ftp.ee.pdx.edu/2014.02.ftp.ee.pdx.edu.tar/ftp.ee.pdx.edu/pub/frp/stories/adventurers/story038

Text File | 1994-01-19 | 15KB | 342 lines

*****
*  The 8 player characters contained in these writings are copyright
*  1992 by Thomas Miller...copying and distribution of these stories
*  is permissible only under the 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, 7th level drow elf mage (N)
Belphanior, 5th/5rd/6th level high elf fighter/mage/thief (CN)
Ged, 6th/6th level grey elf priest/mage of Boccob (NG)
Halbarad, 7th level human ranger (NG)
Mongo Thunderhead, 7th level dwarf fighter (CG)
Peldor, 8th level human thief (N)
Peyote, 6th/7th level half-elf fighter/druid of Obad-Hai (N)
Rob, 7th level human priest of Trithereon (LG)
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Date:   5/1/570 C.Y. (Common Year)
Time:   midday
Place:  Havenhill, capital of the Principality of Ulek
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                      XXXVIII.  The Payoff



  The party recently returned to Ulek from the Drachengrab Mountains
(in the Pomarj), where they once and for all destroyed the menace
of the Slave Lords.  After a week-long trek through wilderness and
hostile lands (omitted from this account for convenience), they
just arrived one morning in Havenhill and went to City Hall with
news of their victory.
  Needless to say, there was a commotion of major proportions among
the councilmen.  While the king de-briefed the adventurers, asking
about every single minor detail, riders were sent to the capitals of
the other two Ulek regions (the County and the Duchy) to summon their
kings or representatives thereof.  After the initial questioning,
the party members were put into the royal suites in the king's
palace to await news from the other capitals.  During this time,
they chose one afternoon to lock themselves in a large room and
divide the loot they had gained (with the help of the city's finest
sage and magic expert, plus Peldor and Alindyar for the monetary
items and Ged as a double-check on the more powerful magic items)...



THE LOOT:

shortsword +1, invisible (a.k.a. Sword of Lyons - whe sheathed,
  the sword makes the bearer invisible until such time as he
  attacks someone)
longsword +3
battle axe +3
bracers of defense, ac4
dagger +2
rose ioun stone (increases AC and saves by +1)
chain mail +1
longsword +2
gauntlets of dexterity
potion of extra-healing
scroll (Spider Climb, Feign Death, Dig, Affect Normal Fires)
footman's mace +2
bracers of defense ac6
longsword +2 (yes, another one)
evil illusionist's spellbook (11 illusion-type spells)

gem (100 gp value)
27 ep
gem (500)
idol (~4000)
50 pp
diamond (~1000)
deed to land near Hardby, to the north (~1200)
golden brooch w/gems (3000)
platinum ring w/fire opal (5000)
gemmed dagge (1100)
artwork (~900)
box of gems (total ~4750)

Scroll detailing slave lord agents in the Sea of Gearneat area
Scroll - order for the assassination of all locatable relatives
  of the adventurers...


sage:  I have identified practically all of these items for you.
Ged:  And we thank you.
sage:  For my payment, I will be happy to take that platinum
  ring, the diamond, and that strange idol of a dragon.
Mongo:  YOU'VE GOT TO BE FUCKIN' KIDDING!  That's most of the
  good cash there!
Halbarad:  The sage has earned it, though.
Peyote:  Yeah...?
Ged:  Well, I suppose we must make good on our deal.
Belphanior:  Too bad.
Peldor:  Here, take those things and get out of here.  (hands
  the named items over, muttering)  Before I rob you...
Alindyar:  What of these two documents?
Mongo:  Yeah?  Assassination?!?!?
Ged:  It's a good thing that we got that particular paper before
  anyone else did...
Peldor:  Like the Assassins' Guild.
Belphanior:  Damn good thing.
Alindyar:  Actually, I should hope that someone could find my own
  relatives.  I would like to see them try to kill them, though.
Peldor:  I HAVE no living relatives, so I don't much care.
Halbarad:  I say that we burn that paper now.  All in favor?
all:  Yes!
Belphanior:  (produces a flame quickly)  Here you go.
Halbarad:  (holding the burning scroll)  So ends one danger...
Peyote:  The other scroll - the one with the slaver agent dudes -
  the kings or whoever that are on the way will want to take a
  look at that.
Ged:  Yea.  I hope they use it to find them all and bring them to
  justice.
Halbarad:  Aye.
Belphanior:  Oh well.  On to the real treasures.  We can divide
  the monetary stuff.  Or what's left of it.  As for the magic...
  where's the treasure prioritizer?
Rob:  Huh?
Ged:  (produces a strange die with many sides)  I have it right
  here.  I'll go first.  (he rolls, then all the others; the
  numbers rolled determine the order of treasure picks)

Alindyar:  (rolled a 20)  I shall take the spellbook.
Ged:  No!  NO!  Mine, mine, mine!
Peldor:  Now, now.  Fair's fair.
Ged:  No fair!  You always get all the magic!  Waa!
Alindyar:  (cradling the spellbook lovingly)
Peldor:  Heh heh.
Ged:  What do you care, thief?!  You pick next, anyway!
Peldor:  Yup.  And I want...the shortsword!
Belphanior:  (not suprised at all)
Peldor:  (sheaths the weapon and turns invisible)  Yeah!
Ged:  (worried)
Belphanior:  I'm next.  I'll take those gauntlets.
Halbarad:  (picks up the battle axe)  This fine axe will suit
  my tastes, thank you.
Mongo:  Me next, huh?  Well, this stuff is pretty useless to
  me.  But I'll take this longsword here (grabs the +3 one)
  just in case my hammer ever hits a tar baby or something.
Ged:  Finally!  My turn!  Shit.  (looking over what's left)
  I'll settle for the scroll.  Four spells is better than
  none.
Rob:  I know what _I_ want!  (snatches the mace)  Ah...
Peyote:  Well, dudes...(picks up the ioun stone and sets it
  spinning in an orbit around his head)  Neato!  Far out!
Alindyar:  The circle comes around to me, once again.  Hmm.
  I shall take this fine dagger.
Peldor:  (picks up the potion)  We usually have more than
  just one potion bottle...but I'll take this, anyway.
Belphanior:  (extremely happy today)  I want the longsword
  here (takes the +2 one, smiling all the while)
Halbarad:  (looking over the suddenly-measly pile)  There is
  nothing left that I can use.  I shall forfeit my second turn.
Mongo:  Hey, good idea!  I'll do that too!  Who wants that junk?
Halbarad:  (pleased that he has imbued good morals to someone
  else)
Ged:  Hmm.  (grabs the bracers of ac4)  I guess today wasn't
  a total loss.
Rob:  (picks up some pieces of the chain mail)  I'll take
  this armor, here.  The banded armor was getting too heavy,
  anyway.  (Rob has been moving at 9" due to far too much
  luggage...this new armor should change that.)
Peyote:  Raw deal, man.  I skip too.  Let's sell the rest.

REMAINING MAGIC:  longsword+2, bracers ac6, Belphanior's old
  longsword+1, Halbarad's old battle axe+1, Rob's old mace+1.

Ged:  Does anyone mind if I take the bracers?  I want to use
  them to try and get new spells from some mage.
Alindyar:  (practically gloating over his new spellbook)  I
  care not.
Belphanior:  Fine by me.  You probably earned it, anyway.
Mongo:  Sure, take them.  Bracers are for wimps.
Belphanior:  Hey!
Halbarad:  Mongo, will you help me take these gems and jewelry
  to some place where we can sell them?
Mongo:  Sure!  (they scoop up all the excess stuff and go)
Peldor:  I guess nobody wants ME to take care of that part...



  Within days, the messengers started to return.  The actual king
of the Principality of Ulek came as well, which was no big deal
since Havenhill WAS the capital of that region.  It turned out that
spies and informants had been watching and listening, and there
had been a notable decrease in slaver-related activities.  The
party's safe return confirmed these reports, and they suddenly
became the center of an incredible amount of congratulations and
rewards.  The adventurers were each given sufficient funds to train
in Havenhill's best guilds and schools (no small thing, there!),
totally re-arm and re-equip themselves, and rest and relax for no
less than a year or so.  In addition, the three kings granted each
of them (even Alindyar) the status of nobility in any of the Ulek
lands - this included a sizable tract of land in the approximate
middle of the region.  They were now recognized as heroes of the
realm(s) and were free to come and go as they chose.  The king of
the Principality of Ulek (one Olinstad Corond) insisted that they
all stay in the royal castle until they were ready to leave.
  The meeting room where all of this occured (only the three kings
and their closest advisors and guards, and the party, were present
there) went into an uproar when Ged presented the document listing
the Slave Lords' agents in the area.  Some very prestigous people
were thus incriminated (fortunately, none of them were in the
meeting chamber just then) and the orders were immediately given
to find and capture all of these individuals.
  For this, the kings opted to give the party further rewards.  A
medium-sized platinum chest was brought out.  They opened it and
extracted eight huge sapphires, one for each adventurer, and gave
them to the party members.  Peldor's eyes lit up as he no doubt
thought of ways to acquire the other gems, but for once the thief
was totally silent about what was on his mind.  The kings again
thanked the party and shook each of their hands, assuring them
that they would not soon be forgotten.  With that, they left the
kings and councillors to their devices and started training and
other miscellaneous activities.



  A brief summary of each adventurer's activities for the next
month or so follows (the new levels listed at the top of this
posting reflect the training listed below):

Alindyar:  Studied extensively in the mages' guild, chatted with
  the mages there, considered becoming a specialized illusionist
  mage but held off for now.  Notable new spells he learned:
  hypnotism, summon swarm, fear, confusion.  The drow was quite
  happy these days.

  "Illusion spells?  Me?  Never...your eyes doth play tricks on
   you."


Belphanior:  Studied magic and thievery.  The thieves' guild was
  wary of him and Peldor at first, until they realized that the
  single most threatening thing to the guild (the Slave Lords)
  had been eliminated by these two.  Belphanior learned the spells
  of ventriloquism and Melf's minute meteors (two spells he was
  sure he could cause much chaos with).  Also recharged the JUMP
  spell in his ring of spell storing.

  "So, tell me about your current guildmaster..."


Ged:  Studied magic and Boccob's ways (what there were of them,
  anyway - what can you expect form a god who is called "the
  Uncaring" ??).  Notable new spells he learned:  spectral hand,
  web, lightning bolt.  The grey elf traded the bracers to a mage
  in Havenhill for a few spells.  He found that he still did not
  have enough magic for his liking and wondered if he was addicted
  to magic.

  "More spells?!?  Where?  Where?!?"


Halbarad:  Trained with the city's finest warriors, and spent a
  lot of time in the city zoo as well.  Became used to his new
  axe, and decided that it had a better feel than his old one.
  (this may have been due to his attack rate going from 1/1 up
  to 3/2 - which means axe/dagger/axe, then dagger/axe/dagger
  the next, etc. - rangers get to use two weapons at once...).
  He also donated large sums of gold to the homeless and poor of
  Havenhill.

  "Here, go buy yourself a meal or fifty."


Mongo:  Trained with Halbarad and Peyote, also with a group of
  dwarven guards in the palace troops.  Spent most of his time
  playing target practice with his hammer, to the point of torn
  elbow tendons many days.  Along with Halbarad, he sold the
  monetary treasure that the party had brought back, on the
  party's behalf.  Also learned that his third "magic" ring
  was actually fake, and proceeded to flatten the item with
  his hammer (his attack rate went up, also, from 3/2 to 2/1).

  "Sage, if I find out that you were wrong, I'm gonna come back
   here and smash YOU!!"


Peldor:  Visited the thieves' guild, and showed off his skills
  whenever possible.  Drew up multiple plots to rob the royal
  treasury just for fun.  Practiced with his sword in order to
  get used to being invisible most of the time.

  "Now you see me, now you don't!  Ha ha!"


Peyote:  Worshipped at the (sizable) temple of Obad-Hai, and
  also worked on his weapon-play with the other warriors.
  Gained access to a single fourth-level priest spell per day.
  Also learned to get used to the rose-colored prism that was
  in perpetual orbit around his head now.  Spent many nights
  smoking strange herbs that he got from the city's black market.

  "Dude!  Check out my satellite!  Cool, isn't it?"


Rob:  Sequestered himself in the temple of Trithereon, praying
  and discussing worldly matters with the high priests, who
  were certainly glad to accept his hefty donations.  Gained
  access to fourth level magic from the diety (not one, but
  three spells, due to Wisdom bonuses).

  "Huh?!"


--------

  It seemed that everyone was happy these days, despite the
possibility of new enemies made of any who might have escaped
the Slave-Lord-agent hunt...but any good group of adventurers
cannot remain static for long, as we shall see soon.





next time:  The next mission (wait until you see what it is!)

ANONYMOUS FTP SITE: tybalt.caltech.edu (in pub/adnd/fluff/adventurers)
***********************************************************************
NOTES:  What a laid-back episode, wouldn't you say?  I have an idea,
here goes.  Tell me who your favorite adventurer is, and tell me who
your least favorite is.  Also give reasons - I want to know if I'm
doing a good job of portraying these guys the way that I knew them.
Email me your votes within the next week (by Sunday, May 17th 1992)
and I'll tally them up.  The winner and the loser will get an entire
posting devoted to their history - what makes that adventurer the
man (or elf, or dwarf) that he is, where and when he came from, what
he wears, what his favorite pasttimes are, and a zillion other
things that I shall draw from my memories plus whatever written
material I have in my character files.  This should be fun, so I ask
that if you read these postings, you take a minute to mail me your
opinions; I'll then take a few hours to post mine.
  Thanks in advance to everybody.
***********************************************************************