New Banner: The shark has no chance!

Our esteemed DM is away but we have a little treat for you.

Eolar catches up with that wiley slippery fellow that used to hang around with our little group of adventurers: Telfis! An where do they find themselves? Swimming with the sharks. Eolar had better pray that Telfis can flank the beast and backstab it before it bites their heads off!

Who got what from Telfis and when will they pay for it?

Eolar:
Crossbow +2 (Light/Frost dmg+1d6)
(Eolar has to find an additional 1,970gp to buy this items!)
Not worth buying the bolts as they don't stack with magic crossbow.

Chen:
6x Dust of Dryness
Plus: 4,648gp

Durin:
Horn of Blasting
(Durin has to find an additional 2,802gp to buy this item!)

Ned:
Jewel encrusted dagger (+1)
Plus: 6,047gp

Mendez:
Ring of Feather Falling
Potion of Sanctuary
Plus: 6,073gp

Unclaimed: Headband of Intellect +6 (18000gp)
Studded Leather +1 (588gp)

Another Year Wiser

We've been adventuring a while now and there have been breaks between adventures, so everyone's character excluding the newcomers Chen and Ned (and obviously not the currently dead Telfis) should age themselves one year.
Also, everyone should have an exact knowledge of how much money they have. If you're not sure, then all you have is your haul from your last adventure.
If you can't keep track of your wealth, neither can your character and they have squandered it away.
I'll be checking on Thursday!
Everyone debit one of the following amounts for living expenses:
Free board and food (e.g. Eolar): 0gp
Frugal living (e.g. Chen): 50gp
Standard adventurer's living (e.g. Thesis): 500gp
Extravagent living (e.g. Mendez): 1000gp
Lastly anyone who wants any of the equipment from the last adventure should make their request on Dungeon Tales before the game tomorrow. It's too late for arguments now, so first come, first get.

Telfis' legacy

Ok, my last post now to finish everything from my adventure!!

After Telfis' heroic showdown, his possessions have to be distributed! Here is a list:

7 Crossbow bolts (Frost dmg+1d6) (58gp/each)
Crossbow +2 (Light/Frost dmg+1d6) (9168gp)
6x Dust of Dryness (425gp/each)
Headband of Intellect +6 (18000gp)
Horn of Blasting (10000gp)
Jewel encrusted dagger (+1) (1151gp)
Masterwork Thieves tools (50gp)
MWk Fife (50gp)
Piton (0.1)
Potion of Sanctuary (25gp)
Ring of Feather Falling (1100gp)
Studded Leather +1 (588gp)

+ standard adventuring goods

This small guy was loaded with stuff!!! :D
Ok, we have to distribute that. Who is interested? Eolar might be interested in the crossbow as he doesn't want to be front-line fighter anymore ;-)

Here Lies Telfis Banner

And what a fantastic liar he was.

Drowning in Bosoms and Brandy

Life in his home city had always been easy for Mendez. Easy women, easy friendships and a rich father to bail him out. It was all such a game.
Now though, after a year of adventuring, life doesn’t seem so simple.
Risking his life hadn’t felt real until his young companion Telfis lay dead at his feet. He had initially dismissed the boy as a ragamuffin, but over time he realised that they were very much alike. If Mendez hadn’t had the love and security of a wealthy family, he would probably have ended up much the same way.
So now, after the dust of battle has settled, Mendez mopes in a bar. Despite the women and booze, he can’t help feeling lost.

Death of a Bard Banner

'A victory is twice itself when the achiever brings home full numbers.'
(Shakespeare)

The Mourning After (read the last kiss first!)

Alerted by an immense wave of power followed by a deep, loud bang, the group rushes into the room. The sarcophagus stands open and Mendez, who's gaze naturally went towards the girl first, is almost stunned by the beauty of the women slowly trying to sit up. "It worked!! Telfis, you made..". Just now he realises that something isn't right. The slumped down body of the young bard sits motionless next to the stony structure.
Chen reaches Telfis' body as first and puts his hand on the bard's shoulder "Telfis are you ok?!?"
The body slowly falls to the side. Chen's expression freezes instantly. The body feels cold. Way too cold! He just tries to shake the body again when Durin pushes him away!
"Telfis, what's the matter? Wake up! What happened??"
Thesis also caught up and doesn't need his cleric knowledge to know their friend left to another plane. Sadness and anger mix in his eyes while his head slowly sinks on his chest.

Mendez, as if turned to stone, stares at the group kneeling around the dead body. Why didn't he stop him? Why Telfis? A female voice abruptly ends his paralysis.
"Who are you?"

The Last Kiss

The two dwarfen bodies fall to the ground; the electricity of the lighting that struck them down still in the air. Wer smiles satisfied and flies along the corridor to look for the last two dwarfs that ran this way a minute ago. The only thing she can hear is the distant noise of 4 feet running somewhere in the mine. Impossible to tell the direction. She turns round to tell the others about the girl in the sarcophagus. The battle seems over.
Chen still hangs from the ceiling looking at the slain bodies when Telfis and Mendez enter the room. Apart from the locusts that still attack every person in the room, all opponents seem dead. He turns to see Thesis and Durin enter the room through the fog. The look of relief can be seen on the fighter's faces when they realise there is no opponent left. Finally they can treat their wounds.
Telfis looks around the room. Seven beds, seven chairs and seven cupboards. Seven possibilities to hide gold. As he tries to open the first cupboard, the bird next to him changes into Wer.
"I've found the girl! She is in a chamber not far away."
Mendez looks up from the body he is examining "Is she ok?"
"Can't really tell, she is locked up in a kind of sarcophagus and is either dead or in a deep sleep!"

After a final look around for more dangers, the group follows Wer to the chamber. Entering the room, Telfis is immediately struck by the unearthly beauty of the slender figure laying motionless before him, enshrined in her crystalline prison. Looking at her it is hard to tell whether she is dead or simply unconscious, held by some evil spell.
He takes a dreamy step forward, overwhelmed; his mind engulfed in a silent contest of awe and sympathy alternately trying to sweep him away. Telfis' hand gingerly traces the surface of the young woman's pristine prison when, suddenly, a sharp tingling feeling, extending from his neck and creeping all the way down his spine, shakes him out of his reverie. His hand remains extended on the crystal surface, frozen, as he once again becomes aware of the room around him. Behind him, he knows his friends are crowding up, with varying degrees of impatience trying to get a look at the sarcophagus. Trap.
Telfis sharply raises his other arm to signal his friends to remain where they are.
"Its trapped. I don't know how but its big."
His friends can see the the adrenaline rush in Telfis' boyish grin. They can also see that he is terrified.
"I think this is a tricky one, it's probably better if I am the only one in the room while I have a look at it."
Telfis can see the objections working themselves through minds and facial expressions in all of his friends. Nearly simultaneously. The train of thought, as usual, travels a bit slower in Thesis and the dwarf. He knows they will be concerned. All but Wer, she will just be annoyed not to see what's happening.
Before anyone can voice their objections, Telfis says:
"Please. Trust me, it's the safest way. Just give me ten minutes to study it. If I can't find anything we think of something else."
Something in his voice, a rare kind of determination for the young rogue, gives his friends pause. Grudgingly, they grant his wish, and close the door from the outside.

The room once again silent, empty but for the dormant lady and himself, Telfis expertly takes stock of the situation. He cannot see any obvious traps. Stone and crystal are both completely featureless, cut and polished to smooth perfection. Telfis approaches the young lady. Once again, the feeling of danger makes the hair on his neck stand. He is sure there must be a trap; quite probably a terrible one.
His eyes closed, he lets his fingers glide over the contraption while his mind probes for any clues he might get from subtle irregularities, mechanical or other. Then he feels something. It is nothing but a vague threat, a lingering sense of dread. He knows he has found something. He probes on, but learns little. Telfis feels both terrified and exhilarated; he knows nothing about the trap but one thing: he is hopelessly outclassed.

Just as he considers to give up and tell his friends that he failed, something, in a vague yet final way, goes the mental equivalent of 'click' and instantly, with a sudden insight he is not sure is entirely his own, Telfis knows he has made a terrible mistake. He has triggered something which cannot be undone. Without moving, he slowly opens his eyes. His numb mind has no capacity to feel surprised that what he sees is no longer the room he knows to be in. Instead, he finds himself on a clearing in the oldest forrest he has ever seen. He looks around, amazed by the intensity of the colours surrounding him. Everything looks somehow more alive than life itself.
Lying in the shade of a tree he can see the familiar figure of the sleeping girl. Telfis approaches her slowly and cautiously when he notices the owl watching him intently from a branch above the girl. The eyes of the owl are of an incredibly deep green. And even though Telfis doesn't know much about forest creatures he can tell that this is no ordinary owl. Its, no, her eyes are too intense, too wise. For a moment he thinks he can see sadness in her unblinking eyes, but only for an instant. Telfis holds the gaze of the owl, and finally he understands. Suddenly he knows exactly where he is and he understands the mistake he made trying to disarm the trap. And somehow he also knows the enormity of the decision he must make under the serene gaze of the watchful owl.
This is his gift from the green Lady. To know the nature of his decision, and to make it in full knowledge of its consequences. He understands that this is all she can do. The rest is up to him.
Telfis hesitates for an instant, but he knows his decision has been made the second he understood. Slowly he walks over the soft and mossy grass, over to the sleeping figure. Gingerly, he kneels beside the girl and brushes aside a lock of her hair. He bends over, his face nearly touching the girl's. Telfis closes his eyes, he can feel the steady warmth of her breath on his face. He brings his lips to hers in a gentle kiss.

The girl slowly opens her eyes. She finds herself lying in an unadorned room, her clouded mind slowly gathering itself. She half-remembers the strangest of dreams. Slowly, uncertainly she looks around. Beside her, slumped backwards on his knees she finds a boy. He looks vaguely familiar. His face is very pale and his lips creased in a sad little smile.
The girl sends a probing thought, but there is no response. Whoever he was, the boy is clearly dead.

Who Was Where When?

After having a meal and organising rooms, Bodush and Telfis go to the market to sell the over flowing carts contents to the local shopkeepers.
Thanks to Bodush’s incredible charisma and Telfis’ clever haggling, they manage to get 14672gp in total for everything excluding the items that Eolar had earlier separated.
Those few things can easily be sold later.
It’ll be difficult to divide up the profits though, as it’s become hard to remember who was present during which piece of profiteering.

Apparently you Can Cross the Same River Twice

As they walk, Telfis looks around him and feels annoyed.
Why can’t the others leave things well enough alone? That whole battle had gained them very little.
Bailey might even have become a useful associate.
The group he joined just a few months back has grown. Initially it was just Eolar, Wer, Bodush and the scary looking Thesis.
Since then, Mendez, Kruddo and Durin had joined them and now this cosseted, naive Monk, Chen Yong.
Mendez and Wer are off on their own adventures but are sure to be back soon.
Is working in such a cumbersome group really where he wants to be?
After a day they get to the river. It’s swollen with the coming of spring and it’s now about 50’ across and too deep and fast flowing to ford.
Fortunately someone has left a simple flat-bottomed barge here. It is fixed to a rope and pulley system so you can move the barge from either side or even while onboard.
There is a sign in Common demanding a toll of 10 silver pieces, but there’s no one to collect it.
Eolar loads up the cart and his stubborn mule and they all manage to cross together.
Thesis and Durin easily heave the barge to the other side.
They walk for another two days until they finally make it back to Seawell.
Telfis had forgotten how badly it smelled.

Geno-cider with Grimesy

Shen-shen goes from fallen Orc to fallen Orc, driving the point of one of her swords into each one. All the while whispering curses under her breath.
There are bodies everywhere and the river is red with blood, but the sounds of battle have ended now. The screams of the women and children recede as they run blindly from their homes with what little they can carry.
The world is a hard place for Orc women anyway, and now... homeless with dependent children... in a hostile environment! What chance do these women have?
Eolar looks around him. It’s hard to believe that just hours before, they were sharing alcohol and jokes with these tattered corpses.
Kruddo checks the massive, fleshy body of the Golem. Telfis’ crossbow bolt has pushed out its eye and the face itself is coming away at the seams. It’s beyond help or repair.
Bodush kicks at the Giant inside it’s smouldering home. It groans its last and dies from its wounds. Grimes final words are for his beautiful golem, ‘So little time…’
Wer watches the slightly built Shen-shen turn her attention to the Dead or Dying Worgs and Ogres.
No one pursues the fleeing women and children and instead the victorious group set to pillaging the ruined Orc village. It’s peculiar, thinking of it as that.
Orcs are a nomadic people. They never settle anywhere for long and that’s why treaties and boundaries mean so little to them.
Would this permanent settlement have lasted?
Could Grimes have maintained his control?
Could Orcs really change so profoundly?

Touché Away!

Mendez looks down at his sword. It’s funny but after all that practice in the Barbarian camp, he hasn’t drawn it once in combat.
Mendez smiles. Once he’d asked Telfis why he never got into the thick of battle. The canny rogue simply replied; ‘I don’t do damage.’
Maybe that is the best way forward?

Heroes for a Day

A few days after the battle at the gnome hamlet, the group sits around the fire at dinner. The dwarves are still quite excited and try to outdo each other with stories of their exploits.
Telfis joins the group, grinning broadly.
"Listen to me for a second, you are going to like this. I have just met with a gnome bard and he presented his newest song to me."
The group reluctantly turns around. Telfis' attempts at music have not all been well received. He clears his throat dramatically. And then he starts his tale. Immediately the group is drawn into his story. The melody of the song and the way Telfis uses his voice seem to cast a spell on all listeners.

The Long Dark Night to Freedom

Defenders waiting, arms at ready
their number counts just seven whole
relentless, unbowed, sturdy, steady
as wave and wave of orcses roll

As darkness falls the struggle nears
its sure to take its bloody toll
they set their chins and quell their fears
as wave and wave of orcses roll

Children wailing, women huddling
down the hamlet's deepest hole
debates at end, no time for muddling
as wave and wave of orcses roll

Dust cloud heralds, here they come
fear and death their only goal
we need to vanquish orcish scum
as wave and wave of orcses roll

They reach the vanguard, arrows fly
Wer storms back from her patrol
booming rings their battle cry
as wave and wave of orcses roll

It has begun, the sides engage
dwarf Durin enters in the brawl
bloodshot eyes, uncontained rage
as waves and waves of ocses fall

Lashing, scorching, singing blade
brave Thesis towers above all
in blood their debt now will be paid
and wave and wave of orcses fall

Cutting foes as others butter
the utmost fearsome I recall
Kraddo will not stop nor stutter
and wave and wave of orcses fall

Unseen, unheard, all shifting shadow
young Telfis keeps an eye on all
raining death across the meadow
and wave and wave of orcses fall

Silent, calm his green hood flapping
Eolar answers the wounded's call
while dealing death by arrows snapping
and wave and wave of orcses fall

A mask of anger, Bodush stands
like death incarnate on the wall
fiery death sparks from his hands
and wave and wave of orcses fall

The battle rages without pause
then numbers dwindle, attacks stall
they start to falter, doubt their cause
and wave and wave of orcses fall

Then silence, panic starts to spread
the struggle finds a sudden end
the enemy leader falling, dead
triumph is near, rejoice my friend!

The tyrants run, like rats they flee
tails 'tween legs, the die is cast
all dance and shout and sing with glee
Oh Brethren, freedom, free at last

Directions

After the adrenaline of the fight has ebbed out of his system, Telfis slumps down next to a tree outside the cave. He suddenly feels drained and lost. Since he joined this bizarre group of adventurers a mild feeling of inadequacy has continued to creep up in the back of his mind. He always thought of himself as quite cunning and even wise. He was always confident in his assessment of right and wrong and his place in the world. His actions and reactions had always been immediate and resolute. For a street urchin this is the difference between freedom or a life of miserable servitude, or even death. Never hesitate, never look back. This is what his brother had drilled into him since even before he was able to speak. This is what he believed and lived all his life.
Now, increasingly often, he felt troubled by a previously unknown uncertainty. His reflexes did one thing and his second thoughts told him to do another. The first time he had unconsciously `disappeared' the precious scabbard before his conscious thought even had a chance to properly appraise it. But only shortly after that it felt wrong. He had felt like traitor. This had shocked him more than he cared to admit. For without trust there can be no betrayal. Since his brother had been killed he had never trusted anyone and no one had trusted him. He would take whatever he could. If he didn't someone else would without hesitation. No one expected him to be `fair'.

No betrayal without trust, Telfis thinks again.

I cannot betray anyone. Without him noticing his hand toys with the necklace he had secretly removed from the spider's lair. Then there was the matter of the girl. I am getting unfocused and soft, he thinks, I have trusted her and what did I get for it? Telfis can feel himself blush with embarrassment and anger. His brother would have given him a proper thrashing for such stupid gullibility. A pretty face and a desperate look was all it took to nearly get myself killed. Not only that but I also endangered my friends. Before he notices why, his anger flushes away from him, the blood in his cheeks stops pulsating. My friends.
Telfis sits there motionless for long moments, unseeingly staring into the woods. His hand reaches into his pocket, he takes out the ruby necklace and gently puts it back into the box.
Telfis blinks like he is awaking from a dream. He sighs and gets up. As he offloads the loot onto the priest's donkey he sees the fife. He puts everything else on the donkey and stares at this wondrous and beautiful little thing in his hands. It seems to be calling out to him. Telfis shrugs and gingerly lifts the instrument to his mouth.

New Kid on the Block

Wrapped tightly in the protective mantle of darkness Telfis stands motionlessly crouched behind the chimney of a house near the still busy waterfront of Seawell. Since the last twilight of dawn he has been carefully watching the proceedings below. He has never been to Seawell before and he is not overly happy with what he sees. Until a moment ago he had been excited by the apparent plethora of opportunities. All this traveling folk and the gullible young adventurers only waiting for man of his talents and maybe part with some of their funds in the exchange. However, observing yet another relatively ugly mugging down a dark alley to his left, the second one today, Tel's mood has turned more sombre. Silren help, he thinks, for every ingenuous and hopeful would-be adventurer around, there are already two unscrupulous and desperate have-been adventurers lurking around the corner, sharpening their daggers. No good business if a man has to fear for his own safety at his workplace.
Brooding in the dark, Tel has to admit that the competition in this city is somewhat on the stiff side. With the obvious surplus of hardened, ruthless criminals he doubts that this city is a good place to start a career for a young man with quick fingers and nothing else to do. And of course, there is also the excessive violence he has observed. Nothing wrong with violence as such, Tel muses, as long as it happens to other people. Tel himself is not the violent type. Of course he carries a dagger and he might have used it to threaten at one point or another, but he prefers the silent and stealthy way of doing business. After all, he thinks, every oafish idiot can hit someone over the head with a stick. No elegance in that, no skill, and sure enough no honour neither.

Early the next day Telfis decides that this is not a place to stay. He has better plans for his life than having his throat cut in a smelly side alley over a couple of worthless coins. Instead, he resolves, he will try his luck in the adventuring business. Not a bad life after all, he reflects, traveling the world, finding hidden treasures, and who knows, fate may even throw in a pretty princess in need of rescue once in a while. Must find a party of some sort though, Telfis thinks, that's how it works. No good adventuring alone. Telfis is quite excited by the prospect. Campfires, excitement, new places, and, of course, with a group of hardened adventurers he could stop worrying about those thugs following him.

Tel wanders around the market. Already there is quite a crowd gathering at the big space where the stall keepers shout and haggle and praise their various goods. Telfis scans the area for any likely candidates. He doesn't really know what he is looking for when his eyes fall on some sort of priestly looking fellow. He has seen this man before. Someone told him that he was part of a group of adventurers who accomplished some mildly spectacular feat or another recently. Probably not heroes but decent, hard working, well, whatever you called that. This is as good a starting point as any other, thinks Tel, getting closer to the stall were the priest stands looking somewhat piqued at a dwarven marketeer.
"So what is it, then? You surely must know what you are selling, good man?", the priest says as Telfis arrives within hearing distance.
"It is a book of ancient secrets, sire, very, uh, spiritual too.", says the dwarf in slightly broken common. They are both looking at a rather unremarkable brown book with a faint golden lining. The dwarf looks solemn, the priest intrigued but unconvinced. Tel risks a glance at the thing. "The week long menu; cookery for wedding feasts revisited", Tel reads aloud and adds, in fluent Dwarfen, directed at the shopkeeper: "That's a rather broad definition of ancient secrets and spirituality you got there mister." Both men turn to him, the dwarf looking slightly angry.
"Interesting. And who might you be, boy?", the priest is the first to speak. "Telfis, guv'nor, at your service. It appears master dwarf here is having a little fun at your expense.", Tel says, grinning broadly and feeling rather clever. The priest looks reflective for a moment. "A cookbook you say.", he says noncommittal. Then, managing to look threatening and friendly at the same time, adds: "And how would you know that? Are you telling me you can read this?". "Aye, it's the brother, sir. Taught me Gnome. And Dwarven. I speak Halfling too.", Tel says, radiating pride. "How curious. What is your profession?", the priest asks, seemingly having forgotten the dwarf merchant for a minute. "I want to be an adventurer, sir!". "So you have no profession.", the priest says rather disapprovingly. Telfis, feeling the moment slip away, hazards: "I can be very helpful, sir, if you would take me on your next adventure. I have sharp eyes, nimble fingers and I can read and write!", realizing that this might not be overly impressive qualifications for adventuring, he adds, "I can shoot a crossbow too." The priest is obviously not too impressed. And just as Tel is sure he will turn him down, the priest expression turns strangely unreadable for Telfis. "Alright, boy. Come to the inn down the street at eight in the evening. If my companions agree you shall have a chance to prove yourself useful."

Two days later Telfis is already on the road again. The meeting with the rest of the group had turned out not to be much of a problem. There was a tiny halfling with a dog, a somewhat bedraggled looking fellow who was apparently some sort of sorcerer, and a huge warrior with tattoos all over his body. Neither of them had any real objections that Tel joins the group, neither of them seemed very interested either. However, Tel thinks happily as he walks along the road out of the city, that may change, at least there was something to do now.

Escape!

Tel is running along the rooftops of the city silent as a cat, smiling to himself with the overconfidence that is the prerogative of youth. He cannot not help it. Not after tonight's little coup had worked out better than he had even dreamed. And it had been so easy. In his pouch, pressing against his waist, are a golden necklace and a little bag full of shiny coins. "Confident, lazy, cocky, dead", he could hear his brother tell him, like a mantra. He is trying to calm himself, concentrate on his escape. But it is difficult to suppress the exhilaration and even more difficult to imagine that one of those slow-witted thugs is still on his trail. He had been stealthy and swift as a night breeze. Most likely they hadn't even noticed yet that Lady Amanda's prized necklace is missing. As for the coins, he was sure they were mere peanuts for their previous owner who was Lady Amanda's unknown suitor. He definitely looked rich, the bastard, and a bit scary. Though certainly not as scary as his two monstrous bodyguards. Freaking half orcs, if Tel is any judge of these things. Better not be caught, better keep moving, Tel thinks, as he looks down a dark alley and carefully edges his way down a drainpipe. Not far now to the security of his hiding place, not far at all. No one to be seen, nothing to be heard, better trade some stealth for swiftness, Telfis thinks, and starts to jog down the dark alley leading to his safe place.
"Where are you going so fast, young man?", grunts a disembodied voice from Tel's left followed, before he can even react, by a massive hairy paw grabbing him by the collar and lifting him off his feet. Taken completely by surprise, Telfis screams, reflexively: "I didn't do nothing guvnor!". Panic rising, heart already racing, Tel ineffectually wriggles to get free, mind racing to think of a way to escape.
"Now what do we have here?", grumbles the voice, no longer disembodied, but rather unpleasantly embodied in the ugly mass of one of the bodyguard thugs. He rips the pouch from Telfis' belt and weights it in his hand for a moment. No way to bluff your way out of this, Tel knows, no way to play innocent. In a second he will see the necklace and Silren knows what that brute will do to him.
Telfis goes limp, apparently resigned to his fate, as his captor shifts his grip to open the pouch and reveal its telltale contents. Tel slowly and carefully reaches to his side where he hides his small dagger. It is a desperate move, even under different circumstances he probably couldn't even seriously harm this monstrosity. The thug lets out a satisfied grunt, the limp and tiny figure in his grip momentarily forgotten. Tel seizes his moment. A flash of blade, immediately followed by a black streak of blood across the eye and brow of his captor. Not a good hit but freedom. Without waiting for the surprised cry of outrage Tel turns tail and runs. Heart still racing as he zig-zags through the city frantically trying to come up with a plan. He knows he cannot stay. He knows the city is no longer safe for him. Dejectedly he thinks about the night's events. He has lost his loot and his home.
Half an hour later, Telfis finds himself trotting along the road to the neighboring city of Seawell. Self doubt and despondence not among his most predominant traits, Telfis is already whistling a merry tune. He is eager to reach Seawell and already imagining the adventures and riches that await him there.