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Post by Wolfgar on May 21, 2012 8:45:15 GMT -5
Well that was unfortunate.
Here we are, one day out from the Emerald City, and we encounter a ghost ship that Johann (who has been sailing these waters for years) has never heard of. Now we have lost Danakes and Johann (did he go to -10?). We almost lost Paavo and Trommer. Paavo has lost another 21K in xp. We had some magic items destroyed by a fireball. Our ship is stuck in the side of the ghost ship which is taking on water. And something hugely evil is awaiting us below deck. And to top it off, we have no treasure to show for this. I hate it when the evil guys blow up when you kill them taking all of their items. Do we have a plan?
Given that we have lost the one able seaman who was going to guide us to the Sunset Isle. Even if we are able to free ourselves, we don't have much choice but to turn around and try to limp back to the shore. Then see if we can get another of Captain Morgan's crewmen to join us.
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Post by Mr. Trommer on May 21, 2012 8:59:46 GMT -5
If it works like the spell, Dream, we may be able to use the dreamstone to help us find the path to the isles. It might also work for finding the path to Demonspores.
Don't forget the rot grubs.
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Post by Wolfgar on May 21, 2012 9:24:58 GMT -5
I suppose we also have the crown of the high king to give us directions. But there were certain sailing perils we needed Johann to get us through.
BTW, the DM has mentioned that the dreamstone pendant probably won't work here since no one seems to dream when sleeping in the ethereal plane.
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Post by Ginger on May 21, 2012 11:03:39 GMT -5
Our Redshirt is only at zero, I think, but he's going to take burning damage until he dies. No one is really in a position to help him, certainly not Colby.
Maybe the day of seamanship training will give us the ability to sail ourselves? We can always speak with dead for guidance!
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Post by venger on May 21, 2012 11:04:40 GMT -5
I like that title. Here we are, one day out from the Emerald City, and we encounter a ghost ship that Johann (who has been sailing these waters for years) has never heard of. 2 days out. Remember night fell and then there was another half day before the ghost ship was sighted. And then several hours as it intercepted your course. Johann mentioned several potential hazards on the way, including: giant sea monsters, the "Scrags Teeth" and a whirlpool named Nooz Wana, the Whelmer of Ships. Ghost ships, I guess he assumed, were taken for granted on the Sea of Eternity in the Ethereal Plane. Now we have lost Danakes and Johann (did he go to -10?). Johann was at 0 when we called the session. He is on fire, taking damage each round. Prompt action with healing might save him. The only person near him is Colby, who is Confused and burning rotgrubs off himself. We had some magic items destroyed by a fireball. Ring of swimming, Ingrid's holy symbol. For how many of you failed that one save, not bad. I hate it when the evil guys blow up when you kill them taking all of their items. Non-corporeal undead don't typically carry corporeal treasure. Ingrid believes if you find the physical remains, you'll also find the items it was carrying in its spirit form.
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Post by Wolfgar on May 21, 2012 12:02:06 GMT -5
Paavo and Trommer are also in the hold at the end of the session. Paavo is still paralyzed by the ghast, but Trommer should be able to rush to Johann's aid.
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Post by Wolfgar on Jun 4, 2012 13:06:41 GMT -5
What did I miss?
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Post by Ginger on Jun 4, 2012 13:32:32 GMT -5
Last week's session was not our best. We went into the captain's cabin and found some loot. We had a bunch of random encounters, one with octopus-men, one against a sea-serpent/dragon, and one against aquatic trolls. Gareth rolled up a new bow specialist, who died, and then rolled up a new one.
Things started to go severely downhill when we reached a great whirlpool. Johann said the way to the Sunset Isle was through it, and that we would probably die in it. Colby was a little aghast, but if that was the way he suggested, then that was the way we were going to go.
The ship didn't survive the whirlpool, and we all washed up on the shore of the sunset isles. Much of our stuff was lost, and the group was separated (all of the NPCs and Paavo and Dan were removed). We had a random encounter with some nasty poisonous creatures, which killed Trommer and Mary. While dragging their bodies, we were confronted by 8 amazons with two unicorn/pegasus things. They demanded our surrender, and we complied.
In their camp, we found Paavo and Dan in bamboo cages. They'd woken up in them. The amazons used herbs to restore Trommer and Mary. Their very matriarchal society chastised Mary for allowing her male slaves to carry weapons. When Mary let slip that Colby was a wizard, they cut out his tongue. (I did roll an 01 for my reaction adjustment, which didn't help.) They're prepared to allow Mary to leave with her slaves, but won't let Paavo and Dan leave unless she purchases them.
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Post by venger on Jun 4, 2012 14:58:53 GMT -5
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Post by venger on Jun 5, 2012 10:26:35 GMT -5
Experience posted in the link above--
highlights: Friedrich makes 7th fighter Colby makes 8th magic-user Nordel makes 2nd ranger Finnious makes 6th level thief Ingrid makes 6th level cleric
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Post by Wolfgar on Jun 5, 2012 11:21:25 GMT -5
So how much was lost as a result of the whirlpool? Are the Amazons going to return our items when they release us?
Why didn't Colby polymorph into a gargoyle to avoid getting sucked into the whirlpool?
How has Captain Morgan survived sailing these seas for a hundred years???
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Post by Ginger on Jun 5, 2012 12:43:37 GMT -5
A huge whirlpool would have created hazardous flying conditions. Besides, how would he be better off if he was separated from the rest of the group? Turning into a fish might have been better, but it seems like it's a magic whirlpool that sucks you in and spits you out the other side.
I asked Johann why the heck he signed up for our mission if he thought it was likely we'd die in the whirlpool. He didn't really have a good answer.
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Post by venger on Jun 5, 2012 13:18:18 GMT -5
So how much was lost as a result of the whirlpool? Presumably whatever you weren't carrying. Are the Amazons going to return our items when they release us? Mary hasn't been too convincing so far, and the Amazons seem very unwilling to equip males with arms & armor. How has Captain Morgan survived sailing these seas for a hundred years??? Captain Morgan has 3 large warships with full, experienced crews. He plunders mortal seas and returns to Never-Never Land for his R&R. Second star to the right and straight on til morning is only like a 10 hour voyage. Nobody in their right mind sails for days across the Sea of Eternity unless they're on some epic quest to reach some crazy mythical destination... I asked Johann why the heck he signed up for our mission if he thought it was likely we'd die in the whirlpool. He didn't really have a good answer. Fame, fortune, glory? Johann was some expendable crewman on one of Captain Morgan's ships. When he actually saw the whirlpool, yes, he was demoralized.
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Post by Wolfgar on Jun 5, 2012 15:09:34 GMT -5
How long have Paavo and Dan been held captive? Have they learned what plans the Amazons have for them? Is there anyway to negotiate with them, or do they automatically reject anything said by a male?
How about Xiles? How long has he been here? Where did he come from? Why is he on the Sunset Isle? How did he get here? What is his story? Has he thought about ways to escape?
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Post by Bolo on Jun 5, 2012 21:02:00 GMT -5
Experience posted in the link above Erm, no. At least, I don't see it. Is it in invisible ink?
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Post by Bolo on Jun 5, 2012 21:25:04 GMT -5
Some questions for the DM:
Are we all in locked cages? Or are Mary, Bolo, and Colby in some other sort of accommodation?
I believe you mentioned that the cages are wicker. Could this simply be broken by a very strong person? Some of us have a nonzero roll to bend bars, and wicker is presumably a lot weaker than an iron bar.
What are the closures on the cages like? Are they locks, which might be picked by a thief, or are they bolts or latches that a person outside the cage can simply open? Or knots that a person outside the cage could untie or cut with a knife?
Exactly what equipment (including but not limited to weapons) have the Amazons returned to Mary?
What is the layout of the Amazon compound? Where do the Amazons live, and where are the cages relative to that? Are there guards posted? How many and where? How many Amazons are there, total? Is it obvious where the leader(s) live? Do we have any idea where our confiscated stuff might be stored? Can any of the other captives tell us anything about the layout, or about guard schedules? (Perhaps they have been inside some of the non-cage buildings to do slave work? Perhaps they saw what happened when we were brought in?)
Do Bolo and Colby still have their thief picks and tools? (If we get out of this, perhaps Bolo should make a practice of keeping an extra set concealed in his underwear.)
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Post by venger on Jun 6, 2012 11:07:25 GMT -5
How long have Paavo and Dan been held captive? A day or so. Time is strange here. Have they learned what plans the Amazons have for them? There is a seemingly endless amount of domestic work. Drying herbs, thatching huts, washing clothes, cleaning cookware, hauling water, crushing berries, braiding vines, etc. Is there anyway to negotiate with them, or do they automatically reject anything said by a male? The latter. How about Xiles? How long has he been here? Xiles has been here for weeks. "It's not so bad, really," he says. He's from somewhere called Acaeus, but he hasn't seen his homeland in many years. Why is he on the Sunset Isle? Xiles is an explorer, seeking riches and adventure. He was looking for a gem called the Heart of the Sun but that's sort of out the window now. His airship crashed here. What is his story? Has he thought about ways to escape? Xiles Iompta has many stories-- he's crossed the Desert of Regulator, he's been to far-off Zothay across the Winedark Sea, he's seen the Thousand Towers, etc. Escape would be futile on his own, the perils of the jungle are many: quicksand, giant ants, flame tigers, orange-skinned cannibal goblins, volcano-worshipping savages, carnivorous plants, poisonous flying serpent-scorpions, Amazons, etc. But, if he could find some hardy souls to accompany him and assist in affecting the necessary repairs to the dirigible, he's pretty sure he could escape the island. Erm, no. At least, I don't see it. Is it in invisible ink? Fixed that. Are we all in locked cages? Or are Mary, Bolo, and Colby in some other sort of accommodation? Everyone is in cages but Mary, Bolo and Colby who are in a thatched hut. I believe you mentioned that the cages are wicker. Could this simply be broken by a very strong person? Some of us have a nonzero roll to bend bars, and wicker is presumably a lot weaker than an iron bar. The wicker is pliable and treated with some strange tree sap. It's not that you can't bend it, it's just that it does no good. What are the closures on the cages like? They are very simple latches. Exactly what equipment (including but not limited to weapons) have the Amazons returned to Mary? The Amazons have allowed Mary to keep anything she was carrying, as well as given her a longbow, a spear, a hand-axe and a dagger. They seem likely to return everything to Mary but the weapons & armor the males were carrying. What is the layout of the Amazon compound? Where do the Amazons live, and where are the cages relative to that? It's a fenced compound in a clearing with a stream running through it. There are 20 or so thatched huts (circles) scattered around a central pavilion (pentagon). There is a large gate and a smaller side gate. There are 3 guard towers, (diamonds) about 20' high. Two of the guard towers are by the gates, one is by the wicker cages (star) Are there guards posted? How many and where? Guards are in the towers. Guards patrol the compound. Two dozen guards drill with spears outside the pavilion. How many Amazons are there, total? Between 40-60, it's hard to get a good count. All the Amazons are in gleaming silver chainmail, with gleaming silver spears. Is it obvious where the leader(s) live? The lavish pavilion. Do we have any idea where our confiscated stuff might be stored? The lavish pavilion. Can any of the other captives tell us anything about the layout, or about guard schedules? (Perhaps they have been inside some of the non-cage buildings to do slave work? Perhaps they saw what happened when we were brought in?) The layout is evident, the guard schedules are seemingly at whim. Nobody really sleeps and night-time is just a different shade of purple. Do Bolo and Colby still have their thief picks and tools? We go with the MacGuyver school of thiefing, so I feel you always have some kind of thief tool available.
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Post by Friedrich on Jun 6, 2012 21:34:17 GMT -5
Time to plan and execute an insurrection. Are we able to level up while sleeping in the cages? I would assume the answer is yes unless the conditions are so harsh as to make it impossible to get 8 hours of sleep. Can spell casters memorize spells while in the cages?
It would be nice if Finn shows up at some point. Because we can have MT + 2 others out at any 1 time, who should it be? I'm guessing Friedrich and Trommer would be the best two to lead any uprising being the most durable and hardest hitting of the group. I am certainly open to any ideas.
All things considered, I don't think Mary did that bad. Sure letting it slip that Colby was a magic user, was a gaffe, BUT she had managed to convince the amazons not to hurt him AND even let him go free. Somebody needs to learn to hold their tongue! HA!
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Post by Wolfgar on Jun 7, 2012 10:10:21 GMT -5
I doubt they will let Trommer and Friedrich out at the same time. Besides Trommer is at death's door right now. Dan could heal him but that would require his holy symbol which I doubt they left him. Also I am not sure if we want to reveal that he is a cleric. So Trommer is not going anywhere for a while.
I figured we would spend a couple of weeks here. Learn what we can from them about the island. See if there is something we can do to earn their trust. Maybe some mission they could send us on. Only if these attempts fail would we resort to violence. But we need our armor and weapons at a minimum if we hope to survive.
Mary should tell them about how we came through the whirlpool and how we lost a lot of stuff when the ship went down. Maybe they know where to look for flotsam and jetsam from wrecks. Also ask about how do you leave the island. And if they know anything about rainbirds.
Maybe there is a double specialized axe wielder among the Amazons that Friedrich could learn from.
It would be good to learn their knowledge regarding curing poison.
We should see if they are all warriors or if some of them have magic user or cleric abilities.
We should try to estimate the skills of the warriors by watching them train. Maybe we can offer to act as sparring partners.
Do we want to alert them to the existence of our missing companions? You could say that Ingrid and two slaves (Finn and Johann) also disappeared in the wreck. Maybe they could help find them.
We should talk to the other slaves to see if the Amazons intend to kill us after some time. See who has been here for a while. See if they know of anyone who has gone missing in their time here.
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Post by Ginger on Jun 7, 2012 10:10:42 GMT -5
"she had managed to convince the amazons not to hurt him." I've never had my tongue cut out, but I'm pretty sure it would hurt.
I suspect a slave would be unlikely to get more sleep than I do, so continuous 8 hours probably won't be possible.
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Post by Bolo on Jun 7, 2012 16:39:36 GMT -5
I'm fine with Paavo's suggestions. I would also be fine with trying to break out by stealth and/or force. We have two thieves who are not locked up, and Mary who (I assume) can cast invisibility spells. The slave cages are latched, not locked. For fighting, we have a few weapons to distribute, plus Mary's offensive spells. And if the Amazons are as soft as I think they are, we can capture some more weapons from them in the early stages of any combat. Or maybe the thieves can steal some.
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Post by venger on Jun 12, 2012 21:26:34 GMT -5
Only Mary can get 8 hours of rest and memorize spells.
So is the plan to wait an extended period of time to see how the situation evolves?
If so, I can answer some of those items on the board. If not, we'll resolve it on Sunday.
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Post by Wolfgar on Jun 13, 2012 7:56:08 GMT -5
Assuming the other prisoners indicate that the Amazons aren't secretly cannibals or devil/demon/daemon worshipers then I am fine trying to negotiate a non-violent end to our incarceration over an extended period of time.
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Post by Ginger on Jun 13, 2012 11:08:04 GMT -5
We can also hang out for a bit to see if Finnious appears.
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Post by Bolo on Jun 13, 2012 16:29:54 GMT -5
I am also fine with waiting a while to see what we can negotiate, whether any more of us show up, and generally how things proceed.
Can we get a confirmation on whether Mary has an invisibility spell? If so, will she cast it on Bolo? He'd be happy to prowl around a bit from time to time, passing messages among the various prisoner cages and generally checking the place out.
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Post by venger on Jun 13, 2012 18:04:23 GMT -5
The other slaves have no real complaints, aside from some dishpan hands. There are innumerable domestic chores to be performed and the Amazons keep them very busy.
Some of them have been here a long time and, aside from Xiles, they all appear to once have been sailor-folk.
The Amazons are very hospitable to Mary and will answer her questions to the best of their ability
Rainbird: The Rainbird is a singular entity who lives somewhere over the rainbow. Leaving the Island: Fly? Swim? But why would you even want to... Flotsam: Strange things wash up on the shores of the island all the time, there's a bunch of shipwrecks off southern coast. Specialized fighter: The Amazons wouldn't even consider instructing a mere male in their fighting techniques. Curing poison: A rare blue flower grows on the north face of the volcano, it can be used to create a powerful antidote to poison.
Gauging their skill: They all appear to be specialized fighters, be it spear, bow, sword or bola. Sparring: The Amazons will not deign to fight mere males.
Spellcasters: None of them appear to be clerics of magic-users.
Mary has the following spellbooks:
Colby's Travelling Book #1: 1st level: Comprehend Languages 2nd level: Mage Shield 3rd level: Wizard Sight, Spell Ward
Colby's Book #2: 1st level: Nahal's Reckless Dweomer, Unseen Servant 2nd level: Web 3rd level: Slow, Fire Wings
"Mastering the Elements," a spellbook 1st Level: Burning Hands, Feather Fall, Fist of Stone, Melt 2nd Level: Animate Water, Flaming Sphere, Ice Knife, Smoky Form, Stony Grasp 3rd Level: Gust of Wind, Fire Rain
Any actions/questions/comments before blocks of time start passing?
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Post by Friedrich on Jun 13, 2012 19:29:32 GMT -5
Only Mary can get 8 hours of rest and memorize spells. So is the plan to wait an extended period of time to see how the situation evolves? If so, I can answer some of those items on the board. If not, we'll resolve it on Sunday. What if Mary requests that her "slave" Friedrich stay in her abode? Would he not be able to get 8 hours of sleep if Mary "allows" it? Friedrich is after all use to sleeping in some pretty inhospitable conditions. How bad can the floor of whatever hut Mary is sleeping in be? I get not being able to level up in some wicker cage, but I would imagine that whatever living arrangements the amazons are making for Mary (and her 2 "most privileged slaves") would be sufficient to rest for 8 hours. In the end, of course, its your call. @ Bolo: Looks like no invisibility. But I do see "smokey form" on one of the lists! I have no idea what it does, but if you want MT will cast it on you. She can also cast "cats grace". You could really sneak around well then. @venger: Mary will ask to have Friedrich spend one night on the floor of her hut. Colby can go back to the cage.
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Post by Ginger on Jun 13, 2012 23:12:54 GMT -5
I think Smoky Form is caster only, but Colby didn't test it all that much.
Can we tell if any of the fighters seem to be double-specialized? I assume the wizards can't, but Paavo can probably gauge their drills to figure it out.
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Post by Wolfgar on Jun 14, 2012 7:20:52 GMT -5
Can Mary get a map of the island? Where are we? Where are the wrecks? Where is the volcano? What other places of interest are there? What places should she avoid? What hostile groups also inhabit the island? Where do they live? How do you find and get over the rainbow?
All of the drilling and weapons training they do... are there enemies they are protecting themselves from? Can they teach Mary some weapons (without her needing to switch classes)?
Maybe Mary should tell them our "story". How she died experimenting with powerful magics. How her faithful servants undertook a quest to bring her back to life. How they have been tasked by the Green Man(?!) to stop the Demonspore. How we will be stricken dead by a curse if we put aside our quest. How we mean them no harm, and that if they let her and her servants go, we will leave and never harm the Amazons or other women.
Alternatively, Mary could challenge the Queen for supremacy of the Amazons. Once she wins then she can order them to let us go.
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Post by venger on Jun 14, 2012 11:29:02 GMT -5
What if Mary requests that her "slave" Friedrich stay in her abode? Would he not be able to get 8 hours of sleep if Mary "allows" it? The Amazons don't afford Mary 8 hours of uninterrupted time as sleep is not required in the Ethereal Plane and they aren't very big on privacy. They also don't see any reason that a male should be sleeping for 8 hours when he could be doing something productive, like laundry.. Let me know if she's casting Cat's Grace. Can we tell if any of the fighters seem to be double-specialized? I assume the wizards can't, but Paavo can probably gauge their drills to figure it out. You can identify their attack routines (3/2) but not more than that. +1/+2 looks very similar to +3/+3. Can Mary get a map of the island? Where are we? Where are the wrecks? Where is the volcano? What other places of interest are there? What places should she avoid? What hostile groups also inhabit the island? Where do they live? How do you find and get over the rainbow? All of the drilling and weapons training they do... are there enemies they are protecting themselves from? Can they teach Mary some weapons (without her needing to switch classes)? We'll just assume Mary is asking these questions/making these observations. Let me know if she isn't. They can sketch a map. The Amazons raise pegasi and unicorns for the faerie in exchange for fantastic arms & armor. The interior of the island is wild, swampy jungle -- some of the plants are dangerous/carnivorous, as well as the indigenous fauna: flame tigers, the Ariels of Moab (snake-scorpions), gorgonoscerii, malicious apes, etc. There are a couple tribes of cannibal goblins and some volcano-worshipping savages, as well as rock-men. The Dey of Jeru rules the fire mountain and he is as cruel as he is powerful. The rainbow is an island over and they would just fly to the cloud castle above it on their winged unicorns. Martial prowess seems to equal status in their society, so they are constantly fighting and training. They could train Mary in all sorts of weapons, she'd gain no experience for the session though. She wonders if advertising her lack of fighting proficiency is a good idea though. As far as what you tell the Amazons about yourselves, I'll need to hear it from Mary.
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