The last adventures have been profitable, even with our generous donations. We spend a few days in Beregost resting, understanding the magic items we've collected (lest we be turned into murderous chickens), and purchasing equipment. When we go to the blacksmith we find that old mage, Elminster, who gives us a clue as to the location of the bandit camps. About time! We also buy some quality weapons, made thanks to the liquid we obtained in the mines. A quality bastard sword for Ajantis and an axe for me, although my enchanted throwing axes do a fine job in hand-to-hand combat as well. I buy a full plate armor for myself, and give my lighter ankheg armor to Branwen. Between the green armor and the mad cleric's hammer, she may be the best equipped out of us all. Certainly, the Lord of Battles Tempus blesses his children on all things war. At least I can enjoy a magic shield, donated to the crusade by a fellow holy knight.
I spend some time off reading the books that have fallen in our hands. They are not adventures with knights and monsters, as I was hoping, but they contain interesting lore and two of them are even magical, according to Dynaheir. I do learn a thing or two, and feel more prepared to resist what's to come.
Our next steps should take us Northeast towards the elusive bandit camp, but I decide we shall go East from the temple (friendly and already scouted area) and then North from there as needed.
Thus, our travels take us to a strange plain where we all get a feeling of danger. We kill a talkative ghoul first, and an evil female warrior who wanted to duel us. No honorable death for you. A few gnols are next and I am starting to wonder what was so scary about this place. Yet, Dynaheir insists we camp and prepare before facing this place. She knows, or at least suspects, something, because in the morning I see her leaf through her spellbook looking for some spell in particular, which, when found, occupies her mind almost completely. Mage-users are strange folks.
Dynaheirs casts a spell on me, which makes me uneasy. I would sooner have the blessing of the God of War than the touch of arcane magic. I realize that this is the first time since Candlekeep that a spell is cast on me without me immediately killing the caster. I surely have learned to trust Dynaheir.
Basilisks!! Dynaheir was right, and with her protection, which she renews every now and again, I seem immune to their petrifying gaze. Like a knight from my novels, I singlehandedly slay three, five... a dozen. At long last monsters of legend fall under my axe and not idiotic bandits or goblinoids. A realization comes to me that THIS is my fate. This is what I'm here for. Give me dragons next.
My companions know me well enough to follow from a distance and not intervene. And arrow or spell here and there supports me, but they are not truly needed. They do help in two occasions. First when we run into a group of warriors, perhaps more bounty hunters. At least two of them are evil, and the others are guilty by association. I would show mercy towards those redeemable, but they insist on defending their evil brothers-at-arms so their fate is sealed. Dynaheirs locks half of them in her web and Imoen points her finger at one, making him run away in fear. She is gaining power!
The second occasion for the team to step up is when we find a gnome allied with the basilisks. A psychopath who enjoys creating stone art out of innocent people. The gnome may or may not have been a powerful wizard. We will never know, because Branwen channels her divine powers to silence him cutting his access to dark magic. I laugh out loud when he comes to fight hand-to-hand against me, no weapon other than his staff. That hasn't worked for his pets, or for the gnolls or real warriors we fought before, so the results are predictable.
A bit of weird map design, coupled with game limitations. That map has a pair of spawn points right next to each other. One spawns undead (ghouls or ghasts). The other spawns bandits, melee hobgoblins, or hobgoblin elites. And then the game only has one "enemy" allegiance, and the generic combat scripts all say to only attack creatures with other allegiances.
Having two or more factions that fight each other while all being hostile to the player requires special scripting effort, something that really isn't practical for random monsters like this. It's done in a few places, but only ever in specifically placed encounters.
We are finally on the right path to the bandit camp. I can feel it. For one thing, bandit attacks are becoming bolder and they seem better armed. In these forests, however, stranger things that bandits await.
For example, a couple of druids appear from some ruins, one of them attacking us, the other one defending us. Neither of them are evil, so I do not know what causes this altercation, but the attacker is beyond reasoning. The slay the crazed druid and thank the other one for the assistance.
Stranger yet, after fighting some gibberlings, a drow materializes out of thin air. He initiates conversation, but this dark elf is no rare exception like Drizzt; he is evil to the core. We interrupt his ranting and put him down. According to Dynaheir, even his robes proudly announce a user of dark magic. I spit on them, and we shan't touch the remains.
Speaking of wizards, Dynaheir insists that we go to High Edge for magical supplies. I hate turning away when we are so close, but she is wise and smarter than most. If we truly are so close, we should do everything in our power to prepare.
Dynaheir wanted to buy some spell scrolls. She is gaining power, but her dependence on study and external sources of knowledge betrays the weakness of magic users. An axe is all I have needed since Candlekeep. E'en so, I can appreciate the usefulness of magic, so we buy a few defensive scrolls and potions.
Day 34
Back to the forest. Minsc is weakened by a spider in such a way that he can't even move because of the weight of his armor. Thankfully, it's only temporary.
We helped a Flaming Fist officer neutralize another evil drow. In tacit exchange, he stays in the area and even helps fighting bandits for a bit. For a mercenary order, they are truly men of honor.
Even with this unexpected help, Blacktalon Elites ambush us and single out Branwen as a vulnerable target. She falls, grievously injured, and we must take her to the nearby temple at the Friendly Arm Inn. For all her knowledge of war and battles, she is but a dame and sometimes a liability when things get nasty.
Finally made it to the bandit camp. It's dark as pitch when we arrive, and Minsc offers to scout ahead to get an idea of the battleground. We shall not strike under the cover of the dark like bandits ourselves, but gaining some intel on the layout of the camp is a good idea. I'm so impressed by the initiative shown by the usually less-than-brilliant friend, that I'm not even mad when I hear he did slay one or two bandits in his scouting trip. They were a ways away from the main camp, probably scouts themselves, and their deaths didn't raise any immediate alarms.
Day 37
We strike at dawn. We judged the West side of the camp to be the most strategically advantageous, and fall there like a hammer. Hordes of hobgoblins, first, and human bandits later come to us, but we prevail. One well-armed leader is immobilized by Dynaheir and sent to his judgment by Ajantis. Only the central tent remains.
Inside the tent, a smaller force awaited us, but the most dangerous foes by far. Dynaheir and Branwen take care of a mage, beating him to the spell and dealing out enough pain to interrupt any effort to bewitch us. Imoen casts a stronger version of the spook spell I had seen her use, and two melee warriors run away scared. I face a particularly large hobgoblin, unafraid of his poisoned arrows. Victory is ours. A chest is weakly protected by a trap that I endure without issue. Inside, some clues as to the plot. The Wood of Sharp Teeth will be our next stop.
On our way back to the city, we are ambushed. By a wyvern! The majestic creature is as dangerous as it is large. Deadly poison in its tail and razor-sharp talons. Fortunately, Dynaheir is able to neutralize the poison affecting Minsc (a skill I wasn't expecting on her), and at last the beast falls. A glorious victory. In fact, my axe cut the monster's head so cleanly that I can't help taking it as a dark memento. I shall mount it on a wall, whenever I have a place to call home.
Back to Beregost, we update Commander Vai on the progress. She takes our word for it, although seemed to be expecting proof of each kill. We are no butchers to scalp bandits, and we aren't doing this for the money anyway. Some rest and on to the Cloakwood Forest.
The Cloakwood is next. A few spiders, wolves and tasloi. Nothing to get excited about. A hunter asks for help protecting them from druids. I have an unease feeling about the fellow, like my usual keen senses to read people weren't working. Still, I have nothing against him, and when the druids come, they refuse my mediation, attacking without provocation. They force my hand and we slay them. I am not particularly proud, and something smells rotten, but the hunter and his friends leave, thankful for the help.
An elf called Coran takes me for a bounty hunter and I refuse his proposal. I am not motivated by rewards and collecting bounties like him. And I shall not join a self-proclaimed "thief". Out of my way.
More spiders that I can count, and we obtain a shining new greatsword for our good deeds. I wield it, leaving Minsc to his dual maces, Ajantis with sword and shield. As I become more confident, I myself depend less on my shield. This sword will do nicely and protects me against the webs that spiders (and Dynaheir) love so dearly.
We slay an evil vagabond, a poet or bard of some kind. I wasn't interested in getting to know him.
I was recently excited to slay my first wyvern, a cousin to the great true dragons, albeit a minor one. Today, we slay an entire lair full of them. Were I to find a trustworthy bard, if such a thing even exists, I would not mind having him record such battles. I feel my journaling does no justice to the many great victories we have achieved.
Speaking of great battles, the first real challenge, after days plagued with bandits and spiders, awaits us. We have found the mine, and Minsc, after doing some scouting, anticipates trouble. Of course, he says it with a smile and weapons drawn. Only Branwen shares his level of enthusiasm for battle, and only I am his peer in weapon skill. Even if he doesn't have Ajantis' discipline, Minsc is a valuable ally.
Which reminds me, Branwen has put herself in danger more than once. I am partly to blame, admittedly. I have been impressed by her strength... for a dame and a priest. Put bluntly, she does not have the stamina or the training to endure the punishment that Minsc, Ajantis or myself face daily. Plus, she doesn't fight for justice or any other value, but for its own sake. I wonder if her presence is undermining my righteous cause.
I order her to stay out of the next fight. We simply cannot afford another slip like in Peldvale and I don't want to bury her here.
Dynaheir and Imoen may be physically weak, but they know their strengths and get nowhere near the danger. A web magic, horror spell, and the bounty hunters protecting the mine entrance are scattered. I dive in, wielding the newly-won spider-killing sword and make mincemeat out of them.
The mine itself holds no dangers for a party that has overcome so much. Two female wizards on different levels give us at least a challenge, but Ajantis, Minsc and I can endure some magical punishment. Magic missiles bounce off my amulet shield; fire and lighting do little damage to me. I am born (and equipped) to fight dragons and demons. Second rate witches don't scare me.
We gladly finance the freedom of the slaves and meet a dwarf, the architect of this very mine. He offers to join us, and after giving it some thought I decide to let Branwen find her own way out of the mine. A sturdy dwarf warrior priest is exactly what this group needs, and I can feel him motivated to do good and fight evil. Next time I meet Branwen she'll be as likely to be fighting for justice as for money... or just because. I have come to understand that for her, carnage and the frenzy of battle are worthy ends in themselves. That stirs something in my blood that I can't explain but won't let linger.
On the lowest level, we take down the master of the mine's pets, a human warrior and two battle horrors. Then Davaeorn himself. I decide to face this enemy alone. Two potions strengthen my natural resistances making me virtually inmune to fire and electricity. I protect myself from evil and I issue the challenge. I am unable to engage, he is a slippery bastard, but he does little to me. I simply outlast him, forcing him to resort to summons and desperate attacks with his own staff. I laugh while I cut down his monsters and I respect him a bit more for fighting to the very end.
A couple more pets to take care of. An evil apprentice to the evil wizard, and a slime. Out of the two, I would be most inclined to show mercy to the slime.
Conveniently, Imoen chooses this moment to pick her old tools the way she used to. She has a blast opening locks and looting treasure chests, and I'm so happy to have her be herself again that I let her do. Better in our pockets than buried in the river. For such is the fate of this place.
Our path seems to be clear, although I personally loath the idea of going to Baldur's Gate. Large cities are dens of evil, littered with thieves and dark magic, barely held together by the Flaming Fist and a handful of honorable people.
We head there anyways, but find welcome distractions along the way. We kill three evil fishermen by a cabin (undoubtedly up to no good) and some bandits. We fight ankhegs! The beasts are not as legendary as basilisks or wyrms, but I must say that they are truly fierce and resistant. I keep a monstrous shell as a memento of the fight. Minsc packs another one by recommendation of Yeslick. After attempting to help a farmer recover his son (alas, too late) and giving him some money as charity, Yeslick proposes we go back to Beregost to turn the ankheg shell into an armor.
I do dread the idea of going to Baldur's Gate and changing our heroic monster-fighting for politics and thief-catching. An organization like the Iron Throne will be there one or two days from now, so there is little harm postponing our visit. We follow Yeslick advice and go to Beregost's smithy.
Yeslick wasn't wrong. The smith at Beregost can make an armor out of the shell, but it will take time. Now we are committed, so we will wait. However, instead of idling away at the inn or the tavern, we shall find adventure or two nearby.
We make it as far south as the mountain chain neighboring Amn. We help a Flaming Fist officer catch a deserter. We kill some gibberlings and obtain a valuable fire protection ring for our trouble. We also take on the ruins of Ulcaster, cleansing them and giving rest to a ghost. When we get back to Beregost, the armor is ready for Minsc. Now we have no reason to delay it further. To Baldur's Gate.
Comments
The last adventures have been profitable, even with our generous donations. We spend a few days in Beregost resting, understanding the magic items we've collected (lest we be turned into murderous chickens), and purchasing equipment. When we go to the blacksmith we find that old mage, Elminster, who gives us a clue as to the location of the bandit camps. About time! We also buy some quality weapons, made thanks to the liquid we obtained in the mines. A quality bastard sword for Ajantis and an axe for me, although my enchanted throwing axes do a fine job in hand-to-hand combat as well. I buy a full plate armor for myself, and give my lighter ankheg armor to Branwen. Between the green armor and the mad cleric's hammer, she may be the best equipped out of us all. Certainly, the Lord of Battles Tempus blesses his children on all things war. At least I can enjoy a magic shield, donated to the crusade by a fellow holy knight.
I spend some time off reading the books that have fallen in our hands. They are not adventures with knights and monsters, as I was hoping, but they contain interesting lore and two of them are even magical, according to Dynaheir. I do learn a thing or two, and feel more prepared to resist what's to come.
Our next steps should take us Northeast towards the elusive bandit camp, but I decide we shall go East from the temple (friendly and already scouted area) and then North from there as needed.
Thus, our travels take us to a strange plain where we all get a feeling of danger. We kill a talkative ghoul first, and an evil female warrior who wanted to duel us. No honorable death for you. A few gnols are next and I am starting to wonder what was so scary about this place. Yet, Dynaheir insists we camp and prepare before facing this place. She knows, or at least suspects, something, because in the morning I see her leaf through her spellbook looking for some spell in particular, which, when found, occupies her mind almost completely. Mage-users are strange folks.
Dynaheirs casts a spell on me, which makes me uneasy. I would sooner have the blessing of the God of War than the touch of arcane magic. I realize that this is the first time since Candlekeep that a spell is cast on me without me immediately killing the caster. I surely have learned to trust Dynaheir.
My companions know me well enough to follow from a distance and not intervene. And arrow or spell here and there supports me, but they are not truly needed. They do help in two occasions. First when we run into a group of warriors, perhaps more bounty hunters. At least two of them are evil, and the others are guilty by association. I would show mercy towards those redeemable, but they insist on defending their evil brothers-at-arms so their fate is sealed. Dynaheirs locks half of them in her web and Imoen points her finger at one, making him run away in fear. She is gaining power!
The second occasion for the team to step up is when we find a gnome allied with the basilisks. A psychopath who enjoys creating stone art out of innocent people. The gnome may or may not have been a powerful wizard. We will never know, because Branwen channels her divine powers to silence him cutting his access to dark magic. I laugh out loud when he comes to fight hand-to-hand against me, no weapon other than his staff. That hasn't worked for his pets, or for the gnolls or real warriors we fought before, so the results are predictable.
Having two or more factions that fight each other while all being hostile to the player requires special scripting effort, something that really isn't practical for random monsters like this. It's done in a few places, but only ever in specifically placed encounters.
Day 32
We are finally on the right path to the bandit camp. I can feel it. For one thing, bandit attacks are becoming bolder and they seem better armed. In these forests, however, stranger things that bandits await.
For example, a couple of druids appear from some ruins, one of them attacking us, the other one defending us. Neither of them are evil, so I do not know what causes this altercation, but the attacker is beyond reasoning. The slay the crazed druid and thank the other one for the assistance.
Stranger yet, after fighting some gibberlings, a drow materializes out of thin air. He initiates conversation, but this dark elf is no rare exception like Drizzt; he is evil to the core. We interrupt his ranting and put him down. According to Dynaheir, even his robes proudly announce a user of dark magic. I spit on them, and we shan't touch the remains.
Speaking of wizards, Dynaheir insists that we go to High Edge for magical supplies. I hate turning away when we are so close, but she is wise and smarter than most. If we truly are so close, we should do everything in our power to prepare.
Dynaheir wanted to buy some spell scrolls. She is gaining power, but her dependence on study and external sources of knowledge betrays the weakness of magic users. An axe is all I have needed since Candlekeep. E'en so, I can appreciate the usefulness of magic, so we buy a few defensive scrolls and potions.
Day 34
Back to the forest. Minsc is weakened by a spider in such a way that he can't even move because of the weight of his armor. Thankfully, it's only temporary.
We helped a Flaming Fist officer neutralize another evil drow. In tacit exchange, he stays in the area and even helps fighting bandits for a bit. For a mercenary order, they are truly men of honor.
Even with this unexpected help, Blacktalon Elites ambush us and single out Branwen as a vulnerable target. She falls, grievously injured, and we must take her to the nearby temple at the Friendly Arm Inn. For all her knowledge of war and battles, she is but a dame and sometimes a liability when things get nasty.
Finally made it to the bandit camp. It's dark as pitch when we arrive, and Minsc offers to scout ahead to get an idea of the battleground. We shall not strike under the cover of the dark like bandits ourselves, but gaining some intel on the layout of the camp is a good idea. I'm so impressed by the initiative shown by the usually less-than-brilliant friend, that I'm not even mad when I hear he did slay one or two bandits in his scouting trip. They were a ways away from the main camp, probably scouts themselves, and their deaths didn't raise any immediate alarms.
Day 37
We strike at dawn. We judged the West side of the camp to be the most strategically advantageous, and fall there like a hammer. Hordes of hobgoblins, first, and human bandits later come to us, but we prevail. One well-armed leader is immobilized by Dynaheir and sent to his judgment by Ajantis. Only the central tent remains.
Inside the tent, a smaller force awaited us, but the most dangerous foes by far. Dynaheir and Branwen take care of a mage, beating him to the spell and dealing out enough pain to interrupt any effort to bewitch us. Imoen casts a stronger version of the spook spell I had seen her use, and two melee warriors run away scared. I face a particularly large hobgoblin, unafraid of his poisoned arrows. Victory is ours. A chest is weakly protected by a trap that I endure without issue. Inside, some clues as to the plot. The Wood of Sharp Teeth will be our next stop.
Back to Beregost, we update Commander Vai on the progress. She takes our word for it, although seemed to be expecting proof of each kill. We are no butchers to scalp bandits, and we aren't doing this for the money anyway. Some rest and on to the Cloakwood Forest.
The Cloakwood is next. A few spiders, wolves and tasloi. Nothing to get excited about. A hunter asks for help protecting them from druids. I have an unease feeling about the fellow, like my usual keen senses to read people weren't working. Still, I have nothing against him, and when the druids come, they refuse my mediation, attacking without provocation. They force my hand and we slay them. I am not particularly proud, and something smells rotten, but the hunter and his friends leave, thankful for the help.
An elf called Coran takes me for a bounty hunter and I refuse his proposal. I am not motivated by rewards and collecting bounties like him. And I shall not join a self-proclaimed "thief". Out of my way.
More spiders that I can count, and we obtain a shining new greatsword for our good deeds. I wield it, leaving Minsc to his dual maces, Ajantis with sword and shield. As I become more confident, I myself depend less on my shield. This sword will do nicely and protects me against the webs that spiders (and Dynaheir) love so dearly.
We slay an evil vagabond, a poet or bard of some kind. I wasn't interested in getting to know him.
I was recently excited to slay my first wyvern, a cousin to the great true dragons, albeit a minor one. Today, we slay an entire lair full of them. Were I to find a trustworthy bard, if such a thing even exists, I would not mind having him record such battles. I feel my journaling does no justice to the many great victories we have achieved.
Speaking of great battles, the first real challenge, after days plagued with bandits and spiders, awaits us. We have found the mine, and Minsc, after doing some scouting, anticipates trouble. Of course, he says it with a smile and weapons drawn. Only Branwen shares his level of enthusiasm for battle, and only I am his peer in weapon skill. Even if he doesn't have Ajantis' discipline, Minsc is a valuable ally.
Which reminds me, Branwen has put herself in danger more than once. I am partly to blame, admittedly. I have been impressed by her strength... for a dame and a priest. Put bluntly, she does not have the stamina or the training to endure the punishment that Minsc, Ajantis or myself face daily. Plus, she doesn't fight for justice or any other value, but for its own sake. I wonder if her presence is undermining my righteous cause.
I order her to stay out of the next fight. We simply cannot afford another slip like in Peldvale and I don't want to bury her here.
Dynaheir and Imoen may be physically weak, but they know their strengths and get nowhere near the danger. A web magic, horror spell, and the bounty hunters protecting the mine entrance are scattered. I dive in, wielding the newly-won spider-killing sword and make mincemeat out of them.
We gladly finance the freedom of the slaves and meet a dwarf, the architect of this very mine. He offers to join us, and after giving it some thought I decide to let Branwen find her own way out of the mine. A sturdy dwarf warrior priest is exactly what this group needs, and I can feel him motivated to do good and fight evil. Next time I meet Branwen she'll be as likely to be fighting for justice as for money... or just because. I have come to understand that for her, carnage and the frenzy of battle are worthy ends in themselves. That stirs something in my blood that I can't explain but won't let linger.
A couple more pets to take care of. An evil apprentice to the evil wizard, and a slime. Out of the two, I would be most inclined to show mercy to the slime.
Conveniently, Imoen chooses this moment to pick her old tools the way she used to. She has a blast opening locks and looting treasure chests, and I'm so happy to have her be herself again that I let her do. Better in our pockets than buried in the river. For such is the fate of this place.
Our path seems to be clear, although I personally loath the idea of going to Baldur's Gate. Large cities are dens of evil, littered with thieves and dark magic, barely held together by the Flaming Fist and a handful of honorable people.
We head there anyways, but find welcome distractions along the way. We kill three evil fishermen by a cabin (undoubtedly up to no good) and some bandits. We fight ankhegs! The beasts are not as legendary as basilisks or wyrms, but I must say that they are truly fierce and resistant. I keep a monstrous shell as a memento of the fight. Minsc packs another one by recommendation of Yeslick. After attempting to help a farmer recover his son (alas, too late) and giving him some money as charity, Yeslick proposes we go back to Beregost to turn the ankheg shell into an armor.
I do dread the idea of going to Baldur's Gate and changing our heroic monster-fighting for politics and thief-catching. An organization like the Iron Throne will be there one or two days from now, so there is little harm postponing our visit. We follow Yeslick advice and go to Beregost's smithy.
Yeslick wasn't wrong. The smith at Beregost can make an armor out of the shell, but it will take time. Now we are committed, so we will wait. However, instead of idling away at the inn or the tavern, we shall find adventure or two nearby.
We make it as far south as the mountain chain neighboring Amn. We help a Flaming Fist officer catch a deserter. We kill some gibberlings and obtain a valuable fire protection ring for our trouble. We also take on the ruins of Ulcaster, cleansing them and giving rest to a ghost. When we get back to Beregost, the armor is ready for Minsc. Now we have no reason to delay it further. To Baldur's Gate.