Post by David on Jul 14, 2011 17:39:10 GMT -5
The party (Idky, Torr w/Zayüß, Yavin, Ichi with JIP, and Arthur) supplies themselves over the next two days in the town of the Climbing Stair monastery.
As the group is getting ready to leave the morning of 718/7/1, a dimensional rift appears and opens. Through it steps a young gray elf girl (Alegria) with a cat and a 7’ tall krolli (Fluffy). It turns out that Yavin knows Alegria; she is the captain of the cleric's former spell-jamming vessel. Idky is excited to see the krolli, since he used to be a female one for a while himself.
The heroes blow Hu Hsen’s whistle, but nothing happens. So they start heading back toward the forbidden zone. The first night, they all get a dream from Hu Hsen. He tells them to go back to the clearing where they met him. With an easy march, they get to the clearing six days later.
As they approach the clearing, the party notices a foul smell. There are even more dead oni bodies, about four or five deep. The see Hu Hsen waiting for them.
First lesson: Life is not a practice session. Let’s party! Hu Hsen invites them to eat and drink with him. He gets drunk and tells stories. Drunken festivities ensue.
Hu Hsen explains to JIP that he can’t go with them. JIP cries, but complies. The heroes all go to sleep in thatched huts that have been built since they were last there.
Idky attempts to enter the same hut as the master. He tells Idky: “Those who tell you to build for the future are often trying to interest you in buying a swamp.” He falls asleep in the hut anyway.
In the morning, some are hungover. It’s dawn, but the master is still asleep.
The party spots a cave nearby, so they head to it. There is a sign outside it: “Rule #1—No one goes in the cave. Hu Hsen.” They go in anyway, leaving Zayüß behind.
Just before Ichi steps on it, he notices a pit covered with vines. He grabs Torr before he falls in. They airwalk across, under their own power or by Torr carrying them.
In the back of the cave is a still with barrels of rice wine. There is a small bed in the corner. The still is active. Alegria notices a secret door. Ichi detects an alcove beyond the door. They can find no way to open the door, so they head back out. The master is still asleep.
They go up to check out the nearby volcano. It is dormant. They explore the rest of the area. They see a shipwreck off the shore.
After boredom sets in, Torr and Ichi finally go to wake up Hu Hsen. The master responds, “Rule #1: Hu Hsen is the boss! Don’t make life difficult for the boss. Now go dig a latrine!”
They start digging in the sand. After over an hour, they have only dug 2 feet. The master wakes and says “It’s nice to see you’re not complete morons.” He orders breakfast to be made.
Afterward, he says “Let me make it very clear. I’m the boss. Don’t disobey me, or we’re done. You have been in my still. This is the last warning.”
“It is a question of obeying the master, because not all vipers hide under the floorboards.”
They march back to the clearing for training. He is disappointed in their lack of discipline. He pulls talismans that look like monkey from his bag. He hands them to everyone including Zayüß and tells them to put them on, which the party does (the warhorse gets help from Torr).
“No one would think less of you if you backed out. After all, even the celestial bureaucracy has its dead letter office.”
The first principle is hard work and cleanliness. He tells them to clear out the oni bodies and take them to the volcano. As they are working, they notice that they are now on an island!
The first week of training involves a lot of hard work.
When they whine, he says “The slate must be clean to receive new writings. Hard work clears the mind in a similar purpose.”
He forbids them to use any magic or use magic items.
They learn some of his philosophy as they work:
After a week of cleaning training is to REALLY beginning in the morning, but a tropical storm hits. It’s raining fiercely that day—so bad that the coconut and date trees are swaying dangerously too and fro. Hu Hsen sends Torr and Ichi to find long sticks and sharpen them into spears. They each get one of these blunt spears. He tells them to go hunting coconuts with them. They can’t work together, they must each take their own tree. All but Arthur spear a coconut.
The next day, they are told to spear dates. All but Arthur and Idky spear their dates.
On the third day, it’s bananas. Only Arthur doesn’t spear a banana.
Yavin, Torr, and Ichi find they are now proficient in their ‘spears’.
The fourth day, Idky and Arthur have to go out to spear coconuts. Only Idky gets a coconut, and he is now also proficient in the ‘spear.’
On the fifth day, only Arthur is sent out to spear dates. He’s not able to spear any dates, so the master encourages the party to help out Arthur in some way. Yavin telepathically assists, helping to reduce his proficiency penalty. He finally is able to spear some dates.
On the sixth day, he is sent out for bananas. This time, he gets an aid AND Yavin’s telepathic assistance. That helps him, and he gets his bananas.
On the seventh day, he is sent out for guava. With the same assistance, he gets it. He is now also proficient in "sharp spears like staves with crooked ends".
Task #1 is done.
The next week, they go crab fishing with their ‘spears’ for a crab feast. Ichi gets weights tied to his legs, which effectively neutralizes his monkish armor class, and he also sprinkles some powder on him to attract more crabs. He must fight two and kill two crabs. Torr has to kill three. They each must spear a crab (or two or three) a day for 3 days. The crabs critically hit and severely damage some of the party (Yavin gets his hip broken twice), but all have completed.
Eeps for passing all three weeks: 600 each
Task #2 is done.
As the group is getting ready to leave the morning of 718/7/1, a dimensional rift appears and opens. Through it steps a young gray elf girl (Alegria) with a cat and a 7’ tall krolli (Fluffy). It turns out that Yavin knows Alegria; she is the captain of the cleric's former spell-jamming vessel. Idky is excited to see the krolli, since he used to be a female one for a while himself.
The heroes blow Hu Hsen’s whistle, but nothing happens. So they start heading back toward the forbidden zone. The first night, they all get a dream from Hu Hsen. He tells them to go back to the clearing where they met him. With an easy march, they get to the clearing six days later.
As they approach the clearing, the party notices a foul smell. There are even more dead oni bodies, about four or five deep. The see Hu Hsen waiting for them.
First lesson: Life is not a practice session. Let’s party! Hu Hsen invites them to eat and drink with him. He gets drunk and tells stories. Drunken festivities ensue.
Hu Hsen explains to JIP that he can’t go with them. JIP cries, but complies. The heroes all go to sleep in thatched huts that have been built since they were last there.
Idky attempts to enter the same hut as the master. He tells Idky: “Those who tell you to build for the future are often trying to interest you in buying a swamp.” He falls asleep in the hut anyway.
In the morning, some are hungover. It’s dawn, but the master is still asleep.
The party spots a cave nearby, so they head to it. There is a sign outside it: “Rule #1—No one goes in the cave. Hu Hsen.” They go in anyway, leaving Zayüß behind.
Just before Ichi steps on it, he notices a pit covered with vines. He grabs Torr before he falls in. They airwalk across, under their own power or by Torr carrying them.
In the back of the cave is a still with barrels of rice wine. There is a small bed in the corner. The still is active. Alegria notices a secret door. Ichi detects an alcove beyond the door. They can find no way to open the door, so they head back out. The master is still asleep.
They go up to check out the nearby volcano. It is dormant. They explore the rest of the area. They see a shipwreck off the shore.
After boredom sets in, Torr and Ichi finally go to wake up Hu Hsen. The master responds, “Rule #1: Hu Hsen is the boss! Don’t make life difficult for the boss. Now go dig a latrine!”
They start digging in the sand. After over an hour, they have only dug 2 feet. The master wakes and says “It’s nice to see you’re not complete morons.” He orders breakfast to be made.
Afterward, he says “Let me make it very clear. I’m the boss. Don’t disobey me, or we’re done. You have been in my still. This is the last warning.”
“It is a question of obeying the master, because not all vipers hide under the floorboards.”
They march back to the clearing for training. He is disappointed in their lack of discipline. He pulls talismans that look like monkey from his bag. He hands them to everyone including Zayüß and tells them to put them on, which the party does (the warhorse gets help from Torr).
“No one would think less of you if you backed out. After all, even the celestial bureaucracy has its dead letter office.”
The first principle is hard work and cleanliness. He tells them to clear out the oni bodies and take them to the volcano. As they are working, they notice that they are now on an island!
The first week of training involves a lot of hard work.
When they whine, he says “The slate must be clean to receive new writings. Hard work clears the mind in a similar purpose.”
He forbids them to use any magic or use magic items.
They learn some of his philosophy as they work:
- All life is precious
- All beings must be free to achieve their proper place in the scheme of the Heavens
- Whoever thwarts that freedom must be stopped
- Even men of peace must be ready to fight
- If the laws do not serve the men, change the laws, not the men
- Celebration and good wine are wonderful things, especially if there’s something worth celebrating
- But keep in mind that a fool and his money will soon party
After a week of cleaning training is to REALLY beginning in the morning, but a tropical storm hits. It’s raining fiercely that day—so bad that the coconut and date trees are swaying dangerously too and fro. Hu Hsen sends Torr and Ichi to find long sticks and sharpen them into spears. They each get one of these blunt spears. He tells them to go hunting coconuts with them. They can’t work together, they must each take their own tree. All but Arthur spear a coconut.
The next day, they are told to spear dates. All but Arthur and Idky spear their dates.
On the third day, it’s bananas. Only Arthur doesn’t spear a banana.
Yavin, Torr, and Ichi find they are now proficient in their ‘spears’.
The fourth day, Idky and Arthur have to go out to spear coconuts. Only Idky gets a coconut, and he is now also proficient in the ‘spear.’
On the fifth day, only Arthur is sent out to spear dates. He’s not able to spear any dates, so the master encourages the party to help out Arthur in some way. Yavin telepathically assists, helping to reduce his proficiency penalty. He finally is able to spear some dates.
On the sixth day, he is sent out for bananas. This time, he gets an aid AND Yavin’s telepathic assistance. That helps him, and he gets his bananas.
On the seventh day, he is sent out for guava. With the same assistance, he gets it. He is now also proficient in "sharp spears like staves with crooked ends".
Task #1 is done.
The next week, they go crab fishing with their ‘spears’ for a crab feast. Ichi gets weights tied to his legs, which effectively neutralizes his monkish armor class, and he also sprinkles some powder on him to attract more crabs. He must fight two and kill two crabs. Torr has to kill three. They each must spear a crab (or two or three) a day for 3 days. The crabs critically hit and severely damage some of the party (Yavin gets his hip broken twice), but all have completed.
Eeps for passing all three weeks: 600 each
Task #2 is done.