The Frolicking Imp

Party 

• Balder Dash. Gnome Wizard from Toluene - Jamie
• Kosha Pickle. Human Rogue from Lakeside - Darryl
• Red Feuersturm. Human Temple Fighter of Hob from Toluene - Chris
• Griza Musco. Human Thief from Lakeside – Jeff
• Malcom Gandhi. Gnome Thief from Brian – Kevin
• Phoebe Lacrosse. Human Barbarian from Pugtown – Andrew
• Joe Manco. Human Fighter from Toluene – Shane
• Napoleon Twig. Elf Priest of Caribou Gorn from Pugtown - Ian

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As a reminder we left the party in October last year with this as their final narrative

Hackerton

After a few more hours, nearing day end, we finally got to Hackerton. Joe immediately went yellow - not sure why. We quickly made our way to Oswald's gnome house.

Oswald was delighted to see us, and even more delighted to hear that we had living samples of the mushrooms he sought. Straight away, he took Twig and me down to his lab, and successfully removed the mushrooms off us both. 

This instantly transformed Twig the leper back into Twig the elf.

As reward for our entire mission, Oswald then set about identifying Balder's egg:

It had an evil soul in it, and it will hatch within the next year or two. When it hatches, Balder's soul dies and the egg's soul possesses Balder's body. This curse is so powerful that it cannot be fixed with a normal Remove Curse.

The only person that Oswald knew who even had a chance at fixing this magic, was an elven mystic called Ava Messier. She lived in Emerald Forest (thousands of leagues away - half a year's travel).

The dark horseman who was following us, and who had helped Balder a few times, was a corporeal manifestation of the soul inside the egg. He (or "it") could read intent of Balder's mind (when near). Which could be a problem. 

Dagger of venom

However, Oswald said that we could get a special shielding hat off a Spiney Norman witch called Zelda - who lived near the town of Belie, a day's travel from Hackerton. This magical hat would shield Balder from the dark horseman.

Before we left for Belie, Balder decided to Identify some of our magic items.

+0 longsword, cures 5hp per day - I bagsied this.

dagger of venom D4 plus D6 from injection of poison

magical candlesticks - extra 1 power back over night

We left Hackerton and arrived at Belie at day end. Here we stayed at the Distinguished Wombat. Now on the lookout for Zelda.

In search of Zelda

We spoke to the Inn Keepers at the Distinguished Wombat who knew of Zelda. She lived a few miles out of town in an old run down keep. She had been there several years.

The next day was dreary and we made our way klibward in search of Zelda. We followed the track into the woods where the keep apparently was. Another half a mile up the track and to our right was a large hedgerow with gates protecting a further track into a keep. There were two statuettes at the gates – of gargoyles of course

The rain had now rejoined us and a foreboding mist had rolled in. 

"I don’t like the look of those" said Red.

None of us did. 

"Do we just go in?" asked Phoebe

"Send Malcolm and Griza" suggested Balder.

As we turned to look at Balder we all noticed he had turned Blue again – a pale blue. "Oh oh" said Malcolm "I do not be liking the look of dat"

"Let's get through the gates, quickly" said Red as he pushed them open and ran through – the rest following quickly.

As predicted the stone gargoyles began to move at the same time as we heard the sound of hooves.

The rest is a blur – the gargoyles flew into the air and began swooping upon us – the cloaked horseman appeared as if from nowhere and ……..

And well we woke up on the ground. Stone debris about us. Balder, Malcolm and Kosha were unconscious and rather charred (but alive).

"What happened?" asked Griza.

"There was a huge explosion and then everything went dark" Red explained

"I seem to remember it was like a wave of darkness" chipped in Napoleon

"Are they alive?" asked Red pointing at the two gnomes and Kosha.

With that Napoleon examined them and nodded – "yes but Balder barely".

Napoleon cast some cures and brought Kosha and Malcom around. He couldn't do the same for Balder.

On further inspection Balder was almost naked. His clothes also fully ripped apart. His beloved blue egg was gone.

"We must get him back to Hackerton and to the Panadine church" stated Phoebe.

And with that we all gathered out sorry arses and headed back firstly to Belie and then after a night's rest to Hackerton.

Two months later

After some time recovering in Hackerton, we decided it was best to look further afield for adventure. Balder has taken several weeks to cure and restore back to full health. The Panadines couldn’t explain what had happened except that some great evil force had washed over us all but impacted Balder the most. They also couldn’t explain the small amount of fine blue dust that had imbedded itself into Balder.

In any event he seemed back to his chirpy self and was suffering no ill effects.

We were in high spirits when Kosha came into the Inn of the Bedraggled Scorpion (which we had made our home) and pronounced that he had a job for us or rather that one Edmund Hume had offered us employment.

The job was to deliver a small locked chest to Alexandra Montrose of the Turgon Royal Guard (TURGS) in Emerald.

"Oh, I'd like to go to Emerald" said Napoleon – "there are lots of Elves there"

"And starfall" chipped in Balder

"And we wanted to get far away" volunteered Griza

And with that it was agreed. We would hire berths on a ship and set sail for Emerald as soon as we could.

"How much are we getting paid" asked Malcolm.

"350 gps each – good money" said Kasha

"and it will be fun anyway" commented Balder

It took a few days to arrange berths on the Frolicking Imp, a double masted sailboat and then a further week before it left.

We obtained the small locked chest from Edmund with a warning not to try and open it. 

"Would we?" ruminated Malcolm.

And with that we set sail

To the Spite Basin

We are about to sail into the port of Spite Anti, one of 3 large Spite cities under Elvish rule. From here we will travel nearly a week through the Emerald Forrest to the magical city of Emerald.

It has been a long voyage, some 120 days with regular stops along the coast. We all resisted the temptation to open the box (thus far anyway).

We are excited to get back onto land as we enter the port equipped with the knowledge gained over our journey

The Spite Basin has 4 major cities and 7 major river tributaries

 

Cities

• Spite population 75,000 inland and ruled by the Elvish Audi family.
• Spite Anti population 34,000 port city and ruled by the Elvish family Porcha
• Spite Battle population 32,000 port city and ruled by the Elvish family Cadillac
• Emerald population 35,000 and ruled by the Elvish Turgon family.

Tributaries

• Battle
• Anti
• Mid Battle
• Mid Anti – major barge / trade route.
• Wanderling
• Ferris
• Moldave

Elves

There is an Elf gene E.

HH = human

EE = elf

HE = half-elf

So two half-elves will have 1/4 of their children elf, 1/2 humans, 1/4 human

Elves can only be conceived in the area of starfall (else EE babies are still-born)

Hence all elves and half-elves flock to areas of star fall.

Every hundred or so years, a star falls from the sky. The last mainland starfall was in the region of Spite 150 years ago. (There was a starfall a way out at sea 30 years ago, but it was

inaccessible so can be ignored)

So elves and half-elves flock to regions of starfall to live and build their cities there.

Spite contains more HEs, Emerald more EEs.

The star stuff (SS) degrades over time. Half-life is 10 years (so a 10kg lump will be 5kg in that time)

SS is very valuable - the locals mine it for magic and aphrodisiacs. Every magic item will have a little piece of starfall in it. WG grapes have it too.

Touching raw star stuff (on the bare skin) is very dangerous. You turn psychotic with lust (MND to 1).

Even being near SS you can be affected.

Because it is magic, the scent does not get affected by the wind. So, there is no concept of upwind or downwind from SS.

Law

The 4 cities are lawful but not at all like Hackerton. The Thieves Guild does exist but not overtly

Given the area of Spite Delta and Emerald is highly magical a key legal pillar is one of Intrusion. Most criminal prosecution is based on his concept. It is illegal to intrude on another living being in any manner that is not agreed to be the individual being intruded upon (or its owner in respect to animals). This right is waived by law upon arrest based on reasonable grounds.  

For example 

you can walk invisibly down the street but should you enter another's property without invitation – then that is intrusion.

If you cast a spell on anyone without invitation that is intrusion

There are 5 severities of the law of intrusion

Level

Nature

Punishment

1

Against a person's property of low value

Imprisonment 7-18 months (D12+6)

2

Against a person's property of high value

Imprisonment 3-6 years (D4+2)

3

Violence against another causing harm

Imprisonment 1-4 years (D4)

4

Using Arcane or Divine spells level 3 or below against another.

Violence against another causing significant harm

Imprisonment 5-8 years (D4+4)

5

Violence against another causing death.

Using Arcane or Divine spells of level 4+ against another

Death

The Royal Court of the land which sits in the 4 major cities – The Courts of Justice – have deep case law relating to this law. The Courts are run but appointees of the ruling families.

The Elvish ruling families cooperate and are very friendly.