DF Novices, Team-A, Sessions 77 and 78 - Diary of Merrill Tangled Tail
Here is a combined summary of the last 2 sessions by the player of Merrill. As always, I am giving out an Impulse Point to any player who writes a summary for the blog.
Party roster:
Ben, half-ogre barbarian, 176 points (PC)
Doran Longbeard, dwarf warrior (knight), 202 points (PC)
Eleanor Bayley, human thief, 233 points (PC)
- Dagne Timar, human priestess of Metallys (cleric), 147 points (NPC Hireling)
Erizax Ofaris, human wizard, 232 points (PC)
Randall, human veteran (knight), 157 points (NPC)
Maximilian "Stout" Grupher III, goblin cleric of Ishtanna, 121 points (PC)
Merrill Tangled Tail, cat-folk martial artist, 139 points (PC)
Fenn, human scout, unknown points (NPC)
Campaign Dates: 10 to 23 December, Year 645 of the Vycenaean Empire.
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Diary of Merrill Tangled Tail:
Where Merrill?
Moment ago, it all dark. Now it all bright. Warm. But it brightness that pleasant, not brightness that hurt eyes. But despite brightness of pleasant light, there nothing Merrill can see. There nothing. Merrill see nothing. Merrill feel nothing. Perhaps, Merrill nothing?
But Merrill not think nothing! If Merrill nothing, then who doing thinking? So Merrill exist. And if Merrill exist, then Merrill somewhere, not nowhere. This truth of Two Moons! Bright light it... silver? Like light from moons on dark night that not dark. And now Merrill see, what he see is not nothing, but fog that very thick. And Merrill thinking, he only ever see fog like this in pass of mountains near Temple.
Suddenly, Merrill standing in pass of mountains, next to wild river. River, it deep, it strong, it carve out mountain pass long ago in past. There path next to river, and Merrill's feet follow path.
It seem that for long time Merrill walk next to river, listening to flow of water, following bank on easy path. How long Merrill walk, he not know, it hours or days, or perhaps only minute. Merrill sensing time not same as Merrill remember. Easy path, it stretch out far far ahead, beyond where Merrill see, but it seems to him that there always more path beyond. It simple walk, and Merrill not mind pleasant stroll. It only shame there no... And here Merrill stop. And he think. And he thinking, it shame that walk so easy and so pleasant. What is point of training so long in Temple to go on pleasant walk? It shame there no adventure, no excitement!
Immediately after Merrill think this, there grinding sound above, and small rock dislodge from side of pass. It roll down side of mountain, and now Merrill see it not small rock, but large rock seen from far away, and it getting bigger as it come closer. With sound that not so loud, with splash that nearly gentle, rock fall in river. And block river.
For moment river swell behind rock, but rock it block path of river. River rage, river push against rock, but rock it not budge. And then...
... river, it change course.
And Merrill decide not following easy path next to empty bed of river, but cross where river once flow. River it now flowing... upwards? Into mountains? There path next to river, it not smooth. Merrill thinking he first to walk new path next to new river. And for long moments, Merrill walk, until path it too steep.
So Merrill climb.
He climb rocks, he climb side of mountain, he dig in claws where rocks too slippery or mountain too steep. Time to time, Merrill no longer hear river, but soon as he find next hold for hand, there river again. It long climb, it climb that impossible for anyone not light and nimble as Merrill. It impossible for anyone not have claws on fingers and toes. There no reason for Merrill to climb, but he want see where river lead.
At top of mountain, there land that strange. Near top, there river run, and path next to river it overgrown with bushes that thorny. It difficult, but Merrill follow path until it lead to small building. River it flow under water wheel and path split. There one path that turn, follow crest of mountain, and disappear out of sight.
Other path, it lead to door of building. Merrill decide he go up to building, and knock on door.
There no sound. Merrill try door, and find it not locked, so Merrill go in.
Next moment, Merrill standing in building that big. Big as big. Bigger than Temple, yes! Inside it filled with smoke, and noise, and sound of metal that hit metal. It... forge? Moment Merrill think this, he standing near anvil that biggest Merrill ever see. There figure near anvil, turned away, looking for tool. Figures appear from haze, one after other. They... they kin! Merrill recognise robes, they old Masters from back in time long ago! And they all look at Merrill.
For moment Merrill rooted to spot, but then he approach. Figure that near anvil, it big, bigger than others, bigger than anything Merrill ever see. It have wings on back, and robe that shimmer like silver. Like light of moon! Thinking quick quick, Merrill look down and see he now wearing robe that also shine as moon. Then big figure, it turn, and Merrill see clearly. It also kin. It look at Merrill for moment, and Merrill look back. It... surprised?
But then figure smile and nod, and raise hammer. Hammer strikes anvil, and sound it deafening! There sparks that bright, so bright...
... bright light...
... light. Light! Merrill open eyes. Merrill see!
Merrill awake!
He face down on floor of forest, but he awake. Sound of fighting nearby, and there energy in Merrill that... it strange. Merrill feel fine?!
Thinking of rivers, and paths, and long long climb, Merrill get to feet and take moment to see what happening.
Near entrance of cave, Stout still on ground, but not where he fall. It look like someone drag Stout away from danger. Dagne near Stout, also fallen over, but not look hurt. Dagne look tired. When Merrill turn, he see leader of bandits he still fighting Ben and Fenn and Randall and Eleanor. Doran on ground, nearby, down on face. Now there anger in Merrill. Much anger. He stride towards fight, but before Merrill get to fight, Ben hit bandit and bandit fall on face. It over!
There slight shimmer in bushes nearby, but fight it over. So Merrill stand over leader of bandits, keeping end of staff close to bandit's head, and tell Ben to take bandit's weapons. Ben still doing that when there shout, and from shimmer in bushes steps monster. It monster that very like one we fight before, with club that big big. But this time friends are near, and area it open. Merrill roar at monster, and for moment it seem monster stunned, but then it shake head and fight on.
Monster, it has no chance. Fenn shoot quick as quick, Randall hit monster with mighty swings, Merrill hit thing in face again and again, and Ben... Merrill noticing, Ben now not so gentle. It not long before monster collapse.
Rest of time is bit of blur to Merrill. He run around seeing if Stout he alive, seeing if Dagne she alright, worry about Doran, handing out potions, balancing chi... It not until friends back in cave and discussing fate of bandit leader that Merrill think clearly again.
Friends they say, we kill leader of bandits, it safest. Merrill say, we not do this thing. Or, in more accurate way, we not do this thing yet. There questions that bandit must answer, and it in nature of Merrill to ask questions. But, and this point Merrill think convince Eleanor, if we not know who paying for mages and clerics, we not know who order kidnappings, then we never know it not happen again in future. Eleanor sigh, but agree. And Eleanor leader, so this is thing we do. Bandit leader tied tightly, gagged, and with sack over head.
Merrill thinking he did thing that right, but he not happy being part of thing that harms other who not able to fight back. So he say to others, Merrill will guard cave with back turned to interrogation.
Even now memory is bit hazy. Merrill try to remember it Randall or Dagne who say 'hah yes, that easiest'. At moment, Merrill think of new river, of new path, of climb... of forge and anvil. And Merrill thinking, no, he not do this thing. And he say to friends 'It true, it Merrill who ask friends to keep bandit alive, so Merrill will ask questions'.
And so Merrill does. But from start, he know it thing that futile. Up close, Merrill smell same smell he smell on bandits we capture near camp, and they not answer any question then. It only bandit who not smell like fish who answer question, and leader of bandits... he reek of fish.
But Merrill persevere, walk path of thorns, and establish that leader of bandits he awake and only pretending to be not. So Merrill say to him, friends want bandit dead. Merrill only person here who not want bandit dead immediately, so it best to talk with Merrill. He say, Merrill is honest, and Merrill never lie. Bandit say, we kill him anyway even if he answer question.
Merrill say, this is true. This is thing that will happen. But also he say, he certain bandit believe in afterlife, or eternal reward. And so, if bandit answer questions, Merrill make sure bandit go to rest and can not be raised as zombie. If bandit not answer questions, then Merrill make sure bandit left in back of cave, where possibly he then turn to zombie, and have no chance of eternal rest or afterlife. This is thing Merrill will do.
Bandit for moment look at Merrill with strange look, but then laugh, and say nothing else. Not name, not name of person who give orders, not name of person who pay for kidnappings, bandit say nothing. And so Merrill must admit to self, it thing that was futile. So he shrug and say he tried. Immediately Eleanor reach over to cut throat of bandit.
Bandit suddenly yell stop, and Eleanor hesitate. Erizax, from dark corner of cave, shout at Doran to kill bandit. Doran not hesitate. With solid blow of axe, bandit dead for certain.
It shame, but it what it is.
Then follow moments and hours and nearly day that always follow adventures and Merrill rarely pay attention to detail of it. It about who carry what, about what take, what leave, what worth what, what worth nothing, who have extra backpack, do coins fit in sack... It like magic, it make Merrill's head hurt. Erizax count all coins, carefully, and we find things that strange. Of things we find that strange, strangest is metal flask of liquid that... smell like fish. It same same as flask we find in backpack of bandit leader. It look same, it smell same. And Erizax say, that potion, but he not know which potion. Eleanor warn Merrill not to drink liquid that smell like fish. Merrill like fish, but he thinking he not like fish that much!
It take day to return to Bridgegate, and immediately Erizax say he go to farm of Kuipos to see Master Termion and tell him good news. Then he go to village of Mere and tell Squire there good news. That all good, but Merrill decide to stay in Bridgegate where fire is warm, bed is soft, and food it plentiful. Fenn and Doran they go with Erizax, and Eleanor take Merrill along to go to shops to sell things we find in cave.
Soft beds. Warm fire. Time to brush fur and have bath. Yes yes, this good life.
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Today it sad day. After Erizax return from Mere, Stout tell friends he leaving. Stout thinking, he not strong enough to walk with friends, he not powerful enough, he not know enough. We say that not true, but Stout determined. So all Merrill can do is give small friend Stout big hug, and tell him that maybe Stout he small, but his heart it big!
That evening, Stout walk away from Bridgegate. Merrill hoping we seem him again. He best goblin!
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It several days after Stout go, and it with heavy heart Merrill knock on door of Eleanor. She tell him come in, and Merrill does, and tell Eleanor that Merrill he leaving too. After months and months with friends, it already past time Merrill return to Temple and tell Masters of his decision. Eleanor look sad and say it sound like Merrill not coming back. Merrill tell her, he hope to come back, but it not his decision. It decision of Masters, of Temple. That is way. But if possible, he come back.
Then Eleanor ask, where Temple? And... Merrill confess, he not know. Merrill also tell Eleanor big secret of Temple, big secret of kin. It not allowed, it forbidden, but Merrill thinking if anyone keep secret who must know secret, it Eleanor. Merrill think she understand, and she say she going too, to town that is East. Merrill also going that way, and Eleanor ask if Merrill will walk with her for while.
And with smile, Merrill agree.
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