[Classic Fantasy] Cyenannore (A Kage Gordain Story - Tunnels & Trolls)

[Teviko604]

Hey, all.  After a time off, I was getting ready to jump back into this adventure when I suddenly found myself sidetracked by a different journaling game all together.  As I've gotten older, I'm finding that when it comes to my leisure time, it's more important to do things that I'm really interested in than just force myself to do something just because it is there or left unfinished. As a result, I'll be putting this one off a little longer.

But in the meantime, I did write a post about my last chapter, how I came up with the Magaphan religion, and why I wanted to go into so much detail.  If you are interested in reading more about my writing process, you can find it at my Half Air Blog: I Invented A New Religion . . .

Look forward to continuing this adventure later, as well as posting my writing from my latest journaling journey.

Tev.

[mark]

Thanks for sharing. It's easy to get sucked into your websites; lots of good stuff.

[Teviko604]

Thanks for sharing.  It's easy to get sucked into your websites; lots of good stuff.

Thanks!  I appreciate the feedback.

[Teviko604]

CHAPTER 7: NEN THE WISER

System: Tunnels & Trolls 
Tools: d30 Sandbox Companion; LitRPG Reads encounter tables; RPGSolo.com

[The Story So Far]

Yeah.  It’s been over a year since I last made a post for this campaign.  A little refresher is definitely in order.

Sylralei Lumnum, the elven leader of the secretive mercenary group Kage Gordain, has decided to give up the adventuring life and return home to Cyenannore where her father is the headmaster of a university for wizards.  To accompany her on the journey, she hired three other members of the organziation: the dwarf Dalen Dimflayer; Ex-Outlaw Kristopher Miglward; and the young halfling wizard, Nen Goldmore.

Several days into the journey, the team encounters another pair of mercenaries: Jonik Urilen, an elf, and Fiddlestix the leprechaun.  The two had been hired by a nearby Temple of the Church of Zeriel to retrieve an important artifact from the Crypt of Mindrek, which just happens to be a mile or so from where the two groups meet.  After much discussion, Syl acquiesces and joins Jonik and Fiddlestix on their quest, in hopes of bringing back some interesting items for themselves.  After defeating a demon and his team of imps who had made the crypt their home, the party was disappointed to find that the artifact they were there to retrieve had appeared to have already been taken from the crypt. 

[Scene 1]

“Pack it all up!  We got a long way to go and I’m done wasting time.”  Sylralei barked out the command, making sure everyone was awake and packing. 

“Uh, you’ll raise the demons,” Kris said groggily, trying to shake the sleep from his head.  “Give us time to eat, at least.”

“You have fifteen minutes,” Syl relented.

It was only the previous night that they defeated the demon Beglaxeth and were still discouraged, having realized it was all for nothing.  In silence, everyone rolled up their mats and packed up their belongings.  The rest of the time was spent eating a meager breakfast of stale bread and cheese.

Between bites, Nen whispered the word Hidey Hole and focused on the instructions given to him by the leprechaun Fiddlestix.  As he did, he stared intently at that back of his hand, hoping to see it vanish.

“No luck, huh?”

Nen didn’t have to look up to see that Fiddlestix had made her way over to him.

“I know it’s hard,” she continued, “But try to relax.”  She offered some more suggestions and Nen tried again.

<Nen needs to make a L3 INT SR (target 30) to learn the spell.  3, 4 + 14 INT = 21. Fail.  Because Fiddlestix is helping, Nen will get a second chance today.>

“It’s no use,” Nen slumped down.  “It’s not going to happen.”

“Keep practicing,” Fiddle encouraged him as he finished his bread and stood up to go.  “You’ll get it next time.”

The six adventurers pushed open the chamber door and left.  Just beyond the door, the hall was empty, the corpse of the demon and imps they had drug outside the room having dissipated back to the plane of existence they came from. 

Jonik and Fiddlestix lead the party while Syl and Nen brought up the rear.  When they reached the bottom of the stairs that lead to the surface, Jonik faced the group.

“Fiddle and I have decided to explore the rest of the crypt and see what we still might be able to salvage.  You guys are welcome to . . .”

“What was that?”  Nen interrupted, looking around with the light from his Will-O-Wisp spell.  Seeing nothing, he glanced at the ceiling.  “Roach!” He called out, seeing the giant six legged creature clinging to the roof above them. Three more skittled out of the crevice in the wall where the spider had emerged from earlier and engaged the members of the party.

Nen and Syl, in unison, cast their Take That You Fiend at the roach above them as it dropped.  The twin blasts obliterated the bug, sending roach guts raining down of them.  The rest of the party quickly cut down two of the remaining bugs.  Kris has sliced off several of the remaining roach’s legs and was preparing for the final blow.  He lifted his scimitar when, suddenly, the tip of a staff smashed through the creature, spraying its viscous innards across the boots of those standing nearby.

Syl stared past her staff at Kris. “Let’s stop wasting time and get going,” she said as she wiped a small piece of roach residue from her nose.

<I made one encounter check for the entire trip out of the crypt and got the necessary 1.  Using my same list from before, but eliminating the demon and greatly reducing the chance of undead, I rolled roaches.  The entire battle took 3 rounds, with the roaches only winning by a few points on the first round, which was easily absorbed by the party’s armor.  The TTYF spells took out one of the roaches and the reduction in MR resulted in them always being on the losing end of the battle.  Only a few spite points were distributed among the party.>

[Scene 2]

Sylralei stood in the pouring rain, wind whipping the folds of her cloak around her.  Her face was turned up to the sky in an angered and annoyed scowl.

“I don’t think she’s happy,” Kris said to Dalen.

“That’s an understatement,” the Dwarf corrected.

As Jonik announced, he and Fiddlestix went on to explore the crypt, but Syl was adamant about leaving.  Unfortunately, when they reached the surface, they found a storm raging outside, limiting their view to just a few feet beyond the opening.  In a rage, Sylralei marched out as if to challenge the gods and make them stop the horrible weather.  In apparent response, inch-sized hail began to fall, chasing the soaking wizard back inside, having accomplished nothing other than washing away the remaining roach guts.

<I still have a couple of pending events that I need to resolve. One was Change/Weather.  When I rolled it, I determined that the weather would be storming when the party was ready to leave the crypt.  Using the weather tables in the d30 Sandbox Companion, I rolled on the Multi-Cell, Non-Severe Cluster column to determine how long and how bad it would be.  The whole storm consists of 7 cells and lasting approximately 6 hours.  I had the party reach the surface during the worst cell (cell 3) and will make an oracle roll after each cell to see if they decide to leave.>

Despite her hurry, Sylralei knew that it would be best to wait until the storm was over before moving on.  The rain and wind died down after about twenty minutes, but picked up again another twenty minutes later.  This new event was less severe, but still lasted for almost a half hour. 

<Unlikely check (the chance will improve after each cell): No, and . . . the “and” means the group is really not wanting to leave while it is raining, so the next check will also be at “unlikely” instead of improving.

I’ll also check to see if Jonik and Fiddle return, starting at “Unlikely.”  Yes.>

The rain finally stopped, but the sky was still dark.  Dalen made a strong case for waiting a little longer. Syl argued against him.  Using the knowledge he had gained during years of adventuring and research, the dwarf rebuts with many reasons why it’s too soon to assume the rains were over.  Syl tried to dismiss him, but neither Nen nor Kris were in any hurry to leave so Syl was forced to hand out a little longer.

The Sky Was Still Dark

“You guys still here?”

It was the voice of Fiddlestix as she and Jonik climbed up the stairs to meet them.

“We’re waiting out the weather,” Dalen explained.  “It’s pretty bad out there.”

Jonik grinned at Syl.  “So much for that ‘let’s get moving,’ I suppose.”

Syl just glared back without a word.

“What did you find,” Nen asked Fiddlestix who had taken a seat next to him. 

“Nothing much. Just one room full of statues.”

<The map I was using only had one room left.  It was a long narrow room with columns and three alcoves.  Statues could have been 1-3: Famous Priest , 4-5: Different forms of Zeriel, 6: the three Modern Gods - Roll: 6>

“There were three statues in a row.  The middle one, the largest, was of a man with a rather plain, unremarkable face.  At least I think it was a man. Like the painting in the Preparation room, the legs looked more like a cloud.” As she spoke, Fiddlestix opened her book, found a blank corner of an otherwise full page, and started sketching what Nen assumed were the statues.

“Zeriel?” Nen asked.

“That’s what I would assume.  One was an old man and other was a woman.  If the middle one statue was Zeriel, the others were probably the other two modern gods, Moro and Ilmis. ”

“Was there any treasure?”

“Not much. The room was ransacked like the rest of tomb.  I did cast an Oh There It Is and a Detect Magic spell to see if anything turned up. We gound an empty jewely box and a few other trinkets the church might be interested in.  But nothing exciting like a “Zombie Killing Sword of Fire!”

Nen suspected her comment was influenced by on another sketch on the page that looked just like such a weapon.”

“Anyway,” she said, suddenly slamming the book shut without warning.  “What are you doing?”

“Uh, killing time?  Waiting for the rain to stop.”

“Hmm.  I was kinda thinking you’d want to disappear.”

“Why?  These are my friends!”

“No! Not run away, silly.  Practice your spell!”

<While they wait, this is a good time for Nen to have his second chance to learn Hidey Hole.  L3 INT SR: 1, 6 + 14 INT = 21  Fail.  He needs to make two more L3 attempts before the difficulty drops to L2.>

Nen focused and attempted to magically hide for nearly fifteen minutes before he shrugged and relaxed.  “Not today,” the halfling said.  “How long did it take you to figure out this spell?”

There was no response.

“Fiddle?,” Nen asked before turning his head to find her asleep, her head resting against his shoulder.  Nen glanced across the steps at Kristopher who sat looking at the two with a conspiratorial smile. Nen sighed resignedly and leaned back for a rest himself.

<Bookkeeping:  Each character received 100 Adventure Points for completing the crypt.  While waiting for the rain to stop, I decided the characters would spend their AP and raise their stats:

Kristopher: Raises STR to 18; DEX to 13. Combat adds raise to +13. 105 AP remaining.
Sylralei: Raises LCK to 16; INT to 16; DEX to 13.  Combat adds raise to +5. 67 AP remaining.
Dalen: Raises LCK to 18; INT to 15. Combat adds raise to +18. 84 AP remaining.
Nen: Raises WIZ to 19; STR to 7.  No change to Combat adds. 27 AP remaining.

Finally, by the time they leave, all characters would have been fully healed and all WIZ points returned to full.>

[Scene 3]

Nearly two hours had passed before the party felt the rain had run its course.  The was a momentary panic when their horses were not where they left them.  Apparently, in the storm, they had come loose from their tethered.  Fortunately, they stayed close to the crypt and were easily rounded up. The rest of the  journey back to the main road was uneventful. <Negative encounter check>

“You guys are welcome to join us,” Dalen asked Jonik and Fiddlestix, without giving Syl a chance to object.

“You’re heading north?  Toward Habrycg?” Jonik asked.

“Yep.  We’ll pass right through it.”

Jonik casts a glance at Fiddlestix who returns it with a warding look. “Thanks for the offer, but I don’t think we’ll be travelling with you.  We had a job there a while back and, let’s just say, not everyone appreciated our work.”  <resolution of the other pending event:  Malice/Military or the powers that be have ill feelings toward the mercenaries>

“Besides,” Fiddlestix added. “We found some Zerielian artifacts in the last chamber, and we’re hoping the church might be interested in them.  That may justify our fee and possibly earn us a little more.”

The two groups parted ways.  As before, Syl and Dalen took the lead, while Kris and Nen hung back several feet.

Nen glanced over his shoulder and watched Jonik and Fiddlestix disappear down a side road that led toward Millhelm.  “Do you think we’ll see them again?”

“I thought you couldn’t wait to be away from them?” Kris asked.  “Especially the leprechaun.”

“Fiddle turned out to be not so bad after all,” the halfling admitted.  “I think I’ll miss her . . . un, both of them.”

Nen blushed slightly at Kris’ smile before urging his mount to pick up the pace.

<Travel along the road will continue with guidelines set up in Chapter 2. Referencing the d30 Sandbox Companion, I will roll once per hex for a unique feature, encounter, and settlement.  Results are only suggestions and, based on the narrative, I will use and adjust them as I feel appropriate.  If I roll an encounter, I will either use the result from d30 (which tend to be rather basic) or roll on the tables at LitRPG Reads for something more colorful. At this point in the road, the party will be travelling along the outer edge of a forest on one side, hills on the other.  I will be using the Forest options in the d30 Sandbox Companion.>

[Scene 4]

<Move 6: No special features, encounter with a merchant, no settlement
Move 7: Special feature-forked trees, no encounters or settlements.>

Soon after leaving the crypt, the surrounding environment began to change. Flanking the road to their south was a thick forest.  The road primarily skirted the edge, but every so often it did wind in a bit among the trees.  In the distance to the north could be seen the start of foothills, with taller mountains looming beyond.  As the road continued, the base of the hills crept closer.

As it was already early afternoon when they left the crypt, Sylralei was glad they encountered very little along the way except for a group of travelers every so often.  The most interesting encounter was with half-elf merchant from somewhere up north.  Usually, he had packs full of oddities from various locations around Barisea.  Right now, however, his inventory was low and he was going to Baybrook to restock before returning home.  Not surprisingly, the merchant had nothing that interested the party, as they already tended to find all kinds of curiosities during their jobs. However, Dalen did suggest that he stop at the Dragon’s Hoard to see if Garlen had anything the merchant might find interesting. 

With only about an hour of good sunlight left, Syl quickened the pace. As the sun was starting to set, they left the road and found a protected clearing where they could spend the night. Several trees around the edge of the clearing had branches that forked two or three times and Nen was quick to take advantage of them.  He tied some rope between several of the branches, to which he secured his blanket, forming a simple hammock. 

“You guys should try this. It’s nice and comfy” he goaded, knowing full well that the set up would probably not work for anyone much heavier than he. Even Dalen, who was about the same height as Nen but bulkier, would probably fall right through to the ground.

The other three did their best to ignore the halfling as they spread their blankets and cloaks on the softest patches of ground they could find.

<Nightime encounter roll came up negative.>

[Scene 5]

<Again, Syl wants to make up lost time.  Can they? (Unlikely) No.  There turns out to be a good reason later on.>

<Move 8: Special feature-pond, Encounter-TBA, no settlement>

“Sylralei?  I . . . I was wondering if I could ask you for some help.”

The party had on the road a little over an hour when Nen worked up enough courage to approach the brooding elf.  Normally, he felt very comfortable speaking with Syl, but her demeanor since leaving Baybrook had been so offputting that the halfling was afraid the wizardess might use Take That You Fiend against him just so he would leave her alone.

“Help?” Syl asked in response.

“Yes.  You see, Fiddlestix taught me the spell Hidey Hole and gave me some casting advice.”

“She did, did she?”  Syl asked, her voice skeptical.  In reality, the leprechaun had impressed her more than she expected.  While annoyed with Fiddlestix at first, perhaps not as annoyed as Nen however, Syl was glad they had another competent, powerful spell caster with them during the fight with the demon.  In fact, if the elf’s focus wasn’t so directed on returning home to Cyenannore, Syl might have offered the pair a place on Kage Gordain.

“Yes, she did,” Nen confirmed. “I think she’s a pretty good wizard.  And nice too.  Anyway, she was helpful, but I still haven’t been able to disappear, not even my pinky.  I could just keep practicing on my own, but I was hoping you could watch me and let me know what I might be doing wrong.”

Syl thought a moment before responding. 

“Well, with me going home, I guess that means you will be the head wizard for the group, young as you are.  It’s probably my duty to see that you are ready to take on the position.  However, you do know I have not learned Hidey Hole myself.”

“Hmm.  I didn’t know that.  Does that mean you can’t help?”

“It means, I can assist with your general technique, but just don’t expect me to unlock the deepest, darkest secrets of casting this particular spell.”  Syl smiled at Nen, a welcomed but brief sign of the elf he knew she could be.  “Now, let’s hear you try.”

<Will Syl help Nen learn his spell? (Unlikely, due to her mood): Yes.  Nen can try twice today.  However, after I rolled the attempts, I realized that Syl doesn’t actually know the spell.  Technically, that might mean she couldn’t help, however, as Syl’s family’s background is in instructing others in using magic and Hidey Hole is only a second level spell, I figured that she could advise Nen well enough to allow him to benefit from the help.

His first try: L3 INT SR (target 30)  4, 3 +14 INT = 21 fail.>

The halfling tried in vain to successfully cast the spell.  Whenever he looked to Syl for advice, she would only repeat the same word again and again.  “Relax.” He would take a deep breath and try again.

Another half hour passed before Syl stopped the ground.  “There’s a good spot to water the horses.”

The “spot” she to which she referred was a small body of water, not much bigger than a house.  To call in a pond would be generous.  It was probably just a deep depression that had gathered rainwater runoff from the surrounding area.  Everyone dismounted and led their animals to drink while they helped themselves to their water skins.

“I’ll be back,” Nen said as he headed off to a small copse of bushes to take care of some personal business.  “Don’t leave without me!” He laughed, indicating it was a joke. He had no fear of being left behind.

Sylralei had just mounted her steed when they heard a cry from the bushes.

“Rats!”

“A little stopped up?” Dalen chided back as he and Kris chuckled at the halfling’s supposed predicament.

“Let’s go!” Syl ordered, having returned to her previous state of impatience.  “You can hold it till the horses need another break.

“No!”  Nen called back as he burst out running from around the bushes, his hands holding up his pants.  “There’s rats!”

Chasing after him was a pack of seven giant rats.  Kris and Dalen quickly readied their weapons as Nen cry “Oh Go Away!”.  More than just an exclamation, they were the trigger words for one of the first spells he had ever learned. As if severely scolded, four of the oversized rodents stopped, turned tail, and ran back into the bushes.  Three, however, still ran after the halfling, nipping at the back of his legs. (2 Spite damage)

Chasing After Him Were Rats

<To see how successfully Nen cast Oh Go Away, I used house rules to “solofy” the spell. Each opponent has a dice pool of one die. Then, comparing the totals of each opponents INTELLIGENCE, LUCK, and CHARISMA, additional dice are added to the opponent with the highest result; the greater the difference, the more dice.  In this case, Nen added three dice for a total of four.  Both opponents roll their dice and compare the two highest die.  If the spellcaster’s die is higher, the opponent is turned.  I rolled for each rat and Nen was able to turn four.>

“Take That You Fiend!” Kris turned at the sound of Syl casting the powerful spell.  Instead of the confident, commanding wizard he expected to see, Kris thought he saw a touch of fear cross her face.  Could it be that her fear of mice has carried over to similar rodents? (See Kage Gordain, Chapter 2, Scene 3) Regardless, the elf remained on her mount and swatted with her staff at the one creature that jumped up at her. <In order to successfully attack the next round, she must make a L2 DEX SR with a +1 due to her Balance talent.  She succeeds.>

Nen sped past Dalen and Kris who intercepted the two rats chasing after him, quickly dispatching them with a few swift blows from their weapons.  Syl shrieked as the rat jumping at her as it took a bite of her leg. (1 Spite Damage) Hefting her staff like a spear, she drove it down and ran it straight through the critter’s head, the tip sticking into the ground.  As Syl pulled back on her staff, the rat began to rise with it before sliding off the pole and landing in a heap on the ground.

<The battle only lasted three rounds with the rats only landing a few spite points which were recorded above.  I awarded AP to the characters based on all the rats, including the ones that ran away.>

Dalen, Kris, and Syl turned to look at Nen, who had stopped running and was now cinching up and securing his trousers.  Satisfied his pants would stay, the halfling looked up to see everyone staring at him. The look he returned at first was questioning, wondering what the problem was. However, when he saw Syl raise a questioning eyebrow, he understood. In shame, the halfling dropped his head and looked at his feet.

Syl let out a deep sigh.  “Finish up behind that tree.  We’ll keep watch. But hurry up, we’ve got a long way to go.”

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1 Peter 4:9-10

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ImageSource1; ImageSource2

[Teviko604]

CHAPTER 8: ELVES FOUND, ELF LOST

System: Tunnels & Trolls 
Tools: d30 Sandbox Companion;  UNE; LitRPG Reads encounter tables; Fantasy Name Generators ; RPGSolo.com

[Scene 1]

Roshia floated lazily on the calm water.  The elf lay on her back, arms out, and long, blonde hair spreading out in all directions.  While the tree cover above blocked much of the sun’s rays, she could still feel some of its warmth, even in this fall season.  Roshia’s life in Alaserin may have been full of school, business, trade, politics, and all manner of things she believed existed primarily to sap joy from a young elf’s life, but these monthly trips to the pond allowed her to forget everything and just relax. Peace.

“Wyvern Attack!”

Roshia opened her eyes just in time to see a small figure leap from a thick branch overhead and tuck their body into a ball.  The attacker hit the water a mere foot away, spraying her with water and forcing her to flail frantically to stay above the surface.

“Tailha! You cur!” Roshia screamed, water spewing from her mouth. “Are you trying to drown me?!”

“Take it easy, sis,” Taiha laughed.  “I wasn’t even close.”

“Not even close!  I felt you brush past my arm!”

“Lighten up.  Have fun.  All you ever want to do is float and listen to the birds.”

“That’s why I come here.  To relax and not think about life.”

“Maybe I should start coming with Kendel instead. I sure he’ll be a lot more exciting.”

“Oh no, you don’t,” the older sister warned.  “You only come to the pond when I’m with you.”

“You’re such a stick in the mud, Roshia.  What could happen that I couldn’t handle?”

“I don’t know.  Maybe this.”

Tailha spun in water, following Roshia’s gaze.  Near the edge of the pond, having just emerged from the woods, were four diverse and dirty riders on horseback.

Tailha Follows Roshia's Gaze

[Scene 2]

<This Chapter starts with move 9 of the party’s travels.  Using my travel procedure with d30 Sandbox Companion, I did not come across a settlement, but I did roll a unique feature (Pond) and an encounter.
RGP Solo: Is there anything significant about the Pond? (Unlikely) Yes, and . . .  What’s significant about the pond? Helpfully/Lavish.  I had an idea for the “and” which might also qualify as an encounter, but I rolled on the LitRPG tables just to see what they said.  I rolled an encounter that involved elves, which aligned with what I was already contemplating for the pond, so I considered that a sign, ignored everything about the encounter other than the fact it involved elves, and used my original idea.

What kind of elves do the party encounter? d4= 1: Young Couple  2: Siblings  3: Friends  4: Lone elf  Role: Siblings  (Further rolls resulted in two sisters)>

It was nearing time for another rest when the party heard the sound of splashing nearby. Splashing implied water, so they decided to follow the sound into the trees and hope that whoever or whatever they came upon was friendly.  After a short distance, the trees opened up to a medium-sized pond, and the group easily spotted the source of the noise they heard. 

Near the far shore of the pond, two female elves bobbed in the water.  One had long, blond hair that reached to the water’s surface and spread out around her.  The other’s red hair was cropped and short, revealing her pointed ears.  A moment ago, the two seemed to be arguing, but stopped once they were spotted.

“Hello.” Dalen called out, waving his hand.  “We’re traveling on the road.  Do you mind if we let our horses drink from your pond?”

Tailha, excited for the newcomers, started to swim toward them, but Roshia reached out and grabbed her ankle. 

“Where are you going?” the older sister asked.  “You don’t know who they are.”

“That’s what I want to find out,” Tailha said.  “They’re just travelers. They're not dangerous.”  With that, she pulled her foot away, splashed water in her sister’s face, and continued swimming toward the group on horseback.

“Tailha!” Roshia called in frustration and followed after.

“Greetings,” Tailha called out as she got close to the party.  “Help yourselves.  It’s not our pond.”

“Thank you,” Dalen replied and climbed off his horse.

“I’m Tailha.  And this is my sister, Roshia.” She gestured back at Roshia who was just catching up.

“I’m Dalen.  And these are Sylralei, Kristopher, and Nen.”

The rest had dismounted by now and were leading their animals to the water’s edge.  Kris looked around and saw nothing other than a pile of belongings on the far shore, which he assumed were the sisters’. They had swum close enough, however, that he could see that under the water they were wearing some kind of basic undergarments.

“Do you live around here?” he asked.  “We haven’t seen any settlements.”

“We’re from Alaserin, about a half day’s walk from here,” Tailha answered, inviting a warning shove in the shoulder from her sister.  “Stop it!” Tailha said, splashing again, hoping to drive Roshia back.

“You should probably mind your sister a bit more,” Syl said, seeing the tension between the two.  “But then again, I'm assuming she's okay with the two of you being here all alone. That can’t be safe.”

<Why aren’t the girls scared to be alone? Refuse/fears>

“What? You don’t think we can take care of ourselves?” Roshia said defiantly.  “All the men of our village talk about how it’s their duty to keep everyone safe.  The women don't need to fear while they’re around.  Even our mother worries endlessly about us.  But I refuse to be afraid!  We’re just as capable as the boys.”

“Our dad commends us for being determined and brave,” Tailha adds.  “Besides, we’ve been coming here for years and nothing's happened so far.”

Nen looked up from drinking from the pond himself.  “Maybe, but surely there’s a place to swim closer to home.  Your village must have a river or watering hole nearby.”

“Yes,” Tailha admitted, “But this place is special!”  Roshia hit her in the shoulder again and Tailha again brushed her off.

“Special?” Dalen asked.

Roshia sighed and jumped ahead of the story before her sister blurted any more than she should.  “Legend has it this pond is magical.  Anyone who bathes in it will retain their youth and appearance. <Helpfully/Lavish roll above>  Ancient queens would bathe here to preserve their beauty.  Heroic knights would swim to stay young and handsome.  But that's just what they say. Who knows if that’s true?”

“Of course it’s true!” Tailha interrupted.  “Look at me!” She throws her head back and runs her hand over her short red hair like a princess displaying herself for all to see.  Roshia responds by giving her another shove.

“Who knows if it’s true,” she continued. “But it couldn’t hurt.”

Roshia was beginning to feel more comfortable with the party, as they had been nothing but friendly up to this point. Seeing their state of dishevelment, she decided to extend a rare show of compassion.

“You guys are dirty and look like you haven’t bathed in days.  Why don’t you come in and clean off? And if the water keeps you beautiful . . . “  She lets her offer trail off as she smiles at Syl, who struck her as another brave, female elf.

Tailha brimmed with excitement at the thought of more playmates.  “Oh yes!  Come join us!”

Kris cast a glance at Dalen.  “We are a bit dirty.”

“Smelly, too,” Nen chimes in.

“Whaddya say, Syl,” Kris asked, already removing his leather breastplate.

<Does Syl agree to bathe? (Unlikely) No, and . . . she leaves>

“No, we don’t have time,” Syl commanded.  However, seeing the others ignore her and continue to remove their armor and clothes, she realized arguing would be pointless.  Mounting her steed, she prepared to leave without them.

“I don’t know what surprises me more: that you’re so easily lured by a pretty face, you believe in a baseless myth, or you’re too delicate to endure a little dirt.  But whatever it is, make it quick.  I’m moving on. You can catch up when you’re done.”

<Each character who bathes gets a chance to see if the legend of the pond has any effect on them. They will need a Level 4 Saving LCK roll to add +1 to their CHArisma. (Target 35)  All fail.

Does Syl encounter anything before they catch up? (Unlikely) No.>

[Scene 3]

<Just to get it out of the way, Nen has one more check to learn his spell at Level 3.  He misses, so his saving roll level will drop to 2 starting the next day.

However, the party has one last move for the day, Move 10.  The only thing substantial that comes up in an encounter.  Per d30, it is supposed to be a hostile encounter and while I was fine with that, I wanted to roll on LitRPG for details.  As soon as I opened the webpage, I noticed an entry that looked interesting, but I rolled anyway to see what came up randomly.  Wouldn’t you know it, the roll was for the exact entry I was contemplating.  Devine!>

“Is there any way to get by?”

Sly watched from her mount as the others examined a large pile blocking the road.  As the foothills to the north closed in and the terrain turned more mountainous, small cliffs, up to ten or twenty feet high, flanked the road where the earth had been excavated to allow passage between the hills and the forest.  At a particularly narrow passage, a large tree had fallen from the top of one of the cliffs, bringing down with it a few boulders and a lot of dirt.  The rubble appeared to have occurred recently and Dalen assumed it was brought down by the previous day’s storm.

“We can probably crawl through,” the dwarf said, “But the horses won't make it.  And I wouldn’t suggest trying to lead them through the forest.”

The landslide had pushed a few trees over on the forest side of the road, as well.  Besides, the underbrush was extremely thick in this area, making it hard for anyone to pass, especially large domesticated animals.

“I think our best bet is to try that path,” Kris suggested, indicating a path, little more than a foot trail, heading off the main road and up the steep hill. “Maybe we can find a way around and meet back up with the road.”

They headed up the trail which was steep for the first hundred feet or so, but began to level off.  While there weren’t a lot of trees, the shrubs and boulders on either side of the trail were rather numerous and they had to travel single file with Dalen in the front.  Suddenly he stopped the group and motioned them back.. <Successful L2 LCK SR.>

“There is a cave up ahead,” the dwarf whispered.

Kris looked at the sky.  “It’s getting late.  Perhaps we should hole up there for the night?”

“Unfortunately, that won't be a good idea, lad,” Dalen said.  “There is a giant meandering just outside of it. There’s only one, but I wouldn’t count on them being alone.”

“We can’t get past the road back there,” Syl said.  “We have a giant in front of us and no other paths that I can see.  What do you suggest we do?”

Dalen thought for a moment before answering. “We could try to sneak by.”

“With horses?” Nen questioned.

“The cave isn’t right on the trail, and the giant seems distracted,” Dalen explained.  “If we’re slow and quiet, perhaps we won’t be noticed.”

Syl glanced around at the sparse vegetation.  There wasn’t much cover to hide behind.

“I don’t think we have a choice,” she said with resigned acceptance. “Just be ready to mount and ride.”

Everyone dismounted and led their animals along the path.  As they approached the cave they could tell that the giant was female. She foraged through the bushes, picking berries, and placing them in a sack.  Luckily for the group, the giantess had her back to them, as the low shrubs were barely enough to conceal their movements.  Even so the group was able to move without notice.

<Sneaking by with minimal cover and horses will be difficult, so characters will need to attempt a L3 LCK SR (Target 30).  Each character must succeed, for if just one fails, the entire party will be noticed.

Kris: 3,3,5,1+17=29 missed by one
Syl: 4,2+16=22 missed
Dal: 6,5+18=29 missed by one
Nen: 3,5+18=26 missed>

Having traveled past the fork in the path that led to the cave, Syl was beginning to think the group might make it, when the giantess, who had been bent over the shrubs this entire time, straightened up and stretched, rubbing her lower back with her hand.  The party stopped and stood still, doing their best not to draw the large woman’s attention. It didn’t matter.  Apparently she had picked the first bush clean and started looking around for another.  That’s when she saw the horses.

“Garhug!  Dir intudar!”

At the giantess’ cry, a second hairy and bearded giant emerged from the cave.  He saw the party and addressed them with a growl.

“Ride!” Syl yelled and climbed on her horse.  The others were already mounted before she gave the order and were on the move.  Garhug lifted a boulder this size of a chest and hurled it at the fleeing adventurers.

Garhug Lifted A Boulder

<The Giant needs an L2 DEX SR to hit.  Using T&T modifiers for a giant’s DEX, I roll up a 4. Not a very agile creature. His first target is (d4) Dalen.  Roll: 1,2 = Automatic fail>

The first throw was well over the party’s heads.  Dalen, who was well in range of the toss, had to wonder if the aggressor wasn't even aiming.

<To determine how far each character rides before the giant’s next throw, I made a SPD SR.  If the SR is between 20-24, they travel another 30’ but are still in range.  Any roll higher than that and the character is too far to be hit.  It rolled up the horses’ base SPD to be 19.

Kris: 4,3+19=26 Out of range; 
Syl: 2,3 + 19=24 Still in range;
Dalen: 4, 3 +19 = 26 out of range;
Nen: 4,2+19 = 25 Out of range>

The giant picked up a second boulder and chucked it at the rapidly retreating team.  Hearing the boulder hit the ground right behind her, Sylralei kicked her horse harder, urging it forward  <L3 DEX SR against Syl who was still in range.  5,3+4=12  Easy miss.>

Once he was sure the intruders were gone, Garhug turned back to his mate and addressed her with concern.

“Helga.  Sadgat dag?”

Helga scowled.  “Na!”  She looked toward the trail down which Syl, Kris, and the other fled and cursed.  “Mort!”  She stomped the ground with her foot and ground it into the dirt, as though she was crushing a bug.

Garhug let out a deep, hearty laugh and gave Helga a big, affectionate (at least for a giant) bear hug.

[Scene 3]

The party rode hard for several minutes until they were sure they were not being pursued. They continued at a slower pace down the trail unil it eventually met up again with the main road, presumably a couple of miles beyond the blockage they had run into earlier.  Deciding it was a good time to rest, they searched for a clearing on the forest side of the road and made camp. 

While Dalen, Nen, and Syl saw to the final preparations, Kris rode back to where the hill path exited onto the road. Rummaging around, he found a thick branch that had fallen from a tree.  He dragged it across the road and positioned it to block the path. Before he left to return to camp, Kris pulled out one of his dirks and carved a message into the bark:

Warning! Giants!

[Scene 4]

Back at camp, Nen was finishing his meal and Dalen was stirring the contents of a small pot. Sylralei sat several feet away by herself. Kris studied the elf.  Back in Baybrook, she could capture anyone’s attention whenever she walked into a tavern. While Kris may have disapproved of her unrestricted flirtations, he knew very well that she could find a man any night she wanted.  Right now, however, a desperate brute would find a scullery maid from the worst part of the Barrens more desirable than the image Kris saw before him.

Having passed up the earlier opportunity to bathe -- the main reason for the men joining Roshia and Tailha; they had little faith in any fountain of youth -- Syl’s blonde hair was dark, dirty, and hung like twine.  Dust from the road caked her face, broken only by dried rivulets of sweat that must have formed when they fled the giants.  The deep blue and silver leather she wore was covered with patches of mud and filth.  All in all, it saddened him to see the once commanding wizardess, who battled Frogbeard’s crew to rescue him from a sure life as a pirate slave, reduced to a broken, sullied woman whose only will was to return home.

“I thought you might like some tea.”

Syl looked up from the log she sat on to see Kris holding out a tin cup.

“Dalen was eager to brew some,” Kris explained.  “He said it was an ancient Trisean concoction he picked up in his travels.  Made with Ebaco root and spices? Something like that.”

<I’ll use UNE to determine Syl’s mood, based on a “Friendly” relationship.  However, because she is grumpy, I’ll roll twice and take the worst.  Roll: 71 and 99.  Okay, maybe she’s not that grumpy. 71 = Sociable>

Sylralei’s face brightens up a bit.  This wasn’t the first time Dalen tested out new and unusual recipes on the members of the group.  She considered the cup suspiciously.  “Ebaco root?”

“That’s what he said.”

She took the cup and pulled it to her nose.  <SoloRPG C.D.: It smells Cheefully/Amusing.> Her eyes widen at the smell.  “This is unexpected! I can’t place the scent, but it reminds me of the kitchen back in Cyenannore when I was barely a teen.  The cooks were magicians!  Oh, not like conjurers, but their cooking was far above anything that could be found in a royal palace.  Or at least that’s what I wanted to believe.”

She took a sip of the brew and closed her eyes, lost in a pleasant memory.  “When Dalen experiments, it’s hit or miss. Truthfully, it’s usually ‘miss’. But he got it right this time.  I might send you back for another cup.”

Kris laughed before sitting down on the log next to her. He sat while she enjoyed her tea before asking the question that had been on his mind for most of this trip.

“What are you doing?”

“Drinking?” she said confused, taking another sip.

“No. This journey. I know you’re going home, but why?”

“I told everyone back at the Dragon’s Hoard. I’m going back to Cyenannore to teach.  I’ve learned a bit about the world, and now it’s time I share that with the younger wizards.”

“I don’t believe that for a minute,” Kris argued. “I mean, I believe you can teach, but I don’t believe that’s the reason.” <Did he speak with Kelseen before they left? (Likely) Yes> “I spoke with Kelseen before we left.”

Syl flashed him a look of betrayal.

“Of course, I did, Syl.  You were suddenly leaving the team with little good reason.  I knew Kel wasn’t going to let you just walk away, so I asked.  She said you told her you felt like you were putting everyone in danger.  That it was your fault Shemar was killed, and I was almost killed. That’s not you.  That’s the danger of what we do.  If I wanted to be safe and sound, I would have refused your offer to join the team.  Besides, I’ve seen you plan and fight.  I’ve heard the others talk about your skills and how they admire you.  They may not make great confessions about owing you their lives, but they never felt you’ve failed to do your part on any mission.”

“Enough!” Syl stopped him.  “I made my decision. If I’m as good as you say, then why stop me from helping others, just in a different way.”

Kris took a long, slow breath.  “Okay,” he gave in.  “You’re ready for a change. You’re right.  There’s no reason for me to stop you.  But I’m still having a hard time understanding.  You left Cyenannore for a reason.  Despite how you might feel now, you used to tell me teaching at the University was too confining.  You wanted to do more with your life than live in a grand building and train others to live amazing and fulfilling lives.  But I think there is something more.  Something you are keeping inside. Perhaps something you are now ready to face?”

<BOLD Waylay for Syl’s story: Fantastic Weather (natural) overcome by weak attribute.>

Syl didn’t answer but instead drank the last of her tea.  She turned to Kris with a friendly smile and held up the cup. “More?”

Kris made no move for the cup, but just looked at her, awaiting an answer.  Once she realized he wasn’t going to move, Syl let down the cup and gazed at her mud encrusted boots.

“Competition is strong at the University.  You might think that being students and learning together would form bonds of friendship and camaraderie. And it does, but rivalry is a close second.  Everyone wanted to be at the top of the class, be the best, be with the best.  If your skill didn’t live up to other’s expectation, you may very well be treated as an outcast.

“Not being a student, you would think I was immune from that, but that wasn’t the case.  In fact, it was worse.  I was the daughter of the Headmaster.  A tutor.  Quite possibly a professor in a few years.  The older students were constantly testing me, trying to get me to fail.  In reality, I wasn’t much further along in my studies than them, so they didn’t need to try very hard. If they felt they knew more than me, they would lord it over me and call me names, like Swill-Ralie, or taunt me, saying ‘Syl rarely casts anything good’.  One day it got to me, and I was ready to shut them up.  I was going to prove I was a great wizard.  I may not have had the skill, but I had the means.

“It was common knowledge that the clock tower housed an Orb of Ultra-Amplification that was attuned to several towers around the campus. Any student in the towers’ upper rooms would have their spell ability increased so they could cast the spell Invisible Walls.  Additionally, the Orb could amplify the spell’s strength. As part of each student’s curriculum, they were required to take a shift in a tower and help keep the Invisible Wall that surrounded the University active for our protection.

“What many people didn’t know about was the ground keeper’s staff.  The Master Groundskeeper had no magical skill.  He was magnificent at his skill, only he wasn’t a wizard.  He was a mere groundskeeper.  To aid him, however, he was in charge of staff that could control the weather.  Not much -- just change the temperature a few degrees or form a single rain cloud -- but it was enough to keep the gardens healthy and the lawns green.

“One day, after the Groundskeeper was done with his shift, I snuck into the maintenance cottage and borrowed the staff.  I took it to one of the attuned towers that hadn’t been used for several weeks and concealed it behind a cabinet.  Then later, after dark, I gathered some of the older students, and told them I had a new spell I wanted to show them.  It wasn’t hard to get them to follow me up to the tower.  A few were generally interested. The rest were just boys who, though they teased me, thought they may have had a chance with me if they showed me any attention.

“Once in the room, I pointed out the window at the sky and claimed I could bend the heavens to my will.  I began to gesture with my hands and chant softly.  Gradually, my voice rose until, at my crescendo, I grabbed the staff and shouted the words that brought it to life.  Boosted by the power of the Orb of Ultra-Amplification, dark clouds began to roll across the sky, thicker and angrier than the staff could produce on its own.  Lightning jumped from one to another before striking the ground with a deafening crash.  Wind blew and rain began to flood down. And it didn’t stop, but kept growing stronger. This wasn’t some summer storm.  It was more like the monsoons at sea you hear the sailors talk about, at least the sailors who are lucky enough to find land after their ships are torn apart.

This Wasn't Some Summer Storm

“The students were scared and wanted me to stop, but I couldn’t.  I tried to end the spell, but nothing in my training seemed to work. I just dropped the staff, and we all ran from the building.

“The storm raged all night and most of the next day before the winds began to die down and the rains subsided.  The sun didn’t break through until the morning after that. The lower rooms were flooded. The gardens were ruined, including all the plants that were used for making potions and elixirs.  It could be a year or more before they returned to full strength.

“Needless to say, my father was furious.  He wanted someone to blame, anyone, but as far as he knew, it was a freak of nature.  There was nothing he thought he could do.  That was until he spoke with the Master Groundskeeper, who told him the staff was missing.  It didn’t take the University Guard long to find the staff the in the tower.  And as I’ve already mentioned, I had no friends among the students.  The ones that were with me were quick to point the finger.  What better way to take down the Headmaster’s precious daughter a few notches.”

Kristopher wanted to put his arm around Syl, but kept his distance.  “What did your father do?”

“He had my arms bound with dampening bracelets.  They strip a wizard of their power.  They could not be removed for a month.  Essentially, it’s prison for a wizard.  Next, he stripped me of tutoring responsibilities.  Who would trust me?  How could I teach if I couldn’t cast?  Finally, he implied I had no future as a professor.  ‘Professors must maintain the upmost integrity.  It would be preposterous to think that someone with no respect for the power of magic would be allowed to teach others.’”

“I’m sorry, Syl.”  It was all Kris knew to say.

“That’s bad, but it wasn’t the worst. The storm also destroyed my mother’s rose garden.  I remember being four or five, and she would take me to the garden and sit and watch me while I played.  Years later, after a long day of teaching, she would relax in the rose garden to get away from the day’s worries.  It was her sanctuary. After the storm, mother rightened the stone bench that had been blown over. Then, despite the garden being destroyed, she would sit there. Everyday, she continued to visit what used to be her garden.  I could see her from my room, just sitting. Sometimes crying.

“I would tell myself, I did that.  I destroyed my mother’s joy.  How could she love me, Kris?  Could I ever be her daughter after that?”

In the firelight, Kris saw the glistening rivulets run down Syl’s face.  He felt her flinch as he put his arm around her for comfort, but soon relax.

“After a month the bracelets came off, but nothing went back to the way it was. My father would barely talk to me.  I didn’t get any of my responsibilities back.  And the students were worse than ever.  At best, they teased me even more.  At worst, they ostracized me. Or perhaps that was the better of the two. Regardless, that was when I decided to leave.”

<Did either of Syl’s parents try to keep her from leaving? (Somewhat likely) No.>

“Yes, I truly wanted to experience the world beyond Cyenannore’s walls. But this made it easier.  My home was no longer home.  There was nothing there for me. No one there wanted me.  At least, that’s what I believe.  No one stopped me.  Not my father. Not even my mother. As far as I know, they don't want me to come back and this trip is for nothing.”

“Then why go back?” Kris asked.

Syl turned to face him, causing her to slip free of his arm. “I have to try, Kris.  It’s my home.”

“You have a home with us.”

“And I'm destroying that one, too.”

Sylralei and Kristopher sat on the bench in silence. On the other side of the campfire, Dalen was laughing at something Nen had just told him. Both were oblivious to the tale being told less than twenty feet away from them.

<Has Syl told anyone else this story?  (50/50) No>

“Does Dalen know this?” Kris asked. “Garlen?”

“No one. Not even Shemar.”

Kris wanted to tell Sylralei that she was wrong. She wasn't destroying her home. But isn't that how this conversation started? She wouldn't listen then. She probably wouldn't listen now.

Eventually, he broke the silence. “You said you wanted more tea?”

Syl looked down at her cup.  “I think I changed my mind.  I’ve lost the taste for home.”

She breathed in. “Kris, stay with me tonight . . . as a friend.”

“Of course,” he said, gently putting his hand on hers. “As a friend.”

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1 Chronicles 20: 4-8

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Imagesources: Sisters; Giant; Storm