Had a short D&D session this evening. Didn’t get far, but I think everyone had fun anyway. The party spent some time looting Archimago’s fortress – and Nadrak is serious about this. The poor dominated butler has been sent into the nearest big town, Corwyn, to sell all the valuables as well as the deed to the fortress itself! All this will, of course, be turned over to Nadrak before the spell runs out. In 13 days. Sheesh.   

Then the party hit the road and we had a long, drawn out battle during which the DM learned…or re-learned…a lesson or three. They were attacked in the woods by a band of rogues, which included a pair of spellcasters and a cornugon….

Oh, and Tae – I DO see your point about my retainer looking like a butterfly from the right angle.   

See Sept. 1, 2004 for the current version of the quote list. -Ed.

Categories: D&D
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Went to see Camelot at the formerly community college last night with my family, and quite enjoyed it! (It also gave me an opportunity to wear a gorgeous bracelet I recieved for my birthday.    )    ) It took me a bit to warm up to the actors, but I liked them more and more as it went on. Camelot isn’t Elf’s story, but it is mine. Has been for a long time and probably always will be, though I can certainly understand her desire to soundly slap some sense into Arthur, Gwen, and Lance. I was rather disappointed in their Merlin, who was entirely unconvincing, but (a) He doesn’t stick around long and (b) I’m a little sensative here anyway – I’m something of a Merlin fan. Oddly, they chopped out two songs after they printed the programs: “Then You May Take Me to the Fair” (a favorite of mine) and “Fie on Goodness”. But of course, it was plenty long enough as it was. I don’t think there’s such thing as a short musical.

I was amused to recognize Guenevere – the actress graduated from Niceville HS the same year we graduated from CHS, and I remember seeing her at All County and All State Choruses with me from 8th grade on or so. We were never really acquainted, but a familiar face and name. She did a lovely job.

Unfortunately, they were having some sound probablems – the actors’ microphones would blip off now and then. And more unfortunately, there was an old battle axe (Dad’s phrase, he was next to her) two seats away from me. She kept up a running commentary, and then at the end of the first act, she had the ever-loving gall to comment to her husband that she had just been dozing off the whole first act, never seen anything so boring in her life. After all she had seen this when Robert Goulet played Lancelot! (This would be the original Broadway production, circa 1960.) If it had been me sitting next to her, I’d've had some choice things to say to her, believe me. Ah well.

Following is the beginning of my travel journal from this month. It rambles a bit, so read at your own risk.

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Categories: Harry Potter, home, theater, travel
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As you can see I had a nice chat with an old friend at the Natural History Museum in Albuquerque.

Categories: dinosaurs, home, travel
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Hi!!
Yup, I’m home, and a day early too! Tales to be told, but am going to go pull in pictures and read everyone else’s blogs first.  

Categories: home, travel
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I had a lovely evening with Elf and Pug tonight – went to see Spiderman 2, and greatly enjoyed it, despite my initial reticence. Woo! I’m interested to hear what our resident comic expert thought about it, now. But I guess that conversation will have to wait – my family is leaving in the morning for a two-week trip to New Mexico and back. We lived in Albuquerque for seven years when I was little, and haven’t been back since. Also, my grandfather lives in Las Cruces, so going to see him is a major incentive for making the trip. Etcetera. Tales when I return! We should be back the 23rd. Oooh, shoot – that reminds me. Tae, I hear you were hoping to get the group to go see Camelot, which is wonderful and I’m thrilled that Athena is involved (glee!!), but don’t get me a ticket because I already have one…the family is going. Wanted you to know!!!

With all that out of the way…here is part 3 of the current D&D campaign. This is as far as we’ve gone.

The following day, Tae and Petra were back on the road. The terrain was getting rockier and steeper until they came to a fortress set on a stony slope (yay synonyms!) The front door was huge, and while Petra could easily have gotten herself up to the knocker, they decided that the front entrance was perhaps not the wisest idea. They went around looking for windows, and the first one they found was indeed at ground level – it looked like a prison cell or a dungeon.

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Categories: D&D, home, movies, travel
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Tae and Nadrak found Astrae, the Queen’s city, to be a truly delightful place. Arriving at the palace, they were met at the door by a man in the Queen’s livery, who graciously ushered them into the Queen’s presence and introduced them.

Queen Miralana herself was probably half-celestial. She had the height of an elf, feathered wings, and black hair. She seemed ageless, and had an unusually intense gaze. She invited her guests to feast with her. At dinner, she explains herself. The land of one of her earls…

(Aside. Contrary to last night, I’ve decided to call them all earls rather than lords, because I think I can get away with using it for the women, too. I don’t know what the English call a female earl, and for this, it doesn’t really matter. This is my world and earl is a good word. Plus, we get to sing Duke, duke, duke, duke of earl, duke, duke, duke of earl… err, right. End aside.)

The land of one of her earls, Sir Edmund of Spens has been usurped by what Miralana refers to only as “a foul beast.” She says that this is because that’s all Sir Edmund’s letter’s have called it. She implies that he is getting on in years, and his eyesight not be good enough to get a good look at it, and he is too stubborn to trust the judgement of those around him. She has sent many of her best knights to his aid, but the messages Sir Edmund send her say that none of them have arrived.

Apparently she had not only been seeking a healer, as the old man in the inn seemed to think, but an entire group of adventurers. Tae admitted that she had some friends in that line of work whom she could contact. Miralana asked that they go to Sir Edmund’s aid, and hopefully discover the fates of her knights along the way.

So Tae contacted Petra, and Nadrak went window shopping. In fact, he got so caught up in it, that Petra and Tae went off without him. (aka J.C. goes to Europe)

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Categories: D&D, home
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Yes, my friends, you have succeeded in corrupting my brain yet again. I spent the morning reading the “Very Secret Diaries.” So funny….sooooo baaaaad. Painful. Must stop laughing. Am currently inserting a memory block on it…

Ahem.

We now return to our previously scheduled story.

Categories: home
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Since Carmen and Crunch have been waiting oh so patiently for me to get my act together….

I know corrections will be forthcoming – the following will be changed accordingly. Unless it’s funnier not to.

Tae was sitting by her self in the tavern of the inn she’d been staying at for the past few days. After the whole big mess with the Temple of Elemental Evil, everyone had felt the need for a little R&R or alone time or something like that. Carmen had wandered back into the wilds to look for her beloved Lurk, and had Odette tagging along, looking for a new owl. Similarly, Athena was doing her druid thing, and Crunch was fighting the Xill again. Something like that. And then there was Petra. Into mischief somewhere, no doubt.

So here was Tae at the Fox’s Tail Tavern – an establishment Carmen would have adored, no doubt. And sure, it was a reasonably clean, nice place. The atmosphere was cheerful, and there was a red-haired bard entertaining the patrons on the other side of the room. Sitting next to her is an old man with a tanned, weather-beaten look to him. He looks Tae over, saying “From the looks o’ ye, I’m betting ye could spin a tale more wonderous than that weaver o’ dreams over there. But I don’t reckon you’ve heard of Miralana.”

Tae had to admit that she hadn’t, and he told her that Miralana was the Queen of the Fey, a monarch renown for holding a gracious court and welcoming guests in need of her help. He hinted at a great number of tales about the feasts and balls she held and the great deeds performed by her knights. He went on to claim that he had heard that “Miralana herself has been looking for a healer such as yourself!”

Tae took the plot hook like a good PC, and the old man gave her directions and a map, which I’m sure was much better than my pathetic representation of it, since he had been a ranger for many years. She left a note for the innkeeper for her friends, and set off.

Oh – before leaving town, Tae rented a horse called Arpha – the economy model, naturally.

On the road, she was attacked by bandits, but she found that they were already being tracked by a half-drow wizard called Nadrak who was more than happy to help her fight them off. They chatted a good deal on the road, and the DM was half expecting Tae to want to start a civil rights movement for half-drow, but that’s another story.

After coming to the ruins of a temple to Olidammara, and carefully going around it, Tae and Nadrak fought off a second band of bandits. In due time, they come to Miralana’s castle, at which point your narrator is going to pause for the night because she is exhausted from a gruelling day of playing Civilzation: the Boardgame with Graham, Ben, and Mother. We’re on the cusp of the Modern era, so we left it up for tomorrow morning. I’m doing pretty well at the moment, though Graham is sulking a bit because we were beating up on him…but he left some prime property wide open!! I just sailed right in – it’s not my fault his belligerent fleet let me through!

Categories: D&D, home
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