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Topics - Johan

#61
In Character Discussions / Jarmok's Sabbatical
July 29, 2005, 01:22:43 PM
Duthash Albyr Basque [May 5th] (Evening)
Jarmok was freightened. And bewildered. And satisfied. And pleased.

It had been a day of reckoning for the rat-man. The children were once again safe, now in Ashe's care to have the poison sucked from them again. Jarmok was glad to have been a part of bringing Rawling to justice ? it should serve as a recompense to the people of Threshold for the sheep that he had eaten on the far side of this past Venric.

But he couldn?t escape the reality that he had turned himself into a wolf. The thought reverberated in his mind. He had turned into a wolf. The obvious connection between this happening and his recent odd dreams was immediately drawn, of course. It explained his awakenings in odd places. He supposed that the logical continuation of that line drawing was that he was not limited, as Rawling had appeared to be, to morphing into only one animal. Jarmok, in a dream, had been some kind of bird. That?s when he had awakened in the tree.

Another night he had been a wolf ? the tracks around his cabin bore mute testament to that. Once again, he was some form of cat; a lynx, perhaps? Whatever the case, the rat-man appeared to be only able to turn himself into a rat, and the sickened children likewise had only rat-like forms. Jarmok had many forms that his body might take, or so it seemed.

His first fear was that he had been sickened like the children. But cold logic washed that fear away like a chill waterfall. When Jarmok had turned earlier into the wolf, he still thought like himself. He was still aware of himself and in control. Proof of that was his returning to his own person in a time that he desired. The rat-kids had stated that they did not have control over themselves. They had likened their sickness and their actions to being trapped deep within their own bodies, unable to dictate their own actions.

Not so with Jarmok. In his waking moments, Jarmok was in control of his own actions, even while in animal form. He was not sick, then. This was just another aspect of his being, he supposed. He wondered idly if others of his kind could do that. There were some in Threshold now who might know the answer to that, he realized. The gypsy girl had indicated that she knew others of his race; he felt as though he could trust her?

The fact that Jarmok had turned into this wolf out of pure desire suggested that he might have control over this?ability. He would have to investigate that. But not now. The change had given him a rather severe headache, and left him nauseas and tired. He would rest until Kossuth should rest. Tonight, he will venture out of Threshold to investigate this new ability of his. He needed to learn to control it, and as it must be an aspect of his nature, he would surround himself in nature ? where he felt most comfortable anyway ? to learn of it. He would return to his cave home where Mercer had found him. In that isolated place in the mountains around Little Threshold he might find the peace of the earth to teach him how to control this shape-changing.
#62
Maccabeus comes from a race that we've (Wildfire and I) dubbed the "Savage Gnome".

Philosophy:
The savage gnome is one that belongs in the wilderness, surviving through craftiness and knowledge of the land. Maccabeus's people are specificaly wed to forrested areas.

In the world to which Threshold belongs, as you likely are aware, arcane magic is rare. Because of this, some of the traditional Gnome racial benefits did not make sense. Specifically, a gnome's ability to cast "Dancing Lights" or "Prestidigitation" once per day.

These two elements, sewn together, led us to substitute the three "once-per-day" 0-level arcane spells for three "once-per-day" 0- level druid spells.

Specific Differences:
Although this variant is very much similar to the traditional gnome, the race has a few variations on that well-grown parent:

The traditional gnome has a racial benefit where it is granted a +2 to saves versus Illusions.

For the savage gnome, this is modified to a +2 racial bonus on saves versus Elemental-based magic (burning hands, lightning bolt...)

The TG gets +1 on thier DC to Illusions cast.
The SG gets +1 DC to Nature-based Domain spells cast.
This, I think, is a nice balance; for the TG, it assumes that you're going to be able to cast arcane spells, and for the SG it assumes that you're going to be able to cast divine ones, although it would apply only to domain spells (which, I think makes a lot of sense).

TG: Weapon Familiarity - Gnome Hooked Hammer
SG: Two-weapon Fighting

TG: +1 Attack vs Kobolds & Goblinoids
SG: +1 Attack vs Orcs & Giantkin (They are far more prevalent in the world where Maccabeus lives; the specific beast could be changed to suit any campaign)

TG: +2 Craft (Alchemy)
SG: +2 to Handle Animal

Spell-Like Abilities

TG: Speak w/ Animals 1/day (Burrowing)
SG: Speak w/ Animals 1/day (Canine)

My personal thinking on this, which I hadn't yet shared with Wildfire, is that you might be able to choose what type of creature you could talk to 1/day: Canine, Feline, Burrowing, Fish, Ovine, Equine...

TG: Dancing Lights 1/day
SG: 0-lvl Druid Spell 1/day (Once chosen, can never change)

TG: Ghost Sound 1/day
SG: 0-lvl Druid Spell 1/day (Once chosen, can never change)

TG: Prestidigitation 1/day
SG: 0-lvl Druid Spell 1/day (Once chosen, can never change)

In all other aspects, the savage gnome is just like the traditional gnome.

One of the things that I really like about this race is its flexibility. Given, for instance that you can decide before playing what the Druid 0-lvl spell might be, every character can be a little different than the next. Personally, were you to create a gnome character for one of my games, I would allow the Savage Gnome to be used as a race.

I would further submit that if you prefer the traditional gnome, you would be able to choose the 0-lvl arcane spells instead of taking the specified defauls in the PHB. You could also decide what type of animal you want to speak to 1/day.
#63
Character Info / Jarmok's Race
July 08, 2005, 08:01:59 PM
This is my attempt at a new, novel D20-compatible race. It is the race that I used to create Jarmok:

From the dense depths of the northern mountainous forests to the sparse scrub-lands live the Gentorians. They are a clever, resourceful self-reliant people who live in harmony with the earth in hunter-gatherer fashion. Among those who are familiar with them, the Gentorians are highly respected for their knowledge of the woodlands. Gentorian rangers, druids, and barbarians are often emulated as paragons of those classes.

Personality:
Gentorians are shy and secretive, not trusting to strangers or outlanders, as they refer to anyone not of their lands. Among their own they are loving and affectionate, placing great value on each individual of their small clans.

Physical Description:
Gentorians typically stand between 5 and 6 feet tall and weigh between 90 and 160 pounds with men being on average heavier and taller the women. As a race they are slim and graceful. They have ruddy skin that?s covered with a light layer of body fur, which ranges the full range of colors from white to black, orange to brown. Gentorian?s ears are pointed, like those of an elf, but sit slightly higher up on the sides of his head and are slightly cupped. Their eyes are somewhat bulbous, and their slitted pupils bespeak their feline ancestry.

Gentorians favor utilitarian dress and functional affects. Having in their society only what little metal they can trade for, they use mostly weapons that the land can offer, favoring bows, clubs, and spears.

Relations:
Gentorians share no particular love for any given species (other than their own), but respect the elves and any individuals who revere the earth and nature. A gentorian friendship is one that is difficult to earn and just as difficult to dissolve.

Alignment:
Gentorians are almost always neutral, but can run the gamut from good to evil.

Gentorian Lands:
Gentorian clans are unique to temperate regions and range from high, deep forest to low, sparse scrublands. They have no organized cities or towns, but live in close-knit extended families that might erect hide or wooden shelters or take refuge in abandoned caves. Inter-clan trading is common among the Gentorians for clansmen and women as well as for weapons, foods, and artwork.

Religion:
Gentorians hold the earth and all things of nature as sacred. Their gods are the trees, rivers, and the land.

Language:
Gentorians have their own primitive, guttural language, which is partially comprised of gestures and has no written components.

Names:
Gentorian names are fleeting things, and an adult gentorian might have had a dozen or more in his life, although only one at a time. Their names are often bestowed upon them by a clan elder, and reflect an action taken by the individual.

Male Names: Contach, Droamun, Zekth, Hkramon, Godrin, Arketh, Wintow
Female Names: Dremblin, Chunto, Rhamadha, Jinto, Shenkto

Adventurers:
Gentorian adventurers are a rare breed. There are only a few circumstances that drive a Gentorian away from their homelands. Whether on a quest, pure curiosity of the world around him, or by ostracization, a Gentorian is a fierce and loyal ally to those who have earned their friendship.

Gentorian Racial Traits:
?+2 Dx, -1Wd, -1 Ch, Gentorians are quick and agile, but tend to be mistrusting of strangers.
?Medium: As medium creatures, Gentorians have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
?Low-Light Vision: Gentorians can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain their ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
?Gentorian base land speed is 30 feet.
?A Gentorian?s quick reflexes grant them a +1 racial bonus on Reflex Saving throws.
?A Gentorian?s instinctive autonomy and self-reliance give him a +2 racial bonus on Saving throws vs. Enchantment spells or effects.
?A Gentorian?s intimate relationship with the earth grants him the Alertness feat (+2 to Listen & Spot) and the Treefriend feat (+2 to Climb & Survive).
?A Gentorian?s feline ancestory bestows the Improved Initiative bonus feat and the Slow Fall special ability as per the Monk class, at 5 feet per character level.
?+2 racial bonus on Balance, Jump, Move Silently checks, as well as a racial Animal Affinity circumstance bonus when dealing with any of the various cat species, including lions, tigers, and all other species of large cat.
?Automatic Languages: Common and Gentorian. Due to their reclusive nature, Gentorians gain no bonus languages.
?Favored Class: Barbarian. A multiclass Gentorian?s Barbarian class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty (see XP penalty for Multiclass Characters).
#64
Game Log / Session 6 - The Lord of the Manor
July 05, 2005, 11:46:14 AM
[Sat 05 Mar 05]

Featured Characters:
Amaril [NPC] elven male cleric
Elberrin [Matt] elven male archer
Erinalia [fraz] half-elven female druid
Garbhan [Phin] human male fighter
Mel [Johan] halfling male rogue
T' Riad [Wildfire] elven male monk
Ted [NPC] Dwarven Male Supervisor

07 Aug 591
The morning after Freeday dawns late for many revelers who enjoyed a late evening of beachstock. Top on the morning?s activities is breakfast, over which Iveillos and Tretorn preside, appraising the gathered host as to the previous week?s progress and the coming week?s plans.

As a result of what is now affectionately referred to as ?Snoozefest?, our heroes all get a very late start to their day?s spelunkering. The sun is riding just shy of its zenith when the companions at last return to the Dwarven Hold. Today?s plan is to finish exploring the dormitories of the hold.

Mel is chattering as usual as they pass the first (broken) murder wall and approach the bowels of the hold. As they approach Crossfire Alley he continues on oblivious to their proximity and enters the throne chamber; Elberrin quickly follows the Halfling in, trying to restrain the scout from immersing himself (yet again) in trouble. The gems come alive as the pair is nearly halfway across the chamber ? they run for the southeast door, racing through it for cover.

The guard gems darken and return to dormancy once the pair are through the door. Mel tentatively re-enters the throne room, but elicits no response from the guard gems. Elberrin sets foot within and they awaken again only to dim when he retreats. Mel no longer appears to awaken the gems.

The remainder of the companions, yet at the entry to the throne room, decide not to chance the anger of the gems; they retrieve the hammer that was left at the entrance to the room and cross over in unison.

There are no additional surprises as the companions make their way to the dormitory wing. They spend their day searching each of the rooms and find little of any interest, save for under one of the beds there appears to be a false floor. Elberrin is shadowing Mel the whole way and is right behind the Halfling as Mel draws from the compartment under the false floor piece a large book (very nearly as tall as Mel himself is). Neither of the companions can read the text therein, but to Mel (Decipher Script check) it appears as though it is a diary of sorts that details a particular family?s lineage.

The day done upon completion of the dorm search, the group heads back to camp to make their report and to turn book over.

Conversations en-route to camp beget a request from the team that they be accompanied by a team of Dwarves whose job it should be to seal off the centipede nest and to begin reclamation of the hold.

Over dinner and early evening, the companions discuss their next steps. Of greatest interest is spanning the chasm to investigate the ?other side?. Discuss options on how to get there. It is pointed out that we are likely nearing a task that will take us away from base camp for days at a time. Indeed, were we to try to circumnavigate the chasm, the journey to get to the far side would likely take a whole day (this, based upon the amount of time it took us to go overland to this side the previous day).

For practicalities sake, it seems that spanning the chasm would be the best way to go. Trigonometrically, we would need to span a [color=green:ef09692962](what was the number? 250 feet?)[/color] gap at an upward incline. We discuss the options for a time, then join the Beachstock festivities already commencing.

08 Aug 591
Early morning rain finds the group converging upon the quartermaster?s.  A team of dwarves has indeed been assigned to the reclamation of the Hold. The Quartermaster produces a number of special bolts that fit a large crossbow. These bolts are special in that they are fitted with special heads whose purpose is to set in stone (fire from the crossbow at the far wall of the chasm, the bolt digs into the stone wall and we climb across). He also produces a fully assembled and folded (and cumbersome) rope bridge, but it is too short to span the chasm (it is only 60 feet long), so right now it is for naught.

Fast Forward: The party stands in the great hall, overlooking the chasm. The sounds of dwarven activity and voices echo from the dormitories behind, testament to the industry of the hairy little stone-eaters.

The plan to span the chasm works well. Elberrin expertly plants one of the rope-dragging stone-piercing bolts in the chasm wall near the far entrance; on this side, the rope is tethered to one of the stone-worked arm-shaped ?sconces? (which hold the brass braziers at intervals along the walls of the Great Hall).

Mel threads a short length of rope through his sleeves, tying them together and around the spanning-rope (as a safety should his grip on the spanning-rope fail), and pulls himself across the chasm.

Elberrin comes second. While the ranger is crossing the great divide, Mel takes the opportunity to look around briefly. He notes that there are some footprints here, but cannot decipher who or what or when might have made them, except to say that they are human-like feet. Upon his arrival, Elberrin confirms that the tracks are hobgoblin, and that they are fairly old.

[color=red:ef09692962]DRAY?S DESCRIPTION[/color]
The rest of the party crosses the chasm [color=green:ef09692962](I don?t recall what order they came in[/color]?).

It is yet early as the party begins flirting with entering this side of the Hold. T peers through the hole between the great doors, which hang askew upon damaged hinges, but sees nothing as he is of such a size to be blocking most of the outside light, which is sparse as it is on this particular day. He backs away from the gap to light a torch by which he might see. While he is away from the doors, Mel climbs in through the gap and finds himself in a broad room. T quickly follows, torch in hand.

[color=red:ef09692962]DRAY?S DESCRIPTION[/color]

The only truly interesting feature in here is the big, square hole. The group collectively wonders how deep it might be; the bottom is beyond the limits of the group?s keenest vision (T?s vision, that is). For a quick estimate of the depth of the shaft, Garbvan drops a rock down. The rock takes 5.5901699437494742410229341718282 seconds to hit bottom ([color=green:ef09692962]I actually did the math for this, but still treat it as a rough estimate[/color]  :) ). The shaft is quite deep ? roughly 500 feet, according to T?Riad?s calculations.

Damn Vulcans.

On the hope that there might be tunnels leading into this shaft, but that are yet unseen, the companions strung all of their rope together (end-to-end, creating a single 300-foot long rope) and lowered T?Riad into the hole, bearing a rock upon which Amaril has cast a light spell.

Reaching the end of this tether, T?Riad has not seen any other tunnels entering this main shaft, and still cannot see the floor, which is yet far below. He can see the still-burning torch, perhaps 200 additional feet below, where it came to rest upon a pile of debris.

Looking for options, Mel spots the remains of the ?elevator?. He foolishly throws the lever and the hidden mechanism comes loose, allowing what chain remains to unravel from its ancient resting place and descend into the hole, luckily missing the monk depended therein.

Oops.

Without further evident options, the gang hauls T?Riad up and brainstorm.

The option that presents itself is thus: we need more rope and an additional person to ?man the top? as we venture forth. Garbhan volunteers to go back across the chasm and get a dwarf.

Encountering Ted, the leader of the dwarves ([color=green:ef09692962]his name has been changed to protect his identity[/color]). Garbhan talks him into coming across the chasm.

Ted surveys the area and submits that there?s no way to get the elevator working again. If we want to get to the bottom of the shaft, we?ll have to do it the old fashioned way. As a group, the suggestion comes to get more rope (enough to reach the bottom of the shaft) and we?ll climb down (T?Riad first). Ted goes back across the chasm and returns with a suitable length of rope. T?Riad climbs down.

[color=red:ef09692962]DRAY?S DESCRIPTION[/color]

The companions hold a fairly long conversation about going down to accompany T?Riad. The candy-ass sissy?s don?t want to go down without a way back up (without climbing) Mel scampers over the edge, followed by his new shadow (Elberrin), then Erin and Garbhan. At length the companions are in the lower hall.

Explore beyond the damaged portcullis. On the other side of the portcullis is a long passageway that eventually opens up into a large room with a vaulted ceiling. By the meager light of our torch, we are unable to determine the dimensions of the room?in any direction.

[color=red:ef09692962]DRAY?S DESCRIPTION[/color]

Enter the hall towards the left, keeping near to the wall. The room seems circular (at least this part of the room). As the companions near the far side of the room (the wall is turning), darkness descends. The sounds of fluttering can be heard near-overhead. The team tenses for battle while Mel runs back from where they came, but the darkness seems ubiquitous. The whooshing sound is evident over Mel?s head as well as over the heads of the other party members, who have remained in a cluster.

A fairly brief fight ensues, with T?Riad (I think) killing first one darkmantle (a flying squid) after but a few rounds. The darkness around the main group evaporates. T?Riad races toward where he can hear Mel?s voice, approaching another patch of blackness. T?Riad quickly kills the other darkmantle.

T?Riad and Mel make their way back to the others, but en-route something very odd appears?

[color=green:ef09692962]Find the keep. My recollection is that the underground keep is in the room with the darkmantles. It became illuminated in an odd way by ?Hollywood? lighting technique. I was sketchy on this at the time, and temporal displacement hasn?t helped any.[/color]

Nonetheless, at the front of the keep is a glowing dwarf.

[color=red:ef09692962]DRAY?S DESCRIPTION[/color]

Hail the dwarf; he hails us back, albeit in a foreign (dwarven dialect) tongue. This dwarf has no weapon, but is armored and carries a shield that bears the symbol of Moradin (whose name appears to be the same in his tongue as well as ours, as we find out by speaking the name (pointing at his shield) to hear him echo it (nodding and grinning)). Mel approaches the dwarf and proffers his dagger in a gesture of peace. The ghostly dwarf raises a hand towards the little weapon; the dagger rose from Mel?s hand and floated over to the dwarf?s hand. He inspected the dagger briefly and smiled. Levitating the weapon back to Mel, he stepped aside from his guard duty and motioned permission for the companions to pass into his stronghold.

[color=red:ef09692962]DRAY?S DESCRIPTION[/color]

After much consideration about what to do, and the apparent devastation that his keep endured before it fell, Mel decides to go and try to communicate with the ghost. Through gestures they are able to communicate poorly; the ghost makes a ?quill and parchment? gesture and T produces both. Telekinetically manipulating the quill, the ghost (we never did get a name, did we?) is able to draw pictures that, with additional gesturing, begin to tell a story:

1) This keep fell as a result of inside treachery (oh, the shame of it);
2) The area (island continent) was home to these dwarves, the Sahuagin (with whom these dwarves appeared to be at war), and another band of dwarves
3) The Sahuagin and the other band of dwarves were in cahoots, and were both under the control (or leadership) or a higher power (looks like a giant slug, which the ghost gestured to be an intelligent and powerful one ? I?m thinking Green Dragon?)
4) It appears that one of the ?enemy? dwarves was able to summon an Earth Elemental from within the hold, which destroyed this hold and those within, and explains why all the portcullises and other barriers and walls appear to be rent asunder from within. Wonder: would the Earth Elemental have been able to create the earthquake that we all like to talk so much about?

Return. Report. Beachstock.
#65
In Character Discussions / Mel Questions Amaril
July 05, 2005, 11:33:26 AM
08 Aug 591 (the night after Session 6 & Beachstock).

Inside the tent shared by T'Riad, Mel, Elberrin, and Amaril. Night had long since settled upon the beach outpost and bed beckoned the weary companions. Mel's hammock swayed to and fro as the young hobbit rocked restlessly, his skin itching slightly.

"Amaril?"

"You awake?" Groans filled the tent as his bunkmates, nearing the edge of sleep awakened anew. "I've been trying to get my arms around something, and it occurs to me that perhaps I should have asked you first. Why is it that different spell casters get the same results, but use different gestures and words, not to mention different materials?"
#66
Out of Character Discussions / Earth Elemental
June 29, 2005, 12:47:36 PM
I had a thought recently, but then lost it. Last night I found it again - it had been hiding under my alarm clock, of all places.

Any thinking on whether the Earth Elemental that the ghost-dwarf "described" might have been responsible for rending the isle assunder?

Maybe it wasn't so much an earthquake, perse, but was an earth(elemental)quake?

Just a thought...
#67
In Character Discussions / Dance the Night away...
June 13, 2005, 01:45:34 PM
Beachstock, at the end of session 6:

After having a fairly long conversation regarding logisitcs of the following day, Mel jumps up and accosts the attractive young human who's been flirting with Elberron.

"Hey..." His eyes wide with wonder. "I just realized that you said that your name was Trinity. Are you the Trinity? The one who everybody is talking about?
#68
"Um... that's all very nice, Mel."  Erin casually looks up at the sky, "Oh!  Look at the hour!  I, um, really must be getting along.  'Bye now."

Erin hurries off towards the horse corrals...
#69
Erin opens her eyes which she had closed momentarily while listening to Mel ramble.

"Yes, of course I am awake, Mel."  She pauses momentarily, looking down at the sand at her feet, before finally continuing, "Yes, there is a lot of willpower involved in spellcasting.  I don't know how Amaril generates the power for his healing.  The source must be divine, of course.  I, um, know little about priests and their spellcasting rituals, although I do have some skill in recognizing spells as they are being cast [[color=green:145463ac27]spellcraft[/color:145463ac27]]..."  Her voice trails off.  "Er... why do you ask me such questions?"  Erin glances at Mel and tilts her head quizzicaly, her long curls and braids dancing across her face and partially hiding her eyes...
#70
Hey - so I'm wondering about something and thought you might have some introspection for me.

I notice that there are a bunch of different people around who cast spells. Notably, I see you cast  a spell to heal yourself. This is a kind of response that I've seen Amy create any number of times. But, as I watch you cast your healing spells, which I've done a few times now, I notice that you use different words, and you have different hand gestures than Amy does. Yet the result is the same.

Why is that? One would think that in order to get the same result, you would do the same thing. That is, if you want to shoot an arrow into a target, you load the arrow, knock the arrow, draw the bow, aim, and then release. There's only one way to go about it. But with spells, you can achieve the same result by doing completely different things. It makes one think that the verbals and somantics are really not that important at all, and it's really just the will of the speller. Even material components seem to vary from caster to caster.

In Dullstrand, I knew this fellow who could cast spells, but every now and then I'd swear that he'd use a pinch of gravel instead of a pinch of sand or even dust - metaphorically speaking, of course.

There was a lady I knew in the Menowood - hey, you said you were from there, maybe you know her? Name of Laeritin? Elf woman with long, golden braids? No? Ah well, she made the best black bird stew...never got a beak or a finger in it. Oh, yeah, Learitin, she was very close to the animals and stuff and she told me that the material component wasn't really all that necessary anyway. Instead of using yew (not you (pointing)) she might use maple or oak. She said that it might have an impact on the spell, but the results would be essentially the same.

It's really all about the caster's will, isn't it?

 :)

Are you awake?
#71
General Info / Threshold Moon Phases
June 09, 2005, 11:48:48 AM
#72
[color=green:0bfe2d8672]This Thread begins at the end of the "Jarmok Questions Kit" Thread.[/color]

Quote from: wildfireOddly, they seem distantly familiar.
But are they the very same ones?[/i] He questioned himself. He owed those good people much, he knew.

Jarmok backed away from his vantage amidst the thickening trees and wended his way to a more distant spot, finding one where they would not be surprised by his sudden appearance.

Emerging from the trees, a bowshot or more from the travellers, he approached them, his eyes darting to a fro in an attempt to find someone familliar.
#73
Game Log / Interlude 1 - Plans Made
May 24, 2005, 04:56:24 PM
The air is thick with smoke from burning incense. The room is dimly lit, but there is little need for light in these tunnels.

Nimble fingers fly in arcane patterns and four orbs begin to glow and convulse, forming faces to light the chamber. An elf, young and energetic. A human, serene and older than his years. Two dwarves: one holy, one not.

"These are the thieves who stole my work." The voice is smooth and measured. "Bring it back and my master will reward you with your wishes. But be warned: the cost of failure is death."

"Failure is not part of my being." A hooded hulking figure responds coolly. "I will kill these infedels and bring your tome of power back, and you - or your master - will give me this forest. The mountains are yours, but the forest is mine."

A handsome grin splits a face that looks like it forgot how to smile. "How will you find them?"

The face buried deep in the hood tightens. "Do not question my methods." The dark figure warned. "I will do this thing for you, but do not presume to own me." The huge figure turned away and strode from the chamber. From out of the darkness at the end a large dog-like creature rose from its place and followed the retreating being.

"Can he be trusted?" A nasal voice queries as the four faces pop out of existance.

"Of course not, don't be a fool. But he will do what he says he will do."

"What if he fails?"

"Then you will be there to pick up the peices that he leaves undone."
#74
General Info / [poll] Chronology
May 24, 2005, 12:51:44 PM
[color=red:ef5f3dfc1c]Fraz[/color]
Johan
[color=green:ef5f3dfc1c]Matt[/color]
[color=blue:ef5f3dfc1c]Phin[/color]
[color=olive:ef5f3dfc1c]Wildfire[/color]

The begining of the MSI game takes place in CY591, Goodmonth (August)

Game Introduction

01 Goodmonth CY591
Session 1 - All Ashore That's Going Ashore
Session 2 - What's Behind That Rock?
[color=blue:ef5f3dfc1c]Charging Garbh?n[/color]

02 Goodmonth CY591
Session 2 - What's Behind That Rock? (cont)

03 Goodmonth CY591
Session 3 - Spelunkering

04 Goodmonth CY591
Session 3 - Spelunkering (cont)
[color=olive:ef5f3dfc1c]thoughts of challenge[/color]

05 Goodmonth CY591
Session 3 - Spelunkering (cont)
Session 4 - Hobgoblins & Gricks...Oh, My!
This place is getting boring
Mel talks with T & Elb

06 Goodmonth CY591
Session 4 - Hobgoblins & Gricks...Oh, My! (cont)
Session 5 - Newcomers

07 Goodmonth CY591 "Freeday"
[color=green:ef5f3dfc1c]Elberrin's Bow[/color]
Session 5 - Newcomers (cont)
Mel visits [color=red:ef5f3dfc1c]Erinalia [/color](again)
[color=red:ef5f3dfc1c]Erin[/color] & [color=blue:ef5f3dfc1c]Garbh?n [/color]at the horse corral
[color=olive:ef5f3dfc1c]T' Riad[/color] & [color=red:ef5f3dfc1c]Erinalia[/color] conversation: 07 Goodmonth 591
Mel Visits Iviellos

08 Goodmonth CY591
[color=olive:ef5f3dfc1c]T'Riad[/color] speaks with [color=red:ef5f3dfc1c]Erinalia[/color]: 08 Goodmonth 591
Session 6.1 - Snoozefest
Session 6 - The Lord of the Manor

09 Goodmonth CY591
Dance the Night away...
[color=green:ef5f3dfc1c]Watching gage[/color]
[color=green:ef5f3dfc1c]Elberrin and Gage, Drinking Buddies[/color]
[color=green:ef5f3dfc1c]Elberrin rats on Gage[/color]
Mel Questions Amaril
[color=olive:ef5f3dfc1c]Restless Sleep[/color]
[color=olive:ef5f3dfc1c]A walk through the camp[/color]
Elberrin's Magic words
[color=green:ef5f3dfc1c]Elberrin's Concerns[/color]
Session 6 - The Lord of the Manor (cont)
Session 7 - Boom! Boom! BOOM!

10 Goodmonth CY591
Session 7 - Boom! Boom! BOOM!

Session 7.5 - Dream Sequences
[color=olive:ef5f3dfc1c]T'Riad[/color]
[color=red:ef5f3dfc1c]Erin[/color]
[color=blue:ef5f3dfc1c]Garbh?n[/color]
[color=green:ef5f3dfc1c]Elberrin[/color]
Mel

Session 8 - Berkshire Games

Session 9 - Awakenings
A walk along the beach
#75
General Info / [poll] Chronology
May 24, 2005, 12:51:44 PM
I wanted to try to put a chronology together for the various inter-session activities. I realize that this has been spoken to a number of different times, but I thought that this might make it easier for me, at least, and some other folks might find it helpful.

I have tried to include pretty much all the threads, but might have missed something for someone. Feel free to edit as appropriate.

Also, for the sake of my sanity, I figured that I'd color-code different folks' character lines. I chose the colors rather arbitrarily; if you don't like the color, feel free to change them.

Not Charcter-Specific (or I ran out of colors)
[color=red:c335e22b1c]Jarmok[/color]
[color=violet:c335e22b1c]Kit[/color]
[color=green:c335e22b1c]Laren[/color]
[color=blue:c335e22b1c]Maccabeus[/color]
[color=cyan:c335e22b1c]Dale[/color]

Sythus [Spring], Valley Year 237  

Gorrish Arek Arkus [22 April]:
Session 1 - A Cold Sythus Morning
Intro [color=red:c335e22b1c]Jarmok[/color], [color=violet:c335e22b1c]Kit[/color], [color=green:c335e22b1c]Laren[/color], Maal & Ragnar.

Gorrish Gyth Arkus [28 April]:
Session 2 - The Rat Trap
[color=red:c335e22b1c]Jarmok[/color], [color=violet:c335e22b1c]Kit[/color], [color=green:c335e22b1c]Laren[/color], Maal & Ragnar capture Rat-Men.

[color=green:c335e22b1c]Laren[/color] talks privately to [color=violet:c335e22b1c]Kit[/color].

Ashe's First Night with The Rat Pack: [color=violet:c335e22b1c]Kit[/color] & [color=green:c335e22b1c]Laren[/color].

Gorrish Gyth Basque[29 April]:
Around the table. [color=green:c335e22b1c]Laren[/color], [color=violet:c335e22b1c]Kit[/color] & Maal.

Gorrish Gyth Aryor [30 April]:
Jarmok approaches Maal on the edge of Threshold:
[color=red:c335e22b1c]Jarmok noted Maal in the early morning walking about Threshold and approached her to discuss hunting down Rawling, the Ratman.[/color]

Duthash Albyr Voldyn [May 1st]
[color=violet:c335e22b1c]A Visitor for Kit.[/color]

Duthash Albyr Fehy [May 2nd]
[color=red:c335e22b1c]Jarmok's Odd Dream: running about forest, viewed from an odd, close-to-the-ground vantage. Woke up on wood pile, back hurts.[/color]

Session 3 ? Visions in the Night.
[color=red:c335e22b1c]Jarmok[/color], [color=violet:c335e22b1c]Kit[/color], [color=green:c335e22b1c]Laren[/color], Maal, Ragnar & Haf battle troglodytes in the mines.

Duthash Albyr Syncath [May 3rd]
Morning:
[color=red:c335e22b1c]Jarmok's Odd Dream: Flying about Threshold. Woke up in a tree.[/color]
[color=red:c335e22b1c]Jarmok[/color] Questions [color=violet:c335e22b1c]Kit.[/color]
[color=red:c335e22b1c]Jarmok leaves his chest plate of armor at Thornhedge for Kit to fix.[/color]
Maal goes shoppin' fer weapons
[color=red:c335e22b1c]Jarmok Approaches the Gypsies [/color]
[color=green:c335e22b1c]Laren and the Apron.[/color]
[color=green:c335e22b1c]Laren goes to see Ashe.[/color]


Duthash Albyr Arkus [May 4th]
Morning:
[color=violet:c335e22b1c]Kit Visits Julius.[/color]

[color=red:c335e22b1c]Jarmok visits Julius to talk about the Protectorate using the abandoned guard house.[/color]

Evening:
Dinner at the Stump: [color=violet:c335e22b1c]Kit[/color] meets with [color=green:c335e22b1c]Laren[/color], Maal & [color=red:c335e22b1c]Jarmok[/color].

Duthash Albyr Basque [May 5th]
Session 5 - A Passing
Session 4 ? Rats in the Forest (The Hunt)
Evening:
[color=red:c335e22b1c]Jarmok's Sabbatical[/color]

Duthash Albyr Aryor [May 6th]
The Hunted Hawks
Session 6 - Bandits in the Brambles (Bramblethorn)
A Dusty Return
Ashes to Ashe's
Ragnars report
Evening (into Duthash Zinnyas Voldyn [May 7th]):
[color=blue:c335e22b1c] By The Light of The Emerald Moon[/color]
[color=red:c335e22b1c]Jarmok's Sabbatical (Continued) [/color]
[color=cyan:c335e22b1c]Merriment at the Thornhedge[/color]

Duthash Zinnyas Voldyn [May 7th]
Aftermath
Waiting for Kyle
[color=blue:c335e22b1c]The Ring within the Brambles[/color]
[color=red:c335e22b1c]Jarmok Returns[/color]
[color=blue:c335e22b1c]A New Home[/color]
[color=blue:c335e22b1c]Secrets and Truths[/color]

Duthash Zinnyas Fehy [8 May]
[color=red:c335e22b1c]A New [/color][color=blue:c335e22b1c]Day Dawns[/color]
[color=cyan:c335e22b1c]Hangover[/color]
Session 07 - A Chamber of Horrors

Duthash Zinnyas Syncath [May 9th]
Session 07 - A Chamber of Horrors (cont)
Ragnor's Return
Kitchen o' the Stump
[color=green:c335e22b1c]Laren's Nerves[/color]

Duthash Zinnyas Arkus [May 10th]
[color=cyan:c335e22b1c]Sayer Ain't the Only Scribe[/color]
Session 8 - Fires in the Night
Past, Present, and Future
Writing a Report
The Walking Wounded
[color=violet:c335e22b1c]The Young Girl Limps Away[/color]
[color=blue:c335e22b1c]Dark Servant, Good Deed[/color]
Questions

Duthash Zinnyas Basque [May 11th]
Session 09: You Can't Handle the Tooth
The Slave Unaware

Duthash Zinnyas Aryor [May 12]
Session 12: The King of Bling

Duthash Dracum Voldyn [13 May]
[color=blue:c335e22b1c]Calling upon a Friend[/color]
Session 10: Vervishkuk
[color=green:c335e22b1c]Evidence of [/color][color=violet:c335e22b1c]an explosion[/color]
The Weary Road Home
Session 11: A Council Complete
Kit's Life

Duthash Dracum Fehy [14 May]
Kit's Life (Continued)
[color=green:c335e22b1c]Lost in a Dream[/color]
[color=green:c335e22b1c]The Sorrows Can Swim[/color]

Duthash Dracum Arkus 237 VY [May 16]
[color=blue:c335e22b1c]Wolves on the Hunt[/color]
#76
Out of Character Discussions / Mel's Bed
May 20, 2005, 05:10:47 PM
Quote from: "Dray", from "Elberrin's Bow"He made his way to the mess hall, but not before ensuring that Mel was truly asleep on his little cot.

For some reason I've pictured Mel slepping in a hammock inside the tent. A small one (on the order of five feet long) strung between two of the tent's support poles.

Do you care about this, Dray? Can I have a hammock?

I'll be your best freeeiind... 8)
#77
In Character Discussions / Jarmok Visits Julius
May 17, 2005, 01:37:53 PM
Early May 4 (the day after Jarmok Questions Kit and the morning before Dinner at the Stump)...

Jarmok goes to the council house to find Julius. He will wait inside if it's open and Julius is not there, and will wait in the bushes across the street if it's not open (whether he's there or not).
#78
General Info / Seasons
May 17, 2005, 12:27:56 PM
Is this the info you're looking for, Johan?

http://kulgar.org/threshold/threshold-intro.htm#calendar
#79
General Info / Seasons
May 17, 2005, 12:27:56 PM
Wildfire, I was wondering if you could please post the season names?

I realize that we're in Sythus (spring) now, and we just left Venric (winter), but I really had to dig for this information when I was posting my "Jarmok goes to the stump" post. Could you post that information along with month names, and dates upon which we change from season to season (if such is how that works here in Threshold)?

Thanks.
#80
In Character Discussions / Mel Visits Iviellos
May 13, 2005, 01:41:23 PM
Mel would like to track Ivan down, preferrably in the Big Top, but if the occasion presents itself elsewhere he'll carpe the fricken diem...

So, I'm thinking, another day or so and we're pretty well sure that we'll have fully investigated this part of the  Dwarven hold that we've been looting - I mean, charting [Mel grins impishly]. The next obvious bent would be to investigate that portion of it that's on the other side of the chasm, but getting there will take some doing. I think it'll take something like a full day just to jungle-hike around the chasm to the far said. Any single jaunt over there will likely be an adventure that would take days; not something that would bring us back by nightfall.

This brings a thought to mind, and coupled with another thought the first thought seems downright plausible. I think.

Although this side of the Dwarven facility is damaged, it could still be very much usefull to us; My thinking is that we should perhaps turn a bunch of dwarves loose in there to correct the defects (the damaged traps, the broken smithy...) and air the place out. It could be usefull as a more permanent base of operations. I mean, it's a lot more defensible than the beach is, and if the dwarves put some effort to it, they could seal off the centipede nest, and make the system a great base. There's storage areas, living quarters, forges, anvils. Granted, we can't all live there, but it could be very usefull. The presence of that sauna could even be usefull for medicinal reasons. The whole east wing could be put to use as an infirmary! Plus, it's more defensible than the beach.

I have this vision of building a bridge from this side to the other side. I would, were I a dwarf, build a proper gateway or door at the southern wall of that great hall, perhaps a stairway leading upwards to the forest and down toward the bottom of the chasm (we should investigate that to see what's there - probably not much more than fallen debris, relatively new forest growth, and a lot of centipededs; have you noticed that there seem to be a lot of nuisance critters running around over there? Centipedes particularly. There were like, thousands of them in that nest. Why do you suppose they need nests? You'd think...Oh, sorry).

Part of me wonders when the militant humaniods from the deep are going to attack us again. If anything, they are likely building their forces now; I think it'd be a good idea for us to make use of the Dwarven facility. Like I say, it's more easily defensible than the beach, and if we can at least build a temporary bridge to the other side (say, a rope bridge...they can seem very unstable but they'll surprise you too. A single strand may not be very strong, but put them together and...) er, then who knows what might be found as usefull over there.

Me and the gang can get across a rope (Elb can shoot it across and I'll cross, tie off a larger, stronger rope for the others...you get the idea), but while we're investigating that side a better bridge can be in the works and within a month we'll have a decent fortress. One, I think, that'll be more easily defended than the beach.

True, the dwarves might not think it's decent [Mel frowns and lowers his voice rediculously, cupping his chin in his hands to carricturize a beard] "It fell once, it can fall again...oops, I tripped, don't help me up - I'll only fall again." but the truth is that this facility is very much more defensible than the beach. Did I mention that?

Wow, look at her...Hey, you know that druid chick you sent to help us? She's awfully pretty. Pretty skitty...prettish skittish. pbpbptttt ahahahaha!!

Ohh! Look! T'Riad's balancing on a stick! Excuse me, I've got something that needs pushing...