Category Archives: Uncategorized

All out ballista

Posted on by
Reply

Gus and Ethelred spend evenings, before the sun sets, working on making a miniature ballista. The old cross bow from Telosh is where they start. Studying how it work, how wood bolts are best made. Once some form of mastery of the machine is in hand they take it apart. Study each piece, how it is formed, shaped and what it’s purpose is. Then they put it back together. This is repeated again.

Then they take it apart one more time. This time they work to replicate the parts, but twice the size. Fashioning the part from wood, rope and sinew.

After a week Ethelred feels like it will be possible, but still difficult to make a much larger ballista.

The Black (Feather) Speech

Posted on by
Reply

Telosh helps Gustav forage, trap and hunt, and spends a bit of time talking with him about trap craft. He aids Ethelred with the ballista, tumbles and spars with all of his companions. He is clumsy with his off hand, and while is eyes are little empty, his feints are not less convincing.

He feeds the crow whenever it comes around camp, but doesn’t talk to it in front of Gus, or at least when he knows Gus is nearby.

One afternoon, when Telosh thinks he is alone with the crow, he tosses it a morsel, closer than when they are near the others. As it eats, Telosh speaks slowly,

“You only ever tried to help and protect me.

“Gus says your feathers were protected by an agent of M- the Corrupter of Animals, and he thinks you are an agent of Theirs…

“I’ve never understood why he didn’t like you…

“If you are in the beast lords thrall, I hope I can free you, crow friend.”

The Future Didn’t Wait

Posted on by
2

The crew is walking back to camp together enjoying the sun that has come out after the successful pit fight. A weight seems to have been lifted off of the wildlife as they are out and frolicking. Even Ethelred noticed some late season blackberry growth. Gustav notices all of that, but doesn’t look very relieved or happy. Gustav uncharacteristically starts a conversation with Alexis and Telosh.

“I am sorry you both have lost so much to battle evil and the enemies of humanity. Telosh, your arm and body were weakened. And you both have aged and lost time that might never come back. We all knew that we risked injuries and death. But since we are finding so much strange magic I suppose we should have known these unnatural injuries would be inevitable.

How does it feel? Is it harder to walk? Do you feel weather more? I know the attitude of the aged often change. Sometimes they are more mean and nasty after feeling cheated away from the life they hoped for. Sometimes they relax and become calm and loving to their children and spouses. Has your mind changed as well as your body?

Is there anything I can do to make things easier? Should I try to make your sleep more comfortable with fluffy pine needle bed sites? Should I help you stretch in the morning? Or should we be fighting it and try to find a wizard who can reverse it?”

Gustav gives a confused look. A thought rolls over his face and then converts to a guilty and sad look.

You want gulags? This is how you get gulags

Posted on by
2

Two wyverns were seen flying over the Copper Hills fort very recently.

Shortly after the group has left the Copper Hills fort Alexis addresses Ethelred, “what was that back there? It was like you wanted them to show you to a cell and an inquisitioner. For my part, I’d like to avoid that path for the time being.”

Alexis looks at Ethelred expectantly as they continue away from the fort.

Waiting for Earicka

Posted on by
1

Waiting in the darkness with Raff and the last few followers, Alexis turns to Telosh.

“If you’d taken the sword, you might be far enough away by now that Earicka would have a hard time finding you. Or you might be in the spot where Raff is. Still happy you didn’t take the sword?” Alexis gives Telosh a wink.

Before Alexis goes back to keeping an ear out, his eyes linger for a moment on the red gem in the Sword Chaotic. This face softens a little, and then his head continues the turn back to the front of the mine.

One arm, two arms, three arms, dead!

Posted on by
6

After the failure of his small scale ballista Ethelred talks to the group.

“Building this ballista is going to be a bit more work than I had expected. The materials and the actual building should be trivial to work with. The part I am struggling with is how to make the weaponry work right.

To start with I will need a bow that I can take apart and rebuild for a simple test. Better yet finding someone else that knows how to make bows or maybe even weapons in general would help. If I am unable to build a small scale ballista with confidence we should have another plan.

The giant presents some problems. If we attempt to replicate and attack like we did on the dragon I think we could have success. But we don’t have the sturdy chain, nor something sturdy to attach it to. Tree a abound, but we also know the giant can uproot those with little challenge.

The key to the dragon attack was not to deal one killer blow, but to hold the creature in place while we wore it down. We should try and do the same with the giant.

What are other options besides the ballista that we could achieve in the woods?”

This Looks Like Your Kind of Wood

Posted on by
6

As the group is walking back to their tent to witness the failure of Ethelred’s ballistae attempt Alexis moves close to Gustav, takes off his two wooden rings, and hands them to Gustav.

“Hey Gus, I need you to tell me everything you can about these rings, yeah? I figure if you have any question you can ask Telosh since he’s working on mastering the Arts.”

Alexis waits for Gustav to acknowledge the request.

Adventures Belong Close to the Adventure

Posted on by
15

The group is hanging out in their tent in the Copper Hills Fort. Ethelred is working on his model ballistae. As the test fails and the model collapses, Alexis exclaims “that’s it.” He gives a quick visual scan of his companions and continues, signaling everyone to come in close; a conspiratorial whisper.

“We don’t belong here. Yeah, we need to find..” Alexis looks at the various walls of tent and then finishes “…it. But we should be out there.” He gestures to the forests to the north and east.

“I didn’t realize what was wrong until I was looking at how uncomfortable Gus was while we’ve been in the tent. The longer we’re here the worst he looks. And then it hit me. We don’t need to be here right now. We should be out there. And then everything clicked:
We set up a base on the goblin/warg hill.
We offer the refugees from Thater a place with us in the woods.
We conduct our experiments and scouting from there.
We check in with the fort regularly.”

“One, or two, of you will have questions, so let’s hear ’em” Alexis looks between his three companions huddled close.

Why Leave Such A Nice Sword?

Posted on by
8

After the group has left the area of the Copper Hills fort and is heading north on the road to explore the area of the three-armed giant, Alexis asks Telosh “Why didn’t you take the sword when you had the chance? These two” he says motioning to Gus and Red who are walking slightly ahead “I get why. But you, I’m still not sure why you didn’t and I’ve been thinking about it since we left the Greyfax estate.”