Pholtus Campaign Homepage

Campaign On Hold

2009-05-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

This is an announcement for all campaign members and those who perhaps check this blog for fun. For the time being, the Pholtus campaign is being put on hold. Hopefully near the end of the summer, we can make a final determination about the future of campaign.

Our heroes were in a dungeon that contained the map to the second Pholtus piece. Distracted by a green dragon and two beholders, the Deathmaster was able to snag the second piece. The Party of Pholtus was able to travel to a city to resurrect the paladin and the oracle.

They now venture to the land of Dorakaa...to find the third item. Wondering, who now owns the first item? What will the Deathmaster do with the second item?

Decisions, Decisions (from Lac)

2009-04-27T18:06:00.000-07:00

As I log our adventures from the last few days, we are currently heading due south. That would be away from the pirate village, whose mission we have yet to complete. That would also be in the opposite direction of the largest city in the island. We are just trying to get out of the cursed jungle once we get out, it is our hope to follow the coastline north and hopefully make it to this capital city.

You might be wondering why we are abandoning the cave structure that we found. Well...I'm not sure what worried us more. The beholders, or the green dragon! We gathered ourselves together after the encounter with the purple worm and continued our journey around the dungeon. In two corners, we found two different beholders. Interestingly enough, they didn't try to kill us right away. They gave us a few options: (1) Leave, (2) Die trying to fight them, or (3) Give them treasure so they would ignore us. After some discussion and a few shunned offers, we gave enough treasure for both of them to leave us alone. The ranger surmised the location of a secret door, which was there!

We investigated the door and the dwarf followed the pathway. The pathway led to a 30 foot fall which led to a large lair of the green dragon. The dragon sat on a vast pile of treasure. The party backed up and contemplated options. Eventually, we decided on having me fly the party members out the top of the lair. We would leave the druid in with the dragon so that they might have a conversation in green dragon.

The conversation with the dragon ended with Leobin saying that we should just leave the dungeon. The party felt the need to go back and get the two bodies still in the dungeon. It was after resting the druid realized that he had been charmed. We then earnestly discussed our options ans decided that the druid would again talk to the dragon alone. Same result. The dragon wants to be left alone. After deciding that we probably could not defeat the dragon, our top priority became resurrecting the fallen party members. So...we head south.

Monks and Worms and Poison, Oh My! (from Lac)

2009-04-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

With the defeat of the squealers also came the death of Gord, our pirate guide. After much discussion about with direction might be best, we took off to try and figure out how we could get out of the jungle. As we camped the first night, it appeared that we were being watched at night by some group of individuals, but we couldn't be sure who they were.

The following night, Leobin utilized the help of an animal friend and managed to determine the group were humans that wore black. They eventually attempted to surround us and attacked. We held our own against the monks and took out a few and had many entangled in trees and shrubs. What caught us off guard was that those that were living and entangled tooktheirown lives before we could do anything to them. What were they hiding?

We found a map on one of the leaders of the group. Theodis managed to decipher the map. It was written in the alignment language of lawful neutral. Between that and the martial arts, these guys had to be monks. Theodis figured out where we needed to go and also divinated that we were headed to some kind of cave.

We got to the location and it took us awhile to find the entrance. It was masked by an illusionary floor.We went in the entrance nad had the party partially camp both inand outside the cave. Those of usinside noticed a periodic rumbling underneath us as we waited and healed up. We also noticed two dead bodies with with arrows and spears in their back...fun place. After healing for a few days, we made our way down. I would point out that the dwarf made use of underground mapping skills...yes, the dwarf helped mape the dungeon by clapping.

We bypaseed the passageways to the right and ledt and made our way straight ahead. We came to a door and opened it. We entered what turned out to be a very large room. We discovered large holes five feet wide that were partially filled in. We also periodically found gems. What was strangest was that we also found a pileof silver coins and a glowing saw. It only got worse from there. The rumbling beneath us got louder and louder untila purple worm emerged.

We defeated the worm, but as great cost. Eiecito & Theodis were both poisoned by the creature and appear dead. Dequerda, Lornax and I were all smallowed by the worm, but managed to survive. I can't imagine what else is in here. Why would these monks actually want to find this place?

Campaign Updates

2009-04-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since there has been a post, and I wanted to get everyone updated:

Today's session was canceled, but we will be playing again on the 26th.
Look for an adventure summary later tonight.
Please keep in mind that both Eiecito and Lac were poisoned by purple worm, so when we begin the session, these characters will not be available (NPCS available to play). Three other characters are in different states of digestion from the worm, but should be playable by start of the session.
I'd like to talk about gaming during interim soon. It would seem as though enough people are around so that we would be able to play.

Retribution (from Lac)

2009-04-02T16:18:00.000-07:00

The pirates surrounded us and we surrendered. We were being lead north when after awhile it felt as though we were being enclosed in a dome of brush. We soon realized we were sealed in and the pirates were out. A treant came into the dome and proceeded to beat us up pretty well. It even managed to turn a few of his tree companions into treants as well. We tried reasoning with it, but we found out that the ranger had angered the goddess of the wilderness. His necklace was promptly removed and destroyed. Then, we were with the pirates again.

We were brought into the pirate camp and placed in what I assume is their jail. Deep down, I think we could have busted out. It was a pretty weak jail. But, we waited for our time to speak to the leader of the pirate group. When we reached Captain Horton, you could tell he seemed somewaht removed from the conversation. We talked a little bit ahbout what brought us here and after some explaining, he realized that we did not mean him any harm.

In fact over time, he talked about a problem that they were having. There were a few attacks involving masked individuals that were using martial arts to kill members of their group. We immediately thought of the Scarlet Brotherhood. We agreed that we would help investigate their last attack if they were willing to let us go. Gord came with us to show us the last attack site. En route, we were attack by two adult and two young squealers. The attack did not go well. All but two of the party members survived that attack. Who knows what will happen now?

Gaming Session Updates

2009-04-02T12:52:00.001-07:00

Hey Folks! We're back from spring break and now we can make the final push for gaming. We will be gaming on the following dates:

April 5
April 19
April 26
May 3
May 10

All sessions begin at 1:00 PM in the basement of Webster. It would be helpful if folks could be ready to go by 1:00 sharp. I have had to wait 20-30 minutes to have enough people to start the session. Thanks!

Welcome to the Jungle (from Lac)

2009-03-09T17:50:00.000-07:00

We continued our exploration of the underground cave structure. We went back to the room that had the pool of water in it. Theodis was able to determine that the water was magical, which makes sense given the fact that the water had a slight glow. We touched it, and drank it, but no felt any noticeable effects.

We made out way down the last major passageway and ended up finding ourselves face to face with two umber hulks. We were able to defeat the two umber hulks, but not before they "confused" two of our party members. Lornax was made to walk away from the combat; he managed to walk himself into a room of rotting flesh and bones. Zant ran after him and found Lornax with burrowing worms on him. Clever us of arrows managed to get the worms out. Yuck. The paladin tried to fight me...this is why I have the ability to charm monsters, or fellow party members!

After searching the nooks and crannies of the rooms, we rested in the entry chamber and made our way out the following morning. *sigh* It all goes downhill there...

* * * * *

Movement in the jungle is quite the struggle. Lornax managed to cut a path for us, but we don't move that quickly. Our first night of tyring to sleep in the jungle, we were attacked by a large group of ogres. Theodis took down a few with a lightning bolt, but Zant took out a bunch with a fireball. But...he caught the jungle on fire. We ran a safe distance and waited out the night.

We continued on our way and the fire continued to burn. It wasn't until the second day after the fire that a thunderstomm came along and put it out. I don't mean to sacre anyone, but the thunderstorm seemed really nasty...

That same evening, we discovered a large beam of light that seemed to extend all the way to the clouds. From what Theodis was saying, this beam originated from somewhere near Greyhawk, and has something to do with light and water. I suppose we'll find out later what that all means.

It gets better...the next day we got captured by a large group of pirates. They mocked us by mentioning that we weren't hard to track. I suppose. Huge cut trail. Massive fire. We were asking for it. They said that we might be able to work out a deal. Then they took our weapons. This should be interesting.

The Unknown Dungeon (from Lac)

2009-03-02T17:01:00.000-08:00

From the mysterious passageway, Aleron led the party to a room that look like something once used as a sanctuary. Utilizing a radius of silence were were able to get into the room and scope out four creatures that looked like small silver dragons. Well, they were quite the challenge. They got to me and I ran away from the combat under the influence of a fear spell. They also had the ability to appear as large dragons. Quite scary, indeed! Three were defeated when the last one flew off.

I happened to notice that the room I ran to looked like our way out. It had an opening about 50 feet up along with a cage that was lowered from the surface.

We continued our exploration and came upon a series of six rooms that housed some very strange creatures that could best be described as large red frogs. They were quite the creatures toe mess with. They had a powerful bite attack, but also had the ability to gate in extra creatures and also had the ability to stun us. They even managed to get a few of us sick through some poisoning technique. We found six prisoners that we we freed as well.

Many of us went down in that combat and it took us a few days to recover. After that, Aleron and I discovered that the entrance emptied out into a jungle. We found out from the freed prisoners that we were in the Lordship of the Isles.

Now, what to next?

Where Are We Now? (from Lac)

2009-02-16T14:58:00.000-08:00

We were able to secure a boat that would take us from Hardby to Highport. It was a merchant vessel, and for a mere 10gp per person, we were given passage. We had no required responsibilities.

That didn't last long.

Before we could even get the boat ready to leave, we were attacked by what I imagine were the seafaring cousins of the trolls we encountered on our journey to Hardby. They did try to exact their revenge.

We were able to defeat five trolls, and only the ranger went down in the combat. They did have a very fearsome attack. After the attack, we managed to have three days of smooth sailing, until there was a large bang from under the ship.

That couldn't be good. It only took a few charges and attacks by the dragon turtle before the ship was capsized and the party went overboard. Everyone except for me. Using my flying ability, I made sure the other crew members made it to life boats. Then I tried to figure out where the party went.

On my way down into the sea, I was met with the touch of a hand on my back and then suddenly I was able to breath under water. Two hands clasped a necklace around my neck that looks likes the picture found on this entry.

When I ran into the rest of the party, we found a large symbol, looking similar to the pendant on the sea bottom. After trying to figure out what the heck it did, we saw Theodis disappear. Eventually, our thoughts turned to him or our continuing quest.

We all have now met up in the middle of a dark cavern...I really have no idea where the heck we are.

Leveling Up

2009-02-15T19:04:00.000-08:00

Look for a summary post of today's adventure coming up tomorrow.

Congrats to Zant and Theodis who both reached 5th level after today's adventure. Interesting enough, Theodis qualifies to have two pupils travel with him. It will be interesting to see how that unfolds.

Congrats also to Lornax who leveled in the last session and who is also now 5th level.

New Trivel Update

2009-02-10T18:07:00.000-08:00

As reported by Dendo Kahnn, Deputy Mayor of New Trivel:

It is a glorious time here in New Trivel. The coffers have recently been padded with over 2,000 gold pieces and the Party of Pholtus came into a treasure hoard guarded by giant trolls. Construction continues on pace.

Wintershiven has taken notice of our handiwork and has brought some priests of Pholtus over to New Trivel to begin overseeing the temple and holding services there. I hope you don't mind that they have moved into some of the rooms within the temple. I can assure you that homes will be reserved for any or all of you that desire to have a permanent residence. Regular services are being held on God's day.

Businesses are starting to come in as well. With the goods come froming around the area, we are able to stabilize businesses with regular traffic.

It would be difficult to estimate the true population of New Trivel. We obviously have a growing amount of structures within the walled area, but farms and other homesteads are growing up outside the walls of the city. No one can believe that a city this small has such a thick armorment. Best guess we have well over 1,000 people in the city and the surrounding area.

I have submitted a rendering of the city (coming soon) as it currently looks. We spent a great deal of money continuing the wall and have added several buidings as well. We look forward to a visit from the Party of Pholtus. Come see your handiwork!

Spring Gaming Sessions

2009-02-10T18:02:00.000-08:00

I thought I would post here all future gaming sessions for the spring semester. Please write them all down now. I do not plan on sending out reminders as you can begin to schedule around these dates as much as possible...I hope you can make many or all of them.

February 15
February 22
March 8
March 15 (I'll have led three worship services before this...I will likely be beat!)
April 5
April 19
April 26
May 3
May 10

Please keep in mind that on all of these dates, sessions will begin at 1:00 PM sharp and will go until 5:00 PM. They take place in the Webster basement. Depending on what people's plans are for spring interim, we may be able to fit in a few more sessions. We shall see.

Arrested Adventure (from Lac)

2009-02-09T16:30:00.000-08:00

After being arrested by the Greyhawk Watch, we were taken to the Grand Citadel and put in the basement level. We were relieved of our weapons and left for the night. During the course of the evening, strange dark creatures, no taller than gnomes, were creeping around our level. They were making their way towards our possessions.

Ervis claims that, in a vision, he saw a guard open the door to our cell. Some of us escaped and attempted to stop these small black creatures. The dwarf ended up tackling one of them and I managed to charm a few of them myself. Needless to say we were able to subdue most of them by the time the Citadel Watch caught out of our sell trying to get our possessions back.

We were escorted to what I assume was an interrogation room where we were greeted by the Lord Mayor, Nerof Gasgal himself. The more we tried to explain what happened, the worse it got. The paladin managed to spill the beans about our mission. I know the Lord Mayor...he is not a man to be trusted. That could be bad.

Arkandy visited us next and through some of his own work managed to get us out of the city. I sure hope they let us back in! *sigh* After some discussion, we decided to make way to Hardby to begin our journey to the Lorship of the Isle, where we will hopefully find the second piece of this ancient puzzle.

The caravan traveled south down the main road. Our paladin sensed an evil presence which led us to a cave of giant trolls. We fared better than I would have thought. We took four of them down before the other three ran off. Catching them on fire is tricky, but effective! They also had an amazing hoard of treasure, with much gold, some jewelry, a wand and some very small magical chain mail armor.

That night, the fun continued. Ervis and Dequerda saw a flash from the distance which Ervis investigated. He saw what he thought was the Deathmaster conversing with another dark figure in a strange language. The dark creature attacked. During the battle, three members of our party mysterious fell in the middle of combat without taking any damage. We don't know what that thing was and we never did find the Deathmaster.

We finally make to Hardby and were able to resupply. The paladin bought some new full plate mail armor and was able to give his old armor to Dequerda. With the dwarf's new armor and Theodis's new wand, we shall be a party to be reckoning with.

Upcoming Sessions

2008-12-30T13:04:00.000-08:00

Interim Bonus Gaming
I didn't think anyone would object to some bonus gaming. On January 10 and January 17, I am hoping to play from 1-5 both Saturdays. Put this in your calendars now! :)

Spring Semester Gaming
As before, I anticipate playing the campaign every Sunday of the Spring semester. The first date would be February 8, 2009 at 1:00 PM. At this date, I plan on letting you know about all future spring dates.

A Performance Interrupted

2008-12-30T09:46:00.000-08:00

With the journey for the second Pholtus item beginning soon, several party members were continuing to gather supplies. Lac visited his grandfather at Bardschool and was given the gift of a new lute. He was also asked to give a performance at the Guildhall of the Performing Arts. These performances are typically a Who's Who of Greyhawk City's elite. The Lord Mayor was there, Otto of the Circle of Eight was there, among other nobles.

The first half of the concert highlighted some of the major exploits of the party: surviving the dungeon of Abellius, helping to defend Trivel, rebuilding Trivel and even finding the first item of Pholtus. During the intermission, the party was quite popular with many individuals seeking out to talk to them.

Not to long into the second half of the concert, things took a turn for the worse. As has happened many times, a portal opened and two demons came out of the portal. The party jumped into action to defend against the demons. They were able to defeat one demon, but the other jumped through the portal. Theodis was able to determine that no immediate danger was beyond the portal.

They went through the portal and ended up in a sewer. They noticed some bodies up ahead that quickly scurried away when approached. When they reached the point where the creatures were they were ambushed by a Greyhawk City patrol and told to freeze.

The Continuing Chronicles of the Party of Pholtus

2008-11-30T16:33:00.000-08:00

The Party of Pholtus faced another group of orcs, also wanting the crown. All they asked was that the crown be returned to the cave in which it was found. Before this army amassed, two clerics of Pholtus snuck into the cave. They utilized a rod of resurrection and brought Ervis and Aleron back from the dead.

Worried about the crown getting into the wrong hands, Aleron took the crown from Eiecito. It took a few spells to do so, as Eiecito did not want to part from the crown. Under cover of darkness, Lac flew back to Greyhawk City with the crown where is it now safely in the hands of the Greyhawk clerics of Pholtus.

Charging out to battle the orcs, it did not take the orcs long to realize that the crown was no longer worn by Eiecito. They gave up pursuit and realized all was lost for them. The party arrived back in Greyhawk City without incident.

While at the temple, they talked about their next move. The party decided to do some shopping and gather some information while they were staying in Greyhawk:

A map for travel purposes was purchased.
Magical items found by the party were identified and sold. New items were purchased.
Other members of the party utilized different means to gather information.

After gathering information about the Lordship of the Isles, the group has decided to first seek passage with a caravan that will take them directly east. From there, they will look for aquatic options to continue their journey to the southeast.

Other News

Not too much game time has passed between adventures. An update of New Trivel will probably not happen until interim or early second semester.
Our next adventure is December 6, 2008 at 1:00 PM. We will go until at least 5:00 PM, but may go later depending on people's schedules.
Be thinking about whether or not you would be able to game during fall interim. If the majority of folks are available (which I believe is the case) we can play a few times during interim. I would prefer to do weekends for the sake of those who travel.

New Trivel Update

2008-10-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

Since it has been several weeks in game time (not real time), I thought it would be reasonable to post an update on New Trivel.

Much of the work on the city is pretty pragmatic. As you can see, the temple itself will form the center of the city. The small structures around the temple are houses; these houses are designated to current temple staff and other folks critical to construction efforts.

The beginnings of the outer wall are visible, but are only in the beginning stages. When completed, there will be a ten foot thick wall surrounding the entire city. No more unnoticed attacks from the undead this time!

All roads will be dirt except for a large road which will be composed of stone. This road will connect the main entrance to the temple. Along this road, you will already find an Inn, a food store and an adventuring supply store. Names for these buildings will be accepted and implemented into game play.

Additional houses are being constructed and as the walled city itself becomes more well-guarded more folks will likely feel comfortable living there permanently.

Under the watchful eye of Mayor Torgrim the Cold and this deputy mayor Dendo Kahnn, a small garrison exists to guard the city from small conflicts.

Stay tuned for future city updates and time passes in the campaign :).

More Updates

2008-10-08T17:43:00.001-07:00

I hope you enjoyed the updates. They should get you up to speed when we begin again in November.

Over the rest of this week and the weekend I hope to have for you a full update and status for New Trivel. This would include a map and complete list of personnel. I am excited for that!

I should also be able to provide information about items that were requested as well as other errands that folks were in the middle of.

By the time we play in November, I should be caught up and we should have good direction. Let me know anything else you'd like to see.

Lac's Chronicles: The Possession of the Crown, Part IV

2008-10-08T17:37:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness the other remaining members of the party came to rescue on. We gathered the items along with most of the electrum pieces and tried to make our way out. The Deathmaster met us in the same spot where the Naga was located. He had a mummy with him. We managed to fend him off again, except this time he gated in kobolds and other creatures to help fight for him. He sealed us in with the creatures with a wall of ice. We did well for ourselves and waited for the wall to go away.

We got to the edge of the dungeon when we saw three orcs cry out, "Return the crown from whence it came." We engaged them in a discussion and found out they would settle for nothing except to have the crown returned. We ran out to attack them and found that they were prepared for us. They had archers shooting arrows down on us and also had some formidable leaders with them. Two of our party members went down in this combat and we had to retreat back to the cavern because of the archers.

We waited to heal and decided to go out and try again. This time when we charged out, it appears that they have reinforcements. But! So do we...there is a battle to come. Perhaps we can all make it back to Greyhawk and get this party back to full strength!

Lac's Chronicles: The Possession of the Crown, Part III

2008-10-07T15:53:00.000-07:00

I journal this with a heavy heart. Only Lornax and I live after our encounter with the naga. In none of my research have I ever encountered something like it. It had the ability to cast spells. In fact, it was able to cast spells that our party often used in combat, especially hold person and continual light. What hurt most though, was its poison attack. This attack alone killed Aleron, Ervis, Trego and Father Roland.

Theodis used that cursed wand and created a fireball that damaged everyone in the party, including himself. He ended up killing himself from the flame of his own fireball. We get rid of that damn wand!

Lornax was paralyzed early in the combat and came out of the spell just in time and was able to deliver the final blow. With my ability to fly, I brought Lornax down the shaft and the end of the hallway. Going forward from this significant decline, we found the treasure room. Among the treasure, we found the crown on a pedestal.

I am not sure what to do at this point. There are two of us down here alone...I can only hope someone will come to rescue us. I also wonder if my party members will ever join the realm of the living...

Lac's Chronicles: The Possession of the Crown, Part II

2008-10-06T18:38:00.000-07:00

As I reflect on the encounter with the zombies, I forgot to talk about the conversation that we had when we talked with Arkandy of Greyhawk City. All members of the party of Pholtus had a deep and honest conversation about why they were on this mission, serving Pholtus. Some were sure, some were not. Tensions were high...it was obvious to me that some individuals were not doing this for Pholtus, but for other reasons. How this will play out over time remains to be seen.

Needless to say, there was a feeling that members of the party abandoned the group in the middle of a combat and I was worried about how this would affect morale. We moved on. We managed to get the middle door in the fountain room to open, though I know not why. After going through it, we encountered a trapper. It looked like stone ground, but it folded over three of our party members! We managed to fight it off, but in the process, some were also taken by a creature similar but posing as a fake wall.

Friends, it was then that I got the sense that we were not meant to take this crown. I have never encountered so much frustration from one dungeon. We made our way through a false tomb of Phillius and then found ourselves in the actual tomb.

It was at this time that we faced our greatest challenge up until that point. We were faced with...the Deathmaster. I will say this about the Deathmaster, we did not do any damage to him the entire combat. And trust me, we had the opportunities to do so. I am not sure what happened to the party.

Along with the Deathmaster, there was a mummy and a otyugh. We assume that the mummy was once the body of Phillius. The otyugh was a horrific sight. Both creatures gave many of us bad diseases. The Deathmaster never said anything, but he did a great deal of damage to us. Before we could get a hand on him (Ervis did try), he turned into a bat and disappeared. We defeated his creatures and were able to move on.

We have yet to encounter a snake or dragon...we have yet to find the crown. I wonder what waits ahead?

Lac's Chronicles: The Possession of the Crown, Part I

2008-10-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

Our journeys continued toward the City of Greyhawk. As we continued on our journey we were attacked both by some strange undead before we boarded our boat across the Nyr Dyv and by some giant sea turtles. The attack from the undead was the weirdest. The weather seemed to get worse the closer it got to the attack. We can only assume this attack came from the Deathmaster.

When we arrived in the City of Greyhawk, we traveled to the Temple of St. Cuthvert thanks to my own knowledge of the city. It is wonderful to be back in the city where I was born and raised! We met with Arkandy, the chief Pholtus priest in Greyhawk. He told us about Crown of Pholtus. It is most troubling news indeed. He explained the crown is housed deep within a cairn in the Cairn Hills. It is well-protected. It is guarded by traps and creatures most powerful. To get it will be very difficult. This was all set up a long time ago by priests that left the task to the priests of today.

Arkandy said that the time has come for the crown to be found as difficult as it will be. He said theat the crown was most likely meant for the paladin. We stayed the night at the temple and the next few days we attempted to gather intelligence for the mission. Based on our many different avenues for information, we heard that the crown may be gaurded by a snake and/or a dragon. We also find out our weapons and armos may turn to dust when entering. Great...

We left for the Cairn Hills and on our way, we ran into some giants. There were five of them and we handled them pretty well without taking too much damage. We had no encounters and we reached the dungeon. We first encountered a room with a fountain in it. There was only once exit, to the right. We took it. We found what we can only assume to be the rooms of the caretakers of the cairn for the resting place of Phillius, high priest of Pholtus. We fought to demons, called vrocks, and sanctified the area.

By doing this, we opened a passage way in the other direction in the fountain room. In this area we fought a variety of zombies. We can only assume that the zombies were created from the bodies or other dead priests. We assume that this is the work of the Deathmaster.

Strangely, during this combat, Theodis found a wand that shot a lightning bolt...

*** to be continued ***

Updates & Apologies

2008-10-05T18:13:00.000-07:00

You should now find all characters currently active in the campaign listed to the side. Levels have been changed as well. I apologize for not keeping up with the website as much as I should. Over the next few days, I do intend to get adventure chronicles up to date.

Our next session will take place on November 1, 2008. I will start at 1:00 PM and go until 5:00 at least. If folks can stay late, all the better. Unfortunately, all Saturdays between now and then are booked for me.

News About the Next Session

2008-09-29T14:01:00.000-07:00

Given the intensity and the results of the battle versus the naga, the October 4, 2008 adventure will need to be modified a little bit. I would like the following people to come at 12:30 PM:

12:30 PM Crew
Ryan Demmon
Eric Minix
Jack Workman
Jon Rasmussen
Jason Renard

I would like the following folks to join us at 2:00 PM:

2:00 PM Crew
Nick Sayner
Tom Dittl
Rob Clancy
Ryan Nohr

As always, our adventures will take place in the Webster basement in the CA workroom. As you can see, I would like to start our session a little early for a few folks, but I would also like to go until 6:00 PM if possible for everyone. Please plan accordingly or let me know what you will be able to make.

I will say that the last session was pretty intense and definitely left me unsettled, but I am intrigued to see where things move from here. There are many adventures ahead for this party...there is also a big pile of magical items waiting as well.

Anyone want to try on a crown ;)?

P.S. Look for a summary of the last adventure later tonight. I will also be computing experience...a few people will likely go up a level...even in death :).

Fall Semester Gaming Dates

2008-07-17T13:06:00.000-07:00

Hey folks! I am not sure how many of you check this blog regularly, so the following information will also be E-mailed out and posted on Facebook. With the best information I have for now, I have decided on dates for the Fall 2008 semester. I tried as best I could to incorporate the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month, but certain University requirements caused a few changes. Please take note that all sessions are on Saturdays from 1:00-5:00 PM. There are the days:

September 6
September 13
October 4
October 25
November 1
November 15
December 6

Please put these in your calendar now. I am excited for our first few sessions as they will wrap up what was supposed to be done over the summer. It will be fun! We will also be welcoming Jon, Rob and Jason into the group as well. They will all be bringing in their own new characters as well.

Torgrim's Top Ten

2008-07-15T22:07:00.000-07:00

The following is a transcript sent from Torgrim the Cold to his apprentice Vance Eagle during Torgrim's recent trip to Greyhawk and surrounding areas. We can all expect our benevolent protector and leader to return soon.

Torgrim's Top Ten Adventure Moments:
(in his own words, so prepare yourself)

10. Clerics aren't to be trusted...'cause they're magic-users...unless they heal you, then all is good.
9. Thief good person, I trust him lots...until he liquidates my bank account.
8. Fighter good person, I trust him lots...until he kills the thief and liquidates my bank account.
7. Learn from your mistakes, don't make bird noises when you don't know what the birds are.
6. Paladins...annoy me...when he sleeps, I look to take dump in armor.
5. Sea Creatures are weak sauce...like a fine orcish BBQ.
4. Hill Giants are not weak sauce...sick of getting my ass handed to me by those boulder throwing sons of $#&%s.
3. Anyone wanna open up a bar in Greyhawk?
2. Magic check: does that thing glow....EARGGGGH *break*...yep, still hate magic.
1. Monk pretty cool now...like the fact that he has large chromatic orbs when he throws himself into battle...maybe I make him new apprentice.

Summer Gaming Marathon Summary

2008-07-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

The adventure began with the party making its way from Stoink to Radigast City. The Party of Pholtus continued down the Yol River, about one day out of Radigast City. A small band of Radigast City Guard met up with the party and shared food and stories for part of the night. They guard escorted them to the city. While staying at the city for the day, Theodis sought passage for them on a boat that would take them across the Nyr Dyv Sea to Greyhawk City, their ultimate destination.

That morning the party made their way to the dock to board the barge for which they were to mercenaries (to protect the sailors); the boat was transporting good on behalf of the church of Pholtus. Along the way, Lac converted and became a member of the church of Pholtus. The party also held a service on the boat. The party was attacked by four sea lions, but the party killed two so that the others swam away.

The party arrives in Greyhawk City and makes their way right away to the Temple of Pholtus. They are greeted by Helden, who informs them that the High Priest Arkandy Benris will not be available until tomorrow morning. Some errands are run and the party is ready for their early appointment with Arkandy.

The High Priest greets them and inquires about why they needed to speak to him. Aleron immediately gets into a discussion regarding the motivations of everyone in the party. Aleron wanted to make sure that the reasons everyone was in the party were their own and not at the request or requirement of someone else. After some heated discussion, it seemed clear that everyone was doing this for their own reasons, be they whatever.

When the party explained their quest to find three different artifacts, Arkandy seemed somewhat troubled. He explained to the party that one of the three items is being held in a burial cairn for High Priest Phillius. While part of the cairn is staffed by priests for upkeep purposes, deep within their are guardian creatures whose sole purpose is to make sure that no one takes the Crown of Pholtus found within. Arkandy also reports that it has been a little while since his priests have reported in. He is worried that something has happened to them. He lastly informs the party that the three items are likely meant for the paladin.

Before leaving, the party runs some errands attempts to gather some information regarding the cairn. The party purchases a few sets of armor and Aleron becomes a member of the College of Magical Arts with his sizable donation (it may or may not involve the use of unicorn horns). While searching for information, the party finds some rumors:

The crown is guarded by a black dragon.
The crown is guarded by a giant snake with the power to kill in one attack.
All metal weapons turn to dust when you walk into the dungeon.
There is a magical fountain with healing powers found within.
It has been partially invaded by evil creatures.
A man dressed in black has been seen around it.

* * * * * * *

The next day the party makes its way to the cairn. On the way they are attacked by five giants. This was by far the biggest combat they have been involved in. Despite a few characters going down with wounds, the party was able to defeat the giants. They also managed to accumulate some gold in the process. Later that day, they arrived at the edge of the cairn.

The first room that they walked into was a room with a fountain and a pool of water; there was a passageway to the left. They followed the passageway and found four room that created the living quarters for the priests. They were found dead. The party also found two vrocks that they defeated. They also found a small worship area for Pholtus. When they held a ceremony in the room, it opened a secret passageway in the fountain room.

Through this passageway, they found two hallways of defiled graves of other Pholtus priests. They were turned into zombies. The party defeated the zombies. It was obvious that as the combat ended, frustrations were heightened and some interesting conversations among the party were on the way.

Until the fall semester...

Summer Session Date Finalization!

2008-06-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

After much contemplation and communication, I have finalized a date for the summer gaming session. It will be July 11-12, 2008. We will start at 6:00 PM on Friday and we will play in Webster Hall. I am hopeful that by July, the basement will be in better shape. If it's not looking so good, we will work something out.

Please do what you can to change work schedules and make this event. I am beginning to put things together and it should be a good time. Please let me know if you have any concerns.

Summer Update & Rolemaster

2008-05-13T11:10:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately, we were not able to have a gaming session this past Sunday because there were not enough people. As we get deeper into the campaign, it will be more helpful to have larger groups hear what is going on. So...

Summer Adventure
I would like to reiterate that we will be having a large summer adventure on June 27-28 (with an alternative date of July 11 & 12). Please try to keep both times free. As soon as I get a few more confirmations, we can make this definite.

Rolemaster
As many of you have already noticed (or already pointed out), 1st Edition AD&D can be nostalgic and easy to play, but it can get a little tedious. Role-playing elements help to bring that out, but ultimately it may leave you wanting for something more.

Back in the day, I purchased quite a few books in the Rolemaster series. I have included a link to the wikipedia entry. It is a fantasy role-playing setting, much like AD&D. It is, however, a very detailed system. If there is a type of character you want to play, you can probably create. The combat system puts our critical hit charts to shame...it is easy to kill (or be killed) by critical strikes. It also puts a real emphasis on skills and skill usage.

The game is pretty complex and character creation is a 2-3 hour affair. But, I think there is a real opportunity to have some cool and deep adventures. This is something I want to talk to you guys about this summer. I may even have a 1-2 hour tutorial/mini-adventure for you guys to try it out.

Lac's Musings: The May 4, 2008 Adventure

2008-05-04T16:50:00.000-07:00

The party continued their journey through the Phostwood Forest. While camping for the evening, the party became surrounding by a large raiding party of small hobgoblins. They attacked from several different locations at once. Aleron and Roland utilized a variety of spells to take out many of the army members. Lac managed to use his charming skill to take a band of eight hobgoblins and fight against other hobgoblins (they didn't fair so well). Zant and Eiecito intially fought with only the few that were left on their side.

As spells and abilities ran out, the party soon became outnumbered. The paladin critically failed and could not battle. Luckily, as more spells poured in, the remaining hobgoblins fled and the party left. After time for recovery, the party moved on. Eventually they saw light and they made their way out of the Phostwood Forest...thank Pholtus!

They met up with Theodis who was waiting for them at the side. He updated them on the Deathmaster, who apparently may live nearby the Pale and continues to raid cities there. He also informed them that New Trivel is doing well and that Ogon wanted him to join the party. The party made its way to Stoink where some items were sold off and some items were purchased.

From Stoink they made their way to Radigast City and while traveling, they were attacked by a giant turtle. Despite taking a nice chunk out of four different characters, the turtle was defeated without getting himself a meal. After this journey, the party talked with Theodis about other news from the Pale and what more he knew of the Council of Nine.

The adventure ended with the party encountering a ball of energy. The party knows that it turns invisible and that magic does not seem to affect it. The next session will determine their fate against it.

Note:
As you have been participating in this adventure, I am sure you are beginning to see that our adventures have simply turned into one fight after another. We need to break things up a little bit. In the future, I am going to try to be more cognizant of offering opportunities for role playing in our adventures. After all, we are playing a role-playing game :). I will award experience for characters that make serious attempts at role-playing!

Summer Session

2008-04-29T05:22:00.001-07:00

I was checking over my summer calendar and I have set a tentative date for the summer session. I figured that 12 hours would be sufficient. Any more than that and I might pass out ;).

June 27
Arrive at 5:00 PM for dinner.
Game from 6:00 PM - midnight.
Compute experience (In case anyone is close).
Sleep

June 28
Game from 10 AM - 6 PM. (Or later if DM is sane and people care to stay).

The alternative weekend would be July 11 and 12. If you can check your calendars now that would be great. I am hoping that we can finalize that this coming session. By our last session of the semester, I would like to finalize a fall schedule. As I have said before, I'd like to keep it two an every other week format.

Lac's Musings: The April 27th Adventure

2008-04-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

The adventure began with the party fending off two verbeeg with three verbeeg coming in reserve. Soon after that the party was flanked by the verbeeg shaman. After dishing out many spells, the party fell victim to a spell from the shaman. He cast hold person and managed to freeze both the paladin and the NPS ranger. The rest of the party (Aleron, Roland & Lac) tried their best to fend off the verbeeg attack.

Not known for his strong fighting skills, Lac stepped up to the role as co-tank and issued his fair share of damage. He was protected by a slew of helping spells of Aleron and Roland. They also chipped with some attacks and other powerful spells. Despite getting beaten up pretty bad (all characters took significant damage...Lac went down), the party was victorious over the verbeeg.

The party left he hideout for a few days to store up spells and heal. They went back into the hideout and found quite a bit of treasure. In addition to coins and gems, the party also found three elven swords (one magical), one magical shield from Celene, two potions and 3 unicorn horns.

The party continued their way through the forest. They were attacked by an evil treant. The battle went better than thought, with the creature being "blinded by the light". Lac also dropped 60 points of damage through some amazing roles and a timely critical hit.

Sunday's Session in On

2008-04-24T11:41:00.001-07:00

I wanted to let you all know that I plan on having a gaming session this Sunday from 1:00 -5:00 PM (April 27, 2008). Some of you have been missing for awhile and I'd like to see you back. Things are getting really interesting! I am hoping that everyone can make it. After this coming Sunday, we only have two sessions left until we pack things up for the summer.

Within the next few sessions, I would like to talk about a possible summer session and an every other week fall schedule.

Lac's Musings: The April 20th Adventure

2008-04-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

The party finally had the opportunity to address Ogon Tillit and the Council of Nine, overseers of the Theocracy of Pale. They explained the journey thus far and talked about what they learned from the seer. After some discussion as to what the next option should be, it was decided that making their way to the Cairn Hills was the best option. A trip to the Cairn Hills would include a long journey on the Yol River as well as a boat ride over Lake Nyr Dyv. They may get more specific information as to where to search in the Cairn Hills from folks in Greyhawk.

The party purchased a boat and made their way southwest. The first few days were uneventful as they moved away from Wintershiven. On their second evening on the move, they were attacked by six hell hounds. The party managed to fight off three of the hell hounds, but in the process Aleron fell. Lac was able to move him away and they party fled before the one sleeping hell hound and the other two that were entangled could get at them. The remaining evening was spent in a boat...

The party journeyed to the outside of the Phostwood Forest. Outside of the forest, they were introduced to a ranger tracking a group of verbeegs. Apparently, the verbeeg have been hunting unicorns and stealing their horns. The party volunteered to help kill the verbeeg and joined him in his search. They were jumped by two verbeeg that were hunting. They killed one and scared the other one off. They followed him to their layer.

They entered the layer and were immediately jumped by two guards. A few rounds into a combat...the session ended. Will the party survive the call of verbeeg reinforcements?

Torgrim's Town Hall Minutes

2008-04-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

The following are the notes from the last town hall meeting as dictated to apprentice Vance Eagle from Torgrim the Cold, our benevolent protector and leader:

There has been some talk about a town social from some of the married couples and cleric adepts who live in town. They figure it would be a good way to raise morale from some of the recent orc attacks on the west end. They want to create games for the kids in the afternoon and at night have some minstrels come in Divers to perform for a dance. The right honorable Torgrim exclaimed: "What is this dancing? Is that like the crap that the bard does when he floats in the air? If so, that's annoying." The discussion was moved to committee.

Questions were raised to the right honorable Torgrim about the recent orc attacks on the west end of town. Torgrim has asked if any men would like to join him in a militia and the selection process will begin at the Red Dragon Inn starting with a drinking contest, then some drunk fighting. As of this posting none have replied except for a retired knight by the name of Sir Demetrius who looks impeccably out of shape. The contest...er...tryout will be three nights form now.

ATTENTION! All members of the tone will begin to learn the right honorable Torgrim's native Ice Barbarian tongue. Classes will begin in the town hall right after the ceremonial hunt of the bear.

ATTENTION! Any carpenters available to fix the candelabra in the town hall will be needed before the beginning of the next meeting.

There has been discussion of creating a council of commoners for the city's infrastructure. The discussion ended when Torgrim ripped down the candelabra from the ceiling in the town hall and threw them at the gentleman who made the proposal.

If there are any questions or concerns regarding these minutes please send them to me. I apologize for the omission in the last minutes of Lars Brandywine's announcement of his new daughter Lilith Iliana...I did not mean any confusing saying that your wife gave birth to an Ilithid named Lian...and I'm sorry that the townspeople burned down your front door.

Respectfully Submitted:
Vance Eagle

Lac's Musings: The April 13, 2008 Adventure

2008-04-13T21:45:00.000-07:00

The party begins their adventure today by purchasing some much-needed magical items for the party. Lac bought himself a +1 longsword, Dendo was able to purchase Bracers of Defense AC 8, and Aleron purchased a +1 mace. Hopefully, any future creatures requiring magic items to be hit will face a bit more damage from the party.

While shopping, the party is met by Theodis. He lets them know that there are rooms waiting for them at The Citadel's Tavern. The party gets some much needed rest before their meeting with the Council of Nine the next day.

There sleep is short-lived. Eiccito is woken up to the presence of evil within the building. The top floor of the building was soon filled with goblins clad in black and with a small group of skeletons. The party was slowly woken up and was working their way through the charging enemies. As this was going on the party heard a great deal of commotion from below.

During their battle in the upper floor, they saw hale come from the sky, they saw a wall of ice form in the staircase (but not before two shadows came up the stairs. They also saw green gas coming from the windows of the first floor and heard a lot of yelling and fighting. Eventually, the party overcame their upstairs foes thanks to solid combat and a few well-placed holy waters.

The party came downstairs to assess what happened. The guards described someone who was most likely the Deathmaster, and upon further investigation and conference with Theodis, it was discovered that the Deathmaster is likely working with Iuz.

The next session begins with a meeting of the Council of Nine...

Preparations for the Weekend

2008-04-09T11:25:00.001-07:00

As we all prepare for this Sunday's adventure, there are a few things that I want you all to keep in mind:

Think about your "wish list" in terms of items that you want to buy for the good of the party and items that you want to buy for yourself. You have quite a bit of money to spend.
Be thinking about taking some time to update your character's background and history. Your characters have been through quite a bit thus far and it may alter how you decide to role play your character in sessions.
I challenge you all (myself included) to role play more with your character. I think it will add an extra dimension to our gaming.

I working on fleshing out my characters for the Deathmaster and more Lac. I think you will notice a difference. Sunday's adventure should be fun and interesting. There shouldn't be as much fighting, but we'll see.

Lac's Musings: April 6, 2008 Adventure

2008-04-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

The party continued to makes its way back to their fledgling town built around the recently rescued Pholtus temple. As they made their way closer, they noticed smoke...and that meant fire. As they got closer, they noticed undead creatures around the area: ghouls and shadows. The party made quick work of the undead utilizing and excellent mix of spellcraft and arms. The party noticed that the only survivors are a few peasants.

Torgrim agreed to stay behind and help rebuild the city. The party would send back replacement craftsmen as well as mercenaries to help fortify their stronghold. One day this small village will grow into a large city!

With rebuilding in progress, the party continued its way to Wintershiven. Along the way they encountered a group of cyclopskin and again they did not prove to be too much of a problem for the party. Indeed, they are truly growing in power and abilities. It will interesting to see what they can tackle next.

Finally reaching Wintershiven, the party settled into the city and traded in gems, jewelry and other items. They were last pooling their resources to look for ways to improve and strengthen the party.

Out of Character Notes:

It is great to have John join us. He has brought Dendo back to life! We hope he will be able to join us for more adventures.
Due to various circumstances, we have been down a few adventurers for the last few weeks. I hoping that we can add a few folks to swell our numbers a little bit.

Game On!

2008-04-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, we did not have the numbers to game on March 30. We only had three people. :( I am hopeful that for this coming Sunday we can get that number up. If you know anyone who might be interested, please let me know. Ryan, I know you have someone who might be interested.

I think this campaign could get really interesting with what I have in store for you. But to make it interesting, we need more folks to be there. Remember, we meet in the basement of Webster Hall at 1:00 PM this Sunday. I really hope to see you there!

March 30, 2008 Update

2008-03-19T08:51:00.000-07:00

I wanted to let you know that the status for our March 30, 2008 session is up in the air. I failed to remember that Christa will be returning from her trip to Belize on the 30th. I will be picking her up from the airport that day, but I am not sure when they are getting in.

If we do game, I may need to modify the time...I will keep you posted. Stay tuned!

Lac's Musings: March 16, 2008

2008-03-18T21:21:00.001-07:00

This post actually covers the last few sessions, but should keep everyone up to date. Since the DM honestly did not remember where the party ended in the Seer's Dungeon from last year, he thought it best to start over. Over the course of three adventures, the party did manage to traverse the majority of the dungeon. As a few highlights as the party went through for the second time:

Zant was lit on fire from oil from above.
Torgrim was turned into a barbarian balloon...thanks to a hold person spell and a levitate spell.
Torgrim was touched by a crypt things and teleported to another portion of the dungeon. Later found with doppleganger.
The paladin actually hits stuff now.
Trego joined the party...you seem trustworthy!

After completing the dungeon and finding the seer, Abellius did translate the scroll that the party received from the council. It speaks of a crown, a scepter and a orb. They are located in the Cairn Hills, the Lordship of the Isles and Iuz. It should be three very interesting quests. The party decided to make its way back to their headquarters and see how things were going there.

On the trip pack, they were ambushed by four trolls. It was a tough battle with downed party members of both sides. The party of Pholtus was victorious and when we being next time, they will continue their journey back to the headquarters.

Please post any other highlights from the adventures thus far...I certainly don't remember them all.

We're Back!

2008-02-13T09:01:00.001-08:00

Fellow Dorks,

This Sunday, February 17, 2008 at 1:00 PM in the Webster Basement will mark the rekindling of our AD&D campaign from last spring. When you enter the main entrance doors take the stairs in front of you to the basement. When you enter the basement, turn left. Follow the hallway to the end...you'll find me there. I'd like to begin on time at 1:00 PM. Bring snacks and beverages for yourself and more if you'd like to share.

I am hopeful that you will all be able to make it. We did lose at least one person, so if you know of someone who might me interested in playing, please let me know.

We will being our session with a review of the rules as well as a recap of the campaign up to where we left off. After the session, I would also like to look at the spring semester and finalize all gaming dates for the spring. Bring your calendar!

If you have any questions, let me know. Look forward to seeing you all!

Done For the Semester...the Future?

2007-04-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

It is difficult for me to write this, but this past Sunday will be out last gaming session for the spring semester. Many members of the group will need to be at the Pre-Awards ceremony this Sunday which is right in the middle of our session. Next Sunday is the Nelson/Breese/Clemans Picnic, which your Dungeon Master needs to be at. Then, the semester is over and we go home for the summer. But, there are two ideas that I would like to throw out to the group:

Summer Gaming
Several of you have thrown out the idea of gaming a few times over the summer. Perhaps we might be able to put one session together a month that is larger than usual. Something in the area of 8-10 hours.

Fall Gaming
I realize that Packer and Badger games will make the fall weekends a little more complicated, but I was hoping to keep this going at least every other week during the fall semester.

Let me know what you think about each of these options and I'll see what I can work out.

We're Down a Monk

2007-04-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

Sadly, Cory will no longer be gaming with us for the rest of the semester. Eric will be out of town this weekend, so we will be down two for this Sunday's adventure. Please keep in mind that with the NBC Picnic on May 6, 2007 we only have two sessions left!

Either this week or next week I would like to talk about your thoughts for gaming in the fall semester. I realize that the Badger and Packer games may make gaming consistently a little more difficult, but I would like to keep this going.

See you all this Sunday...bring your good dice rolling, you will now be down two people. There was too much missing last week ;).

Lac's Musings: April 15, 2007 Adventure

2007-04-20T07:59:00.001-07:00

After much traveling, the party made it to the Seer's Dungeon. We have spent a little time in the dungeon, and so far, I can't help but be a little confused. We answered a quick riddle to gain access to various chambers.

At first we went straight ahead into a large chamber that ended in a large room with a door. No matter what we did, we could not gain access. There must have been something else that we needed to do.

Among the other rooms that we entered, here are the highlights (or lowlights):

We managed to set off an arrow trap that injured the thief.
Through Aleron's clever used of a Tenser's Floating Disc spell, we managed to evade and kill some giant centipedes.
We were almost all killed by two ettins. The barbarian died and was brought back to life by a potion that we had.
We also found a room with a magic sword and some potions. Sadly the rooms next to it were both trapped and sent a few of our parties members away screaming.

I will continue to keep you posted as we make our way through this dungeon. I don't think any of us are entirely sure of what we need to be doing. But, we will do our best.

We Game Again!

2007-04-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

It has been more than a month since we gamed. But, we will be gaming this Sunday, April 15, 2007 from 1:00-5:00 PM. Please make sure that you are there. It is very likely that you will have an opportunity to begin the Seer's Dungeon. It should be an interesting time to say the least.

Lac's Musings: March 11, 2007 Adventure

2007-04-10T21:13:00.000-07:00

This adventure began with Dendo and Father Anselm encountering the Deathmaster. From their observations, the Deathmaster is a half-orc. No blood was shed and the Deathmaster said that although he could kill the party he would prefer to keep them alive continue the rivalry.

The remainder of the party needed some time to recover and once they did, a party was thrown for them by the village and some treasure was given to them as a thank you. During the festivities, the party was approached by Theodis, a page acting on the behalf of the Council of Nine.

The party was gathered by Theodis and he unveiled a new mission for the party. The party was given a scroll. This scroll talks about three artifacts of Pholtus that may be hidden in various areas around the world of Oerth. To seek more information about what is on the scroll, the party was asked to travel to the Troll Fens to a cavern housing Abellius, the Seer. The party was given a map that will take them there, but they are on their own to get through his dungeon.

The party traveled back to their chapel and were attacked by a group of giant rats. They easily vanquished them. As they made their way north from the chapel, they also encountered a large party of orcs. Again, the party made it through this combat relatively unscathed and again showed their valor.

The session ended when the land started to get damp and they reached the outskirts of the Troll Fens.

Updates

2007-03-19T19:26:00.000-07:00

I realize that it has been awhile since I have updated, but it had also been some time since we gamed. Please note that we will be gaming again on March 25, 2007. But, the residence halls open at 1:00 PM so I am guessing that we will probably get started at around 1:15...get there as soon as you can.

We only had one level jump this go around, but there are many of you that have the potential
to go up in the next adventure. Some of you are painfully close.

This week while I am couch-ridden and somewhat high on drugs (after the wisdom teeth work), I am hoping to finish up the dungeon. It should be fun!

Stay tuned for the chronicles soon.

Experience Update

2007-03-02T11:26:00.000-08:00

Gentlemen,

The experience has been updated for all characters. Lac, Dendo and Fritjf have all gone up a level. Some of you are very close. Sorry that the update is coming late. This has been a busy week with OPE and other stuff. Remember, no adventure this Sunday (sad), but we will be gaming on March 11, 2007. It should be a good one!

Lac's Musings: February 25, 2007 Adventure

2007-03-02T10:16:00.000-08:00

When this adventure began, the party began its second journey to Trivel. The party took their new-found treasure back to the chapel. Back at the chapel they found out the front door was fixed and that the locks were in the process of being made. With that, they made their way north again to Trivel.

Not too far into the journey, Lac asked everyone why everyone was in the group. The majority of the folks in the party contributed something. Not too long after this, they encountered a group of ogres that flanked them on the road. The party did not have too much difficulty defeating the group of ogres; the party has definitely increased in power. They managed to find 51 gold pieces among the ogres.

The rest of the day was uneventful. The party slept and Lac and Fritjof took first watch. They heard the howls of wolves surrounding the party. Everyone was woken up and the wolves closed in. Dendo went over to protect the horses; Torgrim the Cold helped out. The wolves were reduced in number and ran off. Sadly, one horse was killed in the combat. Dendo walks faster than the horse anyway.

By the end of the second day, the party arrived in Trivel; it was later in the afternoon. Aleron asked to talk to the mayor of the town. The party decided it would be best to put all of the townspeople into the town hall. Torgrim and Fritjof dug a variety of holes around the village to funnel traffic. The players took their positions in the city, not completely sure what to expect.

The Deathmaster was seen in the distance, along with 25 zombies and 10 ghouls. The big battle began. Sadly, the paladin magically disappeared for this comabt and the ranger was not available either. Right away both Father Roland and Aleron turned almost half of the undead creatures. The remaining creatures were engaged in a furious combat with the party of Pholtus. Some interesting things that happened during the combat:

Aleron cast enlarge and became around nine feet tall.
Lac drank a potion of fire giant strength and added +10 to all of his damage rolls. He took out some serious zombies.
Father Roland cast a spell that had a large magic dragon circling around the town hall.
Torgrim the Cold did a jumping two-handed sword attack.
Fritjof took on four ghouls at once.
Needless to say, Torgrim had plenty of magic stuff to take in.

By the time the combat was over, only Dendo and Father Roland were left. The Deathmaster was making his way to those two....everyone else was paralyzed by the ghouls.

We're Still On!

2007-02-25T07:11:00.000-08:00

Despite the snow, I am still hoping to game today. Ryan Demmon has to work and I doubt Nick will be driving up from Milwaukee, but everyone else is in the area. Please leave a comment if you didn't plan on coming...if we lose one/two more, I probably will need to cancel. Today's adventure requires some fire power.

Ye Olde Classifieds III

2007-02-22T23:03:00.000-08:00

PERSONALS: SWFG (single white female goddess) seeks SSM (single stupid men...monks very appropriate) who are looking for a dark haired, scantily clad woman cold of heart. Must be able to endure intense pain. Please send correspondence to Loviatar, the Maiden of Hurt.

MISSING: Recently lost a large gem. The gem is about the size of a small bird, is dark red, and looks like it's on fire. If you see it don't touch. Your arms may turn into swords (not real swords). Please contact Turbitz Bizmark.

WANTED: Need assistance for dungeon keep. Must be willing to work underground, very deep underground. Preferred experience in birthing tentacle creatures from spawning pool. Please contact Cain.

WANTED: Bar wench. For Gold Dragon Inn. We need like...d20.

The Calendar

2007-02-22T10:49:00.000-08:00

Days of the Week

I wanted you to know the structure of the days of the week in the World of Greyhawk. I am not going to be a real stickler about this, but it would be wise to remember which days are OK for adventuring and which days it might not be in character to do adventuring-type stuff. The week breaks down as follows:

Starday - Work
Sunday - Work
Moonday - Work
Godsday - Worship
Waterday - Work
Earthday - Work
Freeday - Rest

Freeday and Godsday would be examples of days where adventuring may not be the best option. I will keep you posted as to where we are in the calendar when gaming sessions begin.

Campaign Date Update

As we begin the adventure on February 25, 2007: It is Moonday, the 10th day of the month of Readying in Common Year 580. Yes, you have officially entered fantasy land ;).

Experience Point Update

2007-02-21T19:15:00.000-08:00

Sorry the experience point update is a little slow this week. It was a busy and tiring beginning of the week. Your levels should now all be updated. There will definitely be extra hit points out there in the party.

I can say that the session coming up will provide plenty of opportunities for fighting this week, but probably not as much opportunity for treasure.

Remember that we are not gaming on March 4 so after this weekend you will need to wait two weeks until we game again. I hope you can all last.

Look for a post or two regarding history and game structure in the coming days.

Lac's Musings: February 18, 2007 Adventure

2007-02-19T12:28:00.000-08:00

The party began their adventure in Wintershiven, gathering people, materials and other resources for the chapel to the west of town. They hired several individuals to help out including a cook, a stable boy, a carpenter, a locksmith, a butler. Dendo even hired someone to help him master the Common tongue. With a full crew and many supplies, they made their way back to the chapel.

On the second day of their trip back, the encountered three large wild boars. Now advanced in level, the party did not have much trouble with the boars. They feasted on fresh meat before they finished their journey to the chapel.

The party settled in, figured out room assignments and went to bed. Early in the morning, Lac and Fritjof answered a knock at the door. Two young boys, Tallius and Gorfold, were at the door. They were ushered into the chapel and given food and the opportunity to rest.

The next day they recounted the full story of their village being overrun at night by strange human-like creatures that looked they were dead, but still seemed to live. The following morning the party ventured out to the village of Trivel to discern what was going on. One their first day out, they encountered a group of needlemen. Despite several needle attacks, the party was able to defeat the seven needlemen. Dendo valliantly ran backward and into a tree to protect the children ;).

Torgrim the Cold discovered a hidden stash of treasure. He informed the party and they split a large sum of monetary treasure. At the end of the adventure, they were deciding if they wanted to love on or turn back.

Ye Olde Classfieds: Volume 2

2007-02-19T11:52:00.000-08:00

Wanted: Ye olde spy to retreive information from those who will not say anything to anyone. Will pay handsomely, contact the Ranger.

E-Mail Addresses

2007-02-15T09:35:00.000-08:00

Gentlemen,

I want to be able to have everyone have posting rights to this blog. Right now, you can post comments, but I would like you to be able to write your own entries. To have this ability, I need an E-mail address so that I can invite you to be an administrator. I have been able to do this for Nick and Peter, but I need information from the rest of you. Please E-mail me or post it in a comment on here.

Area Geography

2007-02-14T15:58:00.000-08:00

Yol River - The Yol is a tributary of the Artonsamay which rises in the Troll Fens and divides the Phostwood Forest from the Nutherwood, forming the border between Tenh and Theocracy of Pale. It is plied by barges from Wintershiven and those journeying to that city.

Phostwood Forest - This eeire forest seems to be lit with a ghostly radiance at night, due to rotting phosphorescent phost wood.

Lac's Musings: February 11, 2007 Adventure

2007-02-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

This session began with our heroes having defeated five skeletons in the main worship chamber of the chapel. Six more skeletons appeared from the ground and they were turned by Aleron and were promptly mashed. Ten more came out of the ground and were able to put up a fight.

Having defeated the last wave of skeletons, the party rested from their labors. While resting, Torgrim the Cold heard the pitter-patter of feet from behind a door connected to the sanctuary in which they were sleeping.

The party spent a long time debating what they should do. They eventually opened the door and discovered the living chambers of the head priest. Searching for secret doors, they discovered an illusionary passage. Torgrim was fearful of the presence of magic. Fritjof looked into the passage and found a secret storage chamber. He saw a variety of treasure and three carrion crawlers.

The party rested and waited to see if the creatures would come again. The party battled the carrion crawlers and were victorious, but not before five members of the party were paralyzed. They gathered the treasure. Fritjof garnered the first critical hit of the campaign. Huzzah! While exploring the party discovered there was another illusionary passage leading in the other direction.

They explored an underground lair consisting of three rooms. In the last room, they found a pool of liquid. Aleron determined it had some animating properties. They tried many different spells and ideas, but by dropping a carcass in the water to looked to become undead-like.

They boarded up the complex and made their way back to Wintershiven. On the way back, they had their discussion about leadership. After some lively banter, it was decided that Aleron would be the leader of the party and Fritjof would be the second in command. Upon their return, they talk to Lorn Hardling and informed him of what they did. They were given ownership of the chapel and were sent on their way. Someone from the Council of Nin would there to visit the chapel soon...

...did I miss anything? Leave a comment if I did.

Ye Olde Classifieds

2007-02-12T22:46:00.000-08:00

WANTED: Recipes for raven...prepared in any manner...cooked, boiled, charbroiled, skewered, stewed, roasted...really any way to prepare a raven would be fine. Please write back to Torgrim the Cold.

WANTED: Lackey...preferably someone who can carry things and constantly reply "I can carry your gold master" in a weaselly whiny voice. Send all inquiries to Fritjof Maddox III.

WANTED: Any magical golem manageable in size but able to ward off attacks to my familiar (which is a raven). Please send golem's previous experience to Aleron Adept of Pholtus, c/o the Council of Nin.

MISSING: Three carrion crawlers...last seen near a Pholtus chapel in the woods. Please do not go near if you see them, immediately contact Lord Byron.

MISSING: Vicious looking dog...last seen floating in an elemental plane near a man with scary red eyes in about...please feed if you see him...the dog, not the man.

All messages recorded by the bard Gerblatz the Rambler. Please make sure all postings have correct information, we will not reprint mistakes...misspellings are ok since half our readers can't read common anyway.

Session 2 Experience

2007-02-11T19:18:00.000-08:00

I wanted to let you all know that I computed experience for today's adventure. Many characters went up one level, one even went up two levels. Some of you did not, but you are very, very close to leveling. Barbarians just take awhile...

I wanted to commend all of you for your role-playing in today's adventure. I was very impressed with what your characters had to say. Everyone was rewarded for this. It was some of the best that I have seen. I especially liked the party leadership discussion. Many folks took risks and said some things that might have not been popular, but were within their character.

I should have the chronicles for today's adventure up by Tuesday, hopefully earlier. I look forward to gaming with all of you next Sunday. If you are not going to WURHA, I would still like you at the session by 1:00. It is possible that we might be able to start on time. We will find out once the WURHA delegation leaves UW Stout.

New Addition

2007-02-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

I added the names and classes of all your characters on the left side of the blog. Thank you to those who have written me letting me know about errors in the names. I do want to make sure they are all correct.

Let me know if there is something else you would like to see on the blog.

Wintershiven

2007-02-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

"As the rot of cultural and social decay started to penetrate the Great Kingdom, many of the more devout and outspoken followers of the god Pholtus withdrew from the increasingly corrupt core of the land. Some of these settled between the Rakers mountain range and the Yol River. Around 356 CY (Common Year), when Nyrond declared its independence from the Great Kindgom, so did these religious refugees. Thus, the Theocracy of Pale was formed.

Its original capital was called Wintershiven, but it was a good twenty leagues south of the city that now bears its name. When the troops of Nyrond moved in and subjugated the Pale, the entire capital was destroyed in a tragic fire. After the Treaty of Rel Mord, the Nyrondese troops withdrew and left the Pale to its independence (the date is still celebrated as a national festival, 'The Emancipation'). A new capital was built and was graced with the name of the old."

- from the Fate of Istus Greyhawk Adventure Booklet

Sessions Beyond February

2007-02-06T11:37:00.000-08:00

Please bring your calendars to the February 11 session. I would like to plan out adventures for the remainder of the semester.

February 4, 2007 Adventure

2007-02-05T22:15:00.000-08:00

A group of eight adventurers, all working on behalf of Pholtus (of the Blinding Light), were gathered together by Lorn Hardling, Shining High Priest of Pholtus. The group of adventures were told that they would be completing a mission on behalf of Pholtus. As the group gained in experience and popularity, they would draw attention away from a party giving great fame to St. Cuthbert, a rival deity. Their first mission was to head due west two days from Wintershiven to explore an abandoned chapel of Pholtus. If they were able to "clear out" the chapel (if needed), it would be available for their use.

The following morning, after getting their supplies and preparing for the adventure, they left west. It was raining hard. On the first day to the chapel, they encounter and man and his two sons with a wagon stuck in the mud. The party stopped to help with the man's wagon and managed to get it out of the mud. On the second day to the chapel, the group encountered a band of eight bandits that were standing by a bridge going over the Yol River.

Dendo, the monk charged the bandits and was taken down by a flurry of crossbow bolts. Torgrim the barbarian engaged one of the bandits in missile combat and Eiccito the paladin ran after the fallen monk. The rest of the party engaged in the elements of combat and the bandits were either defeated or ran away. While Father Roland attempted to convert one member of the bandit hoard, Fritjof attempted to backstab him...and Lac the Bard sang. Classic.

At the end of the second day, they got to the front doors of the chapel. After several unsuccessful attempts at picking the lock to the door, The party smashed the door open. Upon entering they opened the first door and encountered 8 orcs. All of the orcs were slain, but three party members went down in the process. The party continued until they reached the sanctuary and fought 5 skeletons. Aleron turned undead and sent them away; they were destroyed by the party.

The next session continues with more skeletons animating...

Hey folks! What did I forget? Any good stories/anecdotes?

Backgrounds

2007-01-11T08:13:00.000-08:00

A few of you have already created your characters. When you have finished your session with me to create your character, please follow-up with me to let me know about your character's background. This is important to the game. Think about your character in generic terms and I can help fill in the gaps with World of Greyhawk locales. I am hoping this can mostly be figured out before the end of interim.

February 18, 2007 Addendum

2007-01-11T08:12:00.000-08:00

I am not able to go to the conference on the 18th, so the gaming session is back on. I realize that this is the Sunday that a few of you will be getting back from WURHA. It may be a smaller session that day.

February 18

2007-01-04T12:53:00.001-08:00

I will be at a conference in Texas on February 18, 2007 so we will not have a gaming session on that Sunday. Based on feedback so far, people seem OK with a Superbowl meeting.

First Character Created!

2007-01-04T08:45:00.000-08:00

As of 10:00 AM this morning, the first character for the campaign has been created. I have one character being created this afternoon and another being created on Friday. If you have not gotten back to me yet please do so as soon as possible.

Superbowl

2007-01-01T12:08:00.000-08:00

Not until I was watching the Packer game did I realize that I scheduled our first adventure for the Sunday of the Superbowl. We would be done by the time the Superbowl begins, so I am OK with keeping the schedule the same. Please post what your thoughts are. If the majority of folks want to go with the 11th, I am fine with that.

Welcome!

2006-12-28T17:08:00.000-08:00

If you're checking out this website, then you have read the letter that I sent to you. Please make sure that you get a hold of me to set up an appointment to create a character over the interim period. Also, please let me know if you have a blogger ID so that I can add you to the list of individuals that can post on this site. Please check this website regularly for the most up to date information about the campaign.