Session 1, 2007-07-14: An Introduction

Session 1: wherein six diverse adventurers set out on a road trip and share many odd foods

Players (Characters)
Scott (Filthy Ike)
Jeremy (Flynn Flamm)
Tony (Brother Jakob)
Rachel (Lotus)
Kate (Arabella)
Tom (Nathaniel Graythorne)
DM: Catherine

At the little crossroads just south of Waecleft, in the western part of Semferia, six distinctive figures approached, each holding a card pointing them to the outpost. Most distinctive was Brother Jakob, the tall half-ogre with carefully groomed tusks and fangs, standing tall, proud, and ready to react to anything. In contrast, the bow-wielding tiefling Filthy Ike looked and smelled like the sort who considers bathing a foreign concept. Flynn Flamm, a human man dressed in fine purple clothing and carrying a lute, displayed his friendly and outgoing nature as he socialized with anyone who came near. The winged half-celestial Arabella flew a few feet off the ground, looking around as she kept her bow close at hand. A tall and well-armored aasimar, with long golden hair, golden eyes, and a polished shield that read "Nate the Great" and displayed body counts for many types of monsters, boasted of his many victories. Lotus, an aasimar woman whose puffy hair held all sorts of twigs and berries, whispered silently to her pet cheetah, Tara.

As the six reached the gate to the outpost at the crossroads, a large dwarf wielding two throwing axes stepped out to greet them. "I am Rogar, representative of the Ten Kings' Men", he said. "During the great war, many kings fell to the frost giant menace, and no one kingdom could withstand it. But an alliance was born, with representatives from each kingdom banding together to do what they could not do alone. Though the war is long done and many of the kings have passed on, the Kingsmen still remain as a memory of past alliances, vigilantly protecting the land. Each of you have been called here because you've displayed some ability which is useful to us, especially skills relating to tracking, scouting, and gathering information. If you accept our terms, you'll be paid as a group for tasks you complete, as long as you report whatever you learn and you continue working for the greater good. Step inside if you accept our offer." With that, Rogar stepped inside the gate.

Each of the six followed. "Good, I was hoping you'd all come together. You should make a great team. The first step is to introduce yourselves." Flynn, a noble from the great kingdom of Westlay, had grown sick of the aristocratic lifestyle and was seeking to inspire people to do great things. "I'm just here for the bow", the tiefling said as he fired an arrow through a tiny ring on the wall. "Name's Ike. Where's the armory?" Rogar pointed to the racks of weapons all around the group, and the forge a few yards away. Arabella was known far and wide as good and loyal, and a capable archer. Brother Jakob had been left at a monestary at a young age, and learned tolerance and discipline from the monks who raised him. Lotus was not quite sure why she'd come to this place, only that she had nowhere else to go since her commune was burned down. Nate spoke about the many foes he'd defeated "by striking them at their weakest point: in their minds." With that, his armor, shield, and sword faded away and his muscles appeared to shrink, and he was revealed as an old man wearing plain red robes. "I've defeated every foe marked on my shield, but not with the sword. Misdirection, trickery, and charm are my specialties."

Rogar gave the party the task of clearing the road between the outpost and Waecleft, with orders to check in with Mary once they reached the far end. Ike asked if he could get his bow enchanted. Nathaniel reached out his hand and touched the bow, and a small flame started burning on the bow and on each arrow Ike fired. As the party set out, Jakob walked alongside Tara, petting the "pretty kitty". Flynn sang a funny song, which Lotus identified as "totally the music that's in my head!" Ike walked several yards in front of the others, with Nate and Flynn at the back and Arabella flying a few yards overhead.

Ike noticed some movement on a slope alongside the road -- a pair of goblins, waiting in ambush. He fired an arrow that glanced off of a tree and fell harmlessly away. One of the goblins cast Hold Person, but Ike resisted. The other shot him with an arrow, and he started cussing it out in the goblin tongue. Arabella flew a bit higher and fired, hitting one of the goblins squarely in the chest. Nathaniel cast grease under the pair, causing them to slide down the hill and into the open. Ike fired an arrow at the spellcaster, landing a solid hit, and Lotus conjured some flame in her hand. Jakob jumped up on top of a rock and swung his big fist down on the goblin cleric's head, killing it. Flynn began singing an inspirational song and Arabella shot the remaining goblin, leaving him barely conscious. Nate called out "don't kill him, just capture him", so Lotus had Tara latch on to the goblin's leg. Nate called out to the goblin "why did you shoot? We're your allies." The goblin said he was sorry for the mistake and told the party where to find the camp where they'd be expected to check in. Ike said "OK, let's go attack the goblin camp", and the goblin screamed as he realized he'd been tricked. Jakob cracked the goblin's head and the party started walking again.

Arabella asked if the party could stop to have lunch. Lotus said "I make this great snack, it's called Wheat Nuts." Ike responded "your Wheat Nuts are crap! They're like particle-board flavored cardboard." Not wanting to waste daylight, the party kept moving. Ike and Lotus noticed a wolf was tailing the party at a distance, so Ike fired a warning shot over the wolf's head. Nate created an illusion of a hut around the wolf, leaving a "door" where there was actually a tree, and the wolf didn't emerge for several minutes. A while later, two wolves began tailing the party. Nate used Ghost Sound to scare one off, and Ike fired a parting shot at it. Ike then fired a pair of shots at the other wolf, and Lotus hit it with a flare. Arabella fired another shot and Tara ran and clawed the wolf. Flynn began singing an inspirational song. The wolf tried to run, but Tara bit it and Jakob outran it, pummeling it. Jakob took a few minutes to skin it, and Ike picked out some meat to make jerky.

At nightfall, the party set up camp. Lotus and Tara kept watch while Nate played cards and the others slept. Soon, a pack of five wolves approached. Lotus placed Spike Growth in front of the pack, which wounded their legs and slowed their approach. Nate's Ghost Sound created the growl of an angry bear. Arabella woke up and fired an arrow. Flynn cast Rage on Jakob. Lotus placed a Flaming Sphere on the lead wolf, and Tara bit another. Jakob moved between a pair of wolves. Two of the wolves turned to flee the sound of the bear, and Tara's swipe killed one of them while Jakob nearly killed another. Two others bit Tara. Nate created an illusory wall to try to slow the wolves down further, and Arabella shot right into the heart of the nearest wolf. Flynn began singing and playing his horn, and Lotus called lightning, but only a weak burst hit one of the wolves. Jakob punched one of the wolves with a Psionic Fist, killing it, and stunned another. Ike rolled over, grabbed his bow, shot a wolf right in the eye to kill it, and went back to sleep. The final wolf made its way past the illusory wall, but Arabella brought it down with another well-placed arrow. She healed Tara's wounds, and then the party got back to the important business of resting. When it was time to wake Ike, Nate used Ghost Sound to create a loud ringing bell.