If there's a shining beacon of civilization anywhere in the world, it's Westlay, and the people of Westlay know it. To be sure, the massive Yuan-Ti empire of Serpenti rivals them in size and power, but they're hardly civilized what with sacrificing their people to dark demons and all.
Westlay is a hundred miles of peace and justice, surrounded by a sea of chaos and destruction. One step outside its mighty walls, the world is swimming in dragons and werewolves. Within, its mighty eagles patrol constantly, and even its deep forests are safe. In Westlay alone, in all of Semferia, are the roads safe and the laws just. Even the enchanted forests of the Ivani are not so well protected--though the Westlayans are barely aware of what goes on west the Stonetower Mountains, and wouldn't compare themselves to the Forgotten People anyway. The peace of Westlay has stood firm for twelve generations, even through the war of the Ten Kings. No one else can say that!
Her people are busy humans and half-elves, proud, fierce, and lovers of life. They love music, competition, and innovation. Mount Korzhin is home to a race of giant eagles, the Goldbacks. They count themselves proud citizens. The annual Westlayan athletic games include an entire division of airborne sports the Goldbacks alone can enter, and they take great pride in besting their earthbound contrymen.
On the throne, in the capital city of Old Westlay, sits King Korethian Kelavin III, who has reigned for thirty-two years. At his side, chief judge and advisor Kerastrix, Who Remembers--an ancient gold dragon who has been guardian and protector of justice since the founding of Westlay. The many towers and walls of the mighty keep oversee the busy city of Old Westlay, home to much of Westlays military might, her finest schools, and an assortment of world-famous street musicians and atheletes.
Twenty miles southwest of Old Westlay stands White Fields. White Fields is larger, busier, and wealthier than Old Westlay. What it lacks in cultural and political clout it makes up for in economics. The wheatfields and orchards of White Fields could feed all of Westlay three times over; her fine tradesmen and practical magicians produce sturdy items valued throughout Semferia. Perhaps the richest people in all of Semferia are the noble family of the Flamms, on the White Fields throne.
As the most powerful noble families in all of Westlay, there is (of course) a rivalry between the Flamms and the Kelavins. But it takes the form of swimming competitions and displays of wealth; loyalty in Westlay is absolute. The Kelavins generally best the Flamms in fencing and magic, while the Flamms are generally more successful at driving their Kelavin rivals out of business in, say, the magic carpet industry. Nonetheless, the crown remains securely with King Korethian.
The life of a Westleyan noble is strenuous to say the least. Beginning at three years of age, a young lord or lady trains for ten hours a day. By age twelve, he is expected to have mastered Draconic, Auran, and Sylvan, together with swordplay, etiquette, geometry, history, the local and national laws, and eagle-back riding. Years of economics, magic, agriculture, philosophy, music (harp and horn are both mandatory), literature, and diplomacy await. By the time a lad assumes the throne, long twelve hour days of physical and mental labor are routine. This is a good thing, as the young king continues the habit of study and hard work through public speaking, diplomacy, lawmaking, warmaking, and physically helping his citizens. No one works harder to serve the people better than the nobles of Westlay.
It is the habit of the kings of Westlay to marry late in life, and retire from the throne as soon as an eligible prince comes of age. It is hardly a foregone conclusion that the eldest son will inherit the throne, though it is generally seen as his for the taking. All of the princes, and many in the royal family, train hard for the task, and the most promising, devoted, and wise is chosen. Sometimes it is a newphew or grandson, but more commonly it is one of the princes, and usually the eldest. On the young man's twenty-fifth birthday, the king retires from the throne and assumes the role of chief advisor, with no more power than is delegated to him by his son. For the first year, the old king remains as busy in the affairs of the court as ever, but eventually his power wanes, until finally he retires from regular appearance in the court at all, and lives his final days as a well-beloved friend of the people.
Flynn's father Boyent is the third of the line of Flamms on the White Fields throne, and is by all accounts a good king. Boyent succeded his grandfather's reign of fifty-five years--a reign that was a little long for Westlayan comfort, but the people feel Boyant was a fine choice over the mediocre princes of the previous generation. After reigning thirty-two years, Boyent is now ripe for retirement himself.
But that life was not for Flynn.
Maintaining goodness and justice among power-hungry nobles, to say nothing of running a city and supporting a kingdom, is a strenuous and difficult life. Flynn's training hardly stood him in good stead to take it up. His generosity and kindness were never in doubt, nor his wisdom, nor even really his capability and talent. It seemed obvious he could become a fine swordsman, but somehow swordplay was always neglected for swimming, draconic for drama, the fine intricacies of classical music for energetic and loud progressions of throbbing chords. Flynn's palate leaned more toward the peasant's meat pies than the royalty's seared quail, and his high etiquette suffered while his rapport with the common folk grew. It seemed he would be lucky to even pass his final tests and qualify for the throne; he was hardly anyone's first choice.
This didn't bother Flynn a bit. His mother Ingo worried a little, but Boyent liked Flynn as he was. Indeed, Boyent was fond of camping with Flynn when he could get away from the throne--the best vacations which could pack weeks of rest into days were always Flynn's doing. If Boyent didn't understand Flynn's lowbrow tastes well, he could certainly enjoy them.
Boyent's younger son, Abel, was more ambitious. He threw himself into his studies with a zeal that commanded respect. No subject escaped his amitious attention, and he pleased all of his tutors. Witty, aristocratic, diplomatic, his exacting draconic pronunciations were matched only by his ready knowledge of the doings of the third cousins of the Jetsam family. He was charming to a fault. At any given time, it always seemed nine of any ten nobles owed him a favor. His knowledge of the law was perfect, if his fervor for reforming it was lacking. If he had any drawback, it was that his ambition was selfish; he lacked his older brother's sincerity and generosity. Most of the court loved him dearly and did not know this, but Boyent was not fooled.
Boyent worried about the fate of White Fields under either Flynn or Abel, but worried about Abel more. Flynn's heart was good, and he was competent to manage the throne--if only he would persevere in his studies! The danger for a decadent reign was ever-present. Yet the greater danger lay in Abel's selfish ambition. Under Abel, Boyent worried for the preservation of justice--yet Flynn was no safeguard, as he seemed unlikely to stand up to the more corrupt families.
As Flynn's twenty-fifth birthday approached in May, Boyent made him a unique offer. Boyent offered Flynn the throne, offering even to undertake the hardest of the administrative duties for the first few years, but Flynn would have to study hard to make up for lost time. At the end of ten years, if Flynn had not grown to love the work, Flynn should pass the throne on to another candidate (a few nephews in the family seemed promising, but were far too young.) Boyent knew Flynn wasn't really cut out for a king's life, but pleaded with his son at length for what he felt was the good of the city.
In the days ahead, Flynn sought the advice of friends about the offer. His usual friends, though--farmers and chefs--had little appreciation for the life of the court, or what was at stake. Setting foot uncomfortably in noblemans' parties, he began to seek the advice of his social peers. A bit naive in this setting, he apparently chose the wrong confidants.
In the days leading up to his birthday, strange rumors began to grow. Flynn heard he was seen in places he knew he hadn't been. He was reported to have associated with the most decadant of the nobles, seeking their advice on how to hold the throne without doing the work. His friend the chief chef swore he had seen him preparing meals and inspecting the ingredients used for royal feasts. Late one night, a shadowy figure appeared at his door with an unasked-for delivery--a bright red vial
containing what looked like water.
The next day, an attempt was made on the life of the king. His food was poisoned, and Flynn saw immediately that he would be the only suspect. Flynn fled before he could be arrested and executed. Barely able to breathe, Boyent set on Flynn a sentence of exile, and forbade him return to his homeland on pain of death.
Boyent barely recovered, and remains on the throne. Yet what news Flynn has heard from home holds him still an exile. The diplomatic position enjoyed by the Kingsmen overrides his exile, and he may visit home on official business--but he dare not stay a day late.
Truth be told, Flynn is hardly bitter about the turn of affairs, and has found life on the road to be to his liking. If he misses his father and the comforts of home and wealth, the wonders of the world seem to make up for it.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Nathaniel Graythorne's Backstory
A Short Biography of Nathaniel Graythorne
Family: Nathaniel was born in Hinnom valley, south of Jezrel, 32 years before the War of the Ten Kings. His mother, Jinle’a, had the blood of angels in her and could no doubt have chosen a mate from among the ranks of angels, but fell for a simple human farmer named Kenneth Graythorne. Jinle’a bore Kenneth three children: Andrea, Nathaniel, and Matthew. Andrea and Matthew lived fairly normal human lifespans, and their great grandchildren now live scattered about Westlay.
Nathaniel grew up and married his childhood sweetheart, a lovely young girl named Emily. She bore him four children: Dora, Jason, Michael, and Grace. Emily and Kenneth were both killed in the first raids during the War. Nathaniel stayed behind enemy lines while Jinle’a led his children to the south during William’s Gambit. It was over fifteen years before Nathaniel found his family again, and by that time, his children had families of their own and could not bring themselves to reconcile with the father they thought had died or abandoned them. His great grandchildren now live in an estate in Tindell, knowing Nathaniel only through Jinle’a’s stories.
Wartime Service: Nathaniel was an intelligence specialist during the War. He would often infiltrate giant encampments with his friend “Silent Mike”, both disguised as orc slaves. They would listen in on battle plans and transmit key details back to the city, and Nathaniel would often add insult to injury by winning large sums of gold from the giants through card games. With detailed knowledge of the enemy, the Jezrel militia was able to hold off the giants much longer than expected, but ultimately, it became clear that the city was going to fall.
William the Fox, one of Jezrel’s captains, devised a plan to evacuate the city. He and an elite squadron of archers, including Silent Mike, stationed themselves on a high rock and waited to ambush a group of giants patrolling outside the city. The plan was to draw the giants’ attention long enough to create a gap in the patrols so that Jezrel’s civilian population could flee on horseback, with most of the militia following on foot. The archers knew this would be a suicide mission, but their deaths would not be in vain. Many giants were slain, and Jezrel’s people and army made it safely to Tindell. Jezrel’s army later fought valiantly in the Battle of Thunder.
Nathaniel remained in orcish guise throughout William’s Gambit, placing illusory archers along the hills in order to slow and frustrate the giants’ progress. Unfortunately, he was injured in the fighting and was unable to flee. For the rest of the war, he remained active behind enemy lines, poisoning food and sabotaging equipment.
Postwar History: After the war, Nathaniel traveled the world seeking to make it a better place for his descendants. In the wild, he’d kill dangerous animals and even whole tribes of goblins through clever use of illusions. In society, his focus was on financially devastating those who exploited and mistreated others. He created the “Nate the Great” persona for two reasons: first, to lend credibility to the idea that he’d gained treasure from defeating goblins, and second, to fit in to high society so he could gain access to high-stakes gambling.
Nathaniel recently heard stories of a Sir Galron, a powerful and rich warrior who’d bullied, oppressed, and stolen from many widows in the area. Nate played up his persona as the naïve do-gooder son of a wealthy businessman, gaining invitation to Galron’s card game where he was expected to be an easy mark. Instead, he slowly accumulated wealth through careful and clever play, culminating in winning Galron’s armor and sword. In an outburst of anger, Galron stood and threatened to kill Nate with the very sword he’d lost in his final bet. Nate cast a spell to freeze his opponent, drained his strength, and took his things, selling them and distributing the proceeds to the local widows. A representative of the Kingsmen who had been at the card game believed Nathaniel would make a fine addition to Rogar’s team, and invited him to the outpost.
Philosophy: Nathaniel prefers to defeat enemies by striking them at their weakest point: their mind. He favors clever use of illusions and misdirection, preferring to convince an enemy to walk off a cliff or into a lion’s den rather than trying to attack directly. Convincing an enemy that he is a friend is often a precursor to that enemy suffering a freak accident.
Family: Nathaniel was born in Hinnom valley, south of Jezrel, 32 years before the War of the Ten Kings. His mother, Jinle’a, had the blood of angels in her and could no doubt have chosen a mate from among the ranks of angels, but fell for a simple human farmer named Kenneth Graythorne. Jinle’a bore Kenneth three children: Andrea, Nathaniel, and Matthew. Andrea and Matthew lived fairly normal human lifespans, and their great grandchildren now live scattered about Westlay.
Nathaniel grew up and married his childhood sweetheart, a lovely young girl named Emily. She bore him four children: Dora, Jason, Michael, and Grace. Emily and Kenneth were both killed in the first raids during the War. Nathaniel stayed behind enemy lines while Jinle’a led his children to the south during William’s Gambit. It was over fifteen years before Nathaniel found his family again, and by that time, his children had families of their own and could not bring themselves to reconcile with the father they thought had died or abandoned them. His great grandchildren now live in an estate in Tindell, knowing Nathaniel only through Jinle’a’s stories.
Wartime Service: Nathaniel was an intelligence specialist during the War. He would often infiltrate giant encampments with his friend “Silent Mike”, both disguised as orc slaves. They would listen in on battle plans and transmit key details back to the city, and Nathaniel would often add insult to injury by winning large sums of gold from the giants through card games. With detailed knowledge of the enemy, the Jezrel militia was able to hold off the giants much longer than expected, but ultimately, it became clear that the city was going to fall.
William the Fox, one of Jezrel’s captains, devised a plan to evacuate the city. He and an elite squadron of archers, including Silent Mike, stationed themselves on a high rock and waited to ambush a group of giants patrolling outside the city. The plan was to draw the giants’ attention long enough to create a gap in the patrols so that Jezrel’s civilian population could flee on horseback, with most of the militia following on foot. The archers knew this would be a suicide mission, but their deaths would not be in vain. Many giants were slain, and Jezrel’s people and army made it safely to Tindell. Jezrel’s army later fought valiantly in the Battle of Thunder.
Nathaniel remained in orcish guise throughout William’s Gambit, placing illusory archers along the hills in order to slow and frustrate the giants’ progress. Unfortunately, he was injured in the fighting and was unable to flee. For the rest of the war, he remained active behind enemy lines, poisoning food and sabotaging equipment.
Postwar History: After the war, Nathaniel traveled the world seeking to make it a better place for his descendants. In the wild, he’d kill dangerous animals and even whole tribes of goblins through clever use of illusions. In society, his focus was on financially devastating those who exploited and mistreated others. He created the “Nate the Great” persona for two reasons: first, to lend credibility to the idea that he’d gained treasure from defeating goblins, and second, to fit in to high society so he could gain access to high-stakes gambling.
Nathaniel recently heard stories of a Sir Galron, a powerful and rich warrior who’d bullied, oppressed, and stolen from many widows in the area. Nate played up his persona as the naïve do-gooder son of a wealthy businessman, gaining invitation to Galron’s card game where he was expected to be an easy mark. Instead, he slowly accumulated wealth through careful and clever play, culminating in winning Galron’s armor and sword. In an outburst of anger, Galron stood and threatened to kill Nate with the very sword he’d lost in his final bet. Nate cast a spell to freeze his opponent, drained his strength, and took his things, selling them and distributing the proceeds to the local widows. A representative of the Kingsmen who had been at the card game believed Nathaniel would make a fine addition to Rogar’s team, and invited him to the outpost.
Philosophy: Nathaniel prefers to defeat enemies by striking them at their weakest point: their mind. He favors clever use of illusions and misdirection, preferring to convince an enemy to walk off a cliff or into a lion’s den rather than trying to attack directly. Convincing an enemy that he is a friend is often a precursor to that enemy suffering a freak accident.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Session 21, 2008-04-04: Making the Mountain Passable
Session 21: wherein Jakob throws dogs and giants, and the undead become merely dead
Players (Characters)
Scott (Filthy Ike)
Jeremy (Flynn Flamm)
Tony (Brother Jakob)
Rachel (Lotus)
Tom (Nathaniel Graythorne)
DM: Catherine
The party set about upgrading equipment, and Ike found he was a bit short on funds. Lotus made an offer: "you can have 1500 gold pieces, but you can't kill squirrels for a week." Ike's response was "you can keep your damn money." Ike spent the next week killing squirrels. Lotus spent the time talking to and healing squirrels. Jakob spent some time playing with orphans. Nate researched Grayn family history to figure out his relation to Martin Grayn. Flynn threw a benefit concert for the people of Westlay, with Nate providing a lightshow and Ike preparing food.
Minellin informed the party that the Ghern had started travelling southward and burned much of the forest, but that there was no great need for NMR's help at the time. A few days later he let the party know a group of clerics was coming from the mountains to help deal with the Thirsting in Westlay. A day after that, the clerics sent word that they were under attack by big lumbering beasts -- Mivilorns. They sent coordinates, and Nate and the party teleported out, with Flynn casting haste on everyone just before teleporting. Ike started shooting, hitting a far-off squirrel with his first shot and one of the beasts with the next four. Jakob tried to throw another beast aside. Flynn started singing, providing everyone in the area with magical healing. Lotus cast lightning at the pack of beasts. Two of them tried to eat clerics, and two missed on their attempts to eat Ike and Jakob. The remaining clerics started running. Ike kept shooting, and Nate tried to phantasmally kill one of the beasts, but didn't succeed. Jakob's flurry of blows wounded one substantially (183 hp) and Flynn fired his bow. Lotus cast Languor, draining one beast's strength. Two kept eating the clerics they'd bitten, and the other two missed the slightly quicker than normal Ike and Jakob.
Ike finally took down the one he'd been working on, and took another shot at one nearby. Nate unlucked one who had been trying to eat clerics. Jakob tripped one and ruptured its spleen, killing it. Flynn fired a couple more arrows and Lotus flamestriked one of the enemies. It turned to try to eat Jakob, but failed. The other spit one of the clerics out of his mouth and sniffed to see if it was still alive, but his poor luck gave him a mouth full of gravel when trying to bite again. Ike's arrows and Jakob's fists combined to kill one of the remaining mivilorns, and Nate's Phantasmal Killer took down the unlucky one. Several clerics healed Ike and cast Lingering Soul on their fallen brothers, and the party teleported back to Westlay with the recently deceased and as many extra clerics as could be managed.
A couple days later, Minellin sent a message saying that two strange giants had closed off a key mountain pass, and had wraiths along with them. The party decided to disguise themselves as commoners and join a caravan heading over the pass. Lotus summoned a pair of wolves to lead the way. Nate gave everyone mage armor, and Veiled the wolves to look like big strong mercenaries. Lotus cast Death Ward on herself and Jakob, and Flynn hasted the party and sang a song from within the caravan's wagon. As the party reached the spot where the giants were known to dwell, the giants stepped out of a pair of caves. They were surrounded by ghosts, and one said "this is our mountain, claimed for Vash."
Jakob leaped up to the platform where one of the giants stood, and tossed him down onto the road (with some luck from Nate.) The giant stood and flung one of the "mercenary" wolves off of the cliff, and devoured the other with some sort of vortex. The other cast Unholy Blight, sickening Nate. Ike peppered the giant with arrows (191 hp), and his last painful poke made the giant move slower in his last, dying moments. Nate cast Sensory Deprivation on the other giant, meaning the giant could only feel crude sensations, and had no sense of sight, sound, or smell. Flynn nailed it with an arrow, and Lotus' Sudden Stalagmite immobilized it while providing a fairly crude sensation. The caravan's normal mercenaries fired ineffectively at the giant. Jakob's quicksilver boots let him leap over to the other platform, and his flurry seriously wounded the giant. The souls around the giant started screaming, and the valley echoed, scaring the caravan's driver, horses, and guards. Ike finished off the giant, and the ghosts dissipated, but the valley kept whining.
Nate created an illusion of several mercenaries standing on the edge of the road looking into the valley, and then disconnected the horses from the wagon so they wouldn't take it with them when they fled. Flynn tried to use a countersong to help those who'd been scared, but it had no effect. A shrieking undead creature materialized and tried to scare Nate's illusion. A pair of wraiths materialized next to Lotus and attacked, but her Death Ward kept her safe. Ike shot at the shrieking creature, hitting it with several force arrows. Nate unlucked one of the wraiths, and Lotus' sunbeam killed both plus the shrieker. Flynn's countersong counteracted the dying shriek (negative levels). Nate chased down the horses and caravan members, who had finally recovered from their fear, and the party checked out the cave behind the giants' platforms.
The party climbed into a swerving tunnel. Flynn cast a minor light spell on himself since he couldn't see in the dark. A group of wraiths came out from the walls. Flynn played the "OMG Wraiths are PWN3D" song. One wraith struck Lotus ineffectively, one missed Ike, one missed Flynn, and the final one hit Ike but he avoided the drain effect. Jakob's flurry took down two wraiths and Ike's bow took down two more.
The party stepped into a large cave with a pit in the middle. A big black worm-like creature called a Nightcrawler was in the middle of the cave. Jakob charged with a Divine Surge, but missed. Lotus' flamestrike was ineffective against the magically resistant beast. Ike's holy arrows were somewhat effective. Flynn cast Haste and started to retreat. The nightcrawler bit Jakob and held him tight. Nate's unluck failed on the creature, and Jakob barely managed to hit it. Lotus' force dinosaurs were also ineffective. Ike's force arrows made the nightcrawler start to bleed. Flynn stepped forward and cast Freedom of Movement on Jakob, but took a nasty hit for his trouble. The nightcrawler tried to swallow Jakob, but he slipped away. It spit out a cone of cold, catching Flynn completely unaware and leaving him badly hurt. Nate's unluck was again ineffective. Jakob's flurry and Ike's arrows, with some guidance from Lotus, were just enough to bring the nightcrawler down. Flynn kept his song going for the next few minutes as his body magically recovered from the fight.
The party reached level 14.
Players (Characters)
Scott (Filthy Ike)
Jeremy (Flynn Flamm)
Tony (Brother Jakob)
Rachel (Lotus)
Tom (Nathaniel Graythorne)
DM: Catherine
The party set about upgrading equipment, and Ike found he was a bit short on funds. Lotus made an offer: "you can have 1500 gold pieces, but you can't kill squirrels for a week." Ike's response was "you can keep your damn money." Ike spent the next week killing squirrels. Lotus spent the time talking to and healing squirrels. Jakob spent some time playing with orphans. Nate researched Grayn family history to figure out his relation to Martin Grayn. Flynn threw a benefit concert for the people of Westlay, with Nate providing a lightshow and Ike preparing food.
Minellin informed the party that the Ghern had started travelling southward and burned much of the forest, but that there was no great need for NMR's help at the time. A few days later he let the party know a group of clerics was coming from the mountains to help deal with the Thirsting in Westlay. A day after that, the clerics sent word that they were under attack by big lumbering beasts -- Mivilorns. They sent coordinates, and Nate and the party teleported out, with Flynn casting haste on everyone just before teleporting. Ike started shooting, hitting a far-off squirrel with his first shot and one of the beasts with the next four. Jakob tried to throw another beast aside. Flynn started singing, providing everyone in the area with magical healing. Lotus cast lightning at the pack of beasts. Two of them tried to eat clerics, and two missed on their attempts to eat Ike and Jakob. The remaining clerics started running. Ike kept shooting, and Nate tried to phantasmally kill one of the beasts, but didn't succeed. Jakob's flurry of blows wounded one substantially (183 hp) and Flynn fired his bow. Lotus cast Languor, draining one beast's strength. Two kept eating the clerics they'd bitten, and the other two missed the slightly quicker than normal Ike and Jakob.
Ike finally took down the one he'd been working on, and took another shot at one nearby. Nate unlucked one who had been trying to eat clerics. Jakob tripped one and ruptured its spleen, killing it. Flynn fired a couple more arrows and Lotus flamestriked one of the enemies. It turned to try to eat Jakob, but failed. The other spit one of the clerics out of his mouth and sniffed to see if it was still alive, but his poor luck gave him a mouth full of gravel when trying to bite again. Ike's arrows and Jakob's fists combined to kill one of the remaining mivilorns, and Nate's Phantasmal Killer took down the unlucky one. Several clerics healed Ike and cast Lingering Soul on their fallen brothers, and the party teleported back to Westlay with the recently deceased and as many extra clerics as could be managed.
A couple days later, Minellin sent a message saying that two strange giants had closed off a key mountain pass, and had wraiths along with them. The party decided to disguise themselves as commoners and join a caravan heading over the pass. Lotus summoned a pair of wolves to lead the way. Nate gave everyone mage armor, and Veiled the wolves to look like big strong mercenaries. Lotus cast Death Ward on herself and Jakob, and Flynn hasted the party and sang a song from within the caravan's wagon. As the party reached the spot where the giants were known to dwell, the giants stepped out of a pair of caves. They were surrounded by ghosts, and one said "this is our mountain, claimed for Vash."
Jakob leaped up to the platform where one of the giants stood, and tossed him down onto the road (with some luck from Nate.) The giant stood and flung one of the "mercenary" wolves off of the cliff, and devoured the other with some sort of vortex. The other cast Unholy Blight, sickening Nate. Ike peppered the giant with arrows (191 hp), and his last painful poke made the giant move slower in his last, dying moments. Nate cast Sensory Deprivation on the other giant, meaning the giant could only feel crude sensations, and had no sense of sight, sound, or smell. Flynn nailed it with an arrow, and Lotus' Sudden Stalagmite immobilized it while providing a fairly crude sensation. The caravan's normal mercenaries fired ineffectively at the giant. Jakob's quicksilver boots let him leap over to the other platform, and his flurry seriously wounded the giant. The souls around the giant started screaming, and the valley echoed, scaring the caravan's driver, horses, and guards. Ike finished off the giant, and the ghosts dissipated, but the valley kept whining.
Nate created an illusion of several mercenaries standing on the edge of the road looking into the valley, and then disconnected the horses from the wagon so they wouldn't take it with them when they fled. Flynn tried to use a countersong to help those who'd been scared, but it had no effect. A shrieking undead creature materialized and tried to scare Nate's illusion. A pair of wraiths materialized next to Lotus and attacked, but her Death Ward kept her safe. Ike shot at the shrieking creature, hitting it with several force arrows. Nate unlucked one of the wraiths, and Lotus' sunbeam killed both plus the shrieker. Flynn's countersong counteracted the dying shriek (negative levels). Nate chased down the horses and caravan members, who had finally recovered from their fear, and the party checked out the cave behind the giants' platforms.
The party climbed into a swerving tunnel. Flynn cast a minor light spell on himself since he couldn't see in the dark. A group of wraiths came out from the walls. Flynn played the "OMG Wraiths are PWN3D" song. One wraith struck Lotus ineffectively, one missed Ike, one missed Flynn, and the final one hit Ike but he avoided the drain effect. Jakob's flurry took down two wraiths and Ike's bow took down two more.
The party stepped into a large cave with a pit in the middle. A big black worm-like creature called a Nightcrawler was in the middle of the cave. Jakob charged with a Divine Surge, but missed. Lotus' flamestrike was ineffective against the magically resistant beast. Ike's holy arrows were somewhat effective. Flynn cast Haste and started to retreat. The nightcrawler bit Jakob and held him tight. Nate's unluck failed on the creature, and Jakob barely managed to hit it. Lotus' force dinosaurs were also ineffective. Ike's force arrows made the nightcrawler start to bleed. Flynn stepped forward and cast Freedom of Movement on Jakob, but took a nasty hit for his trouble. The nightcrawler tried to swallow Jakob, but he slipped away. It spit out a cone of cold, catching Flynn completely unaware and leaving him badly hurt. Nate's unluck was again ineffective. Jakob's flurry and Ike's arrows, with some guidance from Lotus, were just enough to bring the nightcrawler down. Flynn kept his song going for the next few minutes as his body magically recovered from the fight.
The party reached level 14.
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