Drake - Part 2

I was so surprised I thought that my heart would jump right from my throat. He put his hand on my shoulder firmly. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to escape, so I did what any moderately intelligent youth would do in a situation that he knew he could not get out of…I fainted.

The next thing I knew I was laying next to a fire in the middle of the woods. I had never really been out of the city, so I was both scared, and helpless. Greyson finally spoke in a low gruff voice, “You owe me boy. You are going to help me in what ever way I command, and in return, I will teach you to survive on your own - without stealing.” I rolled over and looked to the sky; before that moment the stars never seemed as bright as they did that night. I thought to myself, what did I have to lose?

The next day the work began; Greyson was impressed with my already honed skills for prowling and sneaking. Initially, he wanted me to do nothing besides look for hazards and scout ahead looking for deer and the like. However, each day he showed me that there was always more for me to learn. He taught me how to look for the most brittle of twigs that could make a noise, and how to move with the breeze to disguise my noise.

Greyson also taught me how to fire a bow. I must admit, I was a natural. However, he would not ever let me stop practicing. I was required to fire two hundred shots before breakfast. My arms and back would be on fire, but I am now glad that he put me through that agony. Greyson never talked much, which suited me just fine. I tend to prefer silence over mindless chatter, but since he never talked much I did learn to pick up on non-verbal cues much better. A couple of years passed, in which I was purely a scout for Greyson. I would look for game to hunt and sneak up close enough to find the weakest or the oldest, and then I was forced to allow either Dorian or Greyson to get dinner. We would visit small town and large during our travels, but only at night, and only to re-supply or to sell animal skins. Greyson was always sure to be out of town by day break when he would do is morning meditation.
This was the time in my life where I began to seek purpose. Greyson taught me in the ways that Obad-Hai wishes his disciples to behave. Obad-Hai teaches that one should live in harmony with nature, and that those who would damage the natural balance deserve swift vengeance. This was a concept that I could get behind. There are other deities that are also protectors of nature such as Ehlonna’s, but Obad-Hai's faith is colder and less compassionate than Ehlonna's. We believe that death should be in balance with life. As such, when followers of the Shalm hunt, we target the weak and sickly first.

A year past, and I had truly become a follower of Obad-Hai. My place was not in a chapel preaching to men, but in the wilderness and the shadows…looking for evil to quell. One day Greyson came to me and told me that I would be allowed to go on my first solo hunt. Dorian seemed like he did not approve. I was filled with excitement. I set out immediately. I wish I had stayed to listen what he wanted to tell me, but the mission…for me it’s always the mission.

I prowled through the forest for hours trying to find the perfect trophy kill to impress my mentor, but a strange feeling came over me. Something was not right within the forest, I felt as though the area was tainted some way. At that moment, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed an animal, alone with a crippled leg. It was a beautiful buck, a 14 point, I would be a hero. It was fleeing, but would not last more than a day or two in those woods. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, the leaves were shuddering in the wind, the cool breeze was blowing, and the sounds of the forest went silent. I tried to clear my mind, preparing to put the animal out of its misery, but a small image entered my mind. It was an unusual track that I had noticed and let slip by. I couldn’t flush the image, and I decided to go back to find it. Something within me was compelled to leave the perfect kill and investigate the tracks.

After a few moments I located the tracks, and I cautiously followed the tracks, making sure that I did not leave tracks of my own, I remained stealth, and I did not want to be surprised. I came to a small clearing and saw two strange creatures surrounding an old doe. They were unlike anything I had ever seen. The bodies were a tangle of twigs, branches, and small bits of wood. Two arms jut out from their stunted, wooden bodies, each one ended in a three-fingered claw. Each had a pair of red glowing eyes that radiated from within their lifeless sockets. Initially, I wanted to just watch as these creatures cornered this weak and feeble prey, however, it just felt wrong, unnatural.

I fired an arrow and split one in twain. I moved forward and fired another arrow. The second shrugged off the attack. The old doe remained still, paralyzed with fright. Within moments, a half dozen of these creatures sprang forth from the woods and began to surround me. I fought valiantly, however each time I was scratched by one of those creatures I felt heavier and heavier, until I was unable to move. I could feel the poison coursing through my veins as I hit my back. I tragic way to end an eventful life is to be a hero. I suppose I knew better, but the heart sometimes gets the better of the mind.

As I looked up and saw the eerie red eyes surrounding me…knowing that my last moments were the ones I was living at that moment, something amazing happened. What appeared to be an elven woman, but unfathomably perfect and beautiful stepped forth from nothing. She was so physically that my first glance at her stunned me. The next thing I remember was her kissing my forehead before I fell unconscious.
When I awoke, it felt like déjà vu. Dorian was panting above my face, and Greyson was tending to the fire. Greyson said I was out of luck in my life time. He had spared my life, a nymph had given me her favor, and I was still breathing. At the time, I wasn’t really sure what that meant, but I know now that every second of my life is lived liked it could be my last.

Time passed as it does and I noticed little things about myself that were different. I was happier, I was more receptive to learning, but most unusual of all I could talk to animals, and even the trees from time to time. This was a secret I kept from Greyson, but in retrospect, I had a feeling he knew.

One beautiful day I was in my favorite tree enjoying the sunset, when a squirrel came to join me. The small creature was anxious, so I tried giving it some food too calm it, yet it refused. I looked deeply into its eyes and tried to talk to it, but only two words came through…GREYSON…HELP. I leapt from the branch to the ground and began running to our camp. I could see the flames in the distance and began to panic. I forgot everything I had been taught, my master, my mentor…my father, was in danger. As I approached the camp, I saw a figure in horridly arcane garb. His skin was pale, and his eyes were lifeless. He stood over Greysons limp body with an evil smirk on his face…

Drake: The Man, the Myth, the Legend (Part 1)

I know very little about who I really am or where I came from. As long as I can remember, I have been alone in the world. That may sound like quite a sad existence, but to be honest, there is a peace that comes with solitude. As far as I can tell my family was Rhenee. I mean, I look like they do, but, I couldn’t tell you the first thing about being one. I have a few friends that I consider family, although I couldn’t tell you if I actually have any siblings or blood relatives. I suppose it is possible that I don’t have a mother either, but I find that theory to be a bit suspect.

As a very young child I remember getting scraps of food from the kind older women who attended church, but as my cuteness faded, and my stench grew, such kindness became less frequent. I was a street urchin; an orphan with no home to call my own and an odd desire to survive as such. It was during this time that I learned how to use my natural abilities to help me make ends meet. Theft worked well, which is embarrassing to admit. Fortunately for me, I learned at a very early age that it was not the biggest and the strongest that made it on the streets (no offence meat shields), but the smartest. I don’t know what sort of blessings the star of my birth bestowed upon me, but I am very fortunate that wit was one of them. I spent my time learning the streets and alleys of Greyhawk. I would play games with myself; like trying to get as close to people without them noticing as I could, unlocking old doors and sneaking about peoples cellars in the night. I thought I was as skilled as Nerof Gasgal. However, such is the fantasy of youth. I stole food, and anything shiny I could get my hands on. Nooly Hoppertoss is a gnomish fence that helped me unload my merchandise. Now that I am older I know how badly he ripped me off, but I guess I can’t blame him since he also looked after my back for my many years on the streets. Remember that comment about family? Well he is one of those people. He is now “retired” and living out in the Celadon Forrest. He has a nice little cottage; it’s funny what you can afford after 15 years of fencing stolen goods.

As I got a bit older I became intrigued with magic. I knew some of the privileged children whose families could afford to send them to learn the ways of wizardry; I was just as smart, if not smarter then they were. However, I had no sponsor, no benefactor, no means to afford entry into a school. There was a short time where I thought I may have a chance to study. I became close friends with a young boy named Mosenrat. He came from a privileged family no doubt. His father was an adventurer so he seldom was home. The boy was tended to by his aunt, since his mother died during child birth. Mosenrat was and still is very cocky. In a way, I consider him my brother, however, we are no longer on speaking terms…I apologize…I will not bore you with my personal problems. To make a long story short, Mosenrat’s aunt was not a fan of mine. She didn’t think that a child without a home was destined to study magic. Yet, I did not let that shatter my dream. So instead I did what any foolhardy child would do, I obsessed. I read every page I could find on the subject. I found myself trying to look into the windows of mages. I even tried to hang around magic shops in hopes that someone could see something in me to give me a chance. However, no such chance ever came. Time continued to pass as it does, and rather than obsession, my feelings toward mages became bitter; such a childish way of thinking in retrospect.

I suppose I was about 13 when I first met Greyson. He was a weathered angry looking old Half-Elf, always bringing skins, meat and furs to trade late in the night. He would always approach his customer’s accompanied by his large wolf companion Dorian. It was very unusual, but they had the exact same eyes. I admired the patience of his gait, and his relative comfort under the cover of darkness. I started watching him from a distance at first, but as my youthful arrogance got the best of me, I tried to get closer and closer. It was odd, I felt like no matter what I did, I could never get his attention. Often people will turn their head quickly, or see you out of the corner of their eye when you skulk in the shadows, but Greyson never even flinched when I was close. This lack of attention fueled my next boneheaded, life-changing act. One night while he was ordering a meal, I decided I could sneak up on Greyson and snatch his purse. I was right, I did just that. However, by the time I made it back into the alley to count my spoils, I was greeted by a large wolf. When I panicked and turned around, I ran head first into Greyson.

“If Only I Had Taken Resistance to Cold!” - Agurro

Well, I hate to say it, but, the loss of Agurro was unexpected and unwelcome. Two cones of cold will do that do you, particularly if you've not had the chance to move out of the field of fire. . .but, I am getting ahead of myself.

Here is our recap of the last session:

The party returned to the bookstore known as The Reality Wrinkle, to finish the battle they had started the day before. It was fortuitous that the group did not spend time to allow the cultists to gather their forces, or, they would have had to fight a combined group of enemies from tow encounters. Arriving at the bookstore, the characters found the door open, but the first floor was empty. Given the choice of going up to the next floor or down to the basement, the party decided to block the basement door with a bookshelf and then head upstairs. Once they got to the third floor, the cultists, who were now prepared for a fight, unleashed another Wyste on the group. The alien creature blocked the hallway that led up from the stairs effectively and channeled the party into a single file. Wisely, the group decided to head back down the stairs to fight on their own terms, but, misfortune struck Orien, who had shapechanged into the form of an eagle. He found himself grappled by three of the wyste’s tentacles. The rest of the group tried to find a way into the room in order to lay the hurt down on the beast, but, with many trying and failing to overrun the aberration, most of the party ended up being knocked prone at the top of the stairs. Solanthos used his ability to shift to get into the room behind the wyste, but, he found himself surrounded by cultists, who pelted him with a number of magic missiles, taking him down to 4 hit points. In the meantime, Orien was partially swallowed by the wyste, with the resulting damage dropping him to negative hit points. Against the odds, Korik won a grapple check against the wyste was able to grab the talons of the unconscious and dying Orien, healing quite a bit of damage and restoring him to consciousness. While things looked pretty dire for a moment, good fortune did shine on the group. The eagle-formed druid was just barely able to claw his way out of the wyste’s gullet and Solanthos was able to get off a series of spells that destroyed the wyste and a number of the cultists. From that point on, Lianna, Gyrr and Ymir were able to make quick work of the remaining members.

The group then headed to the basement, where they fought and killed another gibbering mouther and the last three cultists in the building. There, they found two prisoners; Alein, the paladin of Heironeous, and a scout by the name of Drake. Drake asked to join your ranks and your group then headed to the inn to heal and rest.

It did not take long for word to spread of your exploits in the bookstore. That evening, you received an invitation to a banquet in your honor, sponsored by the merchants of Brindinford and numerous city officials. It was the town’s way of saying thank you for al of the deeds you have performed on their behalf, which, for the record, include:
• Saving many innocent people at the fair from an attack by wererats.
• Exterminating the wererat infestation at the bell tower.
• Putting an end to a string of murders in the southern part of town, and killing the grimlocks responsible.
• Rescuing the two paladins of Heironeous from the clutches of the alien cult known as “Those Who Hear”
• Destroying the cult members at the Reality Wrinkle.

After the banquet, and even though it was late into the evening, the party decided to head over to the cemetery to investigate the desecration of Lin’Thalus’ grave. On the way, you were ambushed by an ogre mage and a number of other assailants. There were assassins, rogues, a cult member and an evil cleric. The composition of the group demonstrates that the cult was perhaps working in tandem with some of the other sinister forces that you have battled. At the start of the battle, the Ogre mage was invisible. He used his surprise round to blast as many of you as possible with a cone of cold. After rolling for initiative, the ogre mage was able to go before several of you had the chance to go, thus poor Agurro taken down to -19 hit points. Korik too was seriously hurt, falling to -7 hit points and, even the sturdy Gyrr was taken aback by the damage inflicted on him, being taken down to 10 hit points eventually. Once again, you found yourselves in deep trouble. Mustering your courage and using your penchant for sound tactics, you fought back well. While nothing could be done to save the frozen Agurro, Orien was able to heal Korik before death claimed him. Solanthos sculpted a web that entrapped the ogre mage, who, while entangled, decided to use his invisibility power while fighting to get out of the morass of webs. The webbing also served as a buffer between most of your group and the rest of the enemies. Ymir waded into combat, raging and killing the two assassins that he targeted. Lianna and Drake pulled out bows and deftly took out a few others. Using his headband of see invisibility, Drake took the ogre mage down to a single it point, and finally, Solanthos, who had inflicted a devastating amount of damage on the ogre mage with his magic, killed him with a final spell. (Oh, and Gyrr got a kill or two in there somewhere too.)

There is some discussion amongst party members about the possibiity of paying for a true resurrection, for Agurro, at the church if Pelor in town. It stands that you will get a cut on the cost, thanks to all that you have done for Brindinford. You players will have to work that out.

Everyone is level 7. JJ has the loot list and you guys can determine amongst yourselves who gets what.

A few points of note:

1. The fight in the bookstore is the last fight that I know of, where your group will be bottlenecked in a 5-foot corridor. That first battle wit the wyste took quite a long time, and, in the future, when I can, I will create maps that offer a 10 foot wide hall, in order to take your group size in mind.
2. I think we can all agree that using minis on the projected maps is the way to go. I think I was able to alleviate a lot of the time I consumed by having to dick around with the electronic tokens.
3. Also, finally figuring out how to get rid of the auto scroll feature on the battle map sure did help prevent the map from bouncing around all over the place,
4. I think too, that getting rid of DMgenie was a bonus that helped speed things up from my end.

I will leave this recap posted until later in the week, and afterwards, JJ has prepared Drake’s background, which I will post for your reading pleasure. It will take several posts to complete the whole background.

See you all in a month for our next session.