The Dragon's Village 2017

[Karvon]

The group had been lowered into a series of caves from the sorcerer's stronghold. Brushing aside a few minor encounters with vermin living there, the party had smashed thru rocks blocking the egress and found themselves somewhere in the mountains. Gojiro scouted out a couple of paths, one led to the steppes, the other to the hold of some giants - based on the footprints he found scattered about outside. A badly injured builder implored the group to attack the giants and free his compatriots enslaved there creating weapons for the horde. While not keen on the plan, he went along with them and scouted ahead. Initially, they met mostly orc guards who were dealt with pretty easily. They did run into a couple of giants and dispatched them after hard fights. In a lower level, they found the mines, more builders and more orcs, likewise slain. In the upper level, they fought and slew a number of giants including their chieftain. A few magical items and a bit of gold were found and parceled out. Gojiro acquired a better sword and slightly better shield. The loopy earth priestess burned a cloak he and Tenko had found leading to bit of a rumble and argument between the team members. As they stood staring at each other, he observed...

"While I don't think Tenko should've taken a swing at Moriko, I don't think she was entitled to destroy loot we found without that first being discussed and decided on by the rest of us. We have only her word that it was something terrible and worthless, and given her temperament, I don't put a lot of stock in that assessment. Anyway, just my take on the matter."

[Klasa]

Despite his initial doubts the Dragon Warriors had proven to be an effective force to be reckoned with, at least in the field of battle that is. And perhaps that is all the Dragon was interested in when it chose them to be its warriors. That was all they seemed to share in common together, in any case. Their goals and individual motivations appeared to greatly vary, and due to this there was little unity between them all. Yes, this explained the sense of disorder Huo Da felt from them the moment he had met them.

That the Dragon would overlook this deficit and make all of them its warriors. . . Perhaps combat ability truly was all that it was interested in, and perhaps all that was really needed to solve the current crisis, although. . . If combat prowess is the only necessity to be a Dragon Warrior, then maybe they should just teach the Panda Kung Fu and make him a Dragon Warrior. It'd be as good an idea as. . .

"Wait, jya, that is utterly. . . I may be listening to that girl too much."

[Vanya Mia]

Moriko sat alone in a corner of the room with her back to the wall, knees pulled into her chest, and watched for a while. Her hand occasionally touching the place on her cheek where she'd been hit, though there was no trace of a physical mark. Eventually she reached for her pack and slowly began to pull the things she had been given out of her pack and arrange them neatly before her, making neat piles of the gold coins. She unslung the bow from her back and sighed before placing it down, looking at it with a wistful expression.

While she was doing so Master returned from seemingly nowhere and settled down beside her, bits of what may or may not have been a bear rug tangled in his claws. The venerable panda fixed Tenko with a belligerent stare and rumbled something. "I don't have it now. I broke it to help when we needed air's blessing," Moriko responded. "I will ask if I can have another stick when we meet a lightning hit tree."


((I would suggest that player actions against another player should be arranged before hand, through whispers if need be. She was hit but made the Fortitude save, which was low as the DC relies on the attacker's Wisdom bonus, so there was no effect. I don't recall if it deals damage but if so fortunately not enough to take those last few HP, and the automatic attacks back didn't reverse that situation - not least as the companion wasn't there.

Hence there were no "mechanics" consequences to deal with but I admit I'm struggling over a way to respond with this IC.))

[smartalec]

"No, Moriko, you don't... you don't need to do that, you... need those..." Wen waves at the young woman as she starts laying her gains down on the ground, looking wearied by the recent events. But as he says it, he's struck by a thought, and blinks, looking around him; at the forges, at the sword in his hand, at Moriko's gathered possessions. He blinks, astonished.

"... a cloak..." he sighs. "The... the Wise Man of Water once said, 'desire is the only true crime'. I... I understand that now. I thought, greed for wealth, that was the crime, but it's not... I tell myself I take these things to do good with them, that I could do more, be more, with more. Moriko wanted to burn that cloak, for whatever reason, but it's all the same. The reasons aren't the point..."

He looks at the others, lit by the warmth of the forges. "If it's come to the point that we'll burn things, or worse, even fight one another? The reasons... the reasons aren't important. Only that we'll do it... and what comes from it."

"Moriko... I hope that made sense, to you if no-one else. Tien, you should take up that offer - Tenko, there's a lot to learn... I know that now. Spirits know, I'm still learning."

***

((pleeease no pvp without asking ))

[Shadani]

In the face of war, they were just children.

It was easy to forget just how little they'd seen; how little they'd truly suffered. At times, it felt like they'd come a long way, to be sure, but then something like this happened - a troubling reminder of how little they'd grown.

Ning did not have the words to express these sentiments. She sat off to the side, and meditated, hoping to find some answer to their troubles through her introspection. If she and her companions could not even pass the trials of each other's company, then how could they possibly succeed when the true test began?

[Lazybones]

Session 21

+900xp for full-party IC posting.

I'll just reiterate what others have said; when it comes to player-vs-player, use your words, not your weapons. If another player's in-character actions cause you trouble as a player, bring it to the forums and we'll talk it out (as we've done a few times already this campaign). Also remember that in the middle of play with a lot of stuff going on at once not everyone may have a full grasp on what's happening, and that includes the DM.

LB

[Vanya Mia]

((Server is up.))

[Karvon]

The steppes were pretty featureless, wide and flat. Gojiro could generally spot movement a long ways off as he carefully slipped thru the fields of grass. Time and again, he warned the group of something, only to watch as they gravitated right towards rather than away from the danger. So, they ended up fighting some flightless birds, giant cats, and a huge beetle. Worst of all, they attacked a horde encampment, alerting the horde to their presence in the area and resulting in a mad flight and hot pursuit as various horde groups vectored in on them. Fortunately, they made it to the forest alive, only to run into new threats there. At least the horde wasn't after them any more. Of course, they would have to deal with them again on the way home - not the most exciting prospect.

[Mirgalen]

The dragons got lost in the vast empty plain. After fighting creatures they met the horde in the shape of small encampments. Tenko was happy to kill some of them but was less inclined to go after wildlife. Eventually they got outnumbered and fled into the forest without being chased by anyone.

Later they met a kind of tiny Oni who claimed to be the Master of the Forest. Still subject to his uncontrollable wrath Tenko was tempted to charge and dispose of the creature but no matter how dumb and unwise he may be compared to others like him he still had enough common sense to shut his mouth and stand still letting the others do the talking.

Later he found himself daydreaming about the Fox Queen, a tall and elegant beauty with golden eyes and slightly pointy ears. She was wearing a long green and blue silk dress hiding her tail under her garment...

[Klasa]

Huo Da was conflicted with their recent success, should you decide to call it that. They had indeed crossed the mountain and plains into the forest, albeit it was not quite the stealthy foray he was hoping they would make. The hostile wildlife they took care of was perhaps to be expected, but running into and agitating all of the Horde forces in the area was less than ideal. Luckily they managed to make it into the forest, and just as his Master had said the Horde was not willing to follow them into it.

Unfortunately, the reason for that was that the forest was home to one of the Fey, and one of apparently great power at that. It proved to be as chaotic and volatile as he had heard the fey were. And now it had decided they were to complete a task for it, or else they would never leave its forest.

The task itself was to murder, which was accepted by part of the group before the nature of the target was explained. A further show of how disjointed the Dragon Warriors, being the closest term he could lump them as he supposed, were. The Fey went on to explain it was an ogre of great strength, cunning, and magical talent of which he wanted them to slay. And before anything else could be asked he whisked all of them away magically to the Ogre's domain.

"Jya. . . I hope you're fine with Ogre slaying, as we're not likely to leave from here otherwise."