(Closed Game)...The Lost Village of Lomertown

[Larry_OHF]

This is a one-quest game that is designed to be completed within a short time frame.
It is by invitation only.



Prologue

In one night, the entire village was destroyed. Under the blanket of darkness it came, and when the sun climbed the sky the next morning, all traces of the people that once lived there had vanished. No bodies of any once-living person or creature were recovered from the wreckage. The neighboring villages heard these rumors, and when they verified the act, chaos spread. Some packed up and left their homes, fearing that their lives were in danger as well. Others that refused to give up their homes began to sharpen blades and train younger men on the art of war. Mages and priests were called in, and although none of them could identify the catastophe that had taken place at Lomertown, they nevertheless guaranteed that their powers and their Gods would provide safety to those that had money to pay for their services.

Many other people did not have money to pay for help, nor experience with weapons. They had no place to go. These were the people that called for heroes to save them. Heroes were people who ventured far across the world to help those in need, for very little in return except public recognition for their duties. In this world, a man who had been entitled hero was free to walk among all peoples and places, eating meals for free, staying the night where they chose, and it seemed that the evil that they dealt with always had a stash of riches hidden away that made the danger worth the risk.

The poor people of Nashim have asked for such a hero or heroes to find the cause of the destruction of the neighboring village of Lomertown, and deal with it.

Setting

The village of Nashim is a two-day walk from the destruction of Lomertown. Word has passed around from town to town about the employ of potential hired mercenaries or skilled mages for the wealthy people. However, the poor have quieter voices that do not get shouted in the streets accordingly. These are the voices that beg for mercy from just men and women to help those that cannot help themselves. They cannot promise fortune like the wealthy can, but what little they have is freely offered.

The other two towns that are affected by this plague on the land are Ashra and Neomi. Nashim is the town most productive and most visited by merchants, so the plea for help would naturally be heard from there first and foremost.


The Mission

The three participants have been notified and are ready to begin the adventure.

1. Choose any character that you wish. I will allow anything that does not overpower the other players in your team.

2. You may play as a hired mercenary or a do-good'er. I'll fit the story around you.

3. The party leader will start the game where I tell him to in PM message, then I will determine where the others will be introduced into the party.

4. I am attempting to find a balance between story and action with this RP. I will keep record of points earned that will account for experience, but I ask that each player keep up with personal belongings, such as how many arrows you have left and how many times you can cast a certain spell. I cannot manage all that myself and trust you three to keep an honest check of your inventory. If you have a special item such as a ring of fire protection, just keep me informed and reminded when the time comes for me to cook you. PM is fine, or post a OOC, as you wish.

5. Any other rule that I am forgetting will be made up on the spot. Don't forget that you can actually DIE in one of my games! But I am a nice guy, so any contribution to the IW monthly donations box will earn you the favor of the cat god, Choc.

[ 08-16-2004, 11:58 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Larry_OHF]

Post what you want publically known about your character below. PM me any information that only I should know.

Let's say for the sake of avoiding an argument that everyone can be any level from 0 to 7.
Multi-class can be no more than 7 combined.

Remember that this is a quick game with no time to develop detailed histories. Remember the KISS rule.

Keep is simple, silly.

[ 08-17-2004, 07:39 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Morgeruat]

Thorf the Dwarf

Level 0 level fighter (normal person)
age: 78
height: 4' 10"
weight: 150lbs
hair: brown shot through with streaks of steel grey
siblings/spouse: none known
8 hp
Thac0: 20
saves as 0 lvl fighter

str: 15
dex: 11
con: 17
int: 13
wis: 11
chr: 13
occupation, blacksmith

Weapon Proficiencies: warhammer (specilalized), sledgehammer

Armor: leather apron (ac 8 in front, 10 in rear), or dwarven plate (AC 0, -1 with shield)

equipment: fully stocked forge, and tools/molds to make most weapons (including arrowheads).

secondary skills: armorer

skills: blacksmith, weaponsmith, armorer

personality: A typical crusty dwarf, Thorf left his mountain homeland nearly forty years ago when he was quite a young dwarf. He set up a shop in a primarily human area where he quickly earned himself a near monopoly in the blacksmith, weaponsmith, and armorer trades, enough to buy out his competition within a few years of him moving in.

Rather than chase his former competition out, he hired them on as workers, and taught them a few techniques that made their work more sturdy, and lighter, while still nowhere near his own quality (most human don't devote three decades to an apprenticeship unless they're mages), it increased his profits tremendously. He has since branched out and taken over the smithy's of several local villages, which he travels around on a continual basis. He possesses a great deal of local lore, and is a popular and well liked figure in the local economy (even by those he has put out of business).

(ooc how's this Larry?)

[Larry_OHF]

Post for Thorf

Your shop is in the town of Nashim, the most productive and busy town in the area. These past few days, business has picked up so fast that you had to hire extra lackeys to do the lugging work in order to keep up with the high demand. You are well aware of why people seem interested in your wares lately. It is the destruction of Lomertown that has everyone edgy. Whether or not you feel guilty about making a fortune on the deaths of so many humans, that is the fact.

Aside from producing many fine quality items, you have acquired some fine foreign items in trades that you are keeping out of resell until you can find the time to properly assess their true worth, for you will not sell anything that has not passed your critical examination.

OOC>>>Those items can be discussed with me in PM

[Cyril Darkcloud]

Joe

“A waste, that’s what it is. A waste plain and simple.” It has been a couple months and most of the sting is gone from those words which still echo in the back of his mind. An invitation to serve with the Duke’s own guard company is not a thing to be lightly set aside and that his own family, not wishing to lose so rare an opportunity to climb upward out of the lower classes, did all it could to push him into accepting it did not make his choice any easier. Position, title, security and a certain measure of wealth, perhaps it is a waste to turn one’s back on such things. Perhaps, he did owe his family this opportunity to better its standing. Perhaps. Events of these past days would seem to have proven his own choice to be correct, however, for the servants the nobility sent out into this region in the wake of the msyerious tragedy in Lomer stayed only so long as the local coin would last before returning to their comfortable positions with promises to help any who would seek them out bringing sufficient gold.

“A waste! A waste plain and simple.” He laughs bitterly as he repeats these words. The duke has guards aplenty and does not need what little protection one such as he might offer. “No,” he says with a quiet certainty, “my place is here.” He moves with a quiet and efficient speed as he breaks camp and soon he is ready to move. Two quivers of arrows, a small pack of goods and a broadsword, such things, along with the oak longbow he holds will have to be his wealth and security over the coming days. “The people of this region have put out a call for heroes,” he laughs to himself, “unfortunately for them I’m nothing but a guy named Joe.”

Class = Ranger. Level to be determined in accordance with the level of the other characters in the game.

[Larry_OHF]

Post for Joe

You are traveling from the North and a town called the Pikes, where the weather in the proper season is usually too cold for anyone to want to go there if they didn't have to.

You received the message of Lomertown three days ago, and today marks your second day on the road South towards whichever of the three cities you are aiming for visiting. Neomi, Nashim, and Ashra, in that order in accordance to distance from you. You will arrive in the region tomorrow.

Now for some excitement

While breaking camp, were waylaid by a pack of wild dogs. Four of them. They are smaller than coyotes, mangy-looking, and thin, but fierce. One of them growled a warning to you when it saw you, which alerted you to the danger. Now you see the four of them coming into view.

The terrain is grassy hillside, with many wild bushes and a few pines spread about in lonely distances.

OOC>>>Initiative advantage belongs to you

[ 08-20-2004, 12:42 AM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Morgeruat]

Thorf

Another day was finishing, business had been good, refugees, and wood-be heroes alike sought out his shop for tools, weapons, and services. As the dwarf Thorf, stood outside his shop, smoking his pipe he could feel the heat of the forge begin to release its hold on him. He welcomed the cool night air, filling his lungs with it. Many of the "heroes" had brought in relics and antiques that they wanted sharpened, or prepared for combat in other ways, most of the weapons were made by goldsmiths with a good eye for beauty, but no knowledge of function, weight, balance, or other issues key to survival of an adventurer hoping to do more with his blade than display it dangerously.

Most he'd simply told that their weapons were useless in a real fight and told to go home. Many did as he bid, but several had traded for quality weapons, without the flair (especially once warned about bandits that would be swarming the area looking for easy marks, and wealthy travellors).

The dwarf considered where he was in this war, and what it would mean to him. His prices had been slashed to keep the refugees able to afford the goods they'd need to survive (although he hadn't been able to convince the local merchants council the same, but then again, humans rarely had the good sense that dwarves did). His gold reserves would hold out for a while, but not if things kept up like they had been. granted there had been windfalls, like the basin of bluish liquid, and even more precious, the containers that had been holding them.

They would provide a much needed boost, but it was only good for stemming the current tide, if whatever had destroyed Lomertown made it's way to Nashim, life would get very hard for everyone, and not just for the penny pinching dwarf who employed a fair number of skilled smiths (who demanded pay for their skilled work)

Indeed, it was with a heavy heart that Thorf puffed on his pipe again, his savings were going to be spent in less than a months time, and if the flood of refugees didn't halt (or if the force that had destroyed Lomertown came to Nashim), the life he had spent half his life building would crumble around his ears. Perhaps the adventurers were right, they ran out unprepared, with weapons they knew little about, into a conflict they also knew little about, almost certainly to their deaths. But there was definite chutzpah in them, for all their faults, and that he could not fault. Perhaps that was the main reason why he felt the call as he did. He would spend the night preparing, gettings supplies, gathering tools, and writing his will, so that when the morning came, he could be on the road, his future uncertain, but the road behind him taken care of and prepared for his return, if he did return.

[Larry_OHF]

Post for Thorf:

The morning had come, and the open road called for Thorf to come out and meet it. You have prepared your supplies and taken care of your business , so that there is no worry concerning your absence. The pathway is your's to choose whither thou goest.

[Morgeruat]

Thorf

The morning was bright, and the chill in the air made the dwarf glad, as used to the heat of the forge as he was, he had always enjoyed the chill air of a mountain morning, and this was as close as he'd been in several months. He had several flagons of ale, his armor strapped to his dwarven warhorse (mule), along with travelling supplies and his sledge. He carried his warhammers on his person though, on his belts, and one hidden under his woolen cloak. His hardy clothes would keep the chill off of his bones, and protect against minor annoyances, like briars, thorns, and insect bites.

He had told Jhim, his foreman about his trip, turned down Jhim's offer of help, and told him of the will, and to open it if he didn't hear word for a month's time, in the meantime, prices were to go up to cost, the shop would break even on material costs, and pay the workers out of Thorf's pockets.

He set out heading in the direction most of the refugees had come from, towards Lomertown. Leading his warhorse as he plodded along, with his pace now set, he could continue for a couple of days before he'd need to stop for more than a few minutes to prepare food, or let Svendor, his mule, drink.