Over 10 years ago, after what initially seemed like a failed mission to defeat the Master at his camp, a simple piece of intelligence recovered by an inquisitive halfling turned the tides of war.
Note the XP awards - small in comparison to the hauls you are getting at the moment, but huge in their day.
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The Aftermath
“Well WE just got hammered,” Lotto proclaims, surveying the wreckage that once was the party.
“The ole’ fireballing mage hiding around the corner trick, eh?” Vandross says, scratching his head in consternation.
“I’m sure I had something very important to take care of back at the grove,” Sahrim motions in the direction of Darokin, “and I don’t know if there’s anything I can do for poor old Taran here.”
“Well maybe Tymora will be able to help us in our time of need. We should really take their bodies back to the church and see what can be done. Look on the bright side – they weigh a whole lot less now, and they don’t eat as much or require any water! You see, Tymora works in mysterious ways!” Lotto perks up, trying her best to lift the spirits of her companions.
“Blub,” says Arnie, with a look of surprise on his face. Being a fish, he doesn’t have much choice.
“And I can take care of Arnie tomorrow no problem. Don’t you worry yourself one little bit Mr Fishy! You’ll be killing Chamra gods in no time!” Lotto looks down, smiling enthusiastically into the fishbowl. The fish stares back at her, and Lotto feels a slight uneasiness as the fish appears to frown – a facial expression that fish are generally not known for.
“OK everyone, grab what you need, and lets get out of here before Mr Invincible decides he wants to finish us off for good,” Sahrim takes charge, being the party’s senior member. “We’ll probably find Mr Bright back at Glantri city, I think he copped a bit of punishment in there too.”
“So what are we gonna’ do with these plans we found? Are they important?” Phoebe pipes in, trying to bring the focus back to the mission.
“Look Phoebe, I really don’t think we should worry about that right now,” Sahrim commands, “Our new mission is to get ourselves back to safety, and try to restore our fallen companions. The natural law will take care of everything else. We’ve done the best we could, and that’s all. We weren’t able to defeat the Master, and that’s just the way it is.”
“You know what Druids are like,” Dressla whispers to Phoebe, “I think I’ll keep them, just in case.”
The party begins the long journey back to your homeland. Lotto is able to sustain the party with her food and water, and apart from a few scary nights in the mountain pass, the group of adventurers manage to return safely to Darokin.
The return journey is a time for much reflection and discussion of what went wrong. The party comes to the conclusion that sometimes you can do your best, but your best just isn’t good enough. Adventuring is a hard life. There is the promise of much fame and fortune, but it also carries enormous risk. Although children see it as a glamorous and exciting life, the reality is one of utter frustration and despair.
“My days of Chamra god-killing are over man,” Arnie, thankful to be back in his own body, says to Vandross, “This is just bullshit. I think I’m gonna get into teaching. Maybe settle down. That Elven chick I’ve been chasing, y’know, maybe she can come and find ME someday. But I’m not holding my breath. There’s plenty of other fish in the sea. I should know!”
“Yeah man, I’ve been thinking of giving this up for ages now. I think I want to just go back and patch things up with my family. Maybe I can get some work as a knife thrower or acrobat, something a bit more sedate,” Vandross replies.
“Well, you’ll die of old age pretty soon, so don’t waste too much time,” Arnie jumps in, ”Do what you think you need to do. I’ll be around for years yet, unless I get eaten by some hairy monster, so I think I’m gonna enjoy life for a while.”
“Well,” says Sahrim, “It’s been great adventuring with you guys. I think I’ll miss seeing you two work together – I mean, as far as frontline fighting goes, you guys were poetry in motion. But, there’s a higher need that I must serve too. You must understand that we Druids must endeavour to maintain a balance between all things. You may not agree with my philosophy, but I hope you can respect me. Maybe we can get together sometime and talk about our old adventuring days?”
Sahrim’s suggestion meets with much approval throughout the remainder of the party. Lotto looks fondly over her companions, who have fought bravely next to her on many occasions, and a tear comes to her eye.
“Oh please!” says Phoebe, still bristling with youthful energy, “You guys are making me sick! I dunno about the rest of these dead guys, but big Mr Master baddie don’t scare me! I kick butt!”
“Stick with me honey and we’ll go places,” Dressla quips.
“Lotto,” Phoebe looks quizzically at the Tymoran cleric, “Is it possible to get any of these guys fixed? I mean, I know they’re pretty broken, but can you fix them?”
“We’ll see,” Lotto sighs, “If Tymora wills it to be so, then it shall be done.”
After recuperating in his hometown of Glantri city, Chris Bright books a flight to Darokin to discuss the future with his old comrades. He flies in just as they are arriving back from their journey across
“So should we go back to that inn where you guys used to score all those cool adventures from?”
“NOOOOOO!!!!” is chorus from the veterans.
A conference room in a nearby tavern is available, and is secured with a few silver for the afternoon. A survey of the recovered treasure lifts the spirits somewhat. Well, maybe not the spirits of the charcoal carcasses, but at least the surviving party members have a feeling of security for the next few months.
“Well we did OK in the gems department,” Arnie says, sorting them into coloured piles, “Yeah baby I like the look of that!”
“This necklace is fantastic!” Lotto holds it up to her chest and models it for the party.
“It will be interesting to see what’s in these potion bottles,” says Christopher, “Drinks are on me!”
A sense of despair is shared by all at the table, despite the wealth displayed in front of them. The party is still irked by the lack of closure of this part of their lives together. Having time to reflect on the last few months however, they feel their experience has grown. Although there is a feeling that more could have been gained from this recent adventure, it is definitely an experience that none will soon forget.
Lotto : 10 701 xp
Phoebe: (f) 5 369 xp ; (t) 5 329 xp
Sahrim: 10 346 xp
Taran (if alive): 9 116 xp
Arnie: 8 639 xp
Chris: 7 046 xp
Panda (if alive): (f) 2120 xp ; (m) 2320 xp ; (t) 2320 xp
Alfred (if alive): 6 079 xp
Dressla: 5 171 xp
<Simon> (if alive): 4 088 xp
Vandross: 557 xp
Total: 79 201 xp
“Well if I hang around with you saps any longer, I’ll puke. So I’m off to take care of business. Dressla? You coming?” Phoebe stands up becomes much shorter.
“Hell yeah,” Dressla squints around the room, “Oh there you are! OK let’s rock!”
Phoebe and Dressla, still weary from the months they have spent travelling and barely escaping death at every turn, stumble towards the barracks of the local allied commanders. A quick word at the gates allows them passage through to the building inside the high iron fence. Allied forces patrol the grounds and scrutinise every move, but the information carried by the latest interlopers is instantly recognised as being of importance to the campaign against the Master.
Passers by stop to watch as the guards hustle into activity. Within moments, guards are doubled at every post within and around the military complex. Doors are bolted shut, and windows are sealed.
An uneasy quiet surrounds the camp for the next three hours. As the sky turns orange, and the cool of the evening begins to settle, a lone messenger breaks the silence as he runs towards the council building. The young man speeds towards his destination, and onlookers are struck with a feeling that either the war is going to take a turn for the worst, or that they will soon be a part of an historic victory. Already, family members in regional areas have been evacuated to the major cities out of concern for their lives. The people of Darokin have been living in fear for months, knowing that any day could be the day of the invasion of their own homes by the Masters forces.
Early in the following morning, long before the bakers rise to light their ovens, messengers on thoroughbreds with heavily armed escorts speed off towards the frontlines. The morning news travels quickly thoughout Darokin. The evil army had been planning secret raids on key areas of Darokin. Allied intelligence was gave the Darokin army the initiative, and allowed them to set a trap for the Masters sorties. The evil forces were crushed, and allied casualties were minimal.
The next few weeks returns more stories of success from the frontline: mountain passes secured; enemy camps uncovered and destroyed; and the evil army being routed on every battlefield. Soldiers begin returning home with news of the Masters forces being hampered by internal disputes and power struggles following massive losses, resulting in rock bottom troop morale and fighting strength.
How did the allied forces turn the tables on the Master so quickly? Intelligence. Thanks to a small group of fearless secret agents, the allied forces have been able to pre-empt almost every move that the evil army would make.
Although the identity of the secret agents is never to be revealed, there are a few Darokininan ex-adventurers who think they know the truth.
Primary objective met – 80 000 xp bonus
Phoebe: (f) 10 000 xp ; (t) 10 000 xp
Dressla: 20 000 xp
40 000 xp to be split between surviving / resurrected party members
Phoebe & Dressla also earn 1000gp per year pension from the Darokinian government and tax exemptions from all allied countries.
You're letting him recuperate a little and become even more powerful, so that you can have another crack at him later.
It's what you do with evil arch-nemesis types.
Posted by: TheDM | November 03, 2009 at 09:12 AM
Pity we weren't able to kill the master, and really turn the tide of the war. Shame really. Still we did get a shltload of gems, so you know, not a total loss.
Posted by: Owen | November 03, 2009 at 01:30 AM