Arriving in the Shadow Marches, Harrigan and his accomplices set out to find the final necessary dragonshards to power the professor's plane-traveling device. Harrigan expresses his doubts as the group travels through the Crawling Swamp, and begins to face a difficult decision.
Aye, so I finally had a chat with Jackie, Johnny, and the gnome. I've decided what action I'm goin' ta take, and all three are on board so far. We're plannin' on talkin' to Lil and Khin sometime soon, to see if they'll join us. I couldn't tell ye what they're goin' to say, but that's life.
We finally arrived in the Shadow Marches, where we did some sellin'. It's amazin' what you pick up as ye travel along like this. There's all kinds 'a stuff that we've collected. Needless to say, though, to the right buyer, we have what they want. That means jink in me pockets and ale in me tankard.
While there, I picked up a prospectin' license from the damned Thrashk half-orcs and talked to some of the Kundarak house about dealin' with our future problem. It shouldn't be a difficulty.
Lil celebrated her 17th birthday, while we were there. Aye...poor girl. She's out here in the middle o' nowhere with strangers, enterin' somethin' that she doesn't even know the half of. We'll see how this all goes.
I'll be honest with ye. I spent most o' my time broodin' and on a boat. Aye, another boat. I hate boats. A fella hired us to find some addle-coves who had given him the slip earlier on in the month. They headed up river with their pay for a job they never finished. Our job--find the buggers, and bring 'em back dead or alive.
Things were relatively quiet on the way. We fought a swarm o' hellwasps, which went down in flames from the Magma Staff and torchfire from the others. We also ran into some claimjumpers, but we dealt with them right quick.
Long story short--the pair (a burn-scarred orc and a midget human) were killed by some undead thing in the swamp. We killed it off right quick and started lootin'. The bodies around there had some fine loot, as well as the Eberron shards we've been lookin' for.
We headed back and will soon be headed for Adar. I dinna plan on makin' this an extended stay.
I have to apologize to ye, if ye be readin' this. To say the least, I've been a touch distracted by things. Evil times have a tendency of bringin' things out in one that ye wouldn't normally want to come out. At the same time, it makes good men do things that they normally wouldn'a do. Aye, I wish I knew what I could do in this situation that that'd be best, but right now, methinks I've chosen the best path I can.
Now, to deal with the consequences.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Monday, November 13, 2006
Chronicles from Eberron--The Tale of Harrigan the Horrible (Chapter 6)
After catching a wind galley from the port city of Stormreach, Harrigan and his allies set out for the Shadow Marches on the continent of Khorvaire. Along the way, they encounter two wonderous creatures that have them most distinctly on the menu...
Aye, I'm not much o' one for boats, meself, but any boat's better than a damned airship. I was still sick, but nowhere near's as bad as Jackie, Johnny, and the gnome. Those three were nothin' short of green as rock-mold.
Problem with that was the fact that we were about ta run inta some damned fine turbulence. Some giant turtle-thing, underneath the ship, started flippin' it on it's edge, sendin' almost everyting (yours truly, included) overboard!
Khin, Lil, and I managed to fight it off somehow, but not before it took one hell of a chunk outta me. Lil tried out one of her new spells, and Khin charged after it with both weapons a'swingin', and my new spell--Giant's Wrath--helped send the damned thing back to the bottom of the sea.
Only problem was that the ship itself was damaged when the thing tried to claw its way up onto the deck. The ship wasn't leakin' too heavily, but it sure as hell wasn't goin' anywhere. It was up to us to head to a nearby island and gather some wood for repairs. I headed below deck to grab me an axe and we headed ashore.
It wasn't long after we made landfall that Khin noticed a clutch of eggs in the sand. There weren't any blood there, so we figured that the thing we faught earlier hadn't been here. I whipped out my prospectin' tools and we started diggin' away.
We didn't find much in the way of loot down there, but we did find some things o' value. As in 13 of 'em. Dragon turtle eggs. Turns out, according to Khin anyway, that the eggs were wanted heavily by the Sharn Aquarium, so we packed 'em up in his bag of holding. I kept two out for omelettes, but it turns out that the damned things were fertilized. Fer laughin', I smacked Lil with one of the undeveloped buggers... She wasn't too happy about that one.
From there, we started about cuttin' down some trees. Only thing was that Lil--who I swear, has a shorter attention span than the gnome--noticed the volcano at the center of the island.
Now, if ye be readin' this journal, ye can probably imagine my thoughts on volcanoes at this point. Lava, heat...not me first choice of interest. But, the two damned fools played on me dwarven weakness for gems, and we headed in.
If it weren't for some luck at that point, we'd a been nothin' but bird food. Turns out that the volcano--extinct, though it was--was bein' used by a roc. Yeah, the fuckin' roc.
Luckily, we were able to get jump on the damned thing. I cast some spells on meself, as well as on Khin, which gave us the upper hand. Basically, I kept him on the ground with Mountain Stance, so he could lay into it with sword and mace. Between Khin and Lil's hacking, and my spells, we finished it off in no time.
We managed to pull out some nice loot from the roc's nest, then made it back to the ship with the wood needed for the repairs. All in all, not a bad day's work, but I'm eager to get to the Shadow Marches already. I have some sellin' to do...
Aye, I'm not much o' one for boats, meself, but any boat's better than a damned airship. I was still sick, but nowhere near's as bad as Jackie, Johnny, and the gnome. Those three were nothin' short of green as rock-mold.
Problem with that was the fact that we were about ta run inta some damned fine turbulence. Some giant turtle-thing, underneath the ship, started flippin' it on it's edge, sendin' almost everyting (yours truly, included) overboard!
Khin, Lil, and I managed to fight it off somehow, but not before it took one hell of a chunk outta me. Lil tried out one of her new spells, and Khin charged after it with both weapons a'swingin', and my new spell--Giant's Wrath--helped send the damned thing back to the bottom of the sea.
Only problem was that the ship itself was damaged when the thing tried to claw its way up onto the deck. The ship wasn't leakin' too heavily, but it sure as hell wasn't goin' anywhere. It was up to us to head to a nearby island and gather some wood for repairs. I headed below deck to grab me an axe and we headed ashore.
It wasn't long after we made landfall that Khin noticed a clutch of eggs in the sand. There weren't any blood there, so we figured that the thing we faught earlier hadn't been here. I whipped out my prospectin' tools and we started diggin' away.
We didn't find much in the way of loot down there, but we did find some things o' value. As in 13 of 'em. Dragon turtle eggs. Turns out, according to Khin anyway, that the eggs were wanted heavily by the Sharn Aquarium, so we packed 'em up in his bag of holding. I kept two out for omelettes, but it turns out that the damned things were fertilized. Fer laughin', I smacked Lil with one of the undeveloped buggers... She wasn't too happy about that one.
From there, we started about cuttin' down some trees. Only thing was that Lil--who I swear, has a shorter attention span than the gnome--noticed the volcano at the center of the island.
Now, if ye be readin' this journal, ye can probably imagine my thoughts on volcanoes at this point. Lava, heat...not me first choice of interest. But, the two damned fools played on me dwarven weakness for gems, and we headed in.
If it weren't for some luck at that point, we'd a been nothin' but bird food. Turns out that the volcano--extinct, though it was--was bein' used by a roc. Yeah, the fuckin' roc.
Luckily, we were able to get jump on the damned thing. I cast some spells on meself, as well as on Khin, which gave us the upper hand. Basically, I kept him on the ground with Mountain Stance, so he could lay into it with sword and mace. Between Khin and Lil's hacking, and my spells, we finished it off in no time.
We managed to pull out some nice loot from the roc's nest, then made it back to the ship with the wood needed for the repairs. All in all, not a bad day's work, but I'm eager to get to the Shadow Marches already. I have some sellin' to do...
Friday, November 03, 2006
Chronicles from Eberron--The Tale of Harrigan the Horrible (Chapter 5)
As Harrigan and his companions return from the tomb of Sharataz, the undead fire giant sorcerer, they come upon a strange sight--a massive ivory tower standing in the midst of the jungle. The lone inhabitant of this tower may well change their lives forever...
Aye, so we finally got ourselves out of the damned cavern of Sharataz--not the least bit fast enough for my taste. Ye know, I'm about as hands-on as ye get. I get in, get me hands dirty and get after whatever there be to get afterin'. However, this was one time where I'd have rather'a been back in Fairhaaven, readin' up on giants, rather than findin' them.
My legs were still sore from the lava last time, and I'll freely admit, I's a bit testy. But, when Jackie came back from scoutin' the path ahead, I didn't have so much patience with the fop.
He came out o' the clearin' up ahead sayin' something about a spiralin' white tower in the middle of the jungle. Well, the damned fool went back and checked, then started claimin' somethin' about warforged guarding it. Warforged. In the middle of the damned jungle. Even the damned gnome didn't believe him after that.
But, go figure--the fop was actually tellin' the truth for once. Given that, I didn't even want ta mess with the situation. I used me new staff and summoned up an earth elemental, then sent him after the damned 'forged.
I'll save ye the details o' the combat and get to the point--no force on or under earth can stand against pure elemental earth in bodily form. The elemental lit'rally crushed the damned creatures beneath its fists with no effort whatsoever. Yeah, yeah....the gnome and the others contributed with those damned drow boomerangs, and I even got to try out me new spell--a conjured, razor-sharp stalagmite--but the elemental did the heavy lifting.
As soon as we arrived outside and finished off the warforged, all of us could hear a weird combo o' sounds--something like a mechanical whirring, with murmuring underneath it. Immediately, Lil, Jackie and Khin started climbin' on into the tower, but I held back to look around with the gnome and Johnny.
I can't say what they saw inside, at least a' the beginnin'. But, outside, there was a huge crack in the earth. I could practically feel the ground screamin' beneath me. The gnome dropped one of his crazy devices in and lights flared down in the gorge--the bottom was covered in warforged components on an assembly line. Some damned fool was startin' to build new 'forged.
I couldn't stand fer that. I can't stand the House Cannith bastards, but the idea of makin' new warforged just smacks me the wrong way. I closed off the crevasse, crushing all of the components fer good.
It was that point that Lil dropped me a Message. Somethin' about a giant imprisoned in in some damned device inside. Grabbin' up Johnny and the gnome, I hurried on in.
The tower led up quite a piece, with only one door, which led back down into the depths of an unlit factory floor. We clambered down to see a hideous sight--a giant trapped in suspended animation, behind some crazy Cannith contraption.
I knew who it was immediately. I'd read about him back in Fairhaaven, then again in Sharataz's tomb. This giant was one that fought against the Quori, over 13,000 years prior, using one of the four Destiny Arms. Particularly, he used a glaive that channeled elemental earth and negative energy, severing the ability to for the Quori to possess their foes. Immediately, I had 'em start lookin' for a way to get the feller out.
That was my mistake. Jack-o and the gnome found a console of buttons, and immediately started pissin' around with 'em. With the lights blinkin' around us, and the factory half-comin' to life, I couldn't take it anymore. I shattered the damned console, and the entire factory went black.
Luckily, dwarven blood be hardier than that of piss-poor humans. The giant was freed, and we had ourselves a nice little conversation. It took a while to get him up to speed, but eventually he caught on.
If all that wasn't enough, apparently the Quori were usin' this damned facility for creatin' old-style warforged to continue their siege on Adar. Somehow, I didn't feel so bad anymore for destroyin' the whole place. The Quori had, as well, their own damned gateway outside, according to the giant.
Well, I figured that we damned well had better put a stop to that, as well. A casting of Stone-Shape later, and what once looked like a runic circle now looks like nothin' more than ground. Good riddance to the damned bastards.
Luckily, we also found the giant's glaive. Some damned fool, not knowin' what he had, dropped it in the well outside. Easily gotten, we gave that one back.
It was there that the giant and meself got into a bit of a tiff. As I said, me temper was not of the best that day. He wanted to take me staff, claimin' that the Quori'd after us to get it back--apparently, the giants used the four Destiny Arms to banish them in the first place and, if they were re-united, they could undo the magics. I told him, plain and simple, that the staff was mine, and it'd make more sense anyway to keep the Arms separated.
Right in the midst of the argument, we got a rude awakening. Some fella, with an iron dog-like thing and a chick, came up claimin' that the tower was his. Now, I'm no archmage, but I can see the writin' on the stone wall. If this fella thinks that the tower is his, and that he dows the work here....even if he's from Cannith, then he's also allied with the Quori and knew that the giant was prisoner. I didn't put up with that--I lit an Earthbolt into he and his buddies and was done with them.
I pried the info I wanted straight out of his brain. He was possessed by a Quori--a servant of our old friend Dhalia.
At any rate, I dinna think that he was too pleased by that logic, but he chose not to pry the staff from me dwarven fingers, so I think he's not too perturbed. He claimed to be headin' off to find a friend of his, to see if they were still alive and if they had their own Arm with them.
Right now, we're on our way via wind galley towards the Shadow Marches. They're the last place we need to head in order to get the Professor's shards.
Right now, I'm not sure what the hell I'm goin' to do. If we give the prof the shards, he could well mess up the whole damned Multiverse, pullin' planes out of alignment and movin' 'em around. Even if the Quori don't get a hold of it, all it takes is one mistake to bring down everything the SoulForger's e'er put down here.
I think I need to talk to Johnny. He seems to have a good hand on this.
One thing I do know is that Dhalia'll be gettin' what's comin' to her. If I have to cross the whole damned continent again, I'll see that she gets hers.
Aye, so we finally got ourselves out of the damned cavern of Sharataz--not the least bit fast enough for my taste. Ye know, I'm about as hands-on as ye get. I get in, get me hands dirty and get after whatever there be to get afterin'. However, this was one time where I'd have rather'a been back in Fairhaaven, readin' up on giants, rather than findin' them.
My legs were still sore from the lava last time, and I'll freely admit, I's a bit testy. But, when Jackie came back from scoutin' the path ahead, I didn't have so much patience with the fop.
He came out o' the clearin' up ahead sayin' something about a spiralin' white tower in the middle of the jungle. Well, the damned fool went back and checked, then started claimin' somethin' about warforged guarding it. Warforged. In the middle of the damned jungle. Even the damned gnome didn't believe him after that.
But, go figure--the fop was actually tellin' the truth for once. Given that, I didn't even want ta mess with the situation. I used me new staff and summoned up an earth elemental, then sent him after the damned 'forged.
I'll save ye the details o' the combat and get to the point--no force on or under earth can stand against pure elemental earth in bodily form. The elemental lit'rally crushed the damned creatures beneath its fists with no effort whatsoever. Yeah, yeah....the gnome and the others contributed with those damned drow boomerangs, and I even got to try out me new spell--a conjured, razor-sharp stalagmite--but the elemental did the heavy lifting.
As soon as we arrived outside and finished off the warforged, all of us could hear a weird combo o' sounds--something like a mechanical whirring, with murmuring underneath it. Immediately, Lil, Jackie and Khin started climbin' on into the tower, but I held back to look around with the gnome and Johnny.
I can't say what they saw inside, at least a' the beginnin'. But, outside, there was a huge crack in the earth. I could practically feel the ground screamin' beneath me. The gnome dropped one of his crazy devices in and lights flared down in the gorge--the bottom was covered in warforged components on an assembly line. Some damned fool was startin' to build new 'forged.
I couldn't stand fer that. I can't stand the House Cannith bastards, but the idea of makin' new warforged just smacks me the wrong way. I closed off the crevasse, crushing all of the components fer good.
It was that point that Lil dropped me a Message. Somethin' about a giant imprisoned in in some damned device inside. Grabbin' up Johnny and the gnome, I hurried on in.
The tower led up quite a piece, with only one door, which led back down into the depths of an unlit factory floor. We clambered down to see a hideous sight--a giant trapped in suspended animation, behind some crazy Cannith contraption.
I knew who it was immediately. I'd read about him back in Fairhaaven, then again in Sharataz's tomb. This giant was one that fought against the Quori, over 13,000 years prior, using one of the four Destiny Arms. Particularly, he used a glaive that channeled elemental earth and negative energy, severing the ability to for the Quori to possess their foes. Immediately, I had 'em start lookin' for a way to get the feller out.
That was my mistake. Jack-o and the gnome found a console of buttons, and immediately started pissin' around with 'em. With the lights blinkin' around us, and the factory half-comin' to life, I couldn't take it anymore. I shattered the damned console, and the entire factory went black.
Luckily, dwarven blood be hardier than that of piss-poor humans. The giant was freed, and we had ourselves a nice little conversation. It took a while to get him up to speed, but eventually he caught on.
If all that wasn't enough, apparently the Quori were usin' this damned facility for creatin' old-style warforged to continue their siege on Adar. Somehow, I didn't feel so bad anymore for destroyin' the whole place. The Quori had, as well, their own damned gateway outside, according to the giant.
Well, I figured that we damned well had better put a stop to that, as well. A casting of Stone-Shape later, and what once looked like a runic circle now looks like nothin' more than ground. Good riddance to the damned bastards.
Luckily, we also found the giant's glaive. Some damned fool, not knowin' what he had, dropped it in the well outside. Easily gotten, we gave that one back.
It was there that the giant and meself got into a bit of a tiff. As I said, me temper was not of the best that day. He wanted to take me staff, claimin' that the Quori'd after us to get it back--apparently, the giants used the four Destiny Arms to banish them in the first place and, if they were re-united, they could undo the magics. I told him, plain and simple, that the staff was mine, and it'd make more sense anyway to keep the Arms separated.
Right in the midst of the argument, we got a rude awakening. Some fella, with an iron dog-like thing and a chick, came up claimin' that the tower was his. Now, I'm no archmage, but I can see the writin' on the stone wall. If this fella thinks that the tower is his, and that he dows the work here....even if he's from Cannith, then he's also allied with the Quori and knew that the giant was prisoner. I didn't put up with that--I lit an Earthbolt into he and his buddies and was done with them.
I pried the info I wanted straight out of his brain. He was possessed by a Quori--a servant of our old friend Dhalia.
At any rate, I dinna think that he was too pleased by that logic, but he chose not to pry the staff from me dwarven fingers, so I think he's not too perturbed. He claimed to be headin' off to find a friend of his, to see if they were still alive and if they had their own Arm with them.
Right now, we're on our way via wind galley towards the Shadow Marches. They're the last place we need to head in order to get the Professor's shards.
Right now, I'm not sure what the hell I'm goin' to do. If we give the prof the shards, he could well mess up the whole damned Multiverse, pullin' planes out of alignment and movin' 'em around. Even if the Quori don't get a hold of it, all it takes is one mistake to bring down everything the SoulForger's e'er put down here.
I think I need to talk to Johnny. He seems to have a good hand on this.
One thing I do know is that Dhalia'll be gettin' what's comin' to her. If I have to cross the whole damned continent again, I'll see that she gets hers.
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