Lady's Night - A Journaled Icewind Dale EE Playthrough
Nonnahswriter
Member Posts: 2,520
The one thing I love most about Icewind Dale is creating such unique characters and watching their personalities bounce off each other as they struggle in their quest to save Kuldahar. It's all in my head, but hey, that's why we all played House and Pirates and Lava Monster as kids: imagination!
Now that I am older, I have come to appreciate using the journal entries in Icewind Dale to document the stories I've created. So, I thought I'd share some of what I wrote.
I haven't much in the way of screenshots, I'm afraid.
Didn't take too many in the early game (and by "too many," I mean "none at all.") So let's see how much I can get away with by just using my writing.
Also, it's called "Lady's Night" because all the characters are women. Why did I do this, you ask?
Because I caaaaan!
THE CAST
[spoiler=Anthium's Biography]Anthium had grown up in the druid groves hearing stories of the beautiful town of Kuldahar, a town built under the warmth of a tree in the icy wastelands of Icewind Dale. So, when she heard that Hrothgar was seeking adventurers to travel to the majestic haven, she leaped at the chance. Anthium is quiet and thoughtful, ever the cautious leader, but if it means maintaining the greater balance, she will not hesitate to fight.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Elona's Biography]Elona is a champion of Clanggedin who seeks adventure and glory in the name of her god. Though often brash and blunt, she has a strong sense of honor and despises any sort of injustice, be it petty banditry or corrupt governments. She came to Icewind Dale in search of the dwarven ruins, and decided that Hrothgar's campaign would serve as a safe means of travel (strength in numbers and all that). Needless to say, she didn't expect the avalanche that trapped her in the frozen wastes.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Renanon's Biography]Renanon--Rena, for short--is a native to the Dale. She grew up around Easthaven with dreams of becoming a traveling minstrel, but the harsh winters and hard times in the Dale have kept her stranded for most of her life. Finally at an age when she is confident in her music and her swordplay, she signs up for Hrothgar's mission in hopes of recording its events, and creating her first masterpiece. She is the youngest of the group, and a hopeless romantic.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Midra's Biography]Midra is a mystery to most of the group. In truth, she is an assassin sent to kill one of them. All had been going according to her plan until the avalanche struck, and left her stranded in the mountains with this group of misfits. Midra quickly realizes that if she wants to survive, she'll have to put her mission on hold--while quick with a blade and knowledgeable with poisons, she is fragile in the wastes. Instead, she bides her time in silence among the fools, awaiting the opportune moment to strike.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Lauren's Biography]Lauren didn't always have magic powers. Apparently her mom had a fling with an elf, and that elf's mom had a fling with a dragon, and nobody had bothered to tell her. And so, after downing a few too many drinks on her birthday celebration, BOOM! The Burning Wizard was almost wiped off the map... By a burning wizard. After being run out of town, Lauren fled north, almost grateful for the chance at a new start in life. Along the way, she learned to control her newly awakened powers, and began a humble career as an adventurer, doing odd-jobs here and there. She suspects she descends from a line of red dragons, which might explain why Icewind Dale's cold never bothers her...anyway.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Bri's Biography]Bri is another native to the Dale, and unlike most of her compatriots, she likes the cold. She'd been abandoned as a baby on the outskirts of a barbarian camp, the Tribe of the Bear. Their leader took a liking to the babe and swore to raise her as his own, but the other warriors were hesitant about accepting a half-orc among their kind. They say that while she was sleeping in her cradle, one of the warriors tried to smother her to death--only to be stopped by the child's own, mighty grip when she awoke, and nearly crushed his wrists. Bri quickly learned that the tribe had little love for her, so once she was old enough to make it out on her own, she left to forge her own path. She's seen plenty of bloodshed in her days, and cares little for morals so long as it means coins in her purse.[/spoiler]
Now that I am older, I have come to appreciate using the journal entries in Icewind Dale to document the stories I've created. So, I thought I'd share some of what I wrote.
I haven't much in the way of screenshots, I'm afraid.
Didn't take too many in the early game (and by "too many," I mean "none at all.") So let's see how much I can get away with by just using my writing.Also, it's called "Lady's Night" because all the characters are women. Why did I do this, you ask?
Because I caaaaan!THE CAST
[spoiler=Anthium's Biography]Anthium had grown up in the druid groves hearing stories of the beautiful town of Kuldahar, a town built under the warmth of a tree in the icy wastelands of Icewind Dale. So, when she heard that Hrothgar was seeking adventurers to travel to the majestic haven, she leaped at the chance. Anthium is quiet and thoughtful, ever the cautious leader, but if it means maintaining the greater balance, she will not hesitate to fight.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Elona's Biography]Elona is a champion of Clanggedin who seeks adventure and glory in the name of her god. Though often brash and blunt, she has a strong sense of honor and despises any sort of injustice, be it petty banditry or corrupt governments. She came to Icewind Dale in search of the dwarven ruins, and decided that Hrothgar's campaign would serve as a safe means of travel (strength in numbers and all that). Needless to say, she didn't expect the avalanche that trapped her in the frozen wastes.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Renanon's Biography]Renanon--Rena, for short--is a native to the Dale. She grew up around Easthaven with dreams of becoming a traveling minstrel, but the harsh winters and hard times in the Dale have kept her stranded for most of her life. Finally at an age when she is confident in her music and her swordplay, she signs up for Hrothgar's mission in hopes of recording its events, and creating her first masterpiece. She is the youngest of the group, and a hopeless romantic.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Midra's Biography]Midra is a mystery to most of the group. In truth, she is an assassin sent to kill one of them. All had been going according to her plan until the avalanche struck, and left her stranded in the mountains with this group of misfits. Midra quickly realizes that if she wants to survive, she'll have to put her mission on hold--while quick with a blade and knowledgeable with poisons, she is fragile in the wastes. Instead, she bides her time in silence among the fools, awaiting the opportune moment to strike.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Lauren's Biography]Lauren didn't always have magic powers. Apparently her mom had a fling with an elf, and that elf's mom had a fling with a dragon, and nobody had bothered to tell her. And so, after downing a few too many drinks on her birthday celebration, BOOM! The Burning Wizard was almost wiped off the map... By a burning wizard. After being run out of town, Lauren fled north, almost grateful for the chance at a new start in life. Along the way, she learned to control her newly awakened powers, and began a humble career as an adventurer, doing odd-jobs here and there. She suspects she descends from a line of red dragons, which might explain why Icewind Dale's cold never bothers her...anyway.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Bri's Biography]Bri is another native to the Dale, and unlike most of her compatriots, she likes the cold. She'd been abandoned as a baby on the outskirts of a barbarian camp, the Tribe of the Bear. Their leader took a liking to the babe and swore to raise her as his own, but the other warriors were hesitant about accepting a half-orc among their kind. They say that while she was sleeping in her cradle, one of the warriors tried to smother her to death--only to be stopped by the child's own, mighty grip when she awoke, and nearly crushed his wrists. Bri quickly learned that the tribe had little love for her, so once she was old enough to make it out on her own, she left to forge her own path. She's seen plenty of bloodshed in her days, and cares little for morals so long as it means coins in her purse.[/spoiler]
12
Comments
1. Only write when appropriate. For example, when the characters rest in the inn or eat at the tavern or sit around the campfire. Likely not when they're in the middle of fighting a fiendish pack of skeletons.
2. Each character will take turns writing in the journal. You'll see who's writing at the top of each entry.
3. On the rare instances when a character dies and I decide not to reload, that character will be considered "unconscious," and the rest of the cast will likely drag her back to Kuldahar so she can make a speedy recovery. I don't like plot-holey willy-nilly resurrection. Sue me.
4. I'm playing on Core, without Story Mode.
5. I've never actually beaten Icewind Dale before... I've gotten all the way up to Yxunomei and stopped. So I guess you could consider this a semi-blind run. Please try not to spoil me! ^_^;;
And without further adieu, let's go!!
Prologue
Day 0, Hour 7 (1 Mirtul, 1281)
Anthium
It's chilly in the north... The wind bites into you like the breath of Auril herself. I'm shivering in my fur and boots, but at least the ale's warm, which means I've finally made it to Easthaven. I've met some locals around the table--Bri and Rena. The half-orc Bri is a bit...off-putting, to say the least, but she's more than a capable fighter. Rena is an aspiring musician of sorts, and she'll be sharing this journal with me to help document our travels. There are other outsiders like me looking for adventure; the elf doesn't talk much, skulking about in the corners of the room, but she at least gave us her name, Midra. Lauren seems the friendly sort, showing off her sparkling magic. She says she's the descendent of a dragon! Elona scoffs at her story, but the battle cleric doesn't say much in the way of disapproval. I've never seen a dwarf woman before... Perhaps she hopes to explore the lost ruins of her people?
Hrothgar's approached us, and says he has a job if we're interested. This must be the expedition to Kuldahar that drew me to the Dale in the first place. Kuldahar... The tales of the great tree, a miracle of nature within the frozen wastes... So exciting! The place I'd dreamed of visiting ever since I was indoctrinated into the druid order, soon I'll finally get to see it!
And I'll have more than enough company for the road... I just hope all of us get along.
Elona
Hmph. It seems I'm not the only dwarf in search of Dorn's Deep. I'll have to be watchful of this Hildreth, if she intends to follow us on the expedition. Watchful of my own companions too. I don't like the way that Midra looks at me, and Bri's already attacked a bloody squirrel just to traumatize some children. Luckily, it proved more slippery than she first imagined. I'd have every right mind to beat her with a stick of my own if it weren't for her damn height. Some days, I really curse myself for being a dwarf.
Anthium dreams of Kuldahar's warm branches, but blast, she is a young and naive little druid. As a loyal servant of Clangeddin, I have seen the signs, and heard the talk of troubles in Easthaven. Everard, battle priest of Tempus, tells us that there was a messenger sent from Kuldahar. He slumped on the floor of the church doors and was dead by morning. That cannot mean good fortune for Kuldahar. Hrothgar is wise to prepare an expedition, though I wonder... Clangeddin help me. Give me the strength to protect myself and my comrades from disaster.
[spoiler=Out of Character]Yes, Bri decided to attack that squirrel. The "it proved more slippery than she first imagined" was me realizing what a horrible mistake I'd made and hastily retreating. Never underestimate the squirrels of the wastes...[/spoiler]
Renanon
At last, an exhilarating journey beyond the drab shacks of Easthaven, on to Kuldahar! Call me whatever you like, but fishery life has been so dreary until that messenger arrived. Death, intrigue, and the call to adventure have never once rattled Easthaven before, at least not in my time! Oh, if I could have only seen Jerrod that night on the battlefield, what a song I could have spun! "He marched into the snow one night, Twice-foot Twice-stomp Twice-crunch. He marched into the snow that night, Twice-foot Twice-stomp Twice-crunch!" Hmmm... Now that I'm looking at it, it needs some work. Ah well, I'll have plenty of time to revise over the trip.
Before we depart for Kuldahar, Hrothgar asked us to find the missing caravan that was supposed to arrive and restock the merchants. Ooh, what a mystery! Anthi is anxious to start the expedition--and I can't rightly blame her--but what must be done must be done, as us in Eashaven would say. Hopefully the task is a quick one, but exciting, none the less!
Midra
Abandoned caravan wagons found on the outskirts of Easthaven. An orc was seen lumbering out of the cave. Party tried to shoot him down; he got away. Party moves to investigate the caves. Likelihood of encountering more orcs: high. Predicted health of the caravan: ill. Will approach with caution. Target still suspects nothing.
Caravan Contract
This wrinkled piece of parchment appears to be a written contract of sorts:
"Balm,
Deliver these five creates of supplies to the emporium in Easthaven. Make sure to get a fair price from that unscrupulous Calishite weasel, Pomab. Use the profit to acquire three barrels of uncarved scrimshaw from Gaspar's warehouse there in Easthaven. Return to Caer-Dineval with the three barrels and you shall have your agreed upon payment. Keep your eyes to the tundra. There have been reports of orcs in the hills outside of Easthaven. It might be wise to use your advance payment to hire on some extra caravan guards.
Safe journey,
Ilmus Gallaway of Caer-Dineval."[/spoiler]
Day 0, Hour 14 (1 Mirtul, 1281)
Lauren
Holy dragon's breath, I haven't seen this many orcs since I fled Beregost along the Sword Coast. Okay. So. Ummm... I'm really not good at writing in these sorta thngs. Words are all static, you know? I don't want them to start flying off the page or anything, but they're just so...plaaaain. It's like once ya put your thoughts on the paper, you lose whatever magic had conjured them in your head. I dunno. Just not my thing, I guess.
Oh, right. Orcs. So, we found a ton--and I mean A TON--of orcs in the caves east of Easthaven (hehe, east of Easthaven). I saw shamans and archers and some axemen too... Bri was so awesome swinging her giant sword and cleaving heads! And I guess Elona was okay too. She's pretty good with a quarterstaff. Better than me, anyway...not...not that I would admit it to her face. Hmm... Might have to rip this page out of the journal before it's her turn to report. I mostly just hid in the back and hoped they didn't notice me... I wanna be hlepful, but I'm still not used to this whole belching-dragon-biz, ya know? I mean, I'm no wild mage, but it's still weird when random sparkles come outta my hands.
Anyway, I guess that caravan that was supposed to deliver their goods to the emporium got attacked by the orcs and...killed. We didn't find any bodies, but we found the cargo and the letter. Well, nothing to do now but report back to Hrothgar. So sad...
Bri
Bri not good at writing paper. Bri will keep short. Rothgar make us run errand to get ready for journey. Bri no like Calimshite merchant. Cheap bastard. Talk to us like we stupid, but HE stupid one. Bri crush his tiny head if others would not stop me. But shrug. Bri done with stupid Calimshite now that Rothgar get party to go. Bri tired. Bri go sleep now. We leave when sun come up again.
[spoiler=Out of Character]And with that they're out of Easthaven. Mwahahahahahaha![/spoiler]
I approve a totemic druid, especially with such a portrait
Day 0, Hour 23 (1 Mirtul, 1281)
Renanon
The...the others don't want to write. I can't rightly blame them, after all we've been through, but storytelling is my craft. If anyone should write down what happened, gods damn, it may as well be me.
We knew the expedition would be treacherous, of course we did. No adventure is without its dangers, and they are all the more exciting for it! However... Things are different now. Snow fell on top of us. The mountains shook and howled with the fury of the wind and ice and nearly...buried us. Hrothgar and the others, they... They ran the other way, tried to get out in time, but they were just too slow. They're gone now... We're the only ones who made it. Me and Anthi and Bri, Elli and Lauri and Midra too. We're huddled around the campfire now, just to catch our breaths. There was this peculiar hermit who stumbled upon us and gave us directions to Kuldahar, and a warning: monsters, goblins and their ilk run amuck in the pass. We'll have to be careful from now on; there's only six of us left.
Gods be, this is certainly not the adventure I'd been dreaming of.
Midra
Circumstances have changed. I am isolated with the five adventurers of the expedition. Likelihood to find more survivors: desolate. Mission postponed; survival will take all the precedence. Will send word if the situation changes. Target still suspects nothing.
Day 1, Hour 18 (2 Mirtul, 1281)
Anthium
We arrived at Kuldahar in shambles. With the cold sinking its teeth into our bones, the warmth of the Great Oak was more than a welcoming rush, but a miracle from the gods themselves. I praise Silvanus every second that we traverse the tree's sprawling roots and mossy ground, though I wish I could have seen it for the first time under much happier circumstances. I'm still thinking about Hrothgar and the others, and after Lauren was nearly cornered and killed by the ravaging goblins in the pass, I... I'm just glad we've made it here alive.
Archdruid Arundel is as wise and humble as they say. He knew we were coming, and he even knew about the avalanche. Arundel feels that the disaster was no mere accidental force of nature, and I fear he is right. From what he had to tell us, the weather has taken a turn for the worst--harsher and earlier than previous
winters--and a few people of Kuldahar have actually gone missing. Mysteriously vanished, without a trace. He almost had no need to tell us about the numerous monsters, not after what we faced in the pass just to get here. But what's worse of all, the warmth of the Great Oak is receding somehow... They've already lost the outer farmlands to the ice because of it, and Arundel fears that if something is not done...Kuldahar will be lost.
I won't let it happen. My companions and I agree. As a druid myself and fellow guardian of nature, I refuse to let this evil befall Silvanus's sacred tree.
Arundel has instructed us to begin our search in the Vale of Shadows, an area that's seen an increase in activity in the past few months. But for now, we seek rest, and a warm meal to fight off the cold.
Bri
Bri meet shaman of Bear tribe, Hjollder. Say he want help to stop war between tribes and Ten Towns. That we be heroes from vision. Bah! It was bears who kick Bri into snow to fend for life. I no care what happen to sorry sods. But... Hjollder say we no ready for task yet. Bah! Bri is mighty warrior among group. Mighter! Meaner! Hjollder can go rot in snow ditch. He just like other bears too scared of Bri's power.
[spoiler=Out of Character]Kuldahar Confession: I...I have never done the Heart of Winter expansion. I've never owned it until now. >_>;; But considering Bri's background, I thought the interaction with Hjollder was pretty noteworthy.[/spoiler]
Elona
Cripes. Still bruised and battered from our goblin skirmishes, and the gods think it's funny to send a couple o' wild yetis into Kuldahar and nearly kill a poor man. I'm watchin' you, Clangeddin. I may be your servant, but there's only so much I'm willing to put up with.
Lauren's in even worse o' shape, and Midra ain't looking so hot anymore after that yeti skirmish. But there's only one inn in town, and from what some barmaid told us at the tavern, it ain't no friendly joint. It's run by this punk halfling named Aldwin, and he's thinking he's got this monopoly on the place with his damn prices. We're coming into his place half-limping and dripping blood all over his floors, and he wants to charge nine pieces for a merchant room? That ain't business, that's highway banditry. Not even Renanon could talk him down, and she's the prettiest talkin' wench of the six of us. Sheesh.
Course, we also heard this Aldwin owns the inn by questionable means at best. The old keeper ahd been one of the ones who'd gone missing, and Aldwin just so happened to have a deed written by the original owner on hand soon after. Except the old fellow couldn't write it himself, not with palsy. We tried confronting Aldwin about it--maybe that'll scare his prices down--but alas, the pug's as prickly and unpleasant as ever. We're gonna need some solid proof of any treachery if we wanna expose this rat--if the story's true, of course.
Day 3, Hour 0 (4 Mirtul, 1281)
Lauren
Freezing cold air and drifting snow? Check. Creepy-ass statues of hooded figures? Check. Shadows, skeletons, and ghouls galore? Check, check, doubly check. Heck, this place even has booby traps--good thing we've got Midra with us, finally making herself useful. Yup. No doubt in my mind, we've arrived--the Vale of Shadows.
As we were exploring, we found this old ice cavern carved out of the cliff-face crawling with yetis. After one hell of a battle, we cleared out the place and found some old provisions in the back. Who would want to live in an icy hole like this? I mean, I've got red dragon blood in me, so it's not like I get cold or anything, but even I would get endlessly bored just hanging out in an igloo day in and day out. Still, aside from the yetis, we didn't find anyone else, so whoever used to live here must've realized how insane they were and left a long time ago.
We came back after checking out one of the crypts; Elona really stuck her neck out for us with her clerical abilities and all. The undead ran away as soon as she showed off her symbol, though that didn't stop a few of them getting off some lucky hits. I...guess she deserves her rest. That's why we came back to the cave, to rest up a bit.
Oh, and I'm teaching Rena some magic! We found some magic scrolls amongst the treasure, and I gotta say, she's got a real knack for it! She's better at scribing than I ever was. Just looking at those scrolls gives me a headache, let alone reading them. Gosh, she sings, she fights, she writes stories, and she's learning spells. Is there anything this gal can't do, or what?
Renanon
Our journey through the Vale has been put on hold for the moment. Poor Anthi's been pushing herself with the fate of Kuldahar heavy on her shoulders; after taking a serious blow from a ghoul, she's fallen unconscious. We had to make Bri carry her all the way back to town, the poor thing. Well, it's nothing that a little healing at the Ilmater Temple can't cure, and with Elona's prayers, we've been able to keep her spirit with us.
I wish I could understand the pain that she's going through. It must be a mighty burden placed on her shoulders, as a druid from the south. If only she realized, she's not alone in this battle. Elona, Lauren, me, and even Bri and Midra--we all survived the avalanche, and we're going to protect Kuldahar together. Anthium... The name of a flower who blossoms even in the most frigid of winters. Don't worry, Anthi... You'll feel better soon.
[spoiler=Out of Character]So while we were exploring the crypts, I had my first character death on Anthium. Though since she died toward the end of the fight and didn't miss out on a huge chunk of experience, and I was going back to Kuldahar anyway, I figure, I'll just raise her at the temple. No biggie. Helps for roleplaying!
And now that we're back in Kuldahar, there's some unfinished business to attend to...[/spoiler]
Elona
That dirty-footed halfling. I knew he was suspicious. Praise be to Clangeddin for not steering me wrong! With Anthium exhausted and slowly recovering from her stupor, we needed a place to stay, and I sure as hell was not going to pay fifteen pieces for a noble room. So, while Renanon and Bri distracted Aldwin, we had Midra sneak upstairs and poke around. She found a ring with a curious engraving on the inside--a message from long-deceased Eiden that says the inn was to belong to the citizens of Kuldahar, not to Aldwin.
I woulda cracked my staff over his skull if the little rat didn't explain himself. Turns out, he never laid a hand on Eiden, but he did walk into the inn to find his body on the floor stone-cold. So what'd the weasel do? Bury his body outside of town, loot his possessions, and fashion a fake deed so he could inherit the inn. An offense to Clangeddin, the coward.
But... Anthium needed a place to rest for a long time, and Lauren and Bri weren't looking so hot either. I don't like none of it, but Midra's negotiated a deal with Aldwin--we don't talk, and Aldwin lets us have his finest rooms whenever we want, free of charge. Normally, I...I'd tell the rat to stuff his bribes up his arse, but so long as the mission to save Kuldahar takes precedence, well... I suppose I can look the other way. For the good of the injured in our party, at least. Besides, the gods have ways of delivering their justice to those who are dishonest in due time. We need only wait and see.
[spoiler=Out of Character]Kuldahar Confession: I would have done this sooner except that Midra didn't have enough points in lockpicking at the time. And I may have forgotten that Bri could have just pried the chest open with her 19 strength. *facepalm*[/spoiler]
Midra
I swear... I will slit the throat of that insufferable..."dragon" one of these nights... The fool bitch nearly had us killed.
But... Ahem. Calm... I am the void. I am the silence and I am death. I serve the darkest of mistresses, and I will not falter in her shadow.
Recollection. Upon returning to the Vale, we explored the last of the tombs. A skeletal warrior spoke to us. A warning: leave this place. We agreed, but the skeletal warrior noticed a key on my person, a key I had recovered from the bones amidst the tombs. He demanded we hand it over, that it would unlock a forbidden place and we must not go there. The dwarf suspects that such a place might hold the secrets to the evil plaguing Kuldahar. Likelihood of this occurring: low, for even the intelligent skeletal warrior had never heard of Kuldahar. Still, we refused to hand over the key, to which the enemy retaliated.
We returned to the ice cavern to lick our wounds thanks to our fire-breathing "friend." Lauren I think her name was. She had been chased by a lesser shadow, and when the monster refused to give up on her, she unleashed a blast of fire in a fit of rage that nearly incinerated us all. Personal note: be wary of the dragon's fire breath.
[spoiler=Out of Character]All right. Here come the silly stories. So while I was scouring through the crypts, we came across a shadow fight, one after another after another. One of them decided to attack Lauren, and as you'd all expect, Lauren can't take a hit. So she ran around in circles playing chicken while everyone else tried to shoot it down. And failing miserably.
Eventually I got so frustrated that I remembered: dragon disciples can breathe fire! Lauren sped to a stop and with one fatal click of the mouse, she unleashed her blast of fury! Except...I totally forgot just how large the radius was on that breath attack, and scorched not only the shadow, but the whole rest of the party as well. Oops.
But hey, nobody died and it made for good role-playing, so I went with it. Midra gets to write because she was left with three hitpoints afterwards and feels very understandably pissed.[/spoiler]
Anthium
While we're waiting for Bri to thaw out of a Hold Person spell, I think I'd better write this down.
We've reached the main sanctum in the Vale of Shadows. It's a frightening place; there are undead crawling all over the place--literally--and it's full of tombs and necromatic contraptions. We saw a pair of pools filled with green liquid with a book in the center, and the pool had bones in them... Human bones.
The largest door we found could only be opened by a holy symbol of Myrkul. Inside, we met Mytos, an intelligent bone dancer and lord of the crypt. He chastised us for destroying the tomb's guardians and warned us to hand over the keys at once, but though we tried to reason with him, he was steadfast in defending the crypt, and we had to fight him.
I...almost feel bad for him. To rifle through the dead is not only an offense to the gods, but an offense against Nature itself. All things in life must return to the earth, and these crypts had been built as the final resting place for so many people. But... If there is evil to be found here, evil that may threaten Kuldahar, then we've no choice but to search until we find it. The more these skeletons keep warning us from proceeding into this "forbidden tomb," the more suspicious I become of this place. The dead, as Nature dictates after all, are not supposed to dig out of their graves and walk around, either.
Lauren
Man, I am so not used to sleeping in a crypt. The comfiest place of all is a coffin, once it's been emptied of its previous occupant, that is, but you couldn't pay me enough to sleep in one of them. Creepy chilly, I say. Waaaay too creepy chilly. We don't got much of a choice as far as sleeping quarters go, not with all these undead hordes coming at us one after another. It's either we sleep in the crypt with the watch stations, or we walk all the way back outside and sleep in the cave. Yeah, thanks,but I'm exhausted enough as it is and don't need the exercise.
Looks like we've made it to the second floor of the temple. We've set up a rest camp in the middle of this floor. There's more of those green pools with bones in them, and a coffin in the center of the room with three banner columns around it in a triangle. Got all these weird glyphs on them too, but I can't read what they say. The place gave us quite a scare at first--Midra tripped a trap when we first came in that let in a bunch of huge skeletons, but luckily, she was hiding, and thanks to some magic tricks and door jamming, we took them out. Then there were the wights on the main floor, and a skeletal mage we had to deal with. No fair! How come the dead get to use magic that I can't, right??
But enough about that. Between Elona's turning, Anthi's tangles, and a few magic spells of our own, we managed to pick them off. Midra helped out too, thanks to her sleuthing and scouting. Would've been a real pain to take them all out at once, so I guess it was good that we all worked together to split up the skeletons and take them out one at a time. Now we get a chance to sleep and Rena can scribe her spells and whatnot.
There is a lever just hanging on the wall... I wonder what it's for?
[spoiler=Out of Character]So the giant mob of undead in the second floor with the weird gold sarcophagus? Yeah. No. I am not dealing with an army that size without some careful planning. Midra's become a decent scout thanks to a magic ring we found that boosts her sneaking abilities. So, our strategy as follows: send Midra in to sneak, see what's up ahead, retreat and bring the rest of the party together, Anthi, Lauren, and Rena act as crowd control with Entangle and Grease, Elona turns undead, and Bri hacks away at them.
Have I ever mentioned that this party would be SO DEAD without Bri?[/spoiler]
[spoiler=THE CARNAGE]
Bri
Bri will lead a while. Bri good leader! Take no excuse, kick rears in gear, and shout loudest of all girly-girls! Bah! Bri wonders why took so long. Bri show them who boss!
Found wolf stone on skeleton in dark halls. Neat! Gave to scrawny Anthi because she so scrawny and weak. She grow taller after putting on wolf token! Lots of graves and corpses, but they no have valuable stuff. Bri and Midra already check. Just small coins and trinkets. Bah! Tombs need to have big treasure! That what warriors tell Bri when she was little orc girl! Bri disappoint.
After rest, Bri pull lever and open big door. Also, Bri found potion to heal health. Bri feel much better now! Bri will clob many heads!
[spoiler=Out of Character]The potion Bri used was a regen potion, in case anyone's wondering. Regen potions are BONKERS for rest stops! But Bri doesn't know the word "regenerate," let alone its acronym. :P[/spoiler]
Renanon
Bri as leader is...interesting, to say the least. She's not very nice, but she's effective and direct. We all have our roles to play in this party, and Bri isn't afraid to let us know exactly what they are at all times! Blunt and quick, that one. And big. Very...very big.
As for the tomb... Oh my... I think I've seen my fill of skeletons and zombies to last me a lifetime. Once Bri opened the door to the next level and we walked inside, a whole army of undead servants came to greet us! Their breaths were rancid and cold, and the emptiness in their eyes was...agonizing. And we've only scratched the surface; according to Midra and her scouting, there are plenty more waiting for us deeper in the tomb. Bones, bones, and more bones... I'm starting to see a theme for this place. Perhaps the people of Kuldahar should rename this place the Vale of Ghosts? Vale of Spirits? Vale of the Shambling Dead! Hmmm... That last one needs work. At any rate, "shadow" will not do at all. We've not seen a single shadow creature since Lauren burned one out of existence, and that was days ago!
My spellbook is looking impressive though. I've written so many spells, I don't even know what half of them do! This Color Spray seems like fun, though I don't think the undead would appreciate it... Or Elli, for that matter. Or Bri. Or Midra... Golly, we have a lot of grumps in this group of gals, don't we?
Oh, looks like everyone's ready to tackle the room again. I'll stop here... Hopefully I'll live long enough to write again.
[spoiler=Out of Character]Oh look another army of bones in the next room. Guess what we get to do, kids?? SCOUTING AND KITING ONE AT A TIME YAAAAAAY!
Also, Rena's spellbook, in case anyone's wondering:
It's almost as if Beamdog realized that the number of scrolls in this game was too low... Hmmmm...[/spoiler]
Anthium
Oh boy... Where do I begin? So much happened all at once.
Once we took down the skeletons in the last room, we encountered the realm master of the tomb: Kresselack. He's the spirit of a great warrior, and an evil one, no doubt. But as we all had feared and suspected, he is not the same evil that plagues Kuldahar. Seeing as he's been bound to his tomb for the past centuries, I don't think he's lying to us... Which leaves the question, what's really harming Kuldahar? Kresselack told us he might know, if we performed a boon for him first. He wanted us to slay an Aurilite supposedly hiding in the Vale of Shadows, for fear she would snuff out the many blue torches in his tomb. His guardians had protected him from her sabotage all this time, but... Well, we took care of them, all right. Oops.
We were hesitant to seek out this Aurilite, and we were going to return to the cave to discuss the matter. A good number of us have had enough of the cryptic tomb, so we ventured outside to rest.
Imagine our surprise when we encountered Lysan, one of the barmaids we'd met in Kuldahar's tavern! Turns out, we just stumbled upon an Aurilite and her religious haven. We explained to Lysan about Kresselack's fears, but she didn't care to hear them. Not only that, but she threatened to destroy Kuldahar in service to Auril! Auril is a foul goddess; her faith dictates the banishment of all fires and the embrace of the cold... Nature abhors such extremes, winter or summer. I couldn't stand to let this affront to balance threaten Kuldahar, and thankfully, neither would my friends. It was a tough battle; Lysan called yetis to her aid, and we were already beaten and battered from the fight in the tomb... But we survived, somehow. Now... Now we need to rest, and we'll return to Kresselack when we are well again.
[spoiler=Out of Character]To be honest, I actually wasn't sure if Lysan would be in the cave first or if I had to confront her in Kuldahar first. Because I remember being able to confront her as a barmaid in the original. I dunno. Anyway, so I really was surprised to see her in the cave, but I saved before going in all the same. So even though my characters were on low health, I had Power Word: Reload on my side. Yay!
I have no shame.
As for the Lysan fight, the best part was when she cast Silence 15' Radius on my party and hit everyone but the two she needed to silence, the druid (healer and crowd control) and the dragon disciple (more crowd control). So HA![/spoiler]
[spoiler=THE CARNAGE]
Midra
Kresselack does not know what evil threatens Kuldahar. Was anyone surprised? I was not. The ghost owed us nothing and promised us nothing, yet he wanted plenty enough from us. The others should be grateful that he allowed us the loot in his sarcophagus, after nearly getting ourselves killed over that Aurilite bitch.
We returned to Kuldahar. It's my turn to write. Anthium is consoling the barman with the loss of his maid. It seems she had left some belongings stashed with him, magic scrolls and a cloak she used to hide her true identity... They should prove useful.
I am unsure when I will find the opportunity to strike, yet I seem to have earned their trust. I did much to ensure our survival within Kresselack's tomb. Perhaps they will remember me when my mission resumes its priority.
[spoiler=Out of Character]Made it back to Kuldahar safe and sound. Will take time to recover health and stuff before chatting with Arundel. And then it's off to the next dungeon! (Which I don't remember nearly as well so there will likely be less meta-gaming...)
And with that, I'm gonna go sleep now.[/spoiler]
Anyway, this is a wonderful tale! I'm enjoying it greatly.
Looks good from what I've seen.
Plus... *Bill Burr voice with Bruce Campbell look* all the laaayydeeess
edit/PS: Bri is awesome.