Grand Duchy of Adventure
Session 116March 9-16, 2017
Gathering Gear
Tserdain 13 Klarmont
The Grey Company, holed up in the personal suite of Kforedz, continues their planning session on how they are going to follow, pass and subtly maneuver their nemesis, the evil wizard, Golthar, into the Temple of Pflarr in hopes that he weakens the undead guardians, his own forces, or both groups significantly in the inevitable conflict. Kasiex has offered knowledge of some trails that can cut some time and distance off the trek west and Kifein has gone to look in the archive and treasury for any magical items that may help speed the journey up somewhat.
“Okay, so our biggest concern right now is to move. It won’t do us any good if Golthar gets there first and has a chance to clear the place out. Timing is gonna be critical. If they get in a battle like we hope, we need to be on top of that to take advantage of the eventual outcome.
Griffin turns to Kforedz. “We’ll need our gear. Some of it is with your people. Can we get our things back without causing any more of a brouhaha?
“Kasiex, your paths give us a huge advantage. As we’ve seen in the past, Golthar can fly. Traveling underground will let us get closer with less chance of him spotting us.
Griffin continues, “Now there were lots of nasties in the Temple. Remember the strange flying thing that paralyzed Draven? And that Flayed critter was scary nimble at dodging our attacks” He frowns, trying to recall the events of two weeks past. “Remar, you got a better handle on fireball tactics now, right?”
“It wouldn’t hurt to load up on a few vials of holy water - do you and yours sanctify water, Kifein? For rituals and the like? It seems like just the thing to have water that’s been made holy in the tradition of those the temple was originally sacred to.” He wracks his brain for other ideas. “Any foodstuff that we can take - even perishable goods - will be useful in the short term.”
“And if your items have lost their holy glow, bring them to me and I can get them fired back up again. Lord knows we will need all the light we can get, the darkness we’re heading into.”
As Draven prepares to cast the Continual Light spells, Ree steps up and halts him. “I can do this as well, we may very well need your ability to call on your patron’s favor soon enough for more important matters. Let me try this.” The young Half-Elf girl steps up to the gathered items and speaks the magic words. After a few moments and only one mis-cast spell, everyone in the room has an item imbued with magical light. After some thank you’s, Ree turns away, blushing a bit.
Silly friends o yers. Talkin’ ta thems dat inna there.
“Oh, like you're one to talk!” Remar says. He sees the questioning looks and says, “Uh, I mean, you all must have been focused pouring over the sketches of the area, planning, and whatnot. You probably didn't notice that Kforedz and Kifein already left for their local archive to try and find us helpful spells, magic items, or a useful means of conveyance.”
As if on cue, Kifein returns carrying an old scroll and some other loose sheets of parchment. “I believe that this may contain a spell that may help. It is for a casting called Quick March, but it is of arcane origin and I cannot read it to be sure. It is written in Hutaakan though and you can read this, right Iris? You could cast it from the scroll? Or maybe study it and learn the spell yourself then you could cast it on the group?” She hands the scroll to Iris and steps back. “As for your other gear, I will make sure it is gathered back up and in its optimal condition. Despite the fact that some of our people are not happy you are here, Pflarr would never allow one to abandon a job of craftsmanship like this. I will take care of it.” She turns to leave, then stops and looks back at the group, “Is there anything else before I leave? It may take me some time to gather all of your gear back up. I will see about scrounging some food for your trek as well. Will you have me accompanying you again this time? I assume the Wildsteward will go to show you the way?”
“While we would of course benefit from your coming, it will be perhaps even more dangerous than our trip to the Vault was. We’re going to be going very near to the heart of where the Traldar gather. I would not force you to come with us under those conditions.”
Kasiex nods in the affirmative to Kifein’s question. “The dead things in the temple - they cared not at all about my arrows. Might there be some way to harm them with a bow? This holy water Draven mentioned, or a different arrowhead shape or material? I...would not like to be close to them again.”
“Griffin’s concerns are valid,” Remar says, bowing toward his friend. “When we were in the temple there was a strange flying thing that paralyzed Draven: That was a sensor...a magic eye spell of sorts from the magically imbued one. When Draven was assaulted, it boiled my blood. I saw and actually caught the eye up, taunted them through it, and then smashed it. The taunting...that was a bit too cock-sure. I apologize; my adrenals were running a bit hot at that moment. I promise to exercise more caution and humility this go around.”
He looks down at his feet and continues. “I’ve definitely been studying up since that encounter...consider it the motivator for me putting in so much more book-time. I believe I do have a better handle on uses where my fireball spell is concerned. I am still mortified by what could have happened. I didn’t know -it- could know where I was placing the fireball to deflect it back at us, as I wasn’t targeting it at all and -it- was also much further back. It was a very close call. The silver lining I guess is that it was quite the learning experience for me; a trial by fire I suppose.” The youth of the Alphatian comes through at his quick, sheepish smile. “I now have spells of deflection myself and believe I can do the same in similar circumstance.”
Aye, tell ‘em! sneak up, an’ vape ‘em all unawares wit da fireball. Otherwise, avoid dat place!
“But yes. In exercising more caution in this, it is best to use -that- tactic if we can catch everyone off-guard; undead, Golthar, all of them included. Perhaps we should try our best to manipulate such an ambush?” He looks around to see what the others think before pointing to the sketches of the trails and looking toward Kasiex. “Also, as Griffin pointed out, if we take the trails, Golthar may be airborne and see us. Are the paths covered or by other means allow clandestine travel to shield travellers from such surveillance?”
Iris nods excitedly at Kifein and says, “That sounds incredibly useful, not just for the moment, either. I can read Hutaakan, but I would feel most comfortable reading it over with you or Kasiex to make sure I’m precisely pronouncing the syllables. I would dearly love to learn this instead of burning the scroll up,” Iris looks at her friends, “as I think we have the time?”
“Are you a quick-study, Iris? With Golthar already on the move, do you have time to learn this new spell in but the time it will take for our gear to be prepped?”
Iris says, “Assuming I can puzzle out the Hutaakan verbiage and syntax, with Kasiex’ help, of course; yes---I believe it's possible.”
“I will help, of course” says the Wildsteward; he approaches Iris and the scroll, cocking his head and examining what can be seen of the ancient text without touching it.
Iris goes over the scroll a word at a time, getting Kasiex’ instruction on each word's definition, pronunciation, and enunciation before moving on to the next.
After just a handful of minutes with the scroll and Kasiex’s help, Iris feels confident that she will be able to cast the spell. She makes some crude notes on one of the blank pages at the rear of her grimoire, noting sadly how inferior her notes are to the rest of the information in the tome.
After a short while, Kifein returns with everyone’s gear. It has all been maintained just as promised. “Though some of my people are not happy with the recent news of your involvement in the killing of Hutaakan, they are, always first crafters. Their pledge to work on your equipment is a sacred bond upheld by Pflarr and would never be cast aside, even by something like this. If it was rushed or done shoddily, that was only the fault of me rushing them to complete their tasks. All should be as promised.” She lays the gathered gear out on a table for everyone to inspect. Everything is there, it all looks in top condition, all cleaned and repaired from its previous worn condition.
“Okay, so our biggest concern right now is to move. It won’t do us any good if Golthar gets there first and has a chance to clear the place out. Timing is gonna be critical. If they get in a battle like we hope, we need to be on top of that to take advantage of the eventual outcome.
Griffin turns to Kforedz. “We’ll need our gear. Some of it is with your people. Can we get our things back without causing any more of a brouhaha?
“Kasiex, your paths give us a huge advantage. As we’ve seen in the past, Golthar can fly. Traveling underground will let us get closer with less chance of him spotting us.
Griffin continues, “Now there were lots of nasties in the Temple. Remember the strange flying thing that paralyzed Draven? And that Flayed critter was scary nimble at dodging our attacks” He frowns, trying to recall the events of two weeks past. “Remar, you got a better handle on fireball tactics now, right?”
“It wouldn’t hurt to load up on a few vials of holy water - do you and yours sanctify water, Kifein? For rituals and the like? It seems like just the thing to have water that’s been made holy in the tradition of those the temple was originally sacred to.” He wracks his brain for other ideas. “Any foodstuff that we can take - even perishable goods - will be useful in the short term.”
“And if your items have lost their holy glow, bring them to me and I can get them fired back up again. Lord knows we will need all the light we can get, the darkness we’re heading into.”
As Draven prepares to cast the Continual Light spells, Ree steps up and halts him. “I can do this as well, we may very well need your ability to call on your patron’s favor soon enough for more important matters. Let me try this.” The young Half-Elf girl steps up to the gathered items and speaks the magic words. After a few moments and only one mis-cast spell, everyone in the room has an item imbued with magical light. After some thank you’s, Ree turns away, blushing a bit.
Silly friends o yers. Talkin’ ta thems dat inna there.
“Oh, like you're one to talk!” Remar says. He sees the questioning looks and says, “Uh, I mean, you all must have been focused pouring over the sketches of the area, planning, and whatnot. You probably didn't notice that Kforedz and Kifein already left for their local archive to try and find us helpful spells, magic items, or a useful means of conveyance.”
As if on cue, Kifein returns carrying an old scroll and some other loose sheets of parchment. “I believe that this may contain a spell that may help. It is for a casting called Quick March, but it is of arcane origin and I cannot read it to be sure. It is written in Hutaakan though and you can read this, right Iris? You could cast it from the scroll? Or maybe study it and learn the spell yourself then you could cast it on the group?” She hands the scroll to Iris and steps back. “As for your other gear, I will make sure it is gathered back up and in its optimal condition. Despite the fact that some of our people are not happy you are here, Pflarr would never allow one to abandon a job of craftsmanship like this. I will take care of it.” She turns to leave, then stops and looks back at the group, “Is there anything else before I leave? It may take me some time to gather all of your gear back up. I will see about scrounging some food for your trek as well. Will you have me accompanying you again this time? I assume the Wildsteward will go to show you the way?”
“While we would of course benefit from your coming, it will be perhaps even more dangerous than our trip to the Vault was. We’re going to be going very near to the heart of where the Traldar gather. I would not force you to come with us under those conditions.”
Kasiex nods in the affirmative to Kifein’s question. “The dead things in the temple - they cared not at all about my arrows. Might there be some way to harm them with a bow? This holy water Draven mentioned, or a different arrowhead shape or material? I...would not like to be close to them again.”
“Griffin’s concerns are valid,” Remar says, bowing toward his friend. “When we were in the temple there was a strange flying thing that paralyzed Draven: That was a sensor...a magic eye spell of sorts from the magically imbued one. When Draven was assaulted, it boiled my blood. I saw and actually caught the eye up, taunted them through it, and then smashed it. The taunting...that was a bit too cock-sure. I apologize; my adrenals were running a bit hot at that moment. I promise to exercise more caution and humility this go around.”
He looks down at his feet and continues. “I’ve definitely been studying up since that encounter...consider it the motivator for me putting in so much more book-time. I believe I do have a better handle on uses where my fireball spell is concerned. I am still mortified by what could have happened. I didn’t know -it- could know where I was placing the fireball to deflect it back at us, as I wasn’t targeting it at all and -it- was also much further back. It was a very close call. The silver lining I guess is that it was quite the learning experience for me; a trial by fire I suppose.” The youth of the Alphatian comes through at his quick, sheepish smile. “I now have spells of deflection myself and believe I can do the same in similar circumstance.”
Aye, tell ‘em! sneak up, an’ vape ‘em all unawares wit da fireball. Otherwise, avoid dat place!
“But yes. In exercising more caution in this, it is best to use -that- tactic if we can catch everyone off-guard; undead, Golthar, all of them included. Perhaps we should try our best to manipulate such an ambush?” He looks around to see what the others think before pointing to the sketches of the trails and looking toward Kasiex. “Also, as Griffin pointed out, if we take the trails, Golthar may be airborne and see us. Are the paths covered or by other means allow clandestine travel to shield travellers from such surveillance?”
Iris nods excitedly at Kifein and says, “That sounds incredibly useful, not just for the moment, either. I can read Hutaakan, but I would feel most comfortable reading it over with you or Kasiex to make sure I’m precisely pronouncing the syllables. I would dearly love to learn this instead of burning the scroll up,” Iris looks at her friends, “as I think we have the time?”
“Are you a quick-study, Iris? With Golthar already on the move, do you have time to learn this new spell in but the time it will take for our gear to be prepped?”
Iris says, “Assuming I can puzzle out the Hutaakan verbiage and syntax, with Kasiex’ help, of course; yes---I believe it's possible.”
“I will help, of course” says the Wildsteward; he approaches Iris and the scroll, cocking his head and examining what can be seen of the ancient text without touching it.
Iris goes over the scroll a word at a time, getting Kasiex’ instruction on each word's definition, pronunciation, and enunciation before moving on to the next.
After just a handful of minutes with the scroll and Kasiex’s help, Iris feels confident that she will be able to cast the spell. She makes some crude notes on one of the blank pages at the rear of her grimoire, noting sadly how inferior her notes are to the rest of the information in the tome.
After a short while, Kifein returns with everyone’s gear. It has all been maintained just as promised. “Though some of my people are not happy with the recent news of your involvement in the killing of Hutaakan, they are, always first crafters. Their pledge to work on your equipment is a sacred bond upheld by Pflarr and would never be cast aside, even by something like this. If it was rushed or done shoddily, that was only the fault of me rushing them to complete their tasks. All should be as promised.” She lays the gathered gear out on a table for everyone to inspect. Everything is there, it all looks in top condition, all cleaned and repaired from its previous worn condition.
Cast of Characters:
Garrett "Griffin" Constantine, a Thyatian rogue of a gambler from Penhaligon rolled by +Arne JamtgaardDraven Rickart, a Thyatian Acolyte of the Church of Karameikos ministered by +Jason Packer with help from +Patrick Burke
Remar Umerus, an Alphatian battle mage that escaped forced service in the Thyatian army currently marshalled by +Patrick Kelly
Iris Varda, a Thyatian explorer and historian searching for answers and adventure, now guided by +Stephanie Kelly
Kasiex, a Hutaakan Wildsteward used to ranging the mountains and valleys now led down a new path by +Patrick Burke
and +Jason Woollard as The DM
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