Ordinary Heroes Online Campaign (Inactive)

Game Master Rhanloi Ehlyss

Hugo looked up from his metals, clearly uninterested in anything past the physical. "Dun look dat dangerous. Silly makin' weapons outa glass or crystal or wutever dat is." He shrugged and returned to his metals, an excited glint in his eyes.

Reflex save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23
Will save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15

It all happened so fast, it's hard to recall exactly the sequence of events that transpired when Grizelda handed the crystal blade to Tomid. All you know for certain is that Izzy has a cut on her hand that will need stitches or magical healing because it won't stop bleeding, and Tomid is holding a crystal blade that is a little darker than it was before...

Nearly dropping the knife,. Tomid looks aghast at the wound the knife has caused and calls for help to staunch the bleeding. He tries to apply pressure using his best handkerchief, but the bleeding does not even slow. Oh Grizelda, I am so sorry, How did that blade skip?

Heal: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (8) - 1 = 7

"See there, nasty thing, meant for killing it is!" Jacob mutters a prayer as he fuses over Izzy's hand.

cure light wounds: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

Grizelda's eyes go wide and she pales visibly as she looks down at her bleeding hand.
"How very strange, I was sure I didn't touch the blade. It's almost as if it lunged. Be careful with it, Tomid. I fear that is no normal blade." She looked unsteady as the bookseller looked over her wound, leaning against him heavily until he had sealed the cut and stopped the bleeding. And then promptly flushed to the tips of her ears when she regained her senses and realized she was practically hugging him and straitened herself immediately, brushing away non-existent dust and busying herself with cleaning the blood away from her robes with prestidigitation.
"Ahem... Thank you, Master Grimm."

"....that's real creepy," Zinny says with a shiver. "A blade that tries to cut you? No thank you."

Hey, it wernt the dagger's fault really. Tomid says a bit too quickly, almost snapping at Zinny. We just fumbled the hand-off. That's all. An I'm real sorry Grizelda. I'll make sure that durn dagger don't cut no on else on accident again. I promise. He carefully wraps the blade and puts it in his pack. Silly thing really; a glass dagger. Probbly break first time I try ta use it in a real fight.

"..."

Zinny pulls back a bit. (It's sort of comical, really, the six-foot-tall woman biting her lip at words from a halfling half her size.) "...sorry," she mumbles. "Jes' goin' off what Miz Blau said..."

Sheepishly, she goes to look at all the metal and tools in the forge-- she don't know nothin' about smithing, but she bets Hugo'd be eager to tell about them.

With the knife safely packed away Tomid looks a little embarrassed for snapping at Zinny. Sorry Zin. he says quietly. I was just flustered with Griz gettin hurt.

Ok - so everyone gets 3,170 XP for this - making everyone 4th level!! Please level up and let me know what you added =) Below is the list of gear/equipment and who I think has spoken for what. I have been out all weekend, so if I missed something please let me know!!

Arcane Spell book – Grizelda
• 3rd level
o Beast Shape
o Force Punch
o Haste
o Hydraulic Torrent
o Water Breathing
• 4th level
o Globe of Invulnerability (lesser)
o Stone Shape

Divine Scrolls - Jacob
• Bless (4rd level)
• Cure light wounds (1d8+3)
• Darkness (4th level)
• Dispel magic (5th level)
• Lesser restoration (5th level)
• Protection from good (4th level)
• Summon monster II (5th level)

Potions
• 4x Cure light wounds (1d8+4) – Grizelda, Hugo, Jacob, Tomid
• 4x Cure Moderate Wounds (2d8+5) - Zinny
• 2x Invisibility - Tomid
• Jump
• Remove Disease
•

Rings
• Feather Falling
• Protection +2 - Grizelda

Wand
• Cure Light Wounds (1d8+5) – 25 charges
• Flaming Sphere – 20 charges
• Force Punch (CL 5) – 3 charges - Grizelda

Weapons & Armor
• +1 heavy mace - Hugo
• Darkwood greatclub - Zinny
• Masterwork scimitar - Tomid
• Bloodcrystal dagger - Tomid
• +2 mithril chainshirt - Tomid

Wondrous Items
• Belt of giant’s strength +2 – Hugo
• Spectacles of Understanding - Grizelda

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----
40’ silk rope (2) -
alchemist's fire (6) – Tomid, Zinny, Grizelda
arrows, masterwork (5) - Zinny
bone-and-tooth necklace unholy symbol -
bourbon - three bee
chainmail (2) - Jacob
dagger (3) – Jacob, Grizelda
darts (10) -
healer's kit - Jacob
key, black stone - Grizelda
leather armor (2) -
light crossbow with 20 bolts - Jacob
longbow with 20 arrows - Zinny
longsword - Zinny
sap -
shield, heavy wooden (2) -
smokestick - Tomid
spell component pouch - Jacob
tanglefoot bag (1) - Tomid
throwing axe
thunderstone (3) – Tomid, Grizelda
tindertwig - Tomid
studded leather
waraxe (2) -
364 gp
19 pp

I think Zinny took the strength-increasing gauntlets, too? Also, awesome extensive loot list, and sorry for my slowness. Been a semi-busy week. I'll get a proper Zinny post up soon. And woot, level up!

Also, would someone else like to carry some of these cure mod potions? I surely don't need all 4 of them, although I'll keep 1-2 depending on who wants the others.

Aaand one more edit. I'll take one of those two silk ropes, if they are still unclaimed. It sounds like we have a lot of stuff to sell, so once we do that, we can figure out what gold we're each getting from loot, eh?

Indeed, Zinny took the gauntlets. Id personally suggest Hugo and Zinny take 2 Moderate Potions each, since they are more likely to need them. Then possibly 2 Lights for Tomid and 1 for Jacob and Griz each?

Tomid can cast Cure Light so he is happy to take only 1.

Sounds good. I suggest we keep the wands and ring of feather fall as well. Mostly mundane gear to be sold off, I think.

"s'okay," Zinny says sheepishly to Tomid's apology. "Guess I over-reacted some myself. 's been a long day."

She looks around at the others. "...so... we got us this fancy place... now what? I gotta get back to Momma at some point, I reckon. An' I'm thinkin' maybe I'll go have a chat with them fellas we handed over to Keel," she says, with a balling of one big fist.

Don't be forgettin that some rogues know 'bout this place too. Tomid points out, as he cleans his fingernails with the glass knife. Thought I put this up? Don't even remember getting it back out…

Presenting loot from this place in a different fashion. Unless anyone objects, you will sell off the For Sale items and split the gold. Any suggestions on how we play out setting up the lair for your use? Do you want control of the map so you can put your own stuff in? Any ideas what you want to put in the rooms, who gets which room, etc? I don't want to get bogged down in the mechanics of a Kingmaker campaign for the stuff you'll need (boring!) but we need to reach an agreement on how you acquire the materials you need, how you get them down here, if you take on some hirelings to take care of the place for you, etc...Shall we free-form role-play it out, or just summarize it here?

TBD
Jump potion
Ring of Feather Falling
Wand of Cure Light Wounds (25 charges)

Grizelda
Arcane Spell book with 7 spells
Cure light wounds potion (x2)
Ring of Protection +2
Wand of Flaming Sphere (20 charges)
Wand of Force Punch (3 charges)
Spectacles of Understanding
Alchemist's fire (x2)
Thunderstone

Hugo
Cure Moderate Wounds potion (x2)
+1 heavy mace

Jacob
Bless scroll
Cure light wounds scroll
Darkness scroll
Dispel magic scroll
Lesser restoration scroll
Protection from good scroll
Summon monster II scroll
Cure light wounds potion
Remove Disease potion
Belt of Truth

Tomid
Cure light wounds potion
Invisibility potion (x2)
Masterwork scimitar (for sale now?)
Bloodcrystal dagger
+2 mithril chainshirt
40’ silk rope
Alchemist's fire (x2)
Smokestick
Tanglefoot bag
Thunderstone (x2)
Tindertwig

Zinny
Cure Moderate Wounds potion (x2)
Darkwood greatclub
Gaunlets of giant’s strength +2
40’ silk rope
Alchemist's fire (x2)
arrows, masterwork (x5)

For Sale
bone-and-tooth necklace unholy symbol
Three Bee bourbon
chainmail
dagger
darts (x10)
leather armor (x2)
sap
shield, heavy wooden (x2)
throwing axe
studded leather
waraxe (x2)

Wow. Great list GM &rew. Yes Tomid will provide the scimitar back to the group to sell, but not quite yet. Its too soon for him to admit his desire to use the Bloodcrystal dagger exclusively. Gotta think on how to best RP that. I'd sorta like it to play out over weeks or even months but that is years of real time in a PBP, so no, not gonna do that. If no one is going to lay a claim to the ring of feather falling, timid would like to wear it for now. As the scout/traps guy, he is quite likely to eventually fall into a pit. But since there is no requirement to attune to the ring, it can be passed about to whoever might be ledge walking, etc. But if someone else wants to wear it, Tomid could still borrow it for special occasions.

Makes perfect sense to me! So selling the items listed above, and splitting it 5 ways, plus the gold and platinum pieces found, nets EACH of you 10 pp, 75 gp, and 4 sp!

Over the next few weeks you clear out the burned and destroyed items from your new lair and begin purchasing or trading for the equipment you'll need to make it livable. So far, you only tell a select few people about your discovery - Sergeant Keel, because the bandits were there and you had to provide all info to him; Abigail, of course; and Brother Silas knows, but he has decided to stay with his congregation and stop wandering off on adventures that are more than likely to get him killed or injured!

Abigail asks if her youngest cousin Breylinn, a pretty girl who is still traumatized from the lizardswamp raid that killed her mother and siblings, can work for you cleaning and cooking. The 11 year old needs to start learning a trade, and there are scarce few opportunities for her in Daggermark. Plus, Abi trusts you to look out for her and not take advantage of the girl.
The going rate young servants is a silver a day - about 3 gold pieces a month. They usually work seven to ten hours every day and get marketdays off. She can either stay in your lair or walk back and forth each day.

For the lair, I imagine we just use it as a headquarter, with most of it sealed off. I also suggest we wall up the exit we found and stick to using the secret entrance through Zinnys cellar. So, everyone helps clean up the place, and we buy some bricks and mortar to seal the secret entrance?

Will you expand the rat tunnels to the Whip and the Cow so that you can walk through them and not crawl? You will also have to do that to get items/equipment in and out. Are you going to make concealed or secret doors in the basements? So many fun things to think through =)

Tomid does not have to crawl… :P IF we could obtain deed to the land above the entrance it might be great to build a cabin that could be upgraded at some point to a house with compound. I'd prefer that over walling that entrance up. Those rat tunnels had other passages right? Makes sense to secure them and over time widen them. Maybe provide secure doors to the other parts of those tunnels.

Expanding the tunnels from the Whip to the lair sounds good to me!

Additionally, GM, Zinny will spend 3 GP of her newfound wealth to hire a second servant-- one to take over some of the work at her mother's. And Zinny still wants to go be yelly at the folks Keel is holding...

I think for this period we should do some free role-playing and character story-telling. Since there are so many potential threads to pull, and each of you can really do kinda your own thing, I encourage you to tell your own story here, and I'll play along as NPCs. Like a choose your own adventure, but more like cooperative storytelling =)

I think as a group you have some decisions to make about the mage's lair - now YOUR lair...
1) Are you going to move in and live here, or stay in your current arrangements in Daggermark?
1a) If you are living here, where are your quarters? Most any of the rooms can be adapted, except the kitchen. I will say you change the torture room into the bathroom (it had drains and running water...)
1b) Will you take on Abi's cousin to help maintain the place? Do you want to look for any other help here?
2) Are you keeping your day jobs, or working here in the lair and adopting the "adventurer's" life?
3) Do you build a small cabin around the concealed entrance in the woods outside of town?
4) Do you expand the tunnels to the Happy Cow and Dancing Whip or seal the cavern off from both cellars and your lair?
5) Do you install secret or concealed doors in the basements of the Happy Cow and Dancing Whip for the tunnels?

Zinny: I like your ideas. You can easily find someone who can help out at the Whip, and even offset their pay although your mother would probably refuse your offer to pay...she is a proud woman, after all! Go ahead and write up your initial actions to visit the brothers at the jail.

Its late, so ill leave it for tomorrow, but ill whip up a "time passes" post for Hugo

Apologies, I've had "Izzy" back-burnered as I'm getting characters geared up for the PBP Gameday. I want to see her reside in the complex, I'd already set her younger brother up to replace her at the library. Agree that we should go interrogate our guild captives next or pretty soon anyway. Then she will start work on researching, my question is: How will that work?

Have to get her leveled up, and realized I never made my hp roll.
hp roll!: 1d6 ⇒ 6 ^_^

Sorry for my slowness!

1) Zinny might not move in immediately? She's still coming around to the idea of being a full-time adventurer. She's getting there.
1a) I'd pick a room when Zinny actually moved in
1b) Hiring the girl sounds like a great idea
2) Zinny will segue into full-time adventurer, getting more 'serious' about it now that she knows her father was one, and that it seems like there is something big in town now to worry about that is their problem. But, again, not overnight necessarily
3) Cabin sounds great! Zinny will help haul needed lumber, tools, etc
4) I vote tunnel to Whip, yes, and have no objections to tunnel to the Cow
5) Secret doors are lots of fun :D

Zinny has a few words with the warden and is allowed 'a little time' with the miscreants. The big girl enters the cell and closes the door behind her, giving the guard a little nod to move away. The guard takes a look at her face and moves off.

Zinny focuses on Jacob. She stands over him, and deliberately draws her good old fence-post (there's something to be said for sentimentality, even if the new club is a better one to actually use in a fight), and pats the blunt, worn wood into the palm of her hand thoughtfully.

"Jacob, you know all 'bout this club, don't you? I think I whumped you with it a time or two when you was actin' up at th' Whip. Maybe I shoulda cracked you harder on the skull back then. Smacked some sense into you... yeah. Mayhap you wouldn't have got up to all this trouble if so...

"But then again, maybe you would've. Maybe you're just bad right down to the bone. Maybe there ain't no fixin' you or your brothers. Maybe you won't tell me nothin' 'bout what's goin' on an' why you was bringin' awful people into town."

Zinny leans in, closer, frowning thunderously. "I don't like hurtin' people none," she says into Jacob's face. "But th' way I reckon it? If'n you wanna be bad, I guess I gotta treat you like a bad person. So let's find out.

"Let's find out if whompin' you on th' skull'll make you be a better person or not."

She raises the club in both hands, squinting down at Jacob, eyeing him as if considering just how hard and where to hit him.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26

The older, meaner brother just glares at Zinny and grunts in disgust. "Stupid cow. Ain't nuttin' you can do that'll make us talk. You got no idea what your up against. Beat me all ya want - that would be a nice walk in the park with that Abi girl from the tavern on my arm compared to what the Master would do to me if I talked..." He then spits in your direction, just missing your foot.

The younger one, though...he's not looking so tough right about now. "Now wait a minute, Miss Zinny...no call to go whompin' me agin! I ain't done nuttin' that bad. I just took some clothes and stuff, that's all. I swear! They told me I was gunna be impotent in this new gang, and if I did good the Mistress..."

"SHUT YER MOUTH, JACOB! Not another sound or I'M gonna rip your arm off and beat ya to death wit' it. Ya hear?!? Don't say no more or we're DEAD!! Worse than dead!!" Now both brothers look afraid, but maybe not of you anymore...

Hup, sorry!

Zinny scowls at the older brother, highly tempted to whomp him just cuz he deserves it, but instead she focuses her attention on Jacob and his worried words.

For one moment, her face twitches with something other than anger when Jacob recites the promise that he was gonna be 'impotent'...

Will save: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

...but Zinny manages to keep from bursting into inappropriate giggling. Somehow.

Stern-face back in place, she looks down at the brothers with her arms crossed.

"S'pose you think you're real tough. Well, we'll see about that. But see, bad people get what's comin' to 'em. Maybe you're right you ain't gotta worry about what I can do to you...

Zinny leans down, her brows drawn together thunderously. "...but there's more'n me in the world. An' more'n this Mistress of yours, too."

She steps back, and gives a very tiny nod to... an empty corner of the jail cell.

So much more, whispers a voice-- not in the room, but inside the brother's heads! I am the spirit of Daggermark, and I will take vengeance on those who betray the people of this town!

The image of a bloody, dripping dagger appears in the center of the cell, floating in space, rotating in eerie silence.

I will chase you til you die. I will cut your hearts out. You will never be rid of me!

"It's terrible," Zinny whispers ominously. "So you better talk!"

Zinny's Will save to keep a straight face through her own bad lie: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22
Gossamer's Bluff: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20
Zinny Intimidating after that big display: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19

So cool! :) I have been super busy. Will post soon, I promise.

Holy cr@p, Zinnia - that was PERFECT!! And those rolls!!! How can I NOT go with that?!? 8D

The bloody dagger is an exact duplicate of the one Tomid found, only instead of a light pink it is a deep red crystal dagger. The brothers pale visibly - the older one losing all bluster. He is so worked up the fellow just keels over, unconscious.

The younger brother practically wets himself at the voice in his head and the image of the dagger. He starts bawling in the middle of the cell, talking in barely comprehensible words about a dark mistress and her consort, and how they were preparing the lair for her as her new home and base of operations. There is something about dark magic, and "Underdark", and you even catch something that would indicate a senior member of the Daggermark council is in league with, or controlling, this mistress.

Jacob has never actually seen the mistress, but he met the consort - who looks like an elf but had black skin and silver eyes. He is obviously afraid of the man and is surprised you didn't run into him after defeating his group. He also tells you there were several other gang members in the lair, but you don't remember ever encountering them. Perhaps they made the tracks by the entrance between your leaving and returning that first day...

Heh heh heh!

Zinny listens to Jacob's frantic spilling-his-guts with a worried look that only gets more pronounced as it goes on. When he's done, she takes a deep breath, and glances in the direction of her small, invisible friend.

They've got to tell the others, and quick.

"Well," Zinny says slowly, "it's good you've come clean. You oughtn't have got mixed up in this business, you know that? But you confessed now, so-- so I don't think the Dagger'll come for you. And we'll take out this bad elf so you and your brother don't gotta be scared."

...she hopes, anyway.

"You, uh, you see to your brother now..."

Zinny quickly leaves. She takes a moment to breathlessly relate everything she just learned to Keel, then, with the invisible Gossamer on her shoulder, beelines to find the others.

"Your idea worked, Gossamer-- that was real clever! I couldn't have come up with nothin' like that," she says, patting the little dragon, who hums in a smug fashion.

As soon as she catches up with the others, Zinny spills everything she knows now, trying to keep it coherent.

"We scared 'em into talkin', but I think it's bad! It's a big gang, and they got evil magic, and it's under the dark or something, but there's this evil mistress and also this bad elf who has black skin and they're real scared of him, and also it sounds like someone on the town council is a part of it!"

cue dark music...dum dum DUMMMMM.... =)

Who else has a side project? Izzy - I know you want to research stuff. I don't have a fun way to play that out, and rolling knowledge checks is pointless. Want to let me know what you're researching, perhaps we'll fluff it a bit, and provide some good answers that way?

Finally, I think we're all gearing up for the next online game day. We can put this game on the back burner if you want - or just keep it simmering along until I come up with the next adventure for you (have a good idea already...involves Brother Silas being framed for a kidnapping/murder he swears he didn't commit...) Please let me know what you took for your next level, including feats, ability point, etc, if you haven't already. =)

It’s been an exhausting day’s work, and you collapsed in bed as soon as it was over to rest up for tomorrow’s activities. However, you are awakened by the duke’s men before the cock’s crow. Still half-asleep, you get dressed and stumble into the Happy Cow tavern where you are given a cup of ale and a chunk of bread. You notice several militia-men and women there, too.

Before you can manage to ask any questions, the duke walks in, accompanied by Kelson Darktreader and Sir Llewellyn. The normally open and friendly duke is grimmer than he’s been since he received news of his father’s death at Dragonspear Castle five years ago.

”Good people,” he says, ”I apologize for having you roused from your much-deserved rest, but I am facing a personal crisis, and I need your help. My sister, Bronwyn, seems to have been abducted by Baron Agwain, whom I hosted last evening.” A murmur ripples through the group. All of you remember Agwain coming to Daggermark just before sundown. The duke continues.

”At this time I have no idea why the baron did this, but I intend to ask him, persistently, until I get an answer I like. However, first I must get my hands on the good baron, and that’s where you all come in.” The duke explains that Baron Agwain is from the Secomber region. Consultation with the temple priests indicates that the baron has gone home with his prize. The duke says there are three routes he might have taken.

The first is to the north, avoiding Laughing Hollow. This seems the most likely, and the duke and his personal guard will follow that path. The second route is directly through Laughing Hollow. The duke asks you, the Heroes of Daggermark, to follow this route. The third possibility is across the river and along its southern bank, a route leading into orc territory. Kelson Darktreader will take some militia troops through that route. Sir Llewellyn will protect the town and castle until the duke returns.

The duke realizes that none of you owe him any personal service, and the council cannot call on off-duty militiamen for this kind of work. Therefore, the duke will pay everyone who helps with this task 50 gold pieces. He will also equip them with two horses from his personal stables so they can trade off and make better time. If anyone is killed on the mission, his or her designated heir will receive the reward.

”I ask for your aid in my time of need. Who will answer my call?”

Zinny stands up, a little shyly, but raises her hand.

"I'll go. Don't like the idea of your sister dragged off against her will none, sir," she says, earnestly. She looks around to the others to see if her friends will join in the call to another possibly-dangerous task.

Hugo stood up, hands at his hips and chest out. "Well, ya already knows ma answer dontcha?" He held his pose and a big smile for a few moments, then slouched and looked doubtful. "Or, uh, I guesses ya dont knows me Mr. Duke sir...Uhm ya see, I is always....

Poking the tips of his index fingers against each other, he looked at the floor. "Uhm, yah, I is gonna go..."

Only 2? Sounds like we're done - or just taking a long break. What say you, Heroes? I've had a blast with this group, so no worries whichever way it goes!

Try poking the absent people in a PM? They may have stopped looking at the thread.

Sorry dears, I've just got too many irons in the fire now and I never even got around to leveling Grizelda. My friend who is also VC in my area now, wants me more involved in PFS and I'm going to try and do it, so I'm going to have to sit this one out.

Been on a 5 day business trip. Just back tonight and had to do taxes. Ug. Done, but owe a lot. Ug. Tomid is in. He had a new knife to play with... :

There's a lady in distress! 'Course I'll help. Tomid beams. But, uh, your dukeness sir, I ain't big 'nough ta ride no horse. Do ya think I could get me a ridin dog 'stead?

Well, it looks like we're on hiatus. I don't want to kill the group outright, but I also don't have the time to go recruiting for newbies. Not sure I want new folks anyways - we had a pretty tight group! So I'm gonna make this thread 'Inactive' but keep you all in my speed-dial! Thanks for an awesome year!

Sad to see it happen, but hoping that at some point we'll ride again. I like this group too. Zinny is always ready to adventure again.

Noooooo! :(

I had a great time playing with this group. Hopefully we adventure again at some point down the road. Until then you're all welcome to pass the rainy days in Jacob's bookshoppe, just wash your grubby hands before handling the books!

Seems to me the only one not ready is Grizz...We could just do an adventure while our resident wizard is off doing something? Or possibly wait and have Grizz send us PMs when she is ready again?

Well now I feel bad... Didn't mean to derail the game. =/
I'll do my best to get her ready soon.

Eeh, dont take it like that. Im sure everyone here is willing to wait.

Right. We have been waiting. Waiting is fine. Much better than folding.

I have had 3 games in two weeks end. I cannot apply for and get into games as fast as they are ending. What is going on? In general I find gamers are good people, but at least on the PBP boards their commitment to the games they apply for, in general, is not admirable.

Yeah, ive had some drop off as well. Luckily Ascension is still going strong. At over 14 months and 1700+ posts, I sure hope he doesnt catch whatever is going around O.o