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15:22, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Sailing East.

Posted by NestorFor group 0
Balthazar the Hedonite
player, 299 posts
magic-user 8
Tue 16 Aug 2011
at 03:30
  • msg #136

Re: Sailing East

Nestor:
Check the game map...the Amazons are the red dots in the trees. Cuivi is the blue dot in the tree. The Heart of Oak is near the mouth of Phasis but I forgot to put it on the map.


Wow, I never knew we had a game map before!

Well, the casting time for Leomund's Secure Shelter is 4 turns, and besides we're probably going to need that to sleep in at night, so I'll hold off on that.

Balthazar casts Monster Summoning I - elves again would be nice.  I assume that his invisibility isn't dispelled until he actually orders the summoned monsters to attack.  For the spot in which the summoned monsters appear, he chooses the swath of forest directly northwest from the center point of the Amazons.  That way, they'll come into being able to take cover from the get-go, and what's more they may be able to get rear attacks if all the Amazons are focused on watching the south.  At the very least it will turn them all around so that the party can then advance.  Balthazar is hovering 3" above the spot where the summoned monsters appear.  Just after he orders them to the attack, he casts sleep on the amazons, targeting those a bit farther away that wouldn't immediately be the subject of the summoned monster's initial attacks.

Between the summoned monsters, the sleep spell, and Amazons wasting bow shots on targeting the hovering Balthazar who is protected from their missiles (assuming none are magical) this fight should be under control.  If need be, Balthazar will follow up with magic missile and stinking cloud as appropriate.
Nestor
GM, 506 posts
Your venerable guide
Wed 17 Aug 2011
at 15:52
  • msg #137

Re: Sailing East

Balthazar and his wizardly ways swoop down on the Amazons like a plague from the gods. With a flourish and a few words in an arcane tongue 8 short but exceedingly stout warriors, heavily armed an armored, appear just northwest of the Amazons. They charge the women with a battle cry that sounds a bit Germanic but still different.

The women are taken unaware but fight valiantly until they begin to fall asleep. One by one they drop to the ground and are slain by axe and hammer of the stout warriors who seem a bit confused yet thirsty for blood.

Only six of the women do not succumb to the spell of the Hedonite. One of them is caught and dropped by a stout axe while the other five manage to escape.

Without any other help, Balthazar has managed to clear the field of Amazons. In a matter of minutes, the stout warrior vanish just as they appeared.

Cuivi waits in his tree and surveys the carnage.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:01, Wed 17 Aug 2011.
Loukas Ouranus
player, 464 posts
Wed 17 Aug 2011
at 15:58
  • msg #138

Re: Sailing East

From the Heart of Oak Loukas watches. At first concerned, but finally with an hurrah and a laugh, "Remind me never again to argue with the Wizard!"
Miroslav
NPC, 193 posts
From the land of the Rus'
Wed 17 Aug 2011
at 16:14
  • msg #139

Re: Sailing East

The big Rus leans on the rail next to Loukas and smiles..."I knew we brought him along for more than just his cooking skills. Let us turn the ship back to shore where we can retrieve our bull and continue with what we came here for and see if we can find Jean and the shaman."

He looks to Oleg and calls out..."Let's get her turned around and back to the beach where we came from."

Slowly the ship begins to head back to the beach. Within less than 20 minutes the Heart of Oak is once again safely beached.
Radvila
player, 29 posts
Warrior from the Baltic
Wed 17 Aug 2011
at 16:16
  • msg #140

Re: Sailing East

Radvila is one of the first out of the ship. He is obviously eager to start work on the god post. "I will find a suitable tree. I know that Barmak suggests two but I do not know if I have time to carve two trees. Cutting and shaping just one will be enough work to keep me busy for the next day."
Loukas Ouranus
player, 465 posts
Wed 17 Aug 2011
at 16:36
  • msg #141

Re: Sailing East

"Keep in mind, brothers and sisters, that although there are few of them left, they may still return for vengeance."

He grabs a tun of wine from their stores and jumps overboard, approaching the wizard, Cuivi, and the unconscious Frank, "Sirs, you have both done bold and brave service to our efforts. Master Barmak, may I offer you some wine? Your throat must be parched after your little exercise! Cuivi, you do honor to your gods and show noble friendship to our friend... Where is Sir Jean?"
This message was last edited by the player at 15:31, Thu 18 Aug 2011.
Nestor
GM, 507 posts
Your venerable guide
Wed 17 Aug 2011
at 19:46
  • msg #142

Re: Sailing East

Sorry Loukas...no sign of Jean anywhere.
Loukas Ouranus
player, 466 posts
Wed 17 Aug 2011
at 19:48
  • msg #143

Re: Sailing East

Doh! I've edited my post.
Balthazar the Hedonite
player, 300 posts
magic-user 8
Wed 17 Aug 2011
at 20:44
  • msg #144

Re: Sailing East

Balthazar flies over to the party and says grimly, "I believe Sir Jean was taken by his old nemesis Basrakan the fire elemental.  We summoned him originally with the Cube I hold; dare we try it again now in an attempt to free him?"
Barmak Mahvand
player, 121 posts
O, the brave Music
of a distant Drum!
Wed 17 Aug 2011
at 23:34
  • msg #145

Re: Sailing East

I know nothing of such matters. I do know you're asking a big favor of a god...think two posts best. Unless somebody objects, I'm going to follow the Amazons who escaped for a ways. Think we should have warning if they return with others.
Dyanna.
player, 216 posts
A woman of
Greece
Wed 17 Aug 2011
at 23:52
  • msg #146

Re: Sailing East

Dyanna shakes her head when she hears of Basrakhan,
"This is not good at all! My guess is that the elemental has had his eye on our friend and was waiting for him to be too weak to put up a fight. If this is indeed the case then Jean is in no shape to fight or free himself while in the clutches of that red bastard."

She looks at Balthazar and continues,
"I am not sure if that is such a wise move my hedonistic friend but I cannot think of an alternative."

Looking to Miroslav and the others,
"What do you think?"
Radvila
player, 30 posts
Warrior from the Baltic
Wed 17 Aug 2011
at 23:56
  • msg #147

Re: Sailing East

Radvila cocks his head as he looks at Barmak and says..."Perhaps your kind is more used to carving coconut trees?"

He throws his hands up as he turns around and mutters...""Ok, two god posts but they will not be hardwood. This water god best be happy with pine!"

He stalks of into the nearby forest in search of two likely trees to fell.
Miroslav
NPC, 194 posts
From the land of the Rus'
Thu 18 Aug 2011
at 00:00
  • msg #148

Re: Sailing East

Miroslav nods at Barmak..."Yes follow them but not too far. We may have need of you."

He looks at Ulfr and says..."Take some men with you and scavenge what you can from the bodies of the women."

He then looks at both Dyanna and Balthazar..."There is little I understand about your cube other than it is very powerful. I do know that Jean is our brother in arms and cannot be left behind. I will let the others speak their minds on this before I give my opinion." He gives both Loukas and A'Kos a quick glance.
Cuivi
player, 39 posts
Thu 18 Aug 2011
at 00:40
  • msg #149

Re: Sailing East

"It truly was a horrifying sight! I rushed to Sir Jean's aid but before i could get to him, the ground itself opened and a fiery red hand grabbed him and pulled him in.

I had heard talk of this Basrakhan before but did not truly understand what he was. I fear we might not be able to help our friend Sir Jean but it seems we are honour bound to do so."

Balthazar the Hedonite
player, 301 posts
magic-user 8
Thu 18 Aug 2011
at 00:50
  • msg #150

Re: Sailing East

"Well ... " Balthazar thinks out loud, " just to give you a sense of what the odds are.  There are 6 faces to the cube, each going to a different dimension.  We once pressed a cube face that led to Baskrakan; no saying it will again.  So let's say that we have a 20% chance of reaching Basrakan with the cube in the first place.  Then once we've met up with him, we have to get him to hand over Jean.  I have charm monster memorized, and he's a powerful foe but there's probably a 40% chance that would affect him.  Otherwise, we might be able to overcome him with force, so let's say our chance of getting Jean back from Basrakan is 50%.  So put the two together, and we're looking at about 10%."
Loukas Ouranus
player, 467 posts
Thu 18 Aug 2011
at 02:28
  • msg #151

Re: Sailing East

Loukas begins to speak and then pauses. Jean is a pompous cur as far as he is concerned. His religion is pompous, his unwillingness to do any real work is pompous... Everyone knows that he and Jean do not get along. BUT... When the Frank dealt with the elemental he might have saved their lives, and certainly saved others in the city. It reflected a wisdom that Jean, oddly enough, at least to Loukas's eyes, rarely seemed to showed. Even more, the man, despite his pomposity, was one of them: The crew of the Heart of Oak.

"If we were to rest for enough time to let you and Cuivi rest and recover your spells we would be better prepared. Let us rest here now. The sooner we do so the better. Then we go after him through the cube and Radvila takes his trees onto the ship and the crew that remains lies offshore waiting for our return, so that they are not exposed to a counter attack or any other inhospitable locals.

"Does this seem reasonable?"

Barmak Mahvand
player, 122 posts
O, the brave Music
of a distant Drum!
Thu 18 Aug 2011
at 05:58
  • msg #152

Re: Sailing East

Using what cover there is, Barmak goes off on his  scouting / early warning  trip.
A'kos, the Falcon
player, 409 posts
Magyar Warrior
True Friend/Fierce Foe
Thu 18 Aug 2011
at 14:16
  • msg #153

Re: Sailing East

A'kos has said little as the Hedonite plies his trade, and the others talk like a gaggle of women.  Disgruntled at being captive aboard ship, still part of him is relieved that he did not have to shed the blood of women, a strange brood though they were.

Listening to the plans he hears tell of Sir Jean's plight, and grin grows upon his face - here is a story worth telling!

"Aye, I'm for going after the stubborn mule!  A story to tell the heathens of my tribe around our fires to enflame (pardon the pun) their passions.  Perhaps such a story would be enough to finally convince Ge'za that abandoning our heritage has brought shame to our folk, maybe enough to force him to renounce his Christianity and put the interlopers in our lands to the sword!"

Realizing his passions were beginning to overflow he calms and bit.  With a rueful chuckle, however, he adds, "And I imagine their are flaming horses that will fair fly across the fields of hell - such a ride I would wish to take!"
Miroslav
NPC, 195 posts
From the land of the Rus'
Thu 18 Aug 2011
at 21:04
  • msg #154

Re: Sailing East

Miroslav smiles at A'Kos, obviously he feels the same way about certain things. Once the Magyar is finished speaking he says..."It is settled then. We will do as Loukas and Balthazar have said. Radvila can stay here and work on his posts aboard the ship. I suggest that in the morning we go back on shore and get left there with the cube. Balthazar can work the damned thing and we can get Jean and be on our way even if it means we must kill Basrakan."
Barmak Mahvand
player, 123 posts
O, the brave Music
of a distant Drum!
Thu 18 Aug 2011
at 22:45
  • msg #155

Re: Sailing East

PM
Nestor
GM, 508 posts
Your venerable guide
Thu 18 Aug 2011
at 23:05
  • msg #156

Re: Sailing East

After awhile a short while or a long while (Traditional Russian fairy tale way of putting things) Barmak returns from his scouting.

Ulfr and his small crew return with some weapons and a few trinkets from the dead amazons. Nothing too valuable.

Radvila returns and gets a crew to help him retrieve his two pine trees. They quickly drag them back and make short work of clearing them for the carving which he sets to before sunset.

The sun sets and a guard is set up...the Heart of Oak and it's crew safely rest for the night on the gently rolling waves of the Black Sea.
Barmak Mahvand
player, 124 posts
O, the brave Music
of a distant Drum!
Thu 18 Aug 2011
at 23:18
  • msg #157

Re: Sailing East

Barmak return ans reports: Seems to be no thought of attacking us. In fact, they sem to be in bad shape so far as their strength and numbers go. No sure about how all of you feel, but I think they can be negotiated with. We could help some of them get pregnant, and they could provide us with information and supplies. No so good an idea if they want to kill or enslave men, but maybe they're willing to adopt an alternative, like something normal.

This might be more likely if it wasn't...ah...like a stag mounting a doe...something more pleasurable for them.

This message was last edited by the player at 23:24, Thu 18 Aug 2011.
Miroslav
NPC, 196 posts
From the land of the Rus'
Thu 18 Aug 2011
at 23:56
  • msg #158

Re: Sailing East

Miroslav raises and eyebrow and looks at both Jaleh and Dyanna..."I will not pretend to understand women, even normal ones, if there be such creatures. I will also rarely deny a women my seed if she so craves it...I think we will need to talk about this more after we finish.

We can continue on here as long as we need to but I am going to start a new thread for the Search for Jean.
Loukas Ouranus
player, 468 posts
Fri 19 Aug 2011
at 01:33
  • msg #159

Re: Sailing East

Loukas smiles at Barmak's suggestion, "It might be useful to learn what experience they have of Pharis... And whatnot. Well, clearly Jean is of the first importance. If you'd like to stay back and handle the... negotiations, Barmak, I think that would be rather... valuable to us."

Looking around at those who stand around him, he grins, "No. I am serious!"
Barmak Mahvand
player, 125 posts
O, the brave Music
of a distant Drum!
Fri 19 Aug 2011
at 03:03
  • msg #160

Re: Sailing East

Baqrmak clears his throat. The text is titled One Thousand and One Nights, not A Thousand and One in One Night.
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