Post by Forfeit on May 6, 2023 15:30:48 GMT
A writeup of New Threads
Featuring:
Forfeit, Tiefling, Level 1 Warlock
Thurghor, Bugbear, Level 1 Fighter
Velek (One of the Friends), Half-Orc (Changeling), Level 5 Wizard
Glade, Earth Genasi, Level 13 Druid/Cleric
Kavel, Goliath, Level 18 Barbarian
Following on from Forfeit
[Content Note: mention of spiders]
Daring Heights remains every bit as dismal as when I found it. Grey, damp, lifeless. A rustic settlement, lacking vibrancy, culture and class. What it has in abundance is busyness – the busyness of an ant’s nest, filled with gawping, muttering, shouting out in Common all day. It is barely possible to go for a casual stroll down the middle of the street, given all the people in such a hurry, stopping to stare and shout.
The sooner I earn my way out of this hell, the better.
Fortunately, a local ambassador and silk merchant were willing to pay for help. Silk is a profitable enough industry, and their carpets and textiles looked serviceable, though the shop had been trashed by vandals, and the previous silk spider killed. They started boring me with the political situation in Kundar but I switched off. When a merchant is full of excuses for defective merchandise, they’ll whine about it for hours if you let them.
It was a kidnap job, plain and simple. I proposed a daily rate of 1000 gold pieces plus expenses, and offered to waive my rider on the basis of fostering good relations with the merchants of Kundar. Dismally, they were only able to offer 350 gold pieces. Barely enough for a room, I’ll wager.
Even more disappointing, the hirelings I encountered all insisted on working on an equal employee basis. Radical. What choice did I have but to go with it?
I led the way, leaping off the cliff edge down into the Underdark, where we fell for one hour and our landing was cushioned by the air emitted by mushrooms catching the moonlight.
There in the dark, lit by fluorescent fungi, we plundered a peaceful spiders’ den, defended by large guardian spiders being mentally controlled by one small silk spider.
We fought off the guardians and seized the vicious mind-controlling little beast. It came back in a cage, to live the rest of its days in captivity, fit for nothing more than making carpet silk.
The Goliath: Based on size and power, he looked like a handy bodyguard. As part of my interview, I suggested he bring me the sword stuck in the portal – clearly a powerful object that nobody had permission to take. He survived, which I was not expecting. Showed capability when fighting the spiders. He allowed himself to get charmed by the mind spider, so I fired him. When the same happened to me, thanks to this feeble Tiefling brain, I relented and gave him his job back. I needed safe passage out of here, after all.
The Healer: Versatile caster. She was strangely concerned about preserving the guardian spiders’ lives, despite our seizing another spider for a life of servitude. Summoned octopuses to hold them at bay. The octopuses proved useful at plucking me out of the spiderwebs. Quick and efficient at restoring health – always a useful quality.
The Wizard: Cute attitude. Seemed annoyed at the way time passes on the Prime Material plane – it is indeed ridiculous that time passes here in such monotonous, regular intervals, such that he might set expectations about the time of my arrival. Unwilling to work for me directly and insisted on an equal employee arrangement. Was the one who secured the silk spider, so he’s not all front.
The Bugbear: Ragged and threadbare and fluorescent with colour. Glassy eyes, like he’d spent far too long underground. I took him to dinner before the job. He didn’t seem to understand the concept of ordering people around and having them bring you things. In my experience (such as I can remember), people soon come to like it once you let them wield a little power. He was clearly impressed as he became quite flirtatious.
The Ambassador: All I remember is the taupe suit. Complained endlessly about some local charitable politician, yet she was surprisingly squeamish about hiring me to have him quietly removed. This seemed foolish – philanthropy is such a dangerous social movement.
The Secretary: A Dragonborn with a notebook, watching the shop in Kundar. Staring at me seems to be a popular pastime on this plane. It made a brief change from the gawping denizens of Daring Heights. Let’s hope she drew a good picture – it’ll last longer.
Continues in The Golden Carrot
Featuring:
Forfeit, Tiefling, Level 1 Warlock
Thurghor, Bugbear, Level 1 Fighter
Velek (One of the Friends), Half-Orc (Changeling), Level 5 Wizard
Glade, Earth Genasi, Level 13 Druid/Cleric
Kavel, Goliath, Level 18 Barbarian
Following on from Forfeit
[Content Note: mention of spiders]
Daring Heights remains every bit as dismal as when I found it. Grey, damp, lifeless. A rustic settlement, lacking vibrancy, culture and class. What it has in abundance is busyness – the busyness of an ant’s nest, filled with gawping, muttering, shouting out in Common all day. It is barely possible to go for a casual stroll down the middle of the street, given all the people in such a hurry, stopping to stare and shout.
The sooner I earn my way out of this hell, the better.
Fortunately, a local ambassador and silk merchant were willing to pay for help. Silk is a profitable enough industry, and their carpets and textiles looked serviceable, though the shop had been trashed by vandals, and the previous silk spider killed. They started boring me with the political situation in Kundar but I switched off. When a merchant is full of excuses for defective merchandise, they’ll whine about it for hours if you let them.
It was a kidnap job, plain and simple. I proposed a daily rate of 1000 gold pieces plus expenses, and offered to waive my rider on the basis of fostering good relations with the merchants of Kundar. Dismally, they were only able to offer 350 gold pieces. Barely enough for a room, I’ll wager.
Even more disappointing, the hirelings I encountered all insisted on working on an equal employee basis. Radical. What choice did I have but to go with it?
I led the way, leaping off the cliff edge down into the Underdark, where we fell for one hour and our landing was cushioned by the air emitted by mushrooms catching the moonlight.
There in the dark, lit by fluorescent fungi, we plundered a peaceful spiders’ den, defended by large guardian spiders being mentally controlled by one small silk spider.
We fought off the guardians and seized the vicious mind-controlling little beast. It came back in a cage, to live the rest of its days in captivity, fit for nothing more than making carpet silk.
* * *
The Goliath: Based on size and power, he looked like a handy bodyguard. As part of my interview, I suggested he bring me the sword stuck in the portal – clearly a powerful object that nobody had permission to take. He survived, which I was not expecting. Showed capability when fighting the spiders. He allowed himself to get charmed by the mind spider, so I fired him. When the same happened to me, thanks to this feeble Tiefling brain, I relented and gave him his job back. I needed safe passage out of here, after all.
The Healer: Versatile caster. She was strangely concerned about preserving the guardian spiders’ lives, despite our seizing another spider for a life of servitude. Summoned octopuses to hold them at bay. The octopuses proved useful at plucking me out of the spiderwebs. Quick and efficient at restoring health – always a useful quality.
The Wizard: Cute attitude. Seemed annoyed at the way time passes on the Prime Material plane – it is indeed ridiculous that time passes here in such monotonous, regular intervals, such that he might set expectations about the time of my arrival. Unwilling to work for me directly and insisted on an equal employee arrangement. Was the one who secured the silk spider, so he’s not all front.
The Bugbear: Ragged and threadbare and fluorescent with colour. Glassy eyes, like he’d spent far too long underground. I took him to dinner before the job. He didn’t seem to understand the concept of ordering people around and having them bring you things. In my experience (such as I can remember), people soon come to like it once you let them wield a little power. He was clearly impressed as he became quite flirtatious.
The Ambassador: All I remember is the taupe suit. Complained endlessly about some local charitable politician, yet she was surprisingly squeamish about hiring me to have him quietly removed. This seemed foolish – philanthropy is such a dangerous social movement.
The Secretary: A Dragonborn with a notebook, watching the shop in Kundar. Staring at me seems to be a popular pastime on this plane. It made a brief change from the gawping denizens of Daring Heights. Let’s hope she drew a good picture – it’ll last longer.
Continues in The Golden Carrot