Heros of Awe-team blue

[Oslecamo]

Ooc: Uupppss, still didn't give out exp.

Drake-2625 exp (because he did LA buyoff he's lower lv and gains more exp)

Everybody else-2000 exp.

[Duke of URL]

Shredder

The pixie rematerializes on the deck. "And that, gentlemen, is why they call me Shredder," she says. She agrees to the idea of searching for the other two bodies (unless the physics of the situation make that ridiculous).

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I'm good with selling the glidewings to the captain -- Shredder already has flight and the glidewings don't appear to be able to take much punishment. As for the rest of the goods, I'll go along with whatever division y'all agree to -- if its unbalanced for now, we can make that up in later encounters.

[Oslecamo]

Sorry for overhearing your conversation-says the captain-But the elemental ring will take us some time to repair. We're currently floating some hundreds of feets above the sea. Too dangerous to jump and too high for ladders, but those of you who can fly could go and search the corpses. With a little luck they'll be still floating, but well, it's night and the sea is prety big. You would need a good eye to find those small(but vicious) pirates. But don't delay yourselves too long. I was paid to deliver you in time and I intend to do so. Plus I don't want to risk any more nasty ecounters.


Ooc:Anyone with flying capacity can go out of the ship and try a spot or search check. You only have time to do one of those per character, wichever you prefer. Depending on the check you can get you may find none, one or two bodies. Drake is strong enough to carry people with him to help him search/spot. It's night so those whitout dark/low light vision will get a penalty.

[Duke of URL]

Shredder

The pixie goes invisible again and tries to find the halfling bodies.

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Search - (1d20+15)[23], Spot - (1d20+15)[35]; Senses: Low-Light Vision, Darkvision 60'
Edit: Whoops... only one roll counts -- sorry I didn't read that right before. Same modifier, so we'll have to go with the first one. The second was a natural 20, too...

[Da Beast]

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It'd probably be best if Drake carried Jaden and myself down to look for the bodies.

Spot - (1d20+12)[16]

How about we just split the money evenly and give out magic items based on need and fairness? Giving Drake the bag of holding is a good idea, but I don't really care who gets the gloves.

Also, will we have time to rest and heal a bit of damage before we reach Stormreach?

[Cray]

Well capitain, then I have two questions. How long, do you estimate, will it take to get to Stormreach? And is there any way I can help you with that ring?

[Oslecamo]

We should be there in less than one hour. Stormreach should be at sight anytime now. Those pirates probably had a base in Xen'drik's coast from wich to launch their attacks, since it's dangerous to venture too far away from land in a darkness like this.

I thank you for your offer for help, but you see, each airship is an airship and it's fueling elemental has it's own personality. My crew is used to work with it, but strangers interacting with it directly may scare him or worst. Don't worry, it'll be working in a couple of minutes.

[Cray]

Ok, alright then. But do you mind if I watch your crew fixing it? You know, im quite intrested in such things.

Then, after a second, he adds.

They might have a base near here you say? Well, a shame were hired. I'd like to return the courtesy of an unanounced vistit to them.
Perhaps later.

[GammaPaladin]

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Alrighty, Drake will carry anyone who wants to search or spot.

Drake's own spot check:
(1d20+3)[17](20)

Naturally, he's strong enough to lift the bodies back up too, if they're found. And he has low light vision and 60 foot darkvision ;)

I really love being a half-ogre/half-dragon lol

Drake shakes his head again, clearing the last of the fog from it.

"Ah, that is a good point, I will keep the potions in reserve then. The Spirits know I certainly cannot use those wands."

"If you wish to search for the other bodies, I will assist. I can probably carry the sharper eyed."

He tests his wings to see if they have taken any damage.

[Oslecamo]

Drake and Shredder manage to find both bodies floating in the water and carry it back to the airship.

Ooc:

5th body-250 pp, 11 freshwater pearls

6th body-8000 sp, mysterious nice looking slippers, runed spear, vial with red mysterious elixir.

Well my treasure tables surely love you.

I totally forgot I'm not suposed to tell automatically what the magic items are. You're gonna have to identify these ones the old way

Gonna continue travel in a couple of hours.

[Cray]

When the expeditiond comes back with the lot of stuff, Arcos looks quite intrested

Well, there you are guys. Well done, well done. Uhm, may I have a look on those Items?

Then he takes one item after the other, and looks at it quite a time...

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Ok, try the old way.

Artificer Knovledge:
Slippers:(1d20+11)[19](30)
Spear: [/rollv]1d20+11[/rollv]
Healing Potion: (1d20+11)[5](16) (Well, that one was obvious... I hope...)

[Cray]

rerolling spear: (1d20+11)[2](13)

[Knight13]

Jaden

Jaden reverts to his human form and gathers up his quiver and bow.

"We haven't even made it to Xen'drik yet and we're already under attack, somehow I think this job is going to be even harder then expected."

Jaden pokes at the wounds inflicted by the pirate's spiked chain.

"By the way, I could use some of that healing magic."

[Duke of URL]

Shredder

Shredder tries to really old fashioned method of trying to simply appraise the items' value.

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AppraiseSlippers - (1d20+5)[25]
AppraiseSpear - (1d20+5)[24]
AppraiseElixir - (1d20+5)[12]

She looks up at Jaden. "Oh, well then, this might help!" She pulls a wand out of her sack.

[Cray]

Well, just a second with that wand...

Arcos reaches out to touch the wand.
Infusion: Metamagic Item: Maximise Spell

[Duke of URL]

Shredder

"Thanks." Shredder points the infused wand at Jaden twice, using up its power for the day.

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cure moderate wounds, maximized = max(2d8) + 3 (CL 3) = 19, twice for 38.

[Oslecamo]

Arcos concludes that both the slippers and the elixir are magic. The spear remains unknown.

After Shredder's carefully analysis, the spear's carefull design, exeptionally sharp(probably magical) blade and arcane looking runes, would probably have costed around two thousand gold pieces in a shop, give or take some hundreds. The slippers, with his delicate and smooth threads(they really look magic) should have costed around double of the spear.

The elixir could be anything from strawberry juice to red dragon's blood.

Sorry to interrupt, but ship be ready, lads, please come back inside, this time time we sail full speed ahead to avoid more nasty ecounters.-says the captain-I'll keep the bodies of the halflings, maybe there is some reward for them in town

However, when he looks back, you all notice Dorian reciting strange encantations while walking among the dead bodies. Sudenly, they raise, and first their, and then their flesh turns to dust revealing their dry bones and skulls.

Oh, sorry, I tought you didn't need those anymore-says Orwen calmly-I think it's only fiting for them to fight for us for repaying trying this bothersome attack.


The captain mumbles something under his teeths and orders the crew to go back inside the ship.

After returning to the waiting room, you sudenly feel a strong push back and when you look at the windows you can see you now advance at around twice the original speed, long flames coming from the elemental ring.

Effectively, in some minutes you manage to see Stormreach in the Horizon, and in less than an hour you're landing on top of a big tall wooden building wich stands above all the others, the recent air dock built to promote flying commerce and transport. You can't see much of the city due to the darkness, but you notice it's mostly done of crudly build two or three store simple wooden houses, with just a dozen stone more sophisticated buildings in the middle. The tall trees of the jungles stand just a few meters from the most outer buildings. As you all know, Stormreach has been leveled and rebuilt several times by attacks from angry giants, cunning drows and vicious beasts. But the income of adventurers and the efforts of the houses keep the city going and growing. Xen'drik's treasures are the main industry of the Stormreach, whose buildings are mainly focused on providing services to the adventurers and exploerers who dwell in the jungle, plus barracks full of authorities and soldiers wich keep some degree of order in the city and try to make sure that the governments of the five countries get a slice of the treasures.

A group of servants is waiting for you, and after handing a bag full of coins to the captain and praising him for his good worck, they take you inside the building, trough a maze of corridors and stairs untill you reach a medium sized room, with a fireplace, a big table and several chairs. Several tankards of bear and plates with bread and smoking meat are over it,just as if they had been served.

Waiting for you inside is a beatifull looking elve with golden hair with a silver tiara, white skin, blue eyes, tight leather clothes and a rapier at ther waist. She doesn't look frail like most elfs, but more like a tough sharp knife. Her eyes are full of cunning and her voice is somewhat arrogant but friendly. Taking a gulp from her tankard, she speaks:

Well, well, right on schedule boys and girl. I'm Anabela, and I'll be your guide in this hell above heart wich you people call Xen'drik. We will depart tomorrow night, so you can make any last minute shoping and preparation here in the city. I've spent the last days making my job, to see if all of you youngsters can make it back in one piece. The drows are preparing for an important cerimony, and the orb will be in the same temple for a week, starting after tomorrow. If we can't catch it by then, then it will be more weeks or months of worck for me to find it again. Company told me you were the best of the best. I hope this ain't just talk, because those drows we're gonna meet are the nastiest of them all. I want a clean job. We get in , we get the orb, and we get out. You stomp however gets in our way, but you don't get out of the way I tell you. The drows keep a lot of nasty pets in those dungeons of theirs. Actually, we can only suceed because the drows have deep rivarlies between them. If we attack a group, the others won't probably come for help out due to their stupid society rules of castes and rule of strongest yada yada. What I basically mean, try to don't bite more than you can chew, because if you do I'll leave you behind.

Anabela takes another gulp of beer.

Well, just one more question to settle in. There aren't safe routes to the temple. There are just less deadly routes. I've identified the three less dangerous, and I'll let you choose wich one you prefer.

First, a nasty nomad hill giant tribe that decided to settle, around a week ago, in what I tought was a relatively safe pass, oh joy. Stupid, bad and strong, a dangerous combination. They're around fourty, with a dire wolves pack, some dozens ogres pals, and slaves. However we won't need to face all of that if we try to get into their territorry, unless we enter on their main camp. By going slightly around we'll probably just find some raiding party of theirs, wich we can easily defeat if we worck togheter.

Second, we can try to pass trough the sanctuary that those ashbound tree hugging orcs are trying to build in the middle of the jungle. They're around sixty, with several degrees of experience and strenght. Their leader is a druid to wich is actually possible talking whitout fighting, but some of his pals are really hotblooded and will attack us if we carry anything "not natural".

Third, we can go trough a really tick patch of forest. I personally never had any problem with it, but it's been a while since I've been there, and the last notices I heard tell of some mysterious beast or beasts that now stalcks that zone and eats anything that dares enter it.

So, wich one do you prefer?

Questions?

Ooc: Tomb Raven is currently with net problems so I'll NPC him a little.

[Cray]

Well, if you ask like that, yes. So you know anything special about the Drow, beside there egos? Any known weknesses, favorite battletactics, average size of there shoes? Anything that could help us prepare for an advantage.

[GammaPaladin]

Drake just sits and listens quietly, content to let the others plan. It would be silly for him to interfere, after all he's no tactician, and the masters were always telling him how slow he was.

When he gets a chance, he looks for a way to get the wounds he still has healed (Since he's not likely to heal 52 points of damage just by sleeping), and looks around the city to see if there are any Wu Jen willing to allow him to study their spells.

The masters at the monastery would whack him on the head if he didn't continue his studies.

[Oslecamo]

Anabela looks at Arcos with a cynical look.

Silly boy... If we knew the drows exact tactics and weakness then we wouldn't need to call you. The best I can tell you is that they're a very diverse bunch, and don't seem to be too picky about their weapons. I've seen them use poison and explosives. They've already burned, freezed, shocked and liquified the other adventurers I've worcked with. I've seen them control golems and bring forth all kind of undeads.

They've been locked in this harsh jungle for milleniums, and it seems they spent most of their time improving their own strenghts. In drow society, power is measured not by how many or how powerfull servants you have or how much goods you have but by how powerfull your own person is. Because of that, each drow develops his own combat style, gets his own weapons and uses his own tactics. And when you get to live centuries, then you have a lot of time to perfect those. Each and every adult drow is a sophisticated combat machine with his own tricks and quircks, wich he or she will try to keep as secret as possible from everybody else to don't reveal any weackness they may have. At best, they may teach them to their own child or some very special protege, but no more.

So, unlike us elves, drows favor individuality. There is no such thing as a group of drows. There are only drows that may be worcking with the same purpose in mind, but each of them cares first and foremost about him or her. One or more drows may show loyalty for another stronger drow, but as soon as the master shows any sign of weackness the servants will seek to take his place.

That would also explain why we have our nice little kingdom and they are living in the midde of this chaos. You can't build society if nobody trusts anybody. Not all drows are vicious killers, it's true, and some of them are actually nice guys(with wich I keep some contacts), but drows are taught from little to trust only about themselves, and this leads to them seeking to improve only themselves. The ultimate goal of any drow is to become as perfect and strong as possible. A drow showing compassion, mercy or kindness to another drow is the worst insult they can give to each other.

So, if you want any advice about what you could do to get an advantage against them, I advise you to prepare to everything you can think off as best as possible.

The elf takes another gulp of beer.


Ooc:Drake will find a nice little mage's center were all kind of arcane casters converge to discuss magic and trade items, and where you can ask to burrow spellbooks to copy spells for the usual fee.

[Duke of URL]

Shredder

After hearing about the likelihood of running into significant numbers of undead and golems, Shredder slides up to Arcos and starts inquiring as to his ability to fashion some magical bracers for her to allow her to use her abilities against them to her fullest extent.

[Cray]

Well, crafting such bracers would take about a week, and thats exactly the one thing we dont really have. Time. What I can offer you is to turn your main weapon into Adamantine for one battle. That, at least may help against hardend constructs.But, unfortuantly, I dont have the time for crafting unless you can persuand our employers to wait another month.

[OOC] I cant craft items while on tje jurney through the jungel, can I?

[Oslecamo]

Ooc:no conditions for that.

[Da Beast]

O(r )wen listens intently to Anabela, occasionally sipping from his beer. When she finishes he appears to be deep in though before he leans forward to speak.

"I don't want to fight any druids. I faced enough in the war and those are memories I'd just as soon forget. I'd also prefer an enemy we know to an unknown man eater. If you think we'll be able to negotiate safe passage across the ashbound territory than it's worth a shot, but my vote goes for the giants."

[Cray]

Uhm, other question... shall we get the spear and the slippers identifyed, or shall we wait, until we're back?

[Duke of URL]

Shredder

"Well, since we're not leaving until tomorrow night, I think we should get them identified and then take the opportunity to procure any last minute items we might need."

[Cray]

So, then. I guess I shal have another close look on those things, now that the troubble of the battle is over...

Once again, Arcos takes the 3 Items out to inspect them...

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Knowlede(Arcana)
Spear: (1d20+14)[5](19)
Slippers: (1d20+14)[4](18)
Potion: (1d20+14)[4](18)

PS: Identify still costs 100 GP components?

[Oslecamo]

Arcos feels that the spear's enchantment is the most basic possible weapon enanchment.

The slippers remain a mystery, but normally such items offer bonus to movement.

The liquid doesn't seem to be a regular potion.

[Cray]

I guess this would be quite, uhm... expensive. And that spear doesnt really seem to be that special.

[Knight13]

Jaden

"I also think we should take the path with the giants. Such creatures are strong, but not very bright. If we do encounter a raiding party, it shouldn't be too difficult to lure them into an ambush or avoid them entirely. Also, it's unlikely that they have much in the way of spellcasters, if any at all."

"We should also spend some time devising battle strategies. It's obvious that we each have our own specialties and we should come up with ways to best make use of them. For instance, I'm very stealthy, especially in my tiger form, so I think I and Ayla here (indicating the leopard at his side) should scout ahead of the rest of the group as we travel, so we'll be forewarned about potential enemies in our path."