Gameplay Journal 16: Battle at the Bridge

We continued downstream toward our Tantras. Ahead was a bridge, teaming with archers. Hawk and I grabbed torpedos, to ready them for launch. Suri barked at Bright Eyes to turn the boat around. The young girl was a bit frightened and turned too sharply. The edge of the deck caught the water and flipped the boat. Most of us reflexively leapt from the potential wreckage. Bright Eyes had a death grip on the steering lever, and the cleric got flung, skipping across the water directly into the pillar of the bridge.

I threw the torpedo at the peak of my jump, the fool gnome grabbed onto the explosive and rode it. His weight would have caused the torpedo to fall short, so I drew my bow and shot the activator for the rocket. He jumped off the torpedo as high as he could. This sent the torpedo directly into the bridge at it's peak. BOOM! fire and stone injuring several archers, sending several overboard. SLAM! the gnome pounded on bridge to redirect his fall. BOOM! Hawk dropped the other torpedo from his glider. Suri had gotten to the cleric just in time to shield her from the debris.

Still treading water I aimed for the soldiers who were staggered from the blast. First shot, through and through two throats, bloody mess. Second shot, severed triceps and brachial artery, he wouldn't be drawing a bow in the seven minutes he had to live. Hawk threw his boomerang from above, it crackled with lightning, stunning two archers as it ricocheted back to him. Suri tried to get the cleric to shore, but the cleric had other ideas. She swam downstream to the two who fell off the bridge, and beat them unconscious before dragging them to shore.

The leader of the archers turned on his men, and turned into a panther. He quickly cleaned up the few remaining. Exhausted from slaughter, he transformed back and passed out. We regrouped after recovering scattered equipment. Pantherman came around and began explaining how the crown of Shadowdale was using us as a scapegoat. We still had allies, but they were few.

Gameplay Journal 15: Muddy Mimics

We have been making good time, but the water is getting shallow. And before we knew it, we had beached ourselves on a muddy sand bar. We could wade for hours, or spend that time creating a vessel more suited for shallow waters. Under Hawk's guidance, the gnome used the roof of the sub to craft a flat-bottomed "skimmer". He asked if any could make a much larger version of the propeller, and I volunteered.

There were plenty of trees around and I began to carve the wood into a sword like shape. Its over-sized, broad shape would be useless in combat, but it would definitely accomplish its goal of moving lots of air. I made two copies of the blade and attached them to a wheel. BAM! propeller. That's when I heard the scream.

While I had been working, a ghost had visited Midnight and led her into the woods, and a trap. I rushed toward the scream and saw her grappling with a half transformed Doppelganger. I knew I needed to wound it before it became impossible to tell the monster from the maiden. In a flash I drew and fired an arrow into it's shoulder. It howled in pain as the others arrived, weapons drawn. They advanced on the beast and broke its grip on Midnight. Then, the gnome delivered death from above. Soaring in like a mortar round, he used his own meager body weight and that of his hammer to crush the Doppelganger like an insect.

We finished the riverboat and Suri used some clever spellcrafting to set the propeller in motion. We took off at tremendous speed, twice what a horse and rider could ever hope to manage.  

As we soared down the river, an old man hailed us. Without slowing down, the gnome plucked him from the shore. After getting his bearings, he began telling us some prophecy horse shit. He told of a safe haven in the town we were going, an inn with a name that had something to do with fish, I like fish. When he was done the gnome chucked him to shore. I applauded the old man's dexterity as he stuck the landing.

Gameplay Journal 14: Too much fire

I mourned the loss of the disguise that had become my identity, but I decided not to let it affect my morale. I would have plenty of time to learn female finesse after our quest. I needed the attention off of me for a bit, so I explained the art of "noodling" to the gnome. This involves finding a good size hole under the water, sticking your arm in, and hoping a catfish mistakes you for a snack. The gnome took off with his usual simpleton excitement and dove in the water.

He must have forgotten the final part of the instruction, as he attacked the hole with the lance I'd fashioned for him from the marlin's skull. His incredible strength struck through the few remaining roots of a dead tree. The tree groaned and fell across our fire. Luckily we all managed to get out of the way. The dead tree went up in flames, creating a beacon for all who would pursue us.

We devised a plan to douse the blaze by running the propeller and roping off the sub. This works, mostly, the smoldering wood creates thick smoke that is almost worse. I should have known better. We load up, cut the line, and put as much distance between ourselves and the smoke as possible.

Gameplay Journal 13: Burning Truth

I got a roaring fire going on a large sandbar, and they were able to dry their clothes. I threw my line in the water while I waited, caught three good sized catfish. The cleric started telling those around the fire about a strange statue she saw while swimming submerged beneath the swamp. The group immediately decided it was necessary to raise this statue to a more observable position. Through strength and leverage, they manage to hoist it ashore.

The statue stood about 7 feet tall. She was beautifully carved with arms outstretched. However in place of her face, was a magic circle. The gnome jumped up and gave her a high five. His wounds instantly closed, and he claimed he felt smarter. Others who were wounded quickly touched the statue for the healing. I thought a little mischief might further establish my cover as male, and cop a feel of the statue’s ample bosom.

This instantly backfired. My previously very modest assets grew a size. This became very uncomfortable in my tight armor, and I was forced to loosen the bindings. Suri's furious at my brash behavior, but she must have felt some sympathy toward my pain because she helped me refit my armor. While not ridiculously overgrown as some of the harlots I've seen in the cities, I was unmistakably female.

Gameplay Journal 12: Mystic Mists

We were surrounded by fog, the tops of evergreens desperately reached out of the waters of the Flooded Forest. A ghostly form approached over the water. He gave some advice, and banished the mist. His essence dispersed just before they arose.

The undead rose from the waters, and began their shamble. The gnome leapt towards the nearest with his accusatory war cry of "EVILLL!!!" Hawk and I loaded torpedoes into the launch tubes. The casters used water walking upon themselves, and charged into battle. The torpedoes launched and decimated two of the three main groups of Rotters. I prepared a third for launch, and Hawk balanced atop the croc's back to throw his boomerang. The third torpedo wiped out the remaining group of shamblers, and I joined hawk top side to pick off any stragglers.

This battle could have gone a lot worse. Had we been caught without previously unfathomed transportation and weaponry, we may have been overwhelmed. The gnome surprised us all by being able to fight so well while treading water. And the cleric’s spell must have failed her because Suri had to dive in after her. When we were all safely aboard, several of them were soaked to the bone. We would have to land, to dry them out by a fire.

Gameplay Journal 11: Restricted Goods Restrict Progress

Instead of taking carts and wagons like sensible folks, the gnome conjured a vessel from a seamless boulder of granite that he claimed capable of traveling underwater. With only hammer and chisel the stonemason savant had built something no one else had ever imagined. I took this as a challenge, and made my way back to the storage yard.

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I hid in an alley near the storage yard, and waited patiently while I studied the guards rounds. I found an opening when only one guard was on this end of the fence. I directed Rip to snatch the guard's cudgel, and play keep away till I whistled. His performance was stellar, somehow this fearsome warg acting just like a playful dog. I wasn't going to waste the opportunity we'd created. I soared over the fence, and started search for a keg of gunpowder. Which was conveniently well marked with caution signs. I nabbed a keg, and left a handful of gold coins to ease my guilt. I quickly vaulted back over the fence, ducked into the alley, and whistled to Rip. He dropped the stick, and took off for the docks. I wove my way through a couple alleys to get there.

I began construction on a projectile weapon suitable for the gnome's genius craft. Made of wood to reduce weight and cost, it would be a larger version of the bottle rockets I'd seen at the harvest festivals. In the explosive head, I included gravel for shrapnel. I sealed off the "slow-burn" tail with clay. A piece of flint and steel were placed at both ends, one at the tail to light the rocket, one at the nose to trigger the explosion on impact. I named the project “Tons Of Rather Potent Explosive Demolition Ordinance” or TORPEDO for short.

I showed the devices to the gnome and explained we would need some sealing tubes added to the submarine. He effortlessly added my request, without detraction from the beautiful crocodile sculpture that had become the craft's outward appearance. After devising how to power it, we set off to Tantras.

When the mechanism was operating, stone sealed us in with no way for navigation. I took the helm and relied on my uncanny sense of direction to guide us through the depths. After a few hours, we needed to surface to replenish our air supply.

Gameplay Journal 10: The Parade

We agreed to meet in town the next day. I told them I would guide them through the woods, but they refused to just leave the boat behind. We left early the next morning, and I arrived several hours before they would by sea. I wandered around town looking for a good hat shop (a little upset that I lost the hat that kind shepherd gave me). I notice a lightly guarded storage area, obviously a depot where cargo is held when transferred between ships.

I finally found a shop that has some decent hats, when I noticed a parade of cloaked monks carrying a row boat overhead through town. After a quick count, I deduced there was likely a gnome, a few elves, and a man with a "hang glider" beneath those robes.So much for buying a new hat- I thought to myself and hurried after them.

The gnome was leading the procession, carrying the boat and chanting "We're selling this fine row boat, 50 gold or best offer!" The voice was low and drawn out in a crude imitation of the priests of Pelor. The whole show was quite entertaining. When the bidding started, I snuck through the crowd, startling people to fake their bids. This drove the actual bidders mad. The price shot to nearly 200 gold pieces (for a used row boat) before sanity caught up with their competitive nature. We now had plenty of money to fund our journey to Tantras.