Let the Games Conclude....

This summer, Mike, Molly, Carl, and I got together again to play D&D. We hoped Susan could make it, but a prior engagement kept her from attending. We decided to continue with the festival games instead of beginning the drow ass-kicking that a trip to Elfland would facilitate.

During the festival games, we played a triathalon style game, which Rabbo won. We played chess. We played some drinking games, in which Ethan tried to swallow a jug of white lightning, promptly threw up and passed out. We ended the night by playing a game of Noxie's Sphere, in which each character controlled an illusionary monster. In the arena, Molly played a beholder, Mike played an ancient red dragon, I played an iron golem, and Carl played a tarrasque. Molly was disappointed that she got such a small monster. In about five turns, after she turned me to stone, she disintegrated the tarrasque and death rayed the dragon. She won!

The coolest part of the game was when we played chess. We didn't actually play chess; we calculated the percentage of success with each roll against intelligence and wisdom, and scored points based on the degrees of success, which is exactly how you should role play a chess game. It was inventive and fun.

On another note, we discussed playing my current-time apocalypse game in which each of us play characters that are based on us. I have completed the figure Mike's character. Here are a couple of pictures:

Unintentional Motion....

A few posts ago, our DM suggested that Rabbo set some big things in motion, unintentionally. We found out what it was last game. The big thing he set in motion was requiring Ethan to pay a penance to Yondalla for Ivy. It took the form of the New Year's end party, essentially a week's worth of holidays. The big festival day was in honor of Yondalla, and Yondalla noticed. Yondalla then appeared to Ivy in a vision and gave her some godly gifts. Pretty cool for a little halfling.

It's a Festival!

This game started, technically, before the last one ended. We backtracked, set the calendar to the “right” day, and decided to have fun playing through the carnival games at the keep. Ethan takes time to spend his time and money to put on a terrific festival as his penance to Yondalla. He spends all of his party treasure. Rabbo donates his share of party treasure to help finance the event, and consecrates his sacrifice (almost 2000 gold!) to Bes.

The morning after the big “haul,” Ethan is roused by the sound of a huge roar. He woke Rabbo. They take a few moments to dress and then bound outside. Once outside, they see an odd-looking dragon-like creature, swooping around inside the dome. It is grey to red in color, wingless, and has six legs. They notice that three cooks are preparing food this morning, and don’t seem to be bothered by the dragon at all. Of course, it is a construct, and is part of the opening ceremony to the festival. Frooveezy, one of the keep’s personnel, takes us around the grounds of the fair. We go by the raffle booth. Rabbo buys 10 gold in tickets to be given among the poor kids in the dome. The party participated in a variety of games. Rabbo participated in a number of games to help relate to the common folks at the keep, and “challenged a group of children to a game of Troll’s Bridge. Everybody enjoyed that. Rabbo fought the trained cave bear and beat it, to the delight of the crowd. In every event, he attempted to show his strength, speed, and agility, but also was humble when he lost or didn’t hit a target. Ethan won Tower of Castilo, and fought three bears, but got owned by two of them. Ivy got drunk by 6 a.m., got beat by the trained bears like she was Goldilocks, climbed the temperature ladder, and got prizes from the tree with her sling.

In fact, it was around the tree that a curious event, as described below by our DM, happened:

“As Ivy moved about the base of the tree trying to find the best shot, a smile spread across her face. This was fun. This was special. This was something from her people, and the big folk were enjoying it just as countless generations of manikin had in the past. There was laughter in the air and excitement everywhere, but something was just not right.

At first Ivy thought that maybe dirt has landed in her eyes, but as she blinked it away it only got worse. The rays of the sun were beaming through the dome, and here in the woods the light was scattered by small branches and augmented by limitless motes of dust. As she looked and blinked, the ribbons, tokens, bags and colored sticks hanging from the tree stopped seeming to be the prizes that they were and began to resemble much more ominous things. The sticks seemed more like limp, slender, frail bodies hanging lifeless in the tree. The small bags appeared to move as if something were trapped and dieing inside. As the tokens spun they bounced about very much like tiny beings in the death throes of being strangled. And although she knew they were ribbons, Ivy could only see small weightless wings fluttering lifeless in the breeze.

The projectile flies into the tree and hits its mark. With a series of thuds the prize falls to earth and lands just at the base of the tree. It is a small silver shield with a golden, diamond crusted “Y” on the front.

As Ivy reached out to take the shield, another hand pulled it away just before it was in the cleric’s grasp. Ivy looked up and saw a strong, young woman, proud and determined of bearing, dressed in green, yellow and brown and armed with only a short sword and small shield. Despite the fact that her large hairy feet clearly made her out to be a half-ling, she stood at least twelve inches taller than the little cleric herself. The stranger slung her own shield around her back and began examining the prize she had just picked up. In her hands the silver and gold shield was nothing more than painted wood with glitter sprinkled on it. Somehow, it seemed much smaller now.

“Pretty,” she said with a smile. “But not much protection.” Her voice was intense, yet somehow warm and inviting. Ivy noticed that the woman’s voice was all she was hearing. The little cleric looked around and realized the two of them were alone next to the tree. Everyone else was gone. She opened her mouth to ask a question, but stopped when she looked back. The light of the sun was shining behind her and the effect lit up an aura around the woman that could not be expressed in mortal terms. When the stranger smiled, buds sprouted on trees and plants. As she shifted her wait, dead leaves under her feet became green with life. And as she traced the Y on the toy shield with her finger, sap began to bleed from the painted wood. That’s when Ivy knew exactly who this was.

“Close your mouth child, you look silly standing there like that. You’re here to listen, do you understand.” As she spoke, her gaze drifted into the great tree. “Then again, having over a thousand big folk praise your name all day long is something to listen to. You definitely acquired my attention.” Ivy closed her mouth and immediately assumed a prayer position.

“Enough of that. Arise my daughter. I am already here and we have precious little time.” Yondalla, principal god of the manikin ran her hands over the bark of the great tree. “This is a very good tree,” she said. “I can see why it was chosen for the game. This is fine woodland you have here. Young, but sturdy and well kept. Naturally I prefer a nice field or meadow, as is our kin, but this is a very nice wood.” As her goddess scanned the area, Ivy was filled with a sense of trepidation she had never known before, but as Yondalla’s eyes fixed with hers, the little cleric felt a sense of infinite warmth and protection.

“Now to work,” said the goddess. “As you know, I am not keen on disturbing the plans of other powers. What they do with their holes and gardens is their business. But if those plans affect my kinder, then it is my business. I’ve looked over this little world of yours and it’s quite strange. I don’t think I’d have anything to do with it if it didn’t have several fields of the kin living here. But it does and one of them has had far too much trouble. Had we known, Arvoreen would have gone himself, but it’s too late. You will soon be going into the area and I want you to represent us and resolve the situation. I have faith in you and to help I am giving you three gifts.” Yondalla raised her hand and from her first three fingers arose three glowing balls of light.

“The first gift is the gift of choice. You may choose one of three special quest spells above and beyond your normal complement.” With a wave all three balls flew into the little half-lings head. Ivy felt a little dizzy and began blinking a lot, but the effect passed quickly. “But choose wisely. They can only be used once and they act as signposts for the direction of your journey.”

“The second gift is the gift of advice. Take with you all of your magic items. Leave nothing behind. Let the big folk do as they may, but you have nothing to fear from the unknown at this time and you never know what help you may need.” Yondalla then held the toy shield in front of Ivy. It was now so small that it fit between two of her fingers.

“The third gift is the gift of faith.” The small shield began to glow with a golden light. Yondalla placed it in the little cleric’s hand and wrapped her fingers around it. As her fist closed, the light was so bright that Ivy could no longer see the tiny shield, but there was no heat or pain whatsoever. “Keep it safe,” Yondalla said. “Keep it close to your heart. Keep it to the very end when all other hope is lost. Then, and only then, will it serve you best.” Ivy wrapped her other hand around her closed fist and brought them both to her chest. Yondalla smiled warmly and once again looked around that area.

“Yes, these are very fine trees. They should serve you well.” The goddess looked at Ivy once more, but with a softer, gentler gaze. She put her hands on the little cleric’s cheeks and turned her head back and forth. “You’ve changed; it suites you. Change is good for you. I approve. But no matter how much you change, little one, remember to stay who you are here.” The goddess placed a hand on the cleric’s chest, just above the heart. “And here,” she whispered as she leaned down and kissed Ivy on the head.”

After the event, Ivy shared this experience with us, and we did our best to figure it out. She had been given three quest spells by her god, and it would be up to Ivy to choose one suited to the party’s next adventure, which will be to go neck deep in drow. After this, we had stayed up late enough, and quit.