Wavering Belief

Chen wonders at the state of the world his Sifu has sent him into. While his teachings were replete with stories of battles and of heroes and villains, he had not realised the true brutality of the world.

In the short time since he left the monastery, he has witnessed the complete destruction of a unique tribe of orcs, seen a drug runner use bodies as fertiliser and goblins as slaves, and himself was involved in the deaths of a number of men. It's true that these deaths allowed the freedom of the slaves and ended the sacrilegious use of the dead. It's also true that they started the fight against his new friends, but they still leave a slightly bitter taste in the mouth of the naive monk. Had his friends done something to provoke Bailey at an earlier time? He can't help but wonder if those men had families...

His teachings explain that The Balance will be maintained, but there seems to be precious little balance in the world he has seen so far; precious little justice - except for those that make it themselves. Could the deaths have been avoided? Could the slaves have been freed peacefully? Would Bailey have voluntarily stopped growing the mushrooms on corpses?

He wonders if the other monks sent out from his Order have found the same in their travels, and hopes not... Just how old were the sacred texts that that he has studied, for them to be so different from the world he has found now? Is his understanding true for one point in time, but now out-dated; or did he only ever learn a lie? One thing is for certain - his idyllic martial training had not fully prepared him for real combat. Perhaps his other studies were also idealistic then - a glamourisation of the truth at best and outright falsehood at worst?

Is it really in the interest of his monastery to learn about the world he has seen so far? The utopian surroundings that he grew up in stand now in stark contrast to his recent experiences. Should he be truthful when he returns? Would blissful ignorance be preferable? He will have to meditate on this...

No. He should not question his principles so shortly after leaving the monastery. He cannot abandon years of study so readily. His masters are wiser than he, and no doubt will be shown as such soon. The party seems to have wrought havoc here, but surely they will show another side. Balance will be restored in time - it is the nature of things.

An Uncomfortable truth.

Gazing around at yet another group of dead bodies, Eolar starts to feel uneasy.
The brutish Bailey was ugly and ill mannered, but did he deserve to die?
He wasn’t ‘Good’, true, but he and Chaplin were certainly ‘Lawful’.
In his eagerness to help his friends, had he crossed the line?
Friends?
Actually Eolar was beginning to worry about both Thesis and Bodush. His preaching didn’t seem to be affecting them. In fact, he was beginning to feel that their bad habits were beginning to rub off on him.
Killing and lying hadn’t used to come so easily to him.
What had these fifteen Humans actually done wrong?
Who was it that attacked first?
Were all these Humans killed just to gain a little more gold?
Looking across the camp, Eolar sees his cohort Elogyn reassuring the surviving Orc women and children.
Her behaviour causes his feelings of unease to turn towards shame.

The Mushroom Powder’s on Me!

Again, you loot the dead bodies and abandoned homes.

Bailey:

MWKs Heavy crossbow
MWKs Bastard Sword
Boltsx20
Backpack
Water skin
Rationsx2
Bedroll
Blanket
Platinum ring.
Gold: 120gp (110gp from Telfis buying drugs.)
Magic:
A small leather Bag
Full Plate Armour
Tower shield

Barker:

Full Plate Armour
Large Shield
Light crossbow
MWKsWarHammer
Boltsx20
Backpack
Water skin
Rationsx2
Bedroll
Blanket
Gold: 42gp
Magic:
A Potion

Corbett:

ChainShirtArmour
Small Shield
Light crossbow
MWKsShortSword
Boltsx20
Backpack
Water skin
Rationsx2
Bedroll
Blanket
Gold: 158gp
Magic:
A Potion

Human Fighters:

12 x Chain shirt
12 x Long Swords
12 x Large Shield
120gp

2 x Open carts
2 x Cart horses
24 x Bedrolls
24 x Blankets

40 x doses of ‘New & Improved’ Magic Mushroom Powder! (+6Hps –2Wis for 1 hour)

There are also Orc women and children hiding in two of the animal skin tents. They scream and wail when they see you.

Additions:

12 x Light crossbows
240 crossbow bolts.

Really hard won experience

How hard did you make that? I think Bodush was laughing at the 'Human punchbag' Thesis.
(Unsurprisingly, no-one went up a level.)

Chen Yong: 6,886 xp (4th Level: Monk:4)

Kruddo: 16,668 xp (6th Level: Fighter:6)

Wer: 28,579xp (8th Level: Druid:8)

Eolar: 33,915 xp (8th Level: Cleric:5/Ranger:3)

Elogyn: 13,277 xp (5th Level: Cleric:5)

Telfis: 33,335xp (8th Level Rogue:6/Bard:2)

Bodush: 31,526 xp (8th Level: Sorcerer:8)

Durin: 26,105 xp (7th Level!: Barbarian:7)

Thesis: 29,593 xp (8th Level!: Fighter:6/Cleric:1/Barbarian:1)

Mendez: 37,199 xp (9th Level: Ranger:3/Barbarian:2/Fighter:4)


300xp? You're having a laugh. 886xp and you were lucky to get that!

And you didn't even make it home!!!

I'll write you all back to Seawell unmolested. Paul or Moritz to DM next Thursday.

Wer’s Parting Gift?

Through the oily smoke, the two one-armed Orcs creep forward. They are carrying superbly crafted Battle-axes and are wearing the skilfully made, black studded leather armour of the Huloms.
Everywhere they look they see the lifeless bodies of their brethren.
Finally they see some movement. Finally they see something to attack!
But before they can roar their defiance and charge, Thesis and Kruddo grip their shoulders from behind.
The movement they saw turns out to be the diminutive Wer searching for a wounded brown bear from the recent battle.
The reunion is warm but brief. Wer was uncomfortable with the killing of the bears and feels the need to travel far from the stench of death.
“Wot appened ere?” growls the Orc.
Wer bends the truth and tells the Orcs pacifying tales about a Hobgoblin army.
They look angry and upset, but thanks to Kruddo and Thesis’ presence, do not take it out on the Halfling.
When the torso-like Ortos spots Wer though, he shouts to get her attention.
“Little Druid, will you help me as you offered?”
Wer remembers her half promise and agrees to honour it. She searches through the camp until she finds the oils and unguents she needs.
Taking her small knife, Wer slits the throat of the defenceless Human. She cradles his head in her lap as he chokes and spasms until with a gasp, he dies.
Selmars and Gelless look horrified, but do nothing. Ortos had asked for this and even if the Druid fails, surely death is better than living like that?
Spreading the fragrant oils over the mutilated corpse, Wer begins to chant.
After a while, darkness crawls over the body and it shrinks before their eyes until it’s just a small sphere floating above the ground.
Then it begins to slowly expand. The amorphous shape getting bigger and bigger.
Soon it’s as big as a Kobold, but it continues to grow. Gnome? Elf? Human? Bigger still and suddenly claws and patches of fur erupt from it!
Wer looks concerned. Is the Human to be reborn as a Bear?
Then the spell is over.
Standing naked before them is a creature over seven feet tall. Its cruel claws and tusk like teeth make them all shy back.
“What am I?” it growls.
Wer, disturbed, wishes the creature luck and transforms herself into an eagle. Without a backward glance, she flies up into the sky and is gone.

The Short Dwarf line

Thesis and Durin huddle under the Derro halls a little longer before another dirty and hairy figure bursts through the doorway at the bottom of the stairwell.
This time however, it’s a Derro crossbowman.
Jumping to their feet (other than Ortos and Gelless), the group prepare for trouble. Surprisingly though, the Derro waves a white flag.
“I come in peace!” he squeaks.
Durin and Thesis are not big on negotiation. In fact they aren’t really big on anything other than hitting, but Ortos’ deep voice calms them a little.
“He's alone and we are many. Let him come forward to speak.”
The Derro shuffles forward until he's within speaking range.
“I’ve been sent to reunite you with your friends.”
Thesis has a sudden vision of his friends dead and on their way to their respective heavens, but he quells it.
The Derro explains that everything was just a huge misunderstanding and that the rest of the Party are waiting for them with the Golem by the main exit.
Thesis, Durin, Selmars and the two Orcs get up, but Thesis is forced to carry Gelless and Ortos over his broad shoulders. Durin refuses to help, saying that one of them needs to be ready if the situation turns sour.
Grumbling, Thesis trudges heavily up the dizzyingly long stairwell.
They get to the top unharmed, and begin to feel more confident. They follow the Derro through doorway after doorway and along several dark corridors.
They finally climb another flight of stairs and come to a larger, more solid looking door, guarded by two more of the stunted, albino Derro.
On command, one of them takes out a large key and opens the door.
Ushering the party out, Durrin and Thesis find themselves in a wide corridor. Durin notices that although it starts off typically Derro, with poorly planned and executed design, it soon becomes; Dwarven perfect.
The door behind them slams shut but it is the door ahead of them that holds their interest.
Similarly reinforced as the one before, Durrin Knocks.
Soon they can hear the sound of running feet and then, after a short delay a hatch opens about five feet up from the floor.
“What do you want De…..”
A Dwarven warrior's face can be seen through the hatch.
“You’re not a Derro. What are you doing in there?”
Durin roughly explains and the Dwarf, with a stern look at the two Orcs, quickly lets them through.
It’s Durrins turn to be confused. “Where are our friends? Why are you dealing with the Derro? How are you stopping them getting out?”
The Dwarf takes you back up a corridor to a small, fortified Dwarven camp. It is simple but permanent. Surprisingly the Dwarves only number a total of four.
After some food and ale is brought out, the Grizzled Dwarven leader tries to explain.
“Your friends didn’t pass this way and you've completely misunderstood the nature of the Derro. With their Sorcery and evil powers, they could easily overcome us if they tried. What you must realise however is that they’re completely insane. They're under the misapprehension that everyone on the surface actually wants to get in!”
Everyone relaxes and enjoys the food. “Thanks to the Derro’s rampant xenophobia, they’ve stayed holed up in those caves for thousands of years. Our leaders think, that given the gradual fall in their birth rates, they’ll all be dead in a few of centuries. We're just going to wait them out. As for food and materials from the surface... We’re just supplying them with what they need so they don't have to leave the confines of their caverns. This way we can dissuade them from leaving without the need for bloodshed. After all, they are still our cousins.”
The Dwarves supply the group with everything they need including cleverly rigged up backpacks for Ortos and Gelless and a map.
The bizarre looking group lead by the now unencumbered Thesis, slowly descends from the mountain and moves back around towards the Orc valley camp.
Thesis and Durin lead while he faceless princess stays at the back. Gelless is carried by Selmars and Ortos is supported by the two Orcs.
It takes them just under a week, but by following the paths, they make it back with little difficulty.
The sight that greets them at the Orc valley however is disturbing.
Smoke rises from burned out buildings and Orc bodies lie everywhere. There’s been a massacre.
The two crippled Orcs draw their weapons.

The Prodigal Son

Mendez looks down on the islands drifting past below; Islands that he finally recognises.
With a subtle change in tack, he steers the Sky ship towards his family’s estate.
As they get closer, Mendez makes a quick assessment of his cargo.
A large flock of sheep with several Rams, a huge quantity of ivory, hundreds of diamonds of varying sizes and quality, hundreds of pearls, a bag of rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, a goblet carved from a single ruby, an exquisite piece of gold jewellery and a beautiful slave-girl.
Although the Sky ship is titanic, there is room enough to land it in the central courtyard.
Servants and family members run out to see the cause of all the noise and commotion and Mendez acrobatically swings down to the ground on a rope.
His smile vanishes however when he sees his Father’s stern look.
“Father, I have come home to apologise for leaving without your permission and to repay you for all of my gambling debts that you covered for me after my sudden departure.”
With a quick signal, the Hamsters start to unload Mendez’s cargo of Sheep and Ivory. And although impressive as it seems to everyone else, Mendez’s father is unmoved. Unmoved that is, until Mendez shows him the precious gems.
“My son, I can see you’ve done well for yourself. This treasure will indeed cover all your gambling debts and help salve relations with our neighbours. Go into the house and see your Mother.”
Mendez does as bidden and although kissing the girls and embracing his brothers, gets to her as quickly as he can.
“Mother, I have missed you most of all. I have a gifts from a far away Kingdom just for you.” With a heartfelt embrace, he presents her with the ruby goblet and the exquisite golden necklace.
Much later, after much feasting and rejoicing, Mendez finds himself still massively wealthy despite the repayments. He gives about half that remains to the Hamsters. His Father is more than happy to rent out some of his farm buildings and arable land to them.
Mendez feels content knowing that despite being an oddity, they will be safe and welcome here.
Exhausted after all the reunions with old friends and his enormous family Mendez finally heads back towards the house.
Walking lazily into his old room, he smiles as he sees the beautiful young woman curled up in the bed. Although he freed her as soon as she boarded the Sky ship, the slave girl had stayed a willing companion.
Despite a yearning to get back to adventure, maybe a few weeks at home would do him some good.