Zombie Zoo

Further exploration of the pirate hideout reveals several new areas, and a small herd of hungry zombies. Combat was fierce, tactics were sound, and the party prevailed without disease, death, or drain.

The party now has quite a stash of cash and goodies. What will they buy... oh, the party escapes the hideout and now is back in town.
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Session characters: Rudolpho, Vin, Chiri, Nesta, Newt
Session XP: 480 each
Session Loot:
Gold Holy Symbol 50gp
Rusty Chainmail
2 sacks, 75gp each
3 potions
wand
pirate lasagna receipe
map of "Granite Tomb"
platinum ring w/onyx skull & elven script

The Story of Newt Gingrich

The Story of Newt Gengrich

Newt arrived in Sasserine on a merchant vessel which he had hidden aboard as a stowaway. He was very young and had barely escaped his village during an Orc attack. His witnessed his family slain and ran for the river to save his life because he knew that most Orcs could not swim.

After he arrived in Sasserine he lived on the streets in the Merchant District and hid from other people. He stole what he needed to survive and was fairly successful at it.

One day he was discovered trying to pick a lock on a merchant's door. It was his second attempt at opening the lock. Master Schlage, an elder guild member at the local Locksmith's Guildhall, caught him in the act. Master Schlage had come to repair the damage Newt had caused on the previous night. Master Schlage made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Newt could attend the Guild and put his talent to good use or go to jail. He immediately set to work fixing the lock which he had broken.

He is a member in good standing and works part-time in the shop owned by Master Schlage.

A member of a thieves guild in Sasserine took notice of Newt's ability with locks and approached him. He told Newt that he knew a more profitable use for Newt's skills and introduced him to the art of appropriation.

Thus began Newt's career.
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XP Award: 50 points

The Story of Rudopho Milano

Rudolpho Milano is the illegitimate son of an orc prostitute of Sasserine and a human pirate. Rudoplho’s mother always told him that his father was a handsome pirate named Antonio from a land far away. The last time Rudolpho’s mother saw Antonio, is when he named little baby Rudolpho and left his signet ring for him. With the signet ring, Antonio promised, Rudolpho would have no problems finding employment on a pirate crew. Rudolpho grew up faster than the human children in the Sunrise District and sure enough, when Rudolpho turned thirteen, he was hired on as a crewman on a pirate ship. Rudolpho found that although he was an excellent swimmer, he lacked the patience to develop all of the skills that a pirate needs. Rudolpho just loved to kill. Given his volatile nature, it was not long before the pirates unburdened themselves of Rudolpho by tossing him overboard with only a raft. Rudolpho paddled for days before reaching an uninhabited island. After living in the wild for a couple of months to get his strength back up, Rudolpho began to swim the miles of water separating the many small islands in the area. Finally Rudolpho made his way back to civilization. It took Rudolpho two more years of stowing away and laboring on ships for him to make his way home to Sasserine. In that time he grew stronger, wilder, and more deadly with a falchion. Rudolpho tried to find work as a bodyguard or mercenary but so far, nothing has panned out. Perhaps life with an adventuring crew will prove more lucrative.

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XP Award: 50 points

The Story of Vin IceMark

A short introduction to Vin IceMark

One summer day, 3 local girls from the Merchant district were walking along the beach looking for shells and coins in the sand. Around a bend they happened upon a small boy sitting in the sand, playing with rocks and pebbles. His clothes were torn and ragged but the boy didn’t look hurt. He had the appearance of an elf with the ears and eyebrows but his skin was darker than the elves the girls usually saw in town. The oldest girl bent down and asked the boy his name and after some coaxing got a name. The youngster said “Vin” and pointed to his chest. It appeared that his name and the elven words for ‘mother’ and ‘father’ were the only recognizable words he could say.
After searching, with no success, for an adult whom this young ‘Vin’ belonged, the girls decided to take him to the only Elf they knew. They located their friend Marlash in the produce alley and immediately showed him their young find. Marlash, an officer in the Merchant Watch with some connections in the District, took Vin to the Temple of Fharlanghn where they ran a small orphanage. He was able to get Vin into the orphanage and make sure that Lirali Woarali, the Temples Keeper and ‘unofficial’ mother, would check on him from time to time.
As time passed Vin excelled in school and settled into as happy a life as one could have in an orphanage. Marlash always maintained contact with Vin as a foster brother and friend. Marlash continued from time to time to search for Vin’s family. Using his Watch access, Marlash sent inquiries to neighboring ports via trade ships and couriers inland but to no avail. Many speculated as to his origins, with the most likely theory that Vin was a passenger on a ship which was attacked and taken by pirates. It was assumed that the pirates for some reason showed mercy on the young child and dumped him in the first convenient harbor instead of killing him as they had likely done his family.
Vin proved to have a flair for history and religion as well as a strong natural ability with a longsword. Influenced by Marlash, and the strict religious teachings from the Temple, Vin set his sights on a roll in the watch as his destiny. He repeatedly asks Marlash for permission to join the Watch. Even though Vin was well below the age at which a man could apply, Marlash relented and created an apprentice position for Vin. Vin took to patrolling with the Watch with enthusiasm and assisted in many incidents around the taverns and proved to have an eye for thieves in the marketplaces. His religious studies also influenced Vin greatly over time shaped his views of where he would be most useful. He began focusing more of his studies on Religious Justice and defense of the Temple and it’s goals of helping those that need help and protecting travelers and those that need protection.
By dedicating himself to the role of a Paladin of the Temple of Fharlanghn, he thought he could most help those like himself. He would dedicate himself to defending travelers in strange lands, and those who need protection that he might encounter along his way. Fharlanghn also teaches that one grows only by traveling, so Vin decided to seek an adventure in which he might encounter new things, find opportunities to help and defend others and learn about the world. All this, he hoped would get him closer to the growth that Fharlanghn promises to those that travel and maybe even discover something about his family along the way. He just really hoped it wouldn’t involve a lot of sailing. Vin had never quite gotten rid of the ‘unnatural’ fear he had of sea voyages.

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XP Award: 50 points

Dead man's chest...

After clearing the crab room the party made it's way down a waterlogged passage to an open room with a large, deep pool. Rudolpho “Olympic swimmer” Milano gets the rope in place, so the party can ferry across the pool. Then he goes on a little exploration down a secret submerged tunnel, while the party presses on. The party finds the corpse of old Penkus. Penkus was betrayed by Vanthus Vanderboren. Penkus left a scathing note cursing him, his plans on the Lotus, and his designs on the Lady of the Lotus. Penkus reveals the location on Vanthus' hideout under the Taxidermist's Hall. Penkus even begs the reader of the note to kill Vanthus and let Vanthus know that Penkus was his downfall.

Searching behind the Penkus corpse, reveals a secret door that opens to a room full of BOOTY! Arrrghh! The party nabs the loot and heads back down the passage. Nesta leroys into a zombie nest, an the party smacks them down with skill, divine wrack, and superior tactics.

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Session characters: Chiri, Rudolpho, Vin, Nesta, Newt
Session XP: 120
Session Loot:
Penkus- masterwork studded leather (needs cleaning), 2 masterwork silvered daggers, gold ring (120gp)
Chests- 8 potions, 1 wand, 7500 cp, 1500 sp, 1000 gp, gems (500gp), jade coffer (300gp) with a light brown gemstone (note says it an earth elemental gem)

Reminder: XP for character backgrounds...

Help! I've fallen...

Lavinia, concerned about her brother Vanthus, sends the party in search of him. The party also searches for the mysterious and alluring Maria. After a day of searching around Sasserine, a shabby half-elf named Shefton, offers to show the party where Vanthus has been hiding. The party coughs up 10gp and Shefton leads the party to a trap door entrance on Parrot Island.

After the party descends, Newt misses the big step and falls in, followed shortly by Shefton who aquired a knife in his back. Vanthus taunts the party as he closes the door to the hideout and pushes a rock on top of it. The party explores the hideout.

In a room with a collapsed ceiling, crabs attacked from a large pool of water. Everyone fought well and the crabs were crunched. Rudolpho discovered a bone scroll case, which Newt opened to find a parchment with strange symbols. Newt deciphered part of it, “elves of death”.

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Session characters: Nesta, Rudolpho, Vin, Newt
Session XP: 190
Session loot: bone scroll case w/parchment

Hello to our visitor from Ottawa, Canada.

The Eyes Have It!

The monster Rhagodessa in the hold killed thug, attacked party when they investigated. Vin, having spent the previous combat playing with his dingey, charged into combat and took one for the party.

After a complete search of the ship, the party found Vanderboren signet ring, and note. Healed up, and with Lavinia in tow, made way to the Vanderboren vault. The door had an eight pointed star, which was repeated in the other rooms of the vault. Bypassed iron snake, solved puzzle. Lavinia found most of tomb looted, but enough money remained to get by. Lavinia has another mission for party, and has offered to hire the party as troubleshooters and bodyguards for 100gp a month.

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Session characters: Nesta, Rudolpho, Vin, Newt, Chiri
Session XP: 360 each
Session Loot: Lavinia's payment of 200gp each for helping her gain access to the family vault.

Party Profile

SO:
pri Newt Gengrich, male gnome rogue 1
alt [not on file]

GO: [keeper of records]
pri Nesta Tayllur, female elf ranger 1
alt [not on file]

JO:
pri Rudolpho Milano, male half-orc barbarian 1
alt Captain Spanky, male halfling ranger 1

JC:
pri Chiri Demeanor, female human cleric 1
alt [not on file]

SD:
pri Vin Icemark, male half-elf paladin 1
[party spokesman]
alt Druugen Shortsea, male dwarf rogue 1

No redshirt volunteers yet. Remember XP bonuses...

Episode 1: update/correction

The "combat gear" entry under Soller Vark should have been "two potions"