Arabelle Adventurers Quest Notes 2012-12-01
Characters involved: Nora Merry Book Mahina Tempest Ugly
Lock Stock Barrel
Contents
From Last Game
The party presses on but eventually has to rest. Mahina decides to push on ahead, tromping through the forest, eventually catching up with Book and his captors.
See Arabelle Adventurers Quest Notes 2012-10-27
Questing
Nora’s circlet begins to glow and she sees a scene.
Death of a Druid
Mahina comes across a giant constrictor snake and a dying bat. The snake is wrapped around the bat. The snake flicks its tongue at Mahina. It turns out to be their druid friend who is severely injured. He says, “run” before he dies so Mahina runs back to camp.
Nora tells everyone about what just happened to Mahina as she saw it in her circlet. The party then continues to settle down for the night.
Nora recognizes that the wounds she saw on the druid were a mix. Right side of him was burned, one of his arms looked like an axe or scythe took a slice from it, and he had been bleeding from the neck but that wound was stanched. Snake was trying to drag him along before he died.
Mahina runs back, recaps to the party what happened, and explains the vines are naturally what happens when druids die. After she explains this, she plops down and goes to sleep.
Merry gives additional information of his backstory that may help the party. Nora goes into a trace, then opens her eyes and looks at Merry. She tells everyone about the vision she just had: Servant unlocks the cellar doors for you and runs for his life. * There is an old hearth here. The flue above is large. * You quaff the elixir. * Your cousin hoists you up through chimney. You crawl through cobwebs and age-old soot. * You reach the junction with the fireplace above. You bare the vital amulet before you as you creep silently across the gathering hall. * A small figure sits at a desk, sleepily unware. * You kill him. Easy. * Your friends enter quietly, set fire to the library, and flank to the west hall. * Screams echo through the hallways. It's envigorating. The monastary belongs to us now. * Kitm comes jaunting down the stairs, almost skipping. He has in his hands the weapon wrapped in cloth. * He announces your victory, leads you out the door. * Almost as an afterthought, he summons flames to strike the buildings. You're away into the night.
Bats in the Bellfry
They are trying to figure out what to do, but decide to wait until the next morning when Mahina is awake. During the night, Tempest sees a giant bat land next to Mahina. Tempest wakes up Mahina and tells her about the bat.
Mahina calls for the bat and it comes to her. It snuggles her & they are happy. It’s a boy bat and his name is Duncan. Now that Duncan is communing with her, Mahina goes back to sleep.
Tempest passes watch to Ugly and tells him about the bat. Ugly’s watch passes. Ugly wakes Merry and just says not to kill the bat. Merry asks his dog to help him keep watch and the dog is incredulous as to the presence of the bat.
Mahina casts Reduce Animal on Duncan so he can sleep while they walk. She carries his reduced form on her back.
They come to the clearing where Mahina ran into the druid and she informs the party. We find a magical ring (abjuration, probably of protection) and 2 magical feathers (both conjuration).
Here They Come A'Rustling
They hear a rustling. They see a man come from the clearing, bow drawn, and he says, “Halt right there!” Merry tries to figure out why they are threatening the party.
The attacker replies, “Just stand still and wait for the others.” He is still pointing a bow at Tempest’s face. Merry and Tempest tersely discuss the situation.
These are the Nareshi that we’ve been chasing. The rest of their group soon appear and threaten violence against the party, but don’t move to attack. Tempest attacks the werewolf, who looses a cold arrow against her. Nora puts her weapon down (+25xp). Ugly shoots an arrow at the floating Kitm. Mahina tries to summon a swarm, but Rovok interrupts her spell with an arrow. Merry surrenders and begins to parlay.
After some talking, Merry declares he only has one thing to say and casts Sound Burst.
The battle begins!
To Catch a Kitm
Merry’s dogs are killed in the fray. Grease, flaming spheres, and mist bound around the battlefield.
Tempest yells to cease-fire or we will all be killed. Mahina holds and sends her flaming sphere into a pond.
Merry is being tied-up while paralyzed. He escapes the paralyzation.
Tempest tries to strike a deal with Kitm to let the party go on their way while Merry tries to bluff that he is no longer paralyzed.
Kitm tries to strike a deal with Merry and the rest of the party but Merry does not agree to it though Tempest thinks that the party should go along with it. They all meet by a hollowed tree.
Mahina walks over to the tree and starts yelling gibberish into the hollow. She says that ‘her people’ live in hollow trees and are magical. She then notes that she doesn’t smell any baking cookies so maybe there aren’t any elves in that particular hollow tree.
Tempest lays down the ultimatum to Merry. They have a heated discussion but Mahina continues to yell into the tree. She says the elves must just be asleep after a long night of baking and if she can just wake them up, they can save the party.
Merry resigns into agreeing with Tempest. Tempest talks to Kitm. Kitm regards Merry and Merry says that he will defer to his colleagues. He says the party has 2 weeks and if they can’t complete it in 2 weeks then to come back and talk to them.
They finalize the terms of the agreement though Mahina continues to yell into the tree. Nora picks up her morningstar. Once Kitm and his group are out of sight, Merry’s ties are undone and he buries his dogs. Tempest grabs Mahina as the party starts the trek.
GAME ADJOURNED
Post-Game RP
Tempest's Apology
At camp that night, once the party is settled around the fire for the evening meal, Tempest clears her throat and begins to speak.
"Hey guys, I’m sorry that I was so… passionate… back there when I thought we were all going to die. My father always told me that if I ever wanted to be a great leader someday-" (a look of horror at what she just said comes over her)
"I mean- that’s not what I meant! I’m not trying to be the leader here- I don’t- I’m not qualified for that by any means. I mean- y’know, someday, far, far in the future- of some other group or something-" (waves her hand at the distant future)
"*sigh*
Anyway… he told me that cooler heads always prevail and that I needed to find my ζεν (some Peteran word that you might interpret to mean “zen”). I swear by the blood of my father, I will do this. We’re a team, but I’ve not been acting like a true teammate. That will end today."
(she looks at each person in the group pleadingly)
"Forgive me?"