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Well, after months of playing (before I even knew about Paizo) we got started on this game. Now its nearing completion, and it has been a great ride. I'm going to try and recount everything as accurately as possible, starting out with character introductions.
I named the thread how I did because most of the personal problems dealt with in the game revolve around questions of identity, thus trying to understand the image in the mirror.
The GM allowed us to make any character we wanted up to 20th level. He only asked that we make backstory sufficient fill our characters history. Anyhow, without further adue, here we go. (this is just the base introduction, more dirty laundry to be aired later)
Severel: CG male elven ranger (about 17th level) Left Evermeet in an attempt to escape stifiling court life. Knowing that his father will soon retire, this is his last chance to wander the world before his duties root him firmly at home.
Azelmare: CG female gnomish cleric of Gond, with some rogue and bard levels thrown in (about 15th level) Azelmare has a good heart, but doens't always fully consider the concequences of her actions, this has gotten her into trouble in the past.
Rhondel: NG male human wizard/marshall 20th level. Considered a bit of an eccentric by most, Rhondel is a peddler of oozes and other magical creatures. He lives on a small ranch out in the middle of nowhere, where he raises his children and breeds (well, as much as you can breed an aesexual creature) oozes.
Thorin Koteth(my guy): LG male human paladin of Torm 20th level. Thorin has been across most of the known world, always protecting a young half-elf girl who is his daughter and ward. Thorin is a bit stern and gruff, a trait his daughter Shaunali has come to accept, though she chides him on it regularily.
Well, more coming soon.
Well, after months of playing (before I even knew about Paizo) we got started on this game. Now its nearing completion, and it has been a great ride. I'm going to try and recount everything as accurately as possible, starting out with character introductions.
I named the thread how I did because most of the personal problems dealt with in the game revolve around questions of identity, thus trying to understand the image in the mirror.
Awesome. It warms my crusty heart to see this campaign of ours finally framed for public viewing. I love the write-ups on the characters. I think you nailed them pretty well. I was suprized not to read anything about Selesea yet, but I suppose that will no doubt show up soon. Oh and a point of interest: I always spelled your daughter's name Shawnalee.
Back throught the foggy mists of time.... wooooooo! Ok, enough of that, lets see how good my memory is.
Thorin is now 51 and has been an active paladin for decades now. He realizes that his daughter, now 20 is old enough to start making some decisions about her own life. He also realizes that he is entering his twilight years and that he can't run arround protecting her forever. It's time to take care of buisness and see that Shawnalee is going to be safe. Shawnalee says that she would like to settle down and live somewhere for more than a few weeks. So, Throin and Shawnalee make their way to Tizzir (sp?). A trade city that specializes in magical goods. Tizzir also has an open welcome of all good dieties and a pretty active ban on evil one, so Thorin figures that there will be plenty of good influences for his daughter.
Thorin gets quarters at the local temple of Torm and Shawnalee gets a job as a bar maid at the "Lucky Coin". Thorin isn't to happy about the bar maid idea, to many roudy drunks groping around, but he doens't stop her, just grumbles a bit. Shawnalee is happy to be out on her own, she loves Thorin a great deal, but has always wanted a chance to spread her wings without having to deal with his protective nature.
Rhondel is returning home from a rather successful trip to westgate selling oozes. He could teleport home, but he prefers to walk, always looking out for potential costomers. He ends up entering Tizzir, never had a lot of luck there, seems people have something against oozes, cant imagine what. Its getting late, so he heads to a local tavern, the Lucky Coin to get a drink and maybe chat up some buyers.
Severel is traveling east across the continent and decides to stop in Tizzir, he hasn't been here for many years and would like to pass through again. On the way he ends up having some fun with a couple of hunters trying to catch a deer, neither of whom have any idea who cast the entangle spell on them. (good hide roll). He goes to the lucky coin, the inn he stayed at last time and sees an old friend there. A young halfling named Ryn. She seems somewhat concerned and serious, a stange behavior for her so Severel goes to see what is wrong, There is a second person at the table, a Gnomish woman wearing Gondar clerical robes. She introduces herself as Azlemare the tech smith (gondar prestige class) She is also a friend of Ryn. Severel and Azlemare introduce themselves. Severel asks Ryn what she is acting so strange, she answers in a low whisper "I'm going to save the world!" Raised eyebrows from both Severel and Azlemare.
Rhondel is sitting at another table, telling someone why he needs to buy an ooze (with his in Rhondel has like a plus 30 to ooze lore) The pitch isn't going very well however. He notices across the room an elf, gnome and halfling examining what is obviously a magical scroll. He decides that that seems pretty interesting, and it also presents an opportunity to display his vast knowlege of magic. Young people these days, they have no concept *big crusty gimace*
He goes over to the table and asks if he can help. Ryn eagerly explains her position, despite her friends warning her to at least find out who this guy is. Too late, Ryn explains that the scoll is a prophecy given by Melenothrin, a coper dragon, and that she needs to complete the prophecy to save to world. Rhondel is a bit skeptical, more out of priciple really, but he takes a look after promising to give it back. The scroll speaks of a helm of righteousness worn by one who is should be evil, but is good and is alive, but should be dead. She says that she must go to Halrua to get something for to complete the ritual, but first she must get something here at this tavern. Everyone is getting more confused at this point. Ryn also explains that she wasn't sure what she was going to do in Halrua until her friends showed up to help her out *big smile*
At this point Thorin walks in and scans the bar with a malevolent glare. He's just there to make sure that EVERYONE knows who his daughter is, so nobody get no "funny ideas". He loudly asks "daughter" for a meat pie. After detecting evil on the bar he sits down in a corner to beter facilitate his glaring *Shawnalee rolls her eyes*. After a good menecing session Thorin notices an elf sitting at one of the tables. The man looks like he knows his way around the outdoors and so Throin approaches him. Thorin says he needs some help tracking a certain elvish woman and that perhaps he could be of assitance. Severel asks why he needs her tracked, but Throin says its personal. Severel eyes the woman Thorin has just indicated as his daughter and can't but help notice her half-elf features. "any relation" he asks. Thorin admits that the woman is her mother but refuses to say any more in a public area.
The bar clears for the night as the group discusses the prophecy. Ryn asks the bar keep if she can see the shrine to Tymora (goddes of good luck). The bar keep is surprised that she knows about it, but since she seems to be the friend of the father of one of their employees, that it should be alright. As long as she stays on her best behavior. Severel and Azlemare go as well, but Thorin stays upstairs, stating that he has never felt himself a lucky person and doesn't want to distrub the atmosphere. Rhondel isn't particularily interested. The barkeep takes the friends in tow down into a secret cellar where there is a well, the bottom of which is littered with gold coins (tymoras holy symbol). Severel and Azlemare take out coins to make an offering as instructed. Ryn goes first but instead of making an offering, she ducks her head in the pool and takes a big, slurping drink! Everyone is too shocked to stop her from making her dashing escape from the now defiled shrine.
Everyone comes back up stairs, a little pale an out of words. Throin looks at them and says "I just saw Ryn running out of here, what was that all about?"
More comming soon.
I'd somehow imagined the opening was a little less broken and awful than that--but then the toughest part for me as a DM has always been integrating parties *sigh*. I remember something about Rhondel getting attacked by vampires on his stroll through Westgate and blorping himself inside one of his oozes with an amulet of ooze-riding and flying away...something like that. Teziir was the next stop on his sales circuit, looking to set up some contacts in the docks of Teziir as he had no regular big-spender customers yet. Azelmaer was there peddling her magical wares and checking up on the local Gondar temple and as I recall she ran into Ryn in the street acting hopelessly naive and out of place, and (after a run in with the local thieves guild putting the heavy on her for a cut of whatever take she intends to make in town!--they knew she had guild ties in another city) thought she'd be safer in some more street savvy company. Severel was the tough one, as the player made it abundantly clear he had no interest whatsoever in cities or in humans who are just dumb anyway. He'd mentioned having adventured all over Faerun however, so an inkeeper friend (actually he was probably friends with his great grandfather...elves) who had once adventured with him as a cleric of Tymorra before retiring to set up shop as an inkeeper. At least, that's how I'd intended it to come together. I've never been so good at the integration thing.
Sorry, it's probably not your GMing, just my memory of the events this far back are a litte hazzy. Guess I missed some of the details, heh heh, oops. I'll try to do better next time.
Ok, here we go again. I've though about it and I really think I've got the details down this time, once again, if I missed anything please let me know. (I know I should have bought the perfect memory feat, guess I'll have to wait til' I level up ;)
Anyhow, the inkeep and his wife are pretty upset that their shrine has been defiled. Azlemare is appolagetic, she has no idea why Ryn did that, but won't agree to help track Ryn down. Severel couldn't care less about what happens at human shrines. Finally they turn to Throin and demand that he help them get satisfaction. Thorin tries to calm them down, but to no avail, they tell him that if he won't help them punish a law breaker than he must not be a very good paladin. Thorin realizes that they are right. Ryn needs to atone for what has happend. As a temporary measure Thorin arranges for a Tormite cleric to cast a hallow spell to restore the shrine.
The crew leave the tavern. A few blocks down the road they meet Ryn who is back to her happy excited self. Azlemare scolds her while Severel laughs. When asked why she did what she did, Ryn states that she needed the good luck in the water for what she is going to do in Halruua. The luck won't last forever so they need to hurry. Thorin tells her that she needs to return to the tavern and atone for what she has done. Ryn, now getting frustrated that they aren't moving, agrees to do so after finishing what she needs to get done. Thorin feels that this is a suitable compromise.
Ryn leads them through the city to a flying Halruua ship that is docked in a special compound. There are plenty of guards and activity on the deck of the ship. Ryn explains that there is an evil magical artifact on the ship that needs to be taken. Thorin casts detect evil and does detect plenty of evil from the guards and on board the ship. He still isn't convinced that attacking an apparently peaceful ship is a good idea. Ryn suggests that the party sneaks onboard, Thorin reveals that *gasp* he isn't very good a sneaking. Ryn says that she will go on ahead and check things out, she then dissapears into the shadows.
Severel prods Throin into revealing what is going on between him and his daughter, explaining that if he wants his help, he going to need to be honest. Thorin reveals that the woman who he is seeking was once indeed his wife, Selesia and that Shawnalee is their only child. He tells a story. Long ago, when he was young, he fell in love with an elven woman. However, where the were growing up, human and elven relations were very poor. They both were cast out of their respective homes because of their desire to be together. As outcasts they had traveled until they found a small onclave of the followers of Luruu (sp?) the goddess of outcasts. Luruu doctrine preached that to be healed of rejection and betrayal, one must forget the past and move on. This was fine for Thorin, he was able to move on, but Selesia wasn't. Over time she just became more cold and bitter about the rejection of her people. The more Throin tried to help, the worse things became. One day when Throin was returning from a trip to see a friend for advice, he found the viliage burning. Many people he knew lay dead in the street. Horrified he rushed home to find his wife and new born daughter. Bursting in the door he finds Selesia, making small talk with several darkly clad individuals. Selesia explains that the people here are clerics of Loviatar, the dark goddess of revenge and seductive evil. She explains that she has found their dogma to be...enlightening. At this point Thorin is grabbed and tortured for three days (worshipers of Loviatar have special torture metods that help to "convince" potential members.) After three days Throin managed to escape, grabing baby Shawnalee and fleeing. He went to the clerics of Luruu and begged for help. They said that they would offer comfort, but could do no more, he would need to move on. Thorin couldn't take this. His wife had betrayed him (or so he though) and now his order refused to even try to help. He turned his back on them and left, shortly thereafter he found the Tormites. He decided that if the dogma of Luruu was to weak to save his wife, than perhaps the dogma of Torm would be strong enough to protect his daughter. (whew, long story)
At this point, chaos errupts on the ship. It seems that Ryn has had some bad luck. The guards in the compound charge towards the ship. The party runs to the side of the ship and climb their way up by use of mooring ropes. Thorin tries to call a halt, not feeling particularily comfortable killing people to protect an tresspasser. Azlmare though attacks one, the deckhand quickly disapates into a watery mess. Azlmare recognizes the effects of a similacrum spell and informs the party that these are just glorified illusions. Thorin then joins the fray. The group quickly dispatches the guards. Ryn leads them downstairs to a portal set into the hull of the ship and jumps through. The party follows suit arriving in a Halruua dock yard. The party is beset by two iron golems. Thorin cold smokes one of them with his hammer and (ok, I can't remember how we dealt with the other one). We then make are way into the city.
This isn't the end of the session, but I have to go. More soon to come!
Cool post. Wow, some of this stuff is so dusty old I didn't even really remember it clearly. It's funny to contemplate that Ryn is supposed to answer to justice at some point--but it's just no one's gotten around to busting her. Heh.
I can imagine that the clerics of Lurue were tremendously more caring and supportive than it seems to Thorin in hindsight, but their way tends to be somewhat avoidant and protective rather than "We'll send our paladins of death right away! Yarg!" and that under the circumstances that might have felt to Thorin like refusal to help beyond comforting. Not suprizing though what with them not being a militant order at all that they have little in the way of heiney-kicking wushu. Then again, that's what makes Torm such a good fit.
A little interesting info, the huge constructs you ran into on the airship docks were specifically Halruuan made automatons built to recieve freight that came back and forth from the trade ship while it was stopped in Teziir. Good way to avoid piracy and lighten the ship for greater speed if you only send the goods through keyed gates after the ship stops somewhere to trade. Anyhow there were probably something around a dozen automatons chugging around carrying on their work when you guys stumbled through, but the shadow consciousness used to power automatons tends to make them stare like idiots when things that aren't supposed to happen happen--at least as often as it causes them to come up with a lame ad hoc solution to the problem. Ever see the ants in A Bug's Life when the leaf falls in their way? Though they're constructs that's how their mind reacts. In this case you guys appear and the two automotons kinda' look at each other "they fell out--put them back". Anyway after Thorin smashed his knee to peices causing him to fall over backward in a twisted wreck. The other saw this happen and wondered what to do--and failed its stupid check while you all escaped.
Anyhow I'm digging reading this. It's been a while and its good to see this story finally getting jotted down.
Back again.
Yah, the Lurue clerics probably were very supportive. But when you want to hunt down the guy who corrupted your wife and take her back, comfort isn't what you want.... Then again, its easy to see the world as skewed through the eyes of your character. Anyhow, onto more stuff.
We get out of the dockyard and onto the streets. Things seem pretty quiet, at least we havn't set of any big alarms. Ryn says we have to go to a wizards tower "easy right?" Well, the horizon is dotted with towers. Ryn bumbles around until Rhondel sighs, rolls his eyes and casts locate any object, which sped things up considerably. While in route we are notice a flying cat following us. Rhondel recognizes it as a Tressem. The cat seems to interested in Rhondel and sits on his shoulder. Rhondel has an interest in magical creatures so lets the thing tag along for a while.
Once at the tower we realize we need to get in. The thing is huge, but there arne't a lot of gaurds, is seems that the bottom part of this tower is open to the public is some degree. Anyhow, we don't want to go past the check in station so Ryn goes arround back, climbs up the side of the tower and drops down a rope. We all make it inside with no trouble, finding ourselves in servants quarters. Thorin, Severel and Rhondel don servants robes while Ryn and Azlemare cling to the insides of their legs. Rhondel takes all our equipment and hides it in a demensional pocket? Can't remember the exact spell, but it created a small dimension where Rhondel usually kept his back up spell book.
Now properly disguised we begin to make our way through the tower. On our way we see two people talking. One of which is dressed in rich wizardly robes, the other appears to be a shade. Azalmare (through the cracks in the robes) recognizes the shade, but when she last saw him, he at least looked human. Now she's worried (this guy has caused her considerable trouble) After a merry romp through the tower, we make our way to the area where Ryn says the item should be. She still hasn't explained how she knows all this stuff, but at the time nobody felt like it was the right time to ask.
In this part of the tower everybody is dressed in red apprentice robes. We go up a flight of stairs, and at the top there is a landing and a big metal door with an eye above it. Rhondel recognizes it as some sort of guardian and casts change self on himself to appear like on of the older apprentices. He approaches the door and the eye opens. "Ah, you, what are you doing up here". Rhondel answers that he has been asked to check on things for his master. The door responds that this seems fairly typical but would like to ask him a few questions just to make sure everyingthing is alright. He asks what god do we serve in this tower. Rhondel thinks for a moment and remembers certain sigils that he has seen througout the tower. He answers "Kosouth". Bingo, the eye closes. Rhondel casts knock on the door and we are in.
Inside the door is a large empty room with no discernable edges. In the middle is a small, bright glowing ball of energy which Ryn says is a spark of Bethshaba (dark goddess of luck) Ryn, after taking a deep breath walks over the chasm, steping on an unseen bridge and grabs the spark in both hands. "ok, we got it! Lets leave!" Rhondel teleports the party home.
Ryn says that because she filled herself with the water from the well of Tymora (Bethshaba's enemy) she should be able to hold onto the spark for at least a few hours until things go horribly wrong. Apparently just thouching the artifact while unsheilded leads one to a messy death. We ask her what she intends to do with the thing. She says she intends to have Rhondel infuse it with a helm of alignment reveral. "You've got one of those right Azlmare?" Alzemare says no, now Ryn starts to get a little upset and more than a bit worried.
"What do you mean you don't!?! I though you had one of everything?" Ryn starts to panic and get flustered. The acolytes at the temple we were at at the time are getting worried. Rhondels sighs and casts temporal stasis on Ryn. She instantly stops flipping out and gets a lot more quiet. Rhondel suggests that if they throw a cloth over her and maybe put a nice flower arrangement on it, then no one will mind the halfling frozen in the middle of the floor. Azelmare glares at him and gives him a helm, telling him he had better start making a helm of alignment reversal RIGHT NOW. Rhondel mutters and gets to work.
More soon!
Well the funny thing is over drinks at the bar, Ryn asks Azelmaer if there's anyone she knows who could hook her up with a helm of alignment reversal. Azelmaer smiles and beams that of course--she could.
Spark of Beshaba in hand Azelmaer clarifies--well I don't have it ON me. I'll have to make one.
So how long will it take??
Oh about a week...
A WEEK! I have to hold this for a WEEK! I don't think one drink of that pool is going to last a week! imdeadimdeadimdeadimdeadimdead.
Oh...
To continue, Ryn is now a statue held in place by temporal stasis. Rhondel gets to work on the helm, without resting. During the process the glow around Ryn's hand is starting to get darker, seems the temporal statsis hasn't stoped the progression of the magic all the way after all. Rhondel pulls and all nighter getting this helm ready. During the process the Tressem (flying cat) begins to speak to Rhondel giving him helpful advice on how to get the helm done in time. Rhondel figures he has finally cracked, but at least his dillusions are useful. Finnaly, bleary eyed, Rhondel finishesh the helm and takes it to Ryn, he drops the spell, Ryn opens her hand and the spark floats gently down and infuses itself into the helm which now radiates a strong magical aura. Ryn is incredibly relived and Rhondel is satisfied with himself. He later asks the Tressem if it was talking to him or if he was just crazy. It say, no, you're not crazy but I was talking to you. The Tressem reveals that it is actually a phasm which has been observing him with interest for many years. Phasms (shape shifters) are kind of like oozes in their true form so Rhondel is delighted.
Anyhow, also that night Severel has a little outing. He knows the story about Throin and Selesia and wants to find out Selesia's side of things. The though of an elf being killed to serve a human rankles him a bit as well. He also decides that Shawnalee should come along with him (I never did find out the reason for this decision. Maybe one of the other guys in the game could help me out!) Anyhow, Severel easily sneaks into Shawnalee's chambers and makes the offer to take her to see her mother. She takes of the magic item that allows Thorin to know where she it (a two way pendant that always allows them to know where the other one is) and puts in on a sleeping cat. Together they sneak outside the city and thanks to Severels HUGE tracking skill, they find her along with about 30 other leviotar worshipers camped in a small outcropping of rocks. Once they know that Selesia's daughter is with Severel he gets shown right in. Selesia is sitting quiet and alone at the back of the large tent, illuminated by a low fire. She beckens Severel to tell her why he has done this thing, though her eyes keep flitting back to her daugher. Severel explains and tells the story. Selesia says that all the facts are right, just the interpretation is a little off. She tortured Thorin so that he would see the light just like she did, and it was he who betrayed her by running away. She knows that their "treatment" of Thorin had some effect and that Severel should ask Thorin next time he sees him why he feels the need to prowl around with heavy armor and weapons all the time. At this point she tells Severel his time is up, she wants to talk to Shawnalee. The two talk until almost dawn, at which point Shawnalee says she needs to leave. Surprisingly Selesia lets her without contest. (my personal guess is that she didn't want someone else to do for her what she was trying to do for years) Anyhow, Severel and Shawnalee manage to get back to the city before Thorin gets up to pray for spells.
Later that morining, Thorin gets a message that the temple has a prisoner that they would like him to interrogate. Thorin agrees and heads out. In the dungeon of the Tormite temple is a male Loviatar worshiper who apparently turned himself in. Severel finds Thorin and demands to come as well, since if he is going to help Thorin he needs to know as much as possible about these guys (lie). Poor Thorin, so little sense motive. Thorin agrees and they enter the interrogation chamber where this guy is chained to the wall. The prisoner shakes back his cowl and Thorin recognizes him as one of the old members of his village, apparently Selisia isn't the only one who converted. Thorin asks him what he is doing here and why he turned himself in. He answers that Selesia has grown soft, that she is to interested in her daughter and not the dogma of loviatar. He says that she needs to be removed from power and that would benefit both he and Thorin. At this point the man (can't remember his name, sorry) smirks at Severel and says to Thorin, "you know what your..." At this point, Severel realizes that the prisoner is about to reveal what he and Shawnalee did last night, and rolls initiative. Thorin counter rolls and gets a nat' 20. Severel already has his bow drawn with severel arrows noched (darn many arrow feat) Thorin puts himself between Severel and the prisoner, being a paladin, he can't allow a defenseless prisoner to be killed, not to mention the fact that he could use this guy. Severel crits on all four arrows. OUCH!!! Thorin is almost killed, good thing for damage reduction. Thorin gets his move and grapples Severel, slamming him into a corner where he can't move and demanding in a horse voice as blood is dripping from his mouth "Why?" Severel grimaces and demands his arrows back. Thorin is furrious, drops Severel and with furry in his eyes begins to rip the arrows out and throw them at Severels feet. The prisoner smiles and says "I see there isn't much I could teach you" (Thorin was more effected by Selesia than he will ever admit. Fact is, the real reason he left Luruu isn't because he didn't believe in them any more, its because his torture at the hands of Selesia almost had the desired effect and Throin was truely changed because of it. Thorin dosn't ever realize this though) At this point the guards show up, Thorin hands Severels bow to them and says that Severel is leaving and he can have his weapons back when he leaves, also informing Severel that his services as a tracker are no longer needed . The guards are skepticle, but they agree. (Thorin didn't kill Severel because he still didn't know what exactly was going on. This behavior seemed out of character and Thorin wanted to know more) Severel is shown the door and gets his weapons back. He hates to see a human handle his bow, but knows that there are more guards/paladins/clerics than he can handle. Thorin heals himself and then cuts a deal with the prisoner. Show me where the camp is and I will see that you receive as much mercy as possible. The prisoner laughs a little and agrees, saying that of course he will turn himself in once this is all over. Thorin rolls intimidate and gets a pretty good roll, saying that if he doesn't agree then he can sit in prison and rot. The prisoner agrees and seems honestly impressed by Thorins methods and agrees, in a tone of voice that sounds like admiration. The prisoner is allowed to go free, to meet Thorin at the appointed time and place tomorrow.
Actually it was Shaunalee who asked Severel to take her to see her mother. He agreed because he had a thing or two to ask her himself seeing as he was uncomfortable opposing her without seeing her side of things.
I did like that Loviatan guy.