[Game Thread] Part One: Friendship Forged in Iron

[Jocularity]

The sage spent just under an hour talking with the student, explaining to the boy the various backgrounds of the adventurers. He was surprised to learn that none of them actually came from Griffon's Bluff, only that it was the place where their journey together began. At the time, Griffon's Bluff was a relatively new settlement. Established for the rich mining potential in the area and its proximity to Darkwood forests, and slowly expanded into the adventuring market with the discovery of so many Eldrich Creatures and malicious monsters, the town was only about 20 years old counting from its first settlers, and by the time the adventurers were there it was at a population of about 5000. Nearly everyone there at the time had immigrated to it, called by the promise of fortune and opportunity...

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The day of their first meeting was the 8th of April in the spring of the year 704. Theybhad each arrived in Griffon's bluff from their respective backgrounds, and spent a few days in the town sightseeing, gathering supplies, and perhaps doing odd jobs for the silvers to live on, before eventually picking up on the rumor that the owner of one of the Iron mines was seeking a handful of brave souls to investigate a string of disappearances.

The six of them each found their way to where they were to meet the manager of the mine, the Gruff Griffon Inn. The manager of the mine, a Mr. Maxwell Parker, is written to have been a balding man in his late 40s. When the six were gathered and were through with introductions, Parker explained to them the situation.

The miners had recently broken through into a natural tunnel. Originally celebrated as having saved about 6 months of digging, a damper soon fell on the mood when the two men who were sent to scout the tunnels never returned. Four more were sent armed with their pickaxes, but they tragically did not return either. They suspected they had unearthed something horrible, and so the natural tunnel and the main entrance of the mine were both barricaded, and operation put on hold until people could be sent in to deal with it.

The armed guard of Griffon's Bluff were asked to deal with it, but they insisted on a whole month to prepare. Standing to lose far more with the mine halted in operation, the owners offered a reward of 500 gold pieces each for the help of half a dozen adventurers to deal with the problem quickly. Parker provided a map to the mine, a few hills outside of the town on the border of the Graypool woods.

[Tsukos]

log 8 April, year seven hundred and four of the calendar of Pelor, morntide. I have spent a while in this small town, and have gathered a wealth of information and money. There is currently a help warrant out for mercenaries; the sum is paltry compared to what I'm used to on commission but treasures in the mines cannot be discounted, and I fear I will be stranded in this small town of Griffon's Bluff for some time to come. My mind and my pen drift to thoughts of my family. I hope they are safe, and I still miss them very much, but I cannot return home empty-handed. I have offered my glaive to the mine owner and gotten him to agree that any spoils or loose metals or gems in the caverns are my property, so long as I can carry them out myself. A few others have decided to join in this venture, and I am reserving judgement on their abilities until a later time, when I can determine their suitability. They may one day make a fine crew party of warriors. CaptainGunther Rendik - formerly of the VKS Morrisanne Appended is a crude copy of the map I was given by Mr. Parker; it is less than ideal but it will serve for now. Landsmen mapmaking is odd.

As noted, there is a piece of parchment clipped to the page with a small copy of the provided map.

[OingoBoingo]

Log 8 April, 704 The old man was right, and so I arrived in Griffon's Bluff not 2 days since my last entry. The blue-streaked fish is called whip-tail, referring to the taper of its tail on the underside, or perhaps the whipping motion it makes in the water... no one seemed to give me a clear answer. Nonetheless, I have sketched it into the opposite page for reference. I spent a few days fishing and relaxing, and my ears found their way to a call for help. It seems some miners have been lost in the gloom of a natural tunnel they stumbled upon, and the mine owner seeks a quick resolution to the issue. 500 gold is the promised reward, and six are the men who have taken up the call, myself included. So far, the only one I've had any chance to converse with is a fellow named Gunther, who seems a little more interested in any possible ore or gem finds in the mines than the gold pieces. Nonetheless, I attempted to put him at ease by telling him he could call me Ganch, and offered my hand. As for myself, I hope to find the trapped men alive and in good spirits; the will to live is no mean thing, and I have seen firsthand how far a body will go to survive even after that will gives out. If there is any hope of bringing the lost miners back, we must attempt it. I asked the mine owner the names of the men lost, so that we might identify them or call to them by name in the gloom. I also inquired as to the presence of any other men in the mine, whom we might know to expect and thus not mistake for an enemy. In the shadows six have vanished, Trapped in corridors of stone. Likely hurting, maybe famished, Six are lost and so six go, Into gloom no light has known, Crawling darkness down below. Hmmm, needs some work, but I'll get there.

[TheUltimateHammer]

Journal of Calahir Dorian April 7th, 704, a forest It's been ten days since I left the halfling village of Astin Fields, travelling through a dense wild area. I've started to think that this map I found among some scraps is quite misleading, so I will throw it away. The monsters don't worry me. Most of them are peaceful, and the ones who aren't are very weak. I have recently started this journal as a way to pass the time, but right now I think it's a shame it lacks some good tales, because it might as well be the only thing to be found in my corpse besides my mandolin and my battle equipment. I'm starving, and there is only one ration left. I guess first thing in the morning is look wherever I can to find a town. April 8th, 704 The Gruff Griffon Inn It appears to me that the gods have blessed me with luck, and on my blind walk I have found a small city called Griffon's Bluff! Time to resupply and find a good job; a town like this has plenty of opportunities for a mercenary like me. Or maybe a musician like me. Either way, I'm fortunate. I have, in fact, found a mercenary job. Maxwell Parker, the owner of a nearby mine, told me the tale of how his miners recently broke upon a tunnel, but when he sent his men to investigate, they didn't come back. As for Parker, I recall him being a bald human who was... a bit old. I do not know his exact age, for the short lifespan of the humans is confusing to me. Mr. Parker looked quite desperate on his plea, so I assured him I'd help. A nice reward of five hundred gold pieces was also waiting for me. Five adventurers were to join me, four humans and a Wild Elf. I suspect only a few monsters on the tunnel, so the six of us should be able to handle it quite easily.

[Bio]

The pages of this journal are almost without empty space. The pages that are filled, flow in a graceful elven script, except in the case of 'coarse' words the Scribe believes Dancer simply couldn't bring herself to mar her language with by translating into Elven. The margins too, are completely filled, often by the seasonal state of flora; vines and leaves cover and crawl along the sides of summertime entries. Denuded trees, snow drifts and overlarge snowflakes accompany entries with thicker inks that must have been more viscus. Drifting leaves, acorns, vegetables and stuffed-cheeked squirrels preceded winter entries. Springtime pages really are more art than writing; flowers of all kinds, even some that might be more the product of the author/artist's fancy than true-to-life species spring up within the text itself, following little trails that bisect paragraphs, sentences and even words.

The journal, in many ways is not only a recording of the author's thoughts, feelings and observations, but also a recording of the atmosphere. Dancer, apparently attuned to the natural world, drew heavy influence from what she saw around her. Perhaps idly doodling as she collected herself for the making of an entry? Accurate star formations can even indicate what time of night she made some entries while she waited the 'long-slumbering' humans to pass their nights. Days that it rained, lightning, wind, gentle breezes in the grass and sweltering heat are all felt simply by reading or gazing at the vellum sheets.

April 8, 704 - year by human reckoning Humans are, by and large, repugnant creatures. They know nothing of beauty; in fact, whenever I walk past them, they hardly even look at me! - except as I note here. Do they notice the way my scales catch the light and shine like fires alight in brazen bowls of incense on high holidays? No. Would a human notice at all the elegant sweep of my ears - especially as their own are so squat and stunted? No. Perhaps the way my body is smooth, without bumps or animalistic patches of fur covering them - from head to foot apparently - worse in some regions. No. They are, I think, much akin to dwarves or goblins in respect to hair. I'll remind myself quite frankly here, so as not to forget - the whole of their species is fixated on boobs! The men might not notice any other single feature of a woman, the women smile contemptuously as if their own top-heavy, furry-as-a-loused-dog bodies were somehow more pleasing than mine! As if! Perhaps that is why they don't allow their women any freedom? Too worried she will lose her balance and simply fall from the ungainly weight distribution of those bulbous mammary glands! I bought a new shield today - of course from an oaf who apparently thought all my beauty were contained within my shirt - that is surprisingly light. We have few enough trees so close to the savanna of my kinsfolk. There are more where we make our wet season camps, but nothing like this strange, dark wood. A marvelous piece. Turns out, the wood, and the forest it comes from near here is - unimaginatively - named 'darkwood.' I might have called it 'nightwood.' At any rate, it will serve well, and the merchant got a good cuffing when I smiled and told him "Thank you." That round woman had enough for him to keep his attention! Maybe he was at least bright enough to recognize true beauty - when he could stop himself long enough to take in my whole appearance.

... later It seems some humans got lost in the dark under-earth. No kidding, they go almost blind when the sun goes down, and here these fellows have gone where the sun doesn't shine! I and a couple of others will go look for them and bring them safely back. Maybe then, when I'm being recognized on that platform outside the mayor's, people will finally be able to see me for the work of art I am. Wouldn't it be great if all these poor creatures got to see something truly beautiful before going back to their own furry companions? I am quite surprised to see that a human woman has been allowed to go where their men go. A strange woman to be sure, I almost took her for a man at first; she is their height if not their build. The only other elf, perhaps for many miles around, volunteered to go as well. This is good, because making 70-80% of character applications I tire of all the human males! I will have to ask him what brings him to the furred lands. Won't it be nice to hear words again that flow like water rather than being barked at you like by angry animals?

[Tsukos]

log 8 April, Year Seven Hundred and Four of the Calendar of Pelor, Noontide. I have met some companions here in the Gruff Griffon, by far not the full complement. So far, an odd cleric interested in fish has applied, so too an elven bard. But of most interest to me is the third; an elf in appearance, but with aspect of a dragon! I attempted first to converse with her in Draconic, curious about her features, but was rebuffed in Common. She had only a passing knowledge of the language of dragons, which I learned to negotiate with any of the sea-dwelling dragons I know to exist. The woman seems to be quite upset about how human men see her, and is awfully hung up on the excessive hair among the populace here. I am normally more clean-shaven, but it is difficult to find either barber or razor here. I hope I can communicate to her that my interest is not merely the crass lust I have seen in the eyes of several others; my heart belongs to my dear Isabelle back in Venturia. No, the elf, Dancer if I remember correctly, is a curious oddity and someone certainly worthy of admiration. I am writing in this journal now as I wait in the Gruff Griffon for the rest of our party to arrive; I have had some idle discussion with the fish-cleric, and traded stories with the bard, but we have all retreated now to our own pursuits. The Cleric questions people about a particular fish he caught around here, and the Bard plays for his keep. The dragon-elf appears to desire the Bard's company above all, for which I am not one to blame her. The lewd attentions of humans are not easy to bear kindly, even for other humans.

[UrsprungDerLiebe]

April 6 I have arrived in a small town by the name of Griffon's Bluff. I have yet to see any Griffons, so I don't know where the name is from. I was planning on just passing through, for how much can I expect from a town such as this one, but I have heard a rumor of the owner of one of the local mines searching for a select few warriors to help investigate some disappearances. Well, this certainly has the potential for glory, and so perhaps I will settle here for some time. He has set up a meeting for two days hence, which I will go to. Until then, I will hone my skills; I have let some of my training fade while one the road.

April 8 Well, that was an interesting meeting. I never thought I would see so many exotic faces and styles and skills. True, they all seem to think I am the exotic one, but...There is someone here with the scales of a dragon, and - of all things - a wizard! It seems we will be working together, so there is no need for me to rush, but I must try to get him alone, to see what he knows of the strange powers I seem to be exhibiting. Perhaps then I can find some logic behind it, and learn what I must do to master these powers and then return to my tribe. The adventure itself is less exciting than I had hoped for. We are simply heading down to some mine shaft where workers have disappeared. Perhaps it spells glory, but likely it will be all for naught. The owner of the mines has promised us an insane gold reward - more than I have ever dreamed of holding - but probably when we discover the problem, he will give us just a fraction of that for our trouble. Still, I have done nothing but travel these last few long weeks, and it is a welcome diversion.

[TheUltimateHammer]

Journal of Calahir Dorian Apirl 8th, 704, The Gruff Griffon Inn The meeting with Parker seemed to go well. I am currently sitting on a table at the same inn, enjoying a cup of cold beer, writing in the very book you hold right now, waiting for the rest of the group to finally get together. I occasionaly pluck a few cords on my mandolin, much to the joy of the inn's patrons. The group so far has striken my curiosity. Just by looking at them, I'm sure they have interesting stories to share, but if I ever ask them about such tales, it will be another day. The one that managed to call the most attention to me was the other elf, not only because of her interesting draconic features, but because I'm sure this town must be a long way home for her. Perharps she will agree to tell me more about while we travel. Meeting her reminded me of an ancient draconic poem that a fellow traveller once told me. It goes like this...

The rest of the page features a bundle of draconic runes mixed with some elven runes, due to the author's somewhat limited knowledge of the language of dragons.

[Bio]

Journal of Dancer Weldig, April 8, 704 - afternoon What was that? I've mastered every scrap of the Draconic language I could lay ear to in my clan, and some young (I doubt even a century old!) human ran circles around me! Worse still, I was so taken aback that I, well, pretty much just walked off. (Stormed off maybe ... after 'mildly' implying that he was wasting my time) I should be cool, calm, and listen any hints of that language that he might let drop ... At any rate, he looked me in the eye as he spoke to me, and for that I will honor him by remembering his name, as terrible as 'Gunther' sounds coming off the tongue. I am shocked at how keenly familiar the man is with my inner monologue. Again! It actually happened again!! This time, it was the elf, somehow assumed I would speak the ancient tongue, It costs ALL my skill points at a given level! how was I supposed to learn that when no one around me knew much of anything? ... maybe these two will speak it with each other, and I will learn quickly enough. I was always one of the brighter of my people. Be cool, pay attention, goad them into it, I will learn from them both in time, just as I learned the Human tongue. So, these are to be my new clanspeople then. It took me but a moment this time to attenuate myself to them. I took great pains to try to observe them as they feel their senses heighten - not very noticeably it seems. True enough, that affect of my presence is less overt than some of the other ways I choose to manifest my awesomeness. The priest of Pelor simply refused to believe that I once saved a dying man, and brought him back to his feet, simply from my radiant presence! He may learn in time, though I hate to see people unnecessarily harmed, it would satisfy me somewhat to be vindicated to him at some point. Mechanics Manifesting Senses aura, when within 30' of Dancer (if she's awake) everyone gains +1 to Spot, Listen and Initiative checks. The basic strategy is that I'll switch that one off after everyone makes their Init rolls and go to Energy Shield - dealing 2 fire damage to any enemy who hits you at non-range, non-reach weapon. After battles, will then go to Vigor aura (Fast Healing 1 to max of 1/2 HP) until everyone is back up to 1/2 HP to save on Cure spells. Then go back to Senses.

[Lovecraft]

April 8, 704 At the tavern I was directed to the Gruff Griffon Inn, to speak with the owner of a mine about rescuing a few townsmen who had gotten themselves trapped. Perhaps there will be something interesting down there that has trapped the miners, perhaps just some monsters. Either way, it should be a good experience. The other people I am journeying with seem an odd sort of group, two elves and a handful of fellow humans. The female elf is quite aloof, perhaps she simply does not like humans. The male elf, Calahir, seems nice enough. A bit over-the-top perhaps, but a bard should have some interesting stories if nothing else. The two men are nice, however the priest is a bit too fixated on fish... It hardly seems a relevant topic of conversation right now. I also sense some tension in the woman, she has some magical power, that much i can feel, but she also seems almost afraid of me. Perhaps I will confront her, see what her story is. That can wait, however, as I must finish preparing for our descent into the mines.

[Jocularity]

...In the Gruff Griffon Inn, the adventurers spoke for some time, getting to know eachother somewhat by character, and getting a general idea of what they can do, their skills and abilities. Maxwell Parker was constantly pressing them to act though, and he had quite soon ushered them out the door, agreeing with Gunther's terms of Finder's Keepers, apparently confident that there isn't much more in the mine than unrefined iron ore. He proved to be quite wrong...

They conversed a little more as they were out on the road, passing through the hustle and bustle of the town, then the peace of nature out on the roads outside of Griffon's Bluff. As is the unfortunate truth though, nature can be as dangerous as it is beautiful. As they walked through the terrain of boulders and ridgelines that the road wound through, The young Wizard Randolph had the good fortune of hearing an approaching threat before the group stumbled into it. Around the bend of the road, obscured by a natural formation of rock, he heard the quiet growls and movement of a small group of wolves...

[Lovecraft]

April 8, 704 (later) I noticed some wolves on our way to the mines. I stopped our party, alerting the rest to the danger and asking for a plan of attack. I, of course, could not do much good up close, so I figured I would let them do most of the battle, supporting from the rear. Letting the rest get into their positions, I cast Hypnotism on the wolves to keep them from attacking my allies. Two of the wolves stopped dead in their tracks and just stared at me, while my allies pressed the attack...

[UrsprungDerLiebe]

On the Way to the Mines The wizard stopped us as we walked to the mines, saying he heard wolves ahead. I took this opportunity to laugh; as I explained to the group that I was killing wolves by the time I was 10, then unswung my Mageblade and stepped round the bend to confront the creatures.

[Tsukos]

log aside On the way to the mines we encountered some wolves, which the wizard warned us of. How an academic has such keen senses escapes me as of this writing. I unslung my glaive and dropped my pack, with a short request that the mage look after it as best he could. The warlock I thought charged somewhat too earnestly, but I was there to back him up. Even simple wolves should not be taken lightly. The wizard cast some sort of spell that kept the wolves occupied. I don't know how such trickery works, but it was helpful.

[TheUltimateHammer]

Journal of Calahir Dorian April 8th, 704 On the road During our journey to the mines, Randolph, the human wizard, warned us about hearing nearby wolves. One of the other humans boasted a bit, but I ignored it as I withdrew my rapier from its place in my belt, then walked 10 ft. or so back on my feet, waiting for a strategic opportunity to arise.

Initiative Check