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)
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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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