Chronicles of the Lake Warrior
This begins the story of the surviving members of “The Shiny Man Company” and their attempt to bring down the Ebon Triad and recover the eight wands of water control.
The Lake Warriors
Tolken male half orc fighter
The enigmatic Wil male human wizard
Rink id Nar male human sorcerer
Blud D Ell male human Cleric of Lira
Rin halfling male ranger
Drool Nukl Dragger male half orc barbarian
Haley female human rogue
Three strangers and a crying widow
The survivors, Tolken, the half orc fighter, Wil the enigmatic wizard and Rink the funny sorcerer, emerge from the falls above Arid’s pond. The rain has cleared and they are greeted by the morning Sun as they emerge from the wet darkness.
Tolken returns to his small smithy shop along the water front. The half orc warrior is bloodied and tired. A number of friends are dead from battles below cauldron, Conk the half orc barbarian, Feston Bulbous the cleric of Pelor, Red in red, Kagon the shiny man, and the beautiful fair elf maiden Serina. Tolken will miss his friends, but the 7 ½’’ orc is to tired to grief and falls asleep quickly.
The enigmatic Wil returns home, distraught by the loss of his childhood friend Conk. Wil’s mother shows her concern for her boy and offers some tea and sweet bisquits. But Wil ignores the attention of his mother and falls asleep quickly.
Rink decides to tell Feston’s wife, Griselda, about the unfortunate cleric’s demise. The large rotund women grasps the unfortunate little sorcerer in a bear hug and begins to wail. “Ohh my dear Feston,” Griselda cries, “what is a mother to do?” Gripped in a bear hug Rink cannot move. The children surround Rink and their mother and begin to wail. Rink is locked in a blubbering embrace with Griselda and her three young children.
The wailing can be heard outside the Bulbous’ home and draws the attention of three strangers. Blud has come to Cauldron seeking his fate and fate has brought him to Cauldron during a festival, the Flood Season Festival. Blud is a warrior priest of Lira goddess of fate and war Blud carries a warhammer and wears platemail armor two sizes too big.
Drool gladly finds himself in Cauldron during the Flood Season Festival. Drool is a hulking half orc half wit barbarian from the north. Drool wanders the sunny streets of Cauldron right into the kneeling Blud, who is contemplating the wailing laments from the nearby house.
Drool nearly walks over Blud as they both stop in front of the wailing woman’s house. What twist of fate has caused such grief from inside the house ponders Blud. Just then a halfling on a dog rides up to the pair, bearing a basket of pastries. The little halfling asks the pair “Is this the house of Feston Bulbous cleric of Pelor?” Both armored men shrug their shoulders. The little fellow shrugs his shoulders and approaches the door of the house where the wailing and blubbering issues forth with his gift basket.
The little halfling bearing gifts, calls from the door, “Hello, is the home of Feston Bulbous, the shining man?” “Hello, I have pastries and sweets.”
“Kristoff help your mother and get the door.” Then Griselda continues, “Ooh what am I to do? My husband Feston is dead!” A fat little boy opens the door, a snot bubble bursts below his red nose and across his rosey freckled face. A tear falls from the chubby boys eye as he sniffles. The halfling offers the boy a honey sweetened muffin. The boy grabs the muffin and begins to eat it, sniffles then smiles.
“Kristoff…, who is it dear…? What do they want?” Yells Griselda. “High I’m Rin and I am looking for Feston Bulbous.” Smiles the little halfing. Griselda breaks and begins wailing and lamenting, “Wooa my dear husband Feston is dead!!!” Rin offers her a muffin, throws it at the large rotund woman to stop her crying. Griselda screams with indignation’ “How dare you throw a muffin at a grieving widow!!! Good day sir!!!” Then Griselda slams the door on Rin’s little face.
With that, Rin decides to deliver his message to Jenya Urikas at the church of St. Cuthbert. The little halfling was sent by the church of Yondalla to help Jenya with coming trouble with the Ebon Triad. With not much else to do and caught up in the drama before them surrounding the little halfling, Blud and Drool decide to follow Rin to see what other trouble may befall the curious little fellow.
A drinking contest at the “Tipped Tankard Tavern”
After a week of solid rain the Flood Season Festival was to open on a beautiful sunny day. Usually the first day of heavy rain opened the Flood Season Festival. But the Unlucky Monkey Massacre delayed the festivities as eight of the perpetrators of the crime were tried and beheaded for their role in the mass murder and robbery at the Lucky Monkey Inn, a day ride from Cauldron on the road to the provincial capital of Pu We.
On this sunny beautiful day, the opening festivities begin with the first day of a one week drinking contest, Drink Down the Flood. Registration is held at the Drunken Morkoth Inn for 64 slots. Contests are held through out the week at inns and taverns through out Cauldron. Finals are held on the sixth day at the Drunken Morkoth Inn. The winner is invited to a contest with Orbius Vhalantru on the seventh and final day at tavern of the winners choosing. Through out the hot summer neighborhood pubs, guilds and clubs hold drinking contests to determine local champs.
The Bluecrater Academy is a school for the children of the rich and noble of Cauldron. The Bluecrater Academy Pub always sponsors a champion for the Drink Down the Flood Contest.
The Dunked Tabard Tavern was a disreputable establishment on the lakefront of Cauldron. The Dunked Tabard was a hang out for malcontents and poor. The Dunked Tabard also sponsored a champion for the drinking contest.
An unusual trio Rin a halfling ranger on his dog Tintin, A human cleric devoted to the goddess Lyre, Blud and Drool a half orc barbarian from the northern deserts, find themselves on Lava ave following a number of festive and cheering students from the Bluecrater Academy.
“Hail Chip BCA Pub Champ!” Cheer the students wearing blue loose fitting hemp shirts.
“Drink down the flood!”
“Drink down the flood!”
“Drink” “Drink” Drink” They continue to cheer, “B... C... A..!”, as they carry a loft a comrade wearing a mock silver crown.
The unusual trio of a human, half orc and halfling on a dog follow the rowdy students, another crowd moves up a street to Lava ave. cheering, “Hail all Dusty the Dunk Tabard champ!” The Dunk Tabard is a lakefront hang out for malcontents, rebels and downtrodden. This group looked more rugged and grimy the educated youth of the B.C.A. and continued cheering.
“Drink down the flood!”
“Drink down the flood!”
So the malcontents of the Dunk Tabard inevitably begin a fight with the students of the B.C.A. As the two groups clash on the corner of Ale Street and Lava Ave., the strange trio decides to enter the drinking contest they are hearing about. A human a half orc and a halfling on a dog skirt the melee just as the city guard join the fray, then make their way to the Drunken Morkoth Inn.
At the Drunken Morkoth Inn, the halfling Rin and the Cleric of Lyre, Blud are able to register two slots that were left open by default. Rin thinking quickly asks Drool to be his drinking champion. For an opportunity for drinking Drool accepts the offer from Rin.
So it was, Drool would drink as the champion of the Church of Yolanda goddess of the Halflings and Blud would represent his goddess Lyre. They were to drink at the Tipped Tankard. In the end Drool lay face down and Blud makes the next round on the next day’s afternoon at the Tipped Tankard.
DROOL KNUCKELDRAGGER
I am orc. My mother was human. My father was orc.
My father great warrior. He kill many humans in village on edge of great desert. My mother defended her old parents with iron rod made hot in fire. My father had many scars from the battle with her. She brave. Father like brave woman. He think if woman brave then whelps grow strong. So he take her back to village. This great honr for woman. she not think so. he gave her many young. she so grateful and brave she try for many years to kill father while father sleep. father so happy she so brave he give her more young. she then kill father. she kill whelps and two of my brothers. then she try to kill drool but drool not as big as brothers drool very good at hiding and running away. sometimes drool miss village. morning slop was good meal at daystart.
DROOL KNUCKELDRAGGER
I am orc. My mother was human. My father was orc.
This is as Tom posted on the Shiny Man thread I moved it to here as this is where Drool Orc enters the game and our story.
I love Tolkens Lament it adds to the DMs enjoyment of the game. much xp hope to see you soon.
Introducing the Lake Warriors.
Ruphus Laro is having a bad day. Tolken the mighty half orc picked him up by his head, Wil the scary wizard pulled a knife on him and in a meeting with an underworld figure he had a number of crossbows aimed at him. Then in a desperate bid to find willing adventures to join the ill fated survivors of the Shiny Man Company, Rufus recruited an unlikely trio at the Tipped Tankard Tavern, a halfling and orc and a man. Maybe it is his lack of people skills. Maybe it is a test of his faith and discipline as a cleric of St. Cuthbert. What ever the reason, Ruphus was now getting chewed out by the new high priest of the Church of St. Cuthbert, Jenya Urikas. “A drunken ½ orc and a supposed war priest of Lyra and a supposed halfling bowmen with a warning for the Shiny Man, a day late!”
As Jenya chews out Ruphus in a small room adjacent to the main chapel of the Church of St. Cuthbert, in the chapel a strange group listens in. The eight strangers eye each other. Soon there is quite as Jenya gathers herself and enters the chapel then introduces herself.
Looking around the pews, the composed cleric introduces the others gathered in the chapel. Sitting in the pews; Tolken the large half orc in spiked plate mail armor and carrying a 7’ long masterwork silver sword. Tolken also sported an orange tabard with a smoking eye embroidered on the front, proclaiming Tolken’s status as a Hero of Cauldron. Also wearing a similar tabard sat the relatively tiny Rink Id Nar Sorcerer. Rink has a bed of flowers growing atop his head where hair should be. Despite his stature and comical appearance Rink eyes are bright with intense intelligence and personality. The last member wearing an orange Tabards with the smoking eye embroidered on the front is the enigmatic Wil; rogue turned wizard, sat brooding looking over the strangers sitting in the chapel as well. Tolken, Rink and Wil comprise the surviving members of the Shiny Man Company.
Sitting in the Chapel with the trio of Heroes of Cauldron is Rin halfling bowmen and messenger from the Church of Yondalla of the Hillshire Farms. Drool Orc barbarian wielding a great axe and a fine shirt of chain mail takes his introduction as a proper time to vomit. Next to him sits Blud cleric of Lyra and her champion drinker, dirty, unshaven and drunk, wearing a suit of plate mail armor two sizes too big, and wielding a large warhammer. Also in the chapel of St. Cuthbert sits a blonde woman wearing a dark leathers and a rapier on her hip, she is introduced as Haley of unusual but useful skills. Last in the introductions is Allen a former guard of the Ebon Triad and survivor of Tolken’s escape, he also wears dark leathers and a rapier, he also hold a wand, one of the eight wands of water control the heroes seek.
Tolken stands and in a booming voice swears an oath, “I shall return to the Ebon Triads lair and retrieve the remaining seven wands.” A tear runs down the half orc's cheek in rememberance of his friends who died in their first attempt. The party is then dubbed the Lake Warriors and prepares to retrieve the other seven wands from the denizens of the Ebon Triads lair.
Remodeling the Kopru Ruins “we need to remove this wall.”
At the entrance to the cavern of the green lake Tolken the mighty half orc decides to swallow a potion of water breathing and leap in to the eerie glowing green lake bellow. He looks about for the body of Conk and Triel, both of whom he saw fall into the lake in this area, in the ill fated first attempt to retrieve the eight wands of water control. Tolken is unable to find the bodies and gear in the murky green lake. What he does find is a strange and bizarre humanoid creature. Tolken gazes upon the creature, fearsome half orc face to tentacle alien face and the half orc knows what he must do. Tolken will clear the ruins and retrieve the wands…, and then…,
Tolken arose from the waters of the eerie green glowing lake on walking onto the beach a long side the corpse of the monster who slew just a few days before. Both the rogue Haley and the enigmatic Wil turn invisible and use spider climb spells to move across the cavern walls above the lake to the ruins bellow. The others Rink the sorcerer, Blud the cleric of Lyra, Drool half orc barbarian, the adventurous Rin and his faithful dog Tintin and the former Ebon Triad guard Allen, use a replacement gondola to cross the lake to the beach of the kopru ruins.
Allen, former Ebon Triad Guard, now Lake Warrior scout, guides the company straight to Skaven’s suite to search for the wands of water control. The scout, Allen cautions the party before entering the suite. Drool, half orc barbarian, has no use for caution and tries to just open the door with his great axe. Crash!!! As Drool strikes the door, a black sepia snake manifests upon the door striking the unwary orc. Drool is frozen solid covered in amber and now blocks the entrance to the suite.
After breaking the door and squeezing past Drool, the Lake Warriors loot Skaven’s parlor, but do not find another wand. But Rink discovers another protective spell upon the door to Skaven’s bed chamber and the party is stumped. The Lake Warriors are weary of being trapped as Drool is, frozen and suspended in amber.
Unstoppable, Tolken uses his double axe to open a hole in the wall separating a hallway from the back of Skaven’s bed chamber. On a bookshelf in the bed chamber Rink discovers another magical trap. In an unreasoned brave move, Rink risks all and opens a falls back of the shelf, setting off the trap. But Rink’s will is strong and he resists the bite of the magical sepia snake sigil and reveals the hiding spot of a wand as well as Skaven’s spell book and a scroll to dispel magic.
Excerpt from Rin’s Journal translated from Halfing
Thanks for the jounal. Ask about xp when next you see me. well done.
Also if Allan thinks he can get all handsy with me again, hes gonna lose a finger.
Allen (Former Alley Basher & Ebon Triad guard, currently member of the Lake Warriors of Cauldron) relplies-
"What??? Babe I'm one of them. How 'bout some sugar?"thanx for the post ask about exp when next we meet.
This is up to the fight with the ettercaps and harpoon spider. That fight will be the next post hope to see you tonite
Big spiders!!! Man-spiders!!! Talking Spiders?
After securing another wand of water control and freeing Drool from the amber glow which kept him frozen, Allen leads the party to another cavern, where he believes other wands may be hidden. Allen warns that the cavern is full of large spiders, monstrous man-spiders and a large demonic spider from the Underdark.
The Lake Warriors of Cauldron open a door to a room covered in spider webs. The room is dark, dank and smells of rotting vegetation. As the party moves in to clear the room of sticky webs, they are attacked by four spiders the size of small dogs. These rather large arachnids are easily squashed by the company. But the group finds clearing the room of webs much more difficult.
Drool swings wildly with his great axe, clearing the tunnels of the sticky webs and moves in front of the rest of the company. Drools work draws the attention of two very large spiders the size of grain wagons, which attack then withdraw. Drool decides to pursue. A spider, the size of a pony falls from the webbed ceiling on Drool. Tolken wisely decides not to follow the larger spiders through the webbed cavern and decides to pluck the larger spiders with his elegant longbow. The rest of the Lake Warriors advance and another pony size spider descend from the dark webbed ceiling of the cavern and attacks. Then the lager spiders attack.
In the end, Tolken runs through one of the monstrous wagon sized spiders. Wil rips the face of the other monstrous large spider. Rin slays one of the hated vermin spiders, the size of a pony! While drool dines on the brains of the spider that dared to descend so close to his mouth.
Thus the Lake Warriors of Cauldron clear the cavern of the spiders. Rink summons a flaming sphere to clear the area. Haley, Wil and Allen search the cleared area and find the spiders treasure.
Big spiders!!! Man-spiders!!! Talking Spiders? (cont)
Drool decides to swing widely to clear a path for the others. He is again ambushed. This time he is ambushed by monstrous half men half spider aberrations. One of the man- spiders turns it’s back to Drool, then bends over and shoots webs all over the orc barbarian. Drool is covered with webs and stuck to the cavern floor. Tolken once again draws his silver full blade and attacks.
Drool breaks his bonds of webs and rushes his assailant, great axe a swinging. The others, Rin and his dog Tintin, Wil the enigmatic, Rink the sorcerer, Blud warrior priest of Lyra, the beautiful Haley and the rogue Allen, advance behind Drool and Tolken. The mighty 7’ 6” ½ orc covered in plate mail and spikes, skewers one of the man-spider aberrations with his silver full-blade.
Another spider, the size of a grain wagon covered in spikes strikes from the edge of darkness, harpooning Wil in the hip with a tooth and begins to reel the mage in like a fish. Blud, cleric of Lyra, grabs Wil helping stay away from the maw of this new threat. Wil yanks the barbed harpoon tooth from his hip releasing himself from the strange spiked covered spider.
Drool finishes of the aberrant man-spider and advances against the large spider that is dragging Wil to his maw.
A small fly buzzes off from Rink’s bed of flowers growing atop his head. The fly buzzes past the large spiked covered harpoon spider, then dives into the ground, pops back up, followed by puff of methane gas, the fly, a fire fly, sparks. A huge fireball ignites in the cavern engulfing the harpoon spider and scorching Drool, in melee combat with the aberrant creature.
Drool smashes his axe into the side of the head of the large spiked covered spider and it retreats. Then startling everyone the spider speaks in Under Common, “Spare me, I have treasure hidden. I know where the wands are?” Wil, Rin and Rink understand the spider and offer quarter to the beaten creature.
Allen agitated at what he sees, screams, “No quarter!!!” Allen looses an arrow at the surrendering large spider, sinking an arrow in into the creature’s abdomen. Just then, out of character, Tolken attacks the surrendering spider, driving his blade deep into the creature’s body, slaying it. Tolken actions seem forced and mighty fighter looks distant and detached from his action. Tolken's old friends Wil and Rink are very surprised, and suspicious.