Adventures in Arajara
Adventure Journal
Session 22
Note: This session was held in a chat room so I am providing a heavily edited version of the transcript as the adventure journal. For the brave of heart I have the unedited version as well.
[Narrator] *in a solemn voice*
We now return to the adventures of Valennor, Bartley, and that other ratty looking fellow named L.Narwick.
Valennor had escorted Elissa with the caravan to the walled city of Viedin on the River, bravely defending her from trolls along the way and earning her favor (for the afternoon).
Narwick and Bartly meanwhile had spent a small amount of time buzzing behind the goblin rider and discovered a cave of goblins guarded by a magical gargoyle.
After being soundly thrashed by the gargoyle the brave Narwick and Bartley ran for the hills and managed to find their way back to the caravan trail.
It was a long hard night of high speed carpet flying that finally brought them to Veidin -- the same night which Valennor and Elissa spent sleeping in comfortable beds (different rooms of course). The next morning Narwick and Bartley finally found Narwick and Elissa at the inn as they breakfasted on fruits, and breads, and cereals.
The inn keeper had mentioned he knew a man with the same last name as Elissa... possibly a relative who would know where her family had gone since the fall of Narobo.
[Valennor] umm, I'll ask him where he lives...
[Narrator] The man's name was Lucum and he lives on Oak Lane.
[Valennor] nearby?
[Narrator] yes, down a couple of blocks
[Narwick] who the innkeeper??
[Narrator] Serva Tilumer
[Valennor] does [Elissa] want to go see him
[Narrator] yes, she does. Though she doesn't recognize the name... it could be a distant cousin
[Valennor] okey dokey, when do we go
[Narrator] The inn keeper, as he is filling your cups of black brewroot says that the barbarians have been active lately, raiding southern villages around Podana he feared that the peaceful times of the past ten years were over and that they would be back to the wars when the barbarian Kotakans invaded forty years ago.
Soon the breakfast is over. Bartley and Narwick are still tired, but everyone is ready to get on with it.
What next?
[Narwick] yes yes
[Valennor] sure, let's go!
[Bartley] whatever people
[Narwick] lets head to find the distant cousin ... or whoever he is
[Narrator] You pass busy townsfolk on the way to Lucum's house
[Bartley] yes
[Narrator] *Knock, knock*
[Narrator] A tall, red haired man answers the door, he's wearing an apron that is smudged with soot
[Narwick] Narwick introduces himself and Elissa
[Narrator] "How can I help you gentlemen... and lady?" said the man
[Narwick] Narwick: we are looking for a man by the name locum
[Valennor] Uhh, (nudge), tell him Elissa
[Narwick] he may be a distant relative of our dear friend Elissa, here
[Narrator] "I'm Lucum," said the man, "and that's pronounced loo'sum, not luck'um"
[Narwick] ok sorry
[Narrator] "Elissa? Is that you young lady... I'm sorry but I don't think I have any relatives as pretty as you." he winked a couple of times
You thank the man and walk away down the street
[Bartley] "ok guys, where now?" said Bartley
[Narrator] Then a young boy comes running up...
[Valennor] "a beggar?"
[Bartley] "it takes one to know one..."
[Narrator] "Auntie Lissa!"
[Valennor] "Woah!"
[Narwick] "who, who!!"
[Bartley] "Relatives"
[Narrator] The young boy and Elissa hug and ask about each other's family for a few moments.
[Valennor] "ello dare little guy"
[Narwick] *looks bewildered*
[Bartley] "ekite howit im josd" mutters Bartley in Elvish...
[Narrator] The little boy says that he's here with his father (Elissa's brother) since they had to leave Narobo after the bad men came
[Valennor] "Hello, I'm Valennor"
[Narwick] OOC: um...can we understand him??
[Narrator] OOC: uh...
[Narrator] OOC: was anyone learning Elissa's language?
[Narwick] OOC: um...
[Valennor] OOC: Bartley knows it
[Bartley] OOC: Bartley translates...
[Narrator] OOC: or was it the other way around?
[Narwick] OOC: sure
[Narrator] OOC: K, Bartley translates
[Narrator] Elissa says to the other three, "Arta said that my father and mother are living in Podana now, that's about 2 days south of this city."
[Narwick] "ahhh!!!"
[Narrator] "Podana," said a man passing by, a dark fellow with a hooded cloak, "I hear there's trouble in those parts."
[Narwick] "hmmm"
[Valennor] "good, I like it"
[Narwick] "what kind of trouble?"
[Narrator] *the man has walked on*
[Bartley] "Trouble is my expertise"
[Bartley] "uh, fixing trouble that is."
[Narrator] Apparently Elissa didn't hear him, as she says, "Can we leave for Podana soon?"
[Narwick] "yes, yes"
[Narwick] "lets be on our way"
[Valennor] "We go now" (grunt)
[Bartley] "yes, lets"
[Narwick] "ride horses?"
[Valennor] "yes"
[Bartley] "I don't like horses"
[Narwick] "first find horses then ride 'em"
[Bartley] "ok. If you insists"
[Narwick] we go looking for horses
[Narrator] $900 for a horse and $400 for a saddle, $1300 per person, $5200 for everyone
[Valennor] "whew!"
[Narwick] "ahhhh!!!"
[Narwick] "lets fly"
[Bartley] "why do we want horses again?"
[Valennor] "I already have a horse at home, lets ride the carpet!"
[Narrator] Walking sticks are $5, but nobody will _rent_ you horses when you said you were going to Podana... something about trouble down there.
[Bartley] blast
[Narwick] "ok..."
[Narwick] "lets fly"
[Valennor] "yeah"
[Narrator] when are you going to leave?
[Valennor] now
[Narwick] we leave now!
[Narrator] what I mean... do you leave during the day... as in, jump on the carpet and leave?
[Narwick] yeasssssss
[Bartley] Yes!
[Narrator] k
[Valennor] yepedeedoo
[Narrator] *Swoosh* and into the air you fly, heading south. At this height you can see the forest again, to the north east, and to the south you can see meadows and a river with marshland around it
[Narwick] OOC: can i make a vison roll
[Narrator] OOC: Narwick rolls a 7 for vision
[Narwick] OOC: !! my vision is 12
[Narwick] do i see any thing
[Narrator] you see a big stone bridge crossing the river ahead of you and to the south of that is a small village.
[Narwick] "lets stop at the villiage"
[Bartley] "good thinking Mr. Muscle"
[Narrator] the carpet floats down to the ground near the village.
[Narwick] and...
[Bartley] and we get off!
[Narwick] and stretch...
[Valennor] *whack*
[Narrator] here the road and the village curve close to the dark forests in the east
[Narwick] "lets investigate silently"
[Narrator] there is not much activity in the village, but you can see farmers in their fields across the road
[Narwick] OOC: roll my stealth
[Narwick] OOC: i have 11
[Valennor] OOC: I have 13, roll mine too
[Valennor] OOC: no wait, mine is 14!
[Bartley] OOC: I'm not stealthy at all
[Narrator] OOC: Narwick steath roll = 10, valennor stealth roll = 12
[Valennor] OOC: good good
[Narrator] You weren't all that stealthy, but nobody noticed you sneaking around the village. Bartley and Elissa stayed behind with the carpet (the tassels were still to hot for bartley to roll it up and put it back in his pack)
[Bartley] ouch! Hot
[Valennor] what did we find? bad guys?
[Narrator] the village is nothing spectacular
[Valennor] "anybody home?"
[Narwick] "I'm going to go talk to a farmer"
[Narrator] there's an old man whittling a walking stick in front of one house and a couple of older ladies hanging out the wash
[Narwick] I'll go ask him what's going on in the town
[Narrator] the farmer that Narwick walks over to stops hoeing, looks at him, and says, "nothing unusual I hope."
Then the farmer continues, "I like it nice and quiet, I have a beer in the evening and then go to bed and that's how I like it"
[Narwick] "yeah we are looking for that one town..."
[Narrator] OOC: Podana?
[Narwick] OOC: Yeah!
[Narrator] "Take the road down to Calagee and then head south-east, to the marsh," said the farmer
[Valennor] "ok thanks"
[Narwick] "thank you sir." *turns and walks back to bartley*
[Valennor] I head back to the carpet to plan (and help!)
[Narrator] meanwhile... back at the carpet... Bartley and Elissa hear the sound of flutes coming from the forest.
[Bartley] uh oh.
[Bartley] I pull out my bow, but I don't shoot yet!
[Narrator] Bartley sees a number of shapes flitting between the trees
[Bartley] *thinking* "Goblins with flutes"
[Narrator] The flute playing gets louder and then Bartley hears a *clop, clop* to his left.
"helloo there nice man" said a low voice to Bartley
[Bartley] ! "Uh, hi."
[Bartley] What manner of being talked to me?
[Narrator] Bartley looks left quickly, still pointing his bow toward the woods, and sees a faun standing nearby and looking at him with large brown eyes.
[Bartley] "Hello sir Faun"
[Narrator] She plays with the lace ruffles on her shirt front and says, "What brings a nice man like you to our forests?"
[Bartley] "We are adventuring. What's your name?" says Bartely to the Faun
[Narrator] "Bramble," smiled the faun, "What's yours?"
[Bartley] *thinking* "Blast I don't have a very good Elf name"
[Bartley] "My name is JB"
[Narrator] "Jaybee... like a bumble bee." the faun laughed, "adventuring sounds fun."
[Bartley] "Is today a celebration?" says Bartley to the faun
[Narrator] "No we're not celebrating, not like anything special today." said the faun
Meanwhile Valennor and Narwick (no longer sneaking) walk back through the quiet village.
*whack, whack* "Get off my flower bed," said an old lady to Valennor.
Finally Valennor and Narwick make it out of the village and back to the carpet
"Would you like to play my panpipes?' said Bramble
[Bartley] "Your flute music IS lovely," Bartley says to the faun
[Bartley] "And yes, I shall try your panpipes"
[Bartley] OOC: Do I need to roll against my bard skillls?
[Narrator] OOC: sure
[Bartley] OOC: it's 11
[Narrator] OOC: you get a 9
[Bartley] OOC: Cool. Does she like it?
[Bartley] OOC: Is she charmed?
[Narrator] OOC: you mean more than now ;-)
[Narrator] OOC: Yes, she likes the music
[Bartley] I shall ask who lives in the forest (hint such as magic using Gobblins)
[Narrator] Bramble says, "Why the deer, the foxes, the badgers, the owls, the elves, the rabbits, us fauns... you know"
[Valennor] "Bugs live in the forrest too" I agreed
[Narrator] "Well, bugs can't talk," retorted Bramble.
[Valennor] "Yikes!"
[Narwick] Narwick introduces himself to bramble
[Narrator] Meanwhile, Elissa is starting to look bored.
[Valennor] "What now Elissa?
[Narrator] Elissa says to Valennor, "this funny looking girl is a chatter box."
[Valennor] "What do you think we should do Elissa?"
[Narrator] Elissa said, "I'd like to get on... who wanted to visit this village anyway."
[Valennor] "We can go to Pondana and ask if the faun wants to come!"
[Narwick] "yeah, yeah"
[Narrator] "You want to take me to Podana," said Bramble, "I've never been"
[Bartley] "Sure! Why not?"
[Narrator] So... after getting everyone situated on the carpet...
[Narrator] At the fauns advice, Bartley decides to take a short cut over the forest and and follow the river south to Podana.
[Bartley] "See, I knew we should bring her along."
[Valennor] "I suggested it!"
[Narrator] As night starts falling, you see the river plain where Podana is.
[Bartley] We slow down... and prepare to land...
[Narrator] OOC: so well have to wait until next time to find out what happens at Podana (it can't be good)
[Bartley] Are we still in the air?