NPCs
Split the Party
- Grumph's mage trial. Grumph is a self-taught novice taking on a challenge most in his position spend years preparing for with only two days' additional study. On top of that, egos bruised by Grumph's audaicty set him one of the harder known challenges, an obstacle course to a tower generating a magical lightning storm. Grumph aces it by good use of what magic he already knows and learned along the way and taking advantage of his less wizardly talents.
- First he Leeroy Jenkins his way past a group of opponents between him and the first obstacle. This was deliberate as these foes normally take time getting into position while the mage spends time preparing their defenses. Grumph's charge catches them off-guard and gives him enough of a head start while they scramble to adapt to hit the next challenge.
- The next obstacle is a wall of wind that nearly sends Grumph soaring by simply putting a toe in it. With enemies at his back coming ever closer, Grumph takes some time to study the wall and confirm it doesn't affect his magic weapon spell. He then uses that spell to turn his weapon into a grappling hook (or "anchor on a rope" as the characters decribe it) to hook a building on the opposite side and pull himself through the wall. Something he could never have done if he weren't a half-orc.
- After emerging from the wind wall and taking a moment to recover, he faces magically resistant mechanical beetles that instantly dispel his magic weapon. He uses one of his new spells, giving himself Super-Strength, to just beat the hell out of them with his demon-bone sword.
- Next is an area so hot that Grumph's ice magic melts in about 15 seconds and Convection, Schmonvection does not apply, meaning the heat alone is enough to kill Grumph. After confirming the superheated ground doesn't affect the material the beetles were made of, Grumph takes some metal plating he took from them to create makeshift shoes and deals with the heat by constantly casting his ice spell on himself.
- Upon reaching the central tower, Grumph discovers the storm that had been growing outside had started inside the tower and was far stronger. He goes as far as he can on his own before the wind starts actively keeping him from proceeding, at which point he busts out his other new spell: Wall Crawling. This gives him a secure hold on the walls and allows him to proceed without the wind hindering him nearly as much. It also inadvertently gets Grumph past the next danger, lightning that strikes the stairs, but not the walls.
- Finally, at the top of the tower, Grumph encounters the crystal causing the storm and must disable it to complete his mage trial. In the audience, Fritz and Dejy wonder what Grumph will do since the wall crawling spell used up the last of his mana and striking it with his sword would only kill him from the metal conducting the electricity. Gabrielle tells them that Grumph's sword isn't metal, and indeed Grumph's response to this challenge is to swing and smash the lightning crystal to pieces with his demon-bone sword. After all is said and done Grumph is beaten, battered, and can not stand under his own power, but he's alive and he succeeded. This makes everyone watching, including mages who had bet on Grumph to fail, to start cheering like mad at their new member.
Going Rogue
Siege Tactics
- Timuscor becoming a True Paladin and defeating a priestess of Kalzidar.
Noble Roots
- Thistle is able to completely play Kalzidar, resulting in the god's plot at Ardrane Manor being foiled, his wife's soul being protected even after Mithingow's protections have faded, and Kalzidar having no idea just how Thistle accomplished the feat. Thistle achieves this by realizing the reason Kalizdar has been trying to make him discard his Paladin mantle is because he wants no Paladins in a position to interfere with his schemes and using that information to make Kalzidar promise he will not harm Madroria if Thistle uses none of his Paladin abilities for the night Kalzidar's priest makes their move. He makes this offer knowing that there is a Paladin on hand that is completely undetectable by Kalzidar: Timuscor, who indeed is instrumental in foiling the high priest. Even better, the god of death Cythllia claims the high priest's soul before Kalzidar can, preventing him from learning about it from the priest directly. Kalzidar is reduced to a thrashing tantrum as his promise binds him to not harm Madroria, even by accident, screaming that Thistle cheated somehow.
- For her part, Madroria is quick to taunt Kalzidar for being beaten by Thistle.
