[Rataxes]

Time for the second part. Things get pretty thick on SPOILERS from here on, just thought I'd mention it.

After emerging in Waukeen's Promenade and having Imoen robbed from me right I went ahead with the standard procedure. Did the Circus Tent and left Aerie with her Quayle. I ran into Mencar's crew and figured that with such menacing attitides they were surely up to no good and so decided to punish them. Summoned up my Acorn friends, nymphs froze the mage and his pet nicely with their Hold Monster spells, and me and the moose chunkified Brennan before he ever had the chance to use a potion. Holy Power -> Righteous Magic -> Draw Upon Holy Might -> Seeking Sword, and the Priest of Helm is starting to look like the melee monster I had thought him to be. At lvl 9 with those buffers activated, he has a THAC0 of 2, hits for 25 dmg and does so 3 times per round, though it does only last for a little less than a turn. Mencar and Smaeluv barely lasted long enough to finish off my moose.

After a good nights sleep I strolled by The Adventurer's Mart and left 150 pounds of junk poorer, but a Fortress Shield and a few Oils of Speed richer. Equipped like a proper Tank with -11 AC I was off to the Slums district. Reluctantly accepted the services of that cockney wannabe Bayle and went straight to the nearest tavern. Exterminated the slaver activity in the region with little trouble, had no comfortable means of disposing of the trolls at that point so I opted to instead knock them out and escort the girl to safety. The trolls may try to escape from the locked cell of the abandoned boat best they can, don't think I saw much in the way of troll food while I was down there. The loot gathered by ridding the area of slavers garnered me enough cash to finish my dealings with Bayle for good.

Didn't look forward to further dealings with a thief guild, but at least they were up front with their business, unlike that slimy woman who approached me earlier that day. Met with Aran and decided to carry out the first two assignments immediately. With Chaotic Commands and Amulet of Power, the vampire was even less of a threat than the two traitorous thieves, didn't even have to whip out the HP+RM+DUHM+SS (HRDS) combo once.

Level 11 had been passed after my investigation of the Harper Hold and the captive thief was resolved, and I had access to the mighty Aerial Servants when I started to clear out the Bridge District. Dracandros and his merry men didn't last long against the HRDS combo and the Holy Smites raining down from time to time. In the "investigation" (running into Rejiek Hidesmans house and start whacking him) of the Skinner murders, the basement encounter with the two Rune Assassins, usually the most difficult part, was effectively neutralized by True Sight and a Aerial Servant tanking for me.

It was time to return to the Docks and deal with that übercheesing Gnome Illusionist/Fighter who was rumoured to sneak around in other peoples homes. For all the cheesiness this little guy possesses, he doesn't seem to be very bright. I first lured him downstairs, away from his two annoying familiars, and proceeded to cast Sanctuary once we were both down there. With Prot from Evil, DUHM and Defensive Harmony activated, I could calmly stand there and drain away all his gazillion layers of Stoneskins with the Seeking Sword, he managed to score a single critical in 1 turn, and that was all he got. In all that time he didn't once try to cast a single spell, just kept swinging at the air. Once his Stoneskins were all gone, I got off another Sanctuary to cast in peace, and then it was time for the HRDS combo, this time accompanied by an Oil of Speed. The Gnome died fast, almost as fast as his two familiars. They weren't really weren't the sharpest tools in the shed either, attempting to foil me with a web and a spider, this when they both had ADHW's just waiting to be released.

Finished with the Docks for a while, nothing but a few Liches holed up in different places left there. I'll continue the report tomorrow.

[ 04-13-2005, 08:45 AM: Message edited by: Rataxes ]