Adjo's Journals (18 of N)
Dec. 17th, 2008 11:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bluegargantuaHi,
Yesterday we were soaring through the ether, boarding enemy ships and delighting in the exploration of a universe beyond our dreams. Today we’re back to stabbing Gibbers in the snow. Hooray for the advancement of our civilizations.
So after a rank invasion of my privacy, we got around to reviewing the items Capricious gave us. I got a snazzy new stoneskin robe, an upgraded magic orb that provides me with some teleportation ability and a belt that helps keep me from sliding into death’s embrace when I fall unconscious. Clearly the man appreciates the terrible service my escorts provide.
The others all got various implements of death and destruction. Ander got this horned helmet and proceeded to butt bulkheads for a few hours. I remain suspicious that perhaps we’ve simply picked up a small 8-year old human and not an actual Halfling.
We also flipped through the various books we acquired. The one we were after, by the Imperial rep, is a fascinating memoir of the end of the Empire, but sadly lacking in the “When the Dauntless shows up, tell the people who found it to do X” department. The odd part of the book is this thick place of metal and crystal bound up in the center of the book. It’s obviously magical, but I have no idea what it does.
Memo to self: Remember to examine that sigil of Thenian’s under that plate. It might reveal something special about it.
So after some discussions, we decide to return to the Shieldwall (er, defensive line outside of Icewatch now). We approach slowly and I produce a Commonwealth banner to fly so that we don’t get shot at. We hover over a cleared space behind the defensive line and take a lift down to the ground. During which Blaze and Shay disappear. Dauntless provides us with a small crystal pyramid to keep in touch with it.
Dunhouse meets us and marches us off to the command tent where we report in to Captain Vars. The good Captain must be quite surprised to see us. Not because of the ship, but mostly because in his rousing “Welcome to the army” speech it was strongly implied that most of us would be dead by now. Of course, he wants a report and who better to give him a report than “Captain” Kestrel?
I must say I’m very proud of her. She didn’t run away, wet herself or stab anyone. Her account of our adventures was comical, but Vars could glean the basics from her babbling. Oh if only someone had kept meticulous records our escapades and could have prepared a concise brief or even recited it from memory. Ah well.
About this point, the Baroness of Icewatch, the Baron of Cellern, and the daughter of the Baron of Bastion (I hope So and Vow got back home safe and sound) show up. There’s a bit of discussion wherein Vars explains to his superior and the other grandees that the Dauntless has chosen Kestrel as its Captain and there’s no countermanding that decision so for now we should probably be its crew. We also discover that Captain Vars has informally nicknamed us the Storm Crows because we always show up with bad news. I’m not sure that’s quite accurate, as Storm Crows are believed to show up just before bad things happen and so far we arrive after everything’s gone to hell. Frankly, I was planning to talk to the clerks and get us registered as Adjo’s Admonishers, but now it’s too late and Adjo’s Storm Crows it will have to be.
So the various Commonwealth leaders get politely shown out and we get a new mission. Apparently, the Hook, a mountain fortress beyond the (former) Shieldwall has a few centuries worth of troops and they’ve been harassing the Northman forces for a while. However, their supplies are surely running out and they need to be evacuated. The Dauntless should be able to fly them all out. The problem is that the Dauntless won’t have an easy spot to set down in the Hook and if we’re spotted, the Northmen will throw everything they’ve got at the Hook and possibly kill loads of them or capture the Dauntless.
The alternative is to land in a nearby valley and take a secret tunnel to the Hook. The tunnel is wide enough to admit Brawl. Brawl apparently has limited extra-dimensional seating capability and we should be able to ferry everyone out in three or four trips. We spend a day letting Thrace buy Sir Ivan “Wall-Hanging” Judgemental and we’re off.
The flight is pretty uneventful (except for the whole “HOLY SHIT WE’RE FLYING!” feeling that still retains its novelty). We put down in the valley and hop into Brawl for a slow (but warm and dry) drive to the tunnel entrance.
After a few hours, Brawl slews to a stop and announces he’s seen small, furry creatures. We disembark into knee-deep snow to check things out. Kestrel spies a small canvas lean-to hidden in the snow and zots a Gibber. Suddenly, along our right flank, hordes of Gibbers along with a Captain and a Varlen appear to menace us.
Although it’s early in the day, I feel the time has come to unleash a new surprise on the Gibbers. I pull forth my Stinking cloud and its poisonous fumes assail the Gibber Captain. Then the Varlen blinds me with a bolt of fire and a half-dozen quarrels drop me to the ground. Luckily, Ander gets me back on my feet so I can maintain the cloud. I stumble back into Brawl and with some help from Thrace, clear my vision. Now safely ensconced with in Brawl, I proceed to drive my poisonous black cloud across the battlefield, sweeping aside the foot soldiers and ruining the Varlen’s day.
The Gibbers soon break up and one of them runs up to apply some alchemical metal-eater to Brawl. I pull it off and by that time the fight is pretty much over. The Gibbers’ ability to scamper across the deep snow that we had to plow through was most vexing. In retrospect, I should’ve just stayed in Brawl since I probably would’ve been even more effective. I resolved to remain within the tank whilst in the tunnel.
A resolution made to be broken. We found the door and Kestrel, in a stunning display of core competencies shucked off several complicated locks to get the sally port open. We entered a holding area where people entering the cave could be inspected and hosed down with death from murder holes if they were going to be trouble. The mechanisms to open the door as a whole (and allow Brawl access) were to be found somewhere else. We moved to the far side of the room and that’s when we saw the horrid undead creatures down the hall.
[NOTES: Stinking Cloud is an awesome daily.]
later
Tom
Yesterday we were soaring through the ether, boarding enemy ships and delighting in the exploration of a universe beyond our dreams. Today we’re back to stabbing Gibbers in the snow. Hooray for the advancement of our civilizations.
So after a rank invasion of my privacy, we got around to reviewing the items Capricious gave us. I got a snazzy new stoneskin robe, an upgraded magic orb that provides me with some teleportation ability and a belt that helps keep me from sliding into death’s embrace when I fall unconscious. Clearly the man appreciates the terrible service my escorts provide.
The others all got various implements of death and destruction. Ander got this horned helmet and proceeded to butt bulkheads for a few hours. I remain suspicious that perhaps we’ve simply picked up a small 8-year old human and not an actual Halfling.
We also flipped through the various books we acquired. The one we were after, by the Imperial rep, is a fascinating memoir of the end of the Empire, but sadly lacking in the “When the Dauntless shows up, tell the people who found it to do X” department. The odd part of the book is this thick place of metal and crystal bound up in the center of the book. It’s obviously magical, but I have no idea what it does.
Memo to self: Remember to examine that sigil of Thenian’s under that plate. It might reveal something special about it.
So after some discussions, we decide to return to the Shieldwall (er, defensive line outside of Icewatch now). We approach slowly and I produce a Commonwealth banner to fly so that we don’t get shot at. We hover over a cleared space behind the defensive line and take a lift down to the ground. During which Blaze and Shay disappear. Dauntless provides us with a small crystal pyramid to keep in touch with it.
Dunhouse meets us and marches us off to the command tent where we report in to Captain Vars. The good Captain must be quite surprised to see us. Not because of the ship, but mostly because in his rousing “Welcome to the army” speech it was strongly implied that most of us would be dead by now. Of course, he wants a report and who better to give him a report than “Captain” Kestrel?
I must say I’m very proud of her. She didn’t run away, wet herself or stab anyone. Her account of our adventures was comical, but Vars could glean the basics from her babbling. Oh if only someone had kept meticulous records our escapades and could have prepared a concise brief or even recited it from memory. Ah well.
About this point, the Baroness of Icewatch, the Baron of Cellern, and the daughter of the Baron of Bastion (I hope So and Vow got back home safe and sound) show up. There’s a bit of discussion wherein Vars explains to his superior and the other grandees that the Dauntless has chosen Kestrel as its Captain and there’s no countermanding that decision so for now we should probably be its crew. We also discover that Captain Vars has informally nicknamed us the Storm Crows because we always show up with bad news. I’m not sure that’s quite accurate, as Storm Crows are believed to show up just before bad things happen and so far we arrive after everything’s gone to hell. Frankly, I was planning to talk to the clerks and get us registered as Adjo’s Admonishers, but now it’s too late and Adjo’s Storm Crows it will have to be.
So the various Commonwealth leaders get politely shown out and we get a new mission. Apparently, the Hook, a mountain fortress beyond the (former) Shieldwall has a few centuries worth of troops and they’ve been harassing the Northman forces for a while. However, their supplies are surely running out and they need to be evacuated. The Dauntless should be able to fly them all out. The problem is that the Dauntless won’t have an easy spot to set down in the Hook and if we’re spotted, the Northmen will throw everything they’ve got at the Hook and possibly kill loads of them or capture the Dauntless.
The alternative is to land in a nearby valley and take a secret tunnel to the Hook. The tunnel is wide enough to admit Brawl. Brawl apparently has limited extra-dimensional seating capability and we should be able to ferry everyone out in three or four trips. We spend a day letting Thrace buy Sir Ivan “Wall-Hanging” Judgemental and we’re off.
The flight is pretty uneventful (except for the whole “HOLY SHIT WE’RE FLYING!” feeling that still retains its novelty). We put down in the valley and hop into Brawl for a slow (but warm and dry) drive to the tunnel entrance.
After a few hours, Brawl slews to a stop and announces he’s seen small, furry creatures. We disembark into knee-deep snow to check things out. Kestrel spies a small canvas lean-to hidden in the snow and zots a Gibber. Suddenly, along our right flank, hordes of Gibbers along with a Captain and a Varlen appear to menace us.
Although it’s early in the day, I feel the time has come to unleash a new surprise on the Gibbers. I pull forth my Stinking cloud and its poisonous fumes assail the Gibber Captain. Then the Varlen blinds me with a bolt of fire and a half-dozen quarrels drop me to the ground. Luckily, Ander gets me back on my feet so I can maintain the cloud. I stumble back into Brawl and with some help from Thrace, clear my vision. Now safely ensconced with in Brawl, I proceed to drive my poisonous black cloud across the battlefield, sweeping aside the foot soldiers and ruining the Varlen’s day.
The Gibbers soon break up and one of them runs up to apply some alchemical metal-eater to Brawl. I pull it off and by that time the fight is pretty much over. The Gibbers’ ability to scamper across the deep snow that we had to plow through was most vexing. In retrospect, I should’ve just stayed in Brawl since I probably would’ve been even more effective. I resolved to remain within the tank whilst in the tunnel.
A resolution made to be broken. We found the door and Kestrel, in a stunning display of core competencies shucked off several complicated locks to get the sally port open. We entered a holding area where people entering the cave could be inspected and hosed down with death from murder holes if they were going to be trouble. The mechanisms to open the door as a whole (and allow Brawl access) were to be found somewhere else. We moved to the far side of the room and that’s when we saw the horrid undead creatures down the hall.
[NOTES: Stinking Cloud is an awesome daily.]
later
Tom
