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<br>
HT
Alias/Player
Character Name Type
Status/Notes Sex<br>
--
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R3
Balrog................Balrog............Warrior.Normal/Human
Ma<br>
?? Chris
Wells...........Ben'dar...........Warrior.Normal/Human Ma<br>
R4 Tom
Crockett..........Caladan...........Wizard..Normal/Human Ma<br>
R1 Marcel
Liberty........Chion.............Sailor..Normal/Human Ma<br>
W3 Ryan
Torres...........Farseeker.........Warrior.Normal/Human Ma<br>
W2 Sergi
Sallent.........Jordi.............Wizard..Normal/Elf
Ma<br>
R4 Tim Falkenberg........Malradh ben
Kasha.Merc....Normal/Human Ma<br>
R3 Wayne Richardson/Uji..Thig..............Sidh MU.Normal/Faerry
Ma<br>
Do Robert
Maxwell........Strie'bog.........Artist..Normal/Human Ma<br>
R3 Orion (Paul
Broman)...Trembyl...........Wizard..Normal/Human Ma<br>
W3 Wout
Broere...........Unali.............Ninja...Normal/Human Fe<br>
R3 Scott
Adams...........Xian..............Wizard..Normal/Human Ma<br>
W2 Alex
Koponen..........Z'leyra...........Healer..Normal/Human Fe<br>
Animals: Ventrius/Pogo Thig's dogs, Firesnake of
Caladan's,<br>
Z'Leyra's Eagle, 2 Draft Horses,
Wolf - Boyzdar<br>
6 Captured Zen'da Horses<br>
<br>
Game Web Site - For updates, files, links,
etc.<br>
<a href="http://www.funport.com/longshot/pbem" eudora="autourl">http://www.funport.com/longshot/pbem</a><br>
<br>
Public posts/actions to pnpgm@abroere.xs4all.nl
(mailing list)<br>
Private emails (not public actions) to
longshot@darktech.org<br>
<br>
Game Update #80 in sequence (file #295]<br>
----------------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>
Admin notes: None.<br>
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[Recap]<br>
<br>
From Chion: [Re:
Actions/Comments]<br>
Chion continues to
laugh until the wolves are buried and the<br>
party starts to
head out. He'll keep laughing for every<br>
person he's ever
killed (a substantial number given his<br>
profession) and
recall the close calls in his mind. He'll<br>
laugh for the note
he left and the trouble it will ultimately<br>
bring him, as well
as for the future mage(s) he'll need to<br>
dispose of in
order to secure a foothold in his second<br>
homeland.<br>
<br>
He'll laugh a ways
away from the main group towards where<br>
they are headed so
that while they pray he doesn't interupt<br>
them too much.
He'll laugh any time he thinks of Cetric.<br>
He'll laugh for
his friends he's lost as well, perhaps<br>
knowing they are
on a better plane (which he's visited at<br>
least once). He'll
laugh and keep laughing until the party<br>
moves on. When
they head out he will reply to Caladan and<br>
stop
laughing.<br>
<br>
"I was not
laughing at death. I was laughing at Cetric. I<br>
will pray
for your tribe if it is left to his guidance,<br>
and I mean
no insult to your homeland, but I hope that other<br>
tribes are
not led by such fools. If he were a foe he would<br>
be dead. You
know that as surely as I. They have a saying<br>
where I am
from: A friends of a fool is a fool themself. So<br>
why not
laugh like one for a bit? So long as we must endure<br>
his
friendship, such as it is." And with that he'll get back<br>
on his horse
and join the party heading out.<br>
GM: Ack. <br>
<br>
From Ben'dar: [Re:
Actions/comments]<br>
Ben'Dar nods in
response to Z'leyra's revelation from the<br>
wolf spirit.<br>
<br>
He looks back at
Cetric. Ben'Dar's face is calm, but his<br>
eyes are still
full of anger. He stares at the man for<br>
several
seconds. He hears Cetric's words but makes no<br>
response.<br>
<br>
Later
on.....<br>
As the party
travels, Ben'Dar rides near to Z'leyra and<br>
mutters in
Marentian, "You were right. It was foolish of me<br>
to cause a fight
with Cetric by taking the wolf skin..." His<br>
face is impassive
as he considers recent events. Then he<br>
brushes the
thought aside with a shrug, and says, "Do you<br>
think he heard the
wolf spirit as you did? It seems to me<br>
that he is neither
wise nor powerful. It makes me question<br>
why Caladan's
people would tolerate such an individual as<br>
their spiritual
leader." He gives a dark glance in Cetric's<br>
direction, then
adds in a low voice to Z'leyra, "I wonder<br>
even if he is
somehow involved in causing the recent<br>
troubles
here..."<br>
<br>
On the
hunt.....<br>
Ben'Dar will take
a point position on the trail, scouting<br>
around using his
Plains survival skill to try to detect any<br>
ambushes.<br>
GM: Ack :)<br>
<br>
From Z'leyra: [Re:
Actions/Comments]<br>
After the burial
Z'leyra thinks for a moment then approaches<br>
Cetric saying
"I apologize. I made an assumption and jumped<br>
to a conclusion
not supported by the evidence."<br>
<br>
She then yells to
everyone "Come, let us chase down and deal<br>
with the
graverobber!" With that she mounts up and heads out.<br>
GM: Ack. <br>
<br>
-----------------------------------------------------------------<br>
[New Stuff]<br>
<br>
Octaqi 18, in the 163rd Year
[TH]<br>
[Meanwhile somewhere on the
plains]<br>
Time: Roughly
11:35am] [Day 48 of Trip]<br>
<br>
[Caladan listens to Chion
about his laughing. Most have<br>
seem to accepted it.
Figuring a large man always seems<br>
to be happy.]<br>
<br>
Caladan: "I
understand. But I've found that fools tend to<br>
be the most sane
people in times of battle and stress.<br>
Cetric is under a
lot of stress right now. Normally,<br>
he is ...more
decent...you just have to get ot know him<br>
more than we have
over the last few days."<br>
<br>
[After the quick words are
spoken over the dirt mount the<br>
party mounts up.
Ben'dar notices that Tef'wo is rather<br>
nervous. Ben'dar
is unsure if its the tension he detects<br>
or maybe he sensed the
spirit? Horses tend to have that<br>
extra sense about
them.]<br>
<br>
[One of the last to mount is
Strie'bog who feels for<br>
Cetric in some
way. If his wolf had died in a manner<br>
like these wolves maybe
he wouldn't be so forgiving<br>
either. Knowing
that Ben'dar has skin of one of the<br>
animals makes him also
think. He is glad Boyzdaris<br>
not here. He
mounts his horse as another small blue insect<br>
from the hole falls off
his pants onto the ground and is<br>
crushed by the
horse.]<br>
<br>
[The party passes through the
small sea of prarie grass. At<br>
the end the horses graze
as the plains are void of such<br>
tall and abundant
grasses. Then the party moves on further<br>
east. As the party
continues a odd silence comes over the<br>
party as the chill
afternoon wind blows.]<br>
<br>
[It is finally broken when
Cetric speaks and startles the<br>
party.]<br>
<br>
Cetric: "You know it is a
custom as Ben'dar and Caladan knows<br>
about. The
night before a great battle warriors stand up<br>
and tell stories
to the tribe or lodge. They tell of bravery<br>
and the
past. They tell not of the future as that may be<br>
decided soon
enough. It is also a custom that a warrior<br>
should tell one
truth to his fellow tribe members or warriors<br>
in arms...[a long
pause]...we are likely destined for<br>
a great
battle. A battle I'm sure we'll win. But as the<br>
custom goes I wish
to tell a truth. I know I am not liked<br>
by many or all of
you. That is fine. Your oursiders and<br>
that mistrust is
mutual. But when you entered the camp."<br>
[he rides forward
and circles facing the party so they can<br>
see his
eyes] "..I did not know what to do. Since Gib'borah<br>
was gone i
was in charge. I knew only Caladan. I found<br>
it strange
he would return during the time we had our<br>
troubles. I
did not know he would or why. Then he brings<br>
strange
people to our tribe. The timing was bad. I had<br>
no
...NO...choice but to poison the food. I had to determine<br>
why you were
here. But keep in mind the poison could've<br>
been just as
deadly. I choose not to do that only to<br>
knock you
out so we could round you up. For our safety and<br>
the safety
of the tribe which i felt was in danger by this<br>
unknown
presence. I did what was best for the tribe."<br>
<br>
Caladan: "Doesn't explain
your tests."<br>
<br>
[Cetric nods expecting the
question.]<br>
<br>
Cetric: "Again I had to
see which side you were on. These<br>
tests were nothing
young warriors go through. Some were<br>
simple while
others were complex. Remember Sundancer<br>
YOUR father agreed
to the tests. He could've told me to<br>
let you go at
once. But he knew as I did that the timing<br>
was bad. He
had to test that loyalty. Once you had all<br>
passed it I had no
reason not to believe you were the<br>
enemy causing
problems. If we had just let strangers,<br>
not one...two..but
many...enter the village without some<br>
test the tribe
would've lost respect for the chief and<br>
the elders.
You know our custom strangers aren't common<br>
in the
plains. The Ga'fel only have one or two outsiders<br>
including the
trader friend who sent you the message that<br>
even visit our
lands. All other outsiders are enemy or<br>
raiders."<br>
<br>
Thig: "Why didn't you
just ask us or tell us to leave?"<br>
<br>
Cetric: "Caladan spoke
for you and the others at the dinner.<br>
That right was
his. But the custom is only warriors can<br>
allow outsiders
through them speaking for the outsider.<br>
Caladan is no
warrior. That woud would have to be taken<br>
lightly. Put
yourself where I was. Strangers enter your<br>
village.
During times of crop failures, grave robbing,<br>
missing plainsmen,
strange rumors and raids to the south."<br>
<br>
[Kasha puts up a hand
interrupting Cetric.]<br>
<br>
Kasha: "Whoa!
Wait. Missing plainsmen? No one mentioned<br>
that
before."<br>
<br>
Cetric: "I thought the
elders spoke of it in the lodge?<br>
There were reports
for almost a week before you showed<br>
of missing people
on the fringes of the eastern tribal<br>
clans. We
did not place much worry into it since the<br>
hunting season
always has warriors leave tribes for<br>
such reasons for
weeks. But there were other people<br>
missing including
females. The plains are large and<br>
communication is
slow. When you arrived we still were<br>
expecting reports
from our scouts we sent out to find<br>
out more
details."<br>
<br>
Farseeker: "So back in
the lodge you mentioned you saw<br>
in a vision
raiders to the plains that were taking the<br>
villages left and
right. You even mentioned you thought<br>
we were those
raiders. A lofty praise for sure for<br>
our talents.
But do you still believe this to be true?"<br>
<br>
Cetric: "No. I did
until the story of the claw was told<br>
and explained to
me. I don't know if my vision was<br>
of the past...in
the raids done by those in that grave<br>
with the strange
markings..or the future in a new massive<br>
raid. This
is again why I had to do what i had to do.<br>
The vision was
strong and i had to protect the tribe and<br>
our people.
I know none of you will believe me but I do<br>
hope you
understand this. I do not expect forgiveness."<br>
<br>
Balrog: "Go--"<br>
<br>
[Kasha grasps Balrog's arm to
stop him. He knows Balrog<br>
was bout to say
something likely bad. Balrog glares and<br>
then grins at
Kasha.]<br>
<br>
[Another hour passes as the
large group continues eastward.<br>
There is small talk
among the party. Cetric nears Caladan<br>
and talks to him.
Initially in a low voice that no one<br>
else can hear.]<br>
<br>
Cetric: "Sundancer.
I know being the son of a chief much<br>
less a shaman has
problems. Many in the past could not<br>
handle the role
they require. I can understand why you<br>
left but to do it
so abruptly was something i never<br>
understood.
Why did you leave so quickly?"<br>
<br>
Caladan: "I had just
learned many of my new abilities from<br>
the man in the
mountains. I also had problems with<br>
the control of
those abilities. After the incident with<br>
the warrior I
burnt I knew I had to leave for their<br>
safety. The
other clan members and even those outside<br>
our clan felt I
was an outsider. It was starting to give<br>
shame to
father. That shame would go to our tribe. I<br>
had no
choice. The rumors had already started and the<br>
fear. We all
know what fear can do to the people."<br>
<br>
Cetric: "Thanks. I
always was curious. Now I understand."<br>
<br>
[A bit later Cetric turns to
Caladan again...this time a<br>
a normal voice.]<br>
<br>
Cetric: "I must say
Sundancer these friends of yours are<br>
unique.
Let's face it the warriors on the plains are<br>
pretty
standard. Spears, scimitars and bows. But these<br>
people...Balrog
who likes daggers and fiddles with little<br>
tools.
Ben'dar who clearly is so young and bold that<br>
doesn't know how
to hold his tongue, though he is a very<br>
good
fighter. Even you who use what you call magic when<br>
only shamans do
magic on the plains. Chion a large man<br>
who can barely
ride his horse but is brave enough to<br>
storm a castle on
his own. Farseeker who seems a great<br>
fighter but can't
decide which weapon to use so carries<br>
many. The
pointy eared one has been quiet of late and<br>
I've yet to figure
him out. Kasha who clearly seems<br>
home in battle and
on the horse. The flying one who<br>
simply doesn't
even fit with your group. Where did you<br>
get him? The
singing one is wise and seems to know our<br>
people well.
I just hope he lives long enough to tell<br>
of this day and
the next few days. The female warrior<br>
who uses
daggers. She is also quiet and seems to know<br>
her place.
That is good. Z'leyra is intriguing. Though<br>
no females would
dare be shaman on the plains she breaks<br>
that rule.
Frankly I hope she doesn't influence some of<br>
the people to
think like her. Those two we left at<br>
the village.
That one with the robes he looks like a<br>
feather could kill
him. The other one I've not figured<br>
out
yet."<br>
<br>
Caladan: "We did not
'get' Thig. He was with us for awhile.<br>
There are many of
his kind to the far west in the great<br>
forest. Open
your mind. there are many out there who<br>
see life and
station differently than here on the plains."<br>
<br>
Cetric: "The city has
certainly distorted your view of<br>
things
Sundancer."<br>
<br>
[A bit more and the party
begins to enter the area of the<br>
fight with the grave
robbers. Two groups are separated.<br>
One group heads to the
last spot the grave robber was<br>
last seen on the
ground. The other heads to with Ben'dar<br>
to show where he
battled. The Zen'da warriors that came<br>
with Cetric are
enthralled by the story. Cetric joins<br>
the group with
Z'leyra.<br>
<br>
Z'leyra dismounts and
prepares her tracking spell. She<br>
explains the Hawk should
be about half a mile away and<br>
is probably eaten by
wolves. The ground is inspected.<br>
Z'leyra explains the
rider distracted her by changing<br>
into a hawk that she
thought was the rider. But when<br>
the hawk was killed that
was clearly not the case. The<br>
rider had to have
transformed into an invisible person<br>
or a smaller
animal. Based on the tracks though it appears<br>
the rider changed to a
medium sized rabbit which was blocked<br>
by the horse. The
tracks of the rabbit lead away a bit<br>
but then suddenly stop
as if it disappears. Its suspected<br>
the rider then changed
into a bird. If this is the case<br>
the rider has the power
to shape change or is a powerful<br>
spell caster.]<br>
<br>
Cetric: "Why either of
those? Maybe this claw thing has<br>
the power to shape
change into other animals as well?"<br>
<br>
[Z'leyra takes her staff and
casts the tracking spell.<br>
She spends the massive
amount of mana to get the higher<br>
effect of the
spell. It still takes over 5 full seconds<br>
to cast the spell.
She then scans the horizon and circles.<br>
As soon as she is facing
south east her mind tingles. She<br>
then explains the rider
is 17.5 miles almost due south east.]<br>
<br>
Farseeker: "It had a
day's head start since you only returned<br>
to the village
last night. So it got that far in one day?"<br>
<br>
Thig: "Likely a bird or a
horse or in human form riding a horse."<br>
<br>
Farseker: "Either way if
we push in two days we could likely<br>
catch up to
it. Correct?"<br>
<br>
Caladan: "Two days? Maybe
three."<br>
<br>
Kasha: "What is that
way?"<br>
<br>
Cetric: "In that
direction lies two villages. One though<br>
is small and may
move at times. Clan Rud lives in one<br>
and has around
twenty families. I don't like it. If<br>
the rider went
that way for sure he could have run<br>
into them or they
find the rider. In either case<br>
that could be
disaster."<br>
<br>
Kasha: "If it keeps at 18
miles per day we could overtake<br>
the rider in two
days if we keep at top speed."<br>
<br>
Cetric: "Its night in a
hour or so. Some of us may be<br>
able to see in the
dark but not all of us. Riding on<br>
the plains at
night is dangerous. While this time of<br>
year most snakes
are hibernating many are still around.<br>
A horse stepping
on a rattlesnake is not a good sign<br>
at night.
We'll have to wait till day to travel again."<br>
<br>
Next update Friday...<br>
<br>
Actions? Comments?<br>
<br>
Short update. At this point I'll wait and
see of any actions<br>
or comments. If there is no other plans
what will you guys<br>
want to do for the next day or so?<br>
<br>
Also check the website. Bottom of the link
section has a<br>
link to the game map. This is a cropped
map of the area.<br>
<br>
Here is what you need to know<br>
<br>
Finding the Ga'fel label<br>
<br>
* Yellow Blotch: Caladan's Village
location<br>
* Cyan (Blue) Blotch: Zaka's
village/Gravesite<br>
* Red Blotch: Battlesite where the
party is now<br>
* Down in the bottom/Mountains -
White Blotch: the Castle<br>
<br>
Sorry for delay had trouble doing that
map. <br>
Same section of map has a link for the 2 Map
Book sections<br>
of the same area in larger detail.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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<BR>
<div>Longshot - ZC of AdventureNet International Echomail Network</div>
<div>Fringe BBS - EWOG II - 904-733-1721</div>
<div>Telegard / Allfix Beta Site</div>
<div>Website:
<a href="http://users.cybermax.net/~longshot" EUDORA=AUTOURL>http://users.cybermax.net/~longshot</a></div>
<div>ICQ: 24436933</div>
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