Chapter #52

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*****
*  The 8 player characters contained in these writings are copyright
*  1992 by Thomas Miller.  Any resemblance to persons or characters
*  either real or fictional is purely coincidental.  Copying and/or
*  distribution of these stories is permissible only under the one
*  condition that no part of them will be used or sold for profit.
*  In that case, I hope you enjoy them.
*****

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THE PARTY:

Alindyar, 9th level drow elf mage (N)
Belphanior, 6th/6th/7th level high elf fighter/mage/thief (CN)
Ged, 7th/7th level grey elf priest/mage of Boccob (NG)
Halbarad, 8th level human ranger (NG)
Mongo Thunderhead, 8th level dwarf fighter (CG)
Peldor, 10th level human thief (N)
Peyote, 7th/8th level half-elf fighter/druid of Obad-Hai (N)
Rillen, 8th level human fighter (N)
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Date:   12/04/570 C.Y. (Common Year)
Time:   midmorning
Place:  Loftwick, capital of the Yeomanry
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                        LII.  The Split



  The bulk of the party has done nothing much since episode 50.
Several party members got rid of minor magical weapons - Mongo
his pick, Peldor his scimitar, and Peyote his two-handed sword.
In addition, Belphanior traded Halbarad a number of magical
arrows in return for the ranger's small bottle of endless smoke
and both were happier afterward.
  Belphanior and Peldor did keep themselves occupied by going
to an old mage's tower in Loftwick and robbing it.  The party
is currently having a discussion over breakfast.

Belphanior:  In light of recent...events, I think it would be
  in our best interests to leave this city.
Peldor:  This kingdom too.
Ged:  Been busy, have you?
Peldor:  ...I cannot tell a lie.  We have.
Peyote:  Where will we go, dudes?
Halbarad:  I, for one, like these "fringe-of-the-world" lands
  that we have been in recently.  The wilderness beckons to me.
Mongo:  Bah.  Let's head for the mountains.
Peldor:  Yea!
Ged:  There are a lot of places in the world that we have yet to
  see.
Alindyar:  Perhaps it is better that way...
Peyote:  Let's go to Greyhawk!
Rillen:  What is...Greyhawk?
Ged:  Greyhawk!  The biggest and most prosperous city in the
  whole world!
Halbarad:  It is said that there is more wealth and magic there
  than any other place.
Belphanior:  Plus, there are bound to be many interesting things
  to do in a city like that.
Peldor:  (envisioning night after night of robberies in such a
  place)  Sounds fine to me.
Halbarad:  Hrmph.
Mongo:  Hell, I'm in.  What else do we have to do these days?
Ged:  Only Boccob knows.
Alindyar:  Interesting.
Halbarad:  We could ride north and eastward, perhaps making the
  trip in two months.
Peldor:  (pulls out a map)  Hmm.
Mongo:  Hey!  That's just like the map Rob had!
Ged:  Where'd you get a map like his?
Peldor:  Hmm.  (unable to lie, due to the ring he is wearing)
  I borrowed it from the priest before he left us.
Halbarad:  (to Ged)  Why did he admit it?
Ged:  (shrugging)  How should I know?
Mongo:  Borrowed?!?!  Bullshit!
Peldor:  Ah, come on.  He probably would have forgotten about
  it sooner or later anyway.
Belphanior:  (looking at the map)  We could save some time if
  we used the rivers...
Peyote:  No way, dude!  The wilderness is out there, waiting
  for us!
Ged:  No, he's right.  We could make it to Greyhawk in a fortnight
  using the waterways.  Besides, I haven't used my mariner skills
  in a long time.
Halbarad:  I wish to go by land.
Belphanior:  Sea!
Peyote:  Land!
Ged:  Sea!
Rillen:  This is a stupid argument.

  Much bickering and blabbering ensued.  When the smoke cleared,
it was also clear that there were strong arguments and opinions
for both the land and sea travel routes.  In fact, the party was
basically split in half on the issue.  A simple solution became
obvious - the party would divide into two sub-parties of four
adventurers each, and go to Greyhawk their own way.  They could
meet there months later and regroup.  Absurd yet practical, this
turned out to be the only acceptable way for everyone.  So it
was that the party split for the next few months...



THE SEA GROUP:  Ged, Belphanior, Mongo, Rillen
ROUTE:  NE through Little Hills; enter the Hold of the Sea
  Princes and follow Javan River south and east to Monmurg;
  get a ship and sail NE along the coast to the western Pomarj;
  get onto land and travel to hills; find mouth of the Jewel
  River and follow into Suss Forest; leave river and head for
  Elredd; get a ship and sail into the Woolly Bay, northward;
  enter land via the Selintan River, near Hardby; follow the
  river into Greyhawk


THE LAND GROUP:  Halbarad, Peyote, Peldor, Alindyar
ROUTE:  Travel from Loftwick to the Dreadwood Forest; through
  forest to Gradsul and then on to Gryrax, through the western
  Pomarj toward Highport; then enter Suss Forest via the Jewel
  River; follow it to the Gnarley Forest and then go through
  this woodland to Dyvers; go east, to the Selintan River and
  follow to Greyhawk



  As might be seen, the two paths crossed in several places -
but both sides still wanted to do it their way, and that way
only.  They agreed that whoever got to the city of Greyhawk first
would post a notice at all public places (Halbarad was firmly
convinced that the land route was faster, while Ged tried but
failed to convince him of the sea route's advantages).  With
these things settled (?), everyone planned to pack up and leave
Loftwick as soon as possible.
  But there was a slight bit of business that Peldor wanted to
tend to first.  He discussed with Ged the option of trading
his belt (an item that only a priest could use) for the elf's
rope of climbing - and the favor of a remove curse spell on
the thief's ring.  Ged identified both items, successfully -
the belt repelled nonmagical missiles, and the ring Peldor
already knew about.  Impressed by the bronze dragon's display
of exceptionally good judgement in giving Peldor the truth ring,
Ged offered the thief only the rope, citing his deity's strict
views as contrary to a spell-casting that would benefit a base
thief.  Peldor grudgingly accepted, though, and made the trade,
figuring that he could find a less gullible priest somewhere
else.  Thus, he got a rope of climbing, and Ged got a belt
of protection from normal missiles.  Both were actually happy
afterward, as it turned out.
  The next day saw the party split - the sea group was well
on its way by noontime.  The race was on!





next time:  Pirates!

FTP SITE: tybalt.caltech.edu (in pub/adnd/fluff/adventurers)
********************************************************************
NOTES:  For simplicity, the doings of the two groups will have to
be chronicled in the order in which we played them.  This means
that the sea group will dominate the next few postings, followed
by the adventures of the land group.  The routes described above
are just vague notes I scribbled down ahead of time, as the players
were discussing travel paths and cheerfully marking up my map.  I
don't have the Greyhawk map with me, but the notes should help if
you are familiar with the game world; the party is deep within the
western half of the world map...

  Due to popular demand, I have included below the item lists for
the various adventurers at this point in time, and to the best of
their knowledge...upon reflection, it is fairly obvious that this
was a high-magic campaign, but such was life...

>-



ALINDYAR
  dagger +2
  wand of magic missiles

  wand of illusion
  carpet of flying
  bag of holding
  crystal ball
  manual
  adamantine bar

  bracers of defense ac6
  robes of protection +3
  amulet of life protection
  ring of mind shielding

  potion of flying
  2 potions of extra-healing
  jug of (5 potions of) invisibility



BELPHANIOR
  longsword +2
  longsword +1, dancing
  longsword +1, luck blade (amount of wishes left, if any, is UNKNOWN)
  13 arrows +2
  staff of thunder and lightning (almost empty)
  wand of lightning

  ring of wizardry (doubles 1st level spells castable)
  ring of spell storing (friends, shatter, jump)
  bowl of summoning water elementals
  quiver of Ehlonna
  gauntlets of dexterity
  boots & cloak of elvenkind
  tome of Otiluke spells
  eversmoking bottle

  bracers of defense ac4

  2 potions of undead control
  potion of super-heroism
  potion of extra-healing
  potion of ?

  flask of curses (unopened...yet)



GED
  morningstar +3
  sling +2, of seeking

  ring of shooting stars
  ring of water breathing (not worn)
  stone horse
  Boccob's blessed book
  book of exalted deeds (unread yet)

  chain mail +2
  small shield +2
  belt vs. normal missiles
  rod of absorption
  ring of spell turning



HALBARAD
  battle axe +3
  hand axe +2
  dagger +2
  longbow +2
  9 arrows +1
  red arrow

  ring of warmth
  ring of animal friendship
  gauntlets of ogre power
  gem of seeing
  cloak of comfort
  horn

  leather armor +3

  potion of fire resistance
  potion of speed



MONGO
  hammer +4, dwarven thrower (augmented by magical water from the
    dungeon of Aranor the Mad, this weapon used to be only +3)
  longsword +3
  crossbow of speed

  ring of regeneration
  ring of fire resistance
  chime of opening
  necklace of adaption
  mattock

  plate mail +3
  medium shield +1

  jug of (5 potions of) extra-healing
  potion of fire giant strength
  potion of heroism



PELDOR
  short sword +1, of Lyons (makes the wielder invisible until
    the weapon is unsheathed)
  dagger +3, of throwing

  ring of free action (not worn)
  ring of telekinesis
  ring of truth (not removable; allows wearer to detect any
    lies heard but also prevents wearer from uttering a lie;
    this ring was the bronze dragons' gift to Peldor...)
  luckstone
  hat of disguise
  rope of climbing
  boots of striding and springing
  pouch of accessibility
  strange meteorite (demonstrates no powers, but seems to be
    resistant to any and all damage; weighs 25 lbs.)
  gnarled staff

  leather armor +2
  cloak of protection +2

  2 potions of longevity (only knows what one of them is)
  potion of extra-healing
  potion of flying


PEYOTE
  bastard sword +3, frost brand
  3 javelins of lightning
  wand of wonder

  ring of invisibility
  ring of earth elemental command (he's almost figured this
    out)
  rose ioun stone (grants +1 protection)
  pale lavender ioun stone (absorbs up to 4th level spells)
  scroll (1/2/3/4/5/6 level druidic spells)
  scroll (4/4/4/5/5/6 level druidic spells)

  ring of protection +2

  potion of dimunition
  potion of super-heroism
  jug of (5 potions of) healing



RILLEN
  quarterstaff +3
  longbow +2

  wand of illumination
  horseshoes of speed (currently on his horse)

  robes of protection +4
  gloves of missile snaring



>-

A few miscellaneous notes:

  Peldor has already figured out that one of the potions he got
from the mage tower, which he quaffed soon after he got it, was
some sort of charisma-booster (Philter of Persuasiveness); what
he doesn't know is that it was one of two _permanent effect_
potions left there long ago.
  Belphanior, as we know, got the other potion from that pair.
It's a permanent Potion of Intimidation...
  Belphanior's flask of curses is set and ready to render him
insane as soon as he opens it (he thinks it's just another
potion).

  Don't even ask for their spell lists  :)
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