[pnpgm] Game update #130 - File #484 - Level 1 Cleared/Explored

Scott Adams longshot at darktech.org
Tue Oct 31 05:08:32 CET 2006


   
  HT Alias/Player          Character Name    Type    Status/Notes  Sex
  -- -----------------------------------------------------------------
  R3 Balrog................Balrog............Warrior.Normal/Human  Ma
  ?? Chris Wells...........Ben'dar...........Warrior.Normal/Human  Ma
  R4 Tom Crockett..........Caladan...........Wizard..Normal/Human  Ma
  R1 Marcel Liberty........Chion.............Sailor..Normal/Human  Ma
  W3 Ryan Torres...........Farseeker.........Warrior.Normal/Human  Ma
  W2 Sergi Sallent.........Jordi.............Wizard..Normal/Elf    Ma
  R4 Tim Falkenberg........Malradh ben Kasha.Merc....Normal/Human  Ma
  R3 Wayne Richardson/Uji..Thig..............Sidh MU.Normal/Faerry Ma
  Do Robert Maxwell........Strie'bog.........Artist..Normal/Human  Ma
  R3 Orion (Paul Broman)...Trembyl...........Wizard..Normal/Human  Ma
  W3 Wout Broere...........Unali.............Ninja...Normal/Human  Fe
  R3 Scott Adams...........Xian..............Wizard..Normal/Human  Ma
  W2 Alex Koponen..........Z'leyra...........Healer..Normal/Human  Fe
     Animals: Ventrius/Pogo Thig's dogs, Firesnake of Caladan's,
       Z'Leyra's Eagle, 2 Draft Horses, Wolf - Boyzdar
       6 Captured Zen'da Horses
              
     Game Web Site - For updates, files, links, etc.
     http://www.funport.com/longshot/pbem

     Public posts/actions to pnpgm at abroere.xs4all.nl (mailing list)
     Private emails (not public actions) to longshot at darktech.org
                        
     Game Update #130 in sequence (file #484)
     ----------------------------------------------------------------
      
     Admin notes: This will be Express Mode Update.  Unfournately the
     Joke Dwarves visited me again.  Claiming Union rights and
     the like they demand more jokes be put into the update for levity.
     So to humor them and not be sued by their union this update will
     include some of their best.  You should see the ones I had to
     delete!  Awful stuff!
     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     [Recap]
     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     [New Stuff]

        [Why did the vampire go to the orthodontist?
         To improve his bite...

         What do you get when you cross a vampire and a snowman?
         Frostbite...]

        Octaqi 30, in the 163rd Year [TH]
        [Meanwhile in Caladan's Village]
        [Day 60 of Trip]

        [Time: 6:11am]

         [As the sun slowly rises the party discuss their plans and
          the results of their actions.  With Ezam's death the
          threat should be gone.  His plans for the plains were
          wild and fanciful but its unsure if he was working alone
          or not.  it may take weeks of studying the scrolls and
          notes in Ezam's office.  They may need to be sent to Kaylle
          for him to study as no one can read L'p'nth.  With the
          confirmed ash seen of Ezam Thig is confident he is indeed
          dead rather than shifting into a mist or cloud.  Z'leyra
          explains the trap that was set.  Satisfied that level 3
          is cleared out the party gather up and check wounds.
          Balrog is the worst and will stay behind.  Farseeker,
          Kasha and Unali are the next worst off.  The others have
          only light wounds.  Of those that ambushed Z'leyra 2
          are knocked out, the one that surrendered is also knocked
          out.  Teed is also unconscious but alive.  That gives
          4 prisoners for Balrog to watch over.  The rest of the
          people are dead on the level.  So as better to manage
          the prisoners the knocked out guards and Teed are placed
          in Ezam's bedroom and the door is shut with Balrog outside.]

         Trembyl: "It will be some time before they wake up."

         Balrog: "I'll check on them every so often just in case."

         [Kasha has decided to stay with Balrog for helping him
          stand sentry and keep company in this creepy area of
          the castle.]

        [Why do witches use brooms to fly on?
         Because vacuum cleaners are too heavy...

         How do witches keep their hair in place while flying?
         With scare spray...]

        [Teed is looked into further.  He looks to be rather old compared
         to the others around 30.    Standing 6'6 and about 226 pounds
         he looks like a typical bodyguard.  Too bad he wasn't too
         helpful to Ezam.  The 25 SC found on him and the jewels are
         pocketed for later distribution.  The silver bards remind
         Ben'dar of the bars he got from that grave robber.  Maybe
         Teed was the one to pay them off?  The 3 bards are worth
         a great deal of silver.]

        -------------------------------------------------------

        [Time: 6:12am]

          [The group going to the first level gather up their
           gear and head out.  The stairs found nearby that
           likely the ambushers used seems to have a hidden
           staircase down to the 2nd so its fast.  The party
           recalls at least 5 are knocked out on this level.
           The party checks on them to ensure they are still
           tied up in the barracks and move onto the 1st floor
           stairs.  Z'leyra reminds the group of her ward.
           No one is sure if anyone was able to get through but
           there doesn't seem to be recent tracks.  The
           party enters the first floor.]

        [Time: 6:28am]

          [The party arrives on the first floor.]

          [What do you get when you cross a werewolf and a vampire?
           A fur coat that fangs around your neck...

           Do zombies eat popcorn with their fingers?
           No, they eat the fingers separately...]

        -------------------------------------------------------

        GM: Before I continue some notes on the Castle Wards.
          
         [Stairs - Detect then Anti entry [Destroyed]
                   Attack via Hell Powers - Fire Dart EL4]

         [Ritual Room - Purified Ground - EL5 [Dispelled]
                        Infinite Candle - El3 [Still there]
                        Slime/Detect    - EL3 [Dispelled]
                        Altar Bound     - EL4 [Dispelled]]

         [Secret Passage - Illusion      - EL5 [Disbelieved]
                           Detect/Terror - EL4 [Dispelled]
                           Alert Ezam    - EL4 [Still Active]

         [Ezam Bedroom   - Anti-Entry    - EL4 [Dispelled] [Ice Blast]

         [Ezam Office    - Purified Area - EL3 [Dispelled]

         [Library Ward   - Anti-Theft    - EL6 [Still Active]

        GM: So the Candle Ward still is active, The passage wards
          are active (illusion, alert).  The Library ward is still
          active but is worked around as a whole can be made
          through the wall to take books out.  Just wanted to
          make a note of the above for history purposes if I
          needed to get to it.

        [Why don't skeletons ever go out on the town?
         Because they don't have any body to go out with...

         What do ghosts add to their morning cereal?
         Booberries...

         What is a vampire's favorite sport?
         Casketball...]

        -------------------------------------------------------

        [Time: 6:28am]

         [As the party walk through the halls of the 2nd floor heading
          to the 1st some small talk takes place.]

         Xian: "That Vampire ...Ezam was rather easy to take care of."

         [Chion glares at Xian and smirks.]]

         Xian: "I've always heard a single strong vampire can take
           on an entire tavern of 30-40 people and not even be
           scratched in the process."

         Farseeker: "Same here.  I've heard those stories.  Ezam
           seemed to be holding back hoping at the last Chion
           might turn against us.  That's my only guess or he
           was waiting for the reinforcements that came once
           Z'leyra was taken care of.  He didn't expect that
           four people would hold him down.  Two of us weren't
           strong enough as it were but four of us were.  That
           gave Chion the chance he needed."

         Thig: "With the sun coming up though he would've been
           less strong or so I've heard."

         Trembyl: "I've heard they fall asleep at day automatically
           or something?"

         Thig: "They go to sleep at sunrise but in fact in a place
           like that one might not be so ruled by the sun being
           so enclosed in earth.  Has anyone dealt with a vampire
           before this?"

         [No one speaks up.  Thig nods thinking this experience
          will be one to remember.  Just think if there were
          three vampires the party surely would not have been
          able to survive then...]

         [What is a vampire's favorite holiday?
          Fangsgiving...

          What would a monster's psychiatrist be called?
          Shrinkenstein...

          What did one ghost say to the other ghost?
          "Do you believe in people?"]

         [As the small group enters the 1st floor they become
          alert, quiet and cautious with weapons ready.]

         [Time: 6:29am]

         GM: For the master map consult the website link if you want
          to follow via the text below.  But since Chion previously
          explored he will guide the way.  For combat I will not
          do the phase by phase system will simply pick a random
          character to tackle that person.  If I went by sheer
          movement order Farseeker being the fastest would get
          them all so this way its fair in Express Mode.  This
          will share the experience more fairly and quickly.

         [Chion leads the party south and the first room is empty
          as he found it before.  Going on south further the
          party finds the Stable Storage area which still has all
          the gear for horses and grain.  The room is quickly
          searched and no one is here.  The party moves west.

          The party quickly moves into the stable.  As soon as
          the door is opened the smell of horse sweat and waste
          overwhelms the party.  Inside the lanterns are dim
          but the horses are already awake for the day and ready
          to be feed. In one stall a young stable boy probably
          around age 17 is found.  On seeing the party he is
          surprised and gives up without a fight since he only
          had a bucket and brush in his hands.  Scared Unali
          knocks him out and rests him against an outside stall
          door so not to be trampled by the horses.

          The party leaves the stable to the east and heads north
          and then west again toward the great entry hall with
          the large iron gates and doors.  Trembyl quietly needs
          to look at the place to see if his spells could take
          the main and only entrance to the castle down.  The
          iron doors are thick and make a creak when they
          are opened.  In the middle of the great entry hallway
          about 100 feet south of the main iron doors are two
          guards.  Both are wearing leather and one is holding
          a lance and the other a javelin.  Both have daggers
          on their belt.  Based on their shock and weapons/armor
          the party surmise they are riders rather than sentries.
          Probably waiting for their horses for patrol.  The
          Riders charge forward with weapons drawn.  Chion
          charges forward and Strie'bog draws and fires his bow.
          The first arrow misses.  But the second hits and
          the arrow hits the Javelin guard in the chest and
          kills him.  Chion meets up with the lancer and Chion
          hits the guard with sai in the left ribs and does
          enough damage to kill the guard before he can swing back.]
          the guards are left and the front gate 30 feet wide is
          still closed.  The party looks to the left knowing there
          is a guard room there and looks at the bow slits to
          ensure no archers are ready.  But none are seen so the
          fight must've not been heard. ]

         [What do you call someone who puts poison in a person's corn
          flakes?
          A cereal killer...

          Why do mummies have trouble keeping friends?
          They're so wrapped up in themselves...]

        [From the main entry hall the party sees the sentry room
         door is solid and iron.  Even though the party has
         been here for 2 hours its surprising an alert hasn't gone
         out.  While Trembyl eyes the ceiling and walls for weak
         points for his spells Farseeker bangs on the door.  Seconds
         later its opened and a guard is pulled by Ben'dar into the
         entry hall as the party charges in.  The other three guards
         look up from their table and with eyes wide draw their
         weapons and get into defense positions. But the party
         charges into the room.  After two quick phases of combat
         Ben'dar kills one guard.  Xian knocks out another.
         Trembyl and Thig finish off the last 2 guards.]

        [What kind of streets do zombies like the best?
         Dead ends...

         What does the papa ghost say to his family when driving?
         Fasten your sheet belts...]

        [Time: 6:40am]

        [Going west the party find the 2 empty rooms next to the
         Sentry room with no one there.  Going further west the
         party checks the fighting/training area and find it
         empty at this time of the day.  Turning north the
         party finds another empty room with no one there. Then
         stairs up to level 2.  

       [While going north in this West hallway a guard on patrol
        is discovered by Z'leyra who acts fast.  She swipes
        her dagger at him. The first strike hurts him and he
        swings back his mace but fails to hit.  The second hit
        finishes the guard off.]

       [Going further north another empty room is found.  Then
        the latrine.  The party take this chance to use the
        room and clean up their blood and clothes.]

        [Time: 6:44am]

        [Going north and then deciding the messhall might be full
         the party decides to go east.  The party quickly checks
         out the banquet room and ballroom finding them dark
         with only a few candles and empty.  On patrol Xian
         encounters a guard coming around a corner and swings
         his war staff on him.  The first blow throws the man
         against the wall who draws his spear up.  The man
         thrusts but Xian dodges the blow.  Xian swings again
         just as Farseeker comes up to help.  He misses but
         Farseeker doesn't and kills the guard with his great sword.
         The private lounge next to the Ballroom is searched and
         found empty but bright.]

        [Upon immediately leaving the Private lounge a guard
         is found almost right at the door.  Startled he
         swings his mace on Z'leyra hits but hits her shield
         as she brings it up in time.  Trembyl next to Z'leyra
         takes no time and thrusts his magical scimitar at
         the guard hits and in one strike impales the guard
         killing him.]

        [Crossing the hallway the messhall is entered and
         the party is shocked to see the tables empty.  but
         there is food there as if the cooks prepared it
         and left expecting the people to eat.  Its likely
         almost a half hour after they should've eat so
         the party assumed they took most of the folks that
         were going to eat out first earlier.  Hungry from
         the battle some party members take some nips at the
         oatmeal type mash and hot bread snacking on the run.
         The milk is also good and enjoyed by some.]

        [What is a vampire's favorite mode of transportation?
         A blood vessel...

         What is a ghost's favorite mode of transportation?
         A scareplane...]

        [The party exits and heads north to the Kitchen in the NE
         corner a floor below where they teleported into the
         castle.  There the party surprise a cook who was cleaning
         a table of scraps.  Seeing the party he tries to grab
         a hot steaming pot as a weapon but is knocked out before
         he can use it by Farseeker.]

        [Thig glances at Farseeker.]

        Farseeker: "What?"

        Thig: "You didn't just kill him?"

        Farseeker: "Well he is only a cook and Unali is rubbing off
          on me." [He grins]

        [The party exit and checks the Kitchen storage room and
         finds it empty and dark.  Going west the party soon
         checks the Throne room and the side private rooms in
         the Throne room.  All are empty and dark.  Going further
         west the Interrogation/torture chamber is found dark
         and empty.  Finally the party arrives at the Cell Room.]

        [Time: 6:58am]

        [As the party enter the last room to explore a guard is seen
         sitting at a stool bored eyes.  He wakes up and stands.
         Startled he is unsure of what is going on or who the
         party is.  Before he realizes it though Farseeker is on
         him and swinging his great sword.  With a deadly strike
         the guard falls to the sword before he can react.]

        [The party explores the room and finds all the cells empty.
         Save for some waste and blood they are dark and quiet.
         The party finds the ward Chion placed which shows Chion
         still in the Cell.  It looks like A'gar didn't want to
         take it down.  Chion smiles at the ward.  One cell in
         the corner is found though with a old man in his '60s.
         Haggard and unshaven he smells of being here awhile.
         he speaks in L'p'nth but is grateful to be free.
         He seems too old to be a threat to the party.]

        Xian: "Just one guard for him?"

        Thig: "Maybe they were expecting more..food...for Ezam
          later?"

        [Trembyl offers the man some of his still hot bread and
         the old man gobbles it down with some water.]

        [Time: 7:00am]

        GM: The Castle has been cleared and explored completely
          almost 3 hours after entering it.  

        Xian: "Anyone keeping track of the number of dead and such?"

        Farseeker: "Yeah let's see that's 9 dead, 3 knocked out
          and 1 old man prisoner on first.  Then 41 dead and 4
          knocked out on second floor.  With 29 more dead on
          third floor and 4 knocked out.  So around 79-80 dead
          and 11 knocked out more. Of those at least 10 were female
          the rest male.  So in total we've handled an estimated
          91-92 and freed one prisoner.  But that's a guess."

        Xian: "Guess?  Sounds like you took notes.  Almost a hundred.
          That's small to what we took on Clima but this place
          is much smaller."

        Trembyl: "If we had come an hour or two later the guards
          on level 2 would've been down here on the 1st floor
          eating and such.  I'm surprised they didn't have more
          front entrance guards unless we killed them up on level 2."

        Thig: "This valley is pretty secure and hidden and the
          fort could be missed.  Course places like this create
          their own myths and scare the locals away."

        Xian: "With a blood sucking vampire taking locals and
          the lizil group or whatever it was that girl was part
          of in the ritual room.  With that group wanting to
          be eaten or killed the myths don't need much work."

        [What type of dog do vampire's like the best?
         Bloodhounds...

         What is a ghoul's favorite flavor?
         Lemon-slime...]

        ---------------------------------------------------

        [Meanwhile up on the 3rd floor...]

        [Minutes earlier..]

          [Kasha decides to prop the door open to Ezam's private
           bedroom where the sleeping guards and teed are.  The
           three prisoners aren't tied as no rope is here but
           both watch carefully.]

          Balrog: "How can you stand this lifestyle?"

          Kasha: "Huh?"

          Balrog: "Your a mercenary so you hire yourself out to the
            one with the most coin.  Adventure is your life."

          Kasha: "Well it used to be that way.  When I met up with
            Trembyl, Xian and the others the adventure become more
            of a ...life goal.  We did things to help others or
            the great good.  Protecting rich Bhamotin nobles or
            guarding prisoners or sacking small forts in a small
            war was ok but not too fulfilling.  I think what we've
            been doing lately is more for the great good."

          Balrog: "Yeah.  Well....having almost...no..having
            died minutes ago I don't know if I can handle it.
            I joined with Farseeker for the coin.  I admit that.
            but now I have good treasure and a nice backup
            reserve.  But I'm not sure if dying is worth it.  Its
            one thing to steal a diamond for the skill and for
            the fun from some rich noble who could care less if
            it was gone or not.  But dying for...these people.."
            [he waves at Teed] "..doesn't thrill me."

          Kasha: "This line of work isn't for everyone.  Kaylle
            joined us for one quest.  He wanted to feel field
            work and do things.  He quit when his goal was
            realized.  When I joined there were others in the
            group with Xian and Farseeker who left or died."
            [He thinks back to Damon and Triest among others.]
            "Don't feel bad if you want out."

          Balrog: "Yeah I'll think on it..."

        ---------------------------------------------------

        GM: Ok.  The easy part is over.  In the next few days
        I'll be working on the

        * Final Castle map
          This will include a history of the castle.

        * Wounds Report
        * Experience Report
        * Experience Results Report
        * Mana Report
        * Timeline
        * Ammo Use Report
        * Items Damage report

        * Treasure report

        Probably in that order.  Once this is done I'll post
        the castle map to the website and the reports in
        a update likely Friday but unsure if I'll finish
        by Wednesday or not.

        Once I do we'll need to figure out what treasure is
        taken and which aren't.  It in the end will depend
        on how many Teleports Chion wishes to make :)

        GM: In the meantime I could use some input on what
          to do with :

            * The old man
            * The knocked out prisoners

        The old man could be given a horse and food and let out
        to his own and may return to his village.  The prisoners
        could be let out of the fort or kept inside.   Trembyl's
        plan is to likely collapse the Entrance Hall using his
        earth quake spells.  If theres enough material to do it.
        Otherwise the fort could be burnt or ransacked?  Let
        me know on your votes and I'll take a tally vote.

        Actions? Comments?

        Next update maybe Wednesday but likely Friday...

        GM: The combat on level 1 took only a couple minutes for
          you to read but about 90 min for me to handle :)  So
          it may seem a short update but it was long. :)

        GM: Sorry for the lame jokes.  The Dwarf Union requires
          me post them at least once a year according to their
          contract.  At least the Faerry are unionized.  You
          should see what they demand!

        [What does a vampire never order at a restaurant <#>?
         A stake sandwich...

         What is a skeleton's favorite musical instrument?
         A trombone...

         What do birds give out on Halloween night?
         Tweets...

         Why do vampires need mouthwash?
         They have bat breath...

         What's a vampire's favorite fast food <#>?
         A guy with very high blood pressure...

         Why did the Vampire subscribe to the Wall Street Journal?
         He heard it had great circulation...]

        *** Boo!  Happy Halloween! ***










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