Westwall

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Westwall

PostPosted: Fri Nov 09, 2007 4:04 pm

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Messiah
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Here is a follow up from last night.

You sleep late into the next morning. The rooms at the Green Meadow are very nice: down mattresses, layers of light cotton blankets, warm rooms and fesh fruits for your liking. A local militia member is waiting in the hall when you rise, and he informs you that Sheriff Balder would like to speak with you at your soonest convenience. Warm water and perfumed soap is brought for you to wash. It seems funny to put your dirty clothes on over a clean body, but that is what you do before heading downstairs to gather. You realize the sheriff put you in some of the nicest rooms in town. It was a pleasure.

The militiaman leads you across town to the sheriff's office near the old West Wall. You wait outside for few minutes, inadvertently eavesdropping on a heated conversation between the Sheriff and someone else. The door opens, a hand on the inside knob holding it ajar. You make out the last snippet of a conversation."

".... cannot continue to ignore this situation! Something must be done!" Sheriff Balder shouts in a demanding, angry tone.

"What must and will be done, Sheriff, it exactly what is being done. I will continue to follow my mandate which is, precisely, to protect and preserve the free flow of trade between Trier and the Sayani Underlanders. A missing farmer and some greedy orcs is not a matter for my concern. That, sir, is PRECISELY the concern of YOUR militia. I am doing my job, perhaps you should strive to better do yours."

The door swings open and the County Administrator, Captain Longstadt is momentarily startled to see you. He quickly regains composure and strides right through the middle of your party. Captain Longstadt is widely known to be a humorless man, bent on duty, except for every other Friday, when he takes the evening off to get wildly drunk and sing bawdy songs at the Rusty Axe. He is certainly humorless, and scowling, as he moves off toward the new County Administration building, still under construction. It's his Friday, maybe his disposition will improve as the day wears on.

The Sheriff calls to you to enter. His face is flush and he is pacing. Normally controlled and even tempered, calm under pressure, the continuing difference in priorities between the farmers of Westwall and the traders from Trier has reached a new peak. Balder seems to be on the verge of snapping.

A map of the county is unrolled on the table in front of the sheriff. First Deputy Riley is carefully studying the map. The crude map you found in the orc's case has been placed on the county map, right next to the area it is thought to represent. The sheriff runs his hands through his hair, pulling it a bit, then he takes a deep breath and slaps himself soundly. "Okay, from the top, I need to hear exactly what happened, again."

You oblige him, and for the next hour you relate, again, the entire series of events from the moment you left your farmhouse. He nods frequently, interjects occasionally, and asks for frequent confirmation. "You're sure?" comes his mantra.

"Orcs have raided our farms for 300 years. They are cowardly. Typically, they steal some livestock, ransack a farmhouse, or burn a barn. They never stand up for a pitched fight, they run as soon as threatend, and they rarely kill anyone. In my 49 years, I can only recall two instances when orcs have killed townsfolk. The first time, the entire militia mustered and tracked them to a cave in the foothills. There were probably 15 of them. We burned out the cave and didn't hear from the orcs for 5 years. The last time someone died at the hands of orcs was probably an accident. Todd Flander had one trapped in his barn. The others had run off. In a scuffle to subdue the orc, Todd was knocked unconscious and a lamp overturned. The barn went up quickly, the orc escaping into the woods. Todd didn't make it."

Sheriff Balder continues, "But I have never heard of orcs taking prioners nor have I heard of them ... eating humans. Sure, we've all heard stories of the savagery of the Sundering War, of battle crazed orcspawn feasting on bodies in the middle of battle, but that was a thousand years ago. It is not now." He pauses, looking at the map.

"Something is going on. It is not just that the orcs raid more often these days. They are bold, and thirsty for blood, it seems. Maybe this is an isolated incident, but I have a bad feeling it is not. The harvest is approaching. I am hard pressed to muster the militia for more than a day or two at a time just now, and I certainly can't ask any of them to look into this more closely right now. I need to know where these orcs are coming from and how great are their numbers. Farging Longstadt will do nothing unless they harass the trade routes."

He looks at each of you. It is a powerful gaze, and you feel affirmed and emboldened by his look. It is no wonder he is continually elected sheriff. The man knows how to make you feel important.

"Westwall needs your service. I need your service. You are more than capable. You will have our gratitude, if not much more. I can see to it that you are properly equipped, horsed, and I can offer you a meager stipend, but I am relying upon your honor and integrity in this matter. Certainly, companions of Tenzin require no guarantee past that of his friendship, and you have proven yourselves well beyond that. Do I have your support, gentlemen?"

Tad, in particular, straightens up and raises his chin. The sheriff seems to have struck a chord in him. Perhaps is that no one has every called Tad a gentleman before, perhaps something more. Tad grabs the sheriff's hand, shaking firmly, and roughly pulls him down to a knee. Able to look the the sheriff straight in the eye, Tad claps him on the shoulder and exclaims, "I will not rest until I have rid these lands of that unholy menace and spilled the last drop of orc blood into the dust!"

The sheriff looks at Tad seriously, and smiles slightly. "You are certainly the best of the halfmen, Tad, and equal to twice the best man I know." Balder may be stretching the truth a bit, but Tad doesn't notice. You'd think the sheriff had just proclaimed him king.

Tad has decided for you. You spend the next hour studying the map of the area. The sheriff marks the location of the burned out orc cave, raids in the last several years, and general features of the terrain. It seems clear that the orcs are crossing on boats. The only fordable point in the Saystan River is 10 miles north, and orcs never venture that way - the feral halfmen don't abide it. He suggests, when you are ready, that you take the bridge across the River and head south. Maybe you can pick up the trail of the latest raiding party, or find what pathways they might be taking to the river. The sheriff leaves it to your discretion.

You leave his office after midday and head off to the County Commerce Hall. With some haggling, you are able to divest yourself of the unwanted loot you collected from the raiders. A Sayani gold worker confirms that the belt and the gold are dwarven. The markings indicate that the gold was minted in the last few years. The belt is court attire, he tells you. That type of belt would probably only be worn to official functions or to make a impression. You wonder at its fine condition, given that it was in the hands of orcs.

You next make your way to the shop of Anson, Master of the Lost Arts. He barely seems to master the known arts at most times, but it is all about advertising when you are in business. After paying his substantial fee, he enlightens you as to the nature of the dagger you acquired. He is less helpful regarding the boots, but tells you enough that Tad feels comfortable in trying them.

They seem to work. Tad hops around like a jack rabbit on khat for a few minutes before settling down. He sits down to remove the boots, asking if anyone else would like to have a try. He is unable to remove the boots, but it doesn't sem so bad. They are extremely comfortable, breathe well and make him go really fast. Why would one want to take them off. For the life of him, he can't get them to go fast again the rest of the day, but Tad is not discouraged. "They'll work tomorrow. I just know it."

Next time: Tracking Orcs - or - Making Friends with Mean Things that want to Kill You

PostPosted: Fri Nov 09, 2007 4:35 pm

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Lazlo Hollyfeld
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Good stuff Mess. Could Flea or Talon post here the loot we collected? Maybe we can do loot splitting and then "in town" actions (i.e. buying stuff) by posting here and/or emails with Messiah before our next session...
"you see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. you're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. where can you go from there? where?"
-nigel tufnel

PostPosted: Fri Nov 09, 2007 6:09 pm

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Zephir
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After quickly checking the chat logs

We returned all the Slack family possessions.

We disposed of most of the stuff looted from the Orcs, for 300 gp and promptly spent 250 gp to have the magic items identified.

We kept the 20 Sayani gold coins, the gold ingot (valued at 500 gp), the dwarven belt, short sword, dagger +1, the magic boots and the narcotic potion.

Tad has the shortsword, and of course the boots he just had to try on :shake:

Boomy has the narcotic potion, in order to stop Tenzin from drinking any more of it.

The remaining items need to be distributed among us. Of course I'd be more than happy to keep the gold ;)

Thanks to the Sherrifs offer to see us properly outfitted, I guess we won't need to spend anything on horses or supplies for our upcoming travels.


Zeph.
"You're scared of mice and spiders, but oh-so-much greater is your fear that one day the two species will cross-breed to form an all-powerful race of mice-spiders who will immobilize human beings in giant webs in order to steal cheese." - Spaced (1999)

PostPosted: Mon Nov 19, 2007 9:32 pm

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Messiah
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Tomorrow night, geeks. 8:45 PM, meet in irc, Talon will host a server.

Can everyone make it?

PostPosted: Mon Nov 19, 2007 10:30 pm

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Zephir
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I'll be there :)
"You're scared of mice and spiders, but oh-so-much greater is your fear that one day the two species will cross-breed to form an all-powerful race of mice-spiders who will immobilize human beings in giant webs in order to steal cheese." - Spaced (1999)

PostPosted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:17 am

Talon
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Sorry Mess, I will be unable to make it. I thought I would only be late, but in fact we are going out of town tomorrow for the Thanksgiving weekend, so I will not be able to host a server. The way to get your server to work on your computer is to open up the OpenRPG port on your router. To get to your router you should be able to type 192.168.1.1 and it will take you to the administrative functions of your router. There should be a way to allow connections to the OpenRPG port (I think 6774).

Here is an FAQ that should help if you can't get it to work. http://openrpg.wrathof.com/faq/OpenRPG- ... d9abc02bb1

Feel free to play my character. Sorry I can't make it. I may be late for next Tuesday, but those should be the only two I will miss all year.

PostPosted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 4:05 pm

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Messiah
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Okay, I don't want to play two sessions without Talon. So, would the rest of you prefer to play tonight or next Tuesday?

PostPosted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 5:03 pm

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Lazlo Hollyfeld
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i'll play his character for him.
"you see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. you're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. where can you go from there? where?"
-nigel tufnel

PostPosted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 6:24 pm

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Messiah
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Yeah, that is fine Laz, but I don't want to play two sessions with his character in someone else's hands.

So, we skip today or next Tuesday. Which do you prefer?

PostPosted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 6:37 pm

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Lazlo Hollyfeld
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if we have to skip either tonight or next tuesday, i'd rather skip next tuesday. flea and i are both available to play tonight.
"you see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. you're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. where can you go from there? where?"
-nigel tufnel

PostPosted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 7:01 pm

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Zephir
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Well I'm available on both nights so I don't mind which night we play.

Mess. I can host the server for you, if need be. I'm more than a little familiar with opening ports and stuff on firewalls, and can easily do it on mine.

Just let me know.

Zeph.
"You're scared of mice and spiders, but oh-so-much greater is your fear that one day the two species will cross-breed to form an all-powerful race of mice-spiders who will immobilize human beings in giant webs in order to steal cheese." - Spaced (1999)

PostPosted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:36 pm

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Just to note... I should only be like 30 minutes late next Tuesday, so you don't have to worry about skipping any sessions. I should definitely be on by 10:00 next Tuesday.

PostPosted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:56 pm

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Zephir
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After a peaceful day involving a short ride in the woods, a peaceful nights camping, and a bit of orc torturing after breakfast, we have acquired a few extra items and more evidence of mysterious goings on around Westwall.

Currently we have the following items

20 Sayani gold coins
A Gold Ingot
A dwarven belt with silver inlay
Short Sword (Masterwork) being used by Tad
Magic Dagger +1
Magic Boots that Tad is currently unable to take off
Narcotic Potion in Boomy's posession

We acquired the following during our latest outing and have not tried to asses/identify any of it.

Short Sword
Small Shield
Animal pelt with crude markings on it (Orcish runes)
2 Silver ingots
An uncut gemstone
Gold ring set with 3 medium diamonds
12 Gold coins that were minted in Brest and are very old, the marking in a very ancient form of elvish mark the coin as being over 1550 years old

I'm assuming we are keeping this stuff stored somewhere safe in town unless somebody has specifically said they are carrying it.

Zeph.
"You're scared of mice and spiders, but oh-so-much greater is your fear that one day the two species will cross-breed to form an all-powerful race of mice-spiders who will immobilize human beings in giant webs in order to steal cheese." - Spaced (1999)

PostPosted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 12:26 am

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Lazlo Hollyfeld
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christmas time is near even in westwall, and i find myself a bit "light in the pocket" so to speak. while personally i feel quite rich (three and a half carrots and half a pouch of slimy but still delicious owlbear stew chunks is nothing to turn your nose up at). but i'm not thinking about myself...rather, i was thinking about the poor motherless slack children, the wayward weeblers, and other townsfolk that have suffered at the hands of the recent violence. it would be a pity for them to spend the holidays without a "bit of cheer".

so is anyone else up for liquidating and divvying some of our loot so we can go christmas shopping?
"you see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. you're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. where can you go from there? where?"
-nigel tufnel

PostPosted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 3:03 am

Talon
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I am not sure if anyone in town would buy our stuff! I don't think we are very popular right now... Maybe after we slay the evil orcs, people will like us more!

PostPosted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:39 pm

Talon
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I see no recap from our DM.... where is that thread about bad DM's again.....

Time to rock the orcs tonight!

PostPosted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:26 pm

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Zephir
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Why do I have a bad feeling about this ?

I can see it now........

[Scene shifts to a forest a days ride from westwall.]
[Our 4 intrepid adventurers can be seen standing on a ridge near a watchtower where we can see a recently killed orc]

Tenzin: I'm going to go down there.

Rest of party: Are you crazy ? Those orcs will rip you apart.

Tenzin: No no, they're peaceful, just misunderstood.

[The party stares in disbelief as they watch Tenzin approach the orc camp]

[Tenzin approaches the orc camp humming to himself]

[Several orcs stop and stare as Tenzin starts to speak]

Tenzin: Greetings to you my good orcs. I come in peace.

[Tenzin raises his hands to show he has no weapons]

Tenzin: I'm unarmed, I just want to talk.

[The orcs all start grinning as they draw weapons and approach Tenzin]

Tenzin: Take me to your chief, so we can talk.

[The orcs let out bloodcurdling screams and charge towards Tenzin, intent on ripping out his organs and feasting on them]

[The rest of the party charges down the slope to intercept the orcs, and save Tenzin]

Tenzin: (yelling above the sound of fighting) No no don't hurt the orcs, they're just misunderstood. They won't hurt us.

[A short vicious fight ensues where the remaining three party members recieve numerous wounds but finally manage to kill or incapicitate the orcs]

Tenzin: (crying) you didn't have to kill them. They were peaceful.

[Tenzin looks at his wounded blood covered companions]

Tenzin: Why did you do it, there was no need for this.

[Tenzin kneels beside a wounded orc and casts cure light wounds on it as his exhausted companions collapse from a mixture of wounds, loss of blood, and exhaustion]

Anaerion, Boomy and Tad can be heard grumbling to themselves:

Sanctimonius damn cleric, next time I say we ignore the orcs and kill Tenzin.
"You're scared of mice and spiders, but oh-so-much greater is your fear that one day the two species will cross-breed to form an all-powerful race of mice-spiders who will immobilize human beings in giant webs in order to steal cheese." - Spaced (1999)

PostPosted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 5:40 pm

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Messiah
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Very nice, Zeph!
Rest of party: Are you crazy ? Those orcs will rip you apart.

Tenzin: No no, they're peaceful, just misunderstood.
Tenzin has faith in orckind. That does not necessarily mean he lacks intelligence, the capacity to reason, or the ability to proceess empirical evidence. It simply means his faith comes first. Of course, historically, people with his type of faith frequently met horrible ends when they carried their beliefs too far from the safety of home.

Tenzin the Martyr? Has a certain romantic sound to it.

Tonight, 8:45. Talon, if you can manage a server, make it so.

PostPosted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:25 pm

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Lazlo Hollyfeld
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pretty good zeph.
roleplaying a peaceful char like tenzin in the d&d universe is going to be a challenge (though i hope fun). it's new to me and i'm still figuring it out. at this point i'll just say that peaceful though he may be, i intend for tenzin to be the ultimate team player and he's not going to do anything like you described...in fact he's more likely to do the opposite...sacrifice himself to save his friends...also, though he has healed some fallen orcs in the hopes that the kind act might give them a glimpse at an alternative to evil, he has always healed his friends first...
"you see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. you're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. where can you go from there? where?"
-nigel tufnel

PostPosted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 9:07 pm

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Zephir
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*** Disclaimer ***

No orcs were harmed in the writing of that sketch, but one cow, 3 pigs, and several dozen cute bunnies did meet their maker in order to feed the unharmed orcs.

I was bored and needed to poke fun at something/some one.

Any resemblance to persons living, dead, undead, or being roleplayed, is purely coincidental.

Zeph
"You're scared of mice and spiders, but oh-so-much greater is your fear that one day the two species will cross-breed to form an all-powerful race of mice-spiders who will immobilize human beings in giant webs in order to steal cheese." - Spaced (1999)

PostPosted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:16 pm

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Lazlo Hollyfeld
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***Disclaimer***
in my previous post i was speaking as the real tenzin, the fellow you're roleplaying with. within the d&d universe the real tenzin is actually involved with a d&d game and he's roleplaying an imaginary guy named tenzin that's actually smart, nice, and heroic (the real tenzin's dream). the real tenzin is easily less smart that a sack of hammers and likely will end up in the maw of a 4 story platinum dragon (along with one cow, three pigs, and several dozen cute bunnies that he was trying to heal when the dragon snuck up on them)
"you see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. you're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. where can you go from there? where?"
-nigel tufnel

PostPosted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 10:44 pm

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Lazlo Hollyfeld
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p.s. my previous post about the previous post was all a lie. but now that i've admitted to lying, how do you know that anything i say is true?
"you see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. you're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. where can you go from there? where?"
-nigel tufnel

PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 1:41 am

Talon
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So are we playing tomorrow? Seems like it has been foreverrrrr since we played! I am ready to shakedown some orcs.

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