[From    ] Dungeon Master                   [MSG 6 OF 100]
[To      ] All                              
[Date    ] Sun 27 Jun 93 21:38
[Subject ] The Adventure Begins!

   Sitting in the Mouldering Cheese Inn for the third uneventful night in a
row, you count up what little change you have left and try to add up how much
it will cost to spend another night here. The bar is fairly crowded with
people, all seemingly in the same business as you are, but either currently
between adventures or else downright broke.

   You pause for a moment to think exactly how you ended up in this place. It
seems you were looking for an adventure; for a new goal in life. You've wanted
always wanted to accomplish something; to slay dragons and rescue beautiful
damsels in distress. But your fantasies give way to the coldness of reality:
you are sitting in a dirty, dimly-lit tavern in Baronsbane, the result of two
weeks of travel, with little more than the clothes on your back and a few
coins in your purse. It seems adventures are hard to find on your own.

   With this in mind, you decide to join or form a party of your own. From
what you've heard, quests can be alot easier when you travel in groups. As
luck would have it, there are three new faces in the crowd tonight. They are
apparantly not locals, and are going around individually, asking questions to
other rough-looking characters around the inn. Their business doesn't seem to
be of interest to anyone they have talked to so far. One by one, the men sit
down at one end of the common table and begin to talk amongst themselves.
Walking over and pulling up a chair, you decide to join in on the
conversation.

   From what you can gather, neither of these three men know each other, but
they seem to be starting up a conversation based on the fact that they all
have a common goal: they are looking to form a party for an adventure!
Eagerly, you start listening, and when the first opportunity presents itself,
you decide to introduce yourself as a potential party member.

   While you are waiting for a break in the talk, you carefully look over each
of the men. [DM's note: since I did not want to write a separate description
for each character, your character's description will be included in this as
well. Remember, YOU are your character, he's not someone else! From here on in
I will refer to your group as FOUR characters, not three, to avoid confusion] 
   It appears that there are two humans, two half-elves, and two elves here.
One of the humans is clothed in fine robes of white and black, with a black
pointed cloth hat on which is imprinted numerous symbols, giving him the
appearance of a wizard. The man has medium-length straight black hair and a
small mustache. He sits with a tankard of frothy ale, from which he takes
large sips every few seconds.

   The second human appears to be a lean, rough man who doesn't smile at all
and seems to be keeping mostly to himself. He is extremely ugly but looks to
be very agile, judging from his build. He is by far the tallest amongst you,
and looks very menacing in his dark leather armour.

   Quite different, by comparison, are the two half elves. One of them is
quite obviously a mage, clothed in robes and holding a staff by his side. He
is quite short - you judge it to be around four feet - and as he brushes away
a few locks of brown hair from his face, you can see quite clearly that he has
a prominent scar on his right cheek. He seems to be friendly enough, and
laughs quite a bit.

   The other half elf, fairly tall for his race, is clad in studded leather
and has the markings of an excellent swordsman. Locks of shoulder-length brown
hair wage an eternal war with his helmet. Piercing hazel eyes peer out from
beneath strong eyebrows, giving him a very regal appearance.

   Finally, we have the elf. A young man with brown hair, what you can see of
this robed figure's skin seems to be horribly scarred. His face is rather
grim, but he doesn't seem to be extremely unhappy. You can't help but notice
what a cold stare his pale blue eyes possess.

   After a few minutes of idle chatter with each other, the robed human bangs
his now-empty tankard against the stout wooden table and clears his throat.
The others settle down and listens as he tells his tale...

(continued in the next message.. please do not reply to this message until you
have read the next message.. as a matter of fact, do not reply to ANY messages
in this conference until you have finished reading ALL the new messages..
otherwise things get confusing) 

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|/ungeon |  |aster

[From    ] Dungeon Master                   [MSG 7 OF 100]
[To      ] All                              
[Date    ] Sun 27 Jun 93 22:17
[Subject ] Malcolm's Introduction

   Slowly, the young man, who calls himself Malcolm, begins his speech. He
explains to you that he has come to Baronsbane on his "path to adventure".
Though Baronsbane is only a small town of a hundred or so inhabitants, it is
situated along a major trade route, and is a haven for all sorts of
travellers. He tells you that, growing up as the son of a swordscrafter in a
nearby village, there was very little opportunity for him to learn much about
the world. In an effort to obtain as much knowledge as he possibly could, he
enrolled himself in a school controlled by the local church at a very young
age. There, he learned to read and write, and learned much of magic and
religion.
   You are quite shocked when he tells you that he is a priest, and not a
mage. "You see," he says, "I had always wanted to become a spellcaster. For
some time I had pursued a career as a wizard, but I found that I was lacking
in many important wizardly requisites, plus I was far too poor to enlist
myself in the nearest magic school, which, I might add, was four weeks'
journey from my home village. Unwilling to accept the fact that I would never
become a spellcaster, I instead turned towards my god, and, after years of
study and training, I have become an acolyte in the Order of the Trident, a
church devoted to the god of Magic, Ladin."
   He mentions that he very much looks forward to travelling with this group,
as he can definitely tell a group of hardy looking adventurers when he sees
one - after all, he's been practically living in this inn for over two weeks
now.
   Soon after his speech, Malcolm seats himself. After a few more seconds of
murmuring amongst yourselves, three pairs of eyes turn on you.. What have you
to say for yourself? 

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|/ungeon |  |aster

[From    ] Ruinad Renkoff                   [MSG 8 OF 100]
[To      ] Ad&d Players                     
[Date    ] Sun 27 Jun 93 22:55
[Subject ] Ruinad Renkoff

My name is Ruinad Renkoff.  I am a half-elf mage.  I am a midget.  I look
forward to playing with the rest of you.  Farewell.

[From    ] Dungeon Master                   [MSG 9 OF 100]
[To      ] All                              
[Date    ] Mon 28 Jun 93  6:30
[Subject ] Online Adventure

   Thanks to our exalted sysop, Paul Hanson, and myself, the Sage's Desk is
now hosting an online play-by-mail role playing game. Like any other role
playing game, this is a game in which different players assume the role of a
fantastic character and, through interaction with other players and the
Dungeon Master (the referee of the game, myself), attempt to accomplish a
goal, which is usually completing a quest in a fantasy world planned out by
the DM.

   The role-playing game we will have in this area will be one using the
rules set by by the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Second Edition game
system, and its various addendums. Players do not need to have experience in
this sort of gaming to play, nor is anyone required to own any AD&D2 books;
everyone, novice and expert alike, is invited to join the game. The only
thing requested of players is that they be able to call at LEAST once a day
to update their character's actions. A maximum of 6 players will be allowed
in the game at one time.

   For those of you not familiar with BBS AD&D, or AD&D at all, here is a
basic outline of how the game is played: After everyone has created their
character, the game will begin. I will post a description of your
surroundings and describe any events that may occur, and each player may
post their response to it. Keep in mind that the group must move around as a
whole, so be sure to consult with the other players before attempting any
major action. Remember, you control only your character, and not the entire
group. After everyone has posted their actions, I will in turn respond to
those, posting a message containing the results of your players' actions.
The game thus progresses in this fashion.

   Now, for the technicalities, for those of you who already know quite a
bit about AD&D. I will be incorporating most of the optional rules found in
the Player's Handbook and the Dungeon Master's Guide. This includes a
slightly modified encumberance rule, so don't expect to be carrying around
six tonnes worth of equipment on your journeys. I will also be including all
the rules from the Priest's, Fighter's, Thief's, and Wizard's Handbooks.
This opens up a wide range of role-playing possibilities for your character,
since I will be allowing the use of special combat rules, character kits,
magic specialization, and priest dieties.

   And now, the "rules" for this area. DM rulings are not open for debate in
this conference; they are off-topic. If you have a problem with something I
do (unless it's a very obvious mistake) and would like to see a certain
ruling changed, please take it to private mail. Also off-topic is anything
not pertaining directly to the game. By all means, be as verbose as possible
when phrasing your actions, but please don't post anything unrelated to the
adventure at hand. Finally, kindly refrain from the use of swears. This
includes both what you say and what your character says. I believe this rule
applies to most of this BBS anyway, so it shouldn't be too much trouble. And
one last suggestion: please do *NOT* post any of your ability scores! That
really detracts from the game when everyone knows everyone else's stats. A
good guideline to follow is: don't post anything that your character
wouldn't say. Let's get real; you don't introduce yourself to people as "Hi,
my name's Barney and my strength is 17, my intelligence is 12, my dexterity
is 14, I've got a +2 saving throw against poison because of my high
constitution, and I've taken the 'gladiator' warrior's kit."

   Well, that should be just about it.. I believe the sysop has permitted
the use of handles in this area, so you may want to change your handle to
the name of your character to avoid any confusion when playing the game. If
anyone has any questions, and/or you'd like to get involved in the game,
please leave me email, and we'll try to get your character set up and ready
to play!

[From    ] Carideth                         [MSG 10 OF 100]
[To      ] All                              
[Date    ] Mon 28 Jun 93 21:47
[Subject ] another stranger

 One of the half-elves, a rather strong looking fellow, fingers the peaceknots
on his blades, a longsword and scimitar from the scabbard shapes.  Behind his
chair stands a great longbow made of ashwood which peeks above his shoulder. 
He reaches into his backpack, retrieves a lyre, and sits back.  A plaintive
meow sounds before a small housecat jumps into his lap and snuggles against
his studded leather armor. 
     "I go by the name of Carideth... I follow the path of rangerhood.  I'm
here because my adopted parents could no longer afford another mouth, and I
had no village to return to." Powerfull hands clench on the sworhhilts as he
mentions his past. You hear a low mutter, "Wish i was out tracking those
bloody giants instead of stuck in a crowded place like this...."

Carideth

[From    ] Borack                           [MSG 11 OF 100]
[To      ] All                              
[Date    ] Tue 29 Jun 93 11:58
[Subject ] Borack

A thin elf with blue flowing robesand cold blue eyes scans the room not
missing a single detail. He is leaning on his quarter staff which seems to
large for the elf. He smells of herbs and different plants from his small
pouches. 

"I am Borack an wizard of the north. I am here looking for fame and fortune,
but that will come latter when I have more knowledge. I m a fair fighter and
can hold my own."

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|/
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|/orack

[From    ] Aardvarkin                       [MSG 12 OF 100]
[To      ] All                              
[Date    ] Tue 29 Jun 93 17:37
[Subject ] aardvarkin

the ugliest man you have ever seen shifts in his chair uncomfortable cursing
the taste of watered ale and his obligation to introduce himself...

"The name is Aardvarkin....dont know where i got it...., found myself here
after a friend said i needed a life.....He was one son of a _____ but boy did
he know the secrets to existing out on the streets...he could have a lock
popped in a second and could scale to wall like nothin'.....so here I
am...wantin' to be just like him...my friend....master of the thieves
guild.....need i say more?  What are all you losers staring at me for....as if
i were a THIEF of somethin' !!!!!!!!.........."

Aardvarking leans back in his chair and commences upon picking his teeth with
his dagger....

[From    ] Dungeon Master                   [MSG 13 OF 100]
[To      ] All                              [Has Reply 17]
[Date    ] Tue 29 Jun 93 20:14
[Subject ] Where the hell are we?

    Enthusiastic with the establishment of your newfound
adventuring party, the five of you waste no time in organizing
yourselves. After returning to your rooms and a quick inventory,
you settle down together for your evening meal. The cuisine served
at the Mouldering Cheese Inn is by far not the best you've tasted -
in fact, it's dwnright awful. You quickly shovel the last
remaining morsels of burnt pork into your mouths and wash them down
with what is left in your tankards. Reluctantly paying the
innkeeper and thanking him for his service, you leave the building
and sit down on a bench outside.

     Carideth and Malcolm make a quick trip to recover their
animals from the inn stable. The ranger has a finely bred warhorse,
and Malcolm a silvery-grey mule, onto which is strapped numerous
sacks, labelled in an elven tongue. Malcolm eplains that they
contain several weeks worth of rations that he obtained from an
elven trader in Baronsbane at a discount price. He makes it quite
clear to you that anyone and everyone is welcome to share the food.

     When everyone is settled, you decide to plot the course of
your travels. From combining what the five of you know of
geography, which is very, very little, you are able to acquaint
yourself with the surrounding countryside. To the north, there lies
a lake and a long range of low, rocky montains. The trade road
that runs through Baronsbane continues northward, around the lake
and eventually twists a narrow path between the mountains.

     On the other hand, the trade road turns east just south of
Baronsbane, making its way towards Malcolm's home village and
eventually winding its way to the Eastern Sea, where it ends at the
port city of Htron, notorious as it is a haven for pirates. On the
other hand, transport by ship is rather cheap these days, and by
the time you would reach Htron, youwould probably accumulate
enough wealth to sail across the Sea to the land only known to you
as Myrtone.

     South of your current position lies a vast, bushy plain. There
is no road, and none of you knows the land very well. Due to the
fact that the narest city due south is hundreds of miles away,
this route does not look very promising.

     And finally, a seldom-used path leads the western route. From
what you've learned from talking to the locals, the path continues
on on the open, bushy plain fo several miles before it abruptly
ends in a thick forest. No one is able to tell you exactly what the
path was used for, as it has never had a logical use to anyone in
the town for as long as anyone can remember.

     Malcolm suggests that we proceed to the east. The road is safe
and well-used, with numerous towns and castles along the way, and
plenty of opportunity for adventure and acquiring knowledge. He
says that he has a friend in Htron that may also be able to help
book passage on a merchant ship aross the Sea.

     On the other hand, he's welcome to any other suggestions.
Anyone else care to plan an alternate course, or shall we head east
for Htron? 

|\       |\/|
|/ungeon |  |aster

[From    ] Borack                           [MSG 14 OF 100]
[To      ] All                              
[Date    ] Tue 29 Jun 93 20:57
[Subject ] Where should we go

"I think east road sounds like the logical path to take. As Malcolm said there
is many opportunities for adventure. Does anyone know of a wizardry master
near Htron which could teach me?"

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|/
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|/orack

[From    ] Carideth                         [MSG 15 OF 100]
[To      ] All                              
[Date    ] Tue 29 Jun 93 22:06
[Subject ] the road not taken..

The ranger obviously seems interested in the mysterious forest road, but
acknowledges that not everyone might share the same tastes.
     "How large is a sea?  I've read about them... i even know how to swim,
but I've never actually seen one....  Would there happen to be a reputable
musician or two along the way?  I suppose I'll agree with going east.."
Fingering his longsword, Carideth looks up at the group.  "Anyone heard if
there have been any reports of giants in the region?", he asks innocently.

Carideth

[From    ] Dungeon Master                   [MSG 16 OF 100]
[To      ] All                              [Has Reply 18]
[Date    ] Tue 29 Jun 93 22:47
[Subject ] Htron, the sea

     Malcolm, being very knowledgable in the arts of magic, politely informs
Borack that there is little in the line of sorcerers or magic shops in Htron,
though the pirates often smuggle in magical artifacts of great value from
Myrtone. The Order of the Pearl is the only magical organization in the city.
Malcolm knows nothing else about the Order other than the fact that it is a
small school of magic that exists in Htron.

     As Carideth utters his inquiry about the size of the sea, Malcolm turns
to him and shrugs. "Geography wasn't one of the things we were taught in the
church. Anything I know about this region comes from rumors I've picked up
here in Baronsbane. Basically all I've heard is that the sea separates two
major land masses, Bercelle and Myrtone. We're on Bercelle right now. Pity we
don't have a map... it might do us good..."

     "Well," says Malcolm, turning to the other two party members, "which
direction do you think we should go? We have three votes for east so far." The
young priest unzips a purse at his belt and begins counting money. "Damn..
down to 20 gold pieces.. Say, that reminds me.. how should we split up any
treasure we may find on our journeys? One fifth each sound good?"

|\       |\/|
|/ungeon |  |aster

[From    ] Ruinad Renkoff                   [MSG 17 OF 100]
[To      ] Dungeon Master                   [Reply To 13]  
[Date    ] Tue 29 Jun 93 23:50
[Subject ] Re: Where the hell are we?

I say head East... When we have gotten to be stronger, then we can go
exploring.  Ruinad Renkoff.

[From    ] Carideth                         [REC'D] [MSG 18 OF 100]
[To      ] Dungeon Master                   [Reply To 16]  [Has Reply 20]
[Date    ] Wed 30 Jun 93  0:12
[Subject ] shares

"i remember an adventuring party that passed through my village when i was a
wee lad...apparently they split cash equally and diced for the magical
items...  Sounds like that would work to me...."

Carideth

[From    ] Carideth                         [MSG 19 OF 100]
[To      ] Players                          [Has Reply 21]
[Date    ] Wed 30 Jun 93  0:16
[Subject ] transport

"im not sure how wealthy you ppl are, but if you could purchase horses we
could increase our travelling speed imensely...and our escape speed......
should the need arise..."
A muffled cry from a saddlebag on Carideth's mount echoes his statement.

Carideth

[From    ] Ruinad Renkoff                   [REC'D] [MSG 20 OF 100]
[To      ] Carideth                         [Reply To 18]  
[Date    ] Wed 30 Jun 93 12:00
[Subject ] Re: shares

I agree, the short half-elf Ruinad Renkoff replies...  That sounds as fair as
it could be.

[From    ] Ruinad Renkoff                   [REC'D] [MSG 21 OF 100]
[To      ] Carideth                         [Reply To 19]  
[Date    ] Wed 30 Jun 93 12:02
[Subject ] Re: transport

I have a lovely horse, Blue Thunder by name.  Transpotation by horse is an
ideal answer.  I was brought up to be a great animal handler and trainer, so
anyone who would like me to break their new horse in is most welcome to ask. 
The enthusiastic Ruinad Renkoff ends.
