Lunar: Magic Empire Session 44 Log ============================================================ Cast of Characters: Rune as "GM/Narrator, Par, Leader, and ~Geint" Seath as "Earendil" Hahn as "Kadan" Aes as "Valina" Mia Ausa as "Geint" ============================================================ GMRune: ------game on------ Kadan cracks his knuckles and bangs his fists together. GMRune: Earendil, Kadan, Par, Valina, and Geint head out of Vane to the northwest. Shelladon, the only port city this side of the continent, lies somewhere along the northern coast.. Par: Feeling eager, Kadan? Valina: ... Him, what about me? Par: Shelladon is the only city with a port that goes to Caldor Isle, unless you want to risk sailing there on our own. Valina: ... I know, I have been there... Valina: How do you think I got OFF Caldor in the first place ? Earendil: Yeah, and I lived there for seventeen years. Par: The first thing we'll have to worry about is getting *into* Shelladon. After the fiasco with the resistance, I don't think we'll be able to just walk in through the front gates. Earendil: We could try to sneak in the way we sneaked out. Kadan: It's an old fortress with a lot of holes. I'm sure I could figure a way in. Valina: ... and then we sneak onto a ship... Par: If we're lucky. If they've left the sewers relatively untouched I can navigate well enough through there. Valina thinks about going into more sewers... Valina: ~shudder~ Kadan: Let's approach the city, then decide what we'll do from there. Earendil: Don't insult my home Kadan, those holes are all the empire's doing. GMRune: The party continues through the forested region of the area north of Vane, gradually making a westward bearing towards Shelladon. The foilage reminds you of the pear tree you first found the bush in. Valina: ~sigh~ ... Par: Shelladon was a great city once. Perhaps someday it will be again. Earendil: I think that I won't try to get a pear this time around, we don't want another bush with us. Par chuckles. Valina: Well, Earendil at least you know your home still exists... GMRune: The party hears some rustling in the trees. It seems as though a few ambushes are watching your progress. They keep their distance though. Earendil: When we are done with the empire, I plan to help rebuild Shelladon. Kadan looks up and around with a suspicious scowl. GMRune: A bit of ambush drool falls down on Kadan. Kadan: Gyaak! Earendil: See Kadan, it likes you. Valina: Oh no... let's get outta here. Kadan wipes the goopy stuff from his shoulder armor. GMRune: The ambushes rustle and go back to their feeding. Earendil: I don't think we have to fear ambushes now. Valina walks onward... Kadan: Keep to the tree's shade. It will keep you hidden. GMRune: The journey is rather uneventful. The trip itself takes a few days, and you pass a division in the road leading east to the village of Mertyl before you continue on the main road to Shelladon. The greenery is quite thick, although it lightens somewhat as you see the signs of smokestacks up ahead. Valina doesn't even want to think about the last time she was on this pathway. Kadan: Mertyl... that's where I saw Trevor. Dark magic was covering that place like a fog... Valina: ... GMRune: As you near, signs of heavy logging appear in the woods, and then finally the treeline breaks altogether to reveal the plains on which the battles to defend Shelladon were fought. Earendil: Let's just get inside the city. GMRune: There is now only open ground between you and the main gates of Shelladon. Earendil: These plains are as burnt out as they were three years ago. Kadan: We should remain cautious. We cannot know what has been transpiring in these ruins since our absence. Kadan: Par, what of the resistance? Might any of them remain in the catacombs beneath the city? Valina: ... Let's just hurry. GMRune: The fortifications around the city are pocked with holes, although the majr ons have been plugged up since Shelladon's occupation. Members of House Protectoriate and their military constantly guard the walls, leaving very little open for even a cat to crawl through. Earendil shakes his head in disgust. Par shrugs. "I really don't know. There might be a few left. But I think most have been scoured since the time we rescued Valina from Gausuton." Valina: ... Valina: I don't like this. Earendil: Then, we are on our own. Valina: Good. Earendil: Good? Par: Protectoriate isn't taking any chances now. They lost Shea when she tried to assassinate Lord Kargeth. I don't think they'll let that happen a second time. Kadan rubs his chin. "Hmm... Protectoriate. It seems the vile houses of the empire are more numerous than we can fight. If only we had a big catapult..." Valina: That we are on our own... Valina: We need to hurry... I want to go home. Par smiles to Kadan. "I think we'd need more than just a big catapult. Kadan rubs his finger along his axe's blade and smiles. "Nah... if we had a big catapult, and flung me behind their walls, their worries... and ours, would be over." Par: Oh, flinging _you_ over the wall? That would be something. Par grins. Earendil: It would take an army the twice to size of Shelladon's population to free the city. Those of House Protectoriate are fierce fighters with both swords and sorcery. Kadan stretches his shoulders back and forth. "Couldn't we just swim to Caldor? 'Tis only a few miles, is it not?" Par: Try a few hundred miles. Earendil: Kadan, be reasonable. Par thinks if anyone can swim over to Caldor, it'd be Kadan, but he wouldn't want to test that. Kadan crouches down in the shadows and surveys the distant fortress. "There is no fortress that is impossible to escape from, or to enter. It's all a matter of finding out what they haven't thought of yet." Par: Do you have any ideas then? Earendil: If not the sewers, then what? Par silently amends, "Good ideas, that is." Kadan: We could stake out their guard rotation until nightfall, and see when there's a gap in their patrol. Earendil: We could just walk in. ~Geint yawns. "That would be nice." She curls up and snoozes on Earendil's shoulder. Valina: Any chance we can get to the docks? Kadan: If we can get behind the walls, how might we procure passage aboard a vessel? GMRune: The main gates are to the south of Shelladon while the ports are to the north, behind all the walls. Earendil: Shelladon is still a civilian city, albeit occupied. We could disguise ourselves as traders or something. Valina: Sneek in, and hide in the hold Kadan! Par: Somehow I think someone as large as Kadan isn't going to be easy to hide. Valina: True... It was so much easier comming here.. Earendil: We could just bribe one of the vessel captains. Earendil: We have silver. Valina: ... Valina: Yea. Valina: Let's come up with a scheme... Kadan: We could tell them we're escorting a bizarre mutated pink badger to a liaison of House Flysse who is stationed on Caldor. Par: Hmm... that could work. We'll have to be careful though. Par: O_o Valina: I'm the short cute one... Kadan is big and strong, Earendil is intelligent... Geint is a flying bunny, Par is a great magician. Valina: I have an idea. Par: What is it? Earendil: I had hoped that we could hide our dear little friend. Kadan: I've planned raids worse than this... well, ok, maybe they didn't involve entire legions of warlocks, but if you do it right, it doesn't matter who you're up against. Every giant has a chink in his armor. Valina: Let's say... we are a small circus with a bunch of parlor tricks, and we desperately need to get to Caldor! Par's eyes bug out in Valina's direction. "Uhhh..." Valina: ... It would work. Valina: Now if only we had costumes... Par: Yeah, except a description of my looks has probably been given to every member of Protectoriate. Valina imagines Par with a big old magician's beard! Par tries not to. Kadan: Earendil, you lived here for quite some time. Wouldn't a playful child find holes and passages that an army may have overlooked? Valina imagines herself in a little skimpy bunny suit... Valina: Hmmm... on second thought... Earendil: Nope. Earendil: Wait, I have another idea! Par listens. Valina liked her idea the best :P Earendil: Not all of the water front is ports, some of it has houses and the water in front of those is full of reeds. Earendil: We could make a small boat, cover the top of it with reeds and sail up to one of those houses. No one would probably notice. Valina: ... Par chuckles. "For a moment there I thought you were going to have us do the swimming with reeds in our mouth thing." Valina: Ok, Ear... but one question, do you know how to make a boat? Par can see the party sinking already. Not a good thought. Earendil opens his mouth to say something and just stands there. Par sighs. "Maybe we can steal a boat." Kadan pulls out his bow and nocks an arrow, then aims up at the pivotal towers of the castle wall, mock aiming at any guards he might see. Par: No wait, we'd have to get inside first to do that. Par scratches his head. Earendil: Before the battles, the walls were kept in perfect condition all year round. The only ways in are through the main gates, or the secret passages in back of the castle and in back of the knights' headquarters. So Kadan, I don't know of any other ways in. Kadan: Damn these anglo-medeival fortress designs. So much harder to infiltrate than the open plazas of the early meso-american age of architecture. Earendil: Huh? Par blinks. "Huh?" Kadan: Huh? Earendil: What language was that? Kadan: I have no idea what you're talking about. Kadan: Perhaps we could launch a decoy assault on one of the guard towers, flush them out in a fit of panic, and sneak into the fortress with less guards to worry about. Earendil: There are five of us. Any assualt would be laughed off. Par tries to imagine Protectoriate's warlocks panicking. Kadan: They have a tendency to panic and run if arrows start poking their walls. Par: Earendil's right about that. And one of us is an air bunny anyway. Earendil: The way I see it, we can go in disguised, go in through the sewers, or by the water provided we miraculously find a boat. Par: The sewers may be guarded, but I very much doubt that they would be by high ranking warlocks. The patrols in there should be easier to handle. Valina: ...True. Kadan: There's a distinct possibility that the warlocks here are already aware of our group, though. Par glances to the north. "Althena, I hope not." Earendil: Yes Kadan, they might have seen a glimmer off that arrow you had aimed at them. Valina: Well, if so, we must be swift... Kadan: They may recognize us on sight, or worse, be expecting us. You never know who's watching you from the shadows... GMRune: As the party debates, the sun is beginning its downward arc in the sky, heralding the mid-afternoon. Valina: ... You know, they are not going to send out a ship at night, we probably missed the last one for the day. Earendil: We still have a few hours yet. Par: Maybe. But it might be easier to sneak inside at night than during the daylight, unless you really want to try your disguise theory. Valina: Yea... but sitting here won't get us very far... Geint snores a bit. Kadan: The disguise idea is sticky... I wouldn't want to get so deep into enemy territory, when they could engulf us at any moment. Where is the nearest entrance to the sewers? Par: Well, should we come to a decision now? The longer we sit here, the more I think those sentries onthe walls are gonna see us. Valina: Let's act our way through this Par: Probably near the ocean. We'd have to swim in. Par makes a disgusted expression. Valina: Okay then, sewer it is.. Valina looks for anything resembling a sewer... Earendil: I would say we disguise ourselves, but then, where are we going to find stuff for the disguises, so I guess the sewer it will be. Valina: One question though. Par: What? Valina: If we go through the sewer, we have no idea where in town we'll end up... Kadan: It may be our only course, though. Par: Not entirely, Valina. I've spent a good deal of time in the sewers with the resistance. If we find a location I recognize, I probably can bring us anywhere in town near a sewer grate. Earendil: I tended to stay away from the sewers as a child, so I know very little of the layout. Valina: Let's say we end up in the middle of a nice warlock stronghold in the middle of town... Par pauses. "Well, maybe not anywhere. but a few good places." Valina: Has anyone even found the entrance to the sewer? Par: It'll probably be around the city to the north, not near the port and the homes though. We'll probably have to start swimming a good distance away from the walls too. Kadan: That's not a problem. Valina: ... Well, let's check it out. Par: Then let's get going. Maybe we can get in the city by sundown. Earendil: For Valina and myself it might be. Valina: Of course it will be a problem... but at least we'll be closer to the ultimate answer. Valina heads toward the north. Valina: Let's get moving. :D GMRune: The party heads around Shelladon to the west and then to the north, keeping a good distance from the warlock- guarded walls. Par follows after Valina. Earendil prods at the sleeping Geint. Kadan tries to blend into the natural shades of the dimming afternoon sun. Geint: ..Hmm...? WaaAaaahhh? Geint opens one eye. Earendil: Have a nice nap? Geint: -_O Geint: Yea...uuhhmm....where ARE we? *Looks around* Earendil: Shelladon. We're going to sneak in through the sewers again. Geint: ..Thought we were going to Quark... *Still groggy* Geint blink blinks sleepily. Valina looks for any sign of the sewer entrance. Earendil: We need a boat first, silly little dragon. GMRune: The sounds of the ocean increase in volume as you near the crashing of the waves against the port. When the ocean comes into view, you see it is at low tide and that the ground ends in a six foot drop from your current level to the water below. The water itself is thick and grimy. You can't see below the surface. Kadan smirks distastefully at the water. Valina: ...Swim you say. Have fun Kadan. Earendil gets angry and throws a stone in the water. "Damn those warlocks, this ocean used to be clean. They don't care about people or the planet." GMRune: The stone disappears in the murk with a *ploop*! Valina: Yuck... I sure hope it isn't like this at Caldor. Kadan looks for any possible entrances. GMRune: There don't appear to be any immediately in view. Perhaps underwater or if you risk swimming closer to the city. But you probably don't want to walk any further east or the sentries may see you. Kadan takes a deep breath and submerges his head for a moment, trying to see if any purer water exists beneath the surface, where he can open his eyes. Valina: ... Geint decides flying would be a good thing. Earendil: Hey Geint, how long can you hold your adult form? Geint flies above everyone. Geint: Uhh... Kadan is heard flailing around in mild alarm beneath the muck. Earendil: Nah, forget it anyway. We'd need to fly very high for no one to notice us. Valina: Um... hehe little problem, I am not the greatest of swimmers... Earendil tries to pull Kadan up. Geint: Uhh... I can only be in my dragon form while in my cave. =\ Kadan thrashes above the murky surface, taking in a deep gulp of air. Valina: ... That looks disgusting. GMRune: Kadan surfaces triumphantly, holding on to a long slippery eel! Kadan gasps in horror as he sees what he has been wrestling with. Kadan throws the thing as far as he can toward land. GMRune: The eel crashes back into the water. Earendil lets go of Kadan. "Oh Althena, a poison eel!" Valina: Great. Geint: O_o Par: I'm not sure if that was even poisonous. O_o Earendil: I think it was, I've seen a few of them around the ocean front before, very deadly. Valina likes eels as much as she likes slimes. Kadan: Did it spit ink at me, or is it just this crud? Ewwwwkkhh! Earendil: Don't worry Kadan, if it had managed to poison you, you'd be dead by now. Par: I think that's just the crud... Kadan grumbles. "Thanks for the positive re- assurance." Kadan: It's impossible to see down there. Par, how can we locate a sewer entrance? Valina: ... Eels... Water... warlocks... what more can go wrong? Par pats Kadan on the shoulder, then looks in disgust at the gunk that sticks to him. "Ew...." Earendil: Better not to ask Valina. Valina: To late I already mentioned it... thus it is bound to happen. Par: Well, we... Wait, we don't have Arzel. But... Hey Kadan, I thought you could see in the dark. Valina remembers how much easier it was to sneek OFF Caldor! Earendil: It seems that we will have to try the direct approach. Par looks around uneasily. "Maybe the entrance would be further east, a little closer to the city. It probably wouldn't be underwater." Valina: True.. Par: I don't want to risk moving any closer to the city walls on land. I'll jump in here and start looking to the east. Hopefully they won't notice me in the water. Valina: ... Umm Jump in? Valina: That? Earendil: You call that water? Valina: No. Par nods grimly. "It's nasty stuff. But if the eel can live in there, the water would be at least somewhat cleaner down below." Earendil: If you go, then the rest of us should. Valina: ... Water... swimming problem... ummm... Par: Even if I can't see anything underwater, I'll have to surface for air anyway. Par looks to Valina. "What?" Valina: Well... you see... umm I can't swim. Par: Oh... Um... :\ Par: Why didn't you say something earlier? Valina: Well... Par: . o O (Yes, this *will* be a problem.) Valina: I figured we'd cross this bridge when we got there. Valina: ... Perhaps someone could help me. Par sighs. "Okay. Can anyone swim while carrying Valina?" Earendil: Um . . . Valina: Kadan has done it before... Valina: But... I don't know.. Earendil: I could try, but it would have to be in the shallower water. Valina: ... Thanks Ear. Valina holds Earendil's hand. Earendil hoists Valina onto his back. Valina: Shall we... Geint continues to flutter about without words. Earendil: Do you want to lead the way Par? Par slips his cane through his belt. "Let's try to stick together whenever we surface. Geint can try keeping us together." Par: Sure, Ear. Par takes a deep breath, and splooshes into the murky water. Nasty stuff it is. Earendil: Now Valina, be ready just in case your head goes under. Valina: Okay. Valina takes a deep breath. Par is underwater, although you can see where he's heading from the ripples he's throwing up. Earendil gets into the water and swims after Par. Valina holds on tightly. GMRune: The party swims through the polluted water, trying not to swallow any of it as they head east towards the port. It is surprisingly easy to stay afloat in this water, which may be due to the amount of chemicals that have been dumped in it. Valina thinks "This can't be good for me." GMRune: After several dunkings in and out of the water, the party reaches a trail of fluorescent green liquid trailing through the water. The source of it is a wide pipe which juts out from the side of a rock face. Kadan tries to think of warm and happy places while swimming. Kadan appears relieved to have found a possible entrance. GMRune: The pipe is a good four feet above your heads due to the low tide. But it is wide enough that you could probably stand in it if you could reach it. Par: Well, this looks like a sewer entrance if anything does. Valina: ... Good. Earendil lets Valina get off. GMRune: Valina splashes into the water. Valina: ... Valina tries to stay afloat. Valina: ..Umm... little advice anyone? GMRune: Valina floats in the water. Valina: Ah... Kadan looks around for any supports that might lead up to the piping. GMRune: The ocean floor beneath the pipe seems to be a good distance below your feet. Earendil starts spitting out stuff. "Uggggaah, I got some of this muck in my mouth." Earendil: I think I'm gonna be sick. GMRune: The pipe is coming straight out of the rock. GMRune: There aren't any support other than the rock itself, which may be difficult to climb. Par: I'm more inclined to think I'm gonna go blind. I'm trying to keep the stuff out of my eyes. Valina: ...Iiiky Earendil: Too bad Tarrant isn't here, we could use his plant magic right about now. Kadan clamps onto the wall to ascertain its slipperiness. Valina: ... Valina thinks... now I need to do laundry! Par mentally cycles through all the party's magicks wondering if anything could work. Earendil's thunder magic? Nooooo... Kadan clings to the rock wall, desperately trying to clamber up into the pipe. Kadan: If I can just... grr... make it, then I'll try to ... gasp... pull the rest of you up! Earendil: Par, do you think that you could maybe make a ladder of ice? GMRune: It is slow going, but Kadan succeeds in climbing up. Par shakes his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't craft something like that. I could make a block of ice large enough, but I'd need outside tools to shape it with." Kadan tries to crawl inside the pipe and get some stable footing. Valina: Now only if he can lower a rope... or something. Kadan lies flat on his front side and tests how low he can reach his arms. GMRune: Kadan makes it inside. There is a revolting amount of semi-solid mush around the base of the pipe though. GMRune: Kadan can reach down a little over three feet from the pipe. Party members will have to manage jumping to reach his hands though. Kadan braces himself to distribute strength to his arms. Earendil: Valina, climb on my back again and try to reach Kadan. Kadan: Geint, try to give them a little nudge if they can't make it. Valina: Umm... Valina: Let me try something... Valina can feel a slight brease around her... Valina closes her eyes and concintrates. Kadan strains his arms down to reach for the diminutive Valina. GMRune: Valina calls the air to her, and the wind hits the water with a thwack as it propels her up to where she can reach Kadan. The others are sprayed with murk as she rises. Par sputters. Earendil: Yechk! Valina: ... Valina grabs Kadan's hand. Kadan: Er... Valina! Yah! :\ Valina: ... A little trick I picked up... Kadan, with a grunt, yanks Valina into the slimy pipe. GMRune: Valina lands on a small pile of little brown mush. Valina: Iik. Par: Who's next? You or me, Ear? Earendil: You go Par. Par bobs his head. He gathers himself and splashes up to grab Kadan. Kadan grabs Par's hand and drags him up into the metal piping. GMRune: Par gets dumped on a mound of green goo. Par looks at his robes. "Just wonderful..." :P Earendil: Okay, my turn now. Earendil does like Par and splashes up to grab Kadan's hand. Kadan struggles and snags Earendil into the pipe with the others. GMRune: Earendil doesn't want to know what he landed into. It's black and it sticks very readily to his pants. Valina: ...Ikky! Who's idea was it to go to the sewers anyways? Par shrugs. "I think it was a vague group consensus." Earendil: Uggguuahh! Par stands up and begins pushing the goo off his robes with his cane. Earendil: I just thought of something, won't people think it a bit strange walking around town with all this muck on us? Valina: Yea... Valina: I think a bath would go well! Earendil: . o O (Will I be invited? . . . Dammit Earendil, clean out your mind!) Geint hovers around. Quiet day for her! Par: Ready to get moving? Geint appears to be in thought. Valina: Let's.. Kadan: Do you know where this tunnel leads us? Par glances in towards the rest of the sewer. "I'm not certain. But once we get further in we ought to see some branching. Then I might be able to figure out how to get to where." Par heads in to the sewers. Earendil follows Par. Kadan sticks near the rear of the party, ever wary of sounds from all directions. Valina feels ikky as she follows onward. GMRune: The tunnel dims the further the party goes into the sewers, but even once the party is out of sight of the outside, the sewer keeps its glow via a sort of moss. Also further in you see a platform you can walk on that runs alongside the flow of water. Valina: ...Yuck. Earendil: How much farther Par? Valina: ..Yea.. Par pauses as the party reaches a division in the tunnel. "I'm not sure, but I think we're getting close to the city's outskirts now." Par chooses to head left. Valina follows... Earendil tries not to think about what he is stepping in. Kadan picks up his pace and comes to the front of the group. Kadan: Shh... Kadan tries to stop the group with a wave of his hand. Par has started walking on the platform rather than in the murk. Par: What? Kadan: Be quiet. Let me listen... Earendil turns around to look at Kadan. Geint flaps. Kadan: I... I heard footsteps. Valina: ... Earendil strains to listen for footsteps. Kadan: There's... three or four of them. Kadan tilts his head to one side. Earendil: Yeah, I can just barely hear them too. Par draws up his cane. "Great..." Valina listens. Kadan leans his back against one wall. "Quickly... hide yourselves. We'll see who they are when they pass by, then jump them and steal their clothes or something!" Par: O_o Okay... Valina: ... Geint desperately wishes she could hide in someone's hood...... =b Par hides around a bend, drawing his soggy black hood over his head. Earendil jumps into one of the side passages and hides in the shadows. Par: In mine, Geint. It's wet though... Earendil whispers, "Valina, over here." Geint hmms. =/ Geint hides in Par's hood. Valina goes toward Earendil. Geint shudders once, then stops. Kadan tries to stop breathing until the footsteps arrive. GMRune: After the party hides, a group of four people come into view. They don't appear to be warlocks, dressing instead in tunics and pants. Two of them carry swords with them and the other two bows. Valina: ... Valina whispers really really quietly, "You think they are part of the resistance?" Earendil whispers back, "I don't know, but there's a chance they could be. Only Par would know for certain." Par keeps hiding, being acutely away of the fuzzy dragon sitting next to his face. Kadan wonders if he should make a move, but doesn't want to scare them into hostility. Kadan gulps and figures if they're hostile, he can still manage to beat them up. Kadan clears his throat. Kadan: Excuse me, kind sirs. Might I introduce myself? GMRune: The group stops their walking and turn towards Kadan. Valina: ... Valina: Oh great... GMRune: Their leader, a sandy-haired woman, looks at Kadan. Leader: Who are you? Valina is still hiding... Par is likewise still hiding. Kadan: I am Vortek, and I am a lonely traveler from the deserts beyond the southern mountains. I was wondering if you people needed any assistance in this dismal place? Leader: Assistance? The leader seems perplexed. She sighs. "I don't think you really can give us any in a place like this." Earendil: . o O (Way to go Kadan. Offerering assistance to somebody in a sewer.) Kadan: Why would such a gentle and charming lady as yourself be crawling amongst the muck here. Have you been outcast? oppressed? Valina thinks "If this 'Vortek' Kadan is a lonely traveler... how is he going to explain the rest of us!' Kadan takes a needle and pops Earendil's thought balloon. Earendil grabs his stomach and whispers to Valina, "Ugh, that stuff from the water is starting to make me sick." The leader laughs lightly. "Outcast? Yes, I suppose. I wouldn't call it oppressed though. What are you doing here?" Valina: ... Yea me too.. Kadan: I am looking for anyone who may... need my services. I am currently trying to bring some miserable children whom I found in a desert to a home on Caldor Isle. Valina: ... Earendil falls to one knee. "Ugh, its getting worse." Valina: Earendil... Kadan: You see, famine claimed their parents, and I have spoken with a foster home somewhere on Caldor Isle that will take them, but I cannot find a way to get there. I have collected a fortune in my humble travels, however. Anyone who could help us arrive at Caldor would be... greatly, greatly, greatly rewarded. Valina: Earendil... Leader: How generous of you. But don't you think you could have walked in the front gate to get to the boatyard? Leader: However, we might be able to help you... Leader: How much are you willing to offer such a captain? Kadan: Well, I have about seven thousand silver in my vault under my desert cabin, and roughly twenty thousand waiting for me on Caldor Isle... which leaves... oh, my, I suppose I only have around 500 silver on hand at the moment. When we arrive at Caldor, however, the rewards would be beyond mortal fathoming. Valina: ... The leader raises an eyebrow. Valina thinks... Great! Earendil is sick, Kadan is lying! what next! Leader: I'm sorry, but if you don't have the money with you, we can't help you. Kadan: These children are being adopted by... er... quite affluent families who are willing to pay any price to bask in their gentle companionship! Kadan: Are you aware of what 500 silver can get you in today's investment markets? Earendil clucthes his stomach even more and promptly decorates the stone floor with multicolored chunks of half-digested food. Leader: Sorry, but we're going to have to take you in to House Protectoriate. They pay so much better for trespassers. Valina: Argh! Valina gets faint from the smell of Earendil's vomit. GMRune: One of the men turns at the sound of Earendil retching. "What was that!" Earendil leans his head against the wall. "Uhh, much better." Kadan: Haven't you any respect for the ideals of freedom for ragged little cute adorable kids?! Valina begins to awake in a dreamish state... The leader glares at Kadan. "No! Men, take him and grab that other guy out there!" Valina: ... blood everywere... Kadan takes a much more serious, deep voice. "If you will not comply quietly, I feel obliged to inform you that my foster children and I are quite capable of subduing you!" Valina: I hurt... and there is blood... Earendil: . o O (Ugh, not at the moment Kadan.) Par hides miserably, keeping his hood down over Geint. Kadan snaps his fingers in Par's direction. "Par! We've got company!" Valina: Ouch... Par: Yeah, yeah... I'm coming. Earendil shakes Valina. "Snap outta it Val, we have trouble." Kadan with an echoing *shing*, whips out his heavy granite axe. Par gets out of hiding and swings his cane in front of him. Valina screams as Earendil shakes her! Valina blinks... Valina: What the? Earendil is taken aback. GMRune: The bowmen notch their arrows as their leader and their final companion draw their swords. Valina: What... happened? Kadan stares at the leader. "You should have agreed earlier, ma'am." Kadan: At arms, my... uh... children! Smash them with the flats of your blades. We want them alive! Par: GMRune: --------end session-------