19980620 Dealer

<H1> Dealer's Choice </H1>
<BR><P>
<H2> Role Call </H2>
</P>
<TABLE>
<TR>
 <TH> Name </TH>
 <TH> Profession and Level </TH>
 <TH> Player </TH>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Kieran McTernan </TD>
 <TD> 5th/5th Half-Elf Cleric/Mage </TD>
 <TD> Ray Chiang </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Kill'Dar </TD>
 <TD> 5th/5th Elf Fighter/Mage </TD>
 <TD> Rick DiRicco </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Prince Donner </TD>
 <TD> 6th Human Fighter </TD>
 <TD> John Speck </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Colin </TD>
 <TD> 7th Human Fighter </TD>
 <TD> Jim Yonemura </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Grackle </TD>
 <TD> 5th/6th Half-Elf Fighter/Thief </TD>
 <TD> Mark Whisler </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Borgar Evenhand </TD>
 <TD> 7th Dwarven Cleric </TD>
 <TD> Matt Miller </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Ansrak </TD>
 <TD> 7th Human Thief </TD>
 <TD> Robert Giedt </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Rolf </TD>
 <TD> ? Human Ranger </TD>
 <TD> Guest: Steve Opre </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Miriam </TD>
 <TD> 4th Human Cleric </TD>
 <TD> Guest: Celeste Young </TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
<H2> Session Summary </H2>
<H3> Luck of the Draw </H3>
<P>
Early the next day, Grackle goes to a local street fortune teller.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Grackle:</B> Morning.
<P>
<B>(Fortune Teller):</B> Good morning. What can I do for you? Predict
			 your future?
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> Actually, I was hoping you would be able to give me some
		information.
</P>
<P>
<B>(Fortune Teller):</B> Of course, but such information is never free.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> (Puts some coin down) I was hoping you could tell me
		something about fortune tellers.
</P>
<P>
<B>(Fortune Teller):</B> (Picks up coins) Well, there are those known as
			 seers--those who can use magic to make certain
			 predictions about the future. Those who you see
			 on the street aren't seers and don't have the
			 convenience of an organized religion to fall back on.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> Hmmm...I've got a place I'd like to talk to you in private.
</P>
<P>
<B>(Fortune Teller):</B> (Looks around the empty street) Well, I'm not busy.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
The fortune teller packs up and goes with Grackle to a private location.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> Actually, I was hoping you could tell me more about
		the use of cards for telling the future. Specifically,
		magic cards.
</P>
<P>
<B>(Fortune Teller):</B> Well, there are two kinds of magical decks.
 There's the Deck of Many Things. It is said
			 that all sorts of things can happen from drawing
			 from the deck. When the drawer is done, the
			 Deck disappears.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> And the other kind of deck?
</P>
<P>
<B>(Fortune Teller):</B> There's also the Deck of Fate. This deck is said
			 to be able to tell the future. Now, there's some
			 debate about whether the deck actually changes the
			 future to match its predictions or the deck actually
			 predicts the future.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> I see. Well, I thank you for the information.
</P>
<P>
<B>(Fortune Teller):</B> Would you like me to tell you your fortune?
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> Sure.
</P>
<P>
<B>(Fortune Teller):</B> Hmmm...it says that you'd best avoid magic in the
			 immediate future.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
After a bit of identification from Kieran and Kill'Dar, the helms are
revealed to be the Corsican Helms.
</P>
<UL>
<LI> Instantaneous transmission of thoughts to other wearer, including
 all five senses.
<LI> Shared hit point pool with other wearer. When either wearer removes
 the helm, the damage is divided equally between the two.
<LI> Soul Jar at will with other wearer.
</UL>
<P>
At this point, the only item left to identify is the deck of Tarot cards.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Kieran (to Kill'Dar):</B> Do you want to identify the cards?
<P>
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> Sure. (To GM) I try to identify the cards. 
</P>
<P>
<B>GM:</B> Roll a d6.
</P>
<P>
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> (Rolls) 6.
</P>
<P>
<B>GM:</B> Okay, draw 6 cards.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Kill'Dar draws six cards and all of them are inverted.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>GM:</B> Wait a minute, give me the deck. (Looks through the deck)
	 Some anal person went through and aligned all the cards.
<P>
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> That would be me.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
At this point, the cards are reshuffled and Kill'Dar draws again, with
the following results:
</P>
<UL>
<LI> Three of Swords, The Star
 <BR><I>
 "A kidnapping is aided or resolved by you."
 </I>
<LI> Five of Coins (Inverted), Five of Swords
 <BR><I>
 "A grave financial loss is reversed by you."
 </I>
<LI> The Empress, King of Swords (Inverted)
 <BR><I>
 "You will find yourself in direct conflict with a powerful
 good female."
 </I>
</UL>
<P>
Kill'Dar finishes identifying the deck as the Deck of Fate. It also has
the power to be used as the component for any Divination class spell,
but providing 100% accuracy.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Donner:</B> Cool. Give me the deck.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Donner draws six cards, with the following results:
</P>
<UL>
<LI> The Star, Four of Swords (Inverted)
 <BR><I>
 "You will undergo a successful recovery."
 </I>
<LI> Page of Swords, Page of Cups
 <BR><I>
 "You will discover an important new vassal."
 </I>
<LI> The Emperor, The World
 <BR><I>
 "Then you will <B>conquer</B> and control many people."
 </I>
</UL>
<P>
Donner frowns.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Donner:</B> Well, this didn't tell me anything I didn't already know...
<P>
<B>Colin:</B> I'll draw two cards, but I'm thinking about "rescuing
 the King".
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<UL>
<LI> The Falling Tower (Inverted), Four of Wands
 <BR><I>
 "An evil tyranny peacefully ends the rescue."
 </I>
</UL>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Kieran:</B> Well, I guess it's my turn. I'll draw three cards.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<UL>
<LI> Six of Cups (Inverted), Ace of Coin
 <BR><I>
 "Your next endeavor will enrich you."
 </I>
<LI> Eight of Swords (Inverted)
 <BR><I>
 "You will suffer a great treachery."
 </I>
</UL>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<B>Kieran:</B> Do you want to draw, Grackle?
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> (Thinks about conversation with fortune teller) No thanks.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<H3> Back in Kennetar </H3>
<P>
The party teleports to Kennetar using the "Portable Hole Express".
Once there, Donner goes to find his mentor to begin his studying. He
leaves Grackle in charge of the expedition and wishes us luck.
</P>
<P>
The party decides to quickly delegate responsibility to get things
organized. Kieran is given the duty of getting Plateau equipment for
everyone--enough to last the trip to Regis Vale. In the meantime, everyone
else decides to go to Bellairno's and see if the alchemist has anything
new.
</P>
<P>
</P>
 XXXX TODO:
	Kieran's visit with Velyk
<H3> Across the Plateau to Regis Vale </H3>
<P>
The first day proves relatively uneventful, with the party travelling
invisibly. During the daytime, they manage to avoid a group of six
large dinosaurs. Unfortunately, during the next evening, some chaos
ensues...
</P>
 XXXX TODO:
	Battle with Annis
<P>
Borgar, Kieran, and Grackle fly ahead to the Teeth to see what's going
on. Grackle pulls out his spyglass and notes that the dwarves are
building fortifications on the outside. Also, the area under the
Teeth now appears to be a pen for the dwarven mounts. As they get
closer, a few crossbow bolts fly by--so, the group decides to land
and approach the remaining distance on foot.
</P>
<P>
After a short conversation, the dwarves invite us to rest underground
with them that evening. Kieran goes back and picks up the rest of
the party--with the carpet running out of steam just as the last
group is transported.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B><X>:</B> We've sealed off the areas you told us to. We figured that's
	 probably best for now. What's in there anyways?
<P>
<B>Borgar:</B> (Thinks of the remaining 250,000 GP and Daeron's body)
	 Uh, lots of dangerous things. We haven't cleared everything
	 out of there yet. Is that a problem?
</P>
<P>
<B><X>:</B> Not really. We've got several years of work ahead before this
	 place becomes livable. You know, expanding tunnels, blocking
	 off the tunnel across the lake, and so forth.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Five days after leaving the Teeth, the party encounters the Elven
Expeditionary Force. The party decides to travel with them to Regis Vale,
the town at the northern pass through the Parapets. Travelling with
the elves proves considerably safer, especially with Giant Eagle scouts.
Within five weeks of leaving the Teeth, the party makes it safely to Regis
Vale.
</P>
<H2> Foes Fought </H2>
<P>
</P>
<P>
Base Experience: 
</P>