Player Event: The Sands of Time [Concluded]

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Kilaana
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Player Event: The Sands of Time [Concluded]

Postby Kilaana » Mon Nov 16, 2015 10:07 pm

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Background:
Word has travelled that the aged Dwarf Hroin seeks able hands for an excavation project in the mountains of Vlasta. Talk has it that it be a laborious assignment: Two cartloads full of good sand, yellow and red, its consistency particular to the Dwarf's specifications. but his workers shall be paid well their dues - and surely there is no greater folly than to doubt the honesty of a Dwarf's promises. Food, shelter and firewood will be gathered for his workers, just enough for a tenday, no more and no less.

A runner has been seen heading back to the remote village of Vlasta to acquire supplies and two oxen, where there may be a lack of good horses.

Event Notes:
This is a player-driven event organized by Holy_Rage and is expected to last for one real-life week. Characters will be stationed in the caves of Vlasta (could be more than one if the group travels around) for this period, although players are free to come and go as they see fit. Time-bubbles are allowed at your own discretion if the need arises for your PC to be taken elsewhere when the event is not actively running. DM availibility is not guaranteed throughout this event although it may happen where time permits.

As this is a heavy-RP event mixed with some dungeoneering, players should arrive with the expectation that storyline takes precedence over monster-bashing here.

Player Level and Group Size:
All are encouraged to join and as yet there are no limitations on the number of players. Should the party become too large, it is possible that separate groups may be formed to tackle different areas.

As the mountains hold no mercy for the weak and faint of heart, low-level players should ensure that they are stocked for the journey with medical supplies, food, a tentkit and anything else necessary for survival.

Location:
From Vlasta, head east until arrived at Pine Wood Trail: West. Take the road south through the Quickfoot farm, and enter the abandoned farm. Continue south into Foothills: Reclusive Shadows and head up the southwest slope to arrive at the Earthspur Mountains: Hundred Steps. From here, climb south and enter Storm Pass. Find your way down to Croaker's Ford and keep to the west bank of the rapids until you arrive at the Cauldron. Enter the cave at the mouth of the river and locate the campsite.

...Or ask a port from a DM.


See you there!
“Violence is the mark of the amateur.” ― Garrett, Thief: The Dark Project

Kallian | Delorwyn Lle'quellas | Wilhemina Alencar | Zalika Maszim Zartusht
Cedric Lesàre


User avatar
Kilaana
Administrator, Builder, DM
Posts: 733
Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2015 8:26 am
Location: GMT+8 / EST+12

Re: Player Event: The Sands of Time [Concluded]

Postby Kilaana » Mon Nov 16, 2015 10:08 pm

A summary outline of the happenings during this quest. There is a ton more going on in the background, such as group dynamics and character-to-character development, but these are difficult to document and as such only the points pertaining to the questline will be mentioned.


Day 1

In which:
  • Supplies and shelters are set up; these appear to be just enough to get by from what coin is available.
  • Wood-gathering and digging commences as elven scout Celith forays into the tunnels and returns with news of creatures that lurk in the deep dark. No one is allowed to venture into the north tunnel in particular.
---------

Day 2

In which:
  • More arrive at the camp, including Jerek, Pyrrhos, and the Ilmatari Kelda, though not all appear partial to the disturbance to nature's balance and not all stay to do the hard labour.
  • The druidess Karla nic Ewan questions the Dwarf about his intentions but gets no answers. She however brings some freshly-caught trout to sustain the group. Pyrrhos also poses his questions to the Dwarf about the terms of employment and what is being constructed, but he too meets a dead end as to the Dwarf's aspirations though he is accepted on the team.
  • More firewood is sought, and at least three pits are dug to turn raw wood into refined fuel.
  • At Hroin's behest, the group ventures into a tunnel to look for ore he needs for smelting, led by their elven scout. A troll is encountered and dispatched quickly with the aid of traps and good blows, but at least two in the group sustain injuries.
  • The group finds a deposit of minerals and rare silver(?) but soon turn back for camp with an intention to return later.
-------

Day 3

In which:
  • Aryen and Celith do a morning's foraging for fruit and herbs as provisions begin to run low due to a higher-than-anticipated number of hired hands, but it's clear these won't be enough to feed all mouths for the remainder of a tenday.
  • Another request for woodfire is sent by Isalin Pine in the struggle to produce the refined fuel Hroin needs. Aryen and Celith go to gather a tree while the others are still asleep, but Isalin is warned to be conservative in using these resources.
  • Isalin and Kallian discuss concerns over provisions for the rest of the week. Isalin refuses Kallian's offer to acquire the charcoal that is needed from the villages to create a steadier heat in the pits, preferring to learn from this hard labour instead of deception. Kallian makes it clear that her suggestion is not to deceive but to see that things are speeded up, given that the expedition has already begun to take its toll on the group. They both come to terms that the Dwarf makes a hard master but both see the merit in hard work. Isalin expresses her confusion to Kallian as to why there is upset over what resources are taken from the land, as she concludes that nature replenishes itself anyway. Kallian attempts to reconcile the notion with the druids' desire to preserve the land as it is, though her explanations are strained at best. The Elf however offers to act as intermediary to the druids should quarrel still arise.
  • Hobgoblins are sighted in the valley outside the cave. Jerek, Pyrrhos, Aryen, Celith and Kallian investigate this and are ambushed in the tall grasses south of the cave valley. Upon their journey back they meet with more hobgoblins along the ford and dispatch them quickly. A slumbering giant is also spotted inside a large abandoned fort but they leave before it notices them. Some discussion ensues about the imminent threats to the camp although it's clear there are too little resources and manpower to fashion any reliable defenses. Jerek mounts his warhorse and rides back to Vlasta to see if he may bring back more medical supplies.
  • Kallian volunteers to run to Vlasta to negotiate additional provisions after a discussion with Isalin. She does so just before dawn and when she returns, she reports being pursued by a hobgoblin group on the lower slopes.
  • As the day draws to another close, Celith expresses his deep concerns over the threat from the hobgoblins to the south and what lies in the dark. He mentions to Kallian of his plans to consult Hroin on the morrow and begins to plan the routes for a retreat should the expedition meet with failure.
Day 4

In which:
  • A small scouting party consisting of Aryen, Celith, Jerek and Kallian is formed to explore the western tunnel in hopes of forging an alternate exit route should the group be closed in from the outside by a hobgoblin raid. Isalin objects to this and points out that campsite defenses should take priority, and that it would be even more risky venturing into the dark unknown. Jerek promises that the defenses shall be looked into after the foray, and Isalin reluctantly joins the scouting endeavour, but it's clear that none see eye to eye.
  • Iron spikes are used to mark the path they take, but the group only ventures so far before they are beset by venomous spiders. Celith warns again of the beast with hooks for arms and a mouth that was seen around an older campsite and suggests that the thing had been feeding here. Jerek is keen to see that the monstrosity is destroyed before it finds their camp, but as a fierce battle ensues it's clear that ordinary steel and arrows will not put a dent in the creature's hide. Isalin comes to the group's rescue with her knowledge of the arcane and a few well-timed spells, though it is one of Aryen's swift arrows that pierces the beast's eye and silences it once and for all.
  • Jerek is heavily wounded, with Aryen and Celith faring no better. Kallian gives the command to return to camp immediately and the group quits the western tunnels - but not before Celith sets eyes upon the corpse of the beasts' recent kill - an Un'Tel'quessir.
  • While Jerek rests by the fire, Dawnbringer Artemis d'Assanthe arrives at the camp. There is a distinct feeling of tension running high over the group but Celith takes the opportunity to smooth things over whilst helping Isalin with the coal pits. Pyrrhos and Mard soon rouse themselves, and join the fire over an evening brew to exchange news and gossip with the arrival of Artemis.
  • The charcoal process remains excrutiatingly slow but there is some progress at last, with the Chessentan Pyrrhos' steady aid alongside Isalin. But soon enough Hroin emerges from the shadows of the cavern and it is clear that he has been mining, though none have seen him go to do so. Celith begins his report of the past days' events, emphasizing that they should expect a raid from the hobgoblins and cannot remain for long. Hroin then draws out his plans for the defenses the camp needs - a rockslide at the mouth of the cave with an opening large enough to leave by later. A network of stones are to be laid at the mouth of the cave to catch felled logs for the building project.
  • Word of the dark elf sighting is then raised, shaking the Dwarf to the core, but Hroin remains adamant and goes so far as to insist that the expedition must continue regardless. Kallian demands to know how long he needs, as she must see to the provisions and welfare of the group. The Dwarf then goes as far as to extend that five more days are required to accomplish what he came here for.
  • Everyone quickly sets to work before sundown, with the men doing most of the heavy lifting and the women rope-making or tending to coal pits. Kallian once more expresses her concerns over provisions for such a lengthy stay and asks Aryen to hunt for game in the hills, to which he agrees. Pyrrhos gives some money to Celith to purchase flour and salted pork by way of adding his contribution to the group's sustenance. The two elves and the Chessentan make their way down to Sarshel in order to acquire more medical supplies, food and small equipment needed for the remainder of the twentyday expedition. Celith takes them via a route through the high peaks, out of the sight of hobgoblins, and Pyrrhos stops by Songhall to gather research on the beast in the cavern that nearly felled Jerek. The elves rejoin Pyrrhos on the way back and together the trio make their return to the camp.
Day 5

In which:
  • The morning begins with a group consisting of Aryen, Artemis, Rodrook Morninglight III, a mysterious mage who calls himself Rahul Klar, and Kelda setting out just before dawn to begin gathering more logs for the construction of the scaffold entrance. They meet with the elves who are returning from Sarshel bearing more food and medicine.
  • They head south along the river, where they encounter the strange wild-woman Hagra. Her eccentric ways befuddle them; her attempts at offering help with logging are driven off as she proves to be more than a handful - not only is she indiscreet, but is also inappropriate, and proves to be more of a hindrance than help to the group's endeavours. She tests Celith's patience to a fault when she fails to listen to his repeated instructions to go to camp to wait for them, and only does so when the Dawnbringer Artemis rushes back downriver for more rope. Despite these surprises, the group manages to haul the logs downstream where these are then pulled by rope across to the cavern mouth for building to begin.
  • The rest of the day is spent under Hroin's meticulous instruction; cleaving wood and chipping off stone for the amount of hours the Dwarf deems fit. Despite the gruelling task, there is nary a complaint to be heard and the work gets done with dwarven efficiency. The elves patrol the section of the river together with gnome Rodrook as a shield-blade for signs of danger while the others tend to the task at hand.
  • As the day draws to yet another close, scaffolding work begins at the cave entrance. Hroin taps a series of curious wooden plugs within stone and does not venture to explain what these are, but the sprigs tremble as he works them with the Weave. With this in place, the group is dismissed and everyone retires back to camp for a new day.
  • Sometime in the evening hours, the paladin Jerek returns to camp from his Warsword patrols. Together with Kelda, they seem to find an old acquaintance with the mage Rahul, and the three make a small foray into the western tunnel and return unscathed. Over a fire and drink, the elves introduce themselves to the mysterious mage, but the latter receives far fewer answers to his questions than he would like.
Day 6

In which:
  • The morning begins with a slower start than usual. Energy reserves and spirits dampened with five long days spent in cloying darkness with fewer and fewer trips into the outdoors with the hobgoblin menace just at the gates, it is awhile before the group collects their senses over leftover stew and drink. The water from the river has been deemed unsafe for consumption after an abnormally large slug emerged from the water the day before. The druidess Karla nic Ewan arrives at the site again and begins to question the Dwarf further, pointing out that his actions have been upsetting nature's balance, but the Dwarf is resolute and neither come to any compromise if there was one to be sought.
  • With little time to waste, Hroin begins the ritual necessary to create the rockslide. He bids Isalin, his apprentice, to tie rope around his waist so that the others may pull him out of harm's reach as the rockslide is activated. The girl makes some meticulous checks of the strength of the rope before joining the line, with Kallian taking the lead in front of the Chessentan. The Dwarf makes a final call for those who would leave this expedition before the entrance is sealed.
  • Hroin begins his chant, invoking the call of Balagarn's Iron Horn. The sound is deafening and reverberates around the cavern, but it is done. Three chunks of rock crash onto the wooden scaffold, shutting out the last of the daylight and entombing the cavern in complete darkness.
  • The elves immediately take up watch along with Aryen and Jonan, wary that the noise might have alerted creatures lurking in the tunnels. The group returns to tending the sand pits, where glass has now gradually formed. Kallian informs the Dwarf that Isalin is dazed from the immense blast, and tells him to allow the girl rest. Hroin concedes, letting Isalin recuperate for an hour, before work resumes on the pits.
  • As a few begin to turn in for the night, the mage Rahul, Kelda, and her older brother Edvard are attacked by cave stirges flying in from the north tunnel. Celith's arrow kills the last one, but the elves soon find themselves hastening after the three who have disappeared in that direction. The three are stopped just in time, for they now tread on the edges of a gray render's territory, with Kallian showing passionate displeasure for their carelessness. This in turn sours what is already a rocky friendship between herself and Kelda, and it is Celith once more who must play mediator for the night, though the two women remain on unspoken terms.
---------

Day 7

In which:
  • The arduous task of ore-smelting begins. Hroin dresses in resplendent robes of silver, orange and blue, seeming almost an entirely different figure to the dour individual known to most. He sets Isalin and Pyrrhos to work without further ado as the others gather round to observe the curious process while the elves and Aryen take up their watch again. They work steadily for three hours, fashioning strips of the strange but fine metal alloy - until one breaks. With not enough ore left to complete what he needs, Hroin gives the command to enter the depths immediately to scout for more. Alarmed at having the group leave at such short notice, Kallian demands to know how long the Dwarf intends to search the depths and presses him for a specific duration until Hroin is forced to recommend four hours. She then goes to pack the necessary supplies.
  • The group gathers their equipment and heads down the western tunnel. Kallian continues marking their trail with iron spikes as the Dwarf gives Celith the command to scout ahead for danger, but soon enough the group arrives at a cliff and take the opening, with hopes to find ore hidden in the rocky veins.
  • Chaos ensues as they find themselves in a new set of tunnels that lead to three other different passages that appear to go nowhere but back to where they are standing, in an alcove marked by a strange rune on the ground. Those gifted with the Weave detect some odd magic at play that causes the tunnels to perhaps shift. Celith and Isalin begin to explore the passages to make sense of everything, until Hroin sends his familiar Byrr the Rat to scent for the ore they need, thereby pointing them the way to go.
  • Not some moments pass before the Dwarf lets out a cry of pain. He collapses as his bond with the familiar is ended abruptly in the depths of the dark, to the consternation of the group. Not even a sip of wine can rouse the Dwarf out of his shock and despair, as the others realize that they need to quit the search for ore and return to camp before they are trapped forever. The Dwarf is last to leave, his hold on Kallian and Pyrrhos breaking off as the magic splits them inside the tunnel warp, but Celith volunteers to find the Dwarf. He enters the tunnels again and reminds Hroin of his purpose here by showing him a mirror shard that was given to him by the Dwarf before the expedition. This stirs the Dwarf into a state, but it is clear he is still reduced to a shell of his former self. The Elf throws him into the tunnel warp and the group catches Hroin before leaving for the safety of the camp.
  • The Dwarf falls into deep slumber while the group gathers round to assess the situation. They come to an agreement that a small scouting party will be sent to look for a route to the surface, with a few being uncertain as to the outcome of the expedition. Rodrook suggests that some of the stones from the rockslide can be shifted to form a defensive wall against intruders from the outside meanwhile. Celith, Jerek, Kelda and Kallian enter the west tunnel once more and head further in, but Jerek's amulet draws the attention of a gray render across the underground river. Kallian is sent back to camp immediately to warn of the possible danger should the beast cross water, whilst the other three try to distract the beast off their intended trail. She returns to camp where she passes on the information before setting back into the dark to resume the trail. Aryen, Rodrook and several others of the expedition begin shifting the rocks at the cave entrance in an attempt to secure a defensive wall against possible raiders while Isalin finds a moment of respite.
  • Meanwhile, Celith's skills as a scout stand him in good stead in the lengthy dark as they pass into more familiar ground. The three emerge into the murky waters of a bog in the hills of Vlasta. Daylight at last - the paladin and the Ilmatari ride into Vlasta to acquire more supplies, with the mage Rahul following after. Celith returns to the tunnels to meet with Kallian, only to encounter a deadly shadow. He fights for his life and for Kallian's, succeeding at a high cost. Shakened and weak, the elves head out into the bog to wait for the three other's return. As dusk hails the end of another day, the five return to camp.
Day 8

In which:
  • The group is relieved to see that the Dwarf has awakened, but bearing little purpose left in his eyes. He withdraws to work alone at the forge he has set up in the camp, and gives the command that everyone is free to come and go as they please for the time. The group disperses - some move to finish the crude wall to the north, others tend to the sand pits while the elves resume their watch.
  • As the day advances past the noon hour, the Dwarf attempts to create the things he has come for. He succeeds in creating a single mirror, but denounces the entire expedition as a failure. Kallian attempts to make him see that the creation is still beautiful and meaningful, but the assurances are lost on the despairing Dwarf. The order to break camp is given.
  • The expedition comes to an abrupt halt as the group packs up and leaves by the western tunnels through the bog, towards Vlasta.
-------


((This concludes the Sands of Time event for now. PCs may choose to head on to Vlasta, or proceed back to the lowlands.

Thank you to everyone who participated. You are the ones who make it epic. Stay tuned for more IC developments.))
“Violence is the mark of the amateur.” ― Garrett, Thief: The Dark Project

Kallian | Delorwyn Lle'quellas | Wilhemina Alencar | Zalika Maszim Zartusht
Cedric Lesàre



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