🚀 go-pugleaf

From: dparsons@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (Daniel Parsons)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Navero XXX
Keywords: Navero, of the Correct and Unalterable Way
Message-ID: <4459@jarthur.Claremont.EDU>
Date: 18 Feb 90 00:11:03 GMT
Organization: Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA 91711
Lines: 412


Whew...  The thirtieth posting.  Navero XXX.  I never thought this thing
would go this far, or last this long.  I hope you don't mind, but I'd like
to take a moment to look back on it, and contemplate, before getting down to
business.  If you'd rather just see the story, then skip down for a while,
if you please, until you see the second line.

=============================================================================

	It started in early November, I believe.  There was a thread running
through r.g.frp about some humorous situations people found themselves in.
Some people did clever things to the monsters; more often, they had clever
things inflicted on them by the DM.  I was just looking at all this, and
thought of the three-year campaign I had been in, and which had ended just
that year.  

	I could recall many, many funny situations from those days, but most
were not the sort of joke I could tell in one shot.  They were all character
jokes, and depended on the personalities of those involved.  I could have
written them straight ("One funny thing was when our MU ran into the Purple
Polka-Dot Wizards..."), but unless you knew the person involved, they just
weren't as funny.  At least, I could have made the PPW's funny, or The Three,
or The Preists of Gothard, or The Collected Fumbles of Navero, but unless
you appreciated the situation fully, it just wasn't the same.  The solution,
it seemed, was to tell it as a LONG joke; instead of one posting, make 3 or
4, giving all the personalities time to present themselves; a lot of little
jokes building up to a great big punch-line.  I have to say that I had NO
intention of writing a campaign recap.

	At that time, I had seen about half-dozen campaigns described in
r.g.frp.  Most of these, I hate to say, were rather poor.  They were all
written like bad heroic fantasy.  The characters were great and important
figures: whole kingdoms depended on them, and were treated with respect by
those around them; even their enemies respected them, or died; usually
both.  Few of them were really very entertaining, and none were amusing.

	The campaign I played in was different.  We laughed at each other,
insulted each other, hated each other, (only the characters, of course)
cussed and swore and generally did all the earthy things that I didn't see
in other games.  Jokes, both elaborate and simple, flew thick and fast all
over.  The DM treated us accordingly.  We were not great, important people.
We were a bunch of wandering foreigners, distrusted as any sword-swinging
stranger would be.  Government people looked down on us as common ruffians;
church people were often unkind to us; peasants ran away from us, and
wouldn't help us (the reationale was that a man in plate with a sword was
analogous to a man walking around with a machine gun.  Would you trust this
person?  I thought not.); we were goaded and teased by the sons of the local
nobility (whom we BETTER not attack, or else...); merchants took advantage
of us.  We were a bunch of little schmucks running around getting into more
trouble than we could deal with, even when we began to get into the higher
levels.  And we enjoyed it.  It kept the characters human (even the ones who
weren't), solid, and real in our minds.  We liked them because they were
real to us.  (I have tried to get the essential earthiness of all the
characters in our campaign across, and I think I have succeeded.)

	So, I wrote 4 postings, and hadn't reached the punchline.  It was
going to take longer than I thought.  I wrote a fifth, then a sixth, and
started getting feedback, The Story is Great, Keep it Up.  So I wrote some
more.  One month, the story flowed particularly freely; I made the top ten
in volume on Navero alone.  Other people began posting recaps; pretty soon,
there were more stories running on the net than there had been in the last 3
years combined.  People brought up new topics; What Makes An Adventure Good?
Should The GM Fudge Die Rolls?  How Do You Make A Campaign?  Before this,
there had been little more than discussions of How The Rules Work, and Which
Rules (or Systems) Are Better; but now people were beginning to talk about
the neglected half of the game, How To Play.  

	There were unfortunate consequences, too - the volume of stories got
so high, some people wanted to split the group, and create r.g.frp.fiction.
I suspected it would blow over; it was a temporary surge, and had happened
before with Champions and Shadowrun.  I was right, but in dying down, all the
other stories died, and many of them were pretty good.  (Except for the new
Nowhere Land, which looks interesting...)  I guess they all were finished,
wheras the Navero story isn't nearly done yet.  Heck, it took us years to
find the damn Orb of Spheres, and a lot of other things happened.  And what a
long, strange trip it's been...

 1: Starting characters introduced; Party forms; Leave for Swamp Keep.
 2: Journey to Swamp Keep; Wyvern attack.
 3: Arrival at Swamp Keep; Party ingratiates itself with the locals; First
    attempt to see Lord of Keep.
 4: Second attempt to see Lord of Keep; Ride to Orc lair.
 5: First encounter with Orcs; Third attempt to see Lord of Keep; Kortul
    introduced, joins party; The Assassin leaves party.
 6: Party tries smoking Orcs out; Orcs attack; Orc Chief, Baby Black Dragon
    introduced; Navero's first really spectacular fumbles; Orcs Routed.
 7: Exploration of Orc lair; Women and child Orcs slaughtered; Rizudo dies;
    Arlor discovered.
 8: Fourth attempt to see Lord of Keep; Return for battle tokens; Arlor and
    Razuli introduced. 
 9: Fifth, final attempt to see Lord of Keep; Receive reward; Dania, Kortul, 
    Navero, Rourk train to 2nd level; Purple Polka-Dot Wizards introduced;
    Dania starts new apprenticeship.
10: Arlor and Razuli join party; Navero gives Rourk blessing; Cross barrier
    into lower caves.
11: Discover lava pit; Shimmer Mold cave; Ankheg(?) attack.
12: Dead Crayfish cave; Giant Ant cave; Algae pool and Orc(?) cache; Battle
    with Orc Chief, Ogre, 2 Rust Monsters.
13: Witherstench attack; Navero dies; Give Orc Chief's head to official;
    Navero ressurected.
14: Dania told to go get some brains; Complete exploration of lower caves;
    Red Dragon discovered.
15: Dania, Navero, Rourk train to 3rd level; Prepare for Red Dragon battle.
16: Red Dragon battle.
17: Aftermath of Red Dragon battle; The Three introduced.
18: Recovery; The Three attack; Party declared liable for The Three; Party
    leaves Swamp Keep.
19: Party travels northwest; Wereboar attack; Arrival at Capital (Propyla?);
    Tax evasion; Party receives chits.
20: The Magic Shop; George introduced; Kory Silvertongue introduced;
    Rourk Ravensbane dies.
21: Training for all; Commision to kill Baby Black; Party told chits are
    magical; Kory Silvertongue joins party; Start into swamp.
22: Continue through swamp; Topash Raycin introduced, joins party; The DM
    gets nasty (Troll attack); Raid Troll lair.
23: Continue through swamp; Baby Black attacks; Navero dies (2nd time);
    Baby Black dies; Adult Blacks discovered (Baby's parents).
24: Discuss ressurecting Navero; Adult Blacks attacked, killed; Dragon hoard
    discovered; Thor appears.
25: Thor gives party quest: get Orb of Spheres; Navero ressurected; Party 
    cleans up treasure, identifies magic items; Party gets rid of chits.
26: Return to Propyla "low town"; Priests of Gothard introduced; Dania helps
    a priest discharge his sacred duty; Navero get armored; Navero seeks
    pennance; Is Dania pregnant?
27: Visit sages in low town; Kilgurian introduced, starts research; First
    Drinking contest.
28: Razuli, Kortul, Arlor, Kory train to next level; Kilgurian gives no
    useful information; Dark clouds to west, Party investigates; Party
    travels to Etheilia; Ghast attack.
29: Party continues travel; Undead attack; Navero's second really spectacular
    fumbles (Actually a noteworthy series of fuck-ups); Party rescued by
    riders; Party enters Methigor.

	But the best aspect of writing has always been the readers responses.
Questios like "How did your DM handle this?" and "I REALLY like <x>!"  Even
better, people who ask me how such a campaign is created. (A lot of factors
contributed) But I think the best letter I ever got was from a GURPS GM, who
said that although Navero hadn't changed his opinion of AD&D, it did change
the way he GM'd, and his whole outlook on gaming.  This was about the most
rewarding thing anyone could say to me; I had reached across the barriers of
rules and presented a game so that even someone who disliked the rules was
inspired by the game.  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-]

                        *        *        *

	There are a few things I am interested in knowing, from those who may
know about such things.  Has any adventure recap in r.g.frp reached 30 parts?
Has ANY series of articles reached 30 parts?  I know that in terms of volume,
Navero is up there, but is definetely not the biggest.  I cannot remember
any story that ever reached this many parts, unless it was written over a
long time, or by more than one person.  Does anyone know anything about this?
Tabalport has had more than 30 postings, I think, but I am not sure.

	A second thing is whether anthing could be done to improve the
stories in an way.  I always try to do my best, but I may not be succeeding.
Lately, I have been getting no feedback (except for about one letter a week
from someone whose computer ate their copies) and don't know if you like it,
are indifferent, or have stopped reading.  I know they aren't pefect, far
from it, in fact.  Is there anything I could do to make them better?  More
narrarative?  Less?  Use a different writing style, and not the crazy prose-
mixed-with-a-running-script?

	I'd better get back to the story now.  I hope you've enjoyed all
this, as I really have enjoyed writing it.

                                                            A  A  A  A
  . . . . .                                                -=--=--=--=-
.           .   @@//////////////@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@|-^--^--^--^-\,,
 .       . . .:.@//////////////@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@|-v--v--v--v-/``
   . . .            The Mighty Mace of Self-Destruction    -=--=--=--=-
                                                            V  V  V  V
                                  Lord Daniel, dparsons@jarthur.claremont.edu

=============================================================================

		Navero, male human cleric, 4th level
		Dania, female 1/2-elf MU, 4th level
		Kortul, male human fighter, 4th level
		Razuli, male human fighter, 4th level
		Arlor, male dwarf thief, 4th level
		Kory, male elf bard, 3rd level
		Topash, male elf druid, 3rd level

Inside Methigor...

(Party members are scattered along castle wall, or getting food, or looking
for a cleric, or whatever.  Kortul went looking for Navero, and found him
sewing up a rip in his robe.  Navero carries needle and thread, among other
things. [This is a conversation between my two characters.  I thought it up
while listening to Jeff and Shelby bitch out rules for making Holy Water.])

Kortul: "Priest."

Navero: "Yes?"

Kortul: "Want you out of group."

Navero: "What?"

Kortul: "Get out.  Menace to yourself, others.  Gods have cursed you."

Navero: "No they haven't!  I mean...  I'm sorry about your head.  It really
         was an accident.  I didn't mean to."

Kortul: "You are either looked down on by gods, or most incompetent asshole
         I ever met.  Either way, don't want you around.  Get out."

Navero: "Uh...  I...  I can't leave my friends."

Kortul: "Better off without you."

Navero: "I'm sorry!  I didn't mean to hit you, or die any of those times, or
         anything!  It just HAPPENED!  I don't know what's wrong, really I
         don't.  It MUST be that the Lords are angry with me."

Kortul: "Fine.  Go somewhere else, let them be angry there."

Navero: "But I can't leave my friends.  I...  It... It seems to me that that
         would be a greater sin.  You got me back from both... times, and I
         haven't proven I was worth it.  I have to do that.  'Equity is most
         desirable among friends'!"

Kortul: "Priest, not listening.  Said, 'get out.'"

Navero: (Looks nervous.) "Uh......   No."

Kortul: (grr..) "You are menace.  Cursed, damned.  Signs are in everything
        you do.  GET OUT!"

Navero: "No.  I refuse.  I cannot."

Kortul: (Glowers) "Priest, don't have a prayer.  Do as I say.  Get out.
        NOW."

Navero: (Looks very nervous.) "No."

Kortul: (Approaches.) "Priest..."

Navero: (*Command*) "STOP!!"

Kortul: (Stops.)

Navero: "No, I will not leave!  I will not run!  I have too much to make up
         for!  I WILL NOT!  I am going to show the Lords that I CAN do
         well!  Yea, I will not allow these trials to bear me down, I will
         GO ON!  I must bear it as I would any other burden, and I will
         prevail despite it!  I will!  I will!  You can't make me do what
         I don't want to do!  You can't!  No one can!  You stopped.  You
         did.  The Lords do look on me with kindness, they do understand!
         I have been given a great task, and I SHALL PREVAIL!"

Kortul: (Command ends) "Fine.  PREVAIL SOMEWHERE ELSE!"

Navero: "No.  Now go away."

Kortul: (GRRR....) (Crouches for leap.)

Navero: "I don't want this.  I don't.  Please don't."

Kortul: "..."

Navero: "Please."

(Kortul considers the situation.  God, what a wimp this kid is.  Was I ever
that young and stupid?  Surely not.  Surely not.)

Kortul: "Stay out of front lines, then."  (Walks off.)

	The night passed slowly, but peacefully.  A few of us did get ill
from the stench, and nobody had any kind of appetite.  We couldn't find the
mess hall (Smells of food couldn't make it to us), so those who felt like it
nibbled old travelling rations.  We slept during the day, like everyone else
seemed to do; it was dark enough to get away with it, even in the relatively
sunny city.  The next night, another soldier came looking for us, and told
each of us to meet Duke Desmod in his observatory.  Somehow, the guard could
not find Navero, so he was absent from the meeting.

(In the observatory.  The observatory is a high tower with a small room on
top, with big windows, and glass windows in the roof through which stars
could normally be seen.  Duke Desmod was a thin man with very pale skin, and
a furrowed brow.  He looked ill, and very worried.)

Desmod: "Grettings.  I have heard of your arrival.  Tell me, how fares the
         outside world?"

Dania: "Well, sir, we don't know much, we came here to try and find out what
        was going on."

Topash: "`Tis a tale of great woe, your excellency.  When we left the city of
         Propyla, the great blackness covered nearly a third of the sky.  It
         has taken the city of Ethilia, I have little doubt, and consumed it."

Kory: "Yea, yea.  Whoever's doing this has absolutely no appreciation of
       aesthetics whatsoever."

Desmod: (Short, wheezy laugh) "Well, I suppose.  Do you know if any of our
        messengers have gotten through to a free town?"

Dania: "We saw some ride into Propyla about a couple of weeks ago."

Topash: "But we have not seen any on the road since we came from Ethilia."

Desmod: (sigh) "Yes.  I wish my wife was here.  She was a mighty Paladin,
        full of grace and beuaty.  She could secure the Bloodstone."

Topash: "Bloodstone?"

Kory: "Grace and beuaty?"

Desmod: "Sadly, she is finished.  Yes, the bloodstone.  It is in artifact in
         the keeping of a witch, who resides south of here.  My incantations
         have pointed it out as being responsible for the infestation of the
         undead you see here, but I have been unable to reach the item.  I
         am no longer a young man, but I fear I may have little choice."

Dania: "Explain this Bloodstone, please, your grace."

Desmod: (Mirthless laugh) "It is an artifact, made by the Gods of Chaos.  It
        holds a small piece of Death's great scythe, and death radiates from
        it.  To merely touch it with flesh creates a Vampire.  I fear it is
        causing all this; it appears some witch or other has found it, and
        is using it for her own ends.  I have heard her laughing through my
        incantations; with her guarding it, I cannot reach the artifact from
        here, and the men I have sent have never returned.  I fear I must go
        myself.  But without my wife, I fear my chances of even reaching it
        are not good, and the journey would drain my remaining health and
        leave me no match for its guardians."

Kory: "Oh, my GOD...  THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!  So dramitic, and full of pathos,
       my dear sir!  Have you ever considered acting?"

Desmod: "I know not what you mean."

Razuli: "Where's your wife?"

Desmod: "She died, recently."

Dania: "Ah."

Topash: "So, the thing we must do, obviously, is to get this bloodstone and
         destroy it."

Dania: "Destroy a godly artifact?  Good luck."

Desmod: "There is a ritual which could be used to CONTAIN the bloodstone, if
         not destroy it.  Many have quested and sought after a means of
         destroying the bloodstone, but nothing has come to light.  It seems
         as difficult as conquering death itself."

Razuli: "So, you wanna run south, get this thing, then run back here and put
         it inna lead box?"

Desmod: "Lead?  Why would you use lead for this purpose?"

Dania: "Ah, never mind him.  He's just a idiot."

Razuli: "How'd you like some.."

Kory: "Children, children, please!  Let's be reasonable and not kill each
       other all over his excellency's floor.  Someting as dark and unpleasant
       as this place needs cleaning up.  Why don't we go do it, then get back
       to the Orb?

Dania: "Oh, yeah.  Your excellency, do you know anything about the Orb of
        Spheres?"

Desmod: "Orb of Spheres?  You seek the Orb of Spheres?  Why, I have it right
         here!" (Reaches into his pocket, pulls out a 3" diameter globe,
         whose surface seems to reflect the entire universe.) "It is very
         useful in maintaining the wall of this castle against the assualts
         of those who would smash it.  I propose a trade, then: If you can
         get the Bloodstone, I will no longer need this so badly, and will
         gladly give it to you as payment!  Then, your own quest will be
         satisfied, and my wife can rest in eternal peace!" (Looks excited,
         genuinely eager.)

Razuli: "Waitaminute.  Where'd you pull that thing from?"

Kory: "Razuli, shut up.  You don't know anything."

Arlor: "Lets go."

Topash: "I don't know... this seems too easy, somehow..."

Dania: "Dear, when we get outside the castle wall it ain't gonna seem easy."

Topash: "I supose you have a point there.  We'd best leave at dawn."

Desmod: "Yes, ha HA!  Sleep well, my dearest!  Wait, one moment!" (*POOF* A
         hole appears in the air beside him.  He reaches in, rummages, and
         comes out with a plain silver ring.) "When you get the stone, rub
         this ring three times, and you will be teleported back here.  All
         of you touch the ring and say 'Thee and me be the ones to TP' so it
         will know who to teleport."

Topash: "Yes.  What kind of holy water supplies do you have?"

Desmod: "Not much, I fear.  It tends to get used a lot.  Can't your own
         priest make it?  I thought you had one with you."

Dania: "We do, but he isn't here.  Probably off praying."

Razuli: "We'll tell him.  Ok, kids, let's go."

Kory: "Weeeeeeeeeere off to see the witch-bitch, 
       The uglified witch with the stone.
       Becasue I'm a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful"

*SMACK!*


Dan Parsons                        "You have no appreciation for fine music!"
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