OOC IV

[sulldawga]

Nobody dies on Marodin's watch...

[Innana]

Okay, so can Innana eat a little honey now, and see if it can heal her burns?

I don't think we should get too greedy with this honeycomb. If we just take what we may need in the next few adventures, and then come back if we need more sometime. If we destroy everything, then we wont ever be able to come back to the hive again.

I drew a picture of the whole group. It is just on typing paper and in pen. Can I scan and post it here, or is there a different place that might be more appropriate?

[frobozz]

Okay, so can Innana eat a little honey now, and see if it can heal her burns?

I drew a picture of the whole group. It is just on typing paper and done in pen, but can I scan and post it here?

How cool is that! I would definitely like to see the drawing, regardless of where it is posted.

[Innana]

Alrighty then, As soon as I can get my scanner to work I will post this drawing I did today. Just one thing. I am not that great of an artist, and have never taken any classes in it, so do not take anything personal if your picture is not as wonderful as your character is.

[Luis]

That's so cool. My fiancée has been pushing me to draw, not that I'm any good at it, and I've been meaning to draw Saul.

We should all draw our characters to the best of our abilities, even if they are just stick figures. Would be pretty cool to have.

[Finglas]

That's so cool. My fiancée has been pushing me to draw, not that I'm any good at it, and I've been meaning to draw Saul.

We should all draw our characters to the best of our abilities, even if they are just stick figures. Would be pretty cool to have.

Great idea, Saul! Let's do that!

Innana, I think you may have started something really cool and new!

[Luis]

Let's just get the ball rolling. Decided to get to it and here it is. Yes, it sucks... Should have stuck with stick figures.

http://i.imgur.com/PDGJzvU.jpg

[frobozz]

Let's just get the ball rolling. Decided to get to it and here it is. Yes, it sucks... Should have stuck with stick figures.

http://i.imgur.com/PDGJzvU.jpg

That is really cool, Luis. You've definitely got some real talent!

I, on the other hand, have not a shred of artistic ability, and so I am more than happy to stick with with the elven ranger drawing that I swiped from elfwood.com for Lanny's avatar.

[thirdkingdom]

Let's just get the ball rolling. Decided to get to it and here it is. Yes, it sucks... Should have stuck with stick figures.

http://i.imgur.com/PDGJzvU.jpg

Very cool.

[Bouv]

Pretty cool looking scout there Luis!

[Innana]

http://imgur.com/swC03fi

Thanks for the imgur website information on your link. I had no idea how to post a pic. Well, here it is. Taadaaa.

[Innana]

Let's just get the ball rolling. Decided to get to it and here it is. Yes, it sucks... Should have stuck with stick figures.

http://i.imgur.com/PDGJzvU.jpg

Very cool.

Love it. Should have put a beard on Saul.

[Luis]

Thanks, you are all far too kind.

Love your drawing, Innana, for some reason it reminds me of the old Final Fantasy watercolour concept work they used to do.

Really envy those eyes and arms. I wanted Saul to be skinny but his arms just look like a pair of twigs and his eyes look like a psycho... I wanted him surprised but I think I overdid it. Need to work on it some more.

2 down! Come on, Frobozz, you're not getting off that easy!

[frobozz]

Great job (x 9) Innana! It's nice to be adventuring with such a talented group of artists!

Perhaps Innana or Saul can become the party's official sketch artist as we go around interrogating locals on the whereabouts of Bargle, Elwyn, and other people we are looking for ("Have you seen this man around here lately?")

[Luis]

Great job (x 9) Innana! It's nice to be adventuring with such a talented group of artists!

Perhaps Innana or Saul can become the party's official sketch artist as we go around interrogating locals on the whereabouts of Bargle, Elwyn, and other people we are looking for ("Have you seen this man around here lately?")

Ha, I can see the wanted signs now lol

[Innana]

Great job (x 9) Innana! It's nice to be adventuring with such a talented group of artists!

Perhaps Innana or Saul can become the party's official sketch artist as we go around interrogating locals on the whereabouts of Bargle, Elwyn, and other people we are looking for ("Have you seen this man around here lately?")

I am glad you enjoyed it.


Unfortunately my work keeps me quite drained of creative energy and time. This is the first drawing I have ever done like this. It was just for fun, and thought you all might get a kick out of it. Maybe, if I get some time once in a while I can add a photo or two. I do want to start drawing. This would get me motivated to do it, but I would not do it very much.

[frobozz]

A Proposed Plot Hook Itinerary:

Hey guys, I am putting this proposed itinerary in spoilers so as not to overshadow Alethan's entrance. Welcome Alethan!

In an effort to head off another contentious vote on the many different plot hooks out there, I'm going to put forward a suggestion that I believe will accomodate everyone's wishes (although not necessarily in everyone's preferred order). It basically involves completing a "Grand Loop" beginning and ending in Threshold (check the map of the northern frontier in the "Maps" thread to follow along). We can build in some flexibility to it to accomodate any new plot hooks that we might want to explore along the way, but I think it would be generally helpful to have a basic itinerary in mind right from the start. This itinerary is certainly open to any suggestions/modifications, and it would never be set in stone anyway, so please feel free to voice your opinions at any time.

1. Return to Threshold by the same route that we came (Jessup to Eagle's Nest to Threshold)

a) plan to stay for 3 days to accomodate weapons training (Innana) and spell study (Elves and Drudsa)
b) cash in gems and jewelry (currently valued at 49,600 gp!!!)
c) identify all magic items (armor/potions)
d) use new wealth to make strategic purchases to last us 1 month (magic items, specialty items, transportation items, potions, scrolls, spell scribing supplies, healing supplies, etc.)
e) visit the library of Myraal the Guild Mage - study! (especially for the elves to finally be able to learn a couple of Level 2 spells) - minimum 20 hours
f) visit the weapons trainer - train! (mainly for Innana to gain skilled proficiency with her sword once she reaches Level 3) - minimum 16 hours
g) visit the Church and Fr. Varis - get an update on the progress of the Elwyn mission - set up a means of remote communication with Fr. Varis so that he and the Church can get urgent messages delivered to us if needed

2. The Beast of the Logging Camps (one of the original plot hooks set in and around Threshold)

A large beast, possessing a foul temper and evil dispostion, has been
terrorizing the logging camps north of Threshold. No one can say for certainty
what manner of animal it is, but the beast has been responsible for the deaths
of at least five loggers. The Baron has offered anyone who slays the beast an
enchanted blade of ancient provence.

3. Depart Threshold from the northern gate. Proceed to the Magic Fountain (north of Threshold).

Thordin encounterd a tinker who told the dwarf of a magic fountain he stumbled across some days north of Threshold. Guarded by a man made of stone, one sip from its waters made a man strong as an ogre. The tinker sold Thordin a map to the place for 75 gold coins.

4. Northern road meets western trail. Turn west and proceed to the Orc Lair.

The armorer in Threshold told Lanny of a tribe of orcs, lairing a few days to the northwest, that have looted an ancient tomb and managed to come away with, along with other treasures, a magical shield.

From the Jessup innkeeper: "The eastern road isn't used much these days. There's one or two villages that way, and I've heard it told you can get to the Duke's Road that way, but there've been rumors of orcs and the like waylaying travelers. Some old tombs and battlefields can be found out there, though, left over from the old days..."

5. Continue to Jessup.

Check with the innkeeper for any communications from Threshold. If requested to return to Threshold to deal with Elwyn, do so. If not, continue on with #6.

6. Follow Innana's Map (this adventure requires 2 full weeks of travel to and from tower)

"My name is Innana Sureblade, and it seems I am the sole survivor of a group who was following a map of a burial mound of an ancient Traladaran King... I know I have probably caught you in the middle of your own adventure, but did I mention the fact that the map has the promise of three magical items?" She lifts one eyebrow, and adds, "Did I mention they are three POTENT magical items?" Innana tells the tale that the burial mound is thought to include a wand, a staff, and the legendary sword Usudostrica.

7. Return to Jessup. Repeat steps in #5.

8/9. Clear the Wizard's Tower (Hopefully Marodin will be Level 6 by then and have ability to Speak With The Dead, and we will have lots of new magic weapons!)

From the kobold prisoner: "Tower? You mean the {insanely tall building that defies belief}?" The little beast spits. "Its roots are deep, longear, and those of my tribe avoid its denizens at all costs. They are abominations before Kurtulmak, killing and stealing the souls of my people. Things like ghosts, all form and no substance. They are hard to hit, and even harder to kill."

8/9. Hunt down the Kobolds (if they were not already encountered and killed in the lower caverns beneath the tower)

From the kobold prisoner: "They [the ghosts in the tower] not bother us, and we not bother them. Kobold {Hive} far away, anyway, at least a day's walk.... As to why we were on the surface, it is simple. You were seen by one of our guardposts and looked an easy target. We were going to kill you and take your {dead corpse food} back to partake of your strength."

10. Return to Threshold. Repeat steps in #1.

11. Travel to Penhaligon to begin the pursuit of Elwyn.

The Magic Mouth in the caves provided us with this information about the location of Elwyn's hideout:
"Travel to Penhaligon and seek the assistance of a mortal woman calling herself Selfa Erinsdotter. She will lead you to your destination. Beware of two things! Things are not what they seem in Penhaligon. Trust no one. Next, the Drowned Maiden has awaken after her centuries of sleep and stalks both banks of the river, clutching both man and beast in her icy embrace."

Lanny met a gnome craftsman named Master Odo who told the elf of a number of barrows, the burial mounds of ancient kings, a day's ride north of Penhaligon. It is said there are a score or more of these mounds, each the resting place of a powerful king or warrior or sorcerer of old -- of the beastfolk that used to rule the land, they say -- and that some mounds open up into deeper caverns and corridors, that were ancient a thousand years ago or more.

12. By this point, we will have established ourselves as a well renowned and well respected adventuring company (at least in Threshold), and so I would suggest shifting our focus away from the northern frontier and more towards the interior of the Grand Duchy of Karameikos, exploring the towns and cities and beginning to meet and interact with important and powerful NPCs throughout the country.

[thirdkingdom]

Just one quick note. Innana cannot start to practice to gain weapon mastery until after she has reached 3rd. In other words, one cannot spend 15 of 16 hours studying while at 2nd level and one quick hour as soon as third is attained.

[frobozz]

Got it. I was hoping that we could find a short adventure in or around Threshold (like The Beast of the Logging Camps adventure) that would possibly give her enough XP to make it to Level 3 while we are there in Threshold, before we start our studying/training (Innana is very close to 4000 XP). Or even a short adventure in Eagle's Nest or somewhere on the road back to Threshold would be an option.

Also, I suppose another valid return route to Threshold would be via the eastern road (ie. 4,3,2,1,5,6,7,8,9,10,11), although Lanny prefers getting to Threshold sooner rather than later.

By the way TK, I remember you saying that some of those original plot hooks in or around Threshold may have already expired (ie. the tasks may have already been completed by another party). If you get a chance sometime, would you mind striking through those (as well as the ones we've already completed) on the Plot Hooks thread?

[Luis]

Very cool work, Frobozz. Saul and I are ok with it.