You spin around and around in a laundromat dryer run by a Roswell Gray who is also Elvis, and then it stops and you're dragged out, and dumped on a dusty stone floor, and...

You realize you are laying on a dusty stone floor. Some small metal piece is in your right hand.

You hear a door creak open, and your nose twitches as you try to fight a dust-created sneeze, and then a click and the darkness is replaced with light beyond your eyelids.

PT

::puts his hands over his eyes::

BRIGHT LIGHT, BRIGHT LIGHT

::rubs his eyes slowly to get used to the evil light::

::picks up his hand with the metal piece and looks at it as he opens his eyes and looks around::

Its a finely crafted, and painted metal figurine of a dwarven fighter with an axe over his shoulder.

You're laying on the concrete floor of an unfinished basement with the illumination furnished by a hanging incandescent bulb.  A hot water heater, and a black metal furnace, a pile of insulation, and metal rebar next to it keep you company.

The joists of are old and spotted with daubs of paint, and wires strung from the ceiling, and coated with a fine white dust which hangs in the air being similiar in taste on your tongue like chalk.

A table is to your left, and on it sit three more metal figurines, and there are five metal folding chairs arrayed about the folding card table.

The staircase is wood 2 by 6's with no railing, and you can see someone's legs as she comes down the staircase.

PT

::sit up and start checking around me for my stuff, as this is definatly reality, but not the con, so did I make it to a friends house to sleep::

Whose there....did I oversleep the con?

"I'm Katherine." You hear a girl's voice come down the steps.  "Ralphie said he was having a new player.  Don't tell me you were sitting in the dark down here."

Katherine comes down to the bottom of the steps.  She's pretty in a long, brown-haired, subdued sort of way with brown pants,and a dark blue blouse, and perhaps a hundred pounds altogether.

Behind her comes a stocky young guy with a yellow t-shirt that proclaims allegiance to Metallica.  Another, much taller, black-haired fellow is behind him.

He's got a t-shirt on that shows a pic of Einstein.

"This is George and T."  They both study you, and then shake your hand.

"Ralphie will be here soon." T says.  He grimaces.

PT

::shakes their hands::

I'm Adam, or Jhiaxus, I haven't met a Ralphie, but I signed up for a few events, and was sleep deprived. What game we playing?

::notices the grimace::

What's that for, it's not like we are in the Hackmaster Wurld Championship with Dave Kenzer as our GM....

::smiles::

"GM? Dude, its Gamemastah!  Learn it, fear it."  The tall black-haired guy says.  "Sides, its not Hackmaster, whatever lame-o game that is, but Bloodquest." T says.

"Hackmaster, sounds..." Katherine begins softly...

"World championship, now that would be rad, dude. You know how to apply?" George asks.

PT
OOC: Heh, heh, gratuitous insults at Hackmaster by closed-minded gamer nerd...

::smiles::

Oh I'm sure I will phear it, never heard of Bloodquest, can you describe the system?

::grins::

Well Hackmaster has the HMA, so you become a member, and attend Gencon, and that's where the Wurld Championships are held. I went to both Origins and Gencon and won, I swept the Tournament of Champions and Wurld Championships. As for Bloodquest, do they have an organization like the HMA?

::looks at the table and chairs and walks over and sits down::

::I assume I notice all the weird items from my dream::

Um...don't mine me, I was just...um about to attend a LARP...that's why all the weapons....you know those crazy V:TM people....

::opens up his backpack and sets up his dice, paper and pencils, making sure his Dwarven Stones are set aside, and his solid sterling silver full sized dice are as well, as he pulls out his Gamescience dice::

So what dice am I going to need for the game, and I think I have a miniature here somewhere....

::pulls out his Drow Fighter Mage miniature and puts it on the table in front of him::

Sorry, I would have brought more, but I was only going to play Siljonic at the convention, if I knew I needed more, I would have brought the case.

::looks at everyone and looks eagar to play and smiles, but is wondering how his shotgun got here, as well as all the weapons and items from the dream::
This message was last edited by the player at 17:45, Fri 17 Feb 2006.

He begins to describe Bloodquest, which sounds like an unimaginative reworking of early D&D with stuper powers put in to make it 'bad', and with most of the clever parts taken out.

They blink at you when you mention the HMA.

LARP? Siljonic? V:tM...What are you talking about is the expression on their face.

However, George loves your axe, and then as the dice come out, they crowd around, their tongues practically hanging out.

You hear someone moving around upstairs which is probably Ralphie from the reaction of the players.

PT
OOC: I don't even know Siljonic.  Although I have played LARP.  Possibly my favorite moment was when I took my human TK, another buddies microcameras and voice speakers  which he implanted in a teddy bear, and then TK ed the teddy bear up to 'talk' to some vampires....the Storytellers fairly quickly forbad it, but it was grin-worthy to me...of course thats the problem with vamp larps...its supposed to be serious.

OOC: ROFL, Siljonic Blackwind is my 7/7 Drow Fighter Mage, who the figure represents, so they wouldn't know about him. He has won me two arena matches, and won Character of the Year 2005 in the HMA. I stopped LARPing in 2000, as I found it to be more of a job than fun.

::looks at their reactions::

::points to the miniature::

That is Siljonic, he's my hackmaster character and who the figure usually represents

The HMA is the Hackmaster Association, they put together rules so you can take your home PC, and play him at a tournament. The rules are there to make sure everyone is on a level playing field.

LARP is Live Action Role Playing, where you are your character, so I am the character, what I do in real time is what the character does.

V:TM is a game by a company called White Wolf, and you play a vampire in a city of vampires and humans, there are werewolves around and other enemies. LARPing is most often associated with V:TM

::sees their looks and figures they are playing some homebrewed system, and haven't been out in the public with more of the mainstream systems::

You wouldn't believe how many pirates I disembowled with that axe.....in the LARP I mean of coarse...

::nervous laugh::

::lets them take a look at my dice, since it happens often, I had too much income and not enough bills in the early part of the millenium, and bought dice::

::waits for the "gamemastah!" to come down::

The door at the top of the stairs swings open, and then closed.  Then it opens again, and you hear a reedy voice complaining about how it sticks.

Ralphie comes down the staircase.  He's wearing a white t-shirt with red pinstriping, and  a pair of corduroy pants and old tenneboppers, scuffed and dirt-stained.

His hair is wild and uncombed, and his eyes jump about looking quickly, but looking away even quicker.  Perhaps ninety pounds of bone and skin.

"Well, the fourth player finally saw fit to arrive."  He announces in a grating voice, and then gathers himself for a buzzsaw laugh.

"Everyone pick up your miniature, uh, figurine things. Okay?"

He steps over toward the table, and then sheers off heading toward another part of the room.

PT

::readjusts the miniature in front of him waiting for the "gamemastah!" to get ready to start::

"I've told you about some of the really clever things I've planned, but we had to get the fourth player.  Now we can begin."

"Great, because its been a lot of hype so far." T grumbles.  George just laughs, and Katherine looks uncomfortable.

"SILENCE, I AM THE GAMEMASTAH!"  The roar of his voice surpises you, and jolts T out of his seat, and onto the hard floor.  It has volume and presence that would impress a Marine drill sergeant.

You notice the room seems to be spinning, or it feels so, and the dwarf fighter figurine in front of you seems to be stretching his muscles.

PT

::hmm seems like a Nitro kind of GM::

::rubs his hands into his eyes since he is starting to halucinate from lack of sleep::

::looks again to see if everything is ok::

You look around, and suddenly you feel a 'pop' as if your ears adjusted to a new pressure, but its inside your head.

And then a flare of pain rushes through you from head to toe, and your vision goes red with blood.  Now that it is cleared, you look again.

T is dressed in a black robe with a staff.  George is garbed in leather armor and is juggling a pair of daggers.  Katherine is dressed in chain mail from her steel cap to her steel boots, and a diamond like "R" hangs from a necklace around her neck.

Your feet don't quite reach the ground.  Your legs don't fit in the chair.  And then the chair groans under your weight.

You hop up before it collapses, and stand to your full height of four feet.

"Excellent." Says Ralphie.  "I have brought you to my realm, and outfitted you suitably.  Now the adventure..."

PT

::looks around::

::thinks:: Ya know, you'd think one of my dreams would involve women throwing themselves at me, and me being Bond....not some Dwarf......jeesh I would have taken Drow....or Human.....sighs....no more junkfood before bed....

::looks down and looks at himself::

Um....why am I a Dwarf? I've heard of getting into character before but this is taking it a little far....so I guess I'm the Dwarven Fighter, T is the mage, George is the thief, and Katherine is the cleric....Well....I guess this will be like the Hackmaster Virtual Reality strip from Knights of the Dinner Table....

::waits::

"They haven't heard of Hackmaster yet because it doesn't exist yet, worldwalker.  Try to confine your jokes to the late eighties okay, or only I'm going to understand them, and thats because I am a god."  Ralphie says.

Sniggers greet this statement.

"Doubt me not, players. I am the Creator, the Master of All, the Gamemastah!  All that ever was or ever will be was made by my hand."

He waves a hand at a wall, and although you know there wasn't a door there, at the same time you clearly remember there being one there all the time.

"I don't hold with all those newfangled power munchkinized stuff like Drow Figher/Mages and even worse 4th edition D&D." He shudders.  "No this is the pure stuff.  A dwarf fighter, a human mage, a halfling thief, and an elven cleric."

Katherine pushes back her long, light brown hair to reveal ears with points.  They're cute.

PT

::gets up and heads to the door and opens it up::

Let's kick this pig

::heads on through::

You take five steps, find yourself stopping,and in fits and starts everyone goes through the door.  No one can take more than five steps before halting.

In the next room, twenty feet square and twenty feet tall is a giant forty foot tall with a club on which is strapped a screaming peasant maid.

In the center of the room is a sword stuck into the floor.  Black dust covers the floor.  Its quite slippery.

"Fee fie foe aarggh..cough, cough. Git ready to die, ya bunch of robbers."

PT

((I will assume I have normal dungeon equipment on the character))

::thinking:: Hmm a 40 foot tall giant in a 20x20x20 room, he must be pissed to be hunched over like that....

::gets out his rope and grapple, and starts twirling it above his head and launching it at the giant, hoping to grab on to him and using the slippery bacl dust to take him down before advancing to kill him::

Actually, he seems to be standing straight up.  You look again.  Yes, the room is twenty feet tall.  Yes, the giant is forty feet tall.  Yes, he's standing upright.

Your brain hurts.

You stop.

The grappelling hook, which you retrieve from your backpack marked "Everyday Ordinary Adventuring Kit, made by Maniacally Happy Little Gnomes" swings easily in your hand, and you let it go.

It hooks into the giant's shoe laces, and you yank.

His foot moves a bit, and he stumbles.  His foot yanks back, and you get to do Superman for about fifteen feet before sliding face first through black shavings.

He falls...and his head hits the floor with a sound like a giant melon splitting.

Ralphie starts shrieking, and tearing at his skin as he flies along behind your group.

You feel suddenly stronger.

"Level Two Dwarf Fighter". You hear out of the air, and then a chorus of polka band players step out of the secret door in the wall, and begin playing triumphantly.

OOC: A botch on the giant's stay on his feet roll...."100"...well grrrrrr...

PT

::looks around bewildered::

That worked better than expected...

::looks at everyone::

Well we should check the sword for traps, then try to get it. Well there is a secret door in the wall, we should also check any other doors for traps before leaving, any objections?

((OOC: ROFL, I have a history of killing giants at first level in hackmaster. My one Thief/Skald Package threw a Hand Axe at a Fire Giant, and severed it's leg with a critical, and he bled out in three rounds. :) )

Katherine cheers, but George studies you, and T sulks.  They didn't go up a level.  Ralphie glares at you.

Everyone walks over to the stone.  Its set into the floor in a small open square that leaves just enough room around it to fit the naked blade in.

The sword looks formidable, dangerous, and lethally keen.

George looks into the hole alongside the edge of the sword.

"Just some more stones down there. I'd pull it out.  Or yank it since its tight wedged in there."

PT

::looks at it::

Before we touch it let me use my dwarven senses to see if it's safe for us to do so...

::I'm using my dwarven stone abilities to determine if pulling it out will make something unstable, if it's a stonework pit or trap, if everything checks out, will pull it out since I probably have the best saves vs magic and poison::

::if it's ok, pulls it out::

OOC: I think I'm being fair here, but....

IC: You pull, you yank, and then the sword comes free with a 'screeechhh' and a spark leaps from the steel sword, and drops on the black coal dust...


Whooomph!  You have one second to stare in horror as the whole room flickers in flame, and then a mind-shattering concussion.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

You wake up sitting in the chair at the table, along with your team.

"Well, one room before you hit the reset button, not too good, going to have to do better than that." Ralphie mocks you all while floating in the air.

PT

::smiles::

My dwarven abilities should have detected those stones were indeed part of a trap, so it looks like you enjoy skirting the rules, well he's a little know rule for you. Did you know that a weapon taken out of it's home plane in effect becomes magical. Since you are a gawd here and this is your home plane, you can be killed.

::takes his axe and tries to split Ralphie in 2::

((know it probably won't work, but it's satisifing :) ))

"You, you Rules Lawyer!!!"  He curses you, and you land the axe on his head at the extreme of your reach because he's floating, and you're four feet tall (and three feet wide, btw.)

The axe clunks with satisfying glittering sparks flying from it, and a humming glow surrounding it.

And then you watch one tiny hair off Ralphie's head float down to the ground.

"I am a god, no I am THE GOD.  Maker of All.  I have two hundred thousand hit points, you puny little second level dwarf."  His voice is getting louder, and the room is shaking.  "I created you out of nothing, and this is my thanks?"

The roof splits open, and you look up to see a terrified cow falling directly toward you.

Ralphie dissappears with a 'pop'.

PT
Indeed. 'Tis fun for both.

::welcomes the sweet embrace of death by a cow::

((Grins :) ))

Kaboom.

You wake, sitting in the chair again.  This time, its ten minutes of endless waiting as a fly buzzes around you, and the others, also frozen in their chairs.
And then you can move.

You're immediately greeted by wails of dismay from the others.  They want to go home.  They don't believe this is happening.  They wish you would stop getting them killed....

PT

::looks at them all::

I'm not killing you, Ralphie is killing you remember that, now I want to get out of here more than any of you, so let's move. Where is the damn sword we died for, I died with it, it's ours, who here wants to use it?

::basically daring them to continue to bitch, since I am not in a mood::

They all look at you, and decide to accept your change of subject.

Katherine says she can't use it, since she's a cleric, but when she picks it up, it fits her hand well.

The others shrug.

"Its obviously magic. T, what can you cast to find out its nature?"

"If I cast Spotlight of Truth, thats my one spell for the day, dimwit." He replies.

George growls at him.

PT

::halts the conversation before it gets ugly::

Ok I have never played this game, but 2e AD&D opened up Longsword usage for Theives, I'm happy with my axe, let T use the sword, save your spell, and let's check out the next room, Deal?. Wait a minute, who do you warship Katherine, some Dietys opened up other weapon usage. a Cleric of Odin comes to mind, they can use spear, battle axe, longsword in 2e, it's possible you can use it and don't even know it?

::wanting to make peace and get out of this psycho world::

"I'm not sure." She says thoughtfully, and holds up her diamond "R" on its chain.  "Lets find out."

She raises her hands, and sings out a succession of notes.

And Ralphie appears.

"Yes, my daughter."

She looks horrified.

PT

::thinks:: That's just wrong on *SO* many levels....

::sighs::

Ask him what weapons your allowed to use I'd rather the sword goto the best person that can use it, and the order in combat ability is Fighter than Cleric than Theif, then Mage.....

::waits::

Ralphie replies, and he relays the information which she passes on to you.

"The classes are Warrior, Clergy, Fingers, and Magician.  But otherwise you are right.  I can use the sword because its a special holy sword called 'Mercies' Justice', but he won't tell me more than that.  Ordinarily, I can't use a sword, only maces and staves and such."

Then Ralphie disappears as the spell ends.

And Katherine gets up from her knees, and mimes vomiting.

"I don't know if I can do that again.  Besides, it kinda feels like idolatry, and I'm Methodist, and I don't think we're supposed to do that."

PT

::nods::

Well the sword is yours, let's hit the next room, and find a way out of here, or perhaps a reason why we are here...

You go back into the next room.

Its the giant again.  He's alive.  The only thing missing is the sword in the middle is some sort of plainer hand-and-a-half sword, not as beautiful at a quick glance as Mercies' Justice.

"Well, I'll be. Food that delivers itself, and in nice cans.  Good thing I have a can opener."  He hefts his fifteen foot long club while guffawing at his 'joke'.

PT

::if the black dust is back, step out of the room and light it on fire using a torch, while closing the door, if not, I'm a Dwarf with bonuses to AC if not see below::

The real question is not whose going win, that's us, but will it be us, or the party of adventures behind you that hits you first!

::if he turns around charge him, if not, wait a few seconds and charge him::

::Grumble.  You're evil.

Drops match.

Slams door.

Fwoooom!

Door bends almost to breaking, and smoulders.

PT

::waits for about 10 seconds at the smouldering, and opens the door (with axe if need be), assuming to a greeting a smoke, waiting for the smoke to clear to see if the giant is dead, and if there are any other exits, and to check out the sword::

Olie Olie Oxen Free

::smiles::

Theres a locked door on the other side of the room, a dead giant, and the sword is pulled free, and it sparks, but there is nothing to ignite now.

It looks like a plain but decent sword.

PT

::looks around::

Ok let's check that door for traps, and since it's Ralphy, make sure you check up to the door for a pit trap or trip wire., once we reasonably sure there is no traps we open the door.

::waits while the "fingers" does his job::

'Fingers' does his job.  And he is very diligent, and paranoid.

"You'd be paranoid too.  Remember that Plastic Magnet Door Trap of his?"

Finally, he is finished.

He backs up, and turns to you.

"All right. Its safe, I think. You can open it."

This provokes some yelling.  T says its the Fingers job to open the door, and Katherine says Fingers has a point when the toughest guy should open the door, and round and round it goes...

PT

::I walk over and open the door::

I'll open the doors, that's my job, so no need to argue about it.

::looks in to see what's there::

You see a dark metallic dragon of tiger size, sitting on a stack of gold coins about waist height on you.

The room is a bowl of fifty feet in diameter, and twenty feet deep with a flat spot of ten feet in diameter at the bottom where the dragon sleeps.

"Oh, no. Thats not fair. Thats a Plutionium Dragon. Level Fifteen. Even getting a flake of their scales in your mouth, or in you is enough for an instant Save vs. Killing resistance check."  Fingers says.

"Well, it sorta makes sense." Katherine says. "After all Plutonium is the world's most dangerous poison."

"Don't forget its radioactive as well, and only magic weapons can  hurt it." T mutters as the dragon smiles in its 'sleep'.

PT

::shrugs::

Just follow my lead

::motions for them to stay here and walks around the bowl to the other side::

Hello Mr Dragon, yeah up here, I would like to take your gold coins, and I don't want to have to kill you, so if you would be so kind, and let us take them....

::when he refuses, charge and jump an dstart attacking, hopefully the rest assist me::

((figure I hurt Ralphie with my axe, and dwarves have the best saves vs poison :) ))

He smiles back at you.

"Oh, I would love to part with the, the heavy, massy, shiny things, but they don't want to leave me, and I wouldn't want them to feel sad."  He crouches to his four feet, and lashes his tail.

You skid down the side of the bowl with Katherine following you shouting "Wheeee", and then Fingers.

T launches an attack over your heads from the rim of the bowl.

A laser beam of very limited force cracks from his fingertip, and irritates the dragon so that it roars.

You swing, but the dragon hooks you with a paw first, and you get to see what a wall looks like as you hurtle at it at thirty miles per hour.

You wake up back in the first room with the others.

PT

::smiles::

Well at leastI know how to kill him now....back to the first room....

::if the giant is alive, torch the room like last time, if he is dead, drag his carcass into the next room before he gets there::

::with the help of the others throws the carcass at him, hopefully his mass pulls it close, if not heave the hand and a half sword at him, hopefully his mass making it the killing  blow::

They like your plan, and with help from Walter's Wagon spell, you are able to tote the giant.  The wagon is only the size of a small car, but it helps, and for the rest...ropes, and brute strength.

It takes you an hour to drag the giant over there.  And the dragon looks up curious as the door opens.

And a minute later, its buried under forty feet of burnt giant.

You charge down on it.

"I would make a deal. For my life." The dragon says.

PT

::nods::

Apart from my demeanor, I'm a reasonable dwarf, as long as it doesn't endanger myself or my friends we'll make a deal, there would have to be a god oath involved to make sure no one backs out, and admittinance to the GM that we have defeated you for the Experience Points, but we don't want to kill you if we can avoid it.

::waits for the response::

She raises an eyebrow.

"Well, then we have a problem.  Or perhaps, just I do.  Because what I tell you will endanger you, and while I don't have a problem with an oath to some gods, I won't be making one to Him who you almost named, and should not name.  And you can't tell anyone you defeated me if you accept this deal."

"Lets kill it.  That will be three whole experience levels for us, and almost three for you."  Fingers says.

PT

::to fingers::

In these games, you get EP just for defeating monsters, not as much as killing, but enough to make it worthwhile.

::to the dragon::

Were already in danger in his world, you can make an oath to whatever god you want that once we release you, you won't attack us. Not unreasonable terms under the circumstances. I also want to hear what you were eluding to when you were talking about. As for telling, the GM is watching even if he isn't here and he knows I will make sure all EP awards are awarded.

"I swear by the Rules Lawyer and by the Munchkin that I will not harm you unless you steal my gold, or attack me."

You release the dragon, very carefully, so as to not get poisoned by one of the flakes on its skin.

"You're wrong.  The one who your cleric worships, he doesn't pay attention all the time.  He's not omniscient. And he can be stopped. Which would be a good thing. But you don't get EP for defeating me, unless he finds out about it."

It stretches its back, and cracks her vertebrae.  Then she starts eating the giant.

"I will answer three of your questions as best as I can.  This is your reward."

She looks up from snacking on giant fingers, and waits for a second.

PT

::smiles::

Fine as this is a game, and I'm sure we all want to get out of here, and gold isn't important to me unless I have it for real. I will ask three questions

::considers::

This is a two or three part question, depending on the complexibility of the answer. How can he who shall not be named be stopped, if there is an item involved, how do we get it?

::pauses::

This is a tough one, but one that needs to be asked, You mentioned other gods is this world a figment of the one who must not be named's imagination, are their other gawd here, please explain this world and the outside world as you know it.

::waits for answers for the first two before asking the last one::

"There are a number of ways that he can be stopped.  But the way that focuses on items is to gather the Munchkin Weapons such as the Axe of Quest Doom, and the Bow of Comets, and the Sword of Slaughter--there's twelve in all, and after gathering each one, he who must not be named will find it more and more difficult to act against you for these are god-made weapons.  And if he cannot toy with you, he will certainly tire of having you in his universe.  You can bargain with him for the completion of an adventure, but don't let him realize your goal. Also, you can find them, but he will resist you.  The Staff of Solar Flame is at the Red-Topped Mountain. And the Axe is in the Deep Dark in the Temple of the Really Evil Darque One.  I don't know about the others."

She takes a few more bites.

"In the Days Before, the Three ruled, but they rebelled. We, their loyal servitors, the dragons, chose to remain loyal to the One Above.  Thus they hate us.  The world is real.  You do not dream.  But the world is in continual flux.  The rules changing at the Ga.....umm, you know who's whim.  The other two of the Three are the Rules Lawyer who is chained up, and the Munchkin who is asleep.  They all hate each other."

She pops her neck.

"This world impinges on several other, more stable worlds, from which a certain person collects players at his whim."

PT

::smiles::

Well I was content to play till I was sent away, but I would just be dooming people to the same fate, and there is no guarantee  he'll let these guys go, so it looks like collecting items we go.

::considers::

You've been most helpful, and my last question is more of a request, is it possible for you to infuse my axe edge with some of your chips, I think as a plutonium dragon, your mass on metal can do what I request, it would make my job easier, and would make up for losing on the EP for not killing you. Although in retrospect, knowledge is better than levels.

::waits for a response::

She shuffles in her stack, and pulls out a silk shirt.

"Kewl, a Shirt of the Mongol Archer with 30% protection versus any non-magic arrows." Fingers says.

She then fishes around a bit more, and pulls a loose scale, about hand-size, from the pile.  Then she wraps the scale in the shirt.

"I can't fuse it.  But I can give you the material to use, and to safely transport it.  But make sure you find yourself a ring of magic protection or something because staying too long next to it will in the end cook you.  And of course, getting cut by it would probably kill you.  Not that that is too much of a problem for you worldwalker, but y'know..."

PT

::nods and takes the shirt::

Thanks for the help, now to the next room

::starts looking for an exit, when he finds it, getting fingers to check it out::

Fingers checks out the door, pronounces it trap free, which the dragon agrees with since she did not want a trap in her room, and you enter the outside.

Its a featureless waste. Gray sand, gray dust, gray clay.  Other than hexagons every ten feet, nothing for tens of miles until in the distance to your right, you see a line of tall, razor-back mountains.  On your left, you see a lone volcano with lava dripping down its side.

Behind you is a building of stone without windows.

"The Featureless Waste." Katherine says.

"We spent a whole evening here one time." T grumbles. "There's nothing here. We did nothing but roll dice for encounters, which never happened, and we died twice getting across the dessert because of water."

Then a light glimmers in the air.

"Congratulations Heroes, you have reached the Second Reset Point. Add one level."

Suddenly you feel stronger, healthier.

PT

::looks around::

Ok lets move forward, we are rationing water got it?

::moves forward toward the volcano::

You hear a railroad train in the distance, and as you walk you suddenly realize there is a hill after all out here.  But you remember it being not there as well.

Feeling apprehensive, you walk over the hill, and seen an orck army drawn up in battle line ready to stomp you and yours.

T rapidly counts.

"1001".  He sighs. "He wants us to go the other way."

PT

::smiles and thinks of a way to distract Ralphie to *remind* everyone that a volcano is a lot like a red topped mountain::

Hey Katherine, when were done with this, I think we should see a movie together, I heard there is a Volcano movie coming out soon, I heard good things from my *staff* about a volcano, looks a lot like a red topped mountain don't you think.

::winks at her::

::gets out his ten foot pole and makes sure he has gloves on, uses his rope to attatch the dragon's scale on it::

I thought this woud come in handy, to the orcs, form a tight circle, and they can only attack us a few at a time, and they won't last long against the scale.

::goes and keeps the 10 foot pole in front of him, ready to scratch any orc that comes at him::

You see the enlightenment jump from Katherine to Fingers to T who despite being the 'brilliant' wizard is the slowest of the lot, at least in quick wits.  He's more logical than quick-witted.

"That would be neat, Jhiaxus."

You plunge into the orcs, and indeed the staff is wondrously effective, and your fellow players fight well.  Which means you all kill 200 orcks before they kill you.

You're back to the 2nd Reset Point.

"Well that wasn't kewl." Fingers says.

PT

::sighs::

Well hopefully there will only be 801 left, and look at the bright side, were getting EP from them. Well no one said going our own way would be easy.

::heads back out to continue the plan to clear out the orcs with the rest::

"Just so." Fingers agrees with you.

You climb back up the hill, and see....1001 orcks waiting for you.

T starts cursing Ralphie with a rather astonishing inventiveness for such a sombre fellow.

PT

::nods::

We do this enough, we'll get enough EP so we will gain levels, either way, he's helping us.

((you might as well keep doing this till we suceede, and get levels doing so :)))

Good point.

It takes most of the rest of the day, but finally, bleeding a bit (although not in great pain since pain is very diminished in this world), you, the eighth level dwarf, and them, the seventh level characters finish the last of the 1001 orcks after nine tries.

Ralphie appears floating in the air, as you and the rest start making a campfire out of the wooden shoes of the orcks.

"What are you doing? Why are you heading this way? And Katherine, why aren't you praying to me, or my avatar anyways?"

PT

::shakes his head and puts his arm around Katherine::


Did you get all caught up in fighting Katherine, and forget to prey to Ralphie's avatar, remember we need your healing graces, and so Ralphie knows we are all right.

::hoping she understands that for this to work, Ralphie needs to think everything is aok::

::puts the silk shirt around the polescaleand ties a bit of rope around it making sure it is completely covered::

I hope there is no hard feelings about the little axe incident before, I didn't have my coffee, tired and groggy and didn't have much energy left, so I got cranky. I really thought your last dungeon was very creative and through provoking. We obviously saw the volcano in the distance, and thought "Ralphie has put an epic adventure to test us there, why else put a volcano in our sights", and with all those orcs guarding it, we thought "This was genious, trying to throw us off the trail by putting an army of orcs in front of us, damn Ralphie really has outdone himself". As a fellow GM, my hat is off to you Ralphie, even I would have been hard pressed to have plots intertwined like this, and to try and throw us off the trail, you slick dog you.

::smiles and has now sunk to a new low::
This message was last edited by the player at 14:59, Mon 06 Mar 2006.

"Um, yes. Love fighting. Squishy orcks. Great fun."  She doesn't sound terribly convincing to your ear, but Ralphie seems to buy it.

"I'm a generous and kindly god, so I forgive you."  You carefully uncurl your fingers from around the axe at his pompous tone, and force a grateful smile.  "But you misunderstood.  Indeed, the volcano is the site of a massive adventure, filled with gold, and glory, and great magic, indeed a magic weapon forged by a god, but its too high level for you.  I was trying to get you turned around to go to the Teeth Mountains.  But I understand how you could have misjudged."

He snaps his fingers, and an inn appears.  From it you can smell cooking food, and hear the cries of serving wenches.

"Just to show there's no hard feelings.  But remember, next morning..."  And he points in the opposite direction you've been going.

PT
OOC: So it sorta worked.

::shakes head::

We all gained many levels fighting the orcs, what levels do we have to be to do the volcano, and we may be too high for the Teeth Mountains.....

::sighs::

::to the inn we go::
This message was last edited by the player at 03:19, Tue 07 Mar 2006.

Ralphie nods.

"Good point about Teeth Mountains. Need at least to be Level Thirty for the Volcano. You'll find something though."

While the others glare at you for spoiling their chance to go on an easy adventure, you four enter the bar.  There's a bar fight in progress, and it seems to be centered on a dark elf.

There are about fifty percent blonde giant human farm boys, and fifty percent things that are not human.

Over in the only dark corner in the house, a wizard in a cowled robe sips his ale.

PT

::looks around::

Oooo barfight

::runs into the frey and starts throwing punches at his eye level, crotch level for men, and watches the hilarity, avoiding the dark elf::

Soon enough the room is littered with bodies, most groaning.  You had a most productive few minutes, felling about eight guys, until you ran into one fellow with an armour of shocking which electric charge catapulted you across the room.

Standing back up, you see about five others plus your group.

T is sitting at the bar, with a drink in one hand, and a bottle clasped as a club in the other.  George is grinning from ear to ear as he slams the last fellow on the head.

Katherine is doing her best to blend into the wall.

And Siljonic is staring at you with a wide grin.

"Hey, boss, thanks for giving me life."

PT

::gasps wideeyed, not considering this was his hackmaster character, walking around him::

Wow, um wow....how did I do that, I mean your real in the sense that when I play, I play as you, I guess this world really is just like a real life roleplaying game. Good to meet ya in the flesh, are you here for me to become you, or to help me out? Sorry for the questions, just didn't expect to see you.

::ignores the fight and brings Siljonic over::

Guys this is Siljonic, the dark elf represented by the miniature at the table I showed ya, has this ever happened before, other characters coming in?

::excited::

He's got good gear, a great mage, and a great fighter, definatly a cool elf to have around.

((on a funny note, Siljonic was named Player Character of the Year 2005 in the last Hackjournel, so he is probably the single most well known Hackmaster character :D))

"Well, as near as I can figure, the person we don't like, he trusted you as a fellow GM for just a second, and so you got some of his power for just a fraction of a second, and your subconscious created me.  I have to say, I'm flattered boss.  You could have created a supermodel, but you made me."

He grins, and draws up a table by dragging it through the bodies o nthe floor, and yells for a drink for a friend, and some companions.

PT

::smiles::

I've never liked supermodels much, way too thin and perfect, maybe if I was in the real world and had unlimited power for a second, I would, but here, I'd rather have a trusted compaignion than a pretty face.

::gets up on the chair and gladly takes his drink and makes sure everyone is confortable and has a drink and food in front of them before speaking::

Ok I think we all got off on the wrong foot, so I think we should all introduce ourselves, find out about each other, and find our strengths and weaknesses. I'll go first, I'm Adam or Jhiaxus, I'm from the year 2005, some doofus was playing around with a wireless X-box, which for you guys would be a Nintendo x100. Some guy spilled a drink and I was on a ship that was attacked by pirates. I thought I was dreaming up untill he who shall not be named said some weird things, and the dragon said I was something called me a worldwalker, whatever that is. Anyway, being a pirate got me all those cool weapons, and some other interesting stuff. I seem to carry around my possessions wherever I go.

::pauses::

I died on the ship, and woke up in that basement, where I guess is the world you all are from. That brings us to where you found me and we started. As to what I can do, I have some powers of the mind, like telepathy, telekensis, ESP, and can possess people, but those powers are dangerous, so I don't use them more than I have to, I learned them on the ship. As for what I can do, I dealt with computers for my job, and I think I'm a pretty good problem/solver roleplayer. I have a bit of a temper, but quick to come out of it. It looks like I'm a Dwarf, and since this isn't hackmaster, I probably am constrained by the dwarven inability to cast magic, or else I'd try to learn. Once we get to know each other, then I will tell you my plan in full, since you know who can't hear or see everything, this might be the last safe place to talk for awhile.

::waits for them to introduce themselves, and describe what they can do, ((I will introduce Siljonic, but it will be him doing it))::

::pauses and waits for all them to introduce themselves before Siljonic speaks below::

I am Siljonic Blackwind, I'm a 7/7 Fighter, Magic User, in the game of Hackmaster, but I guess I'm real now, and am not constrained by the game anymore. I worship Eilistraee, who is the only good dark elf, she is the goddess of song and dance, and sees to redeem the dark elves to the surface world. Well, I have basically been training to be a mage killer, since I am resistant to almost 2/3rds of their spells when cast by someone of my power level, but recently, I have gotten into arena fighting. I realize I am far from home, and will probably never be there again, but I carry two objects of artifact power, and other objects of decent magical power. I guess my main strengths are my charasimatic nature, and I am a pretty well rounded being, a jack of all trades sort of person, but I am willing to help anyway I can. I fight as a fighter 10 levels higher normally, and my spellbook is full of spells from 1st-4th level, if you wish to learn, I would be more than happy to do so.

::smiles::

Good to finally really meet all of you, now for what my plan is. The one who must not be named, we have learned takes players from other worlds at his whim, which tells me, we aren't the first, nor the last. I may not be the best guy, but I do have a personal code of right and wrong, and saving my own skin, to let others be taken later isn't in my code. What I propose is this, we go along the path he who must not be named wants us to go for now, eventually he will send us to the places of the god items, and will have us get them. Instead of running away at the first opportunity, we collect all the items, to make sure no one else has to suffer the same fate. I know it's asking a lot of you guys, but I hope you guys are willing to help. It won't be easy, and we will have setbacks, but I find when you have a cause to work for, you don't let setbacks and bumps in the road stop you. What say you guys, are you argeeable to the plan, any thoughts or additions if you are?

::takes a drink and waits for their response::

Siljonic grins back at you, and then as everyone digs into their roast beef and mashed potatoes with mugs full of Coke(r), he and the rest listen closely.

"I'm T, or Greg, but I like T better.  I'm a student at Ridgemont, and I've never done anything cool except learn Mandarin, and I was a spelunker, and I was trying to make up a house rules version of Bloodquest, but a certain person was always changing the rules on me."

"I like Fingers.  Also good ol' Ridgemont High, senior.  Built my own computer.  And wrote up plans for successfully robbing the town bank, which got me a visit from the chief of police when I tried to have it published as a war game."

"Katherine Wallace.  I'm going to be a librarian.  I like to game, and imagine things, and read books, and I can do riddles better than most, and I've written a little poetry."

"We were all gamers in You-Know-Who's game." T finishes.

===============================================================================

Katherine nods seriously at your plea for justice, and Siljonic agrees.

"Ellisterae would approve of this holy quest."

"Thats a problem for me. I can't pray to uh..you know. I just can't do it."

"Do you have not a god to pray to, fair one?" Siljonic asks...

Katherine looks startled.

The other two are slapping arm on arms.

"Me, well we, both think we're smarter than you know.  And kewl magic items, and yeah, count us in, it would be great."  T bubbles over.

PT

::considers::

Why don't you try preying to the old one, the dragon paid reverence to, the dragon was honorable. If that's the case, the one who must not be named won't be pleased but he is easily distracted. T you and Siljonic should teahc each other spells, and let's have fun tonight and get a good nights rest, since I assume this is a rare thing.

::digs into his meal::

Welp, he who must not be named will send us on more deadly adventures, for gold, magic items, and eventually the items we seek. We pass the magic items to those who can use them best, and eventually we will get to a point that we are all better than our level says we are. This will be about teamwork, since you can only depend on each other out there.

::looks around after finishing::

As much as I'd like to drink and party the night away, sleeping sounds great about now. Let's see if we can get one room with a couple of beds, if not, I'll unroll my pack and sleep on the floor, no big deal.

::goes to the innkeep and gets a room for everyone, then sacks out to get ready for tomorrow::

Katherine looks thoughtful, and then gets up and goes to the kitchen.  She looks at the injured people, and then chooses Fingers.  She produces a jug, and pours a little oil on his head.

"Hey, what do you think you are ....!?"

But she's already got her head bowed, and her hands pressed together.  You see a white light shine about her, and then she touches the oiled head, and you see Fingers wounds knit themselves back up.

"Well, a Complete Health Miracle. Cool beans.  Nice to have our seventh level cleric back on line." T murmurs.  And then he's asking to be healed next.

You go to sleep with your hair a bit greasy, but feeling fine...

PT

::sleeps the night away happily, the sleep you sleep when you work hard all day mentally and physically, and wakes up slowly in the morning when the sun is rising::

::yawns and stretches and takes care of normal morning activities::

::walks back in and rouses the rest, seeing Siljonic already up he gets him to help too::

Well guys lets get a good breakfast and head the way you know who wants.

After a breakfast of Jimmy Dean sausage links, and goose eggs scrambled, and Jolt cola, you head out.  A village has appeared around the inn in the night.

An attractive blonde carrying a sloshing bucket of well water stumbles and falls across your feet.

She scrambles up, and then looks at you, and takes in your fine clothing.  With a look of mixed apprehension, and of hope, she crouches...

"Milord, are you brave and good adventurers, or cowardly scum villains?"

And then everyone seems to pause as she waits for an answer.  Its not that the scene freeze-frames, but everyone in the straw-covered street does mostly stop moving, and just stares at you and the rest.

PT

::smiles::

We are the good guys, adventures looking for adventure, do you or your town need any help.

::looks at the pause as it is a little creepy::

"Oh, great, great."  She gets up. "Down the well is something.  It comes out at night, and eats people.  We've lost dozens of people already, and just last night, we voted in Town Council to send for adventurers, and here you are.  Thats great."

PT

::nods and smiles::

Well then down the well we go, we'll be back

::uncoils his rope and grapple, places it securely on the side and proceedes to climb down, with his infravision, if it gets dark, he is best to go first::

::yells up::

I'm first, then katherine, then t, than fingers, then Siljonic. Once we are all down, that's the march order if 1 by 1, if 2 by 2, Me and Katherine, T and Fingers, and Siljonic brining up the rear.

Suddenly the water under you is disturbed, and takes the form of a very large man.  A bolt of something cold rises from it, and you can hardly dive aside so you take the arrow of ice water in the chest.

Now you are shivering.

"Your blood is going to turn to ice water, and then your bones. Unless you can throw off the effect." T shouts.  "The rest of us would have just died, gone to ice on the spot."

Its about another sixty feet to the bottom of the well, or at least the water level.

There is an archway in the wall, down near the water.

PT

::is wearing gloves so sliding down the rope trying to resist the ice missle and whacking the water with his axe::

Take this you foul beast.

You go axe to giant hand with the Ice Water Elemental, and while Fingers helps you with a thrown dagger, and Siljonic casts a fire spell which draws a roar of pain from the beast....

You wake up outside the door at the Second Reset Point.  The small village is in front of you.

PT

::sighs::

::goes back to the well to see if the creature is dispatched::

Well that stunk...

You look over the edge, see darkness, and then lunge back as an arrow of ice rises up out of the well, and splatters on a cobblestone in the square nearby.  It looks like a half-frozen arrow stuck out of the stone, with slush scattered nearby.

Nope, he's still kicking.

PT

::growls::

Siljonic throw a fireball down there, let's see how he deals with a fireball with someone with +1 on each die for great honor, +1 for Spell Razor and +1 for the Order of the Flame membership. We will get the hell out of the way, with your helm of brillians that's a double effective ring of fire resitance and own magic resistance, should be a no brainer for him to die.

Siljonic does.  Its answered by an arrow when he sticks his head over a minute later.

So he tosses in another one.

Another minute. No arrow.

He raises an eyebrow.  Is he faking? Or did we get him?

You look over. It seem safe.

And then you hear a garbled noise rising around Siljonic, and like a ripple in reality spreading out from him in a circular wave.

PT

::looks to Katherine::

Quick cast a Protection from Evil around Siljonic, and Siljonic let the spell through. Get ready to pounce on the attacker once he materializes.

::waits for the results::

Katherine prays, and a translucent fist appears around Siljonic, not blocking his movement in any way, and glowing with a pearly light.

The ripple spreads out in a widening ring, and runs through you, and everything in sight.

"Congratulations, Siljonic. You have gained a level.  You are now a dual-class 8/7 mage and" ....mutter, mutter, sound of papers shuffling...noise of Level Control's voice fades out.

"Dual-class?" T says. "Wow, you mean I can be a mage and a fighter?  Thats so cool."

"I am so happy!" A man shouts to the whole street. "All my life, I've been a baker, but I always wanted to be a painter at night.  Now I can.  I can dual-class!!"  He throws his hands up in the air.

PT

::looks around::

Wow the Protection from Evil either did nothing, since the haze was the fist of him leveling up, or the Protection from Evil killed the creature, either way Congrats Siljonic.

::smiles::

Let's peer down the well, there is a doorway near the bottom, if no more ice arrows hit us, we can climb down and enter.

::to T::

Well I guess, in Hackmaster, which is ased off of D&D, you had to be a human to Dual Class, SIljonics a Drow, and is a Fighter/Mage multiclass. His was a no brainer, since elves wearing elven chain can cast spells, so he can wear armor. Humans need 15's in the prerequistes of the old class, and 17's in the new one. Depending on how strong you are you could, but you cannot use any of your mage abilities untill your fighter levels go above mage. Most people start as a fighter for the Hit Points, then Dual Class into mage. I Dual Class all my humans in hackmaster when I can do so. How it works in Bloodquest, have no clue.

No more ice arrows hit you, but you feel heat at your back.  So everyone spins around, with weapons out in time to see Ralphie smoulder through the fabric of the sky.

"YOU!!"  He points his finger at you. "ITS NOT ENOUGH THAT YOU GO THE WRONG WAY, NOW YOU provoke a nasty Realism Wave, altering the ruleset of my reality."

He grows to super-Titan height.

"I've had it up to here." Points to skyscraper height on his neck." With you messing things up.  Now everyone can be dual class.  I hate it.  Bloodquest was supposed to be only single class."

He pulls back his foot, and everyone scatters. Except you, becuse your foot is stuck in Ye Olde Medieval Bubblegum.

He boots you.

Then he yells something.

Events rewind.

He snaps his fingers which sounds like a thunderclap, and a rubberband appears around your ankle.  One end is buried in the Earth.

Then he boots you again.

This time you go flying through the outer wall of Ralphie's reality, into chaos, and land in another reality.

PT

((I assume the rubber band is the way to get back once the temper tantrum/gather are done :)))

Aw man....how was I suppost to know Dual Classing and Multiclassing weren't allowed here...

::gets booted::

AIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE

::grabs a mental and physical hold of the rubber band as he flies::

::lands with a thump::

Well...I didn't die....like I did the other time, so I think I was sent to time out....interesting....well, hopefully time freezes for the others, cuz I really want to help them, and I want Siljonic to exist when I leave.....ok now where am I?

::looks at himself to see if he's still a dwarf, if he has his stuff and to orient himself to where the heck he is at::

((edit: posted this before seeing the other thread, consider it a ninja post :D ))
This message was last edited by the player at 14:15, Fri 10 Mar 2006.