens to you."

I made my way in front towards the end of the tunnel, where three seperate entrances stood next to one another. The structure seemed to have been dug out by someone or something. I tried to remember what Shalelu taught me about caves and rock formations. Unfortunately, most of those lessons were never applied. We spent our sessions out in the forest, and never got to train underground.

Before I could say anything to my companions, I noticed something on one of the entrances. Dried blood on the stone floor. This seems to be the path that the creature took.

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Arao: The bloody tunnel

Following the long winding blood trail in the tunnel served only to fire up one's imaginations about the terrible creature that did this horrific deed. I had reservations about the story of the town guard back there, but if he was lying, I couldn't tell. This trail could well possibly be a trap, but I reckoned if we were to fight the monster anyway, it would be better if we took it on while we had full complement of our powers.

The tunnel branched out to three more. To the left the bloody trail continued. I was very inclined to enter it immediately, but prudence was called for in this situation. I signaled for the company to halt. Then I turned to our point man, the human ranger, for a scouting task.

"Jarek, would you please listen to each of the tunnels and let us know if there are out-of-the-ordinary sounds in any which one of them."

I reminded the others too. "Ok, everybody freeze. Don't move an inch so Jarek can listen as well as he can."

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DM: The Tunnel

Jarek can feel the faintest of breezes coming from the remaining door. A quick listen reveals the hint of wind in the air. The door hangs askew from the the broken hinges and the blood trail continues on into the room and to the tunnels beyond.

There is a long tunnel ahead of you leading north from the small room beyond the door. The tunnel appears to have been hewn from the very bedrock (the Glass Works sits atop the cliff at Sandpoint) below Sandpoint. The tunnel appears stable, albeit quite low and narrow (you have to crouch slightly to walk along it in single file, but you could just about swing a weapon).

It winds on a lazy northeasterly route for just over 1,7500 feet (it feels like a long way) before branching in three directions. The left tunnel (going west) appears to have been bricked over at the point where it diverges from the main tunnel, but the bricks are now strewn around the tunnel, with some still jutting out of the walls. It is thru this tunnel that the blood trail leads into.

The drip drip drip of water on stone is audible up ahead, as the passage twists and winds. Jarek stops. He points clearly into the section of once bricked up tunnel, the bricks of which have been smashed and strewn across the corridor.

The ranger waits for his party and then he is moving again, slowly deliberately, an arrow knocked on a bow, eyes on to the floor, following the trail of blood in the flickering light of the sunrod.

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Lloyd: Sandpoint Town Guard

"Let me look at your wounds first" Guy states as he starts to tend to Nerath’s wounds all the while trying to pacify the guard.

Once the town guard’s wounds are tended. Lloyd offers to take him back.

“I’ll take him upstairs.” The half-elf states as assists the guard up. “You guys can search around here for more clues.”

Lloyd escorts the guard upstairs. The man is a wreck, shaking and sobbing to himself. The half-elf knows that there is no way he can just dump this man at the front door. The poor soul is too broken to make his way incognito to a safe haven.

The young warlord walks the man to the nearest guard post, knocking on the heavy wooden door. When Thormak, an older man that Lloyd has worked with in the past, opens the door and has his jaw drop.

"The goblins?" he blurts out.

The half-elf stops him, tells him that the Glassworks is now needing a total lock down, that two guards are lost, that the mayor needs to be told, and that this man needs healing. Without waiting for Thormak to respond, the young warlord is already off at a run back towards the Glassworks.

* * *

Lloyd returns down the stairs to the cellar just as the rest of you finish examining the area. Now that you are looking for it, you can see drag marks on the stone floor - the faintest traces of blood in long lines leading into the tunnels. The drip noise is audible again, and the stench of death evident to everyone. Jarek manages to find the trail and would probably be able to lead you straight to the bodies, or what remains of them, if that is what you want to do.

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DM: Sandpoint Town Guard

Arao runs at the door, ramming his right shoulder into it. The door is hard, the dragon born in platemail is harder. The door bursts open. Lloyd charges into the room as Gryffin starts casting his spell.

"Wait!" the half-elf shouts as he hurriedly waves off a hand towards Gryffin, careful not to disrupt the eladrin who in turn stops his spellcastting.

The warlord's words seem to have an instant effect on the room's occupant.

"Oh Avandra, I have been here so many hours. I thought it was coming back for me. I thought it was going to take me too. Thank Avandra, thank Avandra!"

Inside you see a badly bruised town guard. It is Nerath, one of the guards the party left to guard the factory basement the day before. His face has clearly taken a direct hit from something that split his left cheek and has caused his eye to swell up and turn purple-blue. His leather plated armour is badly damaged, with two panels torn and hanging loose. His weapon hangs limp from his right hand. The room stinks. It would appear that he has been in here for a while.

When he sees that you really are dressed as guards, he runs forward and hugs the nearest of you, the dragonborn.

"You have to get out of here. You have to get me out of here, quick, before it comes back."

He stops, eyes searching out tunnel entrance behind you.

"It took Kabel, I heard his scream. I called for Andriak to come from his duties guarding the entrance, to investigate with me. We came down here, we found this ... THING ... it was feasting on him. Eating his flesh. Its face split open, gorging. It was disgusting. We tried to run, but it caught us on the stairs, threw me down. I landed near Kabel's body. His face ... it was missing.

"Andriak tried to hit it with his sword, but he missed, and that was the last chance he got. He fell. It left him there, just lying on the stairs, his head twisted to one side. Then it came at me. I picked myself up and ran. I ran here, and pulled the door behind me. There was no key. There was nothing. I just pushed against the door for such a long time. It got it opened a bit, reached in, tore at me, again and again. I stabbed it blind, just thrust my sword out. I heard its guttural scream. It was like a demon.

"It pulled back then, long enough for me to slam the door shut. It tried again. It kept trying for what seemed like forever, but I had my back braced against the door, my feet against the wall, and I prayed and prayed and prayed.

"And then it stopped. I heard it slouch off. I heard it dragging. I guess it took the bodies. I guess it went back in there."

He points at the broken entrance to the smugglers' tunnels.

"WE HAVE TO GO NOW!" he pleads.

2 comments

Jarek: Shut In

Following Lloyd's orders, I kept myself hidden behind the group. Arao objected, again, saying that I should be with him in front. That dragonman doesn't understand subterfuge if it smacked him in the face. Lloyd patiently explained that this wasn't some army battalion and we're not in the middle of a war. We needn't announce ourselves to our enemies.

The entire factory was abandoned. Lloyd was furious when he realized the guards he posted where missing. "Something's wrong," he concluded.

As we descended down the stairs, Guy made an ominous announcement, using his cold disdispassionate tone. "I sense a great evil from under the building." I looked at the eladrin priest and snorted.

Arao then raised his war axe, as if addressing an unseen foe. "Then we must face this evil and banish it."

I'd rather make it out of this town alive. All of my companions seemed eager to go down the basement, thanks to the mayor's pathetic bribe. Thirty gold coins can't buy a decent healing elixir or a goblin-slicing blade.

I should be watching over Tsuto, waiting for him to regain consciousness. Then I'd beat the crap out of him again, just to tell me what happened to my sister.

"Let's finish this," Gryffin announced. Somehow the mayor's promotion and the nifty cloak had boosted his confidence as an adventurer and wizard extraordinaire.

Those cloaks look ridiculous. I wouldn't trade my own ranger's cloak over that piece of rags. I took a couple of steps back, letting the darkness cover me.

"Hold on!" Arao muttered, pulling my shoulders. "You're not going anywhere."

"I'm not going away, if that's why your concerned."

"Let him scout around," Lloyd interrupted. His voice betrayed his growing impatience.

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DM: Shut In

The door to the room is closed. Gryffin had earlier picked the lock to this room, and there was no key found, so it may just be swung closed rather than locked.

Arao reaches for the door and notices two long scored marks on the outside of the door. As he leans against the door it moves open an inch, as if pushed by his weight, before being pushed shut again.

The two marks the paladin found look like long finger nail scratches, but they are deep into the wood, and no human hand could do that damage to a wooden door.

Someone appears to be behind the door keeping it shut.

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DM: The Cellar Search (Again)

Your explorations lead you downstairs into the dark of the cellar where only a day before you rescued a young lady from the clutches of her own brother. You can hear the distant drip, drip, drip of water on stone. You move slowly, deliberately, weapons drawn and nerves on edge as the adrenalin flows through you.

At the door where to the tunnels you see that the wooden frame has been shattered from its hinges. The door lies in shards across the floor. You shine your faint light into the small room and long tunnels that wind beyond, but see nothing, except ...

You hear a noise, from one of the rooms in the cellar. The room that Ameiko was being held in. You hear it again, a sniffling. You look quizzically, nervously at one another, before moving towards it. You hear the sniffling again, an almost human sob. And then there is a sudden noise like the thing has heard you, as if it has drawn in upon itself, and falls silent.

A few tense moments pass, when you hear a broken, shaking voice whisper from behind the door.

"p .. p .. please .. please .. please .. p .. p .. please"

There is a person in there.

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DM: The Horror Continues. Oh, The Horror!!!

As the party meets up at the Glassworks, they find that there is no crowd at the door to the factory, no gawpers this time, no gossips or wags. Just silence, and the strange stillness of death. More strangely, perhaps, there is no guard at the door.

When you enter you find the scene much as you left it. All bodies have been removed, and the furnace no longer sends its sweltering heat through the room, but there are enough reminders of the horrors that met you here to keep you all deep in your own thoughts.

But the place appears deserted. There is a strange sense to the dormant building that makes the hairs prick up on the back of your necks.

And then you realise ... there are no guards in here either.

A quick search of the upstairs floor reveals nothing, reveals nobody. You head downstairs.

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[OOC] Converting Your Character: Magic of Incarnum

Much like psionic characters, those relying on soulmelds for their powers are coming from a very different direction than most 4th Edition character classes.

The chief challenge in adapting an incarnum-shaping character to a 4th Edition character role is that meldshapers got to change their powers every day, and thus could easily defy the normal strictures of a particular role or class. An incarnate blasting enemies every round with dissolving spittle feels a lot like a warlock, but the next day he might take the fighter’s place, wearing incarnate avatar and wielding an incarnate weapon. That’s just not an option in 4th Edition. Thus, your newly converted meldshaper must accept that you won’t be able to bounce around between roles as he could before.

The good news is that with that reduced flexibility comes increased power. A common complaint from many meldshapers is that they couldn’t keep up with other characters’ damage-dealing capabilities. Now that you’re using an existing class as a base, you’ll be just as effective as any fighter, rogue, or wizard at dishing out the pain.

As with psionic characters, renaming or re-flavoring some of your powers may help your character feel more like a meldshaper. Change dire radiance and diabolic grasp to purelight brilliance and grasp of the kraken, and you’re well on your way to reimagining your “warlock” as a true meldshaper.

Incarnate
This class mixes powers traditionally associated with strikers and leaders. If you identify your character with any of the direct-damage soulmelds (such as dissolving spittle or lightning gauntlets) or the personal-mobility soulmelds (airstep sandals, cerulean sandals), you should try the scourge warlock build (Player's Handbook p130).

On the other hand, if you favor soulmelds that help your allies—such as diadem of purelight or lifebond vestments—or that provide you a small boost in melee combat (bluesteel bracers, vitality belt) you might try the battle cleric build (p61) or even a paladin build (p90).

Soulborn
Modeled loosely on the 3rd Edition paladin, the soulborn translates best as a defender, using either the avenging paladin or protecting paladin build (p90) depending on your preferred soulmelds.

Totemist
Even more than the incarnate, the totemist specializes in a broad array of damage-dealing soulmelds. Most of these melds point toward the striker role; try the scourge warlock build (p130) if you’re blasting foes with fire and ice or the brawny rogue (p117) or two-blade ranger build (p104) if you prefer unsheathing claws or fangs to do your dirty work.

Alternatively, you might try for more of a controller feel; use the war wizard build (p157) and focus on unleashing wide blasts of damage against your enemies.

4 comments

Jarek: Shopping Spree

"What the hell are you doing here?" Savah Bevaniky shouted as I entered. "I told you not to come back until you pay what you owe me."

She ran a profitable business here in Sandpoint with Savah’s Armory. An adventuress of sorts in her early years. Savah decided to retire a few years back and realized that life without work was no life at all. She set up a small show at Undercliffway just near the eastern gates. It was one of the three shops where one can buy weapons, Venn's being one (and it's unlikely he'll sell me anything) and the Botique being the other.

"Is this how you welcome the town hero?" I asked, waving Arao's fat coin pouch at her face. "I've come to settle my debt, and get new weapons."

Savah's grey eyes blazed at the sight of my newly acquired wealth. "Town troublemaker, if you ask me." She motioned her hands, ordering me to come into the store.

I dropped the coin purse into Savah's table. The bag opened slightly, revealing several blue and yellow gems inside. "I need two daggers."

The weaponsmith turned around and opened a cabinet. She pulled out several gleaming knives from the shelf. "I heard you killed another gang of goblin raiders."

"I killed most of them," I answered while examining the blades. "Gryffin and the others helped a bit."

"I also heard you found Tsuto," Savah added.

"The bastard managed to kidnap his sister and kill his father," I clarified. "But I captured him before he could do more damage to the town. He's now in the sheriff's office."

Savah gave me skeptical look. I picked up two knives and waved over her direction. "I'll take these two."

"And what about Ameiko?"

"I made sure she got back safe and sound."

The weaponsmith continued to listen as I narrated the recent battle with Tsuto. I told her how I led the team into the goblin lair, saved the three eladrins' from being butchered by goblins, and protected the dragon born from being burnt alive."

"Belor should give you an award," Savah muttered as she examined the three gemstones I gave her. "Is there anything else you need?"

I pulled out my broken long bow and showed it to the weaponsmith. "Tsuto broke this in the battle," I remarked. "Can you fix it?"

"I'm a metal smith, not a bowyer," Merrin answered in a consecending tone. "But I think I have something like this at the back of the shop."

Savah spent the next hour pulling out junk from her backroom closet. The weaponsmith had collected different sorts of trinkets and furniture from adventuring days. She finally brought out a trunk and placed it in front of me.

"Here's the weapon you need," she announced.

Savah open the box and showed me a finely crafted long bow. "It is made from a unicorn's horn," the weaponsmith told me. "It's worth a king's ransom."

"It's just varnished ashwood," I replied. "But I'll take it."

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Guillaume: Counsel With Father Zanthus

I knocked at the wooden doors to father zanthus administrative quarters. it was a mottled door made from a majestic sycamore that leads to the main office of the head cleric of the church at the sandpoint cathedral. the knock was not muted given the material which must have sent the knock out to a few corridors away. it was the same door that father tobyn had taken me into a few years ago when i arrived in town and i needed to get started in my mission. i remember it like it was yesterday. the good old days.

there was no response? i knocked again but this time i turned the knob and gently pushed the frame in. i was relieved to find it unlocked. "father?! i am glad you are here. i need your opinion on .. ". i was to eager for council that i already began my questions and failing to observe that father zanthus was sitted deep in prayer at a pew facing a small altar.

i quickly took a sit beside him and apologized for disturbing his daily commune. i gave him time to finish his prayers which gave me ample time to take notice of the mini altar carved out of bur oak. it was an exact copy of the real altar outside (at the cathedral) and it did not bear any specific symbol of a diety. it sat with a lone alit candle in the middle. i supposed the generic altar was testament of the town elder's vision of unification of all of the churches in town. the mini altar was probably setup so that the head priest would have his or her personal space.

"what bothers you my child" father zanthus suddenly spoke but his eyes remained shut.

"oh nothing. i was just wondering about a few things. i apologize for disturbing your prayers" i began. it was after all my purpose for coming here. i needed his advice on what i should do to be free from kythan (or what he represented). free to do my mission for corellon. it was question of doing my duty to the state as opposed to my duty to my god. but now that kythan has abruptly decided to disappear under
mysterious circumstances. i was bit confused.

"no disturbance. what things, guillaume?" he assured me.

i then recounted what has happened taking particular emphasis on the impending attack to the town. "the citizens of the town must be warned. we are battling forces here that our beyond ourselves." i made special mention of tsuto's journal, bugbears, quasits, and succubis.

"what must we do to prepare father?" i had my elbows to my knees and my hands were covering my face as if everything that i just spoke about blinded me. i feel overwelmed.

father zanthus sat beside me in silence. i think he was allowing me to calm down before he spoke.

"i am not really a scholar of fey religion," the old priest started. "but from what i know, corellon larethian is often referred to as "the protector and preserver of my life" by an elf in peril, reflecting his role as overseer and guardian of the elven people; his people.

"while other deities may reflect the joy, delights and accomplishments of the elves, Corellon stands as an ever-vigilant watcher over them. only when it is time for them to pass from the worlds he helped create does he renounce his watchfulness to Sehanine.

"the people of sandpoint are your people now guillaume," father zanthus continued. "it was the grace of corellon who led you here some years ago for you to serve as protector and preserver of their lives.

"kythan may have left abruptly. to where, we do not know but that would be where his path took him. but your path lies here. as avandra has led all your friend's paths here.

the old priest did not say more so i thanked him and proceeded to my own quarters to prepare.

as i was preparing my things for the journey i was once more to take with my companions, i uttered a short prayer to my diety.

"hei-corollon shar-shelevu. corellon, may your grace grant me the wisdom to find my own path."

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Arao: Meeting with the Mayor, Aftermath

After the meeting was adjourned, the party decided to go their separate ways and use the given wages to buy some gear for the next mission, with the promise of meeting at the Glassworks in about an hour.

I was approached by Jarek and he asked if he could have some gold in order to purchase a bow as a replacement for the snapped one during the last battle. I asked him how much he needed and he said about 20 gold pieces, so I counted that much amount from my pouch and handed it to him. I noticed a strange gleam of wanting in his eyes as he beheld the stack of gold coins inside the pouch.

I turned around and began to walk in the direction of the apothecary shop, hoping to buy a potion of healing that may come in handy in case of emergency. As I strode down the sidewalk, I felt a tugging on my purse strings. Without breaking stride, I peered out of the corner of my eye, and sure enough there was the human ranger turning away, my purse of gold coins in his grubby hands.

I shook my head bemusedly. Truly we are in morally hard times that the siren call of gold would tempt another to brazenly steal from his comrades.

Still facing forward, I shouted in a strong clear voice, addressing the fleeing ranger. "Oh and Jarek! Won't you go buy me a potion of healing while you're in the market! Thanks!"

Filched of my gold, I detoured towards the Glassworks building instead. The happenings here in Sandpoint are getting more and more mysterious, I mused. And more ominous as well. Now it seems we would be up against demons and other dark and evil celestial beings. As I walked towards the Glassworks building, I put in a prayer to Pelor for the strength to keep the flame of good alight.

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DM: Meeting with Mayor Deverin

Your morning meeting starts promptly at 10am. The old retainer leads you into the same room you first met the mayor in just a few days ago, although now the mood feels much darker, and eyes of the mayor are a lot heavier.

Thank you all for coming. I am sorry to drag you back so soon after the horrors of yesterday. I trust that, like me, you find it difficult to sleep last night?

She sighs heavily, walking to the window to take in the view out to sea.

Hemlock should be back in two or three days at most ... we hope ... but until then I would really appreciate your continued presence. I have organised for you all to be paid ten gold pieces a day until Sheriff Hemlock returns, that day inclusive of course. You will be issued with cloaks that signal you as part of the guard, and I would appreciate if you could maintain visibility.

The news got out, of course. It had to. There were families to be notified, and the grief has hit the town hard. I have ordered the corpses of the goblins to be raised on pillars along the town wall. The people need something to take their anger out on, and I would rather it was not each other.

She turns now to face you all.

There are five pouches with the first three days pay in it for each of you. I have backdated it to yesterday. I would appreciate if you could go to the Glassworks first, see that the guards there are relieved of their duties. They have been on guard all night, and we are short of numbers. I will have a second guard relieve you in a few hours, and then you can just patrol the town, if you would.

-----

As you leave the room, the old man walks over the a highly polished desk and picks up, one by one, a carefully folded blue cloak with a money pouch atop. One by one he hands these to you all.

The cloaks are soft, mid-blue, with a white trim at the bottom. Each money pouch bulges with thirty gold coins. A veritable fortune for most of you!

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DM: Tsuto's Journal

Later, as you all sit in The White Deer, almost too tired to talk, but bathed, and with you clothes at least partially scrubbed, you flick through the journal you picked up off the table in the cellar of the Glassworks. You had noticed the maps and illustrations before, but had not really had time to really get a good look at it.

Amidst the ramblings and mundane, three snippets of text stand out.

After the circled battle map you find the following scrawl:

The raid went about like we’d planned. Few Thistletop goblins died, and we secured Tobyn’s casket easily while the rubes were busy fighting. I can hardly wait for the real raid. This town deserves to be burnt to the ground, that’s for sure.

After the last of the second batch of maps:

Ripnugget’s plan for a single, overwhelming land-based attack is terrible.

We should work with the quasit. We could send her freaks up from below through the smuggling tunnel under my father’s Glassworks. At the same time, we’d invade from the river and the Glassworks in small, focused strikes.

Everyone but Bruthazmus agrees with me. The bugbear’s just contradictory out of spite.

My love’s too distracted by the lower chambers to make a decision. She say’s that once Malfeshnekor’s free and under her command, we won’t need to worry about subtlety. I hope she’s right.


And before the last illustration depicting the girl as succubus:

My love’s bent on doing this thing. Nothing I can say convinces her she’s beautiful. She’s obsessed with “purging” her “celestial taint” and replacing it with her Mother’s grace. Burning her father’s remains at the Thistletop shrine seems to have started the change. I can’t say I like her new hand.

I’m hopeful that when she offers Sandpoint to Lamashtu’s flames, her new body won’t be hideous. Maybe I’ll get lucky. She could become a succubus, right?


The night wears on and after a few too many brandies you make your separate ways, agreeing to meet at the mayor's office in the morning.

2 comments

Jarek: Twenty Measly Coins

After everything that happened, the group decided to call it a day. I welcomed the break. At least I'd have time to rest, fix my bow, and figure things out. Lloyd decided to check on the guards' progress and update the mayor on what had happened. Guy wanted to return back to the church and talk with Father Zanthus.

"I'm going to the store to fix my bow," I told Arao. "I'll meet you guys back at the inn."

"Okay," the dragon born replied.

"I need money to fix my bow." I answered, staring at the large coin pouch dangling on the paladin's belt.

Arao flicked his tongue, as if he was taken a back by my question. "Why are you asking me for money?"

"I heard you snatched up some coins from the goblin loot," I said, looking at his gleaming new armor. "Nice plate mail. Must have cost you a fortune."

The paladin shook his head and sighed. "How much do you need?"

"Enough to fix my bow," I answered. "Or at least buy a new one. And maybe some extra arrows."

"Here's twenty gold coins," he offered to me, handing over the money like it was loose change.

I took the money and continued eyeing on the dragonman's pouch. It had been years since I last tried pilfering things. The sheriff gave me a nasty beating when he caught me stealing Old Erle's leather boots.

As the paladin turned away from me, the coin pouch swished gently under his weight. For a moment I hesitated. He might kill me if I get caught. But then again, I might need more money to fix the bow.

I slowly extended my hand and quickly untied the pouch from behind the paladin's belt.

"Hey!"

Arao spun around, like a gecko lizard snapping at a forests fly. But before the lizard could do anything, I was away from his reach.

"I need more than twenty measly coins!" I shouted.

The dragon-born raised his axe, but I was already running far away.

"I'll return the pouch once I finish buying what I need!" I added. "That's a promise!"

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Lloyd: Returning Ameiko

Bethana Corwin, the elderly halfing who first raised the alarm, is delighted to see Ameiko enter the inn, albeit heavily supported by Lloyd and another guard. The old lady runs forward across the empty main room, and gingerly hugs her mistress. "My wee girl, I thought you were dead. i really thought you were dead! I never trusted that lad ... oh, your wrists are bound, did he hurt you?"

It is not long before the pair of watchmen feel rather surplus to requirements. Bethana starts fussing over her mistress, and when Lloyd attempts to ask a question she tuts him down. "Please gentlemen, we are very grateful for your help, VERY GRATEFUL, but the lady needs to rest. Can you return tomorrow with your questions perhaps?" It is said in such a way that Lloyd is left in no doubt that his welcome here, albeit brief, has already been overstayed. The young half-elf warlord heads back to the Glassworks just in time to catch his companions exiting the building.

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Jarek: Final Room

Since Tsuto's arrest, the glasswork factory became off limits to everyone. Lloyd ordered the town's few remaining soldiers to clean up the building. It was a daunting task for the six remaining warriors. Ever since the Sheriff left with his retinue of warriors, the remaining milita had to work double shifts. Now they had to collect the dead bodies and clean up Lonjiku's office as well.

I slipped out the sheriff's office unnoticed. Thanks to Shalelu's training, I managed to walk out of the building without drawing much attention. Most of the townsfolk were outside, waiting for an official annoucement about the latest tragedy. The guards wanted me to make a statement, but I refused. Let Lloyd talk to the people, I told them. He's much suited for that job.

Two guards greeted me as I returned to the glasswork factory. I asked them if Lloyd and the others had left. They shook their heads, saying that the dragon-born paladin is still exploring the building's basement.

"Nice bow," one of the guards muttered. He pointed over Tsuto's weapon, which was slung behind my back. "It matches the color of your tunic."

"What do you mean?"

The other guard grinned, shaking his head.

I held out the weapon and noticed, for the first time, how it looked. The bow was made of fine rosewood and ivory, varnished with a shade of floral pink. Several star flower cravings were delicately etched on the weapon, making it look like a child's toy.

"This isn't mine," I replied. "I just borrowed it, from somone... Till I fix my own bow."

"Yeah," the guards exclaimed, unconvinced. "Right."

I felt my eyebrow frowing again. "Aren't you supposed to be busy doing something?"

"Sorry sir," the other guard quickly apologized. "Lloyd and the others are waiting for you down the basement."

I shook my head and entered the factory just as the dragonborn and the eladrins were heading back out.

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Guillaume: Final Room

"i believe we are done here. it is best we head back at HQ" arao concluded. he allows everyone to lead the way back. the corridors do not seem as threatening anymore especially that the mission was accomplished with no causualties.

"HQ?" guy brows twisted in anticipation of a secret code. arao kept his silence. he is probably reviewing what has just happened. guy firgured. guy did not want to press. "er .. Headquarters?" good natured gryffin offered but sounded annoyed.

several corners away, guy stops in his tracks. everyone behind him almost fell on top of each other. arao seemed to wake from his deep thoughts. "we do not have all day priest of corellon" arao commented.

"wait (pause) someone is missing" his stern voice trailed. guy was in earnest concern but a feeling bit relieved as well. arao and the rest looked around but failed to notice who. guy turns to face the last remaining eladrin and in a very low voice addresses him; then stares back at the dark corridors from whence they 've just been.

"shaesi shar si aelysaes (where is the enforcer)?"

"Kytan .. are you there?" .. not call out shout .. more like call out .. restrained shouting.

"i bumped into the enforcer when i was going into the building," jarek replied as he stepped out of the shadows. "he was in a hurry. he looks spooked."

"Did he say where he was going?" Guy asked. "He left abruptly ."

"i dunno" was the ranger's reply

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Arao: Final Room

"Ok guys, this is a wrap," I exclaimed as we finished examining the last room in the basement. "Let's head back to town and meet up with Lloyd and Ameiko. Maybe Father Zanthus can make head or tails about the book and those drawings."

I moved back out the way we came and fetched the two sentries posted at the tunnel entry.

"Mission Ameiko is accomplished, but more mysteries were unraveled." I sighed.

5 comments

Final Room

Arao hesitantly leads the two eladrin into the next room. The door proves to be unlocked and open up into another room that is used to store glassware, windows, and
other finished goods.

A quick search of the room reveals nothing to be out of the ordinary.

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Lloyd: Storage Room

Guy drops to his knees and offered Ameiko some water. He unscrews the water bag and carefully places the opening right beside Ameiko's parched lips. "Drink. You are safe."

Ameiko grabs greedily at the eladrin's water, pulling long drafts of the water into her searing, dry throat. She coughs, splutters up a little, tries to pull herself into a half sitting position, and then drinks some more.

When she finishes her eyes dart around the room and she tries to move her head.

"Tsuto ... where is Tsuto? That fooling bastard .... did you ... did you ... oh by the Gods, have you killed him?"

She looks plaintively up to Lloyd, searching out the eyes.

"He is dead, isn't he. Did he say anything before you killed him? Did he ... no, look, I know he needed to die. I saw what he did. I saw upstairs. I saw the men, my father ... I saw it all. I know he needed to die, but ..."

"He's still alive Ameiko." The half-elf finally states. "The Mayor's bringing him now to the Garrisson jail even as we speak. For now, we need to get you out of here."

Ameiko is capable of sitting up now, looking more composed, her pain obviously somewhat relieved from the caring attention she has been receiving

"We were never close. I tried to be close. I found out where father had sent him away to as a child, and I visited him. He was outcast, a half elf, my mother never spoke of his true father. Denied that she had ever strayed. Father stayed with her, but he sent Tsuto away to the monastry and cut all ties. He would not allow mother to visit him, and I was forbidden too, but .... well, I went anyway."

She pulls herself back against the wall, leaning on it as if still exhausted. "He was bitter. Spent his entire life bitter. Focused on the physical, the short term, the pursuit of strength and agility. And then a year ago he disappeared. When I got his letter I was worried, but ... well ... I didn't think he would kidnap me, kill my father ... do what he did to those poor men? And the goblins! How could he work with them? Was he leading them? Was it him that led the assault on the town? Oh by Avandra, I may have lost my entire family now!"

She doesn't sob, just sits there looking stoical. "Help me up please. We need to go and get the guards!"

"Warlord," The dragonborn interjects. "Why not send the two guards to bring the lady back? We still have a few more rooms to check."

"Andriak and Nerath have their duties." Lloyd states as he shakes his head. "I'll bring Ameiko back. You can continue searching the basement."

The young warlord then moves towards Ameriko.

"Can you walk?" The half-elf asked.

"I think so." Ameiko tries to stand only to fall back.

"I'll carry you out." Lloyd states.

"Here," The warlord gives the old sunrod to the dragonborn paladin and offers a new sunrod to the young woman. "You hold this while I carry you out."

"I'm taking her to Father Zanthus at the Cathedral." Lloyd states to the party as he starts to move out of the room and back the way they came. "I'll meet you back at the White Deer Inn when you're all done."

3 comments

Storage Room

Lloyd finds the third door is locked. Gryffin quickly offers his services. The eladrin wizard takes a while to examine and manages to turn the lock, feeling the mechanism yield. The room revealed to the party appears recently to have been used as a storage facility, its empty shelves attesting to its old use. On the floor of the room, curled up in the far corner as if trying to move as far away from the door as possible, lies the unconscious prisoner. She lies on her side, bound at the wrists and ankles with rope, and blindfolded and gagged with strips of leather. She is bruised, one cheek is speckled with dried blood, and you can see deep, crusted welts on her wrists where she has strained against her bonds. Her breathing is shallow, but strong.

The party has found Ameiko, although the girl clearly is not in a good way.
Arao cuts the tight bindings that lash the arms and legs of the young foreigner. The blood welts she has cut into her wrists are deep. It is clear the girl struggled long and hard against her bonds.

She starts to stir, moaning as if in delirium, whispering words, seeming to slowly come to some sort of awakening. Guy checks her and finds that though her injuries appear painful, but not life threatening, and it would seem that fatigue and despair more than physical assault have brought her low.

"Tsuto" escapes weakly from her lips. "Please stop!" ... the pleading horror all to evident despite her slurred voice.

Ameiko does not seem to need magical healing, just a simple dressing of her wounds (and cleaning of her bruises), and then soft cotton wraps around her badly friction burnt wrists. The young lady is awakening, and seems to point at the eladrin cleric’s water bottle. She is clearly still only on the edge of consciousness, but appears to be improving.

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Kythan: The Secret Office

Kythan just had to shake his head as he heard the eladrin cleric’s outburst on reference to some crude picture drawn by the half-elf rake.

I really have no idea what’s going on thru the council’s mind if they think this buffoon could help with Kyonin’s current –

The enforcer’s thought trail abruptly stopped as he saw one of the pictures on a page of the journal Guillaume was holding.

By Kyonin’s Queen Mother! It could not have begun this soon! I have to warn the council!

Kythan looked at his companions and finds them still preoccupied. He takes the opportunity step into one of the rooms corners and feysteps...

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Nualia

Arao asks Lloyd to take hold of the journal. Talk of demons piqued Guillaume's interest and asks the warlord for a look in the journal. The eladrin picks up the journal for the first time and leafs slowly through the pages. There is something niggling at his mind. The pictures are a little crude, perhaps focusing too much on the lady's "assets" - the work of an infatuated mind, but there is something about her face that is flicking at some ember of memory.

The claw ... nothing ... maybe some demonic transformation. The worshippers of Lamashtu sometimes gain these type of transformations, but it is impossible to know without further research, and, ideally, better pictures.

Lamashtu, the Mother of Monsters and one of Golarion's most notorious deities. After all, she's not just the one the goblins and gnolls and all sorts of other monsters worship—she's the one who MAKES a lot of the monsters in the first place. Among the humans she is known also as the demon who haunts childbirth, and steals babies.

Childbirth ... babies ... suddenly it all clicks into place.

The woman in the pictures looks like Nualia, Father Tobyn's daughter. She was a strange, displaced girl. Some said she was angel-touched, with her silverly hair and the radiant glow that always seemed to follow her around. it was her differences that marked her out for teasing, though, and she was an unhappy child.

You recall a few snapshots from your time in Sandpoint as a close friend to Father Tobyn, and, more importantly, as someone that the young girl sometimes confided in. You were one of the few who treated her well.

You remember many years ago, during your first few visits to the town, the door to the church furtively opens as a beautiful little girl with silver hair and violet eyes pokes her head furtively outside before timidly walking outside. As she daintily walks down the steps, a stone flies out of nowhere and hits her head. Boyish giggling can be heard in the distance as someone yells: “Freak! Go back inside!” Clutching the bloody welt on her forehead, she runs back inside, her face a mask of confusion.

And then the story she told you once, as she sat alone in her garden at night, knees pulled up under her chin, refusing to cry. The same sad, quiet girl sitting alone in the corner, reading a book. Cruel whispering and giggling can be heard all around her, before she gets up and excuses herself to go use the restroom. Three other giggling girls follow behind her and wait for her to walk into the outhouse before piling tables and chairs outside her door. Her father had found her there three hours after the school had closed, sitting alone, her eyes dry.

You recall seeing her bullied as a teenage girl as she walked back home to the church from the school house. Immediately, the air was filled with lewd catcalls and hooting from the adolescent boys (was Jarek and Tsuto among them? you can’t remember) in the area. Extremely uncomfortable with the inappropriate attention placed upon her, she quickly ran back to the church, with her head hung low. You followed her, but she did not want to speak any more. As she grew older, she grew more distant from everyone, and stopped looking to understand her plight.

You heard tales that people would snip her hair off, running up behind her to grab a lock and cut it loose before she could react. The fish-wives said she was an angel-child, and that her hair could bring health. She took to wearing her hair in a severe bun, hidden under a hood. She took to not walking around during the day. She became reclusive.

Her father despaired. You counciled him to be compassionate with the girl, to perhaps take her somewhere where her blessing would be accepted. You offered to travel with her to a church of Desna where she could grow up in sanctuary. At first he refused this idea, but when he finally decided that her coldness to him had reached a limit, he decided, against your advise to force her on her seventeenth birthday to go to the highly prestigious Windsong Abbey to become a nun. He told her that the Abbess expects all young applicants to be perfectly versed in their catechisms, and that she could not leave her room until she had memorized all of the scriptures. This was not what you had meant, this was not the way to do it. You had hoped that she could be persuaded to move with her Father. It was not an abandonment you had sought.

You had heard the rumours. She rebelled, of course, escaped the confines of her father's house, and met a handsome Varisian boy, who had recently arrived at Sandpoint from Magnimar. She ran away with him, for a few nights, until he lost interest in her, and she was forced to return to her by now hateful father.

She was alone. She was heartbroken, and, as only you and her father ever knew, she was pregnant. Father Tobyn was outraged, but he was also powerless. He took to shouting at her every day, as if his harsh words would correct her mistake. You stopped visiting him. He had grown bitter, taking too much to drink, and filling his house with virtiol. You would have liked to have helped Nualia. You tried once, slipping a note through her window to let her know she could visit you.

Eight months later she came to you. She was in early labour, in extreme pain. She came to you at 2am, creeping out of the house, wracked with the pains of labour. You sat with her, bathing her limbs, cooling her brow, talking her down from her fear. She underwent a painful miscarriage. The child was ... was ... a horrific and deformed monstrosity. Still born, twisted, red limbed, almost demonic in appearance. She still wanted to hold it, its tiny, rapidly cooling body, pressed against her. She sobbed. That was the first time you had ever seen her cry.

Two days later her house burnt down, killing her father ... and her?

1 comments

Guillaume: The Secret Office

The underground room was damp and silent, yet it reminded Guy of his tiny room back at sandpoint's church. the low curving ceiling and the broken floor tiles made the eldarin priest think of the endless meditation rituals and prayers he endured after his exile. it was the crampness that made Guy feel relaxed and calm.

But before he can mutter a thankful prayer to Corellon, Lloyd and the other men started mumbling in a startled, uneasy tone. "What is going on?" Guy asked out loud. He slowly walked over to where the men were standing.

"This." Lloyd muttered akwardly as he hands out the journal to the eladrin priest.

"What's that thing you are holding out?" Guy asked innocently. He gazed over a notebook with some ornate pictures drawn over it.

The priest saw the drawing and skipped a heart beat. It was a painting of a strange looking woman, in the nude

"It's possibly Tsuto's journal," Gryffin said in a gruff voice. "Check out the second set of pictures. You might actually be able help."

Arao's reptilian head suddenly loomed above everyone's head, his beady eyes staring down at the parchment. "Hmmm ..."

"Profanity!" Guy interrupted. He felt hot and dizzy. His heart could not take this sort of scandal. "It's profanity!"

Everyone started laughing at the cleric's outburst. Lloyd and Gryffin looked at each other and began to chuckle. This was the first time Guy seen his companions laugh out loud since the goblin's attack. Even Kythan was shaking his head, trying hard to hide his amusement.

"It's a clue," Lloyd finally commented. "Something from Tsuto's sick and deprived mind. Maybe we can find out what's really going on here."

"That's not a woman," Guy replied as the others continued laughing. "It's a succubus, but there's something else..."

5 comments

The Secret Office

Leading the party on, Lloyd moves towards the next room. The second door opens revealing a small room with a simple bed, a bedside table littered with lanterns and candles, and a heaped collection of clothing and equipment piled up against the foot of the bed. The small table with three chairs, one tipped over and lying on the floor, sits in the middle of the room. Three candles burn atop it, and the surface holds an open book with a pen laid across it, a bottle of ink, and a plate of half finished food. The glass carafe of blood red wine is almost empty, and, it appears, has been drunk from without the aid of a cup, for you cannot see one present. The room has a stifling, thick air, as if too long slept in.

Lloyd heads first to the table. His eyes are drawn first to the little notebook that lies open, a pen across it, and a bottle of fresh ink opened at the side. It is a small, leather bound booklet containing about two dozen stitched parchment pages, most of which appear to be filled with maps of Sandpoint or psuedo-erotic drawings of a mysterious woman (pic not suitable for work).

The maps appear to each depict different attack locations, with some strange text appearing to spell out numbers and methods or concealment and/or attack. It is the same type of text that the earlier letter from the tavern was written in, so either Ameiko (if the group finds her) or the halfling should be able to help.

The first few assault maps look very familiar, focusing on what looks like the earlier attack you were all so important in thwarting. What is more worrying is that near the back of the book there is a battle map that appears to show an assault by around 200 goblins, with various points of weakness in the defenses detailed. Some parts of this have been crossed out, and it does appear to be a work in progress, but the implications are still worrying!

The last page of the journal contains a rather strange image of what appears to be the same woman as before, only this time with wings and a tail. The guy either has a kinky imagination, or he knows some seriously messed up women! (Picture, again not suitable for work )

Gryffin finds a few pouches on the table, probably looted from the storage rooms. There are 6 pouches of gold dust and 8 pouches of silver dust. The eladrin wizard knows that these are used in glassmaking to colour the glass, and he is not sure whether to pocket them or leave them for Ameiko, since technically this place will probably fall to her now.

There are various items of clothing, and a full search of all items, turns out nothing else of importance.

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Jarek: At the Garrisson

The healers brought in the wounded half-elf to the sheriff's office. Lloyd's instructions were clear, have Tsuto locked in the holding cell and post two soldiers outside. A small crowd gathered outside the law enforcer's building, news travels fast in town and they were confirming what they heard.

I led the guards and Tsuto into the building. Several locals were shaking their heads as they caught sight of the badly beaten half-elf. A few women were crying at the news of the latest massacre. "Tsuto should die!" One of the voices shouted. "Kill him! He deserves to be hanged!"

"Enough!" I shouted at the people. "There's nothing here to see. Go back."

One of the women rushed to my side, tugging my sleeve. "Is it true? Is Master Lonjiku dead?"

I nodded sadly as she began to weep.

"Some protector you turned out to be," a voice in the crowd shouted. "This is your fault!"

"You should have stayed in the forest and let the real soldiers do the work!"

I ignored the insults and followed the other men into the office.

"Lock him up in the cell," I ordered the guards. "I want to know when he wakes up."

The guards nodded as they brought the unconscious Tsuto into small prison.

"Are they going to stay there?" one of the healers muttered as she looked out the window.

I gazed outside and saw the crowd had doubled in size. They were getting restless and agitated. Some of them wanted to barge into the sheriff's office and confront the wounded prisoner.

"Make sure no one gets in here," I said as I pulled out the short bow.

"Where are you going, sir?"

"I'm going back to the glasswork factory. My friends need me."

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Lloyd: Hidden Glassworks Entrance

“Andriak! Nerath!” Lloyd called to the two guards as he finished conferencing with Arao. “I need you two to guard this door.” The half-elf points to the room with the hidden entrance.

“As what the good Paladin suggests, we need to secure this entrance.” The half-elf explained. “We’ll find someone to block those tunnels as soon as we check the rest of the basement.”

Both guards gave each other some questioning looks.

“We need you guys to do this?” Lloyd stated as he clasped each of the guard’s shoulders. “We’ll just be down the corridor.”

Andriak hesitantly nodded his acceptance and with Nerath following suit.

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Arao: Hidden Glassworks Entrance

"Ok, Ok, you two, break it up," I spoke as I imposed my bulky frame in between the simmering half-elf warlord and the aloof and smug eladrin enforcer. Undeterred by their icy stares, I addressed them both.

I started with Lloyd. "Noble warlord, do not let your emotions get the better of you. The victims of this tragedy need to be honored by finding the mastermind behind their gruesome deaths. We achieve nothing if we quarrel and fight amongst ourselves this early."

Then I turned to Kythan. "And you Sir Enforcer, if you do not have anything positive to say, keep your words to yourself. Do not rile up other people's sensitivities. It reduces their effectiveness in battle. This is a very trying time for the good folk of this town."

My exhortation eventually encompassed everyone. "Comrades in arms, I implore you to focus on the tasks in hand. Let us find Ameiko, and let us learn the identity of the one who ordered this senseless killings. Let us serve justice and eliminate this evil once and for all!"

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Lloyd: Good, Not Dumb

“These people, whom you call stupid humans, have lost friends and families!” Lloyd suddenly snapped out as he poked the eladrin enforcer’s chest. “So if you could just shut your trap, it would be much appreciated.”

Still fuming, Lloyd walked back to the center of the room which they were checking.

“You okay?” Gryffin asked, as he walked closer to his friend.

“Yeah, it’s just that I understood what he said and it kind of pissed me off.” Lloyd exasperatedly answered. “Who is that jerk anyway? One of Guillaume’s friends? I could have sworn I would have noticed if there was another eladrin in town.”

“Ummm... Sort of.” Gryffin answered, looking back at the two other eladrins who were standing guard by the door. “What they have is... complicated.”

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Guillaume: Hidden Glasswork Entrance

"temples dedicated to corellon are usually built with labyriths underneath them as well. much like this one. it is where they bury the bishops. after they die i mean. but the catacombs need to be dry. that is going be quite impossible here at sandpoint. it being built right on top of .. and so close to the sea" guy offered to break the silence. everyone seemed interested to hear more (as no one really was paying attention) so guy continued enthusiastically to go on and on to tell more about his god and the church.

"what is he blabbering about? i thought we're suppose to be looking for the Kaijitsu daughter." Andriak whispers to Nerath.

"i dont know. who cares? the sooner we get out of this dump the better. that priest is starting to annoy me" the guard whispered back.

"corellon teaches us to appreciate beauty and what is more beautiful than a beautifully crafted ... " guy was an interrupted by a firm hand pressing on his shoulder. he turns to see who it belongs to and finds kythans somber visage.

"brother kythan .. i was just explaining one of the church doctrines (awkward pause) oh i see would YOU rather explain it to them?" guys voice rose and became slightly interested that finally kythan has taking interest in religious catecism.

"saeri medor cestal pai byr koli ei pas eirdyr os vaelor kyr. ai mendraer o caer molael eil thyler ol si torol shystal thys byrn" kythan sounded irritated. guy suppose being underground is giving him the creeps too. but when it comes to enforcers, who knows ...

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Hidden Glasswork Entrance

Walking over debris of freshly hewn rock, Lloyd readies his sword and passes the sunrod to the dragonborn paladin. He then reaches for the door with his shield hand. He looks at his company and makes sure they’re ready before he tests the door.

“Cover me.” The half-elf whispers before he gives the door a test and finds it unlock. Lloyd then proceeds to slowly open the door.

The room beyond the door appears to be empty. From the edge of the light of the paladin’s sunrod, a tunnel could be seen leading out it. This likewise seems to be the source of the sea air.

Lloyd points towards the stone floor where various muddy footprint could be seen leading in and out of the tunnel.

“Given the size of them, it safe to guess they’re made by goblins.” The half-elf deduces as he continues to carefully check the room.

"This is probably how they came into the glassworks."

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Glassworks Basement

The short flight of stairs leads down into a dark basement, feebly lit by the light of Lloyd and Andriak's sunrods. As the light dances across the walls the shadows appear to leap and dart before your eyes. The passageway splits, offering a left turn or a route straight ahead.

"This wasn't here before." The half-elf says as he waves the sunrod towards the left hand route.

"There used to be wall here." Lloyd states as he picks up one of the few pieces of rubble that litter the floor.

"We'll go this way then." Arao confirms with the deputy.

The left passage itself takes a right angle, opening up into a new passage. Before are three visible doors. Two spaced out along the left hand wall of this 35 foot passage (that appears to turn right again at the end), and one straight ahead on the far wall where it turns to the right. Each one can feel the faintest of drafts emanating from the first door on the left, and Gryffin says there's an even fainter hint of sea air.

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The Search for Ameiko

The party proceeds to tie up Tsuto.

Arao updated Lloyd of what has occurred in the Glassworks; from the time they talked to Bethana up to the time they found Tsuto in the factory. Jarek looked over the still unconscious Tsuto. The rest of the party spreads out in the Glassworking room looking for clues but finding none.

A few minutes later, the mayor brought more troops. Her face was lined, ashen. The men with her talked in hushed, fearful tones. They heard the message, understood that they must not spread rumours of what happened in her. Mayor Deverin, normally so calm and thoughtful, appears terribly shaken. "Who, what could do this to these men? Family men. Good men!"

After escorting their captive , the Mayor and a couple of town guards take the unconscious Tsuto to the Garriron awaiting his questioning. The rest of the guards start the grim job of collecting the bodies of the dead.

The party is left to search the rest of the factory for clues on the missing Ameiko.

* * *

The Glassworks is a sprawling complex, with a large display room (A1) to the north of the macabre Glassworking room (A17). The display room contains much broken finery, but also many still untouched works of glass, from the practical (bottles, window panes, bowls) to the beautiful (figurines in various shades of blue and red, stained glass window segments).

Llloyd and Gryffin leads the party along the factory as they are a bit familiar with the place. A long corridor snakes round behind the Glassworking room to a cluster of little rooms. These range from store rooms (A2 and A4)and cleaning closets (A3) to a staff dining room (A6 - the room is a wreck) and a dormitory for the workers (A5) who clearly had to spend many a long day and night forking for Lonjiku. The dormitory appears to have been the scene of some carnage, for although there are no bodies, there are signs of blood on the floor, and drag marks towards the Glassworking room.

This takes the party back into the room from which they first entered. They find a small office (A13), reception (A12), meeting rooms (A11) and various file stores (A14). The place still looks largely untouched from the last tim eyour group was here.

The only area the party have not checked so far is the door to the east (A16). Quietly pushing open this door reveals a short passageway, unlit, ending in a narrow flight of stairs that heads down into what must be the basement.....

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Jarek: Glassworks, Epilogue

"He's still breathing," Lloyd commented as he saw Tsuto's unconscious body. "I can't believe he did all of these things."

Looking at the half-elf, I couldn't help but feel sad. There must be a reason why Tsuto would betray the town and kill his own father. And what has Ameiko got to do with all of this? What do they know of my sister's disappearance?

"When can I talk to him?" I asked one of the healers tending to the half-elf.

"He needs to rest for a few days," the healer remarked as she pulled out my dagger on Tsuto's shoulder, "before he can even talk."

"What?" I shouted. "I need to know where my sister is! He knows something about my sister!"

"Jarek!" Lloyd replied with a stern voice. "We don't know that. Tsuto might just be playing with you."

"No!" I shook my head.

"You know how Tsuto likes to lie to people," the young warlord answered. He placed his hands on my back, calming me down. "He's a scoundrel and a thief. That's why the whole town hates him."

"Half the town thinks of me that way too," I muttered.

Lloyd shook his head and waved at the other guards. "Take this man away," he ordered. "I want soldiers guarding him at all times."

I packed up Tsuto's bow and the rest of my things. "I'm going with him."

"You can accompany him to the sheriff's place," Lloyd answered. "But come back here at once. We need you."

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Arao, Glassworks, Epilogue

Our cleric's magical lance shafted right through the half-elf villain's chest from behind. Tsuto looked incredulously at the bloody tip protruding from his chest, before falling to the ground in a garbled heap. There was no abating the evil aura he exuded, however, and even in the throes of death, his eyes bore the stare of sinister and hate.

I moved to congratulate Guy and was startled as our ranger Jarek rushed in and began trying the first rudiments of first aid on the fallen criminal. Kythan hissed angrily at Jarek, but Jarek would not be denied in treating Tsuto, even furiously shoving away the Enforcer's intruding grab.

"He knows where my sister is...!" Jarek babbled on. I placed a hand on the Enforcer's shoulder to stay him. He looked at me in heated anger, but I just shook my head in a melancholic way.

"Let us let him be, Enforcer", I explained, "I think it's personal." I pointed at the rope in my backpack. "Anyway, we have some rope to tie up..."

Suddenly a lot of people barged in the furnace room. They could be clearly identified as the towns guardsmen. They were led by a half-elf we all knew: Lloyd.

*******************

I waited for Lloyd and the rest of his crew to recover from the shock to the scene of carnage and brutality in the furnace. I began to narrate to him what happened wherefore in this room.

"...Tsuto led the goblins to raid this Glassworks, and torture the people inside to death, including his estranged father..." I pointed to the dead old man encased in glass.

"He may know where Ameiko is right now. Can the sheriff's office take custody of him, so we can ask where his sister is when he wakes up?" I asked Lloyd. "In the meantime, we'd like to search the other rooms in this large place. There might be some more clues to this mystery here."

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Jarek: Against the Goblins, End Combat

"No!" I shouted as the priest's holy radiance engulfed the wounded form of Tsuto. "I need him alive!"

The half elf collapsed from his injuries. Tsuto gave me one final look before falling unconscious. His eyes were filled with hate and spite.

What does he and Ameiko know about Vynna? I thought to myself. Were they responsible for her disappearance?

I rushed towards the body of the fallen warrior. He must not die! I swore to myself as I checked his wounds.

Arao and the others were busy congratulating the eladrin priest for delivering the final blow. I put away the half-elf's bow and began to check for his heartbeat.

"What are you doing, human?" Kythan asked in a cold, hollow voice. "Let the scum die."

"No!" I snarled back, protecting the dying warrior. "I need him alive."

I ignored the enforcer's protest and began applying pressure to his wound. I tore out Tsuto's sleeves and began bandaging his cuts. They don't seem to fatal.

"He will tell me what happened to my sister!"

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Lloyd: Meanwhile...

“You sure you should be doing that?” Father Zanthus asked as he walked into the cathedral’s rear gardens. He was asking the young half-elf which was now doing sword drills under the morning sun.

“Your wounds have just have healed.” The old priest continues. The priest motioned towards the bandages the half-elf had in his midsection and was now also getting soaked with sweat.

Lloyd continued doing his kata and didn’t reply to the old man until his routine was finished. He then after grabbed his shirt from one of the postand walks up to the priest. “I’m fine Father. Thanks to you and your prayers have more than healed by wounds.”

The old priest nods and offers the young lad a glass of water which the latter appreciatively takes.

“That is good to hear. I fear our town is headed for some dark times and we would our militia to be in functioning order. More so with the Belor off to Magrimar...”

“The Sheriff’s gone?” The half-elf asked confusion evident on his face. “Why wasn’t I told?”

The priest looks back at the young man reflecting the confusion. “I thought you were told. I would have assumed your friends would have told you before they went off to the glasswork looking for Ameiko...”

“Ameiko’s also gone?" Lloyd asked, getting more confused.

"Why yes." The old priest answers. "Bethana came to me saying she wasn't home last night..."

"By Avandra’s luck!” Lloyd cursed before he realizes who he is talking to. “I’m sorry Father. I have to get to the Garrison and follow my 'friends' at the glassworks.”

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Against the Goblins, End Round

The noise of the furnace suddenly seems to return to you all, as if the room has almost fallen silent again. The floor of this horrible butchery is strewn now with the corpses of the goblins. Perhaps that will go some way to avenging the deaths of so many workers.

The bodies of eight murdered staffers, in various positions of horrible dismemberment, are evident in the large Glassworking room. In a sunlit alcove, seated on an encased wooded chair, sits an old man, his entire body encased in thick runny sheets of hardened glass. The just visible scream set onto the buried face, and bloodied welts within the glass, suggest that the man was alive when this was done to him.

Other than Tsuto, there are no survivors, and from the state of the sticky blood pools, you would guess that the men have been dead since at least a few hours, possibly much longer.

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Guillaume: Against the Goblins, Round 06

heeding kythan's warning. guy backed off and stood safely behind the enforcer.

"it ends now tsuto" guy spoke with confidence as he watches tsuto wavered. his steps and stance faltering. "you are outnumbered. you will be dealt with human justice no more no less."

"never! you will never take me alive" tsutos contorted face gave his intentions away. he redirects the point of his knife towards his chest. threatening to end his life on the spot. he went on a tirade of being the true victim. guy was not about to take pity on someone who just pillaged the town at the cost of how many lives. but he is resolute on what must be done.

"beloved presence of corellon. may you bring this man to justice so that he may someday know the folly of his ways. and that he may live long enough to reveal the whereabouts of his missing sister ameiko." i beseeched my deity once again. a column of bright blue silverish light shot out from my symbol and towards tsuto which pierced thru his remaining defenses. he falls down to his knees. "NOOooo .." he managed to utter until silence took over.

guy quickly moved in to check if he was still alive. guy placed his index fingers just behind the square of his jaw. it was a new technique taught at the church to determine if the heart continued to beat despite the appearance of being dead.

"he lives" i spoke outloud.

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[OOC] Converting Your Character: Tome of Magic

This supplement presented three entirely new forms of magic—almost like self-contained power sources with limited mechanical similarity to those found in other books. Thus, converting characters using these rules is much more about recapturing the flavor of your character rather than finding new versions of the precise mechanical abilities he possessed.

Binder
With his odd combination of powers and abilities, the binder doesn’t fit neatly into any of the class roles described in 4th Edition. What’s more, his ability to switch out his power set makes him a true oddity… and makes a simple conversion to any 4th Edition character class impossible.

That said, a player looking to “convert” a binder into a 4th Edition class has two basic options. You can retain the flavor of the character as someone who gains powers through his pacts with supernatural beings, or you can try to retain the mechanical benefits and effects that your character is capable of generating.

The first option is by far the easier. The new warlock class shares this pact flavor with the binder, and some judicious multiclassing and feat selection can allow you to pick up abilities that you might have gained from your favorite vestiges.

If you choose the second option, you’re best off working with your DM to build your character as a compilation of powers from a variety of classes. This completely throws the class role concept out the window—and also threatens to marginalize other characters in the group as you infringe on their specialties—so follow this path with care. For instance, you might try to select most of your powers from classes occupying the same role in order to avoid stepping on other characters’ toes too much.

Shadowcaster
The shadowcaster’s power set matches the controller role most closely, as it includes a variety of effects that hinder or damage multiple foes. Flavor-wise, however, the class is closest to the warlock (a striker). Consider selecting either the deceptive warlock build (Player's Handbook p130) or the control wizard build (p157), using multiclassing in the opposite class to add flavor and options.

Truenamer
The truenamer’s powers focus on enhancing allies and hindering individual foes, so the closest match is to the leader role. It’s not too much of a stretch to imagine your truenamer as a cleric or a warlord, flavoring his utterances as supernatural commands rather than divine prayers or martial exploits. Consider throwing in a warlock power or two via multiclassing to add some bizarre flavor to your power set.

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Gryffin: Against the Goblins, Round 06

Gryffin felt the enrgy of the spell flow.

Unable to see he'd hoped that some divine force or luck would guide his hand in striking it's intended target or at least keep the Goblin from dodging his attack.

Then again, it was a calculated move on Gryffin's part to use a spell that didn't require much aiming in the first place -bein a spell that flew in a wide arc.

He had been hearing the sounds of battle and the screaming from his spot under the table.

"Are they trying to argue them to death? They seem to have forgotten about me..." He even thought.

In any case, it was at the precise moment after Gryffin had blindly released his spell that Arao's prayer to Pelor was answered.

With sight restored, Gryffin blinked and saw the wave of the spell just as it cascaded over the goblin hexer's corpse.

"I did it..." Gryffin thought, as he lay there under the work table with arm stretched forward. Looking closer, he realized that the hexer most likely had fallen dead moments before.

"They could've at least told me..." He thought with a grunt.

He checked himself for any other injuries and felt a sore spot on his side where the Goblin's hex had burned.

Cautiously, he crawled from under the table.

Having been robbed of sight, Gryffin took few moments to take the scene in.

For Gryffin, time seemed to stop and stands up.

Amid the red glow of torchfire and furnace, framed by shafts of white sunlight falling through large glass windows and surrounded by the fallen bodies of slaughtered workers and goblins lying on the cold stone floor, he saw his comrades attacking a lone half-elf that was almost pinned on one of the work tables - wounded yet seemingly filled with menace and maniacal glee.

For a moment, Gryffin almost thought that he was looking at one of the many small, detailed paintings in one of Quint's books - of heroes banding together against one massive foe.

At that moment Gryffin thought "Oh my, we are heroes..."

"I'm a hero!" Gryffin almost said as he ran forward - blue spellfire crackling in his hand.

He brought his hands together concentrating the fire into a ball and flung it forward.

"Hadouken!"

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Tsuto: Against the Goblins, Round 06

Tsuto suddenly found himself cornered with a table at his back and fighting four opponents at once. Still reeling from his wounds from the deep gash from both flaming weapons of the eladrin and the dragonborn, and hampered by the lucky dagger throw of the woodsman, the half-elf stated to reassess his situation.

Something changed with Turrowbend and his lot; they have begun fighting as a unit. He had to change that.

“Justice dragonborn?” Tsuto asked as he reassessed his situation.

To his left were the two eladrins. The one with the flaming sword was dangerously close to him. The other was has not posed much of the threat and has yet proved only as a distraction to give the dragonborn an opening. The woodsman has indeed proven himself likewise capable in using his blades as he is with his bow.

"So this 'justice' you speak of… I take it you see what lay in this room? I take it you have found my work of art ... my father's hideous corpse! I take it you might have killed my goblins by now? You have killed them haven't you? And now you talk about justice! What fools you are. There is no justice for me among your kind. They would hang me for what I have done!!!

“I have done justice here!” Tsuto continued to shout. “Did you know my ‘dear father’ killed my mother a few years back? Yes he did. He threw a poor defenseless woman off a cliff. But did anyone in town serve this ‘justice’ to him? No! But I did! You offer me nothing!’

“And as for you Turrowbend,” Tsuto then looks at the woodsman. “I have made an offer. No? Very well then. I’d just have to have you serve as an example to your friends.”

The goblin leader steps forward and thrusts both his hands towards the ranger’s chest. The blow would have been fatal but the eladrin enforcer stepped forward just in time to distract the half-elf’s attack.

“Mor!” The eladrin shouted and waved a hand towards Jarek’s chest area. Again, both of Tsuto’s fist hit an invisible force barrier, effectively cushioning the blow. Still, the blow connected, rapidly sending the ranger’s head back and dazing him.

The half-elf quickly spins around and pulls out a potion bottle from one of his pouches and drinks the contents.

He wipes off his mouth with a sleeve and once more faces those surrounding him. “Impressive. Let’s see what else you’ve got”

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Jarek: Against the Goblins, Round 06

Jarek watched as the eladrin enforcer and the dragon born engage Tsuto in heavy duel. The half elf's arrogance had backfired on him. Now he was facing the blades of two mystical warriors. But Tsuto's words still rang loud in his head.

"You could be with Vynna just like I am with Ameiko now. Brothers and sisters should be together."

Kythan brought down his flaming sword at Tsuto, striking him at the shoulder and creating a deep gash. The enforcer then turned to Guy and muttered some harsh words.

"Jarek!" Arao shouted. "What are you doing there? Help us!"

The paladin's booming voice broke my reverie. I knew I had to make a decision right away. This would turn the tide of battle.

With my free hand, I drew out a dagger on my left boot. The bronze blade glistened brightly from the light of the burning furnace.

"Throw the dagger!" The dragon born ordered in an arrogant tone. "You're good at throwing things!"

I don't take orders from a lizard man, I thought. I could throw the dagger at Arao's face if I wanted to.

"Do it now!"

I hurled the tiny blade and it quickly struck flesh.

"You are a fool!" Tsuto howled as the dagger bit through his armor and shoulder blade. "I pity your sister!"

Ignoring the hafl-elf's insults, I dashed to the other side of the table.

With one hand on my sword, I charged towards Tsuto with renewed vigor. The half elf was unable to fight back, only continued to curse me in vain.

"You under-estimate me and my friends," I replied, My blade sliced through his shirt and armor.

As Tsuto stumbled back, his fury and anger dissolved into fear. I brought out my other dagger and continued my attack.

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Arao: Against the Goblins, Round 05

Our fleet footed adversary waltzed his way across the room avoiding my attacks. Then suddenly he was right in front of me as he bore down his counterattack. I was able to fend off his initial strike, but a feint left my defense too high, and with a powerful technique, his fist struck my knee and broke it.

"Aaarggh!" I cried out in pain. I instantly knew the wound was grievous, as the blood from the interior wound swelled it twice over. My knees buckled, but through sheer display of will, I managed to stay upright. I will now allow the evil half-elf the satisfaction of seeing me fall in battle.

"Hmph." I spat defiantly. "Is that all YOUR proudly-called POWER can do? Can't even cut down a wounded man."

"My apologies, Sir Enforcer," I addressed the eladrin fighter this time. "But a knight of Pelor CANNOT stand aside when opposed by evil."

Mustering every reserve of my strength, I channeled Pelor's divinity through me. My battleaxe was engulfed with the crackling embers of holy flame. I felt my vigor somewhat restored, and with resolved purpose, I unleashed Pelor's fury.

"Flare, like the crimson dawn," I intoned as I brought my axe to bear. "Radiant Smite!" I struck his evil aura with all my might, and felt it break. My axe caught him on the shoulder, and slashing down, opened a gaping wound on his torso that began to burn his flesh.

"Surrender now, criminal, and face judgment for your atrocities," I finished, breathing heavily from the strenuous task. Across the room, behind me, I could hear our wizard's wail of despair as his sight was still lost. Quickly I whispered a fervent prayer to Pelor, "My god, grant my comrade the mettle to see once more."