The Adventures of Talyynn Wulfgar

[Aeryyn]

Day 1: The Grotto

She woke on a beach wondering just exactly where she was. She heard a voice asking if she was alive and not undead. Of course she was alive, she was walking toward him wasn't she? (Undead? What is he talking about, undead? Just what nightmare have I landed in, anyway? And where the hell am I?)

The little man at the other end of the voice introduced himself as Jeets Shimis, and he had a roguish look about him. She searched her memory. (What *is* my name?) She wasn't really sure, but said the first thing that came into her head that sounded like a familiar name.

"Talyn. Talyn Wulfgar," she said. (I think. It sounds good, anyway.)

She followed Jeets to a make-shift camp a few hundred yards above the beach where he actually offered to put a weapon in her hands if she would help him and someone named Cellimas. Talyn took him up on his offer of a long sword. (I seriously doubt I can take anyone on, especially that automaton-looking thing that's blocking the only other path off this freaking beach.) She checked the balance on the sword and found it acceptable. It wasn't great, but it would do. She asked Jeets where to find this Cellimas and started up the path. The automaton-looking thing introduced himself as Talbron. (At least I think it's a 'he', the voice is deep enough.) At her questioning look, he told her he was Warforged. (Whatever *that* is.)

Talbron led her to the grotto and waited at the entrance for Jeets. Inside the grotto, Talyn introduced herself to Cellimas and helped the cleric open a gate that lead deeper into the grotto. Talyn's tree climbing skills were sure helpful, even in a dungeon she thought as she scaled the rock wall before her. Yeah, she didn't think the cleric would have been able to make the climb. The rogue maybe, but not the cleric and certainly not the Warforged.

Talyn quietly dropped to the other side of the gate through a small crevice and heard the wheeze of something breathing in he passageway ahead. She tiptoed to the far wall, moving in a slow crouch toward the sound. As she peeked around the corner, she saw the ugliest creature she had ever seen in her life. It looked like it was half fish and half man. (What the hell? One of the Sahuagin that Cellimas mentioned?) It took her a minute to get over the shock, but when she did, she again moved quietly forward. She did her best to sneak up on the thing, but it must have sensed her just before she struck because it spat a curse and turned to attack. Somehow she managed to land a hit, but thought it lacked the power to do much harm. She must have hit it harder than she thought, because two swings later, it was down and not moving. (And I knew how to fight like that, how exactly?) Talyn pulled the handle that the fish-thing was guarding and in a few moments heard the others move up the passageway to meet her.

She followed the rest of the party through the cave until they came to another gate and another lever. Talyn pulled the lever when Cellimas gave her the signal. They rushed into the room and it was empty! (What the?!?) Suddenly, the door rolled shut behind them and several Sahuagin dropped from a ledge that circled the cavern. The creatures attacked as soon as they landed on the floor. The battle, while fierce, ended with a victory for the companions. Jeets checked both doors leading out of the cavern, but found the mechanisms beyond his capable skills.

As the party searched the cavern for a way out, Talbron stumbled on a latch that exposed a deep well. At the bottom of the well, they could see a faint glint of metal. Talyn looked around at the others. They all looked at her -- expectantly. Jeets mumbled something about hydrophobia, Celllimas groused about not being able to swim in her armor, and Talbron said nothing. (Great. It's a good thing I like to swim. At least *I'll* be less stinky. That dead fish smell is making my stomach turn!) She dove to the bottom of the well and grabbed the key. Back on the surface, she took some time to wipe at her arms and legs, trying to get some of the ichor off of her skin before she got out of the water. She felt better, but was a bit self-conscious in the few -- now wet -- rags that still managed to cover her body -- and which were somewhat more tattered after the battle she had just fought.

She unlocked the door opposite the one they had entered. Before the group moved on, Cellimas called a rest. She and Talbron rested and recovered their spells while Jeets and Talyn scouted the passages ahead. As the group moved through the cavern, they triggered a knife trap that barred their way. Jeets disabled the trap and the group moved deeper into the caverns. After a while, they came to another door with a lever. The spellcasters readied their spells while the rest readied weapons. Cellimas gave the signal, Talbron opened the gate, and the party charged the Sahuagin priestess and her two guards. A few minutes later, the fish creatures lay dead on the floor and Cellimas was cleansing the grotto of the Sahuagin's evil magic.

At the back of the grotto, Jeets found a locked chest. He picked the lock and found nothing inside that he could use. He did, however, find a battleworn chainmail shirt that fit Talyn perfectly, and a bow, some arrows, and a pretty ring with blue stones that fit her index finger. After putting on the armor, she explored the grotto. Toward the back, she noticed how the dirt near a certain portion of the floor looked different. She stepped closer to the wall and felt the air stir in a way that it hadn't in other parts of the grotto. As she searched the area, she found a hidden passage that lead into a basement.

As they left the grotto and stepped into the basement, Cellimas offered Talyn a beautiful long sword for helping clear the Sahuagin out of the caverns. When Talyn left the building, she stepped out into -- snow.

How odd. The island should have been more tropical, judging by the vegetation she had seen so far. Then she remembered Talbron had said something about a dragon but couldn't remember exactly what he had said. As she stepped into an alleyway in the village of Korthos, she met a local named Randall who told her the sad story of Korthos and the dragon, and gave her directions to the local inn -- The Wavecrest Tavern. With the few coins that she had found on the beach before she reached the grotto, she was able to get a hot bath, a hotter meal, and rent a room for a couple of nights, but she knew she would have to find work soon.

Talyn decided to wait until morning to tackle the issue of coin and work and dragons. She had a place to sleep for the night. But that night she was exhausted and confused. (Where am I? Who am I? Why can't I remember?)

[Aeryyn]

The Heyton Family Crypt

Talyn woke in a strange bed to strange sounds and stranger smells. (Where am I?) She laid with her eyes closed for some time trying to orient herself. Birds screeched as they flew near and the muffled sounds of creaking wood through the closed window caught her ear. Bits and pieces of her dream came swimming back into focus. She remembered a really short fellow that was a whirlwind with his daggers. Jeets. And she remembered a .. Warforged? .. he had flung energy around like it was water. Talbron. Then there was the cleric that kept her from dying. Cellimas. (What a dream, complete with names, how cool is that? I better write this down.)

She opened her eyes and reached for the pad of paper that she knew she kept by the bed .. and stopped. This wasn't her bedroom. Nothing looked familiar, except the sword from her dream propped in the corner near the bed. Close enough to reach. As if it were natural. (Where. The. Hell. Am. I?) She hurt like crazy, her muscles were stiff and sore, as if she had done a major workout. (Wait, what?)

She rolled to one side and pushed herself up, wincing at the pain in her body. She hurt in places that she didn't know she even *had* places. She couldn't remember the last time she hurt that bad. But this room. Where was she? The sword looked like the one from her dream, but that was the only familiar thing she could identify at first glance. She got out of bed and found the chainmail she had piled in a corner the night before. She looked for other clothing and finding none, gingerly donned the battleworn mail, strapped on the shiny long sword, and left the little room.

After finding the washroom and freshening up, Talyn went down to the common room in search of food. She was starving. The common room was packed, mostly with locals huddled together talking in low voices about what they've seen or heard. On one side of the room a woman dressed in tattered robes sat watching the room as closely as Talyn had. When the woman spotted her, she beckoned Talyn to her table.

"I heard that a stranger had arrived in the village last evening. I assume it to be you. You do not look like you belong here," the woman said. "Another victim of the dragon of Korthos," she spat.

She looked fairly young and spoke the Common language with a strange accent. It was hard for Talyn to understand some of what the other woman said, but thought she got most of it. The woman gestured to the serving girl who brought out a large plate heaped with meats, cheeses, bread and vegetables, and two steaming mugs of tea.

"My name is Rain, I am pleased to meet you."

Talyn cocked her head to one side and looked at the woman across the table. (What does this woman want?)

"Pleased to meet you too, er .. Rain. I'm, uh .. Talyn."

"Well, Talyn, I suppose you are wondering why you are sitting her talking to me and I am buying you a meal." She looked expectantly at the half-elf. When Talyn didn't answer, she went on. "Well, I want off this, this .." and at that she went into a rant in another language. Talyn looked at the woman. At least she thought it was a rant, the look on the woman's face said so, but the sounds flowing from her mouth seemed to betray the emotion. (What language is that? I have never heard anything so beautiful.)

"I am sorry," Rain said when she finally calmed down, "I have business to attend in Stormreach that will not wait. I need your help, you must help me convince the captain to take me to Stormreach."

Talyn took a sip of her tea and regarded the woman across the table. "How do you expect me to do that?"

"You can help me find out what is happening to this village, to this island. When you kill the cult leader, the captain will have to take us to Stormreach."

"OK. So I help you with the problems around here. What's in it for me?" Talyn asked.

"You also get to Stormreach, and I will pay you 1000 Pp now and 1000 Pp upon arrival in the city."

"You assume I want to go to Stormreach." (What is Stormreach?)

"If you are here, where else would you go? Would you stay here?" Rain asked.

"No," Talyn responded. (And where's here, exactly?)

"Well then, it is settled. You will help me get off this gods-forsaken island."

(Nothing is settled, but I ain't staying on this rock forever.)

They made a few inquiries and agreed to investigate the Heyton family crypt.

After several hours of creeping through the crypt killing cultists and Sahuagin, Talyn and Rain made their way out of the darkness just before the sun set, battered, bruised, and bloodied. (And now I know what Jeets was talking about, undead indeed.)

Kaja met them as they exited the crypt and walked with them back to the inn.

"Are you OK? What did you find?"

Rain looked at Talyn, as if she expected the half-elf to talk to the other woman.

"The cultists were trying to animate the bodies in the crypt. We managed to stop them. I can't believe the caretaker didn't report what was going on."

"Oh, no! What caretaker? What about Lars, did you find Lars?" asked Kaja.

"I don't know his name. Some guy was coming out of the crypt as we were heading in, said he was the caretaker. He gave us some grief about going down there and then left. That was hours ago, though. And no, we didn't find Lars."

"Oh," Kaja looked crestfallen at the news of Heyton. "I'll ask my da if he might know anything about a caretaker."

When they reached the inn, Sigmund offered to let her use the room for a reduced charge, "So long as yer helpin' out an' all."

Talyn asked the innkeeper for a bath, and after, a meal and a tankard of ale. She listened to the entertainment as she ate, the bard wasn't half bad. After a while, she went up to her room, took off her armor, and fell into a deep sleep.

[Aeryyn]

Korthos Village

Talyn lay awake thinking about the events of the past couple of days. Everything around her was strange, yet somehow familiar. She seemed to know how to use the sword the rogue had given her, but not how she learned to use it so effectively. (Or why.)

Using the long sword against the Sahuagin and the cultists had seemed natural, as did finding the secret passages and traps in the crypt. (But how did I learn to do all of that?) She wasn't really surprised to know that Elves and Dwarves and Halflings existed either, and somehow knew that Jeets was a Halfling. She was mildly amused that she, herself, was Half-Elven.

She laid in the bed thinking until her bladder reminded her that it was time to get moving. She donned the armor once again. (Man, I really need new clothes, this is starting to smell.) When she opened the door, she found a small package propped against the door sill waiting for her. Curiously, she opened the package to find clean small clothes. She took the package with her and took a few minutes in the washroom before descending to the common room to break her fast. As happened the previous morning, Rain beckoned Talyn to join her.

To Talyn's mild amusement, the Elf had their day planned. They were to help protect the village Cannith Crystal from an attack by the cultists, and that attack was rumored to start soon.

"It is good that you have come down, Talyn," Rain said. "I was wanting to come wake you, but thought it might be rude to do so. I would like your help with these cultists."

Talyn chewed the rough bread and listened as Rain told her about the rumors circulating around the small port town. She soon learned that the mayor's daughter had been kidnapped several days ago and that many other townsfolk had also disappeared.

And not just townsfolk, either. The dragon had been sinking ships along this part of the ocean for months, and while most passengers and crew died, a few managed to get to the island as she had. Some of those folks had been counted among the missing. Some disappeared when they volunteered to look for kidnapped and missing people. All in all, Korthos Village was slowly losing hope.

The women arranged to stand guard in the basement of Korthos Hall to help relieve some of the more stalwart villagers. And, as luck would have it, the attack happened during their watch. They fended off the attack and saved the crystal, much to the relief of the village council. The council decided to move the crystal to another location, one a little more secret and secure than the hall.

Later that afternoon, Linus Weir told them about some dragon scrolls that Lars Heyton had hidden in the storehouse. The task sounded simple enough, so they decided to go scroll hunting.

The stench of rot and decay assaulted their nostrils when they entered the storehouse. Something was definitely amiss. The smell reminded Talyn of dead rats with a hint of fish. (Oh, that's just great.) Indeed, they found a few undead rats, and some of the biggest freaking spiders she had ever seen before they found a key in one of the barrels. They also found a Sahuagin. And he was one mean son of a gun. He hit like a brick and by the time Rain's spells and Talyn's sword brought him down, Talyn was pretty beat up. (That's gonna hurt in the morning.)

They retrieved the scroll and turned it over to Linus. The townsfolk were much friendlier than the previous day. In fact, when the women entered the tavern, the locals stood and toasted them. They were so surprised, they stopped, their mouths hanging open. Sigmund motioned them to the bar and spoke quietly.

"Ye've done well, here, ye have. Ye're earnin' the respect of the folk. Keep up the good work." And with that, he handed them both their favored beverages. "I've hot baths ready for ye, and healin' salves. When ye've bathed and changed, come down and we'll palaver."

An hour later, bathed and dressed in gifts of new clothing, Talyn and Rain returned to the common room. They made their way to an open table near the bard in the back room. The music was good and townsfolk came up in an almost steady stream to thank them for their help. After a while, Sigmund motioned them to join him in the back room of the tavern. He told them that he heard rumors of the tavern being a target of the cultists.

"My family defends this town. The fishies think that if they take us out, the town will fall, and they're probably right." He looked at them in turn. "I need yer help."

"We will do anything to help you," Rain answered before Talyn could think. "What do you need from us?"

"If what me bairns say is true, then tomorrow night after I close, the traitor will lead a raid against us. I can't afford ta call in the town militia, we're spread thin enough as it is. Thanks to what ye told Kaja, I figured out that the slime most likely responsible for the attacks inside the village is a man named Jacoby Drexelhand. Do what ye must to make the attacks stop."

Talyn and Rain agreed to help defend the tavern.

[Aeryyn]

The Tavern

Talyn woke in a cold sweat, shaking. The dream (nightmare?) had been all too real. Rain was mobbed and taken down by cultists guarding one of the doors along the path through the caves they had found beyond the secret door in the tavern cellar. Talyn fought valiantly, striking the killing blow on the last guard at the same time he struck a fatal blow on her. (No!) They couldn't die before they thwarted the attack and killed Drexelhand.

She rose and went to the washroom to scrub the dried sweat from her face. The lamp she carried illuminated the small piece of polished copper that adorned the wall just above the washbasin. Talyn glanced at the reflection staring back. Dark smudges colored her cheeks and mouth. (What the . . ?) She reached for the ewer and poured icy water into the basin. Plunging her hands into the water and scooping it to her face, she shivered when the frigid liquid splashed onto her neck and down her back. She closed her eyes and splashed her face again and again, not daring to look into the basin.

When her face felt clear, she stopped rinsing and stood with her eyes closed grasping the edges of the basin. (It *was* a dream! Wasn't it?) She felt a drip from her nose and heard the soft splash in the water. Slowly, she opened her eyes. The water had a slight reddish tinge. As she watched, a drop of blood dripped from the end of her nose and she realized that she had a nosebleed.

The sun was just peeking over the horizon when she went down to the common room. Rain was sitting at their usual table, so Talyn joined her. They were silent as one of Sigmund's daughters brought them their morning tea. Talyn smiled gratefully when the young woman remembered to place a pot of honey on the table. She listened to Rain's version of the same dream she had had as she sweetened the strong tea. When Rain finished recollecting her dream, Talyn told the elf of her own. They sat in silence for long moments, contemplating what they had just told each other.

"I do not think this is a premonition. The dream felt too real to me," Rain finally said.

"It felt pretty real to me too," responded Talyn. "Like it really happened."

"Yes." Rain paused before continuing. "We must be extremely cautious tonight. We cannot let down our guard."

"Agreed."

The common room was slowly filling up as the sun climbed above the horizon. They saw a new face that morning -- a very young halfling sporting a blade on each hip. She walked in like she belonged and surveyed the room. When her eyes found the elves, they stopped and her body turned toward their table. The halfling grabbed an empty chair on the way to their table and joined them.

"My name is Skrie. Sigmund told me I should talk to you," she stated, looking at each elf in turn.

"Talyn," said the half-elf, warily eying the halfling.

"Rain," said the elf. "I am pleased to meet you."

The halfling motioned to the barmaid, who promptly brought a mug of foaming ale. Talyn raised an eyebrow. Skrie looked back at her and took a long swallow from the mug.

The three quietly discussed the impending attack on the tavern. They decided to spend the day running errands and taking care of what business they had in the village. They would meet back in the common room shortly before Sigmund was to close for the night.

It was early enough in the day that Talyn decided to see if she could get her armor repaired and cleaned in time for that nights' activities. The armorer had no hesitation when she asked. He told her he would have it ready for her in just a few hours. The same with the weaponsmith. Both said they would deliver her equipment to the tavern.

Talyn spent a couple of hours in the afternoon training in the yards, picking up tips from one of the more experienced woodsmen in the area. She learned some tricks on how to search for and spot traps, and got some tips on the best ways to sneak attack someone. She practiced with her bow and learned the basics of fighting with two weapons. She felt ready to face what was coming that night. Sometime before the sun set, she returned to the tavern. Her armor and weapons were in her room and a quick inspection showed them to be in excellent repair.

Sigmund had ordered a bath for her when he had seen her return, and sent Kaja up to let her know when the bath was ready. After a hot bath, a hotter meal, and a tankard of Sigmund's best hard cider, Talyn took herself to her room to rest before the coming battle.

[Aeryyn]

The Collaborator

Talyn woke to a light knock on the door to her room. She rose and donned her armor and weapons. Stepping out of the room, she quietly closed the door and crept to the common room. She saw Skrie and Rain creeping along the narrow hallway ahead of her. Skrie was like a shadow and Talyn might never have seen her if she hadn't spotted Rain first.

They made their way to the spots that Sigmund had showed them earlier. The plan was to have the defenders hidden when Sigmund closed the tavern so that the attackers would think the place empty. The signal was given that they were in place, and Sigmund finished closing up.

About half a turn after the tavern closed, Drexelhand strode into the common room with a large container of some kind of liquid. As planned, Talyn stepped out to confront the traitor. When he saw her, he tried to throw the contents of the container onto her, but the stopper remained intact. Before Rain or Skrie could react, sahuagin and cultists rushed into the tavern. The fight was on. Drexelhand scurried toward the rear door.

By the time the party finished killing the last of the attackers, Drexelhand was long gone. They carefully followed the last known path of the traitor and found themselves in a system of caves that wound toward the southwest shore of Korthos Island.

As they made their way through the underground warrens, the smell of the ocean and sahuagin reached them. (This passage leads all the way to the sea!) Talyn had a feeling of deva-vu. She glanced at Rain. The elf had paled. (Oh crud! Is this where we die?) Skrie crept ahead, then came scurrying back to where the elf and half-elf waited.

"They let Drexelhand through about a quarter turn ago," the halfling told them. "I saw a half dozen or so guards up ahead, and at least two of them use magic."

"Any chance we can draw one of them our way?" asked Talyn. "Pick them off one at a time?"

"Maybe."

"I'll try to draw one of them, stay here."

With that, Talyn crept along the wall, arrow nocked, bow half drawn. When she could see one of the cultists at the edge of the fire light, she drew her bow and shot an arrow into the darkness just beyond the cultists' vision. He followed the sound and Talyn shot another arrow just out of his sight in the darkness. Again, he followed the sound. She shot one more time and as the cultist followed the sound, Skrie crept from a shadow and attacked him from behind. He fell to the ground without a sound.

A few moments later they saw two cultists break away from the fire light, calling a name. Rain readied a spell and Skrie slipped back into the shadows. As one of the cultists called again, Talyn fired at the voice and was rewarded with a grunt as the arrow struck true, followed by the sound of a body falling to the ground. She started to move away from the wall she had been standing next to just as the second cultist hit her with a magical blast. She was hurled back against the wall hitting her head -- hard -- the breath knocked from her lungs. She saw stars. Rain extended her hand and launched her own magical attack at the cultist at the same time Skrie attacked him from behind.

Unfortunately, the noise attracted the others that were by the fire. The passage was suddenly brightly lit, one of the magic-using cultists having cast a light spell. Talyn shook her head and drew another arrow, aiming at the magic using culitist. The arrow flew wide, but grazed one of the other cultists. Rain fired bolts of energy from her fingertips, each one striking true. Skrie's blades whirled in a deadly pattern as she ducked and dodged the maces and cudgels of the cultists. One of the cultists closed in on Talyn and she had to sling her bow and draw her blades to fight hand-to-hand.

In just a few moments the battle was over. Talyn still felt fuzzy headed from where she had struck the wall. They had all suffered numerous cuts and bruises.

They searched the cultist's' belongings and found a good amount of coins, a few gems, and a long sword that had a slight glow to it. Neither Skrie nor Rain could use the sword, so they let Talyn have it. She tested the weight and balance and it actually felt better in her hand than the sword she had gotten from Cellimas.

They moved further up the passage and heard more voices ahead of them. Two more guards down and they came to another cavern. They heard Drexelhand's voice on the other side. Talyn shot at him as Rain threw a series of energy bolts his way. Skrie took out her small bow and shot at him as the Sahuagin guards leapt to attack.

As the guards closed, Skrie reslung her bow and drew her twin blades. Rain backed away, flinging her magic at Drexelhand. Talyn backed away firing arrows at one of the guards until it dropped to the ground, then slung her bow and drew the new long sword and the fighting knife she had bought in the village that afternoon. She flung herself at Drexelhand who was closing in on Rain, sword raised. Just as Talyn reached him, he slashed at the elf, cutting her just below the ribcage, almost in half.

"NO!" screamed Talyn as she lunged at the man, her blade slicing clean through the arm wielding the curved sword. It fell to the ground with a wet smack, the metal thunking into the dirt floor of the cavern. One more blow and he was dead.

"Talyn! Look out!" yelled Skrie.

Talyn turned toward the sound just as a staff swung at her head from the other side. It caught her in the shoulder, knocking her to the ground. She managed to roll with the blow, but her shoulder smarted. Skrie leapt over her, blades flashing.

Slowly Talyn rose to her feet, feeling shaky. Somehow she had kept her sword, but couldn't find the knife. Behind her, she could hear the sounds of fighting, bringing her back to the moment. She turned to the battle and helped Skrie defeat the last of the fish-men. It had sprung out of the water at the back of the cavern after Drexelhand fell.

They checked on Rain. She was dead.

A search of the cavern revealed little more than coins, a few gems, and some jewelry.

Wearily they gathered what they could carry -- and the body of their companion -- and made their way back through the caves to the tavern.

[Aeryyn]

Talyn Wulfgar is my attempt to play DDO using rules that limit the use of magic and available related goods that can make this game so very easy; that is, I want to try to play in a PnP-style, sitting-around-the-table manner.

I have been reading the forums to see how others play and have been adapting some of my rules using the research and experimentation of others. If I step on any toes in the process of relating the adventures of Talyn Wulfgar, I humbly apologize (it does however, go along with my true neutral nature ). I am simply trying to play a game I love (D&D) in an environment (DDO) that has changed tremendously over the past few years.

IMO, DDO has turned into a zerg-fest, and quite honestly if I wanted to zerg around the countryside not paying any attention to practically infinite story lines, I would still be playing WoW. Instead, I want to live the adventure that a group can create, complete with different stories, different goals, and different points of view.

If anyone would care to join this character and help her discover who she really is and would like to participate in her story, please join her on Thelanis, Tuesday evenings (look for Talyynn, her preferred spelling was taken) from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM MST. Her puppetmaster lives in the foothills of Northern Colorado so relates most especially to the Mountain time zone.

And now, I introduce you to ..

Talyn Wulfgar, Half-elven Ranger

STR: 14
DEX: 15
CON: 12
INT: 12
WIS: 15
CHA: 10

Concentration
Heal
Hide
Listen
Move Silently
Search
Spot

Dilletante Feat: Rogue
Favored Enemy: Orc
Selected Feat: Stealth

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Rules to Live By:

Talyn is a D&D 3.5 Ed. character, and uses a limited amount of the magical items available inside DDO. The first question I should ask myself is: What would I do if this were a PnP game instead of a video game?

• Limited shrine use, only under certain conditions. (Long quests? Very long quests? Wilderness quests? Ever? Need guidelines.)
• Daily rolls? (Probably not.)
• Only use potions found in quests. (Limit to a certain number per quest? How many?)
• No AH use.
• Can use Pawn Brokers to sell, but not buy. (But what would a PnP character do in a city the size of Stormreach? Really?)
• Use only weapons and armor found in quests.
• Limited magic use, in accordance with the 3.5 DMG Treasure Table 3-5.
• When a chest is found, roll 1d10, on a 1, get magic items, otherwise, just take regular items.
• Breakables are allowed to simulate searching a room.
• End reward is always taken, but magic use is limited so a magical end reward might not be usable.

Mundane items:

• Alchemical items (potions, elixirs)
• Masterwork weapons, armor, tools

Magical items:
Level 1: 1 Mundane, 1 Minor
Level 2: 1 Mundane, 1 Minor
Level 3: 1d3 Mundane, 1 Minor
Level 4: 1d4 Mundane, 1 Minor
Level 5: 1d4 Mundane, 1d3 Minor
Level 6: 1d4 Mundane, 1d3 Minor, 1 Medium
Level 7: 1d3 Minor, 1 Medium
Level 8: 1d4 Minor, 1 Medium
Level 9: 1d4 Minor, 1 Medium
Level 10: 1d4 Minor, 1 Medium, 1 Major
Level 11: 1d4 Minor, 1 Medium, 1 Major
Level 12: 1d6 Minor, 1 Medium, 1 Major
Level 13: 1d6 Minor, 1 Medium, 1 Major
Level 14: 1d6 Minor, 1 Medium, 1 Major
Level 15: 1d6 Minor, 1 Medium, 1 Major
Level 16: 1d10 Minor, 1d3 Medium, 1 Major
Level 17: 1d3 Medium, 1 Major
Level 18: 1d4 Medium, 1 Major
Level 19: 1d4 Medium, 1 Major
Level 20: 1d4 Medium, 1d3 Major

Wealth:
Level 1: 1d6 x 1K cp, 1d8 x 100 sp, 2d8 x 10 gp, 1d4 x 10 pp, 1 gem
Level 2: 1d10 x 1K cp, 2d10 x 100 sp, 4d10 x 10 gp, 2d8 x 10 pp, 1d3 gems
Level 3: 2d10 x 1K cp, 4d8 x 100 sp, 1d4 x 100 gp, 1d10 x 10 pp, 1d3 gems
Level 4: 3d10 x 1K cp, 4d12 x 1K sp, 1d6 x 100 gp, 2d8 x 10 pp, 1d4 gems
Level 5: 1d4 x 10K cp, 1d6 x 1K sp, 1d8 x 100 gp, 1d10 x 10 pp, 1d4 gems
Level 6: 1d6 x 10K cp, 1d8 x 1K sp, 1d10 x 100 gp, 1d12 x 10 pp, 1d4 gems
Level 7: 1d10 x 10K cp, 1d12 x 1K sp, 2d6 x 100 gp, 3d4 x 10 pp, 1d4 gems
Level 8: 1d12 x 10K cp, 1d6 x 1K sp, 2d8 x 100 gp, 3d6 x 10 pp, 1d6 gems
Level 9: 2d6 x 10K cp, 2d8 x 1K sp, 2d8 x 100 gp, 2d12 x 10 pp, 1d8 gems
Level 10: 2d10 x 1K sp, 5d4 x 100 gp, 2d12 x 10 pp, 1d8 gems
Level 11: 3d10 x 1K sp, 4d8 x 100 gp, 4d10 x 10 pp, 1d10 gems
Level 12: 3d12 x 1K sp, 1d4 x 1K gp, 1d4 x 100 pp, 1d10 gems
Level 13: 1d4 x 1K gp, 1d10 x 100 pp, 1d12 gems
Level 14: 1d6 x 1K gp, 1d12 x 100 pp, 2d8 gems
Level 15: 1d8 x 1K gp, 3d4 x 100 pp, 2d10 gems
Level 16: 1d12 x 1K gp, 3d4 x 100 pp, 4d6 gems
Level 17: 3d4 x 1K gp, 2d10 x 100 pp, 4d8 gems
Level 18: 3d6 x 1K gp, 5d4 x 100 pp, 3d10 gems
Level 19: 3d8 x 1K gp, 3d10 x 100 pp, 6d6 gems
Level 20: 4d8 x 1K gp, 4d10 x 100 pp, 4d10 gems

[Aeryyn]

Recovery

Talyn woke slowly, the pain in her head preventing her from sleeping any longer. She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids would not obey her brain. She settled for listening to the sounds coming from the room and beyond. The muffled sounds of the tavern common room, relegated to background noise. (Doesn't that damned bard know anything else?) The footfalls of one of the serving girls climbing the back stairs, the clatter of dishes accompanying the gait. (Merla?) The scrape of metal against stone, someone honing an edge. (A dagger?)

Her last memory came flooding back. Rain, falling to the ground in a fountain of blood.

"NO!" She sat up screaming, eyes flying wide.

"Oiy, you're awake," said a familiar voice, almost cheerfully.

Her eyes followed the sound of the voice and found Jeets perched on the only chair in the room, sharpening one of his daggers.

"You're a tough one," he said, going to the door. "She's awake," he said and left.

Skrie came bursting into the room.

"You're OK!" she exclaimed, rushing to the bed and throwing her arms around Talyn's neck, hugging the half-elf.

Behind the halfling, Merla set a tray with a piping hot bowl of soup and a steaming loaf of bread on the table next to the bed. Sigmund entered the room behind Merla, so Skrie moved to the corner opposite the door and made herself even smaller than she really was.

"We won. Drexelhand is dead." Talyn stated flatly to Sigmund. "And so is Rain," she added quietly, tears welling in her eyes.

"Aye, lass, I'm sorry," he said simply. "Ye knew there'd be risks."

"Yeah, I knew. We both knew. We had dreams, she and I. About going into the tunnels and dying. Hers came true. Mine didn't." Tears spilled down her cheeks as she spoke.

"But you almost did die!" exclaimed Skrie. "Brother Malden said if you hadn't gotten back to the tavern when we did, you would have died!"

"The elves in the village are plannin' a proper burial for her," said Sigmund.

"She would have appreciated that," said Talyn.

"Aye." After a moment he continued, "I want to thank ye for yer help. I don't know if we could have won without the three of ye's. I'm sorry that Rain didn't make it back. I'll miss her, for all that she looked down on us 'mere humans'." He smiled wryly.

"Me too," said Talyn, a sad smile creeping across her face. "She only spoke to me because of my elvish heritage, what little there is of it."

"I wish I had known her better," said Skrie.

"Brother Malden said for you to eat all of this, Talyn." Merla told the half-elf, "'e said 'e put the 'ealing 'erbs right into the soup, cooked 'em in, 'e said, so eat it all to get the most good from it."

Talyn took a tentative taste of the soup. It was good. She took another bite and another, then another. She didn't realize that she was so hungry until she was mopping the bowl with the last of the bread.

"Good girl," said Sigmund. Talyn looked embarrassed at having devoured the food with everyone watching, but she could almost feel the food and the herbs heal her damaged body. She yawned heavily.

"When yer up to it, I want to talk to ye about a job. But for now, ye need yer rest. We'll talk tomorrow." With that, he left the room. Merla gathered the tray and followed him out, closing the door as she left.

"He wants us to get rid of the cultists and the sahuagin," Skrie blurted as soon as the door closed. "He thinks they have something to do with the dragon. The one that blasted my ship. Probably the same one that left you stranded here, too, I'll wager."

"I figured as much," Talyn yawned, stretching and wincing. "But I can't think right now. All I want to do is sleep."

"Yeah, OK. I'm gonna head down to the tavern and see what rumors I can pick up. I'll stick my head in before I go to my room. Sleep well, heal fast." With that, the halfling was out the door.

Moments later, Talyn was asleep.

[Aeryyn]

Korthos Village

Talyn woke late the next morning. She performed her morning routine, then went down to the common room. Sigmund saw her and she took a seat at the table he indicated.

"Ye've impressed the city council," he told her, coming to the table with a long, thin bundle in his left hand. "They want ye to use this when you go out to the island. And I've agreed to let ye stay here at my inn and feed and water you and yer friends until ye leave the island. As long as ye help rid us of the sahuagin."

"The last time I helped your village, I almost died. And my companion did die," she said flatly. "And how am I supposed to get rid of them anyway?" she asked quietly. "They've been a problem around here for a long time."

"Aye, that they have. My da and his da before him defended the village. But this time feels different. This time they seem to have purpose." Sigmund said. "But before ye give me an answer, take some time to talk to the village folk. They all think ye're a hero. I want ye to want to do this, just like I do with yer friends."

Talyn spent the day in Korthos Village, getting weapons and armor cleaned and repaired, finding buyers for the gems and other items found in the caverns. Sigmund was right about her reputation around the village. She almost had to force merchants to take her coin when she used their services. One of the village goodwives had even insisted on inviting Talyn into her kitchen to feed her at the noon meal.

The people were friendly and told her of their troubles, unasked. She learned of kidnappings and disappearances. She heard rumors and stories from hunters and fishermen about seeing some of their neighbors around the island interacting with the cultists, even seemingly participating in the rituals. Everyone she talked to that day had a missing or dead friend or relative.

Ursa Jernsvard offered to reward her for killing sahuagin, and shared a story of having seen Lars Heyton out in the wilderness. One of the stranded refugees on the pier offered a substantial reward to find his employer, a member of House d'Jorasco. The mayor offered a reward to find his recently-kidnapped daughter, as well as missing townsfolk.

Late in the afternoon, she made her way back to the inn. She signaled Sigmund that she wanted a bath and went up the stairs to her room. There, she found her armor and weapons had been delivered. She also found a package with the new clothing she had ordered a couple of days before.

Talyn bathed and dressed in her new finery and went down to the common room for dinner. There she met Skrie. The little halfling was in the company of a big, fierce looking man. He had long red hair and moustaches. His cheeks and jaw were shaved bare, but from his chin grew a long braid of bright red hair. He was dressed in boiled leather armor and had a huge double-headed axe strapped to his back.

"This is Beiryn," Skrie introduced the big man to Talyn. "He wants to help with our, er .. fishing expedition," she grinned.

"Hey," Beiryn said to Talyn. His voice was low and deep, just as she expected.

The three adventurers ordered a meal and discussed their plan to help the people of Korthos Island. They decided that the next morning, they would venture beyond the gates of the village to find out what they could of the sahuagin and cultists on the island.

[Aeryyn]

The next morning, Talyn met Skrie and Beiryn in the common room for an early breakfast. Ingrid Bauerson, Sigmund's wife, served them eggs, spiced potatoes, and some of the best bacon Talyn could remember tasting. The companions talked strategy and how they would approach the challenges that were sure to cross their paths that day.

They couldn't help but notice all the new faces in the village over the past several days. Some of those faces, they knew, came from sinking ships, some came from outlying areas of the island. The dragon attacks had increased. Talyn saw every emotion from desperation to determination in those faces. But she could also see new currents flow in the streets of Korthos. The people had hope. Now that the town was free of the collaborator, it was like a weight had been lifted off their collective shoulders.

Some of the newcomers to town had approached Talyn and the others to ask advice about how to help with the fight. The three had told them all that the best thing would be to get some basic weapons and defense training before they tried to fight the cultists. Otherwise, they probably wouldn't come back to tell their tales. Talyn had seen more and more people actively working out with the trainers after that. She had seen more of them wearing armor and weapons around town. She noticed all of this on her way to the village gates.

Beiryn spoke with Askel Bauerson as they left. Talyn and Skrie waved at Askel as they passed through the gate and he bade them good hunting.

"Askel says there's a couple of armed groups out here. We'll have to be careful not to attack our own," reported Beiryn. "And he's heard reports of increased cult activity around the island."

The gate swung shut behind them as they strode down the road to the south. A short while later, they were hailed by Gunnar Bauerson. He told them about a device that the sahuagin were trying to get working. Gunnar told them that he had tracked the operation to the underground complex below where they stood. The nearest entrance to the complex was through the vent in the lagoon below.

The three crept down the path along the hillside. Along the way they quietly and efficiently dispatched a handful or so sahuagin guards. When they reached the vent, they could see one guard, but knew there had to be more nearby. They decided to set up an ambush and draw the guard. Sure enough, as soon as Talyn's arrow struck the beast, two more leapt from the water. In short order, they had dispatched the guards and climbed down into the tunnels.

The smell of sewage assaulted her nose, making her gasp for breath. She fumbled around in her pack to find a cloth to cover her nose and mouth. She dampened the cloth and tied the bandana around her face.

*Why she was in this foul place escorting a slave with a baby in her arms was beyond her. Duty told her that the two should be put to the sword not secreted out of the city -- with an armed escort, no less. Her orders told her something else. The captain himself had quietly sought her out for a "special mission." He knew she could keep her mouth shut. She was a member of his personal guard, and his personal guards were known for their discretion.*

Talyn was still in a daze when, two hours later, they climbed out of the vent. The smell of sewage stuck to the insides of her nostrils. She had remembered a fragment of her past. It was a small fragment, granted, but it was more than she had had before entering the underground complex.

"You OK?" asked Skrie. "You almost got yourself killed in there."

"I remembered something when we entered the complex," replied Talyn. "I don't know what it means. I couldn't stop thinking about it, sorry."

"A vision from your past?"

"That's what it felt like, but I have no idea where I was, or what I was doing there."

"Maybe more will come back to you."

"Maybe."

Talyn ordered a bath and went to her room. Her armor smelled horrendous and she would have to seek out the armorer again after she bathed.

[Aeryyn]

Over the next several days, the group explored more of the island. They found Lars Heyton on the third day, the day after they had found and freed Drusen d'Jorasco. They were pretty sure they had killed that pesky Jacoby Drexelhand for good this time. Unless, that is, someone had devised a spell to reassemble and reanimate scattered ashes. Talyn was tired of him coming back from the dead, so she and the others decided to burn his body this time, and scatter the ashes to the four winds.

They found Lars Heyton in the Cannith Manufactory, just like Ursa thought they might. He had hidden behind a series of magical barriers, and of course the sahuagin had followed the party in. The group was able to help defend Heyton and his warforged bodyguard, Amalgam. When the group prevailed, he agreed to investigate and make preparations to take care of the dragon once and for all. His preparations would take a couple of days, so the group agreed to meet a warforged named Ingram outside the village gates at dawn in three days' time.

The wait gave Talyn, Skrie, and Beiryn time to find the villagers and the mayor's daughter. They had time to get their weapons and armor serviced, and time to rest before they had to face the dragon holding Korthos Island hostage.

Talyn also had time to think about the memory. She remembered every detail of the fragment.

*The smell of decay had clung to the inside of her nostrils for days after leaving the tunnels. The girl had been unusually silent. It had taken Talyn awhile to realize the girl was mute. Her tongue had been cut out. The baby was mostly quiet. It seemed to sleep for most of the journey to Sharn. The girl was apparently a wet-nurse because every time the baby fussed, she held it to her breast. The girl carried the baby in a sling that was tied in such a way as to leave her hands free and the baby secure against her chest.*

Talyn pondered the memory and wished she had a journal. She had asked about parchment and writing materials, but Korthos was really too small a village to have such luxuries available especially with the dragon attacks. The merchants told her she would be able to find those items and much more if -- when -- she arrived in Stormreach.

The day arrived for the party to meet Ingram outside the village gate. He directed them to his brother Amalgam, who was waiting on the other side of the island. They fought fewer cultists and more sahuagin as they crossed the island to meet Amalgam. That was good. Talyn hated having to kill the cultists. She knew that some of them were villagers.

When Talyn, Skrie, and Beiryn reached the foot of Misery's Peak, they saw a group of familiar faces. They greeted Cellimas, Talbron, Jeets, Amalgam (how did he get here before us?), and Lars Heyton. Lars gave everyone their instructions and they broke into groups, each with its own task to accomplish.

Half a day later, the groups emerged from Misery's Peak. Talyn, Skrie, and Beiryn had survived the dangers of the lava tubes and caverns, and had arrived to destroy the control crystal at the same time the other group distracted the mind-flayer from controlling the dragon. Talyn remembered the power emanating from the dragon. Just thinking about it made the hair stand up all over her body.

She couldn't wait to get back to the Wavecrest and a hot bath. Again, she was cut in dozens of places. Her body was stiff and aching. She was glad the sahuagin had mostly retreated with the flight of the dragon. The crystal had been destroyed and bespelled cultists woke all over the island, coming to their senses. The sahuagin saw the changes and retreated back to the sea.

The defenders arrived back at the village to cheers and slaps on the back. The snow had stopped for the first time in months. The mayor, Sigmund, and the village elders gathered in the Inn to greet the heroes. Heyton thanked everyone for their help in distracting the mind-flayer enough so that the group could destroy the crystal to free the dragon. The village elders thanked them for saving the village from the sahuagin and the cult.

Talyn doubted the cult was finished or the sahuagin gone for good, but time would tell. For now, she just wanted the back-slapping and congratulating to end so she could bathe, eat, and sleep. She was exhausted.

[Aeryyn]

Sigmund finally called a halt to the many speeches and toasts. He told the adventurers that their baths were ready and to take their time coming back to the common room. He had a special meal for them that he promised would help make the evening more enjoyable. With that, he glanced at Brother Malden and winked at Talyn.

They trudged up to their rooms, grabbed fresh clothing, and headed for the baths. True to his word, Sigmund had the baths hot and infused with Ingrid's special herbs. The herb mixture relaxed Talyn's muscles and soothed the aches. After a while, Merla knocked on the door and asked if they wanted warm ups on their baths. Talyn accepted the offer and soaked a little while longer. On the other side of the curtain, she heard Skrie first, then Beiryn politely decline, and lift themselves out of the cooling water. A quarter turn later, she pulled herself out of the water and dried her bruised and scarred skin. She dressed and went down to the common room.

There Talyn joined Skrie and Beiryn, already tucking into the meal that Sigmund had promised. The stew was delicious and the bread hot, fresh from the oven. Ingrid herself brought a crock of butter to the table for the companions. She thanked them for saving her cousins from the cult.

That night, between the thanks and the congratulations, the three discussed their respective futures. Skrie was looking for a new life. She had apparently burned a lot of bridges in her old life. Beiryn was looking for a new start too, but wouldn't say why. Talyn suspected it had to do with the rage she felt boiling below his surface.

Talyn wanted to discover what had happened to her and why. She hoped that she would be able to find answers in Stormreach, but wasn't sure if any would -- or even could -- be found there. The memory remained burned in her brain. Try as she might, she could not grasp more of the fragment than she had already seen.

The companions stayed and listened to the music for a couple of hours before Talyn wandered up to her room to pack for the journey to Stormreach. She had more items to consider than when she had first arrived. That day, almost a fortnight ago, she had landed on the island with just the clothes on her back, and very few clothes at that. Through a series of fortuitous events, she was able to improve her status and reputation. She pondered the events of the last days, the memories that were beginning to surface.

Talyn was ready to get off this island and move on to the next step of her life. Maybe she would be able to find clues to her past in this "Stormreach" that everyone kept talking about. She had no idea what to expect of a city in this medieval setting.

She spent about a quarter turn sorting and packing the few items she wanted to keep. She returned the sword that Sigmund and the council had given her to fight the sahuagin on the island, even though they had urged her to keep it. Talyn had no desire to deprive the village of such a valuable weapon, especially if they should ever need it again. She doubted the sahuagin were gone from the island for good.

She packed her meager belongings and crawled into bed. Tomorrow would be a long day. She looked forward to the voyage. It had been a long time since she had been out to sea. Her eyes flew open. (Wait! What? Out to sea? When was I ever out to sea?)

Talyn stared at the dark for a long time before her eyes finally drooped shut. She fell asleep pondering the many questions that swirled through her mind.

[Aeryyn]

I hope you have enjoyed the Adventures of Talyynn Wulfgar so far. I have chronicled her first two weeks in the DDO world. Please let me know whether you like my little story so far and whether you want to read more.

[Aeryyn]

A little more than two weeks after waking up on a beach on Korthos Island, Talyn arrived in Stormreach. She looked in awe at the giantish city. She had never seen anything like it. Even Sharn . . .

*The City of Towers loomed over the landscape. They had spied the Skyway days before they reached the gates. Each day after that, more and more of the city revealed itself until it dominated the landscape.*

Talyn gasped. Another memory fragment assaulted her mind. She had stopped when the flash hit her, unable to continue moving forward. Skrie and Beiryn, who had continued walking for a few paces before they realized she was no longer with them, turned to look at her.

"Are you coming?" Skrie called back. "Are you OK?" She asked after seeing Talyn's face.

"Yeah, sorry," Talyn replied, catching up with her friends. "I just . . . remembered something."

"Oh yeah?" Skrie asked. "What?"

"Sharn."

"Sharn? The City of Towers? What were you doing there?"

"No idea. I just remembered seeing the city for the first time."

The group was in line, getting registered before entering the city. One of the guards pulled them out of the line and told them that because they were adventurers, they were to proceed directly into the city.

Talyn could see that the guards were charging refugees coming into the city. (As if these poor people have much more than the clothes on their backs!) She approached one of the guards, but before she could say "excuse me," Beiryn wrapped a meaty hand around her arm and pulled her away.

"Don't start a brawl. We'll lose and end up in the nearest prison cell. And I would really rather spend the night in a nice inn."

That surprised Talyn a little. Beiryn was usually the first of the group to jump into battle.

"He's right," said Skrie quietly; that surprised Talyn even more. "These guards would love to vent their frustration on the likes of us. That guard wasn't happy that we were tagged as adventurers, he wanted to extort as much coin from us as he could get away with. I have a feeling that these guys are lining their pockets at the expense of these poor souls, but if we make a deal about it here and now, not only will they beat us senseless, they will take everything we have and we will rot in what passes for a jail around here. And I really don't want to do that."

Talyn looked around at the dozen or so guards processing the refugees that landed on the little island in Stormreach Harbor. They were a rough-looking bunch. Their uniforms were sloppy and unkempt, not very professional at all. The officer in charge was at least wearing a clean uniform, but he, too, was unkempt and sloppy. As much as she disliked leaving the refugees to suffer at the hands of the thug-like guards, Talyn allowed her friends to guide her up the pier and into Stormreach.

They decided to look for a reputable inn. One of the dockworkers directed them to a place called the Wayward Lobster. They made their way up the avenue through the Warehouse District and up the stairs to the Wayward Lobster. The tavern served an open air cafe and no sooner had they climbed the last stair, when Talyn heard a familiar voice.

"Oiy, Talyn. You finally made it to Stormreach."

"Jeets!" exclaimed Skrie, dropping her bag and running up to hug the halfling.

"Aye. And Talbron, too," said Jeets, leading them to the table he shared with Talbron. He introduced them to Antigua Villuhne, Cellimas' sister.

Jeets told them to mention his name when they talked to the innkeeper. And that if they were looking for work, he would be glad to speak for them if anyone asked -- at least until they started making names for themselves.

They went into the inn and spoke with Ala'kia D'agon. Skrie mentioned that Jeets had told them that this was a good place to stay. The group paid for two weeks' room in advance. Mistress D'agon directed them to three small rooms close to each other, at the far end of the corridor. The rooms were quiet and relatively private. Skrie claimed the only room with a window, over Talyn's protests. Beiryn had already claimed the room closest to the stairs. Talyn checked the area for an alternate escape route. A window at the end of the corridor opened to a 20-foot drop to a cobblestone alley.

Talyn set her bags in the far corner of the room and went to the common room to ask Mistress D'agon about a bath and a meal.