Acts of X-TREME Librarianing

Chat log started at 5.7.2007 / 20:12:32
GM: So, Ranja - the last thing you saw was the giant insects flying out from beneath the wagon.
GM: You screamed.
Camilo: (I would have screamed, too)
Sarah (Sonadora): (sames)
GM: Sonadora and Arphaxad, you came into the clearing and spotted a young looking woman with blonde hair, and saw her leap back from the wagon as three giant insects came out at her...
GM: They all say, "Bzzz."
GM: And, well, Roll Initiatives!
Sonadora: [1d20+3 = 22]
Ranja: Initiative [1d20+1 = 14]
Arphaxad: [1d20+3 = 19]
GM: [1d20+3 = 18]
GM: [1d20+3 = 17]
GM: [1d20+3 = 8]
GM: Sonadora, you're the first to react.
Sonadora drops her quarterstaff and grabs her sling.
Vida: [1d20+2 = 10]
Sonadora runs towards the girl and attacks the nearest flying creature.
Sonadora: Sling (Attack 1) [1d20+5 = 10]
The bullet flies low, striking the wood of the wagon, but not a stirge.
GM: Ranja - you see a small girl with flowers in her hair run out towards you and attack the insect.
GM: Then the bug furthest from her flies towards you, and dives at you head-first.
GM: Touch [1d20+7 = 12]
(Minor SNAFU on my part – Stirges have no reach, so Ranja should’ve gotten an AoO here. Fixed later!)
GM: But its nose brushes against your armor, and deflects harmlessly!
Arphaxad steps quickly from the forest to the cover of a shrub.
Arphaxad then calls forth a magic missile to smite the nearest stirge!
Arphaxad: [1d4+1 = 3]
A blast of bright blue magic streaks from your hand and nearly knocks the stirge out of the air.
Nearly...
Sonadora groans in her head. We're all going to die, she thinks to herself...
Another stirge flies around Ranja, trying to get behind her - Ranja, take an attack if you want.
Ranja finally breaks free of the fear that held her paralyzed.
Ranja flails wildly at the nearest scary bug with her longsword.
Ranja: Longsword (Attack 1) [1d20 = 17]
Ranja: Longsword damage [1d8 = 5]
Ranja's random flailing catches the bug as it flies past her, slicing it in twain!
Its two halves click menacingly on the floor, even as it dies.
Ranja is emboldened by her success, and swings at the second bug.
Ranja: Longsword (Attack 1) [1d20 = 10]
The bug flies out of the way, buzzing angrily!
Ranja squeezes her eyes shut in case it comes for her again.

The bugs.

Sonadora yells, “Vida, attack when you can!”
Vida barks from the edge of the clearing as she rushes the nearest bug!
Vida: Bite [1d20+3 = 18]
Vida: [1d6+1 = 3]
Vida leaps into the air and tears the leg off the bug, but the bug gets away! (3 damage)
(Second minor SNAFU – should’ve gotten a free Trip attempt. *wince*)
Vida tries to bite at the bug, but misses as it approaches and lands. Harshness.
Vida: Touch [1d20+7 = 24]
The bug flies down and attacks its pincers to Vida, digging its remaining legs into his fur!
Sonadora: Oh no!
Sonadora attacks the bug attacking Vida!
Sonadora: Sling (Attack 1) [1d20+5 = 9]
With a desperate attack, you don't take your time and miss by a mile.
The other remaining bug flies towards Ranja!
Ranja squeals as the bug buzzes closer, and swings wildly in the direction of its noise.
Ranja: Longsword (Attack 1) [1d20 = 18]
Ranja: Longsword damage [1d8 = 3]
Ranja feels the sword connect, and opens her eyes to peek at the damage.
You smack the bug with the broad side of your sword, but it doesn't look deterred!
GM: Touch [1d20+7 = 15]
Ranja closes her eyes again.
It digs its proboscis into your shoulder and latches on with all its legs!
Ranja screams!
Arphaxad moves next to the frightened girl, staff in hand.
Arphaxad: Hold still and this won't hurt....I hope.
Arphaxad then swings at the bug latched onto the girl's arm.
Arphaxad: [1d20 = 2]
Arphax swings but... it looks like he's going to hit Ranja on the head! Fortunately, she ducks out of the way, avoiding the potential ramifications of being clubbed in the face.
Ranja: Get off get off get off!
Ranja swats at the insect.
Ranja: [1d20 = 12]
GM: [1d20+1 = 17]
You grab at it frantically, but its legs are just too firmly entrenched!
Ranja runs around, squealing like a ninny.
Vida whines piteously as he tries to reach around and bite the insect digging into his back.
Vida: [1d20+2 = 11]
GM: [1d20+1 = 21]
Sonadora: Stay calm, Vida!
can't... quite... reach...
It's like that one spot on Vida's back, y'know?
Sonadora: I'm coming!
GM: [1d4 = 4]
You see Vida yelp in pain as the Stirge digs its proboscis deeply into his flesh! Then... it releases him and begins to fly east...?
Arphaxad: We can't let that one get away - it might bring back a swarm of these demons!
Sonadora Runs to Vida and attacks the bug flying away. Revenge!
Sonadora: Sling (Attack 1) [1d20+5 = 20]
Sonadora: Sling damage [1d3+1 = 4]
Angered at the pain in Vida's eyes, Sonadora's bullet flies true and knocks the stirge right out of the sky!
GM: [1d4 = 3]
Suddenly, Ranja feels a sensation of physical loss as the bug on her arm sucks a good portion of blood right out of her system! (3 Constitution damage!)
Sonadora rubs Vida to reassure him.
Ranja feels somewhat faint and wobbles on her feet.
Arphaxad: Enough - hopefully my spell will work where my staff failed!
Arphaxad casts Ray of Frost.
Arphaxad: [1d20+3 = 5]
Your ray flies wide of the both of them, while trying to pinpoint her shoulder.
Ranja swats at the thing on her shoulder.
Ranja: [1d20 = 20]
(For the curious, for attacks and the like I treat this as a 30.)
GM: [1d20+1 = 20]
Ranja grabs the stirge firmly and rips it off her - flinging it to the ground where it begins to buzz angrily.
Ranja runs shrieking into the nearest shrubbery.
Vida leaps at the fallen stirge!
Vida: Bite [1d20+3 = 17]
Vida: [1d6+1 = 7]
And when he looks up from the brutal attack...
Hey, where's the bug?
Vida licks his snout with a long tongue.
Sonadora groans and falls onto the ground, whistling for Vida to come over so she can check his wounds.
An overturned wooden wagon lies among the trees, its wheels pointed to the sky. The bodies of several humans lie in the dirt surrounding the wagon. None of them appear to be moving even in the slightest, and you notice some have long shafts sticking out of their bodies.
Arphaxad: Looks like our rescue is a little late.
Vida lolls his tongue and goes over to Sonadora to be examined.
Sonadora sits and glances at the wagon.
Ranja come out of the shrub with as much dignity as she can muster. She picks a few twigs and leaves out of her hair and sheaths her sword.
Arphaxad pulls the wooden symbol out and shows it to Ranja.
Sonadora asks the girl, "Are you alright?"
Arphaxad: Does this mean anything to you?
Ranja: Of course it does. Where did you get that?
GM: Sonadora, to your eyes Vida is looking a bit pale. His gums aren't as red as they should be, and the flesh around his eyes isn't as pink either.
Arphaxad: The town healer sent me to check up on her apprentice, I assume you.
Ranja nods.
Ranja: I am Ranja. Who are you?
Sonadora pets Vida worried and tries to bandage up Vida's shoulder.
Ranja glances from one stranger to the other.
Arphaxad: I am Arphaxad.
Sonadora: Sonadora. And this is Vida.
Ranja: Pleasure to meet you all. I-
GM: The wound's actually very small... there's little to bandage. It's more that the... thing... stole blood from Vida.
Ranja looks panicked. She dashes to the wagon and dives underneath it.
Inside the overturned wagon you see numerous broken crates, completely emptied of whatever they were carrying. You also notice a single book which lies open, its pages exposed to the muddy ground. A middle-aged man is also underneath, his body crushed by the weight of the wagon and several unpleasant (and somewhat familiar) looking puncture marks on his neck.
Ranja wriggles back out with the book in hand.
Ranja: Oh you poor thing!
Ranja tries to brush some of the mud from the pages.
GM: Success! But... even if you can't tell, *you'll* always know the mud was there.
Sonadora sighs. "Vida, we'll have to wait until we can get back to town I think. We'll have to report this."
Arphaxad walks about the clearing, gathering up the remains of the odd insects.
Ranja looks ready to burst into tears.
Sonadora glances at Ranja and raises a curious eyebrow.
Ranja shows the book to Sonadora.
Ranja: It... it's hurt.
Arphaxad: These specimens are quite odd...I will need to study them to see if they may be of some use.
Ranja hugs the book to her chest.
Sonadora blinks in confusion. "It's....it's a book."
Ranja whispers to the book, “Don't listen to her.”
Arphaxad - you notice that the bug to the east, the one that had attacked Vida, was particularly engorged - not another ounce of blood would've fit inside it.
Ranja coughs.
Sonadora whispers to Vida, "She's a little strange..."
Ranja: Thank you both for coming to my aid.
Ranja glances at Vida.
Ranja - leather-bound book reads simply "Native Flora and Fauna of the Gulthmere Forest and Orsraun Mountains: A Thorough Guide by Ausric Demp." A casual glance through the book reveals it to be exactly that, though the date on the inside jacket reads "1323", making it a little more than fifty years out of date.
Ranja: Excuse me. All three of you.
Sonadora: Our pleasure. Do you know what happened? The bugs couldn't have done all of this.
Ranja: No. I was sent out here to rescue... erm, that is, to fetch the book. I found everything like this when I arrived. The insects came from the wagon when I tried to look inside.
Arphaxad: I caught a bandit raiding my storage shed this morning. I assume there are more brigands about.
Arphaxad: This looks like the handiwork of their sort.
Ranja looks nervous at the thought of more dangers about.
Sonadora: This is so unusual.
Sonadora frowns.
Ranja blinks a few times and looks deep in thought.
Ranja: Oh goodness, there was something else...
Ranja taps her forehead.
Ranja: Think, think....
Sonadora: We'd better check the wagon for supplies and head back. The healer said there were some very important things here.
Ranja: That's it!
Ranja: I needed to fetch herbs as well!
Ranja glances at the wagon, then slowly kneels down and crawls back underneath to gather what she came for.
Sonadora stands up and brushes herself off before going close to inspect the wagon.
The crates underneath are all broken and... empty?
Ranja frowns.
Sonadora sighs with frustration.
Ranja wriggles back out from beneath the wagon.
Sonadora: Maybe we should forage on the way back. I need to hunt for a friend wolf anyway.
Ranja: Someone took them. But why would they do that?
Sonadora ponders.
Arphaxad: I am going to stay here. If the supplies are lost and the apprentice is safe, I can do no more to help the healer.
Sonadora: Could be as simple as they needed the supplies or as complicated that they simply did not want the town to have them.
Ranja frowns.
Arphaxad: I will search around for further signs and clean up these bodies - you should report back to town.
Sonadora glances at Arphaxad.
Sonadora: Will you be alright? You're injured as well.
Ranja: Right. People should know about this.
Campaign saved.
Arphaxad: Have some men come this way to help me flip the wagon.
Arphaxad: These people need to be carted back to the Temple for a decent burial at least.
Sonadora nods and puts her sling away before picking up her quarterstaff.
Sonadora: We shall get help. It shall be a few hours at least, perhaps even until tomorrow.
Arphaxad: Lightning does not strike the same place twice.
Sonadora: Be safe, friend.
Arphaxad: The bandits have what they need, they will not return here.
Ranja: Be careful anyhow, in case more of those horrid bugs come back.
Arphaxad: My spells can ward off the forest scavengers until help arrives.
Sonadora nods to Ranja and whistles for Vida to follow.
Ranja moves closer to Sonadora and Vida.
Vida wags his tail and, somewhat shakily, walks alongside Sonadora.
Vida barks farewell to Arphaxad! Or, so it seems anyways. He barks, that's for certain.
Arphaxad begins to set up a small camp near the ruined wagon as the others walk away.
The both of you, then, make haste to get back to Sundown with, if nothing else, some information for the townsfolk.
You reach town as night settles in, the market is quiet, except for the sounds coming from the Bit of Shade, and...
Someone is crying nearby.
Sonadora looks about for the source.
Ranja pulls the book away from her nose and looks around.
Ranja glances at Sonadora and asks "Do you hear someone crying?"
Sonadora nods in concern.
On the steps of the Chamber of the Sun, you see Kate Ruhlin, crying into her hands.
Sonadora starts!
Sonadora: Kate! What is it! What's wrong?
Sonadora hugs the girl to her.
Kate looks up from her hands, her eyes puffy and red.
Ranja follows the direction of Sonadora's gaze.
Kate: Sonadora! Ranja! It's... A...
Kate struggles with a word and then sobs some more before finishing...
Kate: Aaron!
Ranja blinks.
Kate wails.
Sonadora panics.
Sonadora: What happened!
Ranja: He can't have gotten himself into that much trouble...
Ranja glances from Sonadora to Kate.
Ranja: Could he?
Sonadora: Kate, you must stop crying. What happened?
Kate: He's d...d...
Kate struggles but... fails, her tears overcoming her.
Sonadora shakes her head in denial.
Sonadora: No.
As you look at her with concern, you hear the sound of two people approaching and catch a snippet of conversation...
Sintilya: I hope someone can make something out of these, because I'm stumped. Maybe somewhere in the library...
From the south end of town, Sintilya and a dark-haired man with green eyes and a sturdy suit of armor approach.
Sonadora turn and approaches Sintilya.
Sonadora: What happened!
Sintilya: Oh! Sonadora, Ranja! It's... it's terrible.
Sintilya shakes her head sadly.
Ranja: What's happened?
Sonadora grits her teeth in frustration.
Sintilya glances at Ranja with concern.
Sintilya: Aaron, he... fell into some sort of trap, and...
Sintilya: Apparently someone took him away.
Kate looks up from her sobbing.
Sonadora: Where's the trap? Maybe there's still time to pick up the trail.
Ranja: But why would anyone take him?
Kate: It weren't someone! It was monsters! Trolls'n orcs! Like in the stories!
Sonadora turns to Kate.
Sonadora: You saw them?
Kate: Yeah!
Kate: They... they... I was supposed ta watch Aaron while William went'n got help... but
Kate: They were all covered in cloaks except for their green... green hands... *Sniff*
Ranja blinks.
Sonadora frowns.
Sonadora: Green? Scales?
Ranja: Green hands...?
Ranja: You saw green scaly things too, Sonadora?
Sonadora: If it
Sarah (Sonadora): (sorry)
Sonadora: If they are the same things that dropped that scale I found then they are also the creatures making the tracks.
Geyer: Lass also said they was short as halflings earlier....so more likely goblins than trolls. Harder to track, but easier to kill if we catch 'em.
Ranja: I saw one. I got his cloak, but he got away.
Sonadora starts and blushes.
Ranja: He was stinky. We've got to get Aaron away from them!
Sonadora: Apologies, sir. I am Sonadora. This is Vida and Ranja.
Sonadora points to each in turn.
Ranja blushes and mutters, "Where are my manners?"
Kate: Aren't you listening! He's dead! He... was all pale and not moving! They're gonna eat'm!
Geyer: Aye - I would say well met, but it is an ill time for it.
Kate wipes a hand across her nose and begins crying with renewed vigor.
Geyer: I am called Geyer.
Ranja: Dead? No, he can't be.
Sonadora: Do not give up faith, Kate.
Sonadora: Let us see what we can find.
Geyer eyes the wolf warily.
Ranja: Aaron's been in all sorts of scrapes before and come out all right. I'm sure he's fine, or will be once we find him.
Vida sniffs curiously at Geyer.
Sonadora: He won't bite.
Geyer: Either of you lasses know much of poisons or tracking?
Ranja: I'm afraid I don't, though I might have a book on it somewhere...
Ranja ponders.
Sonadora: I can track.
Geyer: Not now, mayhap, but they're vicious when they've been starved.
Ranja: Or Sonadora can track.
Sonadora: You know what manner of creature these are?
Sonadora: And Vida is very well fed.
Sonadora gives a forced impish grin.
Geyer: Nay...though I suspect goblins. Could be twenty other kinds of beasts, though.
Geyer: Lots of nasties out there in the wide world.
Sonadora rubs her injured shoulder.
Sintilya: We found these needles and some broken glass around the pit, too.
Geyer: They smell of poison.
Sintilya pulls out a few small needle-like objects and a few bits of glass to demonstrate.
Sonadora glances at Ranja.
Sonadora: Maybe the supplies?
Sintilya: Oh! The supplies - did you... did you find them?
Sintilya looks flustered.
Ranja: No...
Sonadora bites her lip.
Sintilya: I'd forgotten all about them... and... oh, dear.
Ranja: Someone... someone attacked the wagon.
Sonadora: We were too late.
Ranja: And they were all gone.
Sintilya glances with concern at the two of you, and suddenly gasps!
Sonadora: We need to send men back to help our friend. He is waiting with the...
Sonadora glances at Kate.
Sintilya: Oh no! Where's that Arphax fellow I sent to look for you?
Sintilya: Sonadora... what were you doing with Ranja anyhow... and... oh, dear... there's just too much, and no time!
Sintilya bites her lip.
Ranja: He's still with the wagon. He needs men to go help him turn it back over and deal with the aftermath of the attack.
Ranja: I got this, though...
Ranja shows Sintilya the mud-spattered book.
Sintilya breathes a bit easier upon hearing that Arphax isn't dead somewhere.
Sonadora: There are weird bugs in the forest too.
Ranja: Big icky mean ones.
Sintilya: Oh! The book! This... this could be useful!
Geyer laughs bitterly.
Ranja gives the book to Sintilya.
Geyer: Caravan attacks, too, now?
Sintilya takes the book and reads the cover to make sure it's the right one.
Sonadora sighs and nods.
Geyer: Looks like your sun priest hired me just in time, eh?
Sintilya: What about the merchants? Are they with Arphax?
Sonadora winces.
Ranja: We were, ah... too late...
Sonadora: The merchants....
Sintilya 's eyes open wide with shock.
Sonadora: Whatever attacked the wagon took the supplies.
Sintilya: I... I need to tell Garret.
Sintilya: I'll take care of Miss Ruhlin here... please, see if you can find something. Geyer knows where to take you, right Geyer?
Sonadora: Can somebody take me to the site where Aaron was taken? It'll be too late to start the search now but I can get an idea of where to start.
Geyer: Aye.
Sonadora: Kate, go home and stay indoors. Your family needs you.
Geyer: We should hurry - the longer we tarry here, the more likely that lad'll end up in a stewpot somewhere.
Ranja: I'm going, too!
Sonadora: whistles to Vida to follow along.
Geyer leads them down the path into the woods, to the pit trap.
Ranja: Oh poor Aaron...
GM: Listen [1d20 = 14]
A you all approach the site...
Sonadora, you hear a snuffling sound - something's sniffing at the ground just ahead.
Sonadora cautiously approaches.
You see a very large, grey-haired wolf sniffing at a 5x5ft. hole in the ground, presumably the trap.
Ranja freezes in place.
GM: Move Silently [1d20 = 19]
GM: Listen [1d20 = 6]
Sonadora studies the wolf from the shrubs and places a gentle hand on Vida to calm him.
GM: Knowledge (Nature) [1d20+3 = 5]
You study the wolf... but it just looks like a normal wolf, as far as you can tell? It's a large one, though.
The wolf continues to sniff and then, as though it's learned everything it wants to, it howls once and begins to lope off to the west.
Geyer: (whispers mostly to himself) Wolves everywhere...
Ranja lets out a small sigh of relief as the wolf turns away.
The wolf suddenly stops at the edge of your vision, and looks back towards where you're hiding... did it hear you?
GM: Listen [1d20 = 5]
GM: Move Silently [1d20 = 7]
Ranja stays very, very still.
Sonadora cautiously steps out of the bushes and murmers peacefully to the wolf to distract it from the others.
As Sonadora steps out the wolf suddenly bristles!
Geyer reaches softly down to his belt and begins to unfasten the strap holding his flail in place...
Sonadora: Wild Empathy [1d20+3 = 9]
The wolf suddenly barks three times in quick succession, pauses, barks twice more and begins to run away quickly!
Sonadora: Wait!
Sonadora sighs.
Sonadora: We could have used its information.
Sarah (Sonadora): I'm waiting for more bugs.
You hear crickets.
Camilo: There, bugs *grin*
Sarah (Sonadora): see, bugs.
Geyer: It's too quiet in these damn woods.
Sonadora: Maybe we should just check out the pit?
Sonadora glances about nervously.
Geyer: Aye. Find the trail if ye can.
Sonadora nods and approaches the pit, whistling for Vida.
Vida: Knowledge (Arcana) [1d20+5 = 6]
Vida lopes up to the pit.
Sonadora: See what you can find Vida.
Sonadora kneels down and searches around the pit very carefully (Takes 20).
Sonadora: Handle animal [1d20+6 = 20]
GM: It takes you a moment to explain, but Vida gets the picture.
Vida begins to sniff at the ground more insistently.
Sonadora, after searching around the hole for some time you feel quite certain that there's a set of tracks heading to the southwest, in addition to those of the wolf, which are heading west by northwest.
Sonadora: I've found tracks.
Sonadora points southwest.
Sonadora: And the wolf heading that way.
Sonadora points west by northwest.
Ranja: Did you find any Aaron-sized tracks?
Sonadora shrugs and then winces when she pulls her wounded shoulder.
-> Sonadora: All the tracks you found are barefoot, with a long talon in the back of the print. THey are, technically, Aaron sized or just a little bigger.
Sonadora: They are small, but I don't think that Aaron has talons.
Ranja: Oh.
Geyer: Good work, lass! Let's follow them then - with luck we'll not be too late to recover the body before they devour it.
Sonadora frowns.
Sonadora: That's not very optimistic.
Sonadora: Vida, do you have a scent?
Vida is sniffing at the ground where the tracks are.
Vida: [1d20+1 = 5]
Vida whines, unable to follow them in any particular direction.
Sonadora pets Vida and starts following the tracks southwest.
END SESSION