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January 6, 2004

A new party?

Tassar's Journal

As I sit in the comfort of my favorite barstool, still pondering how to approach the woman of my dreams I am disrupted by the barkeep asking if I want another ale. “Of course” I quickly reply for it easier to sink myself into a drunken stupor than to face Portia. She is the sweetest and most fair woman I have ever had the blessings to view with these eyes. Oh sure to most she is just another halfling rogue, but I see her in a different light. One of these days I will have the courage to ask for her hand, but for now I will have to settle for our current relationship, which is to say she doesn’t acknowledge my existence.

Ah, my acquaintance the firebug is here. Damned if I won’t be forced to listen to more of his tales of glory and greatness, it makes it hard to drink while someone is lying to me. I would not go as far as to call this tall and lanky human a friend; no Antonio is more a drinking partner who tolerates me and my lies of glory and greatness. Well at least his pockets are usually deep.

As the night progresses a few more people come in for some ale or stew. I see Deitricha the cleric, she seems to tolerate me the most. I have decided to try to take care of her if something happens, obviously she is touched. I don’t know what I would do if she stumbled into some trouble that I could save her from. Tempus rewards the brave and strong, but I believe he sometimes also protects those who do not have all their faculties. Theona and Areon are sharing a table, elves always stick together. I believe that Theona not only tolerates me but enjoys arguing with me more than she would ever admit. Areon, he is a strange one. While I truly understand the wanderlust and desire to move about, rangers have always been an enigma to me.

Though some strange form of luck, these three have taken to not minding me. I don’t know what I have done different to gain this manner of friendliness, but it brings me some comfort.

Antonio is asking about work again, I had asked him before if I might join in his next adventure and despite knowing me he said yes. To my surprise that day is today. It seems that some Lord of Greycastle is seeking a group of adventurers and Antonio thinks this is for us. Theona, Areon and Deitricha have decided to go along as well. This will be ok as long as they understand I am in it for the glory and they don’t get in the way. We head off to meet this fellow and see what he has to offer.

We meet and accept this fellow’s quest, a small mine that needs cleared of some disturbance. I think the meeting would have gone smoother if I was not so drunk, never the less we gather our belongings and head off on the one day march to the mine.

By nightfall we find the entrance and decide to camp the night rather that go any further without rest. Areon finds a small spot out of the wind for us to make a nice camp in, then the trouble starts. I ask firebug to start a little fire with the wood I collected and the group starts complaining about the light. I do my best to explain that we, ok I, need to eat and want to eat warm food. This argument has confronted me before and brought about some bad endings that I would prefer to forget. Luckily Antonio had an answer, this magic user may prove himself quite useful yet indeed. And all troubles pass for the evening.

We found the entrance and worked our way in to find some statues. Statues that seem to be carved a little too well, except the damage each of them shows. It is as if something has tried to gnaw on them. We follow some footprints that the ranger found to cobwebs. Here we find ourselves fighting a group of large spiders. The battle was quick and easy, well except for Antonio who while dodging the fierce advances of the spiders, had to avoid three arrows from behind while we tried to save him. I fired two arrows sinking both deep into flesh. Antonio was angry that one of my arrows now protruded from his back end. I tried to explain that he moved in front of my shot, but he still seems pissed.

After a bit three large spiders lay dead on the floor and I am proud to say I felled one of the beasts. The thief and I, oops, she doesn’t like being called a thief. Ok the “seeker of lost artifacts” and I looked through the room for any treasure just to find some dried husks of what Theona called Kobolds.

We press on into the mine and run into a small ambush. Four of the not-so-dead Kobolds who sat up on a ledge waiting for us. My companions took cover and returned fire while I rushed to tear into their flank. While two of the creatures turned and prepared to engage me my comrades stuck from a distance killing two of them, including one of the ones in front of me. The farthest one broke for help. I quickly cut the remaining one in half when he turned to run. These little devils will learn to fear the name of Tassar Dardragon.

We followed its path to a spot on the floor that dropped me into a pit. I did my best to blame my fellow party members, I just hope it was enough that they didn’t see the embarrassment on my face.

Off we went again into the twist and turns of the mine until we reached a spot where we found two more of the creatures setting up another ambush. I rushed out and fired my bow at them, followed by Theona. Although I don’t know which one did it, there was apparently four more Kobolds hiding behind me and her that we didn’t notice. I have never walked into the ambush to get ambushed from behind; quick minds these little fellow have. After that it became a little of a blur, Areon and me stood shoulder to shoulder against a couple of the creatures, trading shot for shot. Eventually we finished our foes to find we were the only members of the party standing. I believe I got two of them in this room, a small bit is still blurry to me.

The ranger and I dragged our friends to a safe alcove and set up a basic defense for one of the red-skinned creatures got away and called for help. I don’t know how this will end, but by Tempus’s eye I will not go down without taking a fare number more of these beasts with me. And my ranger buddy has proven himself handy with that huge thing he calls a sword as well.

Posted by Jim at 18:39 | Tassar’s Journal

Stabbed in the Back

Theona's Journal

Kythorn 2, 1373, Greycastle Mine

Every now and then, especially when I am short on funds or leads on objects needing rescued, I get the urge to broaden my horizons outside of Silverymoon. Yesterday was such a day, so I headed over to the Bright Blade Brandished to see if there were any jobs for a quick bit of cash within a day’s walk of the city. I saw that human Antonio that often buys everyone drinks, and the halfling Tassar, who always seems to be around when someone is buying a round. Deitricha from Tymora’s temple was there, which I found curious, and Areon— the grim-looking wood elf that gives me the impression that he’s waiting for a fight to break out.

It just so happened that we had all come to the tavern with similar ideas— a quick job that involved getting away from the city for a few days and would pay well. We quickly decided we could work together, and headed to Lord Evendor Greycastle’s home to seal the deal.

A minor human noble, Greycastle had recently inherited a copper mine in the foothills of the Nether Mountains southeast of Silverymoon. The mines, apparently, are infested with kobolds or other similar critters. For 100 gold a piece (and anything not nailed down in the mines), we agreed to rid the place of any squatters so it could be reopened. Sounded easy enough, so we singed on the dotted line and were off.

It was a nice walk, weather-wise, though a bit chillier than in the city. The halfling managed to keep up with the taller members of the party, though he complained about our “tallness” the entire way. I noticed he eats more than the four of us “tall” people combined, and he must have grown up in a port town because he swears like a sailor. He is definitely not shy about sharing intimate details with anyone willing to listen (or can’t avoid listening).

We got to the mine right as it was growing dark out, so we figured setting up a camp outside would be better than stumbling around inside. Tassar wanted to have a campfire to cook his food on, while Areon feared it would be a beacon to whatever was occupying the mines. I suggested that Antonio just use a cantrip to heat the halfling’s meal. Antonio looked surprised at the idea— I guess he must have fire issues— but agreed to do it. The night passed uneventfully.

We are slowly learning to work together. This requires figuring out who is best at doing what. For example, I felt it natural to let Areon range ahead when we were out in the open, scouting, but when we hit the inside of the mines, I wanted to go through first to look for traps. Tassar insisted that he walk with me in case of an attack, leaving our sorcerer Antonio and cleric Deitricha in the middle. The trick is sticking to a “marching order”— as soon as there is room to spread out, we seem to do that. The first large area we came to was filled with very realistic-looking “statues” of what looked like a band of adventurers, though only one was intact with a head— the look on the face was one of pure horror.

They are too heavy to carry and I doubt that they would fetch anything in the open market.

We had the option of moving on straight ahead, or to the left or right in relation to the entrance to the mines. The majority of footprints went straight ahead, so naturally, we avoided that way and turned right, where footprints only lead away in one direction. Tassar wanted to go left, insisting that there were “elven artifacts” in that direction (he must actually listen to me when he’s drunk, since I am interested in unearthing such treasures and had mentioned it in the Bright Blade yesterday), but Deitricha suggested he was just toying with me.

So we went right, towards a large cavern festooned with webs. As Tassar and Antonio (why was he in front of me?) stood in the entrance and argued about how best to clear the area, Antonio was attacked and apparently bitten by one of the three large spiders hanging in the webs. I managed to drop one with a crossbow bolt before they could react, and we finished off the other two while Antonio crawled weakly over to be healed by our cleric, an arrow sticking from his backside.

I found two cocoons and sliced them open— two desiccated reptilian humanoids slid out— kobolds. No swag whatsoever.

I managed to stay in front of the party long enough to find and disable a tripwire. Following the wire, I came to a thunderstone— that certainly would have alerted anything in the mines to our presence! I carefully removed it and handed it to Antonio.

I lead the party over to a ladder (this place has a lot of ladders) and climbed up to peer over the top— only to be hit by a sling stone. I picked off one kobold standing on a ledge above me while my companions clambered up the ladder— they managed to finish off two more before the last routed. Darn kobolds only had their slings and stones— nothing valuable. In fact, this place doesn’t seem to have anything worth taking.

We tried to chase the kobold, but he was too fast. Unfortunately, Tassar was running ahead of me and fell into a pit. Lucky it was only a pit trap! The fact that the kobold didn’t set the trap off makes me think our halfling is carrying a lot more in his pack than I would have though him capable of carrying. Probably all food.

Once Tassar was out we followed the fleeing kobold into a long, narrow tunnel. More kobolds were pelting us with rocks from a ledge higher up, I took out one, and then slowly inched into the room to allow my friends in to help fight. I felt a sudden pain in my back, and all went dark....

Posted by Kristin at 18:59 | Theona’s Journal