July 17, 2004

Hook

Goons, thugs, and adventurers wanted for experimental testing.

Plot Synopsis

The party is met in the front room of the warehouse by a man named Harold. He explains that they have developed a new means of interplaner travel. The device can push a group of people and equipment into a random dimension. Through the use of homing markers, they can be pulled back to Jearn. Harold wants the group to take a larger marker to a world and explore it, looking for any valuable resourse that may be recovered. The marker will be left behind as a type of anchor that can then be used later to target that specific dimension. They party will have three days to explore at the end of that time, Harold will pull them back based on the position of the large marker. In the case of an emergency, each person is equipt with a bracelet with a smaller homing beacon. The device can be fired once per day and the party is told that if anyone is left behind, they will try to pull them out as soon as possible. Each person is offered 2000sp for their services and a stipend if the world proves profitable.

The group is shown into the larger section of the warehouse. It is reinforced heavily to prevent things from breaking out in the case of accidently bringing something back. The party is told to stand on a stone platform with a fifteen foot pole at each corner. Harold activates the device, the poles begin to hum, then the party finds themselves standing in a grassy field. Rolling hills and mountains are seen off in the distance.

Carl and Gronk begin to make maps of the area as the party starts moving toward trails of smoke off in the distance. Eventually they come across a road and follow that into town. They pass large numbers of fields, the workers paying little attention to the party. In town they meet a man who introduces himself as Eugene. After talking for a while, they find out that this town is in an area controled by a being called Grognak, who seems to be some sort of diety. An carved image on a fountain shows Grognak to be a gargoyle type creature. The party gets a general direction to Grognak's citadel and head out.

They pass through several small towns. They stop in a larger city for the evening. Willamina finds several shrines to Grognak and meditates with one of the robed men attending it. The party finds that these robed men are a type of priesthood, getting their power from their faith in Grognak. Halimina Detects Divinity and discovers that the robed men are not in fact divine priests.

The next day they head up into the mountains to a larger city and then to a large castle. Skeletons armed with crossbows stand gaurd on the walls. They approach it and are stopped at the gate by two large stone creatures. Williamina says that they are travelers and have come for an audience with their Lord. They party is shown into the compound and shown to a room to wait. Carl breaks off from the group and sneaks in seperately, he wanders around and eventually finds his way into Grognak's audience chamber. He hides near the ceiling plotting how to assinate this creature, eventually desciding to shot him though the eye.

The rest of the party waits several hours and are eventually led to the audience chamber. There, they are asked what tribute they bring to pay homage. Kuno steps forward with a chest of silver coins and offers it. The gift is accepted, and they are allowed to speak with Grognak. Halimina negotiates a basic trade agreement based on using Harold's device to ship things back and forth. They are given rooms for the night and told to stay on their floor, not to wander the grounds. Two robed figures escort them back to their rooms and stay to supervise the group. As they are sitting aroud talking, Willamina walks up to Kuno and stabs him through the hand, almost killing him. He then begins to loot the body, teleporting away when the remainder of the party notices. She then activates his emergency marker and is pulled back to Jearn. She tells harold that the party was being slaughtered at the time and she just barely escaped. She also suggests that trying to use the larger marker to bring the group back would probably bring back the attackers too.

Meanwhile, the robed figures are watching the group more carefully as one person already vanished. Tanis goes into his room a few minutes later and "disapears," leaving only a rubber sack behind. By an unlucky coincidence, the robed guy walks up to check on Tanis, finding him gone. The second robed figure casts a spell and Halt Times the party.

Carl overhears the robed figures talking with Grognak, nothing particularly interesting until he hears about escaping visitors. Grognak gives the order to capture or kill them. Carl enchants his arrow and attempts to assinate the Gargoyle. Missing the eye entirely, he pierces the heart, causing instant death. Four small gargoyles converge on Carl, they are dispached quickly. He then goes down to the treasury and loots, careful not to touch the enchanted door while doing so. He then activates his emergency marker.

The party finds themselves surrounded by several more robed figures, Halimina is Earthboned, the rest of the party either resists the spell or can't be touched. Roan gets Suspended the next round. After a few rounds of combat, the party is Halt Timed again.

Carl finds where the group was and notices there is a large blue field holding them. He hides and waits for it to drop. The rest of the compound is in disarry and no one is quite sure what to do. After a day, the halt time drops and fighting resumes. AFter much struggling, the party subdues the attackers and Dom 'persuades' the men to drop their spells. Carl stands gaurd and suddenly dissapears, being recalled at the next time the device can be activated in response to his beakon. Carl explains the situtation to Harold, who seems relieved that the party was not killed. Tanis shows up later that day, confirming Carl's story.

The party, led by Gronk head out of the compound and into the wilderness to wait to be picked up. Tanis reappears in the sack that Dom is now carrying and tries unconvincingly to explain away how he did that. About a day later, the group is recalled back to Jearn, taking the homeing beacon with them. Harold talks to them about their experiences and collects what ever materials they had recorded. The group is paid their money and are offered furture opportunities to work for him. Gronk offers to take the beacon back to that world through rather unconventional means, his offer will be considered.

2700 experience was awarded with a slight bonus to Carl for his slaying of a demigod. Carl gets his magical loot identified at the CMG.

Noteworthy Postgame Events