Jul 22, 2022 5:27 pm
Neither Eltrezar nor Luban make any attempt to stop here, though the wizard does gaze at the cave curiously. What had it been that caused the drastic temperature shift in there, only some days ago?
Part 9: Plundering the Plunderers' Plunder
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Jul 23, 2022 1:32 am
Mal keeps her focus on getting back to town as well. There was too much tension amidst the group for dalliance.
Jul 23, 2022 4:22 am
Gilly casts an eye over the cave, but doesn’t dare to suggest a stop. It does make her wonder though. Wonder about all the mysterious places out there! Places they could be adventuring, instead of this dark, deadly place.
"Maloria…" she says, a few moments later.
"There must be other people to help. Somewhere else! Couldn’t we go there instead?"
"Maloria…" she says, a few moments later.
"There must be other people to help. Somewhere else! Couldn’t we go there instead?"
Last edited July 23, 2022 4:27 am
Jul 23, 2022 4:26 am
The flush red begins to seep off the mage’s face, and regret begins to set in. She clears her throat and speaks eventually.
"Yes. There are, Gilly. The world is full of people in need of help. There are forces at work here… and everywhere.
In some places… Evil reigns. And in others… Good! Have you given thought to petitioning the church for aid, Maloria?
And you… Eltrezar…" she clears her throat "Are there masters of the arcane we might call on?"
"Yes. There are, Gilly. The world is full of people in need of help. There are forces at work here… and everywhere.
In some places… Evil reigns. And in others… Good! Have you given thought to petitioning the church for aid, Maloria?
And you… Eltrezar…" she clears her throat "Are there masters of the arcane we might call on?"
Jul 23, 2022 6:45 pm
Spugnoir clears his own throat and speaks up before the older wizard can reply, "Ahem, beg pardon Miss Rusk, perhaps my temper got the better of me before. But I feel that if given a week alone for us to compare knowledge and study one another's magics the man himself will be quite capable of lending a much more versatile arcane skill set to the needs of the group, should he choose to remain with you afterwards. Skills at least as great as my own, I should imagine. If he chooses to remain with your party, that is, though again, I hope to convince my friend here to take his services with me and we'll continue to unlock the secrets of the arcane together."
Jul 24, 2022 3:59 am
Eltrezar nods along with the other wizard as they pass by the cave. "It would do us all a bit of good to rest for some days. I would deal with the gnolls before they become a larger problem, but then take some time to relax. We have earned it.
Jul 24, 2022 9:56 am
It was the same conversation they had had every time they returned to Hommlet. How long to stay…
The armory had been cleared out overnight. And now they’d spoken with the gnolls, killed two human guards and finally dispatched the mute.
Gilly didn’t speak, but once again she wondered how wise it would be to give the moat a week absent of adventurers!
The armory had been cleared out overnight. And now they’d spoken with the gnolls, killed two human guards and finally dispatched the mute.
Gilly didn’t speak, but once again she wondered how wise it would be to give the moat a week absent of adventurers!
Jul 24, 2022 10:04 am
"Well… it was a close call for all of us. We each did what we thought best!" she says, beginning to make peace "Can’t you two copy these scrolls into your books? Seems a simple enough thing!"
She watches the road ahead for a while, and then speaks again.
"And where is it that two wizards might travel to? Might we all go there? If you two plan to settle down in Hommlet for a week… well, I doubt we’d escape the moat again should we venture back. It won’t be the same. Not once they call for reinforcements and have time to gather them!"
She watches the road ahead for a while, and then speaks again.
"And where is it that two wizards might travel to? Might we all go there? If you two plan to settle down in Hommlet for a week… well, I doubt we’d escape the moat again should we venture back. It won’t be the same. Not once they call for reinforcements and have time to gather them!"
Jul 24, 2022 2:46 pm
Hrmph! "You may be right, but this is an opportunity I can hardly waste. Let us deal with the gnolls, as Thurig rests. Elmo should prove useful, as well as any of the militia we can afford to hire. Then we will consider our options. But we have gathered much info on our last two ventures, which should help us prepare."
Jul 24, 2022 4:39 pm
Mal feels anxious at the thought of abandoning the quest for either rest or alternate venues. She had been tasked by her betters with the investigation and elimination of the growing darkness within those ruins and she felt in her bones that they were close.
"I am the agent of the church sent to deal with the cult in those ruins Ora, although as close as I feel we are to ripping them out root and stem, perhaps it is time to beseach my elders for greater aid. Either way, more assistance will be needed and with what we know of the complicity of the tradesmen in town I believe it will be of great importance that we gather an army of the faithful to us as soon as possible. Very likely the cult will now send assassins after us for the damage we have wrought."
"I am the agent of the church sent to deal with the cult in those ruins Ora, although as close as I feel we are to ripping them out root and stem, perhaps it is time to beseach my elders for greater aid. Either way, more assistance will be needed and with what we know of the complicity of the tradesmen in town I believe it will be of great importance that we gather an army of the faithful to us as soon as possible. Very likely the cult will now send assassins after us for the damage we have wrought."
Jul 24, 2022 5:11 pm
The remainder of the journey back to Hommlet is uneventful. The party of returning adventurers uses the time to decompress and de-stress, and as tension is slowly released, tentative attempts at reconciliation are made among the more contentious members of the party.
The cloud break that allowed some warmth and sunlight to greet the adventurers on their return to the surface world wanes, and slowly relents to the encroaching grey overcast again, and by the time the village comes into view ahead of the horses, the sky has once again closed itself up and a light rain falls. With no breeze to move the humid, eighty-degree air trapped underneath, it’s a warm rain, but the air feels muggy and Maloria sweats once more under her heavy armor.
It’s approaching three in the afternoon when the group reaches the edge of Hommlet. Like prairie dogs, the laborers working on the new tower’s construction just south of the road into town stop their activities a moment to stare at the returning party and at the bloody and unconscious dwarf sprawled out in the cart Spugnoir drives. The workers seem unsurprised at the sight of the stout man’s gore covered body, having seen as much and worse with every returning pass the party’s made these past few days.
Brother Smyth waves friendly as the group heads towards the stables at the Inn of the Welcome Wench, but his hand falters at seeing another fallen adventurer and he finishes his greeting with simply a solemn nod.
The village seems quiet and unassuming as locals bustle about in the drizzle...
First we'll start with Enemies Killed/Defeated XP. This will be divided equally between the survivors of this excursion, that being Gilly, Eltrezar, Maloria, Luban, Thurig, Ora, and Spugnoir:
4) Giant Rats - 36XP
1) Giant Crayfish - 225XP
4) Gnolls - 192XP
1) Trading Post Man-at-Arms: - 22XP
2) Guards: - 46XP
Total: 521XP
Total Each: 74.42XP
Now the loot the party returned with this trip, which consists only of what was picked off the bodies of the dead rats (7000cp, 3 gems worth 650gp total) the Giant Crayfish (10gp, 30sp, and 1 platinum/ruby pin worth 2000gp), 2 guards (4pp, 7gp, 14sp).
Total: 2770.57XP
Total Each: 395.79XP
After making necessary adjustments for Prime Requisites I have each PC at the following:
Gilly earns 540.74XP, for a Total of 2066.54 / 2000 (LEVEL 2).
Eltrezar earns 517.23XP, for a total of 1977.7 / 2500.
Maloria earns 470.21XP, for a total of 1782.62 / 1500 (LEVEL 2).
Luban earns 517.23XP, for a total of 517.23 / 1200.
Thurig earns 493.72XP, for a total of 493.72 / 2200.
Ora earns 540.74XP, for a total of 540.74 / 2800.
This page will now be locked. Please continue further discussion or bring any issues to my attention in the OoC thread while get prepare the materials for Part 10: Dumber Titling of the Dummies’ Dummy, or something similarly stupid I’m sure.
The cloud break that allowed some warmth and sunlight to greet the adventurers on their return to the surface world wanes, and slowly relents to the encroaching grey overcast again, and by the time the village comes into view ahead of the horses, the sky has once again closed itself up and a light rain falls. With no breeze to move the humid, eighty-degree air trapped underneath, it’s a warm rain, but the air feels muggy and Maloria sweats once more under her heavy armor.
It’s approaching three in the afternoon when the group reaches the edge of Hommlet. Like prairie dogs, the laborers working on the new tower’s construction just south of the road into town stop their activities a moment to stare at the returning party and at the bloody and unconscious dwarf sprawled out in the cart Spugnoir drives. The workers seem unsurprised at the sight of the stout man’s gore covered body, having seen as much and worse with every returning pass the party’s made these past few days.
Brother Smyth waves friendly as the group heads towards the stables at the Inn of the Welcome Wench, but his hand falters at seeing another fallen adventurer and he finishes his greeting with simply a solemn nod.
The village seems quiet and unassuming as locals bustle about in the drizzle...
OOC:
Thus concludes Part 9: Plundering the Plunderers’ Plunder (a chapter title I personally loathe, and may possibly alter later). Having returned to your "safe house" I will reward XP for the party from this most recent delve...First we'll start with Enemies Killed/Defeated XP. This will be divided equally between the survivors of this excursion, that being Gilly, Eltrezar, Maloria, Luban, Thurig, Ora, and Spugnoir:
4) Giant Rats - 36XP
1) Giant Crayfish - 225XP
4) Gnolls - 192XP
1) Trading Post Man-at-Arms: - 22XP
2) Guards: - 46XP
Total: 521XP
Total Each: 74.42XP
Now the loot the party returned with this trip, which consists only of what was picked off the bodies of the dead rats (7000cp, 3 gems worth 650gp total) the Giant Crayfish (10gp, 30sp, and 1 platinum/ruby pin worth 2000gp), 2 guards (4pp, 7gp, 14sp).
Total: 2770.57XP
Total Each: 395.79XP
After making necessary adjustments for Prime Requisites I have each PC at the following:
Gilly earns 540.74XP, for a Total of 2066.54 / 2000 (LEVEL 2).
Eltrezar earns 517.23XP, for a total of 1977.7 / 2500.
Maloria earns 470.21XP, for a total of 1782.62 / 1500 (LEVEL 2).
Luban earns 517.23XP, for a total of 517.23 / 1200.
Thurig earns 493.72XP, for a total of 493.72 / 2200.
Ora earns 540.74XP, for a total of 540.74 / 2800.
This page will now be locked. Please continue further discussion or bring any issues to my attention in the OoC thread while get prepare the materials for Part 10: Dumber Titling of the Dummies’ Dummy, or something similarly stupid I’m sure.