War Dogs and Other Wise Purchases

 

The Three Musketeers, as they've decided to officially call themselves at The Chequerie, got up the morning of the 24th of Wealsun ready to provision. They've done this before, so the group had a good idea what they wanted to try and procure... Block and tackle, for traversing the vertical shaft at the mound dungeon complex, as well as for lifting out the treasure they find, removing the need for footing it between levels, torches, rations, tents (not wanting a repeat of the arduous journey back to Molvar, considering the summer storms of the area)...

...and war dogs.

Among other things, Molvar is known for its kennels. In previous campaigns, war dogs have been used to good effect, but also with great cost. At the Molvar Garrison Kennels, 24 dogs were available for purchase, a small number of them trained war dogs. The adventurers decided to name them Artemis, Ares, and Prometheus. Each know, in addition to the basic dog commands, "Attack," "Stand Down," "Return," and "Stay." Each command has a 1-in-8 chance off failing, in a duress situation.

The total for the dogs and barding came up to 600 gold.

After the provisioning and stabling for the dogs was procured, Uh-Oh and Iambred decided, once again, to carouse. Lincoln, wisely, went to bed.

Stowing their valuables upstairs at the Limping Dervish, the magic user and cleric of Istus drank heavily until the wee hours of the morning, under the surprised, but accepting eye of Nespit, the Limping Dervish's proprietor, a young, willowy woman with plain features dressed habitually in simple cotton robes.

During the carouse, Uh-Oh could have sworn she saw Silgadore, and began to insult him, calling the name "Siga-Dork" instead... Unfortunately, it wasn't Silgadore. It was some witchy woman, with a warty face and a greenish eye, in a burlap robe. After repeated insults, that spiraled out of control, the woman hacked up blood into her palm, drew a sigil in it, and slapped Uh-Oh on the forehead, leaving the permanently ash-stained figure of a web... a web like that on Iambred's armor.  All said and done, Uh-Oh spent a whopping 500gp, and gained 500xp...

Meanwhile, Iambred was being punched in the face. The injury he suffered also afflicted Uh-Oh... Who was hexed to be linked to Iambred forever... unless the curse could be lifted.

The next morning, Iambred could have sworn he'd fired all their retainers, as well as badmouthed Lincoln. It was with meagre relief he realized they didn't have any retainers, and it was all a dream. He also spent a total of 500gp, and gained 500xp!

Uh-Oh, however, after trying frantically to wash off the web-sigil from her forehead, rushed in a panic to the Grand Temple, where she found Dracc'a, a 6th level Cleric of Rudd, the chaotic god of chance and skill, who, for 600gp (and a quite painful and threatening ritual) cured her of her curse.

On the 28th, Freeday, they went to Zapzomeb to discern the nature of their magic items. The shield is extremely fragile, breaking after one use, but granting permanent +2 saving throws vs wands and a +1 against magic attacks involving cold, and in one-on-one duels.

The dagger, Lint, was, of course, cursed, granting -1 to regular attacks, and -3 to attacks against dragonkind. Thankfully, Lincoln hadn't used it, or it would be bound to her...

The obsidian staff is a Snake Staff (Rules Cyclopedia item). Unfortunately, it is only useable by clerics, and Iambred hasn't put any Weapons Mastery into staffs. Hence, he plans to spend a week training with the first teacher he can find, after they return from their second delve at the mound.

The wand was a Wand of Metal Detection. They were interested, but a bit unenthused... They'll take it anyway. Maybe it will be useful.

That night, a gale broke down upon Molvar. 65mph winds, 8 inches of rain... The morning of the 1st of Reaping, the beginning of Richfest, was just as stormy as the day before. In the storm, Lincoln decided to visit the local apothecary, where she met Grshmalla, the very same hag that had cursed Uh-Oh! There, in the smoke-smudged unusual-shaped thatched hut, she bought some common herbs (from the Dolmenwood Player's Book)---Lankswith (cures common ailments), Fenob (boost HP regeneration with a good night's rest). Also, she verified the strange purple plants she'd recovered from the wizard's backpack was indeed Wolfsbane, a ward against lycans...

The gale remained for three days, finally abating on the morning of the 3rd, Moonday, of Reaping.

The plains around Molvar were covered in billowing sheets of smooth fog, the fortified walls of the city rising above like a castle above the clouds.

In the morning, they set out into the fog, Ares, Artemis, and Prometheus trotting along, bound by their chain-leads.