April 03, 2004

Hook

Adventurers wanted to help rescue a just man. Meet Fresnel at the Stopover Inn at noon.

Plot Synopsis

Fresnel informs the adventurers that he has recently learned that an old colleague, someone he knew in his adventuring days, has been abducted by a group of wandering vagabonds. The man, a T'orite by the name of Erwin Schrodinger, has been missing for a long while, and Fresnel's sources have tracked him to another world connected through a private portal hub that he has access to. One of the things he has learned is the location the vagabond will be at in a few days time, and he needs a group to help rescue Erwin. The number, armament, and defenses of the captors are not known to him, but a deal is worked out and the adventurers agree to the mission and travel to the world where the rescue is to take place, Fresnel accompanying them.

The group travels for three days along a path through a thick forest, with a few villages scattered along the path. The journey ends as night falls, and they come to a chasm with a castle on the other side. Two tall towers overlook the ends of a bridge over the chasm. The party splits up here, deciding to try to get around and assault the two towers at once. Tyndracha, Bridgewater, Jacob, and Fresnel go far south to fly over the chasm in the darkness, Dom flies around high in the air to scout, and Tanis, Cronk, and Willie begin to walk up to the tower on this side of the chasm, with Loten hanging back.

As the three imposing figures approach, a group of guards runs out to meet them. They stand there discussing things for awhile, with Tanis posing as someone important (the other two being his guards) who wishes to talk with the ones in the castle. The guards inform them that they have to wait until morning, and cannot cross the bridge. The head guard becomes "confused about" this rule, and begins to argue with the other guards as they escort the three to the tower. Once they are back at the tower, Willie and Tanis attack, with Cronk disabling some of the fighters. Dom sneaks in through the top of the tower and fights his way down. One of the guards is spared and Willie gets him to swear into Willie's service, and he talks of the castle and such. Apparently, prisoners are kept in a prison on the uppermost level of the castle, in the middle tower beneath the level of the crenellations. During this it becomes apparent that some of the guards raised an alarm, as more guards charge across the bridge and are fireballed by Loten. The adventurers at this end now run across the bridge, getting fireballed on the bridge along the way by more guards. The second tower is neutralized soon after, and the other portion of the party catches up, their task in the plan already accomplished. Information is shared around, and the group comes up with a plan to assault the main castle.

After a brief discussion of creature abilities, Jacob turns into a "Willie Jackson" and enmasses Willie. Willie charges up to the castle and begins attacking it, while under assault by arrows, lightning bolts, and a shot from an accelor. He retreats a bit, and Cronk comes up to heal him, while Tanis runs up to the main entrance to fight the guards there. Meanwhile, Dom flies up one side of the castle and Tyndracha (carrying Siilex, Jacob, and Fresnel) flies up the other. Fresnel spends the trip up casting, and jumps off at the last second, enmassing and grabbing onto the edge of the castle. By now, Willie rejoins the fight, and Tanis has cast a large Muck in front of the entrance, catching the guards there and more as they came out. Dom, Tyndracha, Jacob, and Siilex make short work of the archers up top, and Dom begins making his way down the middle tower on the top of the castle. Fresnel and Willie finish their bashing up of the outer walls, and Tanis' Muck decimates the guards on the lower level as they charge out to fight him.

Soon, all the castle's defenders are taken care of, and Erwin is freed. He first asks to be reunited with his sword (his holy weapon), and then is led off by Fresnel as the adventurers loot the large amount of treasure the raiders had accumulated. On the way back, a few of the adventurers notice that Erwin is withdrawn and distracted much of the time, especially right after dawn, but no one takes real interest. The adventurers are paid and thanked by a happy Mr. Fresnel.

XP Given: 2900

Noteworthy Postgame Events