End of the Beginning

Ziril, a paladin of a Moradin, came to the rescue of our intrepid party helping them battle through to the end within the arena. As a prize the owner of the establishment, known only as "the red rogue" gave them each information about their current plight and struck a bargain for a solution to the most important one: defeat the Warlord Barric. All they had to do was bring a single page from a single book back to him once they were done.

The trip was swift, and finding the decrepit manor of the Shadowgast family was not too hard, but fighting their way into it, passed a host of duergar soldiers and a blood-fire ooze only to find Barric and his succubus companion attempting to bind the will of the Shadowgast spirits to their will.

Luck, and a small amount of divine favour, was with them that night as they were able to dismiss the succubus back to the nine hells. And, though some intervening help from The Power, Nameless, not only destroyed Barric bunt gained some insight into what the army had been doing and where their headquarters truly lie.

Three months have past since the pastry removed the threat of war from the Nentir Vale. Their lives have returned to simplicity and rest. Until of course a stranger stumbles into their midst, yet again, asking for help.

New Year... New Player?!

Aaaaaand... We're Back!

With my life turning a few hectic sirlces its been a while since I was able to update this blog, furthering the heroics of The Party we have come to call:

The Goldenhawk Liberators

(For brevity's sake lets give the abridged version of the last 3 month's of games)

• The Party was able to secure the remaining fragments of Stonefang and replace them within their sacred circles, thus re-binding the Titan back in his prison under the mountain.
• The battle with Stonefang took the life of Bul'Treeulk, the goliath Paladin of Pelor. His body was given to the Sun-God in a funeral pyre and his armor and sword will remain in a vault within the dwarven citadel, to further honor his memory.
• The rest of the Party have since said their good-byes to their lost friend and headed back out to investigate the incoming banite army. The Blackmarch.
• Though upon ariving back at the small village of Timbervale, our heroes find that imposters have come through claiming to be them, sullying the Party's good name and taking all their hard earned glory. This they cannot abide.
• They head North and West and find a small rogue-town, an old palisade-turned hide-out. Filled with ruffians and thieves the Group wanders in, aquiring information to their Doppelgangers whereabouts.
• They end up, though a series of unfortunate events and half-truths, in the middle of an underground gambling den, playing the den's most dangerous game: A head-to-head cage match to the death...
• Taking out their first two challenges they find themselves facing off against a monstrous knight, brandishing a sword as long as he is tall. With coarse fur emerging from the seams in his platemail, the situation turns dire indeed as Nameless is soon out of spells, Elric and Rhys are all but useless hiding in the crowd and Lycka's sword arm is quickly tiring.
• But all is not lost, a new player takes stage... a knightly bearing shining through the dank, smokey environ of the gambling den... Could this be the Goldenhawk Liberator's savior or has their luck finally run out?

New Post Bonus

An all New Party Roster (Order of the Stick style)

Tunnel Blockage is a Real Pain

The Party draws near to the northern entrance of the Stonefang Pass as dusk falls on the late winter day. Torches alight they enter and pass-by numerous signs of recent battles and attacks. Numerous dead stirges and a few disemboweled giant spiders told that the dwarves had a rougher time exiting their once glorious trade road than expected. But all stories have their truths as sooner than they party thought, they had arrived at the large stone blocking the rest of the tunnel.

The doorway to the gate house was left ajar and the Party filed in, unbeknown to them the dwarves of old still had their defenses in order as a handful of crossbow quarrels shot out from hidden compartments in the walls and a trio of steel snake-like constructs made their way to protect the gate mechanism.

The Party, made decent work of the constructs and avoided the magical crossbows with all haste. Only to find two minor stone golems awaiting them in the gatehouse proper, whose floor was gravely gouged by earthquakes that ravaged the tunnel on a near constant state.

Avoiding the small gorge, and taking care of the golems, our heroes reactivated the gate keeper, a large mechanical construct, appearing to be a metallic dwarf the size of a hill giant. With the assistance of the gate keeper the party was able to open the stone blockade and allow the small force of Orc that lay in wait on the other side of the stone wall...

Orcs of the Bane-ish Persuasion

Thoughts from the DM

Apologies for the tardiness of this story up-date.

Life has reared its nasty head and summoned me away from such things as these.

Lets hope I can get everything up to date before our next game.

...And now back to the action!

The PCs have received the ledger of St. Nicoli and, as per a specific vision by Nameless (possibly imparted by The Power), have decided to keep it (The Grandmother Witch is not pleased). They have returned to Fallcrest and with their arrival, came upon a young squire from The College of Warfare, with a request of aid.

The dwarves of the Glintshield clan, heralding from beyond the western mountains, have been chased from their recently re-opened trade rout. Though cunningly sealing the pass behind them, as is normal for dwarven security, they seek able bodied men and women to expel the orcish threat that are trapped on the other side of the barricade. Interestingly enough the orcs fly the banner of Bane not Gruumish One-Eye as would be expected.

Our heroes fly fast to be-rid of any worshiper of Bane and find if this has anything to do with their current affairs with Banites and, more importantly, the Blackguard Barrick.

D&D.... 5th EDITION?

Ok... seriously? This morning Wotc [Wizards of the Coast] announced that starting this spring they will be releasing early playtests of the upcoming re-incarnation of D&D. I dont know what to think but one thing I'm a little happy about is the fact that they are getting wise to our need for input.

Thats right, in some minute way your views will be seen and arguments heard about waht you want to see in the new edition...more on the official page HERE.

T'was A D&D Christmas

And now the full update of our game, probably the best game thus far. Thanks to my players for both the inspiration and the chance to be doing this, a merry christmas to you all... I wish you all 20's on those random gift tables you'll roll on the 25th. See you all in the New Year!

And now back to the story:

T'was a D&D Christmas, a well earned extended rest

All the party was searching, needing intel for quests

The blackguard named Barrick, with his soldiers did near

So the players did ask for more magics, MORE GEAR!

From the town of Fallcrest, where the party made home,

Nameless, the warlock, struck out on his own

"Leave me be!," said the Warforged. "A crone do I seek."

Their answer was short: "We're coming too, you evil freak."

Nameless, with Elric, Lia and Lycka did ride

To the place where a cantankerous hag did reside.

While Rhys, the gnome, sat in light from a wick.

Chanting: "Oh great forces of Feywild magic"

"My father and Gramps, once on this world did they walk"

"Again are they needed. With them must I talk."

As the gnome fell into the rhythm of the spell being cast

Was his mind magically thrust into the realms of lives past.

Now back to the four who were hard on the ride

To the hut of the witch, who might just claim their hides

A curious sight t'was the hut they saw then

A bone-like gate, skulls on posts... giant legs of a hen?!

The bone gate opened on its own, with relative ease,

All that it took was Nameless stating "please"

And as soon as the party stepped upon the hut's floor,

They knew they weren't in the Nentir anymore.

The crone, came about, soon after their arrival

And requested a ledger, from an archfey rival

"The book of Nicholas, is all I request..."

"Now go, before in me you digest"

"Nicholas?! You mean Santa!?" came the grind from players' gears

"Yep" said DM "I've even got stats for the deers"

"Built one one that's got a light spell on its nose,"

"Oh and the helpers... Aren't elves... Made 'em gnomes."

So the four were transported, back into their home

Where a spirit and fox had been conjured for the gnome

And packing some wintery gear the team struck out quick 

They needed to find this archfey, this... 'Saint Nick.'

With a sighthey gave-in, to a cave they did trek

"Where Fire meets Frost?! That's our clue! What the heck?!"

In a dormant volcano grew a frost covered tree

So they lit a fire and heard: "You dare ignite ME!"

Out from a portal came an Ent covered with soot

And a fiery sprite, and a frost one to boot

"Here's encounter number one," was a player's groan

"Roll initiative," said DM. "Or you may as well just go home"

So the d20's were rolled and eventually the PC's won

And through the portal went each, and every one.

When they landed in waist deep snow, the DM goes

"Endurance checks, bitchez. Now let's see them rolls"

One healing surge, only by Elric was lost,

But away the rest went, giving no thought to the frost.

To a mansion of wood, with golden covered trim

They all strode to the door, Nameless bolted right in.

"I don't care who you are," he told two strange little sprites,

"I've got something to do and I'll not wait through the night"

But just as soon as the warlock strode up the long stair

A robust human entered and offered a chair.

The party explained what they came to get

Nicholas laughed and smiled, "no need for to fret"

"I'll make you a copy so long as you roam"

"To get rid of the beast, who's been eating my gnomes."

"Lemme guess, is it green? With a heart that's too small?"

"Or a Big yetti thing that throws frozen ice balls"

The DM responded in kind with a smile

"Maybe yes. Maybe no. Guess you'll wait and see in a while"

So again the party all bundled up for the cold

Through underground tunnels the five boldly strode

Passed the aura of good... "Wait... What? No! No, there's no Mountain Dew!"

"Now get back to the table or this game'll be through!"

Initiative rolled. And a map was thrown down

The environ explained, tokens and minis abound.

But, alas, the adventurers won just the same

Players cheered. DM groaned "Sometimes... I hate this game..."

The players packed up their paper and pencils and dice

After four hours of gaming came back real life

Not till next month will their dice roll again

And maybe, just maybe, the DM just may win...

So this moral we learn, as do the Minstrels refrain:

Let the DM win once or twice. He ran the damn game!

A Wintery Crossing

As Christmas graces the stores and TV's across the world, we at the gaming table are doing are part to bastardize this time of gift giving and maiming of glorious fir trees. This Post is brought to you by the Player behind our party Warlord, Lycka:

Jolly old St. Nicholas, lean your ear this way!
This here, crazy, warforged soul has something he must say;
"Give to me your book of names and we'll be on our way."
He agreed, but for a price: a monster we must slay.

When the quest was rightly done, when our goal was met,
To the giver we did go, to collect our debt;
All the presents we did find, underneath the tree;
A name on each and every one, for our whole party.

Rhys, he got a Tempest Fan. Nameless got a Light.
Lycka got a little sack that holds a whole campsite.
Elric got some playing cards, called the Mountebank's Deck.
Lia got a scribed whistle to go around her neck.

A Battle Fought... A Hero Lost...

Seeing the end near, the last remaining Bane-ite in the Tower Goldenhawk threw down his sword and offered the heroes some much needed information.

I am apart of a much larger force, known in the south as the Black March. It originated in a place known as the Black Circle, and its command is that of Barric. A fanatical devotee of Bane. His view is a unified North. One under his iron rule. He invades, kills those that oppose him and enslave the rest. The few of us that show signs of strength he takes to a place where your will is stripped and soul broken so that you can be rebuilt into... he gestures at himself... this. I dont know his plan beyond my instructions to keep guard over Dreus Metrend and the rest of this party.

With that said he awaits the party's instruction but a will stronger than his own takes hold and he wanders into the adjoining room, and flings himself into the caustic goop that fills the black cauldron inside it.

Bane giveth. Bane taketh away.

The heroes, gather what they can from the bane-ites and clear the dead away. But as they do a spectral form come from below. The Shadowed form of Dreus Metrend. Her semi-clawed hands grasp the shoulders of Lia and with a cackle both are dragged into the solid granite of the tower foundation...

How the Celebrities Game

This was the D&D game that Heather and I had the pleasure to watch to round out our geek-weekend [geek-end?]

A theatrical (and undoubtedly hilarious!) Dungeons & Dragons experience took place during PAX Prime at the historic Paramount Theater in Seattle. This latest adventure of Acquisitions Incorporated  was originally broadcast live Saturday, August 27th:

PAX PRIME Celebrity Game 

Starring:

 

Mike Krahulik (Jim Darkmagic III), Wil Wheaton (Aeolfel)                           

                        Scott Kurtz (Binwin Bronzebottom), Jerry Holkins(Omin Drahn)

and

Chris Perkins as the humble and benevolent DM


You can see me! go to 13:16 of the last video and I'm up on the balcony,
right side of the screen, beside a guy wearing a red shirt...
Best Seats Ever, Saw Everything!

A Diminutive Breed of Hero

Pixie
Magical fairy folk, childlike mischief-makers, enchanted caretakers of nature

Legends of the mortal realm say that because the Feywild is the bright reflection of the world, pixies are a reflection of humanity. As the bards tell it, whenever a human child is born, a pixie also comes into existence. The personalities of the two races are indistinguishable during the first few years of life. However, human adolescents cast off their childhood ways, while pixies retain them forever. Sometimes pixies feel compassion for mortals who retain a degree of childhood innocence. They often watch over such humans, secretly aiding their "flawed" reflections with magic when they fall on ill circumstances.
In the world, pixies were once as prevalent as they were in the Feywild. However, during the years that mortals have ruled, they have diminished and gone into decline. As humanoid civilizations began to flourish, they encroached on the pixies' homelands, pushing the fairy folk back into the Feywild and into the dark unknown beyond civilization.

Racial Traits
 Average Height: 0'6˝-1'
 Average Weight: 1-4 lb.
 Ability Scores: +2 Charisma; +2 Dexterity or +2 Intelligence
 Size: Tiny
 Speed: 4 squares, fly 6 squares (altitude limit 1). You cannot use this fly speed if you are carrying more than a normal load.
 Vision: Low-light vision
 Languages: Common, Elven
 Skill Bonuses: +2 Nature, +2 Stealth
 Fey Origin: Your ancestors were native to the Feywild, so you are considered a fey creature for the  purpose of effects that relate to creature origin.
 Speak with Beasts: You can communicate with natural beasts and fey beasts.
 Wee Warrior: You have a reach of 1, rather than the reach of 0 that is typical for a Tiny creature. You also take a –5 penalty to Strength checks to break or force open objects. When wielding a weapon of your size, you follow the same rules that Small creatures do.
 Pixie Magic: You have the pixie dust and shrink powers.