16377 réponses à ce sujet

[Serg BlackStrider]

 No Reloading the trilogy has always struck me as a worthy challenge, but another challenge that has always fascinated me is roleplaying chaotic neutral. I was thinking of the chaotic neutral problem when I first saw what was to become Arcadia's portrait, and I thought: “ What if a sweet and sincere young warrior were possessed by a psychotic empathic cat?” That's Arcadia. I find writing Arcadia interesting, but I'm aware that others might not enjoy reading about her: she may just be too weird. If there is interest, I'll keep sharing her narrative. If not, I'll revert to a more conventional posting format.

You know what, now, after reading your post I came to thought that I probably don't want to roleplay chaotic-neutral character myself... (I've rolled such aligned characters in the past but those were pure *cosmetic*). And I think I don't want such characters in the party no matter of their usefulness (Quayle, Safana, Garrick) either. I feel... strange. The images of how Arcadia treated Imoen are just too real... But I'm definitely looking forward for more narrative - it's great!

[Grond0]

Bob the Biffer (update 1 - the iron crisis)

 

[Grond0]

Bob the Biffer (update 2 - bandits)

 

[Grond0]

Bob the Biffer (update 3 - Cloakwood Mine)

 

[Grimwald the Wise]

I certainly like Bob the Biffer.

[Grond0]

Bob the Biffer (update 4 - Palace)

 

[Grond0]

Bob the Biffer (update 5 - Sarevok)

 

[Grond0]

Bob the Biffer (6th and final update - epilog)

 

Like all my recent attempts Bob was proceeding without use of potions.  Most of the progress was pretty quick (Sarevok was the exception) and that probably contributed to me making quite a few mistakes along the way.  One of the more important ones was not manipulating reputation, so that he ended with 2 pretty useless slow poisons rather than horror - that contributed to Belt taking more damage at the palace than I was comfortable with and will make the early stages of BG2 more difficult.

 

Another mistake at the end resulted in a (to me) unique result.  Bob threw an axe at Sarevok from extreme range before running away to the temple entrance.  I realised then that Bob hadn't rested in order to have invisibility available from his ring.  Sarevok hadn't properly seen him and wasn't hostile, so I thought it might still be possible to get out of the temple and rest.  That was indeed the case, but after resting, guess who turned up ...

 

The Undercity party were still there, so Bob took Sarevok for a run around the edge of the ruins.  However, there were a fair number of skeleton archers wandering around there and he took quite a bit of damage from them before using his invisibility to drop Sarevok and go and clear the route.  After that he had an extended battle with Sarevok running and throwing his axe.  On 2 occasions during that he was hit - both times when he failed to respond to a movement command and I didn't react in time.  That took him low enough on HPs that he could have been killed by one more hit.  However, there were no more mistakes and Sarevok eventually took a final hit and gave his death speech - and then immediately kept on coming.  Fortunately I had thought that might happen and was not surprised and Bob was able to keep his distance.  He dashed back into the temple and Sarevok followed ... and disappeared as his scripted death caught up with him.  The screenshot in the previous update was a mock-up with Sarevok added in as he had vanished an instant before I took the screenshot.

 

Bob duly reported back to Belt and has arrived in Athkatla.  As far as I can tell the game is now continuing properly.  Here's his record at the start of the dungeon - showing very healthy HPs .

 

[Blackraven]

Oh Grond0, the comments in the pics are very funny. Could you keep this up?
By the way congrats, with Bob's success. He looks promising: excellent stats, good HP rolls, and Lady Luck seems to like him as well (no real setbacks yet). Keep on biffing in Amn!

Alesia, I understand your hesitation. Taking into account their reporting/journaling style, most people here seem interested first and foremost in the tactical challenge rather than detailed narratives of roleplayed playthroughs (irrespective of characters' alignment or personality). On the other hand I've done roleplayed journals various times myself, and I did get feedback, tips, and the occasional compliment, so I'm sure people will appreciate your narrative efforts. I know I do

[Grond0]

Oh Grond0, the comments in the pics are very funny. Could you keep this up?

Well, I was intending to keep putting pictures in anyway .  I've done quite a lot of narrative reporting in recent runs, so thought that some rather sparser updates would make a nice change.

[Blind_Visionary]

If there is interest, I'll keep sharing her narrative.

 

Please! Arcadia is like no other aspirant to the throne that I've ever seen. I think the RP is at least as fascinating as tactical genius.

[Blackraven]

Glorydd, Dwarven Fighter/Thief, 5th update

As revealed previously, Glorydd's next destination was the coast. As other wilderness areas that she had vistited, the coast offered her a couple of adventures worth relating here. First of all there was a woman whose son the Dwarf saved from a pack of Worgs. Glorydd learnt from the encounter that she still wasn't a true Ranger, because she failed to pacify the beasts, and ended up slaying them. She was then approached by a smuggler who warned her of Sirines, led by one named Sil, guarding a treasure cave. Glorydd had no interest in dealing with Sirines, creatures she knew capable of blinding their victims with toxic vapors, charming them, or pelting them with poisoned arrows. She did however have an interest in the treasure cave.

Glorydd waited for the cover of night to sneak past the Sirines and enter the cave. In it she disarmed three traps and had a bit of a scare when she encountered three Flesh Golems. Luckily, the cave had many dark corners for the Dwarf to hide in and attack from. Her backstabs didn't appear to deal as much damage to the Golems as to other, natural creatures, but with patience she managed to destroy the constructs without suffering a scratch herself. A treasure cove contained various interesting items, including a Tome that would increase Glorydd's constitution upon reading it.

 

Further south Glorydd protected an archaelogist against possible bandits and against his own men, and she also ran into the captain of the Nashkel Guard, Brage, who had slain many an innocent, but not voluntarily she discovered. A cursed sword rather than his own will had been the cause of the captain's actions. Glorydd reasoned with him and brought him to Nalin, the Priest of Helm in Nashkel, for redemption.

[Note: I did the Lighthouse and South Sword Coast areas at the very beginning of the game, before my decision to take a slightly more roleplayed approach to this run.]

 

South of Nashkel, Glorydd went about her remaining two commissions: (1) Prism the emerald thief she found carving a beautiful portrait of Ellessime the Elven queen, while she was exploring the Nashkel Mines area, and (2) investigating and solving the troubles in the aforementioned mines. 

 

She had to protect Prism and his emeralds from a bounty hunter, a tall, muscular man clad in studded leather armor who arrived shortly after her. With two traps that slowed her foe, and with her trusty shortbow the Dwarf defeated the man before she saw Prism fall to a heart attack leaving the emeralds free for her for the taking.

The first level of the Nashkel Mines was quiet and showed no sign of an evil presence that accounted for the disappearences of miners or the contamination of iron. The second level was a different story altogether. It was replete with Kobolds. Glorydd's instinct told her to leave the place, report the problem to Berrun Ghastkill, and call for reinforcements. But when she found that the critters had the greatest difficulty hitting her with their bows and short swords (thanks to her Cloak of Displacement, Claw of Kazgaroth, Girdle of Piercing and Shadow Armor), she decided to deal with them herself. This was tedious work though; it grew stale so fast that she resolved to sneak past future packs in search of their leader, rather than confronting them.

The Kobold's corpses offered little in terms of loot, though she did take a vial containing a mysterious liquid with her for Thalantyr to examine, as well as a sample of a tarnished ore she wanted Taerom Fuirum to have a look at.

On the third level the prevalence of Kobolds seemed even higher than on the second level. While disarming a trap on a bridge Glorydd was spotted by a small pack of Kobolds that immediately attacked and rallied many more Kobolds to join the fray. With difficulty the Dwarf found a place to hide in shadows again allowing her to shake off her pursuers, before she descended to the fourth level, an open cave-like space below the actual mines.

Still hidden, she entered a round structure, almost like a cave within the cave, wherein she discerned three different chambers, one with plush furniture and a hevay chest with a big lock on it. She concluded she must have found the Kobold leader's den, and decided to set two snares at the entrance. (Trapping entrances of dangerous-looking places was something she would make a habit of, she decided at that moment.) She then snuck past four Kobold elite warriors that were torturing an elven captive with a whip, and she spotted a bulky Half-Orc priest walking toward the chest she had spotted before. Glorydd had no doubt that the Half-Orc and his Elite Kobolds were in charge of the disruption of the mine. What happened then, all happened very fast. Glorydd wounded the priest with a strike from the shadows. He called for help but saw his Kobolds and Skeletons get killed or severely injured by the Dwarf's traps. And Glorydd then struck her foe down, denying him the mercy he begged her for. Glorydd looted the priest's corpse and his chest, finding little of interest except for some correspondence referencing a bandit camp in the Wood of Sharp Teeth. Apparently the Half-Orc had worked with (or for) the bandits that had been tormenting the Sword Coast.

Glorydd released the Elf and gave him two healing potions, but she declined his bemusing proposal to travel together. She left the Mines to find herself in unfamiliar territory inhabited mainly by undead. The Dwarf quaffed a potion of freedom to protect herself against their paralyzing touch attacks, slew the creatures, looted a number of tombs they had seemed to be guarding, and then made her way back to Nashkel. There she brought Berrun Ghastkill the news that she had reclaimed the mine for the people of Nashkel. She was rewarded with 900 GP for her help.

But all was not well. In front of the Nashkel Inn, Glorydd was accosted by an assassin. In order to buy herself some time, she tried to talk herself out of a fight, but the man, Nimbul he had called himself, knew well who she was, and wouldn't be fooled. Glorydd retreated, but saw a nebule of magical energy coming after her, an Emotion: Hopelessness. The Dwarf quaffed a potion of invisibility before the magic could put her to sleep, but that proved unnecessary as the energy died away as soon as it hit her. She alarmed the Nashkel Guards, and they came to her help. However, the assassin would quaff potions of invisibility to cause the guards to leave, until Glorydd would show up to prompt her foe to attack her. When the assassin was out of invisibility potions, the guards helped her exhaust the assassin's Stoneskins, and allowed her to strike their foe down with a backstab. On his body she found a letter containing an instruction by someone named Tazok and a reference to a man named Tranzig who was supposed to reside at Feldepost's Inn in Beregost.

 

Weeks had gone by in which bounty hunters and assassins had appeared to have lost her trail, and had almost ceased to be a concern for her, but now the game seemed afoot again. Glorydd had not been idle in those weeks though. She had honed her trapping skills, improved her ability with her short blades, and acquired powerful gear. The Dwarf decided that the time had come to stop hiding herself, and to confront her enemy, whoever they were.

The first thing she did was to seek out Tranzig in Beregost. Just like Nimbul, the wizard Tranzig recognized her, and he left her no time to protect herself against his magics. He cast a Horror on her, just as Mutamin had done before. However, Tranzig did little after that to kill the Dwarf, allowing her to retalliate with lethal force once the Horror effect had worn off. She searched the dead man's body for possible leads to his higher-ups, and received a revelation in the form of a letter from Tazok, bandit leader in charge of a large camp in the Wood of Sharp Teeth, who had also been in contact with the Half-Orc in the Nashkel Mines. It confirmed to her that it was the organization behind the bandits and the iron crisis that wanted her dead.

 

This information shocked her at first. Surely an evil faction capable of uniting countless bandits and disrupting the economy through an iron crisis, would have to be reckoned with. But she told herself that she had succesfully coped with the all the attempts on her life by assassins and bounty hunters no doubt enticed by the mysterious organization to kill her. She also reminded herself that she had thwarted the organization by single-handedly clearing the Nashkel Mines. These realizations encouraged her to continue her search for answers and strengthened her in her resolve to deal with her enemies.

[Epsil0]

The amount of creativity in this thread has skyrocketed, hasn't it? It make me rather sad to post a standard run, but...

Ephraim, wild mage, introduction and first update

The backwards duals have always appealed to me, for some reason: by this, I mean starting out as a spell caster and then dualing to a mundane class. In this case, Ephraim's plan is to hit level 9 for 5th level slots before dualing to Thief; I'll be able to hit level 6 in BG1 before hitting the level cap. Wild Mage is what makes this potentially really weird, as he could still try to cast higher level spells from level 1 slots with Nahal's Reckless Dweomer, though it's risking a surge every single time. It'll be used as a panic button in BG2, probably. To make my chances even WORSE, I plan to do this run not as a solo, but as a dual... With the second character being the Wild Mage NPC for the enhanced edition, Neera!

 

 

Play starts by summoning a Fairy Dragon successfully. After Gorion's demise, Ephraim quickly loots the bodies and a tree before heading southwest to kill Shoal. Two Blinds, a few nibbles from his familiar, and quite a few darts later, Ephraim is level 3, rolling 5 on 2d4. Attempting to rest in High Hedge gets him ambushed by a skeleton; I choose to fight for the skull for the eventual Melicamp. I had to use the potion from Xzar, but he emerged victorious. Scroll shopping, Ephraim successfully memorizes Sleep, Invisibility, and Pro. Petrification.

 

First surge happens attempting to kill the wolf attacking Melicamp: Blindness on self while casting Invisibility. I tried to rest to remove the blindness; I get awoken by a group of Skeletons. This almost resulted in death, but Ephraim barely managed to reach the edge of the map and escaped to High Hedge where the rest was successful. Traveling south again ends in a dead wolf, and one failed spell by Thalantyr, one dead chicken.

 

Beregost tasks are fulfilled, though Neera's encounter is avoided, as I'm trying to get her at a higher level than 1. On the way to the FAI, casting Invisibility before traveling probably saved Ephraim's life during a bandit ambush. An Ogre is put to sleep, first literally, then figuratively. Tarnesh is blinded and killed before Horror and Magic Missiles could come. Evermemory is put on, and turning in all the quests gets Ephraim just short of level 4. I tend to open the route to the north at this time, taking out the three hobgoblins at the top first. I noticed for the first time that one of the drops is named, and after a quick Google search, Joia has her ring returned to her for 400 experience and level 4: 6 HP, max roll. 

 

Two Pro. Petrification were memorized and basilisks were killed for level 5, 3 HP, minimum roll. He's exactly average right now at 30 HP, 6 from the familiar.

 

Time to meet Neera; I suspect that getting to level 6 MIGHT bring her to level 6 as well, but I can't find any web source regarding this. Anyways, the battle is easy after Horror scares away the mage. Neera has enough exp for level 4, but she spectacularly fails her HP rolls as the 3 levels from 1 to 4 apparently ended as 3 ones. She has all of 7 HP; a noncritical arrow could kill her at this point. Traveling invisibly is now a must. One more trip to High Hedge to purchase new scrolls, and it's time to head to Nashkel.

 

Stats: Ephraim: level 5 Wild Mage. 17 kills: most powerful vanquished: Shoal the Nereid. 30 HP.

Neera: level 4 Wild Mage. 0 kills. 7 HP.

[Alesia_B_H]

Oopsy! I accidentally signed in with the alternate login that I created back when I thought I had lost my original account. Sorry!

[Alesia_BH]

I certainly like Bob the Biffer.

 

I like Bob the Biffer, too. And he happens to be the perfect counterpoint to Arcadia. Arcadia's run will be slow, ponderous, wordy, and potion filled. Bob the Biffer's will be an axe full of jpeg: straight up. Cheers to Bob! (even if he isn't a drinker)

 

Best,

 

A.

[Alesia_BH]

The amount of creativity in this thread has skyrocketed, hasn't it? It make me rather sad to post a standard run, but...

 

Nothing sad about it at all. Glad to have Ephraim with us. Take care!

 

Best,

 

A.

[Alesia_BH]

I feel... strange. The images of how Arcadia treated Imoen are just too real... But I'm definitely looking forward for more narrative - it's great!

 

I can understand why Arcadia's interaction with Imoen would make you uncomfortable. It's like the quintessential "deep down he really loves me" abusive relationship, but worse. In typical abusive relationships, there are frequent apologies, accompanied by transparent claims that the abuse did not, or does not, reflect the abuser's true self. Imoen gets no apologies, but, in fact, the abuse doesn't reflect Arcadia's true self: it comes from the cat. Imoen could wash her hands of the whole thing, but then she'd be abandoning Arcadia to the cat. Beyond that, she senses that the cat is up to something epically dangerous, and she can't ignore that. Worse still, if she were to explain the situation to others, she'd just sound crazy. And so the standard remedies to abuse, to walk away or to elicit support, aren't available to her. She's stuck. She's in a tough spot, but Imoen's a strong women. She may triumph in the end.

 

Best,

A.

 

 

Btw. I think the best solution for Imoen is to contact Bob the Biffer:

 

Imoen: "Bob, can you kill a psychotic cat for me?"

 

Bob: "Yes I can!"

[Blackraven]

Glorydd, Dwarven Fighter/Thief, 5th update

What she had intended to be a time for comfort and refreshment at Feldepost's Inn would pan out to be a rough night, filled with vivid dreams of her exploits in the Nashkel Mines, more particularly of her dealings with Mulahey. In one of the dreams she was offered the opportunity to kill the Half-Orc's spirit with a dagger, but she refused to do so. She felt it was not up to her to decide over Mulahey's spirit. A deep and angry male voice seemed to disagree: "You WILL learn" - it had said. The next morning Glorydd awoke with a healing power. She now had two. The first she had received after a much more pleasant dream in which she had said goodbye to Gorion. Glorydd had attributed receiving her first Lay on Hands power as a gift from Marthammor Duin, exarch of Moradin, and guide and protector to dwarven adventurers, explorers, expatriates, travelers, and wanderers. She was no deeply religious or superstitious woman, but she did call herself a follower of Marthammor Duin. The resentful 'You WILL learn' that had preceded her second healing power was nothing like good-natured Marthammor Duin however. She wondered if another, darker divine being had found her worthy of their attention.

Puzzled by this question and unrested Glorydd got up. When she wanted to leave town a young girl asked her to speak with a Flaming Fist Officer in the Jovial Juggler Inn. Glorydd obliged. Officer Jessa Vai, cut off from Baldur's Gate just like Glorydd due to bandits, offered 50 GP for each bandit scalp the Dwarf would bring her. Glorydd considered the offer but declined. The scalps would probably fester amidst her clothes and provender in her pack, a thought that nearly made her vomit. The Dwarf did reveal to Officer Vai that she had her own dispute with the bandits, so she might prove to be of help anyway. She said goodbye and then set out to the Wood of Sharp Teeth where she hoped to locate the bandit stronghold and learn more about her enemy.

She trekked through Larswood and Peldvale, remaining hidden from Black Talons and small bandit patrols, until she got noticed by a larger group. Their leader, a handsome, fair-haired man named Raiken, offered her a choice between her gold and her life, but in his hungry eyes that were screening her body Glorydd read that there was something else Raiken desired from her. "Let me join you, you're simply to good at what you do, and there's lots for us to gain" - Glorydd answered him, feeling rather awkward for she was no charmer. But Raiken readily agreed.

She traveled to the Bandit Camp with her new companions, and was presented to Tazok as a new recruit. Tazok, a tremendous Half-Ogre warrior, wasn't as pleased as Raiken had been, but the Dwarf managed to convince him she'd prove a useful addition to their cause. Tazok told Glorydd to stay at the camp, and left with Raiken (who would have much rather stayed with Glorydd) on a raid somewhere. The Dwarf explored the camp until a flatulent bandit instructed her to guard Tazok's tent. There were important people and important papers inside the tent, she was told, so her job was an important one as well.

 

When the bandit was out of sight, she applied an oil of speed on her body, quaffed a potion of defense and donned her Helm of Charm Protection. Ready for battle she entered the tent. The bandits gathered there, Glorydd counted around ten, immediately attacked. Most were archers, but there was also a Gnoll with Halberd, and a human wizard. The latter fruitlessly attempted to remove her potion buffs, before Glorydd struck him down. She then dealt with the Gnoll and after that, with the archers, including their leader Raemon. She alternated between different foes in order to hit them before they could switch to their blades.

Glorydd took a few hits but that's something she had expected with the odds being ten against one. She simply gritted her teeth and prohibited herself from thinking of her wounds, until all her foes were slain.

Importantly, she had dealt her still invisble enemy another blow. She searched the chests and the bodies of the fallen for clues as to her nemesis' identity. Two letters linked the bandits to the Iron Throne, which surprised the Dwarf because as far as she knew the Iron Throne were merchants not criminals. A prisoner of Tazok's revealed to her the location of a hidden Iron Throne base in Cloakwood after she had released him. Thus Cloakwood would be Glorydd's next destination.

First however she had to deal with hordes of hostile bandits, led by Black Talon leader Taugosz Khosann. In order to break morale and unity amongst the bandits, she decided to take on Khosann. Glorydd, still hasted, set two snares and lured him into them. Ignoring the pain of arrows that hit her, as she had done inside Tazok's tent, she ran off, hid and returned to finish Khosann with a powerful backstab.

[Grimwald the Wise]

Diary of the Gnasty Gnomes

 

After wandering round the Gate picking up whatever experience and equipment that we could find, we went to beregost and trashed the Section HQ. Very satisfying.

 

 

Upon entering the section HQ, we were teleported into the fray. No backing out now!

 

We fought the magic users first.

 

 

Then the operatives.

 

We then went up a level and fought more mages and operatives.

 

 

When they were dead, we made our way out killing stealthy opponents on the way.

 

 

A few more mages and operatives and we were out.

 

That little foray brought us several levels and has filled our containers with lots of highly valuable equipment. Little is actually any better than our current equipment, but it does mean that gold will not be a problem. We will now have to spend a lot of time sleeping and identifying objects.

 

However it is now "Time for bed" as Zebedee used to say.

 

I may even catch up with reading the other posts.

[Blind_Visionary]

Grace 1 died as a result of an ill-advised assault on Silke. Grace had charmed Silke and had her waste most of her spellbook, but then Silke came to her senses and chugged an invisibility potion -- Grace couldn't track her down. Grace rested, then went hunting... and came up short on her save when a chromatic orb (I think) caused insta-death.

 

I've launched Grace v2 in her stead (human mage-thief). She's done a lot so far, including nabbing the tome of constitution and the wolf cloak from Black Alaric's cave, etc. etc.  Still hasn't done the mines. I'd love to tell you a story about her, but... I'm just going to sit back and let Glorydd and Arcadia have all the glory for now. If she survives the Amazon ambush (as far as I've ever gotten in this insane pursuit) then maybe I'll tell you more.

 

 

[Grimwald the Wise]

Grace 1 died as a result of an ill-advised assault on Silke. Grace had charmed Silke and had her waste most of her spellbook, but then Silke came to her senses and chugged an invisibility potion -- Grace couldn't track her down. Grace rested, then went hunting... and came up short on her save when a chromatic orb (I think) caused insta-death.

 

I've launched Grace v2 in her stead (human mage-thief). She's done a lot so far, including nabbing the tome of constitution and the wolf cloak from Black Alaric's cave, etc. etc.  Still hasn't done the mines. I'd love to tell you a story about her, but... I'm just going to sit back and let Glorydd and Arcadia have all the glory for now. If she survives the Amazon ambush (as far as I've ever gotten in this insane pursuit) then maybe I'll tell you more.

 

Hope that all goes well and that you have a good game.

[Epsil0]

Ephraim, second and final update:

We clear out the mines; Mulahey doesn't get to talk under two Stinking Clouds. Neera gave Ephraim Adoy's Enclave quest, and things go sour really quickly as a regular goblin saves vs Sleep, then scores two critical hits in a row; somehow the second one did 20 damage, meaning these Goblins are dealing 10 damage with bows... Ephraim has fallen to a mere goblin

[Grimwald the Wise]

Ephraim, second and final update:

We clear out the mines; Mulahey doesn't get to talk under two Stinking Clouds. Neera gave Ephraim Adoy's Enclave quest, and things go sour really quickly as a regular goblin saves vs Sleep, then scores two critical hits in a row; somehow the second one did 20 damage, meaning these Goblins are dealing 10 damage with bows... Ephraim has fallen to a mere goblin

 

Hard luck.

 

Now I won't feel quite so bad about falling to xvarts.

[CrevsDaak]

Glîncúwen and her party first talked Mirianne to get the quest to deliver back the letter, went to the South of Beregost, killed the Ogrillons and gave back the letter and got a ring as a reward, Ajantis put it on trusting the lady and we went on adventuring.

I headed to the Gibberling Mountains as soon as I arrived a Flaming Fist talked to us and told us about Samuel. We easily found the Ring of Energy and Chainmail+1 (sold after being identified, which is something I regret...). I almost draw back the whole party at the sight of a Dire Wolf, thinking it was a Vampiric Wolf, but when I read it's name the poor thing got slain. We got a scroll yet-to-identify from a crazy Gnome and headed to the Gibberling Nest, but unluckily they were pretty few and didn't last long.

We took Samuel to the FAI, gave Ursley back her gridle and I remembered I had to kill the spiders in Landrin's House. My PC drew them out of the house, and Quayle casted Sleep over them and we killed them all and the only one that got hurt was Ajantis, but he only took 3 points of damage. We travelled to Cloakwood, to get Gurke's cloak back, again, Sleep proved very useful even if enemies awake when they're hit (TobEx change).

Back on Beregost, we decide to take on Silke, so we talk to Garrick and unluckily have no time to buff before she talks to us. We interrupt her casting of Haste (I've played another run before and she used Haste+Melee a lot) but she manages to hit Quayle, whom, badly hurt, runs away (luckily, otherwise he'd have gotten killed). She casts Sleep on Ajantis, but both Kivan and my PC are unaffected because of their Elven blood, anyway, Kivan gets killed with some lucky rolls on Silke's side and my PC starts to run away to escape her. She won't cast Sleep over my PC, but she used Melf's Acid Arrow, which almost kills me, but I could cast Healing Touch (the Bhaalspawn Cure Light Wounds Innate renamed by aTweaks) and drink a potion to avoid dying, but Glîncúwen's badly hurt anyway. We run a bit more and then make Quayle come to heal my PC. We give Silke a free tour around Beregost and awake Ajantis from his nap. Ajantis tanks and damages Silke, but he manages to get killed yet again (Silke scored a critical hit for 16 damage). With low HP and no spells left, Silke's easily killedgranting Glîncúwen and Quayle another level (actually I didn't notice my PC had gained a level until much later).

We recruit Garrick (I took the picture a lot later, sorry) and we get ambushed by Gnolls. Luckily Quayle has Sleep so we beat them easily, we get to the Beregost Temple, raise Ajantis and Kivan (in my install Resurrection replace Raise Dead when it comes to Temple Services, so they're at full health) and go to kill some Ankhegs. This grants Ajantis his 3rd level, so now he has Mastery (+++) on Bastard Swords and a handful of HP. We continue slaughtering the beasts, Quayle gains a level, Brun get's back the body of his son and a handful of gold and we travel to Nashkel's Carnival by accident (I wanted to go to Nashkel but apparently I miss-clicked, oh well) and after Garrick and Quayle banter a bit we kill a bunch of Kobolds and head to Nashkel's Mines.

While in the Mines, I remember about Greywolf... So I head to Prism and decide to protect him. We slay Greywolf but he leaves Garrick badly damaged and kills Ajantis (he dies all the time!). I go to Nashkel just to get ambushed by Noober, who's easily beaten, give back the Emeralds, raise Ajantis and head to the Nashkel Inn... Here Ajantis gets killed yet again because he failed his save vs Neira's Hold Person. Everyone (but Quayle, he's just too smart to get Hold!) got Hold eventually, but she was focused on damaging Ajantis and trying to confuse Quayle with Rigid Thinking (he did save so nothing happened), so only Ajantis was killed, Hold wore off and she was finished in melee (Kivan, dualing Greywolf's longsword+1 and a non-magical one) and with ranged weapons (Garrick—Crossbow, Glîncúwen—Shortbow and Quayle with his friggin' Darts). We raised Ajantis back, went to the Mines, saved and exited the game (because it was 3am, and I was tired so I went to sleep instead of writing this).

So, after the Mines we'll have Xan with us, and I might go for some XP before entering the Bandit Camp (dunno if Basilisks or something else).

[Alesia_BH]

Arcadia, Half-Elven Fighter/Mage: Entry 3

 

Of all the things Arcadia could have packed, and of all the things she was forced to leave behind, Arcadia chose to bring Captain Swarmi's tiara and cloak. Captain Swarmi doesn't like the tiara and the cloak, truth be told: he finds them demeaning. And yet he understands that they are essential. If a grown women is to be bent to the will of a cat, it has to feel like play. And not just any play: nostalgic play- an extension of childhood. Captain Swarmi doesn't like the tiara and the cloak. But he knows that they are instruments of the power he wields over Arcadia. They will never be forgotten. He is wearing them now.

 

“Did we do well, my Captain? Did we make the preparations?” Arcadia said, smiling brightly, sitting cross legged under a tree in front of the Friendly Arm Inn, cupping her chamomile tea with her right hand, and extending the twinkling fingers of her left toward Captain Swarmi's snout. Captain Swarmi didn't like Arcadia's fingers near his snout. But spying the rings upon them -the rings that they had found under his guidance- he knew he had to signal approval, if mild approval: there was still work to be done, and Arcadia needed to understand that. Captain Swarmi looked up into Arcadia's eyes briefly, then he turned his attention to the saucer of tea in front of him. He began to lap. Arcadia followed suit, sipping gently while turning her face to the wind. She then set her cup down and began humming playfully, subtly rocking back and forth, while Captain Swarmi continued to lap. Arcadia stopped humming and said, “I like this tree Captain Swarmi. It's a good tree....It's very arboreal. And green... That's what makes a good tree. Don't you think Captain Swarmi?” Arcadia's humming resumed- resumed, that is, until Captain Swarmi finished his tea.

 

Once Captain Swarmi finished his tea, Arcadia picked up her cup and emptied it in a single gulp. She sat up promptly, with her spine perfectly straight. She was silent, focused, attentive- in a state of knowing anticipation. Captain Swarmi sat up too, though without the same discipline and attention to detail. They looked into each other's eyes, starring. And as the stare continued, Arcadia's expression went blank. Doe-eyed, docile, vacant, Arcadia reached into her pack and mechanically removed the crushed violets and buttermilk. She mixed them into a paste. She then rubbed the paste onto her cheeks, closed her eyes, and began to chant. As the chant grew deeper and more rhythmic, Arcadia's mind opened to words and images. A path revealed itself to her. She would head south, taking every precaution, to a town called Beregost. There, she would sell the rings to a wizard, and then she would be generous with her wealth at the local temple. She would then return to the wizard's keep, where she would buy a Wand of Sleep and, for safety, three scrolls of Invisibility, one Potion of Freedom, and one Potion of Mirror Eyes. There would be some minor jobs to do in Beregost, but her true destination would be a small border hamlet: Nashkel. She would find work there, build a reputation, build more wealth, and then she would do something truly remarkable: she would become a hero. This would lay the ground work for all that was to come. Once Captain Swarmi was certain that Arcadia understood, he blinked. Arcadia opened her eyes, her chanting ceased, and the expression came back to her face. She looked around, appreciatively, and then delightedly poured two more cups of tea.

 

“Now I know. Now I know what we're going to do next, my Captain. We're going to have garlic-dill salmon cakes with sour cream and morels. Don't you think that's a good idea? And yes I know: hold the morels for you. Hmm. Hm. Hm. Hmmm. Hm. Hm. Hm. Hm. Hmm.”

 

Best,

 

A.