by Floyd Fiftynames,
Lisenced Bard
If this Bard has learned anything from his adventures, it's this:
1. Beware of one-way portals.
2. Always learn Feather Fall.
3. Undead work long hours.
For Lothar, maxims 1 & 3 were at work against him and his friends as they fought a near continuous battle against a seemingly never-ending onslaught of wights, wraiths, zombies, spectres, and other manner of the formerly alive. Of particular consternation to Lothar was the Helm of Brilliance he wore atop his head; originally, he'd hoped to keep his use of the helm infrequent and low-key, preferring it's ability to make his axe a flaming weapon over the one-time use jewels. But as the battle wore on, Lothar began to realize that if he didn't reach for his secret weapon more often, the likelihood of someone in the group getting killed was only going to increase. Even the timely arrival of Salem did not abate the damage taken by the party.
So, Lothar burned through two of the Fireball gems, four of the Wall of Fire gems, and one of the Prismatic Spray gems in an attempt to keep his party on their feet and strong. The group had hoped to explore and map out this subterranean realm, but in the course of two days, they had not uncovered much in the way of new ground. Soon the question would shift to how the party was going to get out of this dungeon, and how they would find their way back to Mick, Gahiji, and their horses up above.
FF
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
New Friends and Enemies
by Floyd Fiftynames,
Licensed Bard
Before leaving Ashvale, Lothar and his friends met an elf named Lioto, who had spent many years studying at the monastery in the city. Now, he was ready to venture out onto his own, and as he was making a pilgrimage to Seah Salem, it was decided upon that the Band of the Red Oak would travel with him for their mutual benefit.
Lioto was quick on his feet, helpful, polite, and neither quiet nor loud. All, including Lothar, took to him quickly.
A couple of days into their journey, the group discovered a subterranean entrance in the woods not far from the path - so discovered by Ajanni and Gahiji as they moved about in hunt for that night's supper. The consensus was that investigating the cavern was going to be beneficial, and the party disappeared down below ground, while Mick remained behind with the canines and the livestock.
Down in the cave, after battling a few strange underground creatures, the group came upon a portal, and after passing through, found themselves crawling from room to room combating several unsavory monsters - the undead, specifically zombies, wights, and a couple of pesky wraiths. The persistence of these creatures caused Lothar to fly off into a rage, wherein he killed many foes, but emerged from the skirmish quite winded, and before the threat was fully dealt with. At the suggestion of the party, Lothar utilized his Helm of Brilliance, but what was intended to be one use of the helm's multiple gems quickly escalated into five. Knowing the helmet had a limited shelf life if used too quickly, Lothar resolved not to use it again unless the situation were truly dire.
FF
Licensed Bard
Before leaving Ashvale, Lothar and his friends met an elf named Lioto, who had spent many years studying at the monastery in the city. Now, he was ready to venture out onto his own, and as he was making a pilgrimage to Seah Salem, it was decided upon that the Band of the Red Oak would travel with him for their mutual benefit.
Lioto was quick on his feet, helpful, polite, and neither quiet nor loud. All, including Lothar, took to him quickly.
A couple of days into their journey, the group discovered a subterranean entrance in the woods not far from the path - so discovered by Ajanni and Gahiji as they moved about in hunt for that night's supper. The consensus was that investigating the cavern was going to be beneficial, and the party disappeared down below ground, while Mick remained behind with the canines and the livestock.
Down in the cave, after battling a few strange underground creatures, the group came upon a portal, and after passing through, found themselves crawling from room to room combating several unsavory monsters - the undead, specifically zombies, wights, and a couple of pesky wraiths. The persistence of these creatures caused Lothar to fly off into a rage, wherein he killed many foes, but emerged from the skirmish quite winded, and before the threat was fully dealt with. At the suggestion of the party, Lothar utilized his Helm of Brilliance, but what was intended to be one use of the helm's multiple gems quickly escalated into five. Knowing the helmet had a limited shelf life if used too quickly, Lothar resolved not to use it again unless the situation were truly dire.
FF
Monday, October 1, 2012
In Which Lothar and Co. Improve Their Material Situation
by Floyd Fiftynames,
Licensed Bard
The sad truth about world-saving heroes is that they're not saving anything without the occasional equipment upgrade. No great warrior ever charged into battle against a wyrm or a lich wielding a garden-variety, run-of-the-mill sword or axe with the expectation of success. These mundane items suit your goblins and highway bandits, but the encounter with the werewolves was illuminating to the Band of the Red Oak, especially Lothar, who had never been greatly enamored of material possessions not crafted by his own hands. Now, however, he realized he was reaching the limits of what trade could offer in terms of protective gear (he had made the upgrade from wood to steel in weapons some time ago).
The bounty from the corrupted monastery represented a veritable fortune to the boys, who couldn't spend that kind of coin in a lifetime had they remained simple villagers. They were not simple villagers, however, and Lothar, Riordan, Salem, and Ajanni found themselves in a world of amazing weapons and armor, and each one of them came away from the shops significantly upgraded. Not only that, they managed to come away from the experience with a little money left over in their pocket - for Lothar, at least, this was significant, as he had never carried more than a single gold piece at one time, and when he did, he worried about how he would change it out for silver and copper, which would have been significantly more useful to him in his current economic condition.
In a large city such as Ashvale, a gold piece, Lothar learned, represented a decent earning wage for a week of a man's time. Our young hero accompanied his friend Riordan to a local tavern, where he watched as the bard hired a retired warrior named Mick to be the company's standard bearer, then paid him in advance for the year. Mick, for his part, was thrilled. Lothar could only wonder what Emerson, Riordan's torch bearer, thought of the scene, and whether being present for the hiring would inspire loyalty on his part, or simply inspire him to ask for a raise.
That night, as Lothar set up his tent inside the stable of the inn where Riordan and Salem were staying, he looked at his new possessions - the axe, the hide armor, the helm - and he wondered what his father and his grandmother would say if they could see him. Just a couple months prior, he would have gladly traded any of these amazing things to have them back. Now, however, he did not miss them any less, but time was beginning to temper his grief, and if Lothar was ready to accept the inexorable march towards the future, he was comforted that he could do so properly equipped.
FF
Licensed Bard
The sad truth about world-saving heroes is that they're not saving anything without the occasional equipment upgrade. No great warrior ever charged into battle against a wyrm or a lich wielding a garden-variety, run-of-the-mill sword or axe with the expectation of success. These mundane items suit your goblins and highway bandits, but the encounter with the werewolves was illuminating to the Band of the Red Oak, especially Lothar, who had never been greatly enamored of material possessions not crafted by his own hands. Now, however, he realized he was reaching the limits of what trade could offer in terms of protective gear (he had made the upgrade from wood to steel in weapons some time ago).
The bounty from the corrupted monastery represented a veritable fortune to the boys, who couldn't spend that kind of coin in a lifetime had they remained simple villagers. They were not simple villagers, however, and Lothar, Riordan, Salem, and Ajanni found themselves in a world of amazing weapons and armor, and each one of them came away from the shops significantly upgraded. Not only that, they managed to come away from the experience with a little money left over in their pocket - for Lothar, at least, this was significant, as he had never carried more than a single gold piece at one time, and when he did, he worried about how he would change it out for silver and copper, which would have been significantly more useful to him in his current economic condition.
In a large city such as Ashvale, a gold piece, Lothar learned, represented a decent earning wage for a week of a man's time. Our young hero accompanied his friend Riordan to a local tavern, where he watched as the bard hired a retired warrior named Mick to be the company's standard bearer, then paid him in advance for the year. Mick, for his part, was thrilled. Lothar could only wonder what Emerson, Riordan's torch bearer, thought of the scene, and whether being present for the hiring would inspire loyalty on his part, or simply inspire him to ask for a raise.
That night, as Lothar set up his tent inside the stable of the inn where Riordan and Salem were staying, he looked at his new possessions - the axe, the hide armor, the helm - and he wondered what his father and his grandmother would say if they could see him. Just a couple months prior, he would have gladly traded any of these amazing things to have them back. Now, however, he did not miss them any less, but time was beginning to temper his grief, and if Lothar was ready to accept the inexorable march towards the future, he was comforted that he could do so properly equipped.
FF
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