D&D: The Warlock's Boots (NOW RECRUITING!)

[CreepersWiener]

^ Please disregard the above post by BBS, he is not this game's DM. Please read the additions I have made at the beginning of this thread.

[Sackett58]

Gregor gets his coins back and walks over to a table. He looks it over to see a hobbit, 2 goblins and a kobold playing bones. "Gregor would like to play" as he sits down. "Who is buying Gregor a drink ?"

[jonesthecurl]

Does anyone here read Elvish well? I'm pretty rusty.

He looks around

And as for employment, I'm interested, perhaps - but I'd like to know a little more about what's going on first. How about we all pool our knowledge?

Oh, and bring Gregor the Honourable a drink please, miss.

Jonesey says, btw sorry if I slowed things down, my internet was out for three days after the nasty weather.

[Jace22]

I am also interested in this quest. At least it's something to do around here

[CreepersWiener]

Gregor gets his coins back and walks over to a table. He looks it over to see a hobbit, 2 goblins and a kobold playing bones. "Gregor would like to play" as he sits down. "Who is buying Gregor a drink ?"

Gregor seems to be a little euphoric, and his eyelids and irises are wide open. He has been sneaking half mugs of ale and wine since he has entered the bar, and though there are no hobbits, goblins, or kobolds in the Dancing Goat Tavern...Gregor is hallucinating. It is apparent that one of the glasses of wine he drank just happened to be a glass of Drow Spiced Wine, which can cause such illusions, especially in anyone that carries Orcish blood in their veins. Though the spiced wine hampers Gregor's perceptions of reality and can cause him to be weak willed, Gregor's stamina is larger than normal and he is almost oblivious to pain.

Gregor will take a -2 penalty to all melee attacks, perception checks, and will defenses in exchange for an added melee damage bonus and a temporary hit point bonus of +10 each. The effects of the Drow Spiced Wine will last only for this evening.

[CreepersWiener]

Once he's sure that he's in the clear, Firnam takes off for the Beggars Boot Tavern, the tavern that they agreed where they will meet. On his way there, his curiosity makes him take a quick look at the contents of the book -

wait... this isn't tavern records... this isn't something he can even understand... Firnam slowly realizes as he slowly leafs through the book, that this book is important, that the simple fact of him transferring the book could mean a major shift in balance, whether good or bad. A third of the way there, he stops and turns around, heading back to the tavern, hoping to be able to eavesdrop and learn more information. He decides that, if he does decide to actually fulfill the mission and is late, he can just make up a story about being apprehended - after all, a dead body in the streets will raise questions about any lone wanderer.

Firnam makes his way back to the Dancing Goat. He stops in the shadows just outside a window and keeps low so no one will see him.

~I need to find out a little more about this piece of merchandise I got.~He thinks to himself.

He hears Alastair the wizard speaking with Sheyla about...bracelets? Is Sheyla and her father slaves of some sort? It seems this book is important in someway to them, and then Sheyla tells Alastair that she will get her father to explain more.

As, Sheyla leaves the conversation, you hear somebody coming down the street. You can see that it is Cackle and his band of thugs coming back to the tavern with another figure dressed in black leather armor made from some type of scaly hide, his face is hidden beneath a leather mask and helmet. The helmet has large horns (like dragon horns?) and a reptile like face. The man in the "Dragon Armor" yells at Cackle,"You FOOL! That street rat should have been at the Beggar's Boot a long time ago with the object of interest! I hired you all to do a simple job for me, and now one of your company has decided to vanish and take the merchandise with him!"

"No, Dark Dragon...sir..."Cackle whimpers. "He is just an initiate and we figured this would be a good, easy job for new blood!"

"Well, you thought wrong...that book was very important to me and to the Githarian Empire! Without its return to the Dread Lord of Githar, we now risk the possibility of civil war within our borders! We need that book...or...we need to capture the old man and his daughter!"

"Yes, Dark Dragon!" Cackle shows his attention to the dark figure and proceeds to head directly in Firnam's direction. Cackle and his gang has not seen Cackle yet, but they are heading closer. "I'm going to skin Firnam alive!"Cackle curses.

~Damn!~ Firnam curses silently. ~Did I just miss the conversation between Alastair and Sheyla's old man?~

[CreepersWiener]

Cheezus introduces himself to Gavrin Darkwatcher and offers his assistance in translating the words on the boots.

You understand the writing on the boots quite easily, even though it is an older dialect of Elven, you estimate about a thousand or so years old. The boots simply read: The Forest Obeys The Elven Walker.

You also recognize the boots from old Elvish folklore. The Elven King, Duriz Mollwhin, had fashioned twenty-four pair of such boots to be worn by Elven Knight Rangers to protect the Elven lands from the onslaught of the Shadow War. They are fabled to have great powers of movement through forest and brush. An Elf who wears these boots would be able to walk through briar and thick brush as easily as if it were not there at all!

[jonesthecurl]

Gorlan says

Tell us more of your quest. Something tells me that the time of choosing sides will be with us soon.
Landlord, I think it might be wise to return our weapons at this point.

[slowreactor]

One look at the mysterious man, and Firnam knew that this wasn't someone he wanted to get involved with. He knew that if he didn't go in the bar and yell to Sheyla and her father to escape, there could be some major trouble. However, he also knew that if he were to get involved, there was no predicting what would happen to himself. Firnam blends into the shadows, waiting and watching the upcoming confrontation. He will jump in if it looks like he can help, but he does not want to jump in in vain.

[CreepersWiener]

I do a quick alignment check (if that's possible) and examine the bracers. I also ask Sheyla privately what sort of magic they were doing that caused them to be magic blocked this way.

You make an Insight check, and you sense no sign of deception from Sheyla.As for the bracers alignment...you would have to acquire a ritual to perform over it. But you already know that they are a ward that shuts off the flow of magic coming from a magic user.

As you carefully examine the symbols and pentagrams on the bracers, as you touch the symbols with your fingers, the runes light up. You hear sizzling and see smoke coming up from your finger tips as they are being scorched by some type of magic!

You must take 4 hit points of damage.

As you pull your hands away from the bracelets, Sheyla says,"Oh, I should have warned you. Anyone that tries to remove these bracelets will be burned...and for magic users, they might even temporarily lose their magic casting abilities. Let me go get my father to answer your questions. He is better at explaining things than me."

Soon, Gavrin Darkwatcher returns and sits with you.

"I see you are not aware of Githarian politics or history,"he says to you looking at you with his one good eye. "Very well, let us begin the story, shall we?

The Empire of Githar was formed by a faction of War Wytches who came from the deserts of Tabor. Tabor has always been known for showing mercy upon astranged young children, often orphans, who show a little talent in magic or the dark arts. I was one of those children. The Taborian War Wytches took me in and trained me as a Warlock, and soon I became a Wytch Lord. I know that most wizards frown on Warlock's as they obtain their powers from bargaining with dark and little know entities for magical power in return, instead of long years of careful study; but I assure you that not all Warlocks and Wytches adhere to the darker practices. Sheyla and I--and many others--oppose such abhorrent delving, and that is why we are in this particular predicament.

In Tabor, the War Wytches protect their desert fortress. This fortress and the desert mesa and mountain range is known as Hellsblade. It was at Hellsblade Fortress where I was trained. But the War Wytches have one major rule...you must stay unmarried and without children to be a War Wytch, so the time came where I was challenged by that little law...I fell in love.

I fell in love with a beautiful girl who came from the country to the north of Hellsblade. This country was called Githar. I told her that I loved her and I would do anything for her, so we decided to run away to Githar and I left the War Wytches of Hellsblade.

In the city if Ironfell, we got married, had a home, and had a...daughter--Sheyla. I worked as a cobbler and made boots for peasants and kings alike! I was invited to the grand citadel of Ironfell to prepare a pair of elegant riding boots for the King of Githar at that time, and we became very good friends. We talked about life, God, and politics; and he realized that I was much more than an average cobbler. Eventually, I revealed to him that I used to be a War Wytch before I got married to the woman of my dreams. The King laughed and invited me to become the Wytch Lord of Githar. I accepted, as it paid a great deal more than pounding nails into the soles of shoes and boots!

As Wytch Lord, I found 13 talented men and women (one of which included the King's own son!). We formed the Wytch Council of Githar where we gathered and discussed possible expansion of the King's empire, but soon the King felt his power falling away as the power of our council grew. Soon, the King grew ill of some unknown illness and died. By his dying, it left his son, Kannith, in charge of the empire; and since Kannith was a member of the Wytch Council and a very powerful Warlock in his own right, he proclaimed himself Dread Lord of Githar and demanded absolute obedience to his rule...we were all happy to give it, for with Kannith in power...WE were in power!

Soon, Kannith expanded his territory with ease, conquering all that stood in his way, but there were yet a few countries that have yet to be enveloped. One of which is this one that we are in right now, Nyordand. The Githarians would have to send fleets of ships to defeat this land. The other is in the unknown lands and forests of Warsreach. As you should know, the greater Elvish kingdoms are said to be in the forests just beyond the lands of Warsreach, so if Nyordand falls to Githar, it is but a matter of time that he and his dark allies go to war with the Elves of Warsreach!

But time is yet with us, my friend. You see, first the Dread Lord must conquer the Taborian War Wytches of Hellsblade. The Githarians are only strong enough to keep up on one front at a time, if Kannith ever decided to go to war with Nyordand or Warsreach before he was ever finished with Tabor...he would surely fail! He knows this, so he is staying focused on defeating the War Wytches of Hellsblade first.

Now, when Kannith decided to go to war with Tabor...many of us on the Wytches Council were opposed, as Hellsblade had been our home and training grounds, but now we were being forced to choose between our teachers at Hellsblade or this arogant dark thing that calls himself a Dread Lord!

So, Kannith found opposition to his plans and soon had these silver bracers crafted. He forced all those magic users who opposed him to wear them or die! Some chose death, one of which was a very dear friend that saved my life and that of my daughters. He was a wizard from Nyordand, and it is his tower that we seek. When my daughter and I were "unspoken"--that is the term Warlocks and Wytches use for having our magic powers severed--we were sentenced to be thrown into The Deep...which is a giant hole where the worst criminals and murderers and traitors are tossed and forgotten. Left to starve and fend for themselves in a dark, damp cavern with no hope of ever escaping! Worse than death, some say!

As, we waited our trial on treason. My dear Nyordander Wizard friend came and got us out of that prison cell. He told me that he had been working on a ritual and a magic item that would release the bracelets from any Warlock or Wizards hands. He gave me the book and he gave me a pair of boots and told me to find an Elf to wear them and that would guide me through the bramble briar that surrounded his tower. He never had to use them, because he could teleport in and out of his tower without any worry, and he couldn't use them anyway, because he wasn't an Elf!

Now, when my daughter and I escaped, we had found word that my dear friend was caught and immediately executed for sneaking us out of Githar, so now we are highly sought after by the Dread Lord, and he wants us brought back alive to stand trial and serve the appropriate sentence!

Now...there is one little thing that I need to mention to you. The Dread Lord has bounty hunters looking for us and they are called Wytch Runners. They are Rangers, Rogues, and Assassins that were hired to find me, my daughter, and/or the ritual book and they all have a little magical power of which to deal with the likes of Warlocks and Wizards if need be.

They also carry a magical blade, called a Wytch Tamer, that can sap the magical strength out of a Wizard or Warlock that it touches!"

Gavrin suddenly turns his head to the window and notices Cackle and his men approaching the tavern!

[CreepersWiener]

Gorlan says

Tell us more of your quest. Something tells me that the time of choosing sides will be with us soon.
Landlord, I think it might be wise to return our weapons at this point.

As Mr. Urlag hears Cackle and his men approaching the bar...he immediately gets everyone their weapons back.

[CreepersWiener]

One look at the mysterious man, and Firnam knew that this wasn't someone he wanted to get involved with. He knew that if he didn't go in the bar and yell to Sheyla and her father to escape, there could be some major trouble. However, he also knew that if he were to get involved, there was no predicting what would happen to himself. Firnam blends into the shadows, waiting and watching the upcoming confrontation. He will jump in if it looks like he can help, but he does not want to jump in in vain.

Firnam waits in the shadows and is surprised to see the Dark man disappear...as if he never even existed!

[slowreactor]

*bites his tongue* teleportation! that man is a frightening man indeed! Firnam pays even closer attention to the happenings around the tavern.

(P.S. how much of the above convo between Alastair & Sheyla/Gavrin did my character hear? should I do a stealth check?)

[CreepersWiener]

*bites his tongue* teleportation! that man is a frightening man indeed! Firnam pays even closer attention to the happenings around the tavern.

(P.S. how much of the above convo between Alastair & Sheyla/Gavrin did my character hear? should I do a stealth check?)

Firnam pretty much heard the basics of the convo between Alastair and Sheyla, but as Sheyla was retrieving her father is when Firnam started to notice someone coming and he was busy concentrating on who was coming his way instead of listening to Gavrin talk about politics.

Your stealth is fine, you are in a nice dark spot.

[Sackett58]

Gregor gets his coins back and walks over to a table. He looks it over to see a hobbit, 2 goblins and a kobold playing bones. "Gregor would like to play" as he sits down. "Who is buying Gregor a drink ?"

Gregor seems to be a little euphoric, and his eyelids and irises are wide open. He has been sneaking half mugs of ale and wine since he has entered the bar, and though there are no hobbits, goblins, or kobolds in the Dancing Goat Tavern...Gregor is hallucinating. It is apparent that one of the glasses of wine he drank just happened to be a glass of Drow Spiced Wine, which can cause such illusions, especially in anyone that carries Orcish blood in their veins. Though the spiced wine hampers Gregor's perceptions of reality and can cause him to be weak willed, Gregor's stamina is larger than normal and he is almost oblivious to pain.

Gregor will take a -2 penalty to all melee attacks, perception checks, and will defenses in exchange for an added melee damage bonus and a temporary hit point bonus of +10 each. The effects of the Drow Spiced Wine will last only for this evening.

After several minutes of rolling bones Gregor finds himself in debt. But in his drunken euphoria he is having a good time. Laughing and hugging his fellow gamblers he comments, "you guys are pretty husky little fellows". The four rather large gentlemen are not finding this funny as one comments, "where is the money you owe us ?". Gregor points at Gorlan, "my friend will cover me".