THE SILENT DIALOGUE AT THE END OF THE ICE GLACIER OF THE FROST GIANT JARL
a tale of intrigue
as penned by Sukh
Dramatis Personae
 
DM Sukh
Ulric Von Himmler, a Dwarven Fighter/Berserker played by PhilJ
Dirkwood Littlelegs, a Halfling Thief played by PJ
Brother Kelly, a Human Priest of Heimdall played by Kell
The Party Everyone else
 
 
    Part I

    Scene: The party have finally vanquished the Frost Giant threat and are now busy collecting & collating treasure and such like.

    In one cavern, a large unopened chest is discovered and Dirkwood is employed to open it. The halfling fails miserably in this task and it is left to be opened using Ulric's own particular style.....

    *THWOP*

    *SPLINTER* *REND* *CRACK*

    Everyone has a peer inside but discover the chest to be empty. I then begin the note passing

    Secret Note: #1 (DM to Dirkwood)

    "the broken lid of the trunk has a secret drawer (still closed). What do you do?"

    Scene: PJ deftly takes this in his stride and then gives a good impression of a halfling checking for secret openings in the chest bottom & sides. A lot of "Look *thump* *thump* see..completely empty, etc" goes on while PJ slips a note back to the DM.

    Secret Note: #2 (Dirkwood to DM)

    "At some point, try and nip back and check out the lid"
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    Part II

    Scene: Everyone else is very wary of this secret note writing by the hobbit so naturally the party decide to follow the stalwart halfling around.

    The party eventually reach the final room of the second level of the ice glacier. This is a long and windy tunnel heading off into the distance. PJ has been trying (unsucessfully) to "disappear" from the rest of the party but the others seem keen on his company.

    After a quick look around in the tunnel, everyone starts talking about party treasure splits and how to get back home. PJ uses this interlude to inform the party that he's going to have a look further up the tunnel (but in reality is planning to quickly double back to the broken chest). The others pay him no mind.

    So Dirkwood quickly disappears into the gloom and is about to "Move Silently" back towards the party when the DM informs him of a ledge about 30 feet up a tunnel face.

    PJ intrigued, decides to climb up. After a sucessful climb walls, the hobbit arrives on a ledge measuring 20 foot by 30 foot. Dirkwood can't see anything on the ledge and after a quick check decides its a red herring (and Sukh being a bastard again). He finally goes back to edge to climb back down. As he does this, the DM passes him another note...

    Secret Note: #3 (DM to Dirkwood)

    "As you walk about you trip over something on the ledge floor. Roll Dex"

    Scene: Dirkwood surprisingly remains vertical and then looks to see what he tripped over. He doesn't see anything. After a few seconds of wild groping, the hobbit detects a invisible box about 3 foot by 3 foot on the ledge floor. PJ is visibly excited as he thinks he's found another treasure trove all for himself (you know what he's like)

    Dirkwood quickly breaks out his thieves tool and then FARTs on the box. He determines no traps. He next attempts to open the box. He suceeds! and finds himself enveloped by a rapidly expanding poison gas cloud. I ask PJ to make a save. He fails miserably. Dirkwood takes 30 points of poison damage! and the gas cloud isn't dissipating.

    PJ informs the DM he will back off the ledge and jump to the tunnel floor. He succeeds and lands back on the tunnel floor just as the rest of the party members arrive.

    Another saving throw V poison is rolled. A sucess! so only another 5 points of poison damage. The others inquire the cause of the noise and the hobbit's distress?

    Dirkwood calmly informs them that he was walking along and must have set off a trap in the tunnel. The others look dubious and much searching of the tunnel goes on. All walls and floors are checked (but no one mentions ledges at all, well apart from Kell, PJ visually flinches but Kell doesn't follow up his suggestion...Bad Kell 8-))

    After a lot of futile checking a large portion of the party then decide to venture further down the tunnel and check for more traps??? Dirkwood informs them that he's going to stay put as he's doesn't feel too good. The kind Priest of Heimdall, Brother Kelly says he will stay behind and keep the hobbit company.

    Great! thinks Dirkwood and then pretends to pass out.

    After a long while, the search posse have traversed a fair three quarters of a mile down the tunnel and found nothing. Back with Brother Kelly & Dirkwood, the ever-watchful Priest suddenly hears a voice (Weedol's) crying out for help futher down the tunnel. Brother Kelly rushes off to investigate.

    As soon as the Priest of Heimdall has disappeared around a turn in the tunnel the mighty hobbit is UP and away!

    Back to the broken lid chest, a FART here and open lock there and the 6 scrolls are HIS!

    The hobbit quickly returns and resumes his comatose position just as Brother Kelly returns from this scouting. The Priest of Heimdall has found nothing. Maybe the voice was just the wind (wouldn't have been the first time eh DaveG? - ED) or maybe it was a sucessful ventriloquism roll from the halfling. Who can say.
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    Part III

    The others finally return and everyone (including Dirkwood) agrees to rest up for the night in the Kitchen of the Frost Giant's lair.

    As everyone goes to sleep, PJ hands the DM another note.

    Secret Note: #4 (Dirkwood to DM)

    "during rest period sleep near a wall, pad out blanket to look as if I'm there, then hide in shadows and slip away (Hide in Shadows = 75%). Sneak back to ledge, get box into backpack, sneak back."

    Scene: The appointed hour arrives, the DM rolls for Dirkwood's Hide in Shadows (82) and then hands a note to the member of party on watch at this hour.

    Secret Note: #5 (DM to Ulric)

    "Mr Ulric. On your watch, towards the end of it. Dirkwood for some reason, hugs the wall and then moves steathily out of the kitchen. What are you going to do?"

    Scene: PhilJ reads this thoughtfully and then responds with

    Secret Note: #6 (Ulric to DM)

    "I follow him....weapon prominent"

    Scene: Dirkwood is now in an adjacent cavern when the DM passes him another note.

    Secret Note: #7 (DM to Dirkwood)

    "You hear someone following you. Heavy, metallic and with bestial breathing"

    Scene: PJ clocks the fact that Ulric is following so hurridly climbs up a cavern wall to a ledge and then Hides In Shadows (98). Ulric enters the cavern, and the DM sends forth another note...

    Secret Note: #8 (DM to Ulric)

    "Ok PhilJ, Dirkwood nips around a corner, you follow. You can't see him for a moment, but then espy him "hiding" on a ledge 30' up a cavern wall. He seems to be waiting for you? What are you going to do?"

    Scene: PhilJ absorbs this info and then replies

    Secret Note: #9 (Ulric to DM)

    "I can psych out any little halfling turd. So I wait..and wait..and wait..."

    Scene: The DM then passes a note to PJ

    Secret Note: #10 (DM to Dirkwood)

    "Ok situation is...You on a ledge hidden in shadows looking at Ulric. Ulric on floor looking in your direction. He stands there...for ages and ages and ages....

    What do you do?"

    Scene: PJ clicks that Ulric has seen through his hide in shadows attempt. So thinking quickly, the hobbit climbs back down the cavern wall, slowly moving pass Ulric, arms outstretched, eyes closed and returns to his sleeping mat and remains motionless. Ulric who's watched the halfling's antics with amusement passes another note to the DM...

    Secret Note: #11 (Ulric to DM)

    "Right! Once Dirkwood has tucked himself in for the night, I clamp one hand over his mouth, pick him up, hold him over the firepit and say 'talk halfling turd! or halfling toast shall you be...'"

    Scene: Dirkwood gulps loudly before spilling his guts about the ledge and the invisible box. The hobbit and Dwarven contingent return to the ledge and split the items found within.

    So it turned out all right then.

    Oh yeah last note from Ulric

    Secret Note: #12 (Ulric to DM)

    "OK Sukh, Do I have a backpack big enough to conceal the hammer??? If so, thats where it goes."

    Of course we're all professional enough to RPG this situation as if your characters didn't know what happened....isn't that right PhilM? 
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