Re: Adventure #4 - The Incorrigible Mr. Mittens

[Glitz]

After her second glass, Elodie will request a bowl of stew. She will sit with Lindy (as long as Lindy feels like staying) and observe the other patrons, and enjoy the music of whatever entertainer is present for the evening. When Jeremiah comes in, Elodie says, "Jeremiah! The Chancellor would like for you to train a platoon, and then he would like to send us out to spy on some of the giant camps. I told him you'd be perfect for the job, and he said to tell you to stop by soon."

Once Gumphrey has joined the group at the Jolly Toad, Elodie will share the Chancellor's next task with him as well. "Sounds like it could be dangerous. Would the two of you mind going in on another set of oils for the resurrection spell, just in case? That way I can bring us back on the road, without having to ride all the way back into town...not that we're going to let you die again, Gumphrey--but just in case. An even split would be 333 gold coins."

[Alpha Omega]

Jeremiah will now head over to the Jolly Toad to meet up with Elodie.


"Come brother, lets go to the Jolly Toad and have a little fun before you set off tomorrow. Just remember keep that money safe in the room for the night and be careful traveling to father. The area is quite dangerous..."

[Malazek]

"Come brother, lets go to the Jolly Toad and have a little fun before you set off tomorrow. Just remember keep that money safe in the room for the night and be careful traveling to father. The area is quite dangerous..."

"You're very right. I'll have to be careful."

Halvar and Gumphrey both show up at the Jolly Toad, as well. 

Elodie will request a bowl of stew. She will sit with Lindy (as long as Lindy feels like staying) and observe the other patrons, and enjoy the music of whatever entertainer is present for the evening

The entertainer tonight is none other than Sir Maius the Confounder!

Once Gumphrey has joined the group at the Jolly Toad, Elodie will share the Chancellor's next task with him as well. "Sounds like it could be dangerous. Would the two of you mind going in on another set of oils for the resurrection spell, just in case? ... An even split would be 333 gold coins."

"Yeah, I think that sounds like a smart plan. Maybe next time I'll come back as human, again. Or maybe a goat." Gumphrey tosses an opal on the table, which he says is worth a thousand gold.  "Maybe we should have few applications on hand, in case I'm not the only one to die, next time?"

"You died?" Jebediah asks .

Gumphrey replies, "Oh, yes! I sure did. Haven't been the same since. Still, it's better than being dead."

Feeling skeptical, Jebediah looks to Jeremiah for verification.

"You should die again." Halvar says. "Maybe next time you'll come back as a prince!"

"I don't think it works that way," Gumphrey says. "Besides that, it hurt. And what if I was reborn as a giant? I'd be in real trouble, then, wouldn't I?"

"Oh!" Halvar exclaims. "What if you came back as a woman?"

Gumphrey stares back at him, incredulously.

Then, Lindy slaps him on the arm. "Halvar, stop. Nobody wants to think about that."

Gumphrey awkwardly folds his arms across his chest, like he's trying to hide himself.

[Alpha Omega]

"Sounds like it could be dangerous. Would the two of you mind going in on another set of oils for the resurrection spell, just in case? ... An even split would be 333 gold coins."

"Elodie, take whatever you need from my portion of the gold in the party vault."

OOC: Take the additional 5,000 gold as well, Jeremiah won't notice it. I already subtracted the 5k and will subtract the additional 333 as well.

---

Feeling skeptical, Jebediah looks to Jeremiah for verification.

Jeremiah will nod assuredly to Jebediah...

---

"Barmaid,  get me two bowls of stew and two pitchers of ale for me and my brother here. I'd also like to arrange a room and bath for him tonight. Just run it up on my tab."

Looking to Jeb, "there's a few nice girls here that can help you with your bath, if you know what I mean..."

[Glitz]

The entertainer tonight is none other than Sir Maius the Confounder!

Elodie is delighted, and cheers loudly any time he finishes a song.

"What if you came back as a woman?"

"That could've happened, you know...and what's wrong with being a woman?" Elodie scowls. "Better than being dead, right?" Elodie pockets the opal that Gumphrey has tossed onto the table. "Thanks, Gumphrey. That should cover a few reincarnations. Being a dwarf isn't the worst thing, right? After all, there are bound to be some ladies who are curious about your...um...dwarfish bits." Elodie looks around the room to see if any of the women are curious about Gumphrey as she says this.

"Elodie, take whatever you need from my portion of the gold in the party vault."

"You're very generous, Jeremiah. Thank you!"

At Jeremiah's comment to his brother about ladies assisting with baths, Elodie clears her throat. "Or men, Jebediah. Umbrafall seems to be full of people with a variety of preferences."

Elodie orders another glass of the ancient liquor, but sips it slowly.

[Malazek]

OOC: You guys earned 36,000 xps for this adventure (24k for encounters plus 12k for story and role-playing). That brings you to a current total of 60,125 which makes you 9th level. As usual, you can "level-up" during the down-time between adventures (which isn't yet, since you still have more to do in this chapter, but feel free to start figuring it out).

[Malazek]

"Barmaid,  get me two bowls of stew and two pitchers of ale for me and my brother here. I'd also like to arrange a room and bath for him tonight. Just run it up on my tab."

Laci Buckley brings over two steaming bowls and two frothy pitchers. She sends Bavol to go fetch the water.

Looking to Jeb, "there's a few nice girls here that can help you with your bath, if you know what I mean..."

"What, really? Yeah, how do I arrange that?"

"Or men, Jebediah. Umbrafall seems to be full of people with a variety of preferences."

Jebediah laughs. "No, no. I'll stick with the women, thanks."

"Being a dwarf isn't the worst thing, right? After all, there are bound to be some ladies who are curious about your...um...dwarfish bits." Elodie looks around the room to see if any of the women are curious about Gumphrey as she says this.

Several people are staring at Gumphrey, but with morbid curiosity. The ladies, however, do not seem attracted; repulsed, if anything.

Elodie orders another glass of the ancient liquor, but sips it slowly.

Cid gladly pours another glass for Elodie and another for himself.

[Glitz]

Elodie finishes her drink and then heads to her room for the night.

The next day, she will head out to purchase enough valuable oil to perform the reincarnation spell three times. She will also purchase the materials necessary to begin crafting a powerful wand. She will spend most of the rest of the week working on the wand to ensure that it is complete when Jeremiah and the platoon are ready to head out.

At some point during the week, Elodie also wants to visit a craftsman that specializes in leather to find out the cost of altering her leather overtunic (to add a long slit on either side), and also to find out how much it would cost to purchase a thigh holster that would be able to hold her two wands and a few potions. 

Elodie also wants to try to find Suzette at some point during the week, to find out what she is doing in this military effort against the giants.

[Alpha Omega]

"What, really? Yeah, how do I arrange that?"

"Don't worry about it, I'll go arrange it"

Jeremiah will arrange for a few girls to "escort" him and has brother for the night. Come morning he will check on his brother, then head off to see the chancellor.

OOC: What are the stats for the crown?

[Malazek]

Crown of the Chameleon Lord
Aura faint illusion; CL 1st
Slot head; Price 1,800 gp; Weight —
Description: This ornate and bejeweled crown allows its wearer to alter her appearance as with a "disguise self" spell. As part of the disguise, the crown can be changed to appear as a comb, ribbon, headband, cap, coif, hood, helmet, and so on.

[Alpha Omega]

OOC: Thanks.

[Malazek]

At some point during the week, Elodie also wants to visit a craftsman that specializes in leather to find out the cost of altering her leather overtunic (to add a long slit on either side), and also to find out how much it would cost to purchase a thigh holster that would be able to hold her two wands and a few potions

The alteration will cost 2 coppers.
The customized holster will cost 2 gold.

Elodie also wants to try to find Suzette at some point during the week, to find out what she is doing in this military effort against the giants.

Elodie is unable to find Suzette, but she hears rumors that the company Suzette fights for (the Gray Bloods) left earlier that day. Some are saying that the Gray Bloods went around the mountain, looking to cut-off any possible escape routes (not that giants are likely to retreat).

Jeremiah will arrange for a few girls to "escort" him and has brother for the night. 

Pavol manages to find two more "ladies of the night" for Jebediah; two new ladies, that Jeremiah hasn't seen before.

Come morning he will check on his brother, then head off to see the chancellor.

"Thank you, Brother! Two ladies at once! And a bath? No wonder you didn't want to come home."

---

When Jeremiah arrives at the Chancellor's office, he finds it the same as the last time he saw it. Past the wide double-doors at the side of the main chamber, a short hallway with white stone walls leads past four other doors. Another set of double-doors at the far end leads to his office, which is again guarded by a pair of knights.

Inside, she finds Colton Winter standing behind the large mahogany desk. The matching credenza is still there, as is the ornate circular rug, and the bookcases. The marble pedestal still stands to your right, supporting the strange light-emitting orb.

The chancellor waves him in. "Jeremiah. I was hoping you would come by. I'm sure you've heard the news?"

[Alpha Omega]

"Yes but I wouldn't mind if you lead me through the details. Mind if I smoke?"

[Malazek]

"Yes but I wouldn't mind if you lead me through the details. Mind if I smoke?"

"By all means, you may smoke. In fact, I may have a puff or two, myself." The chancellor produces a large fancy pipe from one of the desk drawers, and proceeds to pack it while he talks. "As a proven expert at giant-slaying, I figured that you would be the perfect man for the job. Our intention is to assemble some of the best young recruits into a single platoon, to be trained by an expert such as yourself for the singular task of killing giants. Then, in about a week (which is short notice, I know), you could lead them into the hills or mountains to root out these giants." At this point, he pauses to light his pipe with a tinder-twig; the effort takes quite a bit of puffing, but finally the pipe is lit. "We could, of course, send more men, but the defense of the city (and the surrounding farms) must come first. Besides, how many giants can there be? We know they're big and strong and dangerous, but everything we know of giants says they travel in small numbers." He pauses for a moment, and then continues, "Of course, you would need to carry some sort of military rank; leftenant, is the appropriate rank for a platoon-leader. You would then have the service of a platoon-sergeant; we figured one of your current companions could carry that rank. Perhaps, Mr. Dent?" He stops to take another drag from his pipe. "The platoon would consist of two to four squads -- about three dozen men -- organized at your discretion. You will want to choose two men from each squad to carry the ranks of lance-corporal and corporal. You'll also be assigned a chaplain, unless you care to select your own; perhaps your friend, Elodie?" He stops again, to smoke for a moment. "Of course, most of the men will be locals; lads who've recently joined the peasant militia. Most are farmers or woodsmen, but these lads have all had run-ins with giants before."

"Oh, lastly, there's the matter of wages. Three silver coins per day is fairly typical for this sort of job, but we can negotiate ... especially considering your particular brand of expertise."  

[Alpha Omega]

"Hmm, I'm not really the leading type but I can give this a shot. Do you already have the men assembled and ready for training?"

[Malazek]

"Hmm, I'm not really the leading type but I can give this a shot. Do you already have the men assembled and ready for training?"

"Yes, indeed, they are ready. And it would be greatly appreciated if you could spend some time with them. If, after a week, you still don't feel fit to lead, then perhaps we can find a suitable replacement, at that time. Hopefully, by then, they will have learned something useful."

[Alpha Omega]

"Sounds good. I will go inform my companions, then head over to begin preparations. Which would be where again? If we wish to enlist Elodies help we may want to give her similar wages to mine, she is quite the gifted."

[Malazek]

"Sounds good. I will go inform my companions, then head over to begin preparations. Which would be where again? If we wish to enlist Elodie's help we may want to give her similar wages to mine, she is quite the gifted."

"Excellent. Good to hear. Your men should be assembled near the parade grounds, about half mile west of the city. There should be a banner there, to identify them as the 42nd Platoon. You can, of course, give your platoon a name, like 'The Giant Cleavers' or 'Odin's Axes' or whatever you like ... and you will be given a new banner, to go with the new name."

"Hmm. Yes, alright. We can certainly do that. Elodie will earn the same wages as you do."

[Alpha Omega]

Jeremiah will head back to the group to inform them of the new job that they have been given. As long as everyone seems to be on-board, he will then go to the parade grounds with everyone in tow.


OOC: What should we call our platoon?

[Glitz]

OOC: Okay, so I looked through the world background to try to come up with a few cool names and my suggestions are the Jotun Invaders or Frigga's Defenders. Mal pointed out that we aren't assigned with going into Jotun valley just yet, but the giant language is called Jotun and the phrase is generally associated with giants...but if you have other ideas, I am sure they are great and I would love to hear them.

During the week, Elodie will visit the training area when she is not working on her wand. She will be prepared to heal as many small injuries as she can and repair any equipment that is broken during training, in order to help the men train more effectively.

[Malazek]

Gumphrey is on-board and suggests the names "Gumphrey's Heroes" and "The Shadow Men."

OOC: I'll post again within the hour. In the middle of something, atm.

[Malazek]

When Jeremiah finally heads over to the parade grounds, he is accompanied by Gumphrey, Elodie, Halvar, and Lindy. When they arrive, they find a motley array of military tents scattered around a central area, with four campfires built in the middle. Here, they find over a dozen fresh recruits sitting around the campfires and half that many milling about (which accounts for about half the men. The rest must be either in their tents, or irresponsibly absent). Many don't seem to notice your arrival and those who do pay little heed. It looks like this group is going to need some serious work.

[Alpha Omega]

Through the course of the week Jeremiah will train the men on the finer points of fighting giants. Teaching them group tactics, vital points, the different species and educating them to the very nature of giants. He will choose not to stay at the grounds with the rest of the men overnight, however, he will continue to stay at the wizards abode. If requested he will perform various jobs or chores as they see needed, ie shopping and cleaning. At the end of the week he will inform Havlar that he will be his platoon-sergeant.

[Glitz]

In addition to helping take care of minor injuries and broken equipment, Elodie will also summon a variety of powerful creatures for the troops to spar against with any magical energy she has left: ettins, dire apes, lions, aurochs, and wolverines, to name a few.

Elodie will use one 5th level, two 4th level, and four 3rd level spell slots for summoning animals. She will use five 2nd level and 5 1st level spell slots for Cure Light Wounds. She also has Mending and Guidance prepped as 0 level spells.

[Malazek]

OOC: We need a Montage ... 
 
Show a lot of things happening at once,
Remind everyone of what's going on (what's going on?)
And with every shot you show a little improvement
To show it all would take to long
That's called a montage (montage)
Oh we want montage (montage)

And anything that we want to go from just a beginner to a pro,
You need a montage (montage)
Even Rocky had a montage (montage)

Always fade out in a montage,
If you fade out, it seem like more time
Has passed in a montage,
Montage

---

Odion and Malabus are more than happy to have Jeremiah stay with them, and of course they have plenty of chores and errands, if he is willing. 

---

The troops take well to the training. It was a little rough, at first, because of their in-experience ... but the Chancellor meant it when he he said they had promise. Under the guidance of Jeremiah and Halvar, they learn quickly how to fight and specifically how to fight giants.

Gumphrey teaches them the finer points of positioning (i.e. flanking) and Elodie's summoned creatures add a little variety to their training. Of all her creatures, however, the Ettins prove the most useful (because they are actual giants), allowing Jeremiah and Halvar to provide real genuine examples.

The training is rough, so many men are injured in the drills ... but magical healing allows them to get right back into it.

---

Show a lot of things happening at once,
Remind everyone of what's going on (what's going on?)
And with every shot you show a little improvement
To show it all would take to long
That's called a montage (montage)
Oh we want montage (montage)

And anything that we want to go from just a beginner to a pro,
You need a montage (montage)
Even Rocky had a montage (montage)

Always fade out in a montage,
If you fade out, it seem like more time
Has passed in a montage,
Montage

---

OOC: An so begins Chapter 5 ...
OOC: But you still need a name for the Platoon.

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