Expedition to the Barrier Peaks - Chapter One

[Grognardsw]

The adventurers decide they have had enough of the Borderlands for now. Porphyry the psychopomp, possessing a map of the Realms among his bibliophilic belongings, shares possible destinations with his comrades. There far to the east is the mysterious Barrier Peak, of which the group has heard tantalizing rumors of strange dangers and exotic treasure.

Over cheap drinks at the Inn & Out, the party votes to make the journey. It is a month-long trek, so the adventurers equip for the trip and are soon making their way. They exit the Borderlands through Grimtooth Gully, a path many have taken before in the bodyguard mission for a certain princess three years ago. Then turning east, they travel through hill and vale, forest and plain, over stream and river.

My summary, with magic items and spells, will continue tomorrow, but feel free to take any actions.

[Grognardsw]

Along the way the adventurers - some would even dare say Fellowship - encounter road bandits; mischevious pixies; punning knights from Xanth; slavers from Gor; a wounded party fleeing a small town called Briarsgate; a tiresome herd of gay centaurs; a hidden vale with a camp of missing citizens from a place named Brotherton; and a tower with a friendly sorcerer-sage named Grog.


Grog's Keep

After performing a service for this Grog (a tale for another time), the adventurers receive spell knowledge and gifts of enchanted items.

Fingal the thief is gifted with Gloves of Missile Snaring (UA, p. 100)

Wulfhart the northern warrior receives a Viking Horn of Blasting (DMG p. 146)

Wrenly the Sage is taught three new spells (no Know Spell roll required): Flaming Sphere, Fireball, Levitate. He is also given a scroll of five spells: Tenser's Floating Disk, Push, Forget, Shatter, Wind Wall . (These may be transferred into his spell book with a successful Know Spell roll, or otherwise used in scroll fashion.)

Asherrion the gray elf-alien is taught three new spells (no Know Spell roll required): Rope Trick, Stinking Cloud, Invisibility 10' Radius. He also receives Dust of Illusion (UA p. 99)

Porphyry the satyr psychopomp is taught two spells (no Know Spell roll required): Taunt, Irritation. He is also given Pipes of the Sewers (DMG p. 152)

Groyn the dwarf is bestowed with Daern's Instant Fortress (DMG p. 142)

Swilbosh the lizardman is given a +3 Trident of Lightening (shoots an 8d6 lightening bolt once a day.)

Guido the cleric is bequeathed a Potion of Cure Serious Wounds and a Necklace of Prayer Beads (DMG p. 151)

Candidiasis Vargina is taught three new spells (no Know Spell roll required): Shocking Grasp, Melf's Acid Arrow, Clairvoyance. She is also given a Cyclocone (UA p. 98)

Getafix the druid is granted Slippers of Kicking (UA p. 103)

Ravenous Gryev the barbarian spurs anything magical, but accepts natural herbal healing salves (five applications, 1d4 HP heal.)

Brother Puddington joins after the Grog Tower (he already has his magic items.)

- I'll be DMing Expedition in a serious manner without humor. It feels right that way.
- When posting, please put name/class at top.
- For players with two characters, please do each character's action in separate posts.
- Thanks!

[OGRE MAGE]

Fingal the Thief

These gloves fit kinda tight. And they smell funny!

That Grog must be a powerful fellow indeed to have this many magic items just lying around to reward to us.

So.......where is this peak, now?

[AleBelly]

As they depart town, a squeal of delight is heard from their flank. Riding towards them is a woman of shocking appearance atop a war horse. "Wulfie! There you are! I have been riding all over looking for you - the inside of my thighs are as sore as after our lie-in during Saturnalia!" she winks at him.

She looks over the group. "Who are these fuckin' guys?"

[tkrexx]

Guido, Cleric

Oh, my! Guido gushes at his wonderful new gifts, These will certainly be of great assistance in our quest! His self-admiration is cut short by the appearance of the fanged, tattooed creature noisily accosting Wulfhart. Egad! Clearly have I been sheltered!

[Pulpatoon]

The party may not recall exactly when the Ravenous Gryev started following the party, or how he went from tagging behind to sitting at the campfire, dolling out portions of dried meat and giving the spellcasters dirty looks, but the leather-skinned barbarian seems to have joined the party. He disappeared for about a week after the dalliance with the centaurs, only to show up with a burlap sack stuffed with recently smoked jerky. And maybe a couple horseshoes.

When Wulfhart's friend on the warhorse rides up, Gryev looks briefly enchanted, until he gets up close enough to inhale one great, nostril-dilating sniff of her. Looking disappointed, he mutters, "Bah. Human."

[Pulpatoon]

Each night, around the campfire, Porphyry practices playing the pipes given to him by the Wizard Grog. At first, his songs are hesitant and warbling, and summon a thoroughly put-out field mouse or two. But he keeps at it, studying the craft with the same dedication he brings to his other studies, and is soon calling hordes of rats to the campsite. He gains proficiency at ordering them around, eventually turning them into a practical asset for the campers: any task that can be done by dozens of tiny paws or gnawing teeth can be turned over to Porphyry's verminous friends.



The Ravenous Gryev, who distrusts all the spell casters and non-humans but who has a particular loathing for the goat-demon, takes his sport in snatching up the rats by their tails and swinging their heads against rocks. If eggs are to be found in any nearby nests, he makes a breakfast of scrambled eggs and rats brains, which turns out to be delicious.

[Grognardsw]

Fingal the Thief

So.......where is this peak, now?

The Wizard Grog gives general directions to the Barrier Peak and provides a map of the Realms.



It takes some time to travel there. The Realms are gigantic in size, with kingdoms fitting inside each quarter-inch of the map. As the Fellowship approaches the mountain range they discover they have entered the Duchy of Geoff, which is dealing with a problem which the adventurers are well prepared to help...

[Pulpatoon]

So we have a retinue provided by the local authorities? How many are they?

Both Porphyry and the Ravenous Gryev are excited to see the creatures preserved in brine, but for very different reasons. Porphyry wants to examine them in detail, and Gryev keeps mentioning "pickles."

Upon climbing the mountain: The Ravenous Gryev: "Door of iron in th' mount'n? Must be bolt holes an' air holes, an' all. We search around, huhr? Finda back door."

[tkrexx]

Guido, Cleric

The, uhm.. The big gentleman seems unusually wise for one of his... Profession. Surely there is another, less obvious manner of ingress?

[Pulpatoon]

The, uhm.. The big gentleman seems unusually wise for one of his... Profession.

The Ravenous Gryev misses the compliment entirely, as he is busy trying to fit a second knuckle up one nostril, rooting vigorously around.

[AleBelly]

On the approach, Wulfhart and Candidiasis camp some distance away from the others - but not enough to spare them the sounds of whips, moans and cries throughout the night. Wulfie sports a new set of bright red streaks across his skin every morning.

Candidiasis has a difficult time climbing the crags, seeming to slip in several places. She swears profusely; her profane vocabulary is so vast that no curse is uttered more than once. "Wulfie, be a dear and go check the doors, will you?" she asks sweetly.

[AleBelly]

Wulfhart has not stopped admiring his viking horn since receiving it from Grog.

He smiles at the fearsome looking woman, his new tent mate. "Yes, Candy. Good idea."

He touches his finger to his ring, and vanishes. The sound from the warrior lets the party know he is approaching the door for a closer look.

[ChubbyPixie]

Wrenly the Brown, Magician

Wrenly looks at the armor enshrouded cave with forboding. At least these last few months have proved fruitful in the gathering of arcane knowledge, which he feels certain will prove useful here. Especially the highly, highly explosive most recent addition, which, truth be told, he's been worried about trying out, being not absolutely certain of it's real destructive power. If the formula copied into his spell book is to be believed, well... he fears it will be more frightening in its execution than even his by-now standby Electric Handshake. And that one made him wet himself slightly the first couple of times. Thrillingly terrifying. Note to self, he thinks, come up with a better name for that one.

Recently at night he's been copying new spells from the scroll that good fellow, Grog, bestowed on him when he was handing out magic like so much candy. The last one, Whirling Wall, he'd finally had to admit was beyond his understanding. A shame.

Chance to transfer spell to book roll (65%): Tenser's Floating Disk [1d100] = 26
Chance to transfer spell to book roll (65%): Push [1d100] = 27
Chance to transfer spell to book roll (65%): Shatter [1d100] = 50
Chance to transfer spell to book roll (65%): Wind Wall [1d100] = 97

So he failed to transfer Wind Wall. Can he still use it from the scroll directly, or is it now gone?

Stationing himself as far away from the new barbarian fellow, of whom he is quite afraid, as he's politely able, Wrenly sets about checking his various spell components for readiness. He's not at all sure what to make of the new, frankly hideous, tatooed woman. She's just so... crass and startling. Still, he supposes she means well...

[ChubbyPixie]

Brother Puddington, Cleric of Ulaa

Brother Puddington sighs, staggering with the exertion of just getting this far. He doesn't feel well. At all. For a cleric of Ulaa, goddess of the Mountain, may her shining jewels be praised, he sure was a bit of a wuss. The fact was not lost on him. Here he was, old enough to be the head of an order, still slogging it out in the day to day. He knew he had to toughen up if he ever hoped to gain any real respect. Hopefully this excursion would put him some way towards that goal. That and the fine mountain air. And the jewels, there must be jewels, hidden right behind that ominous door...

"Cough! Ahem! Did anyone bring a map? How are we supposed to get in there?" He looks around at the others. After a moment he adds, "When do we fight the monsters? I'm not sure I'm quite up to it. Maybe we could lie down for a bit first?"

[greyarea]

Asherrion the grey elf

Asherrion waits with the others, watching the new cave. We must approach with caution.

[greyarea]

Getafix the Druid

Getafix will look for animals near the cave entrance. If he finds any, he will cast speak with animals and ask about for news of the cave and what has been seen here.

[Zhym]

The commander of the men-at-arms that accompanied the party to the peak rode silently. The commander seemed a slight thing, thin and short—a woman of unexciting build, perhaps, or a young lad put into his position by connections, or maybe a larger specimen of the fey races. A helmet almost always covered his or her face, and what it revealed when removed did little to answer silent questions: fair features, wavy blonde hair, blue eyes, and high cheekbones.

When the party reaches the peak, he (let us decide for convenience) dismounts and immediately orders his men to secure the horses and gear. "Our mounts will have to stay here," he says in a low alto voice that sounds as if it might break into song at any moment. He sounds like a boy issuing orders to his toy soldiers. "The crags are too steep even for mules."

He regards the smooth, shiny armor of the fortress with no hidden dread. "I have seen many strange things in my time," he says, "but that gives me the heebie-jeebies. It's not natural. And yet it is my task to accompany you there."

Looking around and realizing he has not properly introduced himself, he places his helmet under an arm and bows. "Andover Thindel, at your service."

[OGRE MAGE]

Fingal the Thief looks on suspiciously. He isn't sure about these new additions to the party so he normally gives them a wide birth.

Seems to me that whenever a new person joins this group, they aint around too long, if'n ya gets my meaning.

He has drifted away from his old friend Wulfie a bit recently, but only because his new "friend" scares the shite out of him. He sticks with the surly dwarf mostly now and chats with Wrenly whenever his nose isn't stuck in one of those books or scrolls.

When the group finally reaches the strange cave door, he speaks up.

I don't see any of these weird monsters around here! I hope this climb all the way up here wasn't just a huge waste of time. The greasy thief thinks about it a little more.

At least there aint no stinking thieving halflings around to steal my new fancy gloves that the wizard Grog bestowed upon me. I wonder if they will help in picking locks.

The short, wiry human approaches the strange metal cave gate and takes a closer look at the locking mechanisms.

[Pulpatoon]

The Ravenous Gryev drops most of the extra equipment he was hauling on the trip here, and readies himself for stealth and speed. "Imma search the area, lookin' fer th'other ways in. Any'un else up fer it?"

Pointing at Getafix, he says, "You, Druid. You know the woods? Well 'nuff to search without raisin' ruckus?"

Gryev Monstereater heads up the slope, avoiding the metal gate, for now. Once he's out of sight from the others, he rolls whatever dice he needs to in order to see if he finds anything.