A halfling walks a fine line...

The Halfling campaign
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Jason of the Fraternity
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A halfling walks a fine line...

Post by Jason of the Fraternity »

Banob's Journal wrote:My name is Banob Brin, and I am a halfling from the city of Waterdeep. I have endured and survived many adventures as my companions and I traveled across the lands of Faerun, but none of that prepared me for the day that the Mists came and took me away…

While it has been more than fifty years since that fateful day, I still remember a great deal of what had happened. It started with a moonlit night as I was walking down the streets. The night had been unusually cold for that time of summer, and the rising fog from the alleys didn’t surprise me too much. With such a change in weather, one comes to expect such things. However, I did not expect to get lost in the grey void. When I finally managed to find my way out, I was in the middle of a dark forest and no city in sight.

It didn’t take long for trouble to find me, as a group of bandits attacked me. They were not very skillful, and I would have easily escaped unharmed if not for their weapons; pistols. After a long struggle, I managed to wound them and escape with one of these weapons. Unfortunately, a stray bullet from their guns wounded my leg. Needless to say, I needed food, rest, and a safe place to hide.

I’ve never been a religious fellow, but my prayers had been answered in the deliverance of a small village and its quaint tavern; the Malodorous Goat. I stopped for some dumplings, but I ended up with a dead elf and two companions. As is my luck, the poison that killed the elf had been in my food as well. I survived the foul taint, but my travel companions had already left me behind.

As I made my way west, a most unpleasant man captured and tortured me. This Malocchio Aderre, who was no friend of my previous companions, figured that I would make a nice ransom. From what I could make out between my screams (I still bare several scars from those endless days and nights), Aderre was concerned about an invasion of mind flayers. Cole Deschain and Charonne Willowbrook were supposed to be his insurance that Invidia helped prevent such an attack…but this was all a lie. Malocchio Aderre had no intention to stop the attack. Instead, he wanted to ally himself with the mind flayers and conquer the world.

Sadly, I learned no more of this plan for he sent me away. Broken and bleeding, I was carted to a land known as Richemulot. A lovely and charming lady named Jacqueline Renier treated my wounds. This lady, however, was no lady. She was actually a wererat, who was only interested in healing me so that she could learn of Aderre’s plans. Fortunately for me, Malocchio had laid a powerful upon my flesh. As I tried to escape and the wererats tore at my flesh, the subtle incantation cursed them to die a slow and painful death. I later learned that Malocchio Aderre intended this trap in order to accelerate his conquering of Richemulot.

As I fled through the uncivilized forests, I grew weary from my wounds. It was there that a Falkovian soldier caught me. Seeing my wounds and hearing me speak in my sleep, he decided to take me to his commander, Vlad Drakov. This tyrant was no better a host than Malocchio Aderre or Jacqueline Renier. My only benefit was this madman was too busy impaling supposed enemies to bother with me…

Looking up from his book, the curly haired halfling stifles a yawn. Placing the quill into the ink well, he lets the last of his writing dry before closing the book. “The rest will have to wait until another day.”

As Banob rises from his makeshift desk and chair, he carefully picks up the sputtering candle. He looks about his cave with a sad frown and move over to a large bed of straw.

“Another day and another adventure,” he says tiredly and blows the candle out.
Last edited by Jason of the Fraternity on Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Jason of the Fraternity »

Charonne Willowbrook took a deep breath and let it out in a slow and deliberate sigh. The past fifty years in this demiplane had been rough on him, and he had already been getting old when he came here in pursuit of a bounty. Rubbing the ache out of his shoulders, the memories of his arrival and friends flooded into his mind.

Shaking his head, Charonne clears the excess thoughts from his mind. His friends and companions had travel with him to Bluetspur to prevent his bounty, a psychic slug, from amassing an army of illithids. While the mission was partially successful, it had cost them dearly. Charonne sacrificed himself to allow Cole the chance to find the others and deliver them to safety. His sacrifice, however, had been in vain…

The God Brain did not kill the tielfling. Instead, the powerful entity toyed with him. For days, he felt his memories stripped from his mind and used for nefarious purposes. After the God Brain used all that it could of his mind, it began sundering his body. His fiendish heritage was interesting and something to be investigated.

Charonne shuddered slightly at the old thoughts. While he was grateful to be alive, death would have been a more pleasant experience. He was half the man that he used to be. No, that wasn’t completely true. He was more man than he had been before. He was half the fiend he used to be. During the God Brain’s vile experiments, Charonne had been split into two beings. His human/elven side became one person, and his baatezu side became another being.

Perhaps the God Brain had grown tired of toying with the broken tiefling, but Charonne found himself (or themselves) alive and back in Invidia. Sadly, none of his friends or companions had made the return trip. Missing his other half and unable to find his friends, he had to start anew and try to mend the damage that had been done.

Charonne smiled weakly. Fortunately, he was no longer alone…
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Post by Jason of the Fraternity »

Malocchio Aderre sat alone in his hall as he contemplated the current twist of events. In the past fifty years, he had broken the Vistani curse upon him, conquered three other domains, and had his curse reestablished upon him. While he had been busy and “productive” over the years, he could not solely claim all of his victories…

Azalin Rex, the Wizard-king, had provided him with magical books and equipment that were used to break his curse of confinement. Vlad Drakov, who was now dead and rotting, provided him an army that proved strong enough to conquer not only Verbrek and Richemulot but Falkovia as well. Most of all, Malocchio Aderre owed a dept of gratitude to the dark wind that provided him with certain prophesies and secrets. With these whispered words, Malocchio would not have been able to pull all of these pieces together and accomplish such wide-scale goals.

Unfortunately, the dark wind had stopped whispering to him nearly fifty years ago. He had been initially concerned about the silence, but his plans continued onward and success was his. Yet, after all this time, the voice had returned. It returned and was warning him about trouble brewing within the lands…

“Lord Aderre,” a soldier announced from the doorway of the hall. “You have three visitors. Should I escort them in or would you like me to send them away?”

Malocchio looks up with a scowl. While he did not wish to have his thoughts interrupted, the visitors were somewhat expected. The dark wind foretold of their coming to him.
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Post by Cole Deschain »

Within the village of Vallaki, the man bestirred himself... Somebody was arriving- With any luck, it would be his targets. It had been a long, uncomfortable ride from Invidia, and he really needed it to pay off.
Go tell the Spartans, thou who passest by,
That here, obedient to their laws, we lie.
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Post by Jason of the Fraternity »

Malocchio Aderre sat impatiently on his throne as the soldier walked back to the large entrance and opened the doors. Although the Lord of Invidia knew that company would be coming, he did not know whom they would be or what they would want. With the current state of affairs, he would not tolerate those who would waste his time.

After the soldier opened the door, three men or creatures entered through the door. The first to approach Malocchio was a man that was nearly as wide as he was tall. The obese man stood over six feet tall, but he must have weighed well over four hundred and fifty pounds. The majority of his bulk was hidden beneath the crimson and black depths of his robes, but his body still shifted grossly as he waddled into the main chamber.

“Lord Aderre,” the overweight spellcaster announced with a slight bow, “my name is Christopher McGee. I am a humble sorcerer from Darkon, and my associates and I would like to offer you our allegiance and aid.”

“This is my diminutive companion, Spider.” The second to approach the throne was a halfling. The creature at least looked as if it were once a halfling. Its eyes were wide, bulbous, and nearly milky white. Its teeth and fingers were long and sharp, which gave it a feral and dangerous appearance. In addition to that, it very body looked like it had been horribly mangled and left to heal in unnatural positions. “I found him lurking in the mountains of Lamordia.”

“And this quiet fellow is Sarinjo,” Christopher motioned to the third and final member of the strange party. The man looked mostly normal if you disregard his heritage. His yellowish skin and choice in weapons and armor marked him as being from Rokushima Taiyoo. Other than that, the man seemed to be out of place when compared to the other two misfits. “He doesn’t speak much of our languages, but his halberd can slice through an opponent from any land.”

Malocchio holds up his hand to silence the portly man. “And what sort of aid do the three of you propose to offer me?”

Christopher McGee merely smiles widely. “The eradication of a particular bunch of heroes, my lord. A certain bunch of heroes that have returned from a trip from Bluetspur…”
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Post by Jason of the Fraternity »

“And just how did you learn about them?” Malocchio asked with a sneer. Not only were these people a fright to look at, but they knew more than he felt was comfortable with them knowing.

Christopher pulled his thick lips back in a large, mocking smile. “Our employer…”

“The Metallic Dragon,” Sarinjo interrupted in his thick Rokuma accent.

“Yes,” Christopher continued as he rolled his eyes. “As I was saying, our employer contacted us and said that we should consult you about the group. It seems that they have something that we want, and you want them dead as well. Two birds with one stone, eh?”

“Perhaps,” Aderre answered warily. “What exactly do they have that your employer desires so much?”

Christopher persisted grinning widely. “One of their groups members stole a crystal. Our employer desires to get this crystal back, since the gem is needed for a mechanism that he’s been building.”

“And what if I desire such an item for myself?” Malocchio questioned with a raised brow. “If such an item is so precious, then maybe I should take it for myself?”

The deformed halfling sputtered and hissed as it hunched forward on its toes and knuckles. Christopher merely reached down and gently stroked the ragged mop of bluish grey hair upon the halfling’s head. “Clam down, Spider. Calm down.”

“You could gather the crystal for yourself, mi’lord,” the corpulent sorcerer continued, “but it would not be nearly as valuable to you as some other items. Perhaps, the fabled Mist Razor would be more to your liking? We could deliver it to you. We could deliver the heads of Cole Deschain and Desilda von Luchen as well…”

A slight smile crossed Malocchio Aderre’s face. “Do that, and I will let you keep the gem for yourselves…”
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Post by Jason of the Fraternity »

The trio of misfit mercenaries stood outside of Malocchio Aderre's great hall as they discussed their next plan of action. They had learned that the crystal, which had been taken over fifty years ago, was in the possession of one of the group members. Unfortunately, they did not know which person currently held the item. Even worse, the original group had split into three sections.

"Looks like we have a great deal of work ahead of us," the obese spellcaster said to his two associates. "I think that spliting up is a rather obvious choice, but we need to decide who will go where."

Spider, the twisted halfling hissed and moaned quietly as the other two stood silently.

"I will travel to Hazlan," Sarinjo declared. "If what they say is true, I will have the best luck with those who are supposed to be traveling there."

Christopher nods his head. "Very well, then. I will take the group that traveled to Borca. Supposedly, they picked up a wizard during their travels and my spells should be able to handle him easily enough."

Both men turned and looked at the mutant halfling. Christopher smiled widely as Sarinjo kept the ever emotionless expression upon his face.

"Which means that you, dear Spider," Christopher finished, "will be heading to Barovia..."
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Post by Jason of the Fraternity »

A dark figured lurked in a lab hidden deep within the Tepestani forests. Gnarled but nimble fingers worked on the mutilated corpse that lay upon the stone slab before him. Taking a deep breath, the sour smells of several types of chemicals sifted through his leather mask and up into his nose. While most people would have sought fresh air, Xerxes enjoyed such aromas.

"You are nearly completely?" A deep and sinister voice asked from the darkness.

The leatherclad surgeon merely nodded his head as he tucked a pair of bright silver scalpels into the ouch on his belt. Adjusting the hood of his cloak, he took a step back to admire his work.

"Yes," Xerxes finally replied. "This batch should be ready to do your bidding."

"Excellent," the Tepestani Devil remarked, "then have them go to Barovia..."
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Post by Jason of the Fraternity »

Christopher McGee watched as his two companions left on their respective missions. Sarinjo, the Rokuma warrior, headed southeast toward Hazlan. His fighter's prowess and special abilities would prove very effective against that weapon-heavy group. Spider, the corrupt halfling, headed mostly east to Barovia. While small, the little minion had unnatural dexterity and infernal powers at its beck and call. As for himself, he was heading north by northeast until he reached Borca. His size made him slow, but their were spells to aid his journey. He was not worried about reaching or even defeating his targets.

What did worry the corpulent sorcerer was the unfolding events. There were several great powers working toward a similar goal. Each of this evil entities had released its pawns and soldiers, and a great prize would go to the victor. Unfortunatly, eternal torment waited for those who lost this battle...

With a deep breath, Christopher prepared a 'teleportation' spell. If he lost, then a thousand lifetimes of suffering awaited him. At least, the rest of world was guarenteed to suffer just as much if not more when the world went to hell.
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Post by Jason of the Fraternity »

After seceurely tying his halberd to the side of his horse, Sarinjo climbed up and spurred his mount forward. The trip to Hazlan would take some time, but he was not in a big hurry to get there. If it took longer for him to get to his destination, then he would have a longer time before he would have to kill more innocent people.

The Rokuma warrior shook his head slightly. That was not entirely true, though. Not everyone that died by his blade was innocent. More than one person had tried to deliver a fatal blow to him, but he would not be delivered to death so easily. At least a dozen times, an unworthy opponent had left him for dead. Each and every time he had hunted them down and dealt them the killing blow instead.

He doubted that this time would be any different...
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Post by Jason of the Fraternity »

Spider crouched on the tree branch and looked down at the bubbling brook that flowed about teen feet away from the tree?s trunk. The foliage was growing sparse in the late autumn season, but there were still enough leaves to give the deformed halfling some concealment.

After several moments of anxious waiting, the halfling?s prey had shown up. The deer was young, and its antlers had just barely begun to sprout from its forehead. Spider did not care, though. The young buck wouldn?t put up as much of a fight, but its meat would be more tender and sweet. Digging his clawed fingers into the gnarled wood of the branch, he waited impatiently for the deer to relax and drink from the water.

Not sensing the corruption that lie in waiting within the branches of the tree, the buck leaned forward and sipped from the brook. Some scholars would say that animals lack intelligence or at least the ability to reason. This deer, however, learned that it was a bad idea to drink from this brook. Unfortunately, it figured this out too late. The poison in the water already began to steal its strength, and it could not run as a horrendous figure dropped from the sky.

It only took a moment for Spider to tear the life out of his dinner. His claws tore through the flesh and burnt with an unholy fury. Without waiting, Spider began to enjoy his meal. Poison flesh and all?
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Post by Jason of the Fraternity »

Banob looked down from his mountain and watched the strange collection of monstrous mutations matched through the swampy forest below. While he was several hundred yards away, he could still see the abominations well enough to realize their was nothing normal about them.

"More prototypes from the Tepestani Devil," a familiar voice said from behind the aged halfling.

Banob didn't bother to spin around and see the young man standing behind him. He already knew who it was, and it would only please the intruder to know that he had been able to sneak up on the old rogue. "You speak as if you didn't have anything to do with it, Janus."

"Pfft," the young man said as he lowered the hood of his dark blue cloak. The weak sun reflected off of the near perfect complexion of his lightly purple skin. Shaking his head lightly, his silvery blue hair fell down to his shoulders in long, straight locks. "I might not fight against their creation, but they are not mine."

"No," Banob scoffed slightly, "but they are your father's creation. He commissioned them, and you did not do anything to oppose them."

"And why should I?" Janus scowled deeply as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Banob shrugged his shoulders slightly. Deciding that he was too tired to argue ethics with the youth, he changed to the subject. "So how is your sister doing?"
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Post by Jason of the Fraternity »

Pyrtuma ran through the woods as fast as her legs would carry her. While she did not inherit the supernatural speed that her father possessed, the young tiefling could manage better than the heavily armored Invidian soldiers that were pursuing her. Taking one last look over her shoulder, she jumped over some wild thorn bushes and rolled under a blanket of fallen leaves.

Taking one of her pistols from its holster, the red-haired bard peaked out for the approach of her hunters. Hearing footsteps, which were muffled by the thick foliage that lay upon the ground, Pyrtuma recites an incantation that creates a simple illusion. Sending the sight and sound in the opposite direction, she holds her breath as she waits to see if the soldiers take the bait.

After what seems like an eternity, Pyrtuma quietly slides out from under her hiding place and begins running again?
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Post by Jason of the Fraternity »

Spider watched the small group with morbid fascination. Even though the deformed halfling's mind had been broken over time, he was still canny enough to think more rudimentary thoughts. In fact, a certain part of the misshapen creature's mind was impressed that the girl hadn't taken any of the poison water. He didn't know how she noticed the faint taint, but it would make his hunt all the more interesting.

Sitting high up in the tree, Spider watched the area across the stream where the group had made camp. The carnage from an earlier battle stung at his nose, but he inhaled the coppery odor with a deep breath. Soon the scent of blood would be much more fresh and extremely sweet tasting.

Looking up into the night sky, Spider watched as a bat swooped and hovered through the air...
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Post by Jason of the Fraternity »

Christopher McGee wiped a tear away from the corner of his eye with an overly large hand. Looking down into his crystal ball, he began to laugh again. The excessive rolls of fat beneath his robes wiggled and giggled as the obese spellcaster laughed so hard more tears rolled down his plump cheeks.

"This is absolutely priceless," he said to no one in particular. Waving his hand over the misty glass orb, the scene changed slightly and a new scene of the Boritsi estate appeared within the crystal's depths. "Perhaps, I found a new spot at which to spend my free time?"

Scanning the location and his targets further, Christopher continued laughing heartily.
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