\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>Ah. I wouldn’t know. I was busy decomposing.
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>I guess Val wil just pick it up
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>Yeah, I have a ring of my own, THANKS.
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>Val gives Palin the ring of resistance
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>Palin blinks at Val.
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>‘For me?
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>Yeah
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>You deserve it. You got us out of that mad scientist’s clutches.<\/p>\n
Is that nice or what? It just goes to show that beneath that vain, sexist, impulsive exterior there lies a teeny tiny heart of gold.<\/p>\n
We head back toward the lift, which isn’t there. Instead, we just see… a wall. GM Vaschon: <\/b>The sphinxes call out, “Solve the riddle on level 4, to see our figures never more. Until then, answer me true, for you to continue.”<\/i> We debate whether to go down to level 4 and hunt sphinxes, but decide to go back to town first and get more supplies. We need to replace all the bolts we’ve shot at each other. And there’s still the matter of the kidnapped baron’s daughter we were looking into. Unbelievably, we get all the way from level three back to town without incident. This sounds like good luck, but since I was actually hoping for just one more encounter to push me up to the next level, it’s a little disappointing. Still, it’s not like we won’t encounter more violence at some point in the future.<\/p>\n As we arrive, night has fallen. We hear a pair of guards talking about the recent bugbear attacks.<\/p>\n GM Vaschon: <\/b>The guards talk about the hit and run tactics causing merchants to lose money and inventory and how no one has been able to find their camps.<\/i><\/p>\n Since it’s night and we can’t check in at town hall, we go back to the inn, where a brawl is in progress. It’s catchy! I’m stealing it!<\/p>\n Since I never actually mentioned the Lizardmen from Session 1 when writing up session 1, I should probably do so now. Back when we all met up for the first time and were setting off on our mission, there were other groups of adventurers who were also going to set off in search of adventure and reward. One of those was a group of lizardmen. We had a choice of several adventures. We chose the mine, and the lizardmen decided to try to stop the bandits in the nearby town of Garroten. It paid better than the mines. Looking back through the notes, the only description we got of them was that one of them was “dressed in robes.” They were also nice enough to give some information to our cleric, so we also know that they’re not the type of people who shoot first and ask questions later.<\/p>\n GM Vaschon: <\/b>The barkeep is currently engaged in the brawl. While no weapons are drawn, broken glass and fists are flying.<\/i> Palin wants to question a patron, so she heads toward a table with Val following close behind using her as a shield. Palin makes it safely. Val takes a firm sock in the jaw from a random lout but eventually makes it.<\/p>\n GM Vaschon: <\/b>The brawl rages on.<\/i> Torkal: <\/b><\/font>Torkal finally gets tired of the nonsense and yells, “STOP THE DAMN FIGHTING! I’D LIKE TO GET SOME CLEAN SLEEP, TONIGHT!” Cleric Bentein, now with two armed Dwarves flanking him, says, “Everyone – calm down! Someone is going to have to PAY for this mess!” Val is trying to get the Elven lass to leave with him, convincing her that he can get her to safety, but she saw him get socked in the jaw and isn’t that confident. So he tries to bluff her, as men in bars do, and rolls a 1.<\/p>\n GM Vaschon: <\/b>OK, so at the moment, the barkeep is holding Veracity’s tunic. 1 drunkard is advancing toward Bentein, 3 drunkards are faced off with Palin and Torkal. Val is attempting to smooth talk the Elven patron who is having none of it<\/i> Palin knocks the drunkard out. Veracity: <\/b><\/font>Okay, let me get this straight. The barkeep is pawing at me, but otherwise no one has noticed me. There is a lizardman advancing on Palin and Torkal, and one drunkard still flailing away at them. Another drunkard is stepping on Val’s face, but Veracity wouldn’t pay that much attention. What else? Veracity: <\/b><\/font>Hm. I think Veracity will try to Fascinate the barkeep just to get him to back off, and then maybe try it out on the drunk facing the dwarves if that is possible. Val’s history lesson goes unheeded. Veracity does manage to fascinate the drunk and the barkeep, and then Torkal starts punching the lizardman.<\/p>\n Palin: <\/b><\/font>So we’re just going to punch everybody who comes our way? Palin: <\/b><\/font>So there is no drunk who is currently a threat. And the lizardman Torkal got… is unconscious?
\n![](\"http:\/\/www.tvini.org\/images\/misc\/RPG\/sphinxcats2.jpg\")
<\/a>
\nVeracity: <\/b><\/font>Well, this is a conundrum.
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>Your party travels 40′ S to a wall and are greeted by 2 familiar looking figures<\/a><\/i>
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>Oh, for crap’s sake.
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>Val says, “I’m not talking to you!”<\/p>\n
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>A sphinx inquires if you are ready to proceed.<\/i>
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>Val once again asks, “Do we have a choice?”
\nVeracity: <\/b><\/font>“I…guess not?”
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>How are we going to get down to level 4 if we can’t get to the lift? Now that’s a riddle.
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>Val says, “we are ready to proceed!”
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>The sphinx recites, “I am the beginning of eternity and the end of time and space. The beginning of every end and the end of every place. What am I?”<\/i>
\nVeracity: <\/b><\/font>“The letter E.”
\nVeracity: <\/b><\/font>Veracity looks smug.
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>Val pats Veracity on the back.
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>The sphinx scowls with a resigned look as the two disappear without incident. The wall dissolves revealing a lift.<\/i>
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>Illiterate Palin says, “I don’t get it.”<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>Your party notices a group of drunken folks <\/a>causing a ruckus.<\/i>
\nVeracity: <\/b><\/font>Veracity mutters, “Snakes. Why’d it haveta be snakes?”
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>Val tries to determine if they are the lizardmen from Session 1
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>I doubt they’re locals.
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>This episode will, curiously be called, The Lizardmen from Session 1<\/p>\n
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>Hm.
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>This is very important:
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>Is the beer unattended?
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>There are 3 kegs behind the bar.<\/i>
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>Palin appears torn. Beer… violence… beer… violence…
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>There are roughly 15 people engaged in the brawl. 4 people are taking cover at the tables<\/i>
\nTorkal: <\/b><\/font>Torkal pats his fists together and appears to be considering something stupid.
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>As usual.
\n<\/a>
\nVeracity ducks behind the bar and pours herself a drink, unnoticed by the barkeep.<\/a> Props to Vaschon for recognizing the similarity between our current situation and the ridiculousness of the barfight in the Trouble with Tribbles.<\/p>\n
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>Is someone here at the table? Someone to whom we could speak? Not that Palin would use “whom.”
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>There is an elven female cowered behind the table.<\/i>
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>Yep, that’s a job for Val.
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>Val sidled up to the elven female of course.
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>Val sidles up to the people cowering behind the table and rubs his chin, “Whats this about eh?”
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>The elven patron responds that those lizard folk came in bragging about a recent campaign, those other drunkards were mocking them and it… started.<\/i>
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>Val mutters to himself, “of course! the lizardmen!”
\nVeracity: <\/b><\/font>Veracity finishes her drink and helps herself to another, raising her head carefully to peer over the bar at the brawl in progress.
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>The barkeep <\/a>notices Veracity in his stash and makes his way over.<\/i>
\nVeracity: <\/b><\/font>Veracity bats her lashes at the advancing barkeep and inquires about beernuts to go with her beer.<\/p>\n
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>Hmm… who to fight…
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>A few of the drunkards turn their attention toward Torkal..<\/i>
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>And there’s the answer.<\/p>\n
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>2 of the lizard folk ignore Bentein, 1 of the drunkards advances toward Bentein with a bottle in hand.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/a>
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>Val’s charms are not workin’ on the ladies.
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>The Elven patron responds<\/a>.<\/i>
\nVeracity: <\/b><\/font>Oh man, that’s harsh
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>Val unperturbed thinks of something else.
\nTorkal: <\/b><\/font>Val’s penis size is now measured in millimeters.
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>we’re not on the metric system<\/p>\n
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>Veracity dislodges herself from the barkeep who is now advancing her with an angry look.<\/i>
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>All we did was walk into a bar.
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>2 dwarves walk into a bar…<\/i>
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>Val decides to cut his losses. From behind the table he yells, ” EVERYONE RUN! THE GUARDS ARE COMING!!!!!!”
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>5 of the patrons look to make their exit, hoping to find protection from the guards. None of the lizard folk react. The drunkards are too drunk to care.<\/i>
\nGM Vaschon rolled 1 20-sided die: 1<\/b>
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>damn.
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>A lizard folk kills a drunkard.<\/i>
\nVeracity: <\/b><\/font>uh oh
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>Oh, that’s not going to go well for the lizard folk.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>Palin is taking a swing at Drunkard 1. I’ll call him Sean.
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>so we’re…fighting the drunkards and not the lizardmen?
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>Look. The lizardmen are adventurers like we are. They came in to take a load off, and the drunkards started something. Right now, my sympathies lie with the lizardmen!
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>As long as we’re all on the same page. Otherwise we’re just brawlers like everyone else
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>Palin punches at a drunkard <\/a>and hits him.<\/i>
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>You get 2 attacks btw.<\/i>
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>That’s because of my two mighty fists! SANDRA O’DAY AND MARY O’KILLARNEY!<\/p>\n
\nVeracity: <\/b><\/font>Hooray!
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>Palin spits on the prone drunkard and turns her attention to his friend.
\n<\/a>Veracity: <\/b><\/font>Veracity finishes her drink and throws the tankard across the room at the drunkard menacing Bentein.
\nbretth1113
\nBentein hefts his flail off his shoulder and looks menacing at the drunk, hoping to scare him off.
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>Bentein successfully wards off the drunkard who thinks twice before attacking him again. The drunkard stumbles out the door.<\/i>
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>One of the lizard <\/a>folk move towards Palin and Torkal.<\/i>
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>The barkeep attempts to grapple Veracity again. He stumbles forward pawing at her clothing, muttering about stealing his booze.<\/i>
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>Just another Saturday night for Veracity.
\nVeracity: <\/b><\/font>Veracity extends one arm, holding off the drunken and fumbling barkeep and scanning the room interestedly. She considers trying to Fascinate the lizardman advancing on the dwarves.
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>Val waits for a drunkard to get close to get close enough to the table before leaping out to sneak attack with his sap to knock him out.
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>I forgot Val had that.
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>Val has some tricks still up his sleeve
\nVal rolled 1 20-sided die: 1<\/b>
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>oh for the
\n<\/a>GM Vaschon: <\/b>Val attempts to brain a drunkard and stumbles to the ground, suffering a -4 penalty to defense.<\/i>
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>A drunkard<\/a> stomps on Val.<\/i>
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>Val’s being beaten by that guy? Humiliating.
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>Val gets a boot to the face for 4 damage<\/i>
\nVeracity: <\/b><\/font>Not the hair!
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>ugh<\/p>\n
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>your shoelaces are untied
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>Yes, you have a barkeep after you, a lizardman is moving toward Palin and Torkal. There’s 2 knocked out drunkards on the floor, 1 dead drunkard…<\/i>
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>1 drunkard ran out after being intimidated by Bentein, and 3 lizard men are brawling with 3 drunkards.<\/i>
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>We shoulda just gone upstairs, jimmied a lock on a room, and gone to sleep.<\/p>\n
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>It is<\/i>
\nTorkal: <\/b><\/font>Torkal is going to charge that advancing lizardman when he can.
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>don’t fight a war on two fronts! DONT DO WHAT HITLER DID!<\/p>\n
\nTorkal: <\/b><\/font>Shit yes we are.
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>Torkal punches the lizard folk in the snout. The other lizard folk notice the attack.<\/i>
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>See? SEE??
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>facepalm
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>i told ya<\/p>\n
\nVal: <\/b><\/font>what about the one stepping on Val
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>There is a drunkard with a foot on Val’s face.<\/i>
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>If I go over there, I’m totally going to get swarmed by lizardmen.
\nVeracity: <\/b><\/font>So there is no drunk who is currently a threat…..
\nGM Vaschon: <\/b>There are 3 drunkards fighting 3 lizardmen who now notice Torkal’s attack<\/i>
\nPalin: <\/b><\/font>Okay. I’ll assume the lizardmen are busy with the drunkards and go help Val.
\n