Kalina the Swift's page

Update: My wife's elderly aunt has been moved into a care facility. My wife and I are tasked with clearing out her room of all her belongings and finding a place to store them. We have about 10 days to do this, and we have our own affairs to worry about as well. To complicate things, she has lost several savings bonds and other important papers (like her will) in her room, so we can't just go in and bulldoze the place. We have to look for the papers as we pack. It's slow going and very tedious, so until we get the room vacated, my posting will be limited, but I will try to keep pace as much as possible.

It has been a very busy week, much of which was spent with my parents whom I was visiting. I have a con this weekend, and I have some family business to take care of next week. I may be a few more days between posts, but don't worry. When I get everything straightened out, I'll be back on the action bandwagon. In the meantime, sit tight, or if I am in your game, please bot me as necessary.

This is a brief message to let everyone know that I am going to be on vacation from Sunday, 23 September until 1 October. As many of you may be aware, my wife is 90% blind from glaucoma. She wanted to see Walt Disney World through the eyes of friends who have never been (or haven't been in many years) before she can't see at all. So I, she, and 9 of our friends are all going to Walt Disney World for a week!

During this time, my posting will be greatly curtailed, if not nonexistent. If you are in my game, I will continue upon my return, just sit tight. If I am in your game, please feel free to bot me as required.

During this week leading up to my vacation, I will be very busy and may be slowed, but I will try to get a post out before leaving for the week.

Still here.

Just a note to let everyone know that I am in the direct path of Hurricane Gordon. This should be fairly routine (I've weathered many such storms), but in case we lose power or I am otherwise out for a few days, that's what has happened. If you are in my game, stand tight and I'll be back. If I am in your, please bot me as necessary.

Kalina follows the others, with spear at the ready.

I'm still here.

Sorry, didn't realize that we were up!

Kalina closes, trying to flank the opponent. Is there a bonus for flanking? She stabs again with her spear.

Attack: 1d20 ⇒ 19 Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Kalina charges, her spear readied.

Attack: 1d20 ⇒ 6 Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Kalina races forward to stab at the chicken with her spear.

Attack: 1d20 ⇒ 9 Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Apologizing for my lack of posting. The con is this weekend and for the last four days I have been slammed with convention work. Things should be back to semi-normal on Monday.

Kalina shifts uncomfortably, uncertain what to make of the monstrosity that mimics a man, but has no flesh.

Con season is upon us, and in just two months, I will be running the game room for CoastCon (Biloxi, MS - March 16-18 if anyone is interested). This does mean that for the next two months, my life is very hectic and gaming must take a back seat. I'm not dropping, just giving warning that my posting may be slightly curtailed (more than usual). If I'm holding things up, just go ahead and bot me if necessary, though I will try to check in at least every other day (except weekends, most of which I will be busy).

If you're in one of my games, I'm apologizing now for any unnecessary delays. Just hang in there and we will plug through.

Kalina's new tail twitches slightly as she readies her spear.

I'm back and will be spending today and tomorrow catching up. If you ever get the opportunity to do the Ultimate Disney Christmas Package, take it! For roughly $800/person, we stayed at a moderate resort (Coronado Springs), attended Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, got extra hours in the parks, attended an exclusive Christmas dance party, had an exclusive holiday buffet with live entertainment (and the food was fabulous), and received a special gift in our room on Christmas day that contained a picture frame, serving tray, chocolates, cookies, and much more! All-in-all, a wonderful vacation at an excellent price! BONUS: Because our resort was undergoing construction, we also received three exclusive Disney trading pins featuring Donald and his amigos with construction tools!

I was able to do most everything I wanted to do, with the single exception of Avatar Flight of Passage (my shins were too big), but my wife and brother-in-law did experience it and they thought it was a lot of fun! If you don't know, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is an exclusive event with limited attendance where you spend the entire evening in the Magic Kingdom, riding rides, seeing shows, and getting free treats!

Anyway, back to your regularly scheduled adventure...

With the imminent approach of Christmas, I am going to be out-of-touch from the 20th-27th. My brother-in-law is treating my wife and me to a trip to Disney World so that she can see the Christmas decor before her vision is completely lost. To that end, I will be unable to post during that time. If I am in your game, please bot me as necessary. If you are in my game, I will try to find the time before Wednesday to make a brief post, but the game will be suspended until Dec. 28th. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a very Happy New Year to all!

Kalina hefts her spear once again, this time intent on stabbing the robot. Attack: 1d20 ⇒ 2 Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Kalina gasps as she feels the sudden pain that threatens to overwhelm her. She struggles to her feet and tries again to plunge her spear into the chicken.

Attack: 1d20 ⇒ 19 Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Kalina again tries to spear her foe.

Attack: 1d20 ⇒ 16 Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Okay, bad news on my end. My computer is down for what duration I cannot say. I might be back online in a few days, it may be a few weeks. Needless to say, this suspends my gaming. I can log on through my wife's computer, but I cannot access any of my files. Hopefully, this will be resolved within a week. Please bear with me.

If I am in your game, bot me as necessary (though I will try to log on once a day).

If you are in one of my games, I don't know what to say. I will try to keep things moving as best I can with what I have to work with, but as I said, my files are inaccessible right now. Just hang in there and we'll be back!

Kalina stabs again at the chicken.

Attack: 1d20 ⇒ 16 Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 6

Klaina once again bravely assaults the chicken with her spear.

Attack: 1d20 ⇒ 12 Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2

I am on vacation this week until next Monday, Please bot me as necessary. If I'm running the game, I will do what I can to check in, but don't expect much activity from me this week. Thank you.

Kalina looks at her new appendage with a mixture of wonder and dismay. She whips it back and forth a couple of times to get used to the feel and weight, but seems to accept it.

D100: 1d100 ⇒ 58

Kalina collects herself and stabs the dead chicken for good measure.

Kalina screams something angry in her language and thrusts her spear forward.

Attack: 1d20 ⇒ 12 Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Kalina scrambles to her feet and tries again to hit the chicken.

Attack: 1d20 ⇒ 6 Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Seeing the mutated chicken, Kalina, at last, knows what to do. She grips her spear tightly and charges the creature, intent on skewering it and instead trips on a loose cable and falls flat on her face.

Kalina vs. Mutant: 1d20 ⇒ 2 Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Kalina is still confused as to what is going on.

Kalina listens to the conversation, understanding none of it. The words are still foreign to her.

Kalina looks dubiously at Ba-a-a-arnbus. She catches the idea that there is clothing, but nothing else makes sense.

Kalina tilts her head, not quite understanding what is being said.

Kalina watches with wide eyes, certain that this magic cannot be good.

Seeing others eat the goods, Kalina will take a bite as well.

When the party is ready to move on, she hefts her spear and gets ready.

Kalina does not take the food unless it is offered to her and shown to be edible.

Kalina is drawn to the pictures of food. Though her tribe draws pictures, they are not as detailed or realistic as these, and they are seldom drawn of food.

"Ma-chine, come with... us? Fight chi-kens." she repeats. The words seem alien to her. She is obviously less comprehending and more mimicking the sounds that you are making.

"Ma-chine?" Kalina repeats, obviously not comprehending the word. She looks dubiously at the robot again.

Kalina shrinks back from the metal man when it addresses her. She takes up her spear and makes to stab at it.

Haha! And Kalina can barely speak to the party, and is frightened of the robot, to boot!

Robot Recognition: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (17) - 2 = 15

I'm considering her an altered human, since most humans don't have green skin and hair, but if you feel the robot won't care, then please remove the -2.

Kalina is taken aback when the metal figure comes to "life," and retreats, holding her spear up defensively. She watches in a mixture of curiosity and horror as Barny works on it.

Kalina follows the others, having painted war stripes on her face in chicken blood.

Sure, I'm in for Boot hill.

Kalina wrenches the spear a final time before pulling it free with a grunt of triumph. She smiles broadly as she surveys the party.

We're one week out from the convention. As such, my time is getting crunched pretty badly. I'll try to check in as much as possible until Wednesday, after that, don't expect to hear from me until Monday. Please bot me as necessary. If I'm running your game, I ask for your patience. We will continue!

Kalina picks herself up and attacks again.

Kalina vs. mutant chicken: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (15) + 0 = 15 Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Waiting for Ba-a-a-arnabas to discharge his boomstick (which she has seen in action before, back in the Badder den), Kalina charges in behind him and stabs at the chicken with her spear.

Kalina vs. chicken: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (1) + 0 = 1 Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

On the other hand, perhaps the sight of the mutant chicken frightens her so much that she stabs herself in the foot!