Returning To The Game (Spring 2008)

Spring, 2008 (yes, 2008, more than 20 years after we started!!)

Game Day: 10/10 (year??)

Ethan Arch and Ivy Boargo met Ranger Orkill---he dropped them into the Northwest part of the land, in the southern part of the forest. They dropped right in the middle of a wide river. They struggled, but made it to shore. Not long after they made it to shore, a tall thin bluish guy and a short squat pinkish guy also popped in over the river. Ethan and Ivy help the blue and pink things to shore. They are unusual—they can talk, but don’t have mouths, can see, but don’t have eyes. There, they made a fire, and were surprise attacked by 6 wild dogs. The party took some damage, but defeated or killed the dogs. They cook a dog. Ethan looks at the note Ranger Orkill tucked in his sash. Ethan and Ivy walk away from the fire to privately look at the note.

Best line of the game---Blue guy: “Hey, what are you two doing over there?” Ethan: “Lookin’ at something…” at the same time Ivy says: “I’m going pee!” There is a scrambled message each viewing. It was an anagram for the Crystal Keep, perhaps a direction to go. After the note was deciphered, the magical blue and pink guys become Rabbo and Eyar, naked. Rabbo and Eyar slowly get their memories back. They realize that these forms were the same forms as some of the entities in the pop out storage area---ones that were in there for a long time. They also realize that each of them had a specific memory, a clue, which led them to know that one of Rabbo’s throwing stars has been taken from him while he was in pop out, and Jerik was taken from Eyar while she was in pop out. They travel downstream. Rabbo asks his 5 questions of Bes to try to determine the best plan of action. Closest crystal is with a nervous orc. The Cube is in the possession of the Drow. Orcs are our best bet for help. We make our way downriver and Rabbo hears something---they head toward the sound with Eyar carrying Ivy. They hear arrows, fire, and more commotion.

10 orcs are pinned down in a gully by a creek. We came over a rise, and they are 100 feet away. The orcs are stuck. Ethan casts protection from evil, and then we are surprised by 5 elves behind us. Rabbo tells them who he is and convinces them that we’re who we say we are by using Driel’s name as former Faerie Queen. The faerie said that Fred, Fantasto, Moriamus and the Eaters of Wisdom cannot help the Faerie Queen fight. The Drow rule the land by night, and the kobolds rule it by day. Rabbo asks for help corralling the orcs.

The orcs are actually a wedding party (a nervous orc…). Rabbo uses psionics to dominate the lead orc, and cause them to slow down, and talks through the dominated one to allow the party to move in. It turns out these orcs are pacifists. We work out an arrangement with faeries to be of aid and they agree to leave the orcs in our care. We clothe ourselves with some of the dead orcs’ clothes and move on to their camp. They are appreciative that we spared them from the elves. While in camp, we are told that all of the orcs in this village left the orc society because they didn’t believe in the kill or be killed lifestyle lived by most orcs anymore (after the lead orc came across a certain crystal…). We asked if they have seen a crystal, and they have (#55). The bride agrees to trade it for Ethan’s signet ring and safe a passage out of Elfland to the Crystal Keep. They ask us to be in the wedding party.

We outfit up with armor and weapons and decide to watch the orcs’ behavior---when the crystal was no longer in their possession, but there was no change. Party agrees to escort good orcs out of the Elflands to a temporary home in the marshes approximately 350 miles away, or 60 days march.

Week 1: Because we’re not sure that the crystal shard may have negative effects, such as reverse alignment, for example, we’re watching both the orcs and Ethan (who touched the crystal). There is a random encounter with a wild bull. We form a hunting party. In the bull fight, Ivy hits the bull with a sling shot, and hits the bull with a hammer. Rabbo hits, Ethan fights. Ivy drops the bull.

Crystal Knowledge: Rabbo sees an ogre, and can’t tell his demeanor

God questions:
1 Where is the Green Box? At the Mires of the Sinking Kind.
2. The Cube? Same place.
3. Crystals? Same place.
4. Where can we find access to pop out outside of the green box and crystal ship? A cube.
5. How close is the ogre from the crystal knowledge? 280 miles from our spot in the southeast of the Elflands.

10/24 Game Time.
Crystal Knowledge: Ogre playing chess.
God questions:
1. How close to the ogre now? 216 miles.
2. Where can e find access to pop out outside of the green box, crystal ship or cube? Nowhere.
3. Who is currently in charge at the Crystal Keep? Taygo.
4. Is he actually, physically, there? Yes.
5. Where is the closest cube? Mires of the Sinking Kind.

Travel with no encounters. Day 18 of the trip. No encounters. Then, giant weasels attack! Rabbo kills two giant weasels. They eat well that night. Day 22.
Crystal Knowledge: Ogre is still the closest crystal.
God Questions:
1. How close is the ogre now? 160 miles.
2. If we stay on current path will our paths cross? No.
3. does B.H. know that we are back? No.
4. Where exactly is the ogre? Stumphole.
5. Outside of the Mires, where is the next closest cube? The keep.

Another week. Crystal Knowledge: ogre plying cards—walking back and forth, yelling.
God Questions.
1. How close is the ogre? 175 miles.
2. Where is Eyar’s sword? In pop out.
3. Where is Rabbo’s missing star? Generally, in pop out.
4. Where is Rabbo’s missing star specifically? In a portable hole.
5. In whose possession specifically is the portable hole? No ones.

No encounters.
Day 36. 11/16
Crystal Knowledge: Different crystal, different ogre, walking and crying.
God Questions.
1. Where is the Faerie Queen? Mires of the Sinking Kind.
2. Is she being held against her will? No.
3. Why is she there? She was captured.

Game Two (March, 2008) Game Day: 11/16.

Question #4: Could she leave if she wanted to? Possibly.
5. What is the effect of crystal # 55: Alignment Change.

Day 37-41
1. Does # 55 reverse or change to specific alignment? Specific alignment.
2. what alignment does it change you to? C/G.
3. What will be the easiest way to cross the marshes? Dimension walk.
4. Best way for the whole party to cross? Walk.
5. Is there a safe path through the swamp? Yes.

Day 42-46.
There are approximately 300 orcs in our party. They are pacifists. We have an encounter, at approximately 10 pm. Ethan is alone by a fire on the edge of the forest, and he sees a robed figure flitting from tree to tree. Ethan goes to wake up Rabbo, when he hears the figure say, “Shhh. Wait.” “Magic-user, wait.” “Trade spells.” Finally, Ethan wakes up Rabbo. We don’t follow the robed figure jumping from tree to tree. Obviously a trap, and we have to protect the group. After things quiet down, Rabbo goes back to sleep. He and others are attacked in their sleep. Rabbo is down 63 HP. He swings wildly and hits each of the things attacking him. Eyar wakes up from the commotion. Ethan was on watch but apparently didn’t see what was happening. Ethan tries to touch Rabbo but for some reason, can’t. Rabbo gets hit by one of the “orcs” attacking him, and is hurt even more. Rabbo hits all three of the “orcs” attacking him, killing one. Ethan attempts to stab one with a dagger, and actually stabs Rabbo. Rabbo disarmed the remaining “orc,” but everybody misses the “orc” when the tried to restrain him. Ethan tries to run towards two more advancing orcs, but trips and “accidentally” kicks Rabbo in the nuts, and Rabbo is down, unconscious. Ivy tries to hit the remaining orc, but misses and hits Eyar. Perhaps there is some magic at work here. Ivy tries to cast cure light wounds on Rabbo, and fumbles and actually kicks Eyar. Eyar swings and hits the injured “orc,” and discovers that they are not orcs at all---but they are shiny, silvery grey humanoids---dopplegangers. The real orcs help us regain our health. There is an orc cleric who can cast cure light wounds spells, and he does. Rabbo rests, since he is only a few hit points above death. He rests in the back of a wagon. Ivy decides to take a watch over him and relearn her healing spells. The rest of the orcs and party take a defensive posture around the camp.

Morning of Day 47: DM reveals to Rabbo that Rabbo was beaten into unconsciousness in the night by Ivy, (who was a doppelganger also) and a doppelganger has taken Rabbo’s form. Ethan had been replaced by a doppelganger last night before the fight. Of the party, Eyar is the only one who has not been replaced by a doppelganger.

Fake Rabbo asks fake Bes questions, in an attempt to lure Eyar out with the other doppelgangers.

1. Are there any dopplegangers in the camp? No.
2. Are they close by---close enough to find and kill? Yes.
3. Where are they? Deeper in the forest.

Just then, a female orc happened to look in the wagon where Rabbo was last night, and screams. As the other orcs and Eyar pay her attention and are about to hear her reveal that she discovered the bloody and beaten body of the real Rabbo, fake Rabbo makes a large show of asking Bes if this female orc is a doppelganger, which of course, is a resounding YES. Fake Rabbo yells, “She is a doppelganger, and throws his hand axe at her and splits her head open. She hits the ground, dead. At this point, fake Rabbo runs to the fallen orc, but is beaten there by Eyar (which bothers Eyar, because she knows Rabbo can run faster than her). Eyar sees a beaten and bloody Rabbo in the wagon, nearly dead. Fake Rabbo sees this, and in a moment, makes a break for the woods. He turns into an orc, which doesn’t confuse the orc crowd he runs through. He is cornered by two orcs, and turns into an elf, which freaks them out enough for him to make his escape. The doppelganger who looked like Ethan is killed, while the other two (one looked like Ivy and one looked like an orc, escape). Eyar finds Ivy and Ethan, and Rabbo. Ivy is brought back to consciousness by the orc priest. Rabbo brought back up to 6 hp.

Day 48. In the last couple of days, we killed three of the doppelgangers initially, then one additional one as they were discovered the next day. Rabbo is up. Asks his Bes questions.

1. Can we use detect magic to detect doppelgangers? No.
2. Are there doppelgangers close enough to strike us? No.

Ivy casts cure light wounds on Rabbo.

Day 49. Rabbo hits on the idea of using his psionics to maximize the healing rolls. Very shortly, all the party are back to max. Question 3. Are doppelgangers within striking distance? No.

Day 51.
Questions. Ivy wants to know

1. why Ranger Orkill chose them, or more generally, us? No experience preferred---you might get the job done without being noticed. Anyway, he didn’t choose you, you chose him by answering the ad.
2. Would the edge of the swamp be a good place to leave the orcs? Yes.
3. Is it a defensible position for them? Yes.

On the way to the swamp, we encounter 6 fire beetles. Rabbo kills 4. Rest of the party dispatches the other two. Day 56. The nearest crystal is in the hands of an unhappy ogre. Day 60. We come across a pathetic ogre, who has been weakened or made less than he was before by the crystal he holds. He thinks we will beat him, or steal his stuff. We offer to trade for his crystal, but we realize that nothing we will do will make the ogre feel better, so we take it. We negotiate with the orcs and forge an agreement with them to take in the ogre, and the presence of the ogre might provide some protection for the peace-loving orcs.

Questions.
4. What is the effect of this crystal? You lose from your abilities.
5. What abilities do you lose from? All of them.

The orcs and ogres agree to travel together.

Beginning of day 65: Rabbo called out for the elves (who were supposed to be following and watching us). Some elves step out from behind trees. We talked to the elves. They were happy to see the orcs escorted out. They agreed to do their best to watch out for them. The elves granted us treasure (50 lbs of silver) new clothes, some armor, weapons, etc.). We traded 40 pounds of silver to the orcs for a wagon. Just in case the orcs need it for trading, etc.

Day 65, 12/15 in the game.

We arrange for Rabbo to be able to carry all of the party (Ivy riding on his shoulders, Eyar on one arm and Ethan on the other) and Rabbo dimsension walks to the school. On the way, Ivy nearly falls off, but doesn’t. Once they arrive at a clearing, Rabbo calls out for Flamehand. At first, there is nothing, then a Type IV demon appears and tries to scare us, but Rabbo and Eyar remember that this is standard scare tactics at the school. They wait and call again fro Flamehand. There is a burst of energy, and Flamehand appears. “It’s Phlammand!” he said.

Inside the school, things look bad. There is a lot of rebuilding going on. Flamehand urges us to get home. We go to a giant cathedral which is linked directly to the Crystal Keep. We walk through the gate right into the keep. There we see Taygo (the copy made by Usurper), Adam Kelly and Peter (the boy Rabbo gave a ring to 20 years ago and made him the defacto leader of his people). Lots of hugs and pleasantries exchanged. We are led out of the great hall, out of a giant skull into the courtyard. The tree is flourishing. We look out onto the Barony.

There were four groups developed after the last time we were here. 1 group was focused on the development of gunpowder. However, there is no sulfur in this plane, so Moriamus developed “poof” oil, which can propel bullets at high rates of speed. It wasn’t very cost effective to make magic missile guns. But these poof oil guns are cheap.

Second group went to develop the Huts of the Scum. They have been extremely successful in turning the Huts into a thriving cattle operation. Under the right management, the land for miles around has become rich pasture and prairieland.

The third group went to get gems from the Crater of the Punishing Star, but were not heard from again.

The fourth group developed the military.

Before Bes left, many years ago, he gave Flamehand a small pouch to give to Rabbo. In it was a small red cube, and if you looked closely, you could see a little Halfling trapped inside of it.

The party then spent some time trying to figure out what to do next. If they don’t help the Elflands, within four months, it will be in the hands of the drow and the kobolds.

We need to bring in more money or the kingdom will go bankrupt. Several options are discussed, including beginning to tax the Huts.

Rabbo