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2005-02-15

Reading in Chronological Order

Because the posts appear whenever they are added I am going to maintain a post of the different stories in chronological order so you can read the stories in order.

Jason's Campaign
Dream State

A Ships Voyage
Lydin's Story (Part 1)

A Helping Hand
Lydins Story (Part 2)
Pandarus Voices of Battle

Meeting Place
Lydins Story (Part 3)

Mystanamyr's Cat
Mystanamyrs Cat
Cast of Characters
Act 1
Scene 1 To Take Up the Chase
Scene 2 Taking To the Hunt
Scene 3 The Chase Begins
Into the Market (Draft... coming soon)

2005-02-14

HARP

World background:
The main campaign area is the Mysa plain. This is known as the land of five rivers. Several rivers including five main tributaries (Kordick, Thysel, White, Anryhl, and Bhod) run south across this plain and join the mighty grey river. In the north of the plain is the Thistle Wood, an old growth forest the borders the Lyrod Mountains. To the west lies the old kingdoms. South of the Grey River is a wilderness that is not mapped or visited except by the heartiest of adventurers. The Grey river runs east to the Sun Source Sea.

This is a harsh place. Orcs raid deep into the plain, warring factions and city states are everywhere. Your skills are what are going to make you rise from the mundane and become an adventurer.

In game terms:
This is a world similar in size to the earth, the area of Mysa is about the size and climate of the American Midwest. The game offers several base races: Dwarves, Elves, Gnome, Gryx, Halfling, and Human. Humans are the dominant race comprising of between 73% of the population of the area. Dwarves and Elves are 8% each, Halflings comprise 5%, Gnomes a mere 3%, various cross and half breeds 2%, and the bestial Gryx* only 1%.

* Gryx: a large, hairy, somewhat bestial biped. Very scholarly culture. Think of Robert Jordan's Ogier.

HARP has several professions similar to Dungeon and Dragon's classes.
spell casters -
Cleric, Mage, Harper

warriors -
Fighter, Monk

semi-spell casters -
Ranger, Warrior Mage

other -
Rogue, Thief
a note on spell casting, I am only 50% through the rules and this is the area where I will be making some changes. If you want top play a spell caster I need you to be willing to allow for some changes. The first change is allowing spell casters to use armor WITHOUT penalty. There are others contact me if you want more information.

And As is the case for almost all my worlds:
COMBAT IS DANGEROUS - think before you attack, you can die.
Magic is abundant, for you and your enemies.
Magic is potent.
There are no snakes, several mammalian type creatures have taken there ecological place.
The rules are mutable. I will make changes to the rules and I will ask your opinion and assistance in this.

Dream State

I left home at the young age of 116 because the forests no longer held an interest for me but I found that making my way in the world of men and other races wasn't quite as easy as I thought.

My father would be ashamed but I have found that my natural abilities have given me an aptitude as a thief, something spotted by my mentor Jaxtor. For a time I have found a companion in this lonely city in the way of a gnome with a quick wit and even quicker hands. He is a good little fellow, given to laughter and we really only take from those who can afford it and deserve it.

Months have passed while Jaxtor and I have done our best to take what we can, use what we take and give away what we can't. I couldn't have imagined that my life could be this fun and rewarding at the same time as there are many children living as urchins on the streets, I'm glad I can help them even a little.

I'm not sure if I'm dreaming or if this is a nightmare. Foul beasts, the likes I have never known, broke into the small warehouse I've shared with Jaxtor and some of the children for the past couple of years. Why am I bound?? The children's screams are terrible as they are cut down like wheat and one of the creatures threw something towards me... small and round and wet! ... His laughter is cruel, where is Jaxtor?

A few of us have been dragged away to a ship and we set sail and time has flowed like water, mixing with blood and pain. I don't like this dream/nightmare ... why can't I wake up?

2005-02-04

The meeting Place

The shack that was on the edge of town was one room shack, previously a guard shack. There was nothing left in the shack, but garbage and all the windows were board it up. The group caught into there nightly routine pretty quick, mainly because they were tried. The Hawber was to take the first shift. Lydin and Tugwyn, start their nightly ritual of praying and studying respectily. About half into his watch, Hawber spots a creature roaming around carry what like a person over its shoulder. He wakes up rest of the party, he got his wish a reason to wake everybody up (he did like being alone, a fact he would fiercely deny). The creature had not notice them and were slowly moving away, but the dwarf need to show how mucho he was 9 he has a couple of issues). He felt ashamed that he actually ran from a battle, his father or brother would never run way). So he shouts out to the creature, "Come here you wimp." That turn around the creature, and they immediately spot the dwarf standing there, dropping the body and they started towards Hawber.

The creature was not alone; it had two skeleton guards with him. Lydin loses his cool and starts yelling at Hawber demanding to know why he done that. The two skeletons get their first and start attacking. The Dwarf and Yue block the doorway, with the rest of the party fell in behind them. Lydin forces Scratch to take up a position near Yue, with Lydin himself sticking close to his cat. The battle start with Yue and Hawber both taking multiply hits. The only saving grace for the party is the creature is block by the skeleton and cannot get a full attack in. Paradarus and Gweryth came up great idea during this battle, which is to light a lantern and thrown it behind the skeleton and hit the creature. . It took a couple of try before the got the lantern lit and at the last minute Gweryth comes to his senses and stop Paradarus from thrown the lantern. Gweryth realized it would be like a beacon to the once dead creatures after them.


Scratch gets hits and run away from the battle causing Lydin to leave his post to attend the cat?s wound, the battle keeps getting worst. Gweryth hit Yue in the head with an arrow while trying to shoot the once dead creatures and Yue is down. Paradarus steps up into the battle engaging the remaining skeleton.

The dwarf took out another skeleton and now was engage with the creature. The creature had hit Hawber a couple of times and it seems that each hit was during little physical damage but was causing the wounds of some mental distress for Hawber. But The Dwarf was holding his zone for now.

Lydin tries to help his felled comrade but end up falling on top of him. Two more skeletons appeared with scimitars ready to join the battle. They were attracted to the yelling from before. The come up one engaging Paradarus and the other one trying to engaged the dwarf. The dwarf was clearing house he took out he creature and was ready for the skeleton Tugygen was in entangled by the look of these creatures. He found the creatures were beautiful. And while trying to fight them his mind was elsewhere. He was firing a bolt he misses and accidentally hits Paradarus and he was down. Or was it? Could he actually prefer these once dead creatures over his party members? Lydin managed the cure Yue enough of his wounds and so he was able to join in the fight. That was the turn point in the fight. Yue getting back into the battle and take his original spot. Lydin was turning into a nurse taking care of the wound it, but the alternatives were deadly.

They managed to manage quickly get kill again the skeleton after that. It was over for now. Lydin was still pissed at Hawber and orders him to clear up the miss. The dwarf listens to Lydin starting to assume a leadership role, or was he lucky that Hawber did not see the command the way as he see a happy face.

The rest of the night the party did not sleep well except for Paradarus. Who had not wakened up since his fall in battle. Lydin was sure he would wake up!
Has soon as there was light after the Fletcher house the party goes. Two minutes after leaving the shack they run into their buddy from yesterday. He looks at them kinda puzzled and says you are a .........live. You last it longer then the rest. But it does it matter, you going to die". From that moment on the party referred to him has the prophets. And maybe they were in over their heads.

They make it to the Flechters house in relatively quick time, and when the Fletcher answers the door he notices that Paradarus is down. He runs out and mummers some wounds and lays it hand on him not once but twice and is on his feet looking better then he ever did.
Once inside the party relays to me the night happens, the Fletcher did not look shock.

"I was afraid of that ", he said." Do you have any experience fighting the undead besides last night"? The party answered in unison no.

"Well" the Fletcher says "let me tell you what I know about the undead. Use must blunt weapons against them and the creature that like a man was a vampire and they are very dangerous creatures". He spends the next hour lecture the party on fight the undead with specially emphasis on the vampire. Tugygn listen to this had to suppress and couple smiles and almost giggled one. Then he takes them into a secret room and tells them there are weapons here that are especially made to fight the undead. You can take anything in this room to help you on your quest. Nobody ever question him on where the weapons can from or why he had such a large cache of weapons.

In this room there was a weapon rack the length of the room and on the opposite side there was bookcase full of books mostly on how to fight the undead. There was another bookcase that was filled with potions on the near wall and in the center of the room was a small laboratory. The party stay there awhile to makes sure they had the best weapon and potion to aid them. They were ready to fight the undead, or so they thought. They were in for a very rude awaking.

2005-02-03

The Helping Hand

The beach was made up of golden sand. Fifty paces from the shoreline the sand was gently overtaken by tallish yellowish grass, mixed with small scrubs. In the distances to the east there was tall, thick forest, it must be ancient. To the west was a smaller forest and the middle of the forests was grassland. Behind the forests, in the skyline was a huge mountains range, which has snow cap peaks.

The Ex- slaves had nowhere to go and had nothing to do but wait. The party was planning plans and strengthens their resolve never to be slaves again. When a Smaller group of horse broke away from the main body, the break way group consist of five of horsemen and two people who appear to be walking.

The party had a banner a sun over a dried up snake. This triggered a thought about the Serpents Daughter in Lydin, but he lost it. His fear of snakes would not allow him to go there.

When the smaller group of horsemen where within 20 paces a man spoke the leader? Have no fear; we are not here to harm you in anyway, just to talk and maybe help. This took the party back; it was all so painful long sense someone spoke to them with respect. Tugwyn shed a single tear.

"I am Sidric, the rightful ruler of this land, and I arrange your escape from slavery. Your capturer was my brother Denric. Our father ruled this land for 20 peaceful year, but since is dead we have been at war. I want to hire you to kill my brother and get your revenge. "
The party of enslaves was taken back by revelation and offer. They should have though about want been being offered, but the change of revenge against their Grog and now Denric was an offer to good to refuse.

The party of ex slaves was now working for Sidric the self proclaimed leader of this land. Also, Yue recognized the walking member behind Sidric. They were slaves on the ship. He did not know them, personnel, but he passed them several times on the ship, and he also spotted the number braid it into their arms.

"I though more of you would have survived the escape, but oh well here are two more of your ships companions. Go in the small village, along the path to your right and find the Fletcher. He will have orders and what ever else you may need." Also, Sidric stop speaking turns around and waves forward a human male, as he gets close the party recognized him as a member of the ship's crew. Raged started to build up in the party members, has Sidric starting speaking again, "this fellow here is the spy I had plant it board the ship to help you escape. He also managed to get most of your crew of the ship for you? Now go and be discreet."

The party with two new members began to wonder around the beach for a couple of hours trying to get their bearing. Then they decided it was time to find the village and ultimate the Fletcher. It did not take long form them to find the town path to town and short time later the town was in view.

There was a large statue, about 10 hands in high on the outskirts of the town stood a. It was once a very fine statue, but not is was weather beaten and neglect. There was inscription on base of the statue, but it is illegible. The statue is of a man with an insignia of his chest of a snake ad sun side by side at peace. This trigger a thought in Lydin mind again. But it follows a path he is a feared to follow. His fear of snakes and anything to do with snakes stops him. He is hoping his love does not depend on it,

Has they enter the town an old what look like a beggar runs up to band of ex - slaves singing? You?re going to die you?re going to die. This rattles the party a little. Not so much about what the beggars had said, but how he said it. It had a property feel to it. Once they hit he town they were indecisive about what to do next. Ultimately the party split up with Lydin going one way and the rest of the party going another, both trying to find the town?s Fletcher. They will have to learn to stick together or die.

Lydin and rest of the slave party arrive at the Fletcher house at the same time. They knocked on the door, a fat bald man answers the door, Hawber, uses his big voice asks if he is the Fletcher. The man, turn a little white and rushes him inside. Don?t ever call me that outside, there are to many of Denric's spy around.
Lydin tries to introduce himself, and the Fletcher cuts him off. I know who you are; I know what you are doing? And I know what to do? Sidric sent a runner ahead.
Now you are here, there are couple of rules here, you can stay here has much as you need, but never wander around my house. Two I will never let you in after night and I will never give you permission to enter my home.

Now it is getting late, do you want something to eat? The party sits down to a meal, their first meal has free men, or so they think. Lydin even gets some meat for his special companion. The Fletcher, so he was called so them a room a large single room for them to slept in. It was a simple room, but it began to look a lot like the rooms on the Serpents daughter. There first night of freedom and now they realized just how lucky they were and they were never going to be capturing again.

The party start a guard rotation, when Pandarus taking the first watch. Something thing came unhinged in his mind (from his time with Grog) and there were a lot of screaming and voice. Not all of the voices and screams where coming through his ears. During Gworeth watch his old personnel surfaces and he decided to play a practical joke on Hawber, but part of it was he was alone. He need it a friend. Gworeth goes over to Hawber and starts painting a happy face on the dwarf and during this time Hawber wakes up. Hawber is confused and scared, by what he sees and over reacts. He stands up and hits Gwareth with all the might his dwarf body could muster. Gwareth his knock on conscious from the blow and if it was not for Lydin quick action would have died on the floor. Hawber did not feel any remorse and stare at himself in his finely polished weapon. He spends a lot of time looking at himself, must be over compensating for something.

The party did not get much sleep that night, for their dreams were filled with Grog and his two bugbear guards. The Fletcher gave them breakfast and old them what there orders were for now. They were to go to a small forest northeast of the village and find out what going on there. He tells them about strangest sights and sound and he suspects that Denric is mustarding troop there.

About noon the party?s start of going north looking a bridge to across the river that runs east of the village. The party finds the bridge across a very cautious manner. After a couple hours have passed and party has crossed the bridge the party comes to the east of the forest Scratchs has start it acting very weird and Lydin is getting worried.

The group wanders around in the woods for a while, following what look like humanoids tracks. The forms arrowhead formation where the Hawber and Yue, cover the right and left flanks while the remainder stays on the main path. Lydin is trying to teach scratch how to track, but the leopard club is uncooperative.

The party did notice the amount of time that passed since they enter the forest; it was starting to get twilight. The party begins discussing what to do, start thinking about setting up camp for the night. Yue decides to go look for an area to make camp for the night.

Has soon as Yue left to look for a camp, the forest seems to come alive. There were a lot of were noise coming for the east. The party readies their weapons, arrows ready. Pandarus, almost shot Yue has he came backing out of the woods. He was scared and should be. Out of the woods come six humanoids figures that were all bones they were dead from many years before they began alive again.

Hawber was to the west and was not aware of the going now. The battle for the ex - slaves to life ensured. Scratch was scared beyond belief, and natural instinct took over, and pisses, hoping distract his enemy and run to freedom. Lydin was shock and disappointed with scratches actions. Yue try to shoot the skeleton scratches has they attack.

Tugwyn starts murmuring some words under his breath and light s coming shooting out of his hand and hits one of the undead. Hawber hears the commotions comes runs. Pandarus hits one of the skeletons sends bones flying in all directions. It was quite the blow. The battle end a short time later, with non of the party seriously unhurt. They were meant shaken with some wondering if they were safer in the hands Of Grogs.

The last skeleton falls apart, and the party hears more sounds from the same direction has the last has before and they start running towards what they thinks is the forest edge. The party his running with all the speed they have, against the sounds of approaching humanoids. The come to the forest edge patting, trying to get their breath. The sounds that were chasing them has stop, but to the east there is a strange sight. There is a meeting-taking place. Soldiers wearing the same insignia it the serpent daughter?s crews are meeting with monster. They are the only way the party can describe it. They see of skeletons, but the other creates make the skeletons look friends. Most of the party is scared for their lives except Tugwyn, is fascinated by what he is seeing, especially by the leader of the monsters. Even during the battle before he was having of wonder and admiration for the skeleton. Lydin on the hand his at his wits end, he is ready to call upon nature to hold his enemies while he runs for his life, but does practices some self restraint and holds off. None of the meeting party has noticed them, so he is waiting. If they notice them, he is gone.

A person step out of the monsters, Tugwyn finds this person very appealing. The soldiers drop down a person, Yue has a since he has seen this person before. The person who is surround by the monster seems to bite the other man, and there is a lot of screaming, has the solider begin to walk away.

After seeing this event the party starts running for the village. The party cross the bridge so fast as they can, Lydin and Yue debated about burning down the bridge while Pandarus is total unhinged at this time, the voice are talking in his head, telling him to burn the bridge. Wait is Lydin and Yue the voices in his head or can they hear them to. Pandarus is unsure, but has him now.

The group of ex-slave makes their way to the village, and then they realize the Fletcher will not let them in after dark and the reason for this is unpleasantly clear now. Go are going to the hut where they met the beggar, or was he a prophet.

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