Chapter #327
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+ +
+ +
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+ THE ADVENTURERS +
+ +
+ Epic II +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ Many of the locations, non-player characters, spells, and +
+ other terms used in these stories are the property of TSR, Inc. +
+ However, this does not mean that TSR in any way endorses or +
+ authorizes their use, and any such items contained within these +
+ stories should not be considered representative of TSR in any +
+ way, shape, or form. +
+ The player characters contained in these writings are copy- +
+ right 1991-6 by Thomas Miller. Any resemblance to any persons +
+ or characters either real or fictional is utterly coincidental. +
+ Copying and/or distribution of these tales is permissible only +
+ under the sole condition that no part of them will be used or +
+ sold for profit. In that case, I hope you enjoy them... +
+ +
+ Thomas Miller +
+ tmiller@cimmeria.oit.gatech.edu +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ THE PARTY (or a current splinter of it, anyway): +
+ +
+ Belphanior 14th/14th/14th lvl elven fighter/mage/thief (CN/E) +
+ Otto 7th/8th level dwarven fighter/thief (CN) +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ Date: 12/13/575 C.Y. (Common Year) +
+ Time: nearly dusk +
+ Place: the mountain town of Helgate +
+ Climate: very cold +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ "I would sooner be notorious than unknown." +
+ - variously attributed +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CCCXXVII. Gold Rush
After returning to Helgate, Belphanior and Otto have spent long
months organizing certain matters, building a castle, and generally
solidifying their positions as the town's rulers. However, their
preparations will now be put to the test, for gold has been found
in the mines, and things won't be quiet in Helgate for much longer...
Belphanior: (leaps to his feet as Otto bursts into the room with
the news) What?!?
Otto: Gold! Someone found a new vein, and everyone's gone apeshit!
Belphanior: (frowning) Whoa, wait, hold on a moment.
Otto: (cocks his head) You look confused.
Belphanior: I _am_ confused. The mines have been devoid of precious
metals for...years, now. The veins were as dry as a lich's bones -
no gold. How can people just _find_ more?
Otto: You're asking me?
Belphanior: (shrugs) Well, you're a dwarf. I figured you'd know
about these things.
Otto: Good thing, then, that I do. It's like this: the veins that
once contained gold and silver got tapped out...emptied, if you
will. For awhile after that, probably, people kept digging, in
the hope that they'd find more. After thoroughly exhausting that
idea, they gave up, on that mine anyway, and moved elsewhere.
Belphanior: Hmm. Then why now? Why find more gold, now?
Otto: Probably an accident. Maybe they were just using that area's
rock for quarrying or something. After all, everyone needs rock
for building, and the rock in these mountains is exceptionally
hard and heavy. So, people are mining away, no rush, and after
weeks or even months of uneventful digging, someone finally dug
deep enough, and BLAM! (he slams his fist into his other palm)
From what I've heard, that seems to be what happened.
Belphanior: So one miner gets to claim all of this new gold?
Otto: Oh, no. One miner had rights to one mine-shaft, and he got
lucky...real lucky. But other people have claims on other mines,
those nearby, and as we speak, they're digging away frantically.
(he frowns) We'll be lucky if those idiots don't cave the whole
mountain in on themselves.
Belphanior: These mines aren't the old ones directly under this
castle, are they?
Otto: Oh, no - they're to the west, a good ways. Why, are you
thinking of getting in on the action, maybe...getting rich?
Belphanior: I already _am_ rich. (he flips a golden coin into the
air, and catches it between two fingers) No, I was just curious.
I don't want people digging tunnels under my castle, that's all.
Otto: (nodding slowly) Understandable. But there're still a whole
bunch of other mines...ones without claims, yet. Dozens...scores.
Belphanior: Hmm...mining claims and rights...who's in charge of
these sorts of things?
Otto: (pulls out a small scroll, to which is attached a small pen)
Let's see here...that'd be Quincy.
Belphanior: Quincy? That old geezer with the long white beard?
Otto: Yep. I just talked with him last week, in fact. He may be
half-senile, but he sure knows his mining. And he's sharp as a
tack when it comes to organizing mining records, and knowing who's
doing what, and where, and for how long.
Belphanior: Okay. Let's make sure to raise his salary a bit, due
to the chaos that's sure to come about.
Otto: (makes a note on his scroll, then tucks it away) Done. You
know, whether there's just one small vein of gold or a hundred big
veins, one thing's certain.
Belphanior: What's that?
Otto: There'll be a rush of people coming into Helgate in the next
few weeks...not all of them law-abiding sheep like we've got now.
Belphanior: (stands) We'd better be ready, then, hadn't we?
Over the next few days, they were able to get a more accurate idea
of what was going on. As it turned out, things could have been worse,
but they could have been better. It all depended who you were, and
what you did for a living. The newfound veins of gold extended for
long distances, allowing a number of townspeople to cash in on their
contents, but no one person had much more of the gold than any other.
Of course, there were more mines than townspeople who could mine, a
"problem" which was solved by the people who began arriving in town
after a few days. Miners, prospectors, adventurers, vagrants - all
these and more came to Helgate, seeking the gold that they had some-
how heard about. A good number of the new arrivals were dwarves and
gnomes, whose mining skills were far superior to those of the humans.
Belphanior: Dwarves...hmm...I'd wager a sack of gold that they find
a way to somehow get into all the best mines.
Otto: Heh. Say, what're we going to do if a mass force of dwarves
shows up, claiming these mines as their own or something absurd
like that?
Belphanior: Well...Helgate's been here for a long time, and they
never saw fit to settle here before. I guess we have a duty to
our townspeople - and that means we protect them, at any cost.
Otto: Sounds like fun. How's your inventory of magical items and
weapons holding up?
Belphanior: Pretty well. I lost a few things during that Necros
business, back in the summer. Nothing important, except for the
trumpet of doom. That blasted Necros must've wanted it, and put
it away where I couldn't find it again. Of course, I couldn't
find it because he also got rid of my magical compass.
Otto: Shit, I didn't know that.
Belphanior: Hell, a fellow can't expect to hold on to every magical
item forever. I'm still pissed, though - now I can't find people
magically.
Otto: So much for your plan to track down any other past enemies
who might be out there in the world.
Belphanior: (looks surprised) You actually _remember_ me talking
about that?
Otto: I remember everything.
Belphanior: (sighs) Yeah, there's no way I can exterminate all of
my enemies out there...I guess I'll just do what I've been doing
for years.
Otto: Which is...?
Belphanior: Letting them come to me, and then squashing them like
bugs.
Otto: Oh.
To be sure, not all in Helgate who profited from the gold rush were
miners. Felix, for example, owned and ran the Scoundrel's Den, that
grubby tavern where the rowdiest crews seemed to gather. For Felix,
business was now at an all-time high; the man honored the occasion by
procuring some finer beer than the dog-piss he usually served. This,
of course, agitated people such as Rexxus, who ran the Sword and Cup
tavern, but everyone was profiting, and the normal petty squabbles
and jealousies pretty much went out the window now. At the Raven's
Nest Inn, old Perkins was turning a tidy profit; whether his tenants
ever found gold or not, Perkins still got their money. Of course,
it didn't hurt that Belphanior and Otto had long since moved out of
the inn; with that pair around, the place had often become a bloody
battleground, and well-to-do people didn't buy lodging at such places.
Of course, as Perkins for one had already noted, Belphanior and
Otto now lived in their ominous, dark castle to the north. Built by
unknown means, the massive structure rested against one face of the
mountain which loomed over Helgate - the same mountain which in its
lower, further reaches was being mined even now. The castle's front
door - actually a great fortified gate, with twin towers on either
side - could only be approached by walking up a long, winding ramp of
stone. This structure jutted out from the mountain below the castle,
and the few who went to the castle preferred to use the horse-driven
carriage of pale, gangly Incus. Dressed in a finely-tailored black
suit, gaunt Incus was in fact the only carriage-driver in Helgate.
Despite the fact that he had very little business, he was still paid
a sizable salary by the town (or Belphanior, if one preferred) for
his duties.
As the days passed, and the activity in Helgate became busier,
Belphanior found himself spending more and more time around town.
He wasn't worried, though, for a spell he had recently learned
(courtesy of the late wizard Kronos and his dusty spellbook) had
enabled him to place protective wards in various locations, within
the castle. Another spell had allowed the elf to retain a creature
he had summoned, a fearsome basilisk that was chained in the hall
leading to his bedchambers. An intruder who bypassed all the other
security measures and thought to invade Belphanior's inner chambers
would be in for a nasty surprise indeed.
As for Angus, the titanic golem...he now guarded the dark castle's
entry hall, appearing as a mere statue of iron unless someone entered
the castle unescorted by either Belphanior or Otto.
As Belphanior mused about his castle and its protections (and how
they might be improved as time went on) he finished hammering a sign
into the ground. Otto stood nearby, looking out at the long, winding
mountain trail that led away from Helgate, to the south. This road
went perhaps a mile before intersecting a larger, more travelled one
that ran southwest and northeast, to Ket and Perrenland, respectively.
Belphanior: (steps back, reading his sign aloud) "Now entering the
town of Helgate, population 400. Absolutely NO weaponplay or
vandalism permitted!"
Otto: It'll never work.
Belphanior: You don't think they'll take it seriously?
Otto: Would _you_?
Belphanior: Hmm, good point. We'd better keep a close eye on things,
and be ready to act at any sign of trouble.
Otto: Maybe you should write the sign in blood.
Belphanior: Ha. Maybe I will.
They both turned back, toward the town; Helgate was masked in a
thin winter fog, but the snow had stopped falling, at least for the
moment.
next: the rowdy new arrivals in town
ftp: ftp.digex.net in /pub/access/dpm/rpg/stories/adventurers
www: http://www.gatech.edu/oit/oe/design/thomas/adv.html
notes: Just a note to all of you who've asked: as far as I can
tell, the ftp site _IS_ working. Not like the mailing list,
which seems to be randomly picking and choosing who it will send
stories to. Oh well, it's no fun if it's too easy...
Here's some Helgate info, in the style used by Gygax in his old
World of Greyhawk boxed set:
---------------------------------8<---------------------------------
HELGATE, Free City of
ruler: His Dreaded Lordship, the Mayor Belphanior
population: approximately 400
demi-humans: Some
humanoids: Few
resources: gold, iron
location: the NW region of hex L5/89 (amidst the Yatil Mtns.)
founded: 543 C.Y. by Vorgas the half-orc, a notorious bandit
access: Helgate lies about a mile off of a major mountain trail
that crosses the Yatil Mountains. A side trail breaks
away from the larger, winding northwest until it becomes
the town's main street. There are no formal gates or
walls to prevent access from outside the town.
layout: Helgate is a small place, with a single wide avenue that
runs north-south; several other major roads intersect
this one at right angles, and a number of minor roads
criss-cross the whole place. The town was built within
a canyon, whose walls provide its western and eastern
boundaries. To the north is a massive mountain, atop
which has recently appeared a castle. The lower bowels
of this peak contain the mazes of mines which have just
recently revealed more gold.
dimensions: The town proper is roughly three miles N-S and one
W-E; the mines and mining areas to the north add
another square mile or so, most of which is under-
ground.
climate: Helgate is a cold place, seldom reaching 60 degrees F
even in midsummer. From late Patchwall (the tenth
month) through Readying (the second) the town sees a
goodly amount of snowfall. Temperatures during the
middle of winter often dip well below 0 degrees F.
For some reason, rainfall in Helgate is rare, though
when it happens, it is heavy and lasts for days at a
time.
---------------------------------8<---------------------------------
More fan mail...maybe someday I'll even catch up to the current
story. Since there's such a big time-lag, though, I won't reply to
most of these, because people's questions have probably been answered
by now. This batch covers #301 (Otto hunting the slasher in Helgate)
through #309 (Belphanior & Otto testing the Earth items.)
>> For story 301, I thought at first you were doing a Jack the Ripper
>> tale, but then it changed to a Hercule Perior, with Otto cast in
>> the unlikely role of the Belgian detective.
>>
>> Leonard
>> 301 is another solid story. Nothing better than a murder cliff-
>> hanger. It is always nice to see one of the newer characters
>> growing and developing on their own and kicking some butt in the
>> process.
>>
>> Marcus
>> I hope you enjoy your well deserved rest from writing. I just
>> wish you hadn't left us with a cliff-hanger in episode 301! You
>> thinking of doing TV shows or something? ;-) Anyway, I've
>> enjoyed the individual adventures (especially the Thunderdelve
>> series), but am starting to want to see the entire party in
>> action again. Perhaps the water elemental Peldor cheated to get
>> back Bosco's soul (gave him the fake gold) or Orcus could mix it
>> up with the party. After all, they both have reason for revenge,
>> don't they? (Well, Orcus just said there would be some sort of
>> retaliation for wiping out one of his major minions.) Also, it
>> seems like Belph and Otto are about ready for some additional
>> training - they've certainly had a lot of practice in combat and
>> in leading that town. I imagine Mongo, or at least Bosco and
>> Gorin, should be ready soon too.
>>
>> -Tony
As of the end of #325, you may find that the adventurers' levels
are increasing - look at the top of the stories. Almost everyone
missed the gain in Belphanior's level, and also Otto's.
>> Sure the story twisted about like a ferret with an itch he can't
>> reach, but I liked seeing Otto on his own, and the ending was well
>> done.
>>
>> I don't have a lot to say about 303 or 304, other than I'm looking
>> forward to the development of both threads.
>>
>> Your commitment to writing is amazing (and lucky for us), but
>> remember to give yourself some time off - everyone needs a vacation
>> now and then.
>>
>> Leonard
>> I like the idea of introducing some of the spells as rough, proto-
>> typical spells that still need work.
>>
>> My favorite spell is the Helping Hands. Too bad that it requires
>> hand movements to cast as well, but I guess you can't have
>> everything.
>>
>> I also liked the dimensional closet: damn but that's going to be
>> useful!
>>
>> Although my AD&D character is a priest, I plan to send "Alindyar's
>> Spellbook" on to our DM, in the hopes that our party's mage might
>> stumble across it at some point in the future.
Fan mail about #306 (Rillen, Bosco, and the waif Felicia):
>> I really think this one came out well. Rillen and Bosco had some
>> good lines.
>>
>> Rance
>> 306 was a good story. Is Felicia going to be Rillen's love
>> interest?
>>
>> An amusing (although predictible) scene could have Tanya
>> discovering that Felicia's real name is something else. And Bosco
>> was so smug...
>>
>> A shark head? It seems a bit out of place at the Green Dragon,
>> unless it's in a trophy room. I thought Peldor had better taste
>> than that, and I can see why he's catching hell from Tanya about
>> it!
>>
>> Leonard
We'll be seeing more of Felicia in upcoming episodes, now that
the kidnappings have been dealt with. I wouldn't call her a love
interest for anyone, though - just a supporting character.
Now, about the shark head. Lemme tell you about the shark head.
Marc (Peldor) was always likely to procure and display the tackiest
things on his walls and doors. Masks from Mardi Gras...traffic
lights...signs ripped from bars' walls...a true collector of things
odd and rare. The shark head was a vague personal joke to pay
tribute to some of the stranger things Marc did. If he'd ever
actually _found_ a stuffed shark head, he probably really _would_
have mounted it on his wall. As you saw, Tanya's reaction to the
thing was appropriate (think of the wagon wheel scene in "When
Harry Met Sally" :)
>> A good story, for all it was unplanned. The noble could be one
>> to hold a grudge -- if Bosco already knows he's a bad card player,
>> that could be another push to get him to go after (er, hire some-
>> one to go after) Bosco and Rillen.
>>
>> Vince
Now for #307-8 (the first attack, and Mongo's argument with Ged):
>> After reading 307 I was trying to think of who might have it in
>> for Mongo. I really couldn't come up with anyone powerful enough
>> that would be out against Mongo alone. Mongo just hasn't made
>> all that many enemies (at least not powerful). I have vague
>> memories about his previous battle in the Flinty Hills, and maybe
>> he never killed whoever it was that started the trouble...
>>
>> And then I read 308. I was distressed to see Mongo and Ged fall
>> out. There was no real way around it, and it was well handled
>> (Arnold's comment about what Ged did as not being the most he
>> could do was a surprise!). I wonder if Arnold will try to help
>> out Mongo.
>>
>> If the Adventurers had a powerful foe, then splitting them up
>> like this would be a great way to destroy them... one by one.
>>
>> Leonard
>> It was verily cool to see that even the great Mongo Thunderhead
>> could be overwhelmed (if the group had been out to kill him in
>> the first place, they could've done so. a few spells (first one
>> woulda killed Gorin then I am guessing) and the warriors go in
>> and clean him out as the mage continues throwing person specific
>> spells (magic missile, etc)
>>
>> Gabriel
>> Hmmm...there's gonna be hell to pay when this one is over. If
>> Gorin is so much soot, that will make two Mongo has lost, and my
>> guess is, he isn't going to be pleased.
>>
>> Of course, now Mongo has a tough decision to make: go help those
>> who ask, or try and figure out who/what hit him and why. They
>> might even be one in the same....
>>
>> It begins.
>>
>> Tom
>> I saw it coming...and yes I agree that it was bound to happen.
>> The question is to what lengths will Mongo go?
>>
>> Patrick
>> I like it! I was going to suggest awhile ago that there needed
>> to be a death and a split from the group, but I didn't expect
>> Gorin / Mongo. Although now that I think about it, it is the
>> best story line to use...
>>
>> Lance
>> Wow! I'm really surprised I've never suspected, that something
>> like that will happen between original party members. I don't
>> have last stories with me (calling from the hotel room using
>> notebook with cellular modem - it's really cool!!!), but it
>> seems that only one person can help Mongo now: it's Peldor with
>> his tatoos. Ged won't be too happy :-)))
>>
>> Bye,
>> Maciek
>> umm..wow!! This, IMHO is one of the best episodes you've written
>> yet! It has the most substance of any episode I can remember.
>> IIRC it was Ged who raised Peldor when our brave thief was ripped
>> in half by a red dragon. And Peldor certainly isn't a devout
>> follower of Boccob. Arnold with one line makes me believe in him
>> as a character, showing he has his own opinions and not just a
>> robotic hack'nslash. Mongo's guilt(fear?) of losing another
>> henchman is made apparant... even Ged, who in the beginning
>> episodes at least I found 2-d felt very real to me. Will he
>> question why Boccob did not give him power enough to raise Gorin?
>> Will Boccob be displeased by this presumption? Or will Ged's
>> faith be unshaken? In any case the mechanics of the characters'
>> interaction is proving to be more compelling with every episode.
>> There were lots of little lines that made them all more tangible
>> for me.
>>
>> When I first started reading The Adventurers, I read it because I
>> wanted ideas for GMing (seeing someone else's style always sparks
>> ideas for your own) and it was neat to see other people's
>> adventures. But after a while I started reading because I wanted
>> to see what Alindyar and Lyra were going to do next, or how Peldor
>> was doing. Feeling for the characters like something out of Joy
>> Luck Club instead of something out of the Shadowrun series for
>> example.
>>
>> Well thanks for 308, I can't wait for 309!
>>
>> Gabriel
>> Brilliant treatment of the characters Mongo and Ged. I really
>> liked the implied torment Ged must be feeling as he is torn
>> between his loyalty to friends and his piousness.
>>
>> It might have been short, but this was really one of the better
>> stories in a while.
>>
>> Miq
>> My, oh my. The confrontation went about as expected (from Mongo's
>> end, anyway.) Ged, turning away a long-time adventuring companion
>> in need. Talk about sticky...but it was really Arnold's comment
>> that got my attention, though.....
>>
>> It begs the question: if Arnold were ever in dire need, would Ged
>> turn his back on him, just because he wasnt one of the faithful?
>> Hmmm...it is also entirely concievable that Arnold might actually
>> LEAVE Ged's service over this one, heck, perhaps even take up with
>> Mongo for a time. One has to think back on the times Arnold jumped
>> through hoops for Ged, and the times that Mongo stood in front of
>> death for the party. Maybe a talk with Peldor, or, egad, perhaps
>> Alyndiar about this luncay. Or, if Arnold could find him, Rillen.
>> Is a heart-to-heart in order for Arnold here? I would imagine what
>> would really grind on Arnold would be the loyalty issue. While Ged
>> did help Mongo free of charge, he also turned Mongo away when it is
>> certainly plausible that Ged could have been of some help.
>>
>> It also makes me wonder if Ged might loose his powers again for
>> this stunt. I would imagine that a display of loyalty to one's
>> commrades-in-arms wouldn't be amiss with the Purple Wonder. Hmmm.
>>
>> My, what a sticky web of intrigue you've weaved. Looking forward
>> to the next one.
>>
>> Tom
On to 309, aka weapons testing ground zero:
>> Story 309 had me laughing through the entire testing scene! I
>> think I managed to identify most of the items from your brief
>> descriptions, but there are a few that eluded me.
>>
>> Leonard
I didn't get much response on 309...I guess people didn't really
care what the guys had gotten on Earth, seeing as how it was so long
ago and everything. Or maybe no one really wants to see Belphanior
tear into a mob of orcs with a machine gun. Heck, I don't want to
ruin the FRP aspect of the story either - I just thought it was neat
to have them try and figure out what everything was. If I don't make
a complete list, and soon, I'm apt to forget, myself, what everything
was.
Now for some random mail:
>> Hi this is just some fan to encourage you to keep you your good
>> work. BTW have you thought about sending you little group of
>> adventurers into Hell or someother evil outer plane because as
>> a group the seem all but unbeatable but it they were to face a
>> few thousand demons on Hell...Also since most demons are immune
>> to fire the groups tendancy to burn everything they find will be
>> blunted.
>>
>> Peter
I almost did this for #325...but since Orcus still lives and
remembers, the future isn't bright for the Adventurers.
>> Btw, do you have any plans for the revenge of Erelhei-Cinlu?
>> After the tarrasque episode 50some episodes back I'm sure them
>> vengeful drow have something cooking for the adventurers, or even
>> the city of Greyhawk itself! Also wondering if the drow took care
>> of the monster the same way, or defeated it themselves. (multiple
>> black blades dicing the tarrasque up?)
>>
>> Of course you have another request for the return of the iron
>> dwarf :P
>>
>> Come to think of it, the adventurers have built up a number of
>> enemies over the years. From an ancient red dragon to a few
>> liches to a peculiar iron dwarf to a vampire lord to a drow city.
>> things could get interesting for our brave heroes indeed! :)
>>
>> Gabriel
A lot of this was seen in the saga leading up to #325...but there
are other enemies out there.
>> I'm up to book 14 now, and I gots positive fan-mail-feedback and
>> negative fan-mail-feedback for ya.
>>
>> The stories are great! I read all the stories I could find (the
>> ftp site I pulled most of them from is incomplete) up to Book 14,
>> which I'm on now. Peldor, Alindyar, Belphanior, my three fav.
>> characters. I like the way Belphanior's character has evolved
>> especially. Him and Otto are like powerful ruffians.. and Peldor
>> was just always cool *grin* Actually at first I didn't like
>> Alindyar (groan, not ANOTHER Drizzt!) and thought that Lyra was
>> too much. (two drow renegades!?) and I think that the racial
>> bigotry they'd face is verily underplayed. I do like his
>> character now tho, and Lyra too.
>>
>> What got me to reply is Rillen. If he's based on a chinese style
>> of fighting then I feel you should know there are five Chinese
>> elements, not four. (four is also a very very unlucky number,
>> spoken it sounds like death) Tai Chi is a more mundane form of
>> harnessing the internal energies, whereas Chi K'ung which my
>> mother practices is more like what you're talking about. While
>> reading this I'm liking to assume it's not a Chinese monastary,
>> the show Kun-Fu leaves a bad taste in my mouth :)
>>
>> just worthless babble I know, but I just wanted to let ya know
>> there's another fan out there. Oh! btw, if you're still looking
>> for an artist to draw the characters I'd be happy to oblige. As
>> for my skill, I'm artistic enough to design my own tattoos =)
Yes! I need an artist!
>> ONE FINAL THING BEFORE I END THE SPAM: if'n you run out of npc's
>> or ideas, you should give a call out. I have some characters I'd
>> love to see immortalized in The Adventurers :)
>>
>> Later,
>>
>> Gabe
>> I have been reading "Adventurers" for the last 3 and a half years
>> and have become a big fan of yours.
>>
>> I would like to start off by congratulating you on the
>> excellent job you have done with "Adventurers". The stories
>> have been both exciting and entertaining. The characters act
>> like real people. They have motives, they have lust, and most
>> important they have characteristic. Keep up the good work and
>> bring the characters to life!!
>>
>> Tony
>> Found your adventurers in the Green Dragon Inn,
>>
>> What's next?
>>
>> A very good beginning, I'd like to see more.
>>
>> How much of your plot is/was what your PCs really did vs poetic
>> license?
>>
>> Barbara
Of course, I answered Barbara's questions and helped her get the
rest of the stories, but one of her questions got me thinking: it's
been awhile since I talked to most of the players. To put it another
way, what I've been writing for the last six months has been almost
all _my_ imagination, and none of theirs. A good thing? A bad
thing? Who knows...
>> Hi. I am one of your faithful readers, and have been for some
>> years. However, over the years there are a few things I have
>> wondered about. I'll try to remember as many of them as possible,
>> but I may mail you again later with new questions or comments.
>> Anyway, here are a few:
>>
>> Where is Helgate? I have the map over Greyhawk, and I have not
>> been able to find it anywhere, so I assume it is either a town
>> described in some module, or just a town created by yourself.
>> Either way, I'd like to know where it is situated. Either the
>> hex, or simply described.
Check out the end of this very story for that hex, and some other
details of Helgate.
>> The Adventurers only explored a relatively small part of the
>> Greyhawk Ruins. Will they ever do the rest ?
Maybe. I picked what seemed to me to be the best of the ruins'
three dungeons/towers. Maybe a return trip will happen someday.
>> Since there is a portal going both from Oerth to Oerth-2, and
>> (maybe still) from Oerth-2 to Oerth. Will there ever be any new
>> Oerth-2 adventures ? I'd very much like to see Peldor-2 visiting
>> Peldor, seeing that they became good friends. Also, Rillen-2
>> would be a character I'd very much like to see. I don't remember
>> whether you ever said what he was, but I kinda remember him as
>> a Ninja, or Assassin-type. Maybe one of them end up in bigger
>> problems than he can handle (are you sure Ged-2 didn't have any
>> contingencies reviving him after he died?
No, I'm not sure, actually.
>> Or maybe his god just decided to raise to him, since he was
>> probably that god's High Priest) and decides that he must flee
>> to Oerth and settle down there (Rillen-2) or seek help from his
>> friend (Peldor-2). Or maybe he has already come ? I don't know
>> if anyone ever saw the face of that assassin the thieves guild
>> hired (was he known as Whisper), but I imagine it could well
>> have been Rillen-2. Anyway, I'd like to see more Oerth-2
>> adventures, but not necessarily with the whole party.
>>
>> There was a few things I found strange in the Halbarad solo
>> adventure, story 252. First, you say it is below freezing, then
>> you say it is difficult to find water. If it is snow, and it
>> probably should be, all you need to do is to melt it :) Anyway,
>> when Halbarad finds the first body, you say there are flies on
>> it. Excuse me, flies in sub-zero environments ? I'm sorry to
>> say so, but I guess you're not too used to freezing are you (just
>> teasing :) Another thing, I assume Halbarad looted the Predator?
Hey, I never said it was one of those... :)
>> After all, he used to be an adventurer, and they ALWAYS loot
>> everything. So at the very least he should have a helmet which
>> makes him able to see invisible.
>>
>> On another note, have you got someone to draw the adventurers
>> yet? I have a friend who is VERY good at drawing, however, he's
>> in the military now, due out in March I think, so I may be able
>> to make him draw them.
Two offers in one day? I must be doing something right.
>> Well, that's all for now, except for:
>>
>> KEEP UP THE WRITING, I LOVE IT !!! (especially Belphanior).
>>
>> Jon Inge
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