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Jan 23, 2019 23:51:02 GMT -5
Post by Chris on Jan 23, 2019 23:51:02 GMT -5
Field Ward Converted Windmill Thraxxus the butcher Larder with bodies Trade's ward Cuttle's Pies Jumped by bugbears Ended the 8th of Nightal (The Drawing Down), 12:41pm 1494 DR: The Year of Twelve Warnings, moon waning crescent upcoming events Nightal 10: interest due Nightal 11: Howldown Nightal 20; Simril and the Winter Solstice Our playes on Board Game Geek rpggeek.com/plays/thing/254965?userid=1168080
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Post by The Wanderer on Jan 29, 2019 18:29:16 GMT -5
We followed the map. Led us to the fieldward. This place is the pit of the city. I was hoping to find some lunch around here. Instead, we found a place clearly in use. A lock hangs from one door, and the smell of meats taints the cold air.
The map leads us to a windmill, half falling apart. Two doors greeted us, of course, the locked one caught my appeal. I tried the lock and it would not budge. Suddenly, a large red dragon born covered in meat steps up to the other door telling us to piss off.
Well, that's just rude. The group attempts to talk to this butcher, while I try and investigate this locked door. The blizzard is wailing, the falling snow cuts my face. This cold is biting. It hurts the hands while trying to pick this lock. I hear a small scuffle breaking out, figure it's time to go to work. I try the lock again. It finally clicks.
I open it and see a tarp inside the room. I wonder if he is a painter. I have heard of artists using animal fats, and marrow for painting. No, it is the smell that hits me. This is rotting flesh, however; it does not smell animal. The stench of corpses lies fills the room.
The tarp is lifted. It's not the bodies that shock me, rather the neat stacking of them. This operation is orderly and refined. This must be someone working in tandem with a group of cleaners. But the smell, it haunts me. The smell lingers and sticks to my leathers. I try not to touch the blood.
I see a door behind me, I stand questioning what other horrors might be here? I open the door, no traps.
The other group is still not caught up - what is taking them so long it's one guy? We move into a hallway into the wing of the windmill. I see a long hallway and then stairs - I check for traps along the way. Hearing voices behind the door - 7 and 5 humanoids, that's far too many to go toe-to-toe with, time to scurry past quietly.
I head up the staircase, it's stone, winding up the windmill. I reach the top, and as soon as I walk across the wooden floor it gives. I come crashing down like a pile of bones. Ouch. Hurts. Spleen. I need some whiskey. Well, this is going swimmingly. How did I not see that?! I compose my blustered self, after causing a major ruckus. I see the doors have opened and there are people here. Innocents - just trying to quietly live in the shadow of a black monstrosity. I talk to one of them, I ask them for a candle and toss them gold for their trouble. While they are not the mission, perhaps a gold can change how they live for a day. If we ever get Emek's place open I will hire them to work there, giving them a new lease on life.
I walk up the stone stairs again, watching the flooring as I make my way to a door. There is a new lock. Looks brand new, which is strange being in a dilapidated building. I pop the lock and check for any traps - nothing.
The room is immaculate. A large bed sits in the room, with fine sheets, and an armoire. The armoire looks fine, and looking in I see fine clothes and two cloaks. Why two cloaks of the same color? We check the room nothing hidden. A large crossbow with bolts was in the armoire... strange. The window opened as if hinged. This is suspect because this is a feature only found in higher society.
Growing up, kids would oil the windows to slip out at night. I know this, I smell around the window - its oiled. This thing is as smooth as the day it was installed. The butcher is clearly working with the network, as a cleaner.
I suppose recycling is a great way to get rid of the evidence - selling people back to the people. The room is a dead end. Nothing here will have to report back to the others there is nothing up here.
The other group murdered the butcher. We could have used him for questioning, but I suppose he had it coming. They question the commoner's within the windmill. Found out a shipment went out to a pie shop. Who doesn't like meat pies? Those were so good growing up on the farm.
On the way to the pie shop, I purchased a new lantern and some oil to replace what I lost over at the villa. Also, due to the biting cold, grabbed some warmer clothes.
[-8 Gold. Weight 37.92]
We make our way south, towards the pie shop. The blizzard continues. The cold is biting, and I just want some pie. Anyone else starving thinking about going to a pie shop?
This shop is in an alley, the snow is cold, my feet are freezing. We're about to go into the shop when a group of bugbears attacks. They knocked me out cold with javelins. I lay on the ground, impaled with javelins. Where did they come from? How could I have not seen them? A whole squad sneaked up on us? How is this possible.
The javelins lay inside me, and I feel rejuvenation coursing through my veins. A cure has landed and brought me back to life. Just long enough to get a mace to the face. I fall again. Blackness, the cold ringing of steel on my skin. Once again rendered asunder. I feel the sensation of life once more, just enough to get up and move.
The bugbears are about to strike at Timerity, I make a distraction and take the brunt of the blow. I don't know how but I survived the assault. As I came to, I dashed past the wall of clamoring steel and magic. To the back of the alley I flew - I'm not a fighter. I manage to scurry to a safe distance and observe the group being dominated by this ambush. I ready my bow and wait for a clear shot, a miss. I see an opening our cleric has fallen but has made an opening in the line of sight - the shot hits it's marked downing it.
A giant spider jumps from a roof, landing on its backside. I see the bugbears attacking it, and in a flash, it reverts back to our drow. The group works in tandem and slowly finishes off the ambushers - leaving one alive to question. I wonder if they understand the common tongue?
A moment to rest - What were bugbears doing here? Why were they on the hunt? They were not following us, this must have been happenstance. They came from another section of the alley. The thick snow would have made following difficult, if not impossible. What purpose did they have in this alley - what was their destination? This alley has a path in the back of it - loaded with trash. Is that their destination? What is hidden back there? Worth investigating and looking into. We know that stone passed through this area. I feel like I should get to a safer spot. This ground is deadly, need to learn to fight from above.
We should order some pies. I doubt the fresh meat is in them, no one can whip up a meat pie that fasts. At a minimum, I'd like to train in cooking under this chef, who doesn't love pie?
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Jan 30, 2019 23:35:31 GMT -5
Post by Chris on Jan 30, 2019 23:35:31 GMT -5
Alley Cuttle's Meat Pies Zhentarim Safe House Rooftop Chase Theater Lobby Brizzenbright's Ghost Ticket Boots Auditorium Snakes in the House Enter the Heroes Mistshore Kraken's Folly A Waiting Coach A Cold Reception Ice Escapades The Urchins Mother and Son Zhents in the Wind Ended the 8th of Nightal (The Drawing Down), 5:17pm 1494 DR: The Year of Twelve Warnings, moon waning crescent upcoming events Nightal 10: interest due Nightal 11: Howldown Nightal 20; Simril and the Winter Solstice Our playes on Board Game Geek rpggeek.com/plays/thing/254965?userid=1168080
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Post by dragonforgotten on Feb 6, 2019 3:14:40 GMT -5
Todays... Been rough. In a blizzard we found evidence of a dragonborn doing unspeakable with the help of the guild of Butchers head. We barley survived an assault against Bugbears and now we walk into the meat pie shop. There was women there asking how she can help us. I honestly didn't know what to tell her. In the end the truth did come out. The bodies from that place were indeed being made into meat pies. Holy F****. I remember that man when we met in Trollskull, talking about his business. I think I'm going to be sick. Kelith wont stop taunting me with the pies. I cant believe she's even eating it. ---
Martak is screaming bloody murder just beyond these gates and not a moment I come darting out he's ontop of the roof. I try to climb but the surface is so slippery i keep sliding down. When he suddenly jumps off the roof I yell at him on what going on but he only barks at me to help Kelith chase the perp who's on the run. After scaling the gutter pipes. I make it up to see kelith chasing a shadow so i put my legs to motion. Im gaining ground! Im almost there till suddenly a pigeon slaps right into my face. Its clawing up my face and pulling at my hair. I threw if off spitting out feathers. By the time i fight it off i lost some ground. Kelith slips and now I'm in the lead. Another pigeon attacks with vengeance, by some miracle I do not fall off the roof. The shadow jumps right off the roof and i cant see where she is anymore. Kelith is frantically searching for her but i know this is no time for that so i jump. Oh jeez i regret everything. The impact vibrates up my legs but i have no time for pain and no time to deal with a cross road. I punch my leg to make myself stand again and I rush to the right. Im in open street but theres a problem. Everyone is wearing a cloak and I don't know who I'm looking for. Why Martok, why. I only have one idea. "HEY YOU THERE!" everyone looks at me and I watch to see a change in the crowd. I see one guy continuing to move like he hasn't heard me. Is that our guy? I trail him and the hooded man picks up the pass. I meet his pace trying to talk to him. He then starts to say something but i cant quiet hear him in the blizzard. As i get close i get a look at his face and he's crying for help. Oh no, i think i made a mistake. I turn right the heck around and run into Kelith. With help we track the perp to this old theater. We met a cool ghost who shows us where to get tickets and suddenly where sitting in nice comfy seats. At least I can rest my legs. Keilth mutters to me to not do anything, just keep an eye out. Got it! The show begins . i just thought of something. If the theater ghost is visible why is our ghost invisible. Does he not like us or is he just so terrifying that he doesn't show his face. Huh. Honestly i was so caught up in the story. It was so beautiful i could cry, the part when his love fligs herself off the tower had me in tears. It's only when Kelith nudges my ribs is when I'm pulled out of the moment. Wait, oh shoot, i wasn't paying attention to what was happening. Just nod and pretend you do, that always works. The shows over and we follow the man who was the pass off for whatever was stolen. he waiting for a ride with his wife nut he's still crying. It appears we need to be slick with this. I don't approve robbing him but we need to know what was given to him. So I ask him whats wrong but it appears he only was caught up by the play just as I was. I was talking to him when i see Kelith slips her greedy finger into his pocket. It's obvious. gos se. If I can see it, he definitely noticed. "Excuse me. what do you think you'r doing?" I scold her. I try to do some damage control but the wife isn't having it. She flips me the bird as she and him step in. Its only when the carriage disappears that i kick myself for forgetting my special magic light i can tag to everything anywhere. I praised Kelith for trying, i understand what she was doing and appreciate her efforts despite how questionable it is. I'll go back while she tries to find the carriage. --- Here i am, alone in the theater playing twenty questions with a ghost when someone calls me over. It turns out Im in deep s****. We stepped right on the Harpers toes and now I'm left here explaining what I'm even doing in the first place. I come clean and it turns out that man was a Zent high spy. Oh s****. She tells me not to reveal her name and to stay out of the Zent eyes. Oh s****. I know theres no way i wont get caught up in this mess. S****. -----
Once again I'm playing twenty questions with the party. I tell them the dets but i leave out her name. Martok has been grilling me about it but i cant! I PROMISED! In the ended we decided to follow the lead to Mistyshores. It turns out, that guy i was told to stay away from, ya his ride is parked right outside his mothers house located in mistyshores....... We found a couple of adorable children playing pretend. They gave Boss a run for her money but in the end they told us where the perp is. She warmed up their hands in payment which gave me an idea. I'll light up the pretend wizards hands so she can cast imaginary fire. It will be cute i thought. That didn't turn out as well as i thought it would. Im so use to my light I forget that it sometimes scares people. Opps.
Im standing guard in the open doorway. I would close it but some people are still dicking around outside. Suddenly something dumps into me and there he is with a crazed look in his eye. "Let me pass." "What are you doing here? You need to answer some questions." "Let me go, I've severed all my ties now." Before i can question him more the wind is suddenly knocked out of me and i hear his invisible foot prints in the snow. In a blur of rushed activity Kal Karath casted some wizardy stuff and he falls over asleep along with the group of orphans. I helped Martok wake them and find them a safe place to sleep. What the heck did he mean by "Sever his ties".
Holo of Trollskull
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Feb 7, 2019 11:49:14 GMT -5
Post by Chris on Feb 7, 2019 11:49:14 GMT -5
Zhents in the Wind Old Tower (House of Tyranny) Outer Scaffolding Upper Level Ground Level Manshoon? Ended the 9h of Nightal (The Drawing Down), 8:16:4am 1494 DR: The Year of Twelve Warnings, moon waning crescent upcoming events Nightal 10: interest due Nightal 11: Howldown Nightal 20; Simril and the Winter Solstice Our playes on Board Game Geek rpggeek.com/plays/thing/254965?userid=1168080
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Feb 16, 2019 1:36:46 GMT -5
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Post by dragonforgotten on Feb 16, 2019 1:36:46 GMT -5
We're surrounded! When me and Martok returned after waking the orphans men materialize from the shadows surrounding us silent and wordless. We told them to hide and stand in between these assaliances and our captive. They are here for one thing and one thing only. This is too convient to be a simple mugging. They are trying to reclaim this evil man and i refuse to let them have there way. The fight is long and hard. one by one they fall thanks to the giant spider. Boss is shooting from above and i am trying as hard as i can to defend both our captive and Martok from harm but we are losing ground fast. Sham Kronk falls, then Martok, then Dantak, then Kal karath and its only me, the rogues, Quo and Boss still remain standing. I fear for my friends but i will be no use dead. I climbed onto the building roof and take out my bow. It is only when i look again do i my suspionsions are confirmed. These men are part of the Zentarium and they are trying to escape with the fallen spy. Keilth shoots at the spy but miss, then she turns to me and shouts over the blizzard. "there getting away! Shoot him!" I cant! I cant! Then why did i even pull the bow out in the first place!? Suddenly i hear something else besides there screams. I hear the cries of a child in distress. "I got this!" Borq yells running across the ice. Me too! Just focus on your target!" Yells Quo. "Shoot him before he gets away!" Boss yells over the wind. I pull the string tight with a knocked arrow but my hands are shaking. Ive practiced with a bow so many times. Dad taught me all i know. He use to tell me that one day I will face a delima. A test. He said when that time came i would know what kind of person i would become. I don't know what to do. I cant just kill a man, I cant. Everyone pleads for me to kill him. He cant escape! I know he cant! Its on my head if he does escape! But I CANT DO I! I CANT DO IT! The tears blur my eyes. I close my eyes and i release. I don't hear the gasps of a dead man. When i open my eyes i see the arrow has safely bounced off the frosted cobble stones. There is one sound that still rings in my ears. The cries for help. No one has helped the child. I cant ignore this any longer. I climb down the other side of the building to see him failing in the cold inky bay water. Hang on I'm coming. I try to reach for him but i cant grab hold of him. My hands are frozen and he is failing too much. Borq comes charging to us but the boys panic is causing him to sink faster. I see Quo sprinting towards us! "Help, we cant get a hold of him!" "You had one job!" he yelled over the winds as he holds out his staff to the child and amazingly managed to grab it with his chubby arms and pulls him on the ice. He quickly covers him with his cloak and run back into the fray. Im amazed to see the assailants pushed back by new comers! we are winning but the child looks cold. I need to take him to safty. We walk in silence and take shelter inside an abandoned building. I try to strike some conversation but he doesn't want to talk to me. I think he's still afraid of the light trick i did on his friends. I apologized but I'm meet with silence. The battle is quieting outside.I still need to retreive my bag from the roof. I give him a warm hug, i tell him I'll be right back and to stay put. That it might be still dangerous outside and then i depart. It doesnt take me long but by the time i get back hes gone. He must have run off and gone home. I just hope he's safe. -- The battle was one but not without a heavy price. Tamarity has been killed during the battle. She was found with a bolt in the back. Boss... Everyone is going to interigate the man now but i wont be apart of what they are going to deal with that man. Me and Martok need to burry Tamerity first. We bickered a bit on how to do this but in the end we decided to bury her. We stood in silence together. he had this unreadable expression on his face. after the afair we returned back home tired and week. We didn't speak a word to each other on the way. It is only when we are alone in the bar with our friends that Martok tells us the bad news. The bar and everyone in it are in serious trouble. The loans Boss has taken out had also come from bad people along with all the funds the bar and her could provide. She had defered on the last payment. A new payment is due. We only have tomorrow to get the money and Martok warns the consquences could be deadly. I could ask mom for help but i know that the money we need will not be enough for her to supply. A new member has joined this desperete group. A Drow Paladin. I welcome her without question, to exghusted to care. I laid in bed trying to sleep but i couldn't, not after what happened. So i went to bug keilith who had just gotten into her night cloths as she was combing her hair.
"hi Keilith can we talk?" "Fine but it better be quick." I sat at the futon. "I cant believe she's gone. It happened so fast" "people die everyday." "But.. She was our friend.." "And she is dead. Dead is dead and theres nothing you can do about it."
I look down to the floor boards, not feeling any better. Suddenly i remember something important. That event that has been awing away at me
"Hey Keilth back in the alley way when everyone has beating up that poor Nimblebot did you happen to see anything weird happening to me. I felt strange for awhile when i was embracing the robot. "Besides you sprouting wings and glowing s*** Id say I've seen stranger things?" "Wings?" "Ya wings. How did you not notice?" "I-I dont know. I was'nt thinking when it happened. but i'm human, thats impossible. Do you know anything about this?" "How the heck would i know? look, it's late and I'm tired. How about you sleep on it and leave me alone." I wished her good night and left even more confused. That cant be right. Im human, I've always been human. Im not anything speacile. Im not like the rest of the gang. Sure i can cast some magical light and heal people but anyone can with practice. Im think over and over as i take off my armore for the night and thats when something happens. As soon as I pull the chain shirt over my head something snags at the back of my neck. Pull harder and it break free with a small amount of pain. I think i pulled out a couple of hairs till I see three white feathers fall onto the ground instead. Confused I pick up my red scarf and find small downy feathers. I reach a hand to my neck but instead of feeling smooth skin my fingers met the softness of feathers. I stumbled to the standing mirror, pull off my tunic and turn to face my back and I freeze. My shoulders up to the back of my neck are cover in downy white feathers. The same feathers that I've been finding for days. What is happening to me?!
---- -Dream- Be careful of who you place your faith in. Please just tell me who you are!? ---- Today is our last chance. For now I'm going to put aside my Identity crisis till after the bar is saved and no one risks dying. We reach the yellow spire, our finial hope in tracking the stone of Galor and saving the bar. Theres scaffoling on the side of the tower but the windows are too small for our biggest group members so we split. It looks like someones been up to some really shady stuff. Theres hand prints everywhere and a man chained to the floor in the middle of a circle. That cant be good. I have no idea were Kala Karth has dissapeared to but the chains keeping the man tied down starts to shake and then chaos appears in the form of flying snakes and pissed of cultists. Quo charged right in the frey and fearing for his life i went in right after him going for the important looking one in the fancy armor. Lets get this over with.
Holo of Trollskull
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Feb 20, 2019 16:19:18 GMT -5
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Post by dragonforgotten on Feb 20, 2019 16:19:18 GMT -5
Im facing off with the crazy cult woman and then she raised her weapon over her head and it starts to glow with a menicing aura! "DIE!" She screams as she brings it down onto my shoulder. It stings and hurts but not as bad as i thought it would have. She looks shocked when i grab her weapon and push it away from me without harm. "How!?" Honestly i dont even know. Before she can even blink the Paladin is upon her and devliers a divine smack of her own. I watch Quo scurry off with the tied up victim, proably to get him to saftey. I know when I've bitten off more then i can chew so i jump back through the window near a waiting Keilth. "Does this look bad?" I ask her. "Naw you'r fine." thats funny, i don't fee fine. The paladin strikes her down and Keilth seems to have a plan i can fathom yet. She rushes in to the down evil paladin and ruffles through her pocket, pulling out a creepy looking rock. The rock we came here to get. The stone that will save our a**** from death and debt. She runs as fast as she can but just as she makes it to the scaffolding ready to decend the snakes get her and she falls, the stone in her hand. I know what i must do. I grab the stone and look it over. It's blue with three creepy eyes. "That would be mine." I look down at the street level to see a tall man with a metal arm. He radiates with power and he gives me a sinking feeling in my gut. "Who are you? Why do you want it?!" I yell over the wind taking a step back. "I wouldn't do that if i were you. Now return the stone." Im done talking to him. This stone is our last chance, after everything we lost and sacrificed i can not give that man the stone. Im taking this stone with me!
Suddenly I'm filled with a familiar burning radiances in my chest. It fills me with power throughout my veins and suddenly I'm lighter then air. I can do this. I can fly. Just think of how Taimerity would do it! I kick off the scaffolding and begin to fly. Im doing it! It's working! I need to get far away from this place! Suddenly I'm swarmed by flying snakes. They bit into my glowing porcelain skin and i feel weak. Then I'm falling. Im falling and then i know darkness. I failed. ---
I awake to the faces of Kelith and the Paladin. I sit up, stiff and tired. "So human right?" She asks sarcastically and i look behind to see large glowing feathered wings. I reach out to grab them but my hand passes through them. There beautiful but I'm stunned. everyone begins to go back inside from the front leaving me alone in the snow. I see the scaffolding so i start climbing. Im not sure how to uses these wings, i don't want to fall again. -----
We finally have the stone but at a cost. We now have to hand over the treasure to the wizard Manshoon. He's offered us 50,000 if we ertreieve it. We also had a funny outcome where he tried to give us a teleportation scroll only to remember we lost track of Kal Keith in the spire somewhere. So he gave us a scroll of sending so we can hail him for a ride. I don't trust him. what ever plans he has for that money must be bad considering he almost killed me to get the stone back. The stone however turns out to be a pocket Aboleth. I dont know what a aboleth is but it sounds scary. We gave it to Martok and learned of the keys we need to find and we gatheed them easy enought. At night we got ready to go but Martok is taking to long so i went up stairs to bug him. "Martok, were ready!" "Give me five minutes lass!" "Ok!" I waited outside his door but after five minutes and nothing i started to get antsy So i knock again." "Are you ready now! Your keeping us waiting!" "Patients lass ill be down shortly!" Patient my a***. Its been almost half an hour! Where burning moonlight! Finially he leaves his room and were ready to go but then Keilth stops off. "Actually. I need to stop by the shops quickly. Dont wait up for me." "Nonsense! ill come with you! You cant go by yourself with everyone we pissed off at our throats." I get up off my chair only to be pushed down in my chair by Martok. "No lass, ill go with her."in "If you insist Martok." "Im coming to." said the drow paladin with the long name i cant remember. I wish the safe travles with a easy mind. Kelith will be safe with two paladins. I start talking to Borq, Quo about the Hearth and Feather in back in my home town and the drinks we created there while everyone shares bits about themselves. Its a nice change of pace. Suddenly Keilth kicks the door open look battered, bleeding and bruised with the drow paladin looking the same. "What happened!? Wheres Martok!?" "hes dead. he's been dead for a long time and this THING was parading around in his skin." She then pulls out this horrifying creature, a brain with monsterious paws. No! This cant be! Why! I trusted him! I cant beileve this!" Kelith then takes the stone out of the pocket and hands it to me. "You take this." As soon as I'm holding it i hear a whisper in my head. "Attune to me , Your greatest desires shall be yours..." "NO! F*** You rock! Im done dealing with anymore mind s***, Intrigue and betrayal tonight! Your staying in my bag!"
----
In the end our journey lead to the city of the dead. The same place Sir Insecurity is hunting for the necromancer and had rudely rebuked my aid. I wonder if the undead have beaten some sense into him for the next time we meet. With the keys conditions met the doors slide open and in we go to find the gold.
Holo of Trollskull
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Post by bardofprey on Feb 24, 2019 14:20:02 GMT -5
Life has been kind to me, I suppose.
The world is a far crueler place than I was initially capable of seeing, and I guess I’ve become a bit jaded, but now that I find myself once again barred from my home, I suppose I should put my pen to use.
Dear stranger, or, perhaps, friend, I shouldn’t hope that you can read this, because I suppose that the only way this writing would fall into your hands would be as a result of my likely death. If yourself meeting the same fate does not occur to you, then perhaps you should find a way back up to the tavern. Get yourself a drink, and look around you. Appreciate the obvious world, and tread not further into what lies below. Not for now, at least, no man’s thoughts stay with them forever.
Finally, if I knew you in life, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for failing you in combat, and running away, and obscuring my past, or even being too forward with it. I’m sorry for abandoning you to die in the vault, though thankfully none of us were lost.
I suppose I’d ought to record a bit about myself. I can hardly draw, so please, bear with me as I paint in words. There’s nothing I dread more than being forgotten without hope of recovery.
As I write this, I am a wood elf, yet shorter than most men. It doesn’t bother me, I find my size useful for avoiding unwanted attention. My body is dotted with miscellaneous scars, trophies of battles won, and battles lost. Healing spells can only do so much, but I usually find myself healthy and comfortable. Most recently, I sustained a chemical burn across my right palm, ought to show me for striking an ooze that dissolved an arrow before my very eyes. There’s a discolored splash across the skin, redder in some places, paler in others, than it had ought to be, and I find it awfully sore after flexing it, but I suspect things will be better with time. If you are a fresh adventurer, know that pain is commonplace, and you had best prepare yourself for it. Combat is exhausting, and healing magics can do no wonders for the mind like those they preform for the body. Still, please, don’t allow yourself to grow so hardened and bitter that you become a burden on others. Experience has shown me that trust and kindness, while a vulnerability, are some of our greatest assets. Even when they hurt you more than they benefit you, it’s always worth trying. You are never in the wrong for trusting someone. If anything, they are in the wrong for deceiving you.
I find myself running out of paper, so let me conclude on a cautionary tale, my own start as an adventurer.
When I was younger, and had just completed my training, I thought myself godlike, able to leap between trees without moving a branch, strike down any man in a single blow, and move unseen wherever I pleased. I knew that the greatest achievement I could ever claim would be to strike down the warlord who took my parents from me. I had practiced, and practiced, to such a point where the techniques I’d been taught became near effortless. It was the greatest freedom I could’ve ever dreamed of.
But no amount of practice can prepare you for your own unforeseen error. The branch snaps, the guard holds his footing, the warlord saw me, and my last desperate attempt to cut him down where he stood failed. Through some miracle, I escaped his men, a bounty on my head were I ever to return home. I was worthless. A fraud, a failure, a coward.
Neither of these judgments of myself were correct. I was far from perfect, of course, but we all are. Still, I was equally far from worthlessness.
We cannot glorify ourselves when our skill is unproven, nor condemn ourselves when that skill fails to prove itself. No one moment is an indicator of anything greater about yourself. You must judge your whole by the sum of every action you’ve made, rather than simply assuming your most recent memorable event is an indicator of your broader abilities.
Confidence and self-doubt are both your enemies. You must find a balance that will keep them both at bay.
I cannot undo my own mistakes. What’s happened has happened. You, however, can avoid making them in the first place. Please, for my sake, be careful.
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Feb 27, 2019 16:54:29 GMT -5
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Post by dragonforgotten on Feb 27, 2019 16:54:29 GMT -5
After an encounter with a desert item that turns out to be very deadly i got to meet this really huge cow man. He's really cool and we share the same skills. My jaw almost dropped when he cleared a 20ft gap between the metal doors and us. We found a trap door held shut by a secrete which Kelith, Gilly? I don't know anymore! she Shared her secret name. We found the fault! Guarded by an old Dwarf who hasn't seen daylight in how knows how long. He is very kind but no matter what we say he refuses to budge on us taking the gold even with Lord Reamir with us in his pokadot pajamas over his leather armor. Some how Zel, our new paladin, convinced him that we are not taking it for ourselves but giving it back to the city and he relents. He releases the gold into our care but we cant take his gems nor his fancy scepter for that is his payment from Lord Neverember. Far enough, I don't want to steal from this dwarf anyway. maybe since he no longer has to guard it I can take him to Trollskull for a drink, he must have been lonely in these halls filled with gems and gold. It's only then after awkwardly standing in silence with a scroll in our hands that Sham Kronk is missing. We cant inform Blackstaff of the gold... This is bad. this is very bad. In the end Kyou volunteered to go grab black staff since he is the fastest. We're all having a lovely chat, trying to forget the dangers that are closing in on us when we hear Kyou talking to someone. It has'nt even been 5 minutes yet? Why is he back. "dont forget our 10 percent bonus!" We all hear him yelling down the halls. Its is then that a chilling realization hit me like a wave. Manshoon promised us more in the gold then Blackstaff. Kyou didn't get Blackstaff, he brought Manshoon. He's been caught and now he's bring him here! I go to the Dwarf and tell him whats going on, begging him for aid. hes confused since hes no longer protecting the gold so i tell him the truth. We are not powerful enough to face these enemies. he answers me with a shrug and frustrated i start stalking through the halls looking for a better shot without being hit myself.
The situation is bad. We are losing and now its only me, Remair, who are awake while Borq and Zel are dying. I cant find anyone. I see some run for the door and its only me against this bard. I refuse to back down. I will not run from evil. even if i die. I can not leave lord Reamir alone! I am then slashed down the middle and i can see no more.
I gasp awake to see the bard with her back to me, i cant see her face. I feel better. Ive been completely restored! Did she do this? "Whats the deal? I though you were going to kill me?" "I was but theres a dragon. Allow me to correct that." She stabs me again but i am not down. It is then that a shinning gold dragon fly over head. The bard pales and she flees in terror. Finially free of her i rush to Zel to see her, the lord, and Borq surround Manshoon with the golden dragon behind him. "I subjest you leave now." a familar dwarven voice echoed from his scaly lips. "yes quite right." Spoke Manshoon before vanishing with the sound of foot fall echoing till they vanish. It is only when hes gone that the dragon turns into our familr old dwarf. 'Lets keep this a secret between us, right." Im speechless, i can only give him a thumbs up. Im taking this to my grave. theres so many things i want to ask him but I hear the rest of our group retentering the halls to join us. Im happy to see them alive but i cant help but feel a sting of betrayal mixed with a sense of duty. Some of us had to stay alive to run Trollskull after all. Otherwise all our work would be for nothing.
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Finial! back in Trollskull but sadly not for long. We made too many enemies. Too many to stay in my new home with the ghost. Well have to leave waterdeep. Aparently we need to hid in the under mountain. With the money we gathered from the treasure we've been preparing for a long journey.. I was going to return home but then i thought about the enemies we faced. I could'nt risk those bad people following me back to my village. Besides, i feel a sense of duty to the group. With my spells I've become the arrande girl. Finially with free time again I'm able to get some answers and say good bye to some friends like Nim. Im going to miss him. While i was exploring the disguise of a young man i was distracted by a painting i saw in a church. It was an angel with many wings, He held a shinning sword aloft above his head wreathed in holy light as he was surrounded by hoards and hoards of shadows. It kind of reminds me of myself. Persevering through the worst and still coming back through it all.. "Ah, I've seen you've taken an interest in that painting. its a fine piece isn't it." speaks the old pastor. He's unnaturally tall for a human, with eyes of molten gold. "Its is." "We aasimar of this church very much appreciate its beauty and attention to detail considering how close we are to Undermountain. "Its called the Exodus into the Abyss. 'it's based off an old story detailing the chronicles of an angels decent into the underdark, his rise back to the surface and his life living among humans. In a short time he descended back into the dark never to return. "Whats an aasimar." "Its a child with the blood of devas and angels in there veins. You could say we're like teiflings of sorts. Theres about a handful of us around Waterdeep. Some good, some bad. It doesn't really matter whats in our veins though, whether demonic or angelic we all are captains of our fate. We chose who we want to be am I right." He smiles at me knowingly and i squirm under his golden eyes. Im speechless the old man is then called away to start the ceremony going on inside. leaving me stun. Im looking back at the painting and I'm starting to feel a startling realization come over me as the man in the painting becomes more and more familiar. "Dad?" ---------
That night i was visited in a dream. It was dad, just as i remember him. he smiles gently at me and i rush into his arms to give him a hug, eyes with tears, finally knowing the truth.. "Im proud of you an always will."
----- Ive written a letter to mom and sent her some gold. The emerald enclave will deliver it while I'm away and hiding from an evil mad wizard. I understand why she wouldn't tell me what i was. I wish she trusted that i could have handled it but i can understand her fears. She was afraid of losing me to. I think she understood that and accepted it in the end. Thats why she hasn't come marching into Trollskull to take me back. She knew that one day we would need to let me go out into the world just like she had to do with dad. Im now am at peace knowing dad did'nt just walk away from us. he lost his mortal body fighting the darkness in the underdark. Now i need to figure out what killed him. Ive packed all i can in my bag and i can already feel my spine protesting. Im ready to combat the darkness to for dad, Martok, and Tamarity along with everyone else.
-Holo of Trollskull
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