Tuesday, 21 May 2019

(G389 04/05/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR4

(G389 04/05/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR4


DAY 444 (20th Mirtul)(May) cont ...

Well, the rest of those caves didn't go that well. Not a total disaster, but not great. I think I need to come up with better strategies.

Anyway, after pottering about looking at the pillars and taking notes in them we moved east through the caves and found a stone dais and throne. Who had built it I had little idea of, but it was designed for a human sized backside.

We moved further into the caves and encountered another black pudding. These are difficult things to fight and we piled crocodiles, magic missiles and lightning bolts into it.
It split and one of them engulfed Irritator.
Now, before that, Henny had been grappled several times, but always broke free. Irritator had not chance though and Teleported out. Very wise of him.

I managed to kill it, and we headed back to the Refuge after that.

Good news! Later this evening Lavinia told me she might be pregnant! I checked her over - I am a good healer these days - and she sure seemed to be, but we'll get a second opinion in the morning.


DAY 445 (21th Mirtul)(May)

In the morning we went over to Weyloon and Lavinia went to see a local priest who was apparently the best person to ask about this sort of thing. It seems that it is true anyway - we are to be parents!

With the good lady wife at home then, I thought me and Irritator would have another pop at that network of vermin filled caves.

It did not go well, we were set upon by a group of giant stag beetles and poor Henny was killed!
I was very annoyed at myself because of that. I should have used crocodiles.

Well, I am going to start the ritual to summon another one now. No rest for the stupid.


DAY 446 (22th Mirtul)(May)

Finished the ritual and summoned another megaraptor. Is it even worth giving the poor thing a name?
I should be more careful from now on.

Had a short nap then some lunch and went over to Weyloon to get some books. Got about a third of what I wanted to start building up a decent library.

I should really sort out that cave today, or I'll start looking like an idiot in front of all the lizardfolk. Can't have that, I'll be drummed out of the Druid Club or something.
Just kidding, there isn't a Druid Club! Unless you count those old fools in the Ardeep Forest.

(G388 13/04/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR3

(G388 13/04/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR3


DAY 441 (17th Mirtul)(May) cont ...

Oh dear! I forgot to mention. During the last few days I also flew back down to Westgate and picked up my serving girl Molly and her pet monkey.
She's really been growing lately. It must be all that greasy Westgate food. She certainly felt a lot heavier by the time I'd flown the ten hours back!

It was nice to catch up with the Sea Wyvern crew again. I think that Nobby and Urol are now a bit of an item! Good luck to them I say. Nobby also told me she was thinking of buying out my and Veddic's share of the ship.
I don't know about Veddic, but I like being a part owner of the Sea Wyvern. Veddic hardly counts as Shifty just gave it to him before he disappeared forever down in Chult.

They were not long back from Sasserine and were planning to go back again. I told them to let me know when they got halfway, as I wanted to Teleport to the deck of the ship and start building up some good locations for Irritator.

The top floor of the tower is lovely now. Lavinia and Molly keep it clean and airy and the Hallow spell makes it very calm and peaceful. It extends to the floor below. I let the lizardmen use that area when they need to relax for a while.

Anyway, tired from all that work ordering lizardmen around today. Turning in now.


DAY 442 (18th Mirtul)(May)

Re-hired the lizardmen servants I had last time I was here. That's Nakal, Nanti, Jatol and Cupcay. They can help me out with scouting and Molly with the housework. It also gets a few coins into the Sharptooth economy.

K came to talk to me today. It is always tricky to work out what is going on in his mind. They think the same as men in some things, but their faces are hard to read.

I think he doesn't like the idea of losing face in front of the others. It is assumed by everyone that I am more 'powerful' than him. I've honestly no idea if this is true, but it could be that my presence here is a threat to his position as chief.
Anyway, he proposed a sort of partnership and we smoked the pipe of peace together. I think that means I'm an honorary member of the tribe. I'm still not sure - there was definitely something in that pipe and it all got a bit weird and confusing towards the end.


DAY 443 (19th Mirtul)(May)

Took Irritator for a test run today and we Teleported to Westgate and I introduced him to the crew of the Sea Wyvern.

This is now his list of 'Studied Carefully' locations:
- His House
- Lost Refuge
- Weyloon
- Westgate
- Sea Wyvern

Flew to Spectre Island and talked to Random. Me and Lavinia have half and idea of getting traders interested in coming to the Lost Refuge, or better yet, a shop keeper.
Random said he'd keep his ears open for people that might be interested, but not to hold out much hope.

Flew home after that.


DAY 444 (20th Mirtul)(May)

From recent scouting and talking to the lizardfolk I've determined that there are three places in a five mile radius of the Refuge that are considered dangerous.

Myself, Lavinia and Irritator decided to go take a look at the nearest one. I took Henny with me.

It appeared to have once been inhabited by humanoid folk, but now was home to monstrous vermin.

Initially we were attacked by two giant wasps, then giant beetles and ants. As we moved in a black pudding went for us. This was the hardest and most manic battle so far. Henny's attacks made it split into two. But a combination of my crocodiles and Irritator's magic missiles eventually killed it off.

These caves are an interesting network of natural rock and worked stone. We found a kiln and an area of pillars. Some of the floor is paved in black and white tiles. Once the place is cleared out I will give it more study.

Anyway, break time over, back to work!

(G387 30/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR2

(G387 30/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR2


DAY 428 (4th Mirtul)(May) cont ...

Before dinner, myself and the good lady wife took a stroll along the wall and chatted about the future.

I don't have any sense of urgency for returning to Westgate. Fenrir will be settling in to his new role as the head of the Magical Watch or whatever he's up to and I suppose if he or Random need me, they will send word.

I'm currently really fascinated by the new species of red feather herons I saw around the place today and their hunting methods. I asked Lavinia if it was ok to stay for a while longer. She wasn't happy at first, but after we talked about setting this place up as a sort of base, then possibly turning it into a sort of 'mini-Farshore' she was more onboard. She was at Farshore recently and it sounds like it is doing fine. I'd like to go back again, but for now, here we are.

Lavinia seems to be the sort of girl that likes the idea of laying down roots. Inherited from her parents I think, so we discussed the idea of setting up a base somewhere. The
Lost Refuge is far from ideal, but it does have a few good points - it's remote, and it has an access point to the Plane of Shadows.
I think I would prefer, over all, to be setting up in Kryptgarden, but if it keeps her busy while I get to study my beetles and herons then it is all to the good.

K and the lizardmen seemed to have been under the impression that we would never be back and that this place was theirs now. It's understandable. I tried to make clear to them that it was, after all, us that cleared this place out and that we invited them in.
I don't mind really, and I don't think it will be a problem. The chances are we'll be gone in a few weeks or months anyway and having a druid around is surely a good thing?

So, I think we'll see how it goes. I like the idea of building up the place a bit anyway.

Anyway, first things first. As I left Fluffy back in the forests around Boravia, I need a new animal companion. This takes 24 hours, so I started the ritual later in the afternoon.


DAY 429 (5th Mirtul)(May)

After the ritual, my animal companion arrived - a megaraptor that I called Henny. She's pretty big, with a long tail and ferocious teeth and claws. The lizardfolk seemed quite impressed.

While I was doing that, Lavinia had cleaned out the top room in the central tower of the refuge. She'd done the best she could, but it needs some soap.

That afternoon, a little tired from no sleep last night, as we ate a late lunch K told me that Irritator the kobold wizard was known to be back in the area after spending a lot of his recent loot gold back in Weyloon.

I flew over to his house, if was just a few miles away. It was a tree house in a small wooded area. I knocked as a bird, then as a man, but there was no answer.
I sent Rolanda down the chimney, but she just started raiding the pantry so I turned into a snake and went in after her.

I looked about, and saw that he'd recently packed for a trip. I took myself and the rat back up the chimney, then popped a note under his door.

Turned back into an eagle and flew back with that useless rat clinging onto my back.


DAY 430 (6th Mirtul)(May)

Flew over to Weyloon today.
Purchased a 100 gold's worth of tools, tradable items and cleaning stuff. Shoved it all into my Bag of Holding and flew back.
Also managed to find the herbs, oils and incense for performing a Hallow spell. It wasn't cheap.

Noted that the bookshop is still there, but I'll go back later when I'm more set up.

I need to catch up on my sleep, but I decided to start the Hallow spell, centred on the tower, as soon as I returned. Here goes!


DAY 431 (7th Mirtul)(May)

Finished the Hallow spell today. Seemed to go well. Had some food and a nap afterwards.


DAY 441 (17th Mirtul)(May)

Has it really been ten days since I last updated my journal? Many apologies dear reader!
In truth I have not been on my usual adventures or feats of daring-do so perhaps it is not such a great lost to prosperity.

Since the 7th these have been the projects:
- drain the areas of water that come in under the main wall
- drain the areas of stagnant water nearby that look diseased
- drain the areas that are plagued with nasty insects

I used a combination of my knowledge of nature, the lizardmen and magic.

I've also spent more time than is healthy studying all the local beetles! Utterly fascinating but I will not go on about them in this journal.

Today was different anyway, because good-old Irritator turned up. Part of the plan I've been developing after that last wee while involves having a teleporter on the strength so I popped over to Weyloon and got him a Teleport Spell (not cheap either!). He was delighted about that, but I'll probably take it out of his next share of the loot.

(G386 23/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR1

(G386 23/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR1

DAY 427 (3rd Mirtul)(May)

Something that had been on my mind for a while was to go back to the Vast Swamp and check in at the Last Refuge or the Lost Refuge or Wisphaven or whatever people were calling it.

It's only 120 miles north of Westgate so reachable in a day by air. Today I decided to give it a go and in the shape of a Giant Owl and with Lavinia on my back I flew over there. It took about ten hours, it would have been quicker with a more favourable wind, and we arrived in the evening.

The Sharptooth Clan and K their leader were still there. Spending the night in the guard house tonight. I'll take a look at the rest of the place in the morning.


DAY 428 (4th Mirtul)(May)

Spent today looking about the Lost Refuge, checking out the structures and the immediate surroundings. The Vast Swamp is home to lizardmen, orcs, trolls, hydras and all other manner of nasty beasties.

There are some forested areas, but its mainly marshland. It's a wild and unexplored region and I am gently floating the idea with Lavinia of staying here a while so that I can study it further. I've seen twenty new species of beetle today alone!

Much of the region is more akin to flooded forest, and in the southern part, closest to the sea, mists roll in constantly, shrouding the area in gloomy fog. At this time of year though it is not too bad.

After lunch I flew around the local region, out to about ten miles and saw small villages of lizardmen, orcs and troglodytes. I saw the freshly dead body of an eight-headed hydra.
I wonder what killed it?
I also used my Lay of the Land spell as well, which more or less covered the entire Swamp.

In the evening I talked to K. He tells me that the shadowed lizardmen, what's left of them are to the south west. The clans of Blunt-tooth and Darkfang are to the north and north-west.
Further north are where the hydra are most common and other wild monsters.

K only really knows the five miles or so around the Lost Refuge with any level of accuracy as his tribe rarely venture further out than that.

It's hard to say whether he is that happy that we are back or not, but it's difficult to know when dealing with lizardmen, they are a savage lot.

Wednesday, 3 April 2019

Karma Kingdom

I've been working on a wee Internet browser game for a while now.

I used to do a lot of charity clicker websites and always thought it would be cool to interconnect them in a central game or something.

I also have an unhealthy addition to idle clicker games like Cookie Clicker, Clicker Heroes et al. So teach myself javascript, php, mysql etc I have now made a start on a game that sort of combines the two :)

So the idea is this: There are links to 71 different good causes. When you click on one, you go off and do the thing on that website and you get a reward in the game. Where possible I have made the thing that you do represent the thing you get in the game.

For example saving 10 square feet of rainforest in real life gives you 10 square feet of forest in the game. Thus your Kingdom grows, while at the same time serving as a sort of virtual representation of all the good you are doing :)

It's in 'Alpha' at the moment, but I'm going to keep plugging away at it, to see how far it goes. The dream would be that it becomes some sort of Candy Crush idle thumb game - but that does good all over the world.

It could also conceivable be good for kids, for them to learn about the environment, global warming, animal welfare, poverty around the world etc.

The link is:

http://www.roztov.epizy.com/stw/generate.html

Saturday, 23 March 2019

(G385 16/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA58

(G385 16/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA58

Well, dear reader, after all the excitement of the dungeon under Shaymer's house I went off and did my own thing (see main journal entries) but I will here relate what I know of Fenrir's activities over the next wee while.

DAY 420 (27th Tarsakh)(April)

Fenrir arranged the delivery of Brundesh to the doors of court house. Brundesh had a letter tied around is neck explaining who he was, that he had been rescued by some kind adventurer and that Shaymer was to blame for everything.

From that moment on, things started moving pretty quickly, the strings all being pulled by Random somewhere in the background I have no doubt. I was told later that an hour passed before Hammersong was appraised of the situation and the wheels of Fenrir's promotion were put in motion.

After that Fenrir spent the day as the leader of the DAW. All the Air Watch were present: Relleme, Nors, Marrock, Oloe and Surkan.

Today they were surprised to see a giant skull float above the city and make its way to the west wall.
As they got closer they saw that there was a lady gnome peaking out at them from the left eye-socket.

She was called Ruby Planeswalker and although a bit nasty she was prepared to pay 50 gold for a 'license to fly a giant skull over the city; valid for the next three months' and be on her way.

The evening Fenrir continued his quest to find a 'good lady'. Or one good enough to hang on his arm as he became the darling of the Westgate ball circuit.

He called on Lady Gwendeth Thalavar and she showed him some portraits, but none of the ladies presented tickled his fancy. She told him that the next debutante's ball would be in six days.

When he got back home he organised a tailor with Jasper and had Veddic check him over for any 'complications' that may have arisen in the Underdark.


DAY 421 (28th Tarsakh)(April)

Today, prompted by the fact that she suddenly came into a very large inheritance (something that I am sure Random arranged, but I have no proof of) Trepplemar handed in her notice as the head of the magical arm of the Westgate watch.

Later on Fenrir was summoned to meet Hammersong. The dwarf paladin may not have had Fenrir as his first choice, but in reality Fenrir was his ONLY choice.

Golad Darkbane was suddenly embroiled in the 'Flying helmet, celery and egg-whisk' scandal, while Lorak Shaymer was highly compromised by the sudden appearance of a man that he had sworn was dead.

They talked for a while and Fenrir laid on the charm. Finally Hammersong said;

''
I'm not sure about you. If I could persuade Eyesmile to take charge I would have him, but he will never do it. Says he's not a leader, which might be right. I'll be watching you, laddie. I know who you are.
I don't know why you want to do this job, I suppose you have your reasons, I've got enough problems without trying to figure out whatever madness is driving you. I think you'll get bored anyway. Its a prestigious appointment in the watch, but the job is mainly paperwork and meetings. I suppose we'll see.
''

He went on to say;
''
Shaymer says it's you behind the whole Brundesh thing. I've no idea at the moment, but I'm
sure we'll get to the bottom of it one way or the other.
''

After that Fenrir went to see Trepplemar at the south wall Watch Tower. She started giving him the run down on her job.

For the benefit of future readers of this journal here is a run down of the organisation he was now to head:

    The Day Air Watch, - 5 members (Relleme et al)

    The Night Air Watch, - 3 members

    The Tome Frogs (Day Watch Wizard Axillaries) - 15 members

    The Night Frogs (Night Watch Wizard Axillaries) - 8 members

    The Crying Eye (Magical Scrying) - 2 members

    The Fingers (Magical Stealth) - ? members

    The Riders (Village Marshall Support) - 4 members

    The Underwatch - 4 members, under city patrol


DAY 422 (29th Tarsakh)(April)

Fenrir spent the day in Trepplemar's office going over his new job. She had a secretary called Lia Dale who would stay on for a while, long enough for Fenrir to get to grips with the role anyway.

Today I happened to be at Fenrir's house, it is a nice place to stop for lunch during a shopping trip and I stumbled in on Veddic while he was engrossed in a Sending session. I can't say exactly he was up to, but from the mumbled words I heard, and with some guess work I should imagine he was filling his boss in on current events. His boss being Jamella Dotrok, the Eternal Flame of Kossuth of Waterdeep.

I don't know all that much about Kossuth, but I do know that Veddic was happy after the conversation because he had been elevated to 'Burning Serpent Terrace'. Now, a suspicious mind might think that if this was the case then he had told her a lot that she liked the sound of. I can only speculate, but I would not be surprised if she knows everything that
Veddic knows. I wonder if Fenrir is aware of this? Do I actually care? Does Fenrir? I mean, if Veddic tells Jamella Dotrok everything, then devious bastards like Random will have worked that out and probably told Cavu. Cavu in turn will have told Gertrude. Now that I think of it then, Gertrude and Jamella must be in cahoots then. I bet you they are as thick as thieves and have got it all worked out.
Nobody tells me bloody anything though, that's for sure, I have to work it all out for myself!

Anyway, before I blow out the candle, one last thing. Fenrir came in late tonight having spent the evening going around all the posh taverns and such asking about eligible young ladies.
'Old Gwendeth was holding out on me!' he reported. 'She's a grand-niece or something or other called Thistle Thalavar. Only 22 and a real beauty apparently. Some ship's captain called Tystran Dauntinghorn is courting her, but that won't stop me. Hopefully I won't need to keep borrowing your wife much longer old boy! Ha-ha-ha!'

Bloody Warlocks.

DAY 423 (30th Tarsakh)(April)

I gather that Fenrir spent the whole day with Trepplemar today.


DAY 424 (Greengrass)(April)

Fenrir's first day on the job.
He initially went to talk to Hammersong about more funding for the 'Watch Wizards' but was told that the watch as a whole barely broke even so there was no more money to be had.

In the evening, over a game of cards with me, Lavinia and Veddic he floated the idea of a "policeman's ball" to raise funds.
He admitted though that when he had talked to Lady Gwendeth Thalavar about it she told him that fund raiser charity events were just not a thing in Westgate. All alms giving was handled through the temples and they'd probably not be all that happy about it going anywhere else.


DAY 425 (1st Mirtul)(May)

On his second day on the job Fenrir thought about introducing a 'Magic User License' for the city, something along the lines of 5 gold a month.
Or, he suggested, 10 gold to bypass being part of a 'Detect Magic Squad.'

Now, this idea would not make him any friends, but it is not so outlandish. As I pointed out to him, most city watches started with rich men with expensive arms and weapons volunteering to patrol the walls and gates. After that they would then pay for 'deputies' to stand in for them.
Most cities have an already existing statute somewhere along the lines of 'every citizen must spend a portion of their time standing in defence of the city' or some such.

When he took the idea to Hammersong the paladin said it was a possibility, but that it would take at least a month to make it into the court for consideration.

Another item on Fenrir's agenda was who would replace him as head of the DAW. Relleme was his only really choice, but he wisely instructed Veddic to help them out when he could.

Fenrir was summoned to Spectre Island tonight. He was gone a good while and I think him and Random are cooking up some plan whereby Random takes Fenrir's place for a while (under an illusion) and Fenrir goes off to investigate the FAMP.

FAMP = Failed Alternative Material Plane by the way, the portal to which he found a while ago, south of the city of Bonespur in the Plane of Shadows. Fenrir seemed to like this idea as it would involve Random doing all the complicated thinking work of how to get rid of Hammersong and Fenrir could do what he did best, namely, 'blasting monsters to pieces and taking their treasure'.


DAY 426 (2nd Mirtul)(May)

After his third day on the job Fenrir took my wife out to a debutante's ball. (Bloody Warlocks!). I don't think he is turning Lavinia's head, but he has a lot of charm magic about him, so who knows?

Anyway, at the ball Fenrir bumped into 'the bastard of Cormaeril' - the young chap who was responsible for shooting up Fenrir's cottage with ballista bolts a few months ago.
Apparently they had a heated exchange and a duel was arranged for the following day. Noon at the park west of the Spitting Cockatrice.

He also met Thistle Thalavar. She was very pretty and very clever. She was astute too and had heard of Fenrir. His charm has less power when the target is forewarned so after some polite chat he moved on.

He settled on a courtier in the house of Malavhan called Werren. She was an elf, over a hundred (young for an elf though) and reasonably pretty. She jumped at the chance to be seen on Fenrir's arm, a step up for her and Fenrir reasoned that she would do for the time being.

Perhaps now I'll get my wife back?

(G384 09/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA57

(G384 09/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA57

DAY 419 (26th Tarsakh)(April) cont ...

Down in this sub-sub-basement of Shaymer's pretty decent dungeon we next came across a room with a plinth in the middle of it. On the plinth was a skull with glowing eyes.

It spoke: 'Why are you here? You are wrecking the place! You've been messing up all my experiments!'
'We are here to fetch Brundesh,' said Fenrir, meaning the prisoner we were here to rescue.
'Hum?' replied the skull. 'Well you can't have him. Shaymer said I could have him!'
'Well, er, he lied! The guys upstairs said we were to take him, its fine.'
'Wait a minute...'

A man came to a door in the western wall. If Fenrir had not maybe worked it out, I had, it was him that had been talking through the skull.
He was a man in his mid-fifties, dressed like a wizard. He said his name was Debman.

After some more chit-chat, Fenrir with his powers of persuasion working overtime negotiated Brundesh's release. Debman called through the door along the corridor and a hulking flesh golem called Fudstix arrived dragging a ragged old man with him.

The next problem was, though, that this old man was evidently crazy and would not identify himself. It was at this point we realised none of us knew what Brundesh looked like.
Veddic used a Sending Spell to talk to Random and reported back;
'Brundesh is a tall thin man, white curly hair, but balding. In his sixties.
Wore reading glasses on occasion.'
The old man that we had been presented with met the description apart from the glasses.

None-the-less, Fenrir was suspicious and decided to fight it out after all.
Debman ran off down the corridor and went through another door. Fudstix rampaged towards us, killing Brundesh as he came, with a single swipe to the head.

Fudstix was a tough opponent. I sent in more crocodiles to hold him back a bit while Veddic took swipes with his chain. Fenrir's eldritch blasts had no effect on the monster so he tried bluffing it to go away, and while it did confuse it, it kept attacking.

Debman threw a stone down the corridor that had a Symbol of Weakness etched on it that only really effected me, so I moved back a bit. In return we hit Fudstix with fire based spells, that didn't harm him, but did slow him down. Enough that eventually my crocodiles got the better of him. As he went down he exploded!
It was a big enough blast to destroy all my crocs, but we were far enough back to be left unscathed.

Fenrir shot at the Symbol until it was destroyed and we advanced up the corridor a bit. Debman asked for a parley and we accepted. He sent another man, who looked very similar to the first one we were given, down the corridor.
We went back to the skull room and tried to talk to this new old man, but he was just as crazy as the other one and shoved the food we gave him up his nose.
We discussed the situation for a while and eventually it was agreed that we most likely had some kind of clone of Brundesh on our hands.

Fenrir went back to talk to Debman. He pretended to 'accidentally' fire off a Sleep incantation at Debman. If failed to land and Debman 'accidentally' shot off a Baleful Polymorph at Fenrir. It too also failed to land.

After eyeing each other up for a while, Fenrir said, 'you gave us a clone.'
'Maybe,' replied Debman and closed the door again.

Well after that Veddic cast Wind Walk on all of us and we just wafted out of there and away into the night, all the way back to Spectre Island.

Fenrir admitted to Random that we probably had a clone and not the real Brundesh, but Random accepted this saying, 'well, even a clone will suit our purposes.'

After all that hijinx it was good to get to my bed. I've got a really big bruise on my shoulder where that Minotaur hit me.