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The Improbable Adventures of Corvella Greyrose


This will be a series of posts chronicling a specialized playthrough that I am doing, by means of writing in-character journal entries to tell the tale of how things proceed. It is both an experiment in game mechanics and tactics, as well as a narrative journey. I'm not a good writer, but at least I know how to type words. Since I am unable to create any other form of fan art, this is the best I can do.


For this playthrough, I will be using a solo pacifist wizard character, and finding out exactly how much treasure, and how many magic items, I can obtain without ever fighting ANYTHING. I will follow these rules:


- Never accept any party member after the tutorial.

- Never make any attack of any kind on any creature or NPC, including causing indirect damage to a creature or NPC by use of environmental objects.

- Never learn any offensive spell or scribe any offensive spell from a scroll into spellbook. (A spell that has an attack roll or forces the target to make a saving throw.)

- Never pickpocket any merchant.

- Never save scum a skill check.


The premise is that I am playing a plucky, non-violent treasure hunter, not a combatant. She will survive, explore, and profit using her wits, words, skills, and utility magic alone. I want to see just how much stuff I can acquire without ever having to fight at all, and without the obvious cheese of pickpocketing merchants. And instead of simply reporting the results of this ongoing test to you in a purely mechanical manner, I am going to write a little story from my character's perspective about each day, a journal entry that narrativizes the whole endeavour.



My character is Corvella Greyrose, a half-wood-elf wizard who was never a great student of magic, but is sufficiently charming, fit, and skilled to make her way in a dangerous world without resorting to hostilities herself. She is no warrior, but instead a trickster, and she will prove that great riches may be gained without ever spilling a drop of blood.

(Words, not swords!)

(She's very fragile, so great care will need to be taken at every step.)

She only has 5 HP, no Mage Armor, an Int of 10, and no offensive spells. I do NOT intend to acquire the Headband of Intellect, this is not a cheese build. Her starting cantrips are Minor Illusion, Mage Hand, and Friends. Her starting spells are Jump, Fog Cloud, Disguise Self, Find Familiar, Expeditious Retreat, and Feather Fall. She is proficient in Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Investigation, Insight, and Deception. These tools will be all she needs.



And without further ado, the first journal entry!



DAY ONE:

What an utterly astonishing day it has been!

So much has happened to me, and it seems that most of it, I cannot even remember. I found an old book of sea shanties on a small pier along the river (whatever river this is?), and fortunately for me, the back side of each page was blank. So I've decided that it would be prudent to begin a journal of this strange new adventure I find myself thrust into. It's almost too crazy to believe, but I'd better write it down anyway.

I awoke inside some kind of horrific alien vessel, trapped at first. A most hideous tentacled being, which I later learned was called a "ghaik" or "mind flayer" did something to me that I'm not even sure was not merely my fevered imagination. IF what I vaguely recall is real, the terrifying creature held a wriggling, grotesque little worm-parasite up to my eye, and the repulsive, slimy thing slid upward into my skull! I can't feel anything too unusual in my head now, besides a most understandable headache, so I don't know what happened to my new passenger. Maybe it was a dream, or my mind is addled. Yes, I'm sure that's it. I think I'll proceed under the assumption that there is not, in fact, a miniature aberration making itself at home inside my very brain. Yes. For my own sanity, I think that I must.

As for how I got into this situation, I have no recollection at all. In fact, I remember next to nothing about whatever my life was, before awakening to this present nightmare. Vague flashes of my home city, which I DO remember was called Baldur's Gate, and a bit about studying arcane magic, but little else.

Some kind of battle was taking place in the sky, apparently, between this flying abomination I found myself ensnared in, and what I can only assume were actual dragons? Red ones. Fire-breathing and everything, just like in the stories. I suppose in any other circumstances I would have found them incredibly frightening, but in this particular instance they seemed to be on my side. Or at least, AGAINST the side of my captors. Due to the damage sustained by the bizarre vehicle as a result of these dragon attacks, I was freed from my bondage and able to move around.

Fire blazed all around me, and corpses of various monstrous beings littered the otherworldly halls of this madness-inducing environment. I looked around cautiously, collecting anything that might be of any use. That is how I stumbled upon a creature that called itself Us. Apparently it was born from some poor, dead fellow's brain? And I helped to birth it, I guess. I don't know WHY, really. It kind of had an innocent-sounding voice and I felt bad for it, as apparently it was also trapped. So after some disgusting work, I managed to get this little fellow on its newly-sprouted feet, and it declared me a friend. It began to follow me around, insisting that we get to the helm of the ship. That seemed a better course of action than anything I could think of, given the extreme unfamiliarity of the circumstances, so I went looking for this so-called helm.

(Not well-pleased by the sight of a pulsating brain-creature.)

As I made my way to the outside of the vessel, an infernal landscape passed before my eyes, the sky filled with floating fortresses and swarms of winged fiends, as well as the aforementioned dragons. Us told me that we were in Avernus, first of the Nine Hells, and the scenery certainly supported that claim. Again, it should have been terrifying, but I was more repulsed and afraid of the abominable conveyance that I was on, so I was willing to brave even Hell itself to get away from this massive betentacled horror filled with smaller betentacled horrors.

Us and I were almost immediately accosted by a heavily armed and armored green-skinned woman who started yelling at us and then giving orders. At first I thought she was some kind of orc or goblinoid, but I realized that no, she was something much stranger than that. I don't know what to call her, as she identified neither her race nor her own name. But she was the one who told me about the "mind flayers", and also insisted that we were going to transform into such abominations ourselves, due to the "tadpoles" in our heads. I would be alarmed by this, but honestly the woman seemed rather unhinged to me, as was every other speaking person I encountered in that nightmarish place, so I don't really place a lot of credence in her wild tales. I mean, I don't FEEL like I'm growing tentacles or anything. So, probably just derangement on her part. Yeah. Let's stick with that.

Blocking our path was a group of flying devils which I'm pretty sure, based on extremely sketchy memories from my studies, were called imps. Dangerous, whatever they're called. The angry green woman wanted us to fight them, and Us seemed eager as well. At this point, I realized that these two were just going to be liabilities, and probably get me killed. I don't remember much of my previous life, but I do feel like I'm the kind of person who works alone. So I convinced them both to stay put, as I offered to do some scouting ahead. I also persuaded the odd, probably insane woman to take off her armor and other gear, and let me stash them safely in my Handy Haversack, as she would need to move stealthily and fast. I don't know why she agreed to it, really, it seemed out of character for this fierce warrior type. But hey, I seem to have a way with words, what can I say?

(Considering the best way to deal with an obstreperous githyanki lady.)

So I was creeping past the imps, when suddenly I was spotted. For a moment I considered yelling for Us and Mean Green, but I decided that no, I really was better off taking care of myself. So I enchanted myself with a Jump spell and simply ran past, up onto the deck of the ship. The imps quickly gave up chase, and I moved on toward the helm. I encountered some other people up there, but they were all very clearly mad, even more so than the soldierly woman who had just given me her sword and armor and was raving about "ghaiks" and such. I just moved on quickly, collecting a few more potentially useful items from various corpses as I went.

There were various flesh-cages, and people on slabs, and a lot of nonsense that I didn't want to have anything to do with, so I left all of that alone. I did find a few valuables, so into the Haversack they went. There was one pretty girl stuck in a pod, yelling her head off about needing to be freed, so I decided to take just a moment to help her out. I attempted to dispel some wards on her enclosure, but the main problem with THAT was, I . . . had no idea how to dispel wards. So I couldn't help her. I assume that Us and Mean Green were still waiting down below, outside the chamber of the imps, but I have no idea. I never saw them again. I'm sure they were fine. Yeah. I definitely didn't leave them to die.

Finally I got to the helm, and beheld another one of those "mind flayers", this one fighting with some hulking devil guy with a flaming sword. The "ghaik" told me to use some strange panel at the other end of the room, I think he called it a "transponder"? Anyway, apparently that was our way out. But there were a bunch of imps flying around looking menacing in between me and that betentacled device. (Seriously, why is literally everything betentacled in this story?) Before entering the helm I'd instinctively enchanted myself with Expeditious Retreat, and once inside, a quick casting of the Jump spell made it quite easy for me to cross the vast space without getting roughed up by any fiends. I made it to the transponder, or whatever it was called, unscathed.

Just as I was about to put some tentacles together (because of course that's how you operate it), another huge red dragon attacked, breathing fire wildly. How I survived, I have no idea, but I guess Tymora's luck was with me. There was some tumbling about, I almost fell to my death, but ultimately my wits and self-preservation instinct proved stronger, and I managed to connect the writhing, slimy parts of the device! In a flash, we were no longer in Hell, but flying through a decidedly normal-looking sky over a comfortingly Faerunian-looking riverbank. The only downside was, we were clearly about to crash. I didn't experience that particular fate, however, as a chunk of some odd material (I'd rather NOT think about what it was) hit me in the face and sent me careening out of the ship. Once again, I almost fell to my death (twice in one day!) but then some magical force seemed to catch me, arresting my descent. Maybe some power is really looking out for me. Corellon? Sehanine? Mystra? Whoever you were, thanks.

The horrific, burning vessel did crash, of course, but by then I wasn't on it. I was safely on my feet, on the shore of a rather lovely river. Which one, I couldn't tell you. I assume I'm back in Faerun, I mean it looks and feels like Faerun. I hope it's Faerun. Maybe if I'm lucky, not too far from home? But I have no way of knowing where I am just yet. Ideally, I'll figure that out tomorrow. I wandered along the river for a bit, collecting a few more finds of useful kit, including some food and water that was fortuitously abandoned. (Still looking out for me, mysterious deity?) I found the book I'm writing in now, and against all odds, I'd even found a quill somewhere along the way.

I was profoundly drained from everything I'd been through, so I started looking for a safe place to camp. I came upon what appeared to be a large ruin, and there was a young woman standing in front of it. Apparently a half-elf, like me, armed and armored. I recognized her, actually. She was the one who'd been trapped in a pod on the ship, yelling. The one I couldn't help. Well, I wouldn't call our second meeting terribly pleasant. She seemed a bit defensive and self-centered to me, which is FINE when I do it, but not charming at all in others. She sorta seemed to be hinting at us joining forces or something, but as I wrote before, I'm one to work alone. She was cute, I'll give her that, but maybe a bit touched in the head too, like the others on the ship. Didn't seem worth the risk of her maybe murdering me later, so I just bid her farewell and let her walk away.

By another incredible stroke of good fortune (maybe it IS Tymora who has my back), I found this amazing teleportation rune on a cliff face. I was just examining it, quite carefully I thought, when suddenly it activated and I found myself in a nice, secluded campsite. There was already a fire pit and a bedroll laid out, and even an enchanted chest that seems capable of holding as much as I could ever want to put into it. I lurked around for a few hours, waiting to see if anyone would come back to the camp, but no one did. There were no signs anyone had been here recently. Finally it was long past dark and I was beyond exhausted, so I decided just to risk using the site for the night. I lit a fire, had some food (a bit stale, but edible), and set about writing down the events of this utterly unbelievable day.

Tomorrow I will explore the surrounding area further, and try to figure out where I am. I'm sure I'll be fine. Just need to sleep off this fatigue and awful headache, get my bearings, and I'll be back in business!


Finally, let me take stock of what I've found so far:

- 1 decent robe, fits well, was probably mine before all this. (Not a fan of the color, though. Did I really favor green before?)

- 1 suit of very fancy half-plate armor (it's pretty heavy, I'm sure I did her a favor), which I've decided to stash in the magic chest for now.

- 2 pairs of leather boots, one which I was wearing when I woke up, and the other given to me by the angry green woman.

- 2 sharp daggers, 1 stout quarterstaff, 2 shortbows, and 1 longsword (formerly the property of Mean Green - I'm sure she didn't really need it).

- 2 different backpacks, both of which fit nicely in my Handy Haversack (which I am sure was mine before, it seems almost like a part of me).

- 6 weird organic bulbs from the ship, 3 of which seem Caustic, 2 I would describe as Void, and 1 that is Spiked.

- 6 Potions of Healing, 1 Potion of Speed, 1 Potion of Poison Resistance, and 1 Potion of Fire Resistance.

- 2 bottles of water, 3 apples, 1 loaf of sourdough bread, and 1 wheel of cheese.

- 2 Scrolls of Revivify, 1 Scroll of False Life, 1 Scroll of Inflict Wounds, 1 Scroll of Mage Armor, and 1 Scroll of Fire Bolt.

- 1 copper ring, 1 burnished necklace, 1 malachite, and 1 onyx.

- 1 Alchemist's Fire and 1 Grease Bottle.

- 3 bundles of Mugwort, 1 of Mergrass, and 1 of Autumncrocus.

- 1 book (now this journal) and 1 quill.

- 1 wizard's spellbook, which I am QUITE certain was mine before, and which conveniently has my name printed on the inside cover: Corvella Greyrose. (I sound a bit like nobility. Am I rich, back home?)

- 81 gold coins. (Definitely not rich here and now...)

(A well-deserved rest at last, but troubled dreams await...)

Stay tuned for more entries, which will be posted as replies to this thread.


Part two is now up: https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=732395#Post732395

Part three is now up: https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=733130#Post733130

Part four is now up: https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=733581#Post733581

I am definitely following this story - not just to see how well you fare on your pacifist-run but also cause it was very enjoyable to read. You're a great writer!

I'm also enjoying it. An alternatively different approach to my own form of "I dunno what I'm doing" (doesn't make much of a story: "woke up this morning. Stuff happened. Didn't like it. Went to sleep. Ate cheese before going to sleep, had weird dreams, woke up and now I'm shivering from the cold, after-effects of nightmares and something eating my brain. fml.") and well-written.

Tentacles, tho'. Especially looking forward to future instalments if there's less in the way of flailing slimy appendages.

+ 1 nice challenge run

Mean green, pretty funny; nice read so far FSA. Looking forward to more entries from Corvella.

Soft and vicious at same time, Corvella, I see what you did to poor naked Green one. Well, maybe she shouldn't yell at you.

Nice writing skills, wonder how far it takes without fighting. Remember SH will try to have fun with you and her dagger at some point.

Thanks a lot, I appreciate the kind words. I don't think I'm much of a writer, really, but I give it a shot anyway.

Well done! Worth reading more.

Fun thread, thanks

Going solo means there's no one to judge you for selling out to a helpful cambion. Just a thought

Thank you. I would SOOO never do this. Enjoyed it though.

Yup, liking this. Perfect for lunch breaks.

The Improbable Adventures of Corvella Greyrose: Day Two



(Continued from the original post!)



DAY TWO:


I awoke late in the morning feeling somewhat refreshed, but not as much as I'd like. At least the headache is gone, now replaced by an aching body from laying so long upon the hard ground. My sleep was . . . not untroubled. Strange dreams plagued me, of a type that I cannot really describe other than to say that they left me feeling quite disturbed. Not all of the dreams were odd and alarming, though. I also had some more normal dreams, of what I believe to be my life prior to the whole "prisoner of betentacled horrors" thing. I think this, because after getting awake, I feel like I have regained some memories. Not many, but enough to give me some idea of what kinds of things I got up to in the past. Maybe.

I have incomplete images of myself exploring ancient ruins, caves, and crypts, and uncovering dusty artifacts. I remember feeling very excited about that. And I remember, vaguely, telling people that I was an "archaeologist", though as I understand the definition, it seems quite unlikely to me that this claim was factually true. I know next to nothing of history, ancient or modern, and I'm pretty sure that an actual archaeologist WOULD know a bit, or a lot, about it. So it's possible that I occasionally told a small fib or two. Cutely, though. Which makes it okay.

As I had my breakfast and washed myself in the river, I pondered these fleeting memories, and decided that if this is who I was, than I should try to stay true to my apparent calling. Maybe if I pursue the kinds of things I was passionate about before, it will bring forth more memory within my mind, and I can reclaim myself from the mists of whatever those THINGS did to me. Thus, my decision was made. I would try to break in to those locked ruins that my fellow half-elven lady had been trying, unsuccessfully, to get into. Something about the idea of sneaking in there and poking around for abandoned treasures had my heart beating faster, and I was already starting to feel better about my whole new situation.

Unfortunately, nothing I could do would get that blasted door open. It quickly became apparent that if I wanted to get inside that ruin, I needed some proper tools. Well, improper tools, I suppose most would call them. Let's call them "creative entry" accoutrements. I resolved to come back once I was better equipped for the job.

A quick survey of the area revealed that I had little choice but to make my way back through the burning wreckage of the "ghaik" airship if I wanted to make any progress inland. It was either that, or what looked like a long swim through the river, which I was decidedly not keen to attempt. Spellbooks and deep water do not a fine combination make. I wasn't thrilled about re-entering the alien vessel, even in a crashed and broken state, but I felt it my best way forward.

To my delight ("delight" here meaning "NOT delight"), I found that there were a few more of those hideous brain creatures hunting around, directly in my way. I studied them from the shadows, hoping that perhaps one of them would be Us, and be happy to see me, but sadly, no. These looked fierce and hungry, and I wanted no contact with them. On the other hand, I did see one of the mind flayers' grotesque-looking chests, ripe for the plundering, as well as the corpses of a couple of the creatures themselves, with promising bulges in the pockets of their robes. The brain monsters made me nervous, but not quite nervous enough to stop THIS "archaeologist" from collecting useful items! Through some careful, and I must say impressively clever stealth, as well as a timely illusion cantrip or two, I was able to pick up several nice goodies from the wreckage, remain undetected, and make it out the other side, clean as an elven arse. (I swear I heard someone say that phrase once, but I can't remember where...)

Moving on, I found some abandoned crates (a lot of abandoned goods around this area, for some reason), and inside, to my amused surprise, I discovered a perfectly serviceable set of thieves' tools. Shit, I mean ARCHAEOLOGY EQUIPMENT. What a lucky find! (I'm going to have to do something nice for the next priest of Tymora I meet, seriously.) There was a locked box nearby as well, so I got a chance to test my new creative entry accoutrements out, and found that they worked very well indeed. More useful items, into the Haversack. I was considering sneaking back through the shattered ship to take a crack at that ruin door, when I heard someone shouting from just up the hill. Curiosity got the better of me, I'm afraid.

I crept closer, sticking to the bushes, and saw a foppish-looking elven man standing out the middle of everything, in broad daylight, with dangerous creatures all around, yelling for help over and over, like some kind of loon. He didn't see me, however, and I decided it was best to . . . uh . . . check him for dangerous contraband. Without his knowledge. It was easy enough to sneak up on him, and I began helping myself to various useful trinkets from his woefully unsecured pack. He even had ANOTHER set of thieves' tools on him, what a naughty boy. Ahem, or perhaps another completely legitimate archaeologist. Like me. Like I definitely am. Doubted it though, from his impractical clothes. Didn't look like he could sneak past a drunk ogre during nap time in those stuffy garments.

Then a very odd thing occurred. I was reaching for the last item he had, a healing potion, when suddenly he turned and caught me in the act! He reacted with immediate fury, and killed me in a single blow. I felt myself die at his hand, saw it all happen so clearly, but then . . . it somehow UN-happened. I blinked, and there I was again behind him, whole and undetected. It was a chilling experience. It couldn't have been REAL, as here I was, alive and well. But it sure FELT real in the moment. In any case, I couldn't just be deterred by such an oddity, so into the Haversack his last potion went. He was rather handsome, I must admit, so I was tempted to reveal myself and find out what he was fussing about. But that strange un-memory of him so easily dispatching me was still rolling around in my head, so I decided to play it safe and just sneak past him and leave him to his deranged shouting.

A bit further up the hill, I was looking out at the vista of the river and its surrounding terrain, and I noticed a secluded little hollow of sorts down below me. All I could actually SEE were rocks down there, but my treasure sense was tingling. I thought, "That looks like a place where somebody would HIDE something." So I couldn't help but climb down and check it out. After moving a suspiciously-placed rock (which was surprisingly easy, I seem awfully strong for an "archaeologist"), I found that I had been RIGHT! There was a lovely chest hidden away in there, and glorious riches found within. In addition to some maps and documents talking about some people called "Harpers" (the name sounds familiar somehow, but I can't remember why), there was an absolutely brilliant ruby. I whistled to myself as I inspected it, the clink of many shiny coins being poured into my hands already sounding in my mind. A real treasure! I'm pretty good at this, it seems.

Once again, I found myself needing to creep through another section of the downed tentacle-ship, fires yet burning within. I saw a group of three people in peasant garb furiously digging at the wreckage, trying to free what looked like a badly-injured one of those disgusting "ghaik" things that was currently buried under . . . whatever it is this freakish vehicle is made of. They, too, were calling for help, but no curiosity compelled me this time. I took one look at that scene, said to myself, "Nope," and just went a different direction entirely.

I found a trio of dead goblins along the path, which struck me as odd. No telling what killed them. I relieved them of their shoddy weaponry, in any case. Then I noticed another one of those mysterious magical runes on another cliff face ahead of me. I had to get a closer look. No sooner had I approached within arm's reach of the sigil, when a mystical portal opened up before me and a robed human man materialized in front of me. I was taken by surprise, and somewhat flustered, but it turned out that he was quite friendly. He introduced himself as Gale, and said that he, too, had been a prisoner on the monstrous flying ship, which he called a "nautiloid". I was admiring his face, which was pleasant to look at, when he insulted me by saying that I looked stupid and was obviously no wizard! I promptly corrected him, but even then he acted like I was barely an apprentice. (Look, I know I'm no magical prodigy, but it's rude to just point it out like that.)

(Not at all having any of Gale's patronizing bullshit.)

After that, I wasn't really listening to what he said. He was talking about parasites, and "ceremorphosis", and a bunch of delusional-sounding stuff. Then, out of the blue, he propositioned me to become his traveling partner or something. As if I'd want to team up with someone who thinks he's better than me? I liked his hair, it was quite nice, obviously Prestidigitated. And his robe was MUCH better than mine, I strongly considered trying to wheedle him out of it. But once again, I had to simply decline his offer and move on with my own journey alone. (It's also POSSIBLE that he somehow "lost" a couple of healing potions around the exact same time as our encounter. Unlucky fellow.)

It didn't take much study of the rune circle by this "inferior wizard" to figure out how to use it to teleport myself to the first rune I'd found, which allowed me to get back to that ruins door without having to sneak past any more brain-skitterers. I felt clever, accomplished, and quite vindicated for working this out, after my little talk with Mister Big Britches Wizard Man. So now it was time to delve into that tantalizing ruin! Unfortunately, I turned out to be a bit rusty with the tools, and broke the first set that I'd found, without getting the lock to lift its skirts for me. But lucky me, I had WISELY helped myself to a SECOND set of tools, from that pretty elf lunatic in the ridiculous attire.

The second try was the charm, and with a deeply satisfying "click", I found my way into the ruins open at last. It was completely dark within, but I had neither torch nor sunrod. I wouldn't have dared to ignite one even if I did, for I had no idea what dangers may lurk in this ancient place. Fortunately, my elven heritage let me see fairly well even with no light. Whichever one of my parents was the elf, thanks! I found myself inside a very old-looking tomb, with several sarcophagi, as well as vases and crates about. Plenty to search in there.

Almost immediately, I began to notice signs of trouble. Strange vents in the stone floor, questionable gargoyle heads on the walls with deep holes in their mouths. The room was obviously trapped, and quite fiendishly so. The large central sarcophagus seemed the likely trigger, so I searched the rest of the room first. Among various weapons and other small bits of mundane loot, I also stumbled upon (quite literally, I kicked it with my foot and heard it clatter against the stones) a most curious find. A very creepy coin of dark iron, which tingled with some kind of energy and had a bit of the stink of the Hells about it. It was unlike anything I can recall ever seeing, and it FELT important, valuable, and maybe a little bit dangerous. Of course I pocketed it for later study.

Finally, I found a concealed button upon a pillar, which I deduced would turn off the traps. Thus emboldened by my perceived safety, I finally pushed away the heavy stone lid of the central sarcophagus. Inside rested a beautiful, uniquely-crafted spear, bathed in an enchanted blue glow. My figurative eyes lit up, and my heart raced. Finally, a true magical item! Picking it up, I could feel its ancient divine power, and I shivered with the sensation. More lost memories flashed through my mind as I beheld the relic, remembrances of times in the past when I had found objects such as this. The dreams hadn't been mere fancy. This is what I do, this is who I am. I felt more at ease in that moment, holding aloft that shining artifact in the midst of a dark, dusty, trap-laden crypt, than I have since I first awoke to this new life.

Although there was clearly much more to see and to find in this ruin, I decided that I'd done enough for one day, and headed straight back to the campsite. I was pleased to see that it remained undisturbed, and I settled in to write this journal entry and then spend a good long while studying my new acquisitions. I think I'll be up a BIT past my bedtime this night.

(Tomorrow, back into the tomb!)

Time to take inventory again:

- 1 robe, still green, not as nice as the one that Gale had on.
- 1 suit of very fancy half-plate armor which I'm sure Mean Green didn't want to be burdened with anyway.
- 2 pairs of functional leather boots.
- 1 set of very nice "creative entry accoutrements" FOR LEGITIMATE ARCHAEOLOGICAL USE ONLY.
- 2 daggers, 1 quarterstaff, 3 shortbows (one of poor goblin make), 2 longswords, 1 handaxe, 1 halberd, 1 crappy goblin scimitar, 1 leather helm (not for me - helmet hair is no joke), and 1 wooden shield.
- 2 backpacks and 2 collapsible-yet-sturdy crates (easy to carry, fun to stack!).
- 11 weird bulbs from the ship: 3 "Caustic", 5 "Void", and 3 "Spiked".
- 12 Potions of Healing, 2 Potions of Speed, 1 Potion of Poison Resistance, and 1 Potion of Fire Resistance.
- 2 bottles of water, 3 apples, 1 loaf of sourdough bread, and 1 wheel of cheese.
- 2 Scrolls of Revivify, 1 Scroll of False Life, 1 Scroll of Inflict Wounds, 1 Scroll of Mage Armor, and 1 Scroll of Fire Bolt.
- 1 copper ring, 1 onyx ring, 1 burnished necklace, 1 malachite gem, 1 onyx gem, and 1 EPIC RUBY (Mama's gonna buy herself a new horse!).
- 1 Alchemist's Fire, 3 Grease Bottles, and 1 Vial of some kind of Poison (I mean, it's a sickly green and it has skulls on the label, so I'm gonna assume).
- 3 bundles of Mugwort, 1 of Mergrass, and 1 of Autumncrocus.
- 2 shiny clamshells (which some rube will probably buy).
- 1 sinister grimdark coin (needs further study).
- 1 fascinating journal and 1 quill.
- 1 ACTUAL WIZARD'S spellbook (fuck you, Gale).
- 1 amazing magical spear from a long-forgotten age of wonders, thrumming with potent power (okay, I didn't mean to make that sound so erotic . . . but still, it's a sexy spear).
- 114 gold coins (better than nothing I guess).



OOC Part:

So, I had my first death already. Failing to pickpocket Astarion led to him turning around and instantly one-shotting me. I did like the fact that, if you're sneaking, the automatic scenes with Astarion and Gale do NOT trigger. Pretty nice.

I've decided that whenever I die, I'm going to write it into the narrative as some kind of weird vision of averted fate that Corvella experiences, before the save is loaded and she snaps back to where she was right before the fatal incident.

I was SUPER tempted to break my "do not accept any companions" rule already, as I really wanted to add Gale to the party and steal his robe. But I resisted the urge, and stuck to my plan.


Stay tuned for more entries, which will be posted as replies to this thread!


Part three is now up: https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=733130#Post733130

Verte approves

The little theft Tomb Raider sparked an increase in sympathy for Corvella. Now I'm thirsty for more.

Thanks! Your version sounds good, too. It has cheese in it.

Yeah, there's an awful lot of tentacles in Baldur's Gate 3 so far. So many tentacles. Of all shapes and sizes. Who knows, maybe the PC will even grow tentacles later on...

Wonderfully told. "Archeology" is a profitable profession when one is prepared with the proper paraphernalia.

I had said in a previous post that I should just let you talk for me since you are so much better at it. These expositions confirm my impression. Literally can't wait for Day3!!!

It's not one of your master-tier challenge runs, killing Tiamat at level 1 or whatever, but it'll be fun anyway.

What a wonderful idea and great to read. Please continue.

The Improbable Adventures of Corvella Greyrose: Day Three



(Continued from part two, upthread!)




DAY THREE:

Oddly enough, and in sharp contrast to the previous night, I awoke this morning after sleeping deeply and without dreams. I think that finding The Watcher's Guide (the true name of the enchanted spear that I found yesterday, revealed through magical identification) set my troubled mind at ease. I feel no different, physically, and cannot find any strangements in my face or body. I think that I was right, this whole "ceremorphosis" thing that the Angry Green Lady and Mister Fancy Gale spoke so vigorously about is just an irrational fear brought on by stress and trauma suffered on the horrible "nautiloid" ship. I must have dreamed or imagined that disgusting little thing being put in my eye, for if it was real, surely I would be feeling signs of it?

After morning repast and ablutions, I immediately returned to the ruin from yesterday, eager to further plumb its depths and, hopefully, find even more magical treasures. The next chamber I entered was mostly open and empty, a bright shaft of sunlight piercing the darkness from an opening above. I did find a few strangely unlocked chests scattered about, with a few valuable odds and ends for the taking. From there I slipped through another door, smaller than the massive double doors I'd come through before.

I found myself in a small, dark room, filled with unlit candles and little else. I could hear voices through another door on the other end of the room, but they were too muffled for me to make out. Carefully, I searched for a way to open this next door, but it seemed to have no ordinary lock or handle. On a lark, I decided to light the two ensconced candles flanking the mysterious door, and to my satisfaction, the door clicked open. This turned out to be problematic, however, as I heard immediate yelling from someone on the other side, a female voice calling out for help, and the sound of running boots on the stone floor. I hastily fled back the way that I'd come from, into the shadows behind a pillar in the large room I'd been in before, where I hid myself as well as I could.

Some time passed, and no one followed me through the door I'd closed behind me. When I thought it was safe to scout things out, I went stealthily back into the adjoining room to see what was happening. The smaller room I'd been in was still empty, but the door at the other end stood open, and I could see a group of armed people, five in all, standing ready in the hallway just through the doorway. They looked like a band of adventurers or ruffians of some sort, and they were tensed for battle, watching the shadows for any sign of whatever danger they imagined I represented. I considered hailing them, and trying to resolve things peacefully, but I could see grim purpose and cruel anticipation written large across their faces, and thought better of the idea.

Behind them, I could spy just the hint of a vast, pillared hall. A room which they were guarding. I guessed that it must contain something of great value, and I wanted to see it! But all five of them were arrayed in combat formation in front of the next doorway, attentively eyeing the entire hall in front of them. There was no way to sneak past. Backing away into the previous room, I first tried to call forth a Familiar spirit to aid me, this time in the form of a cat. Ordinarily I prefer to summon a raven, but I felt the feline would be more useful here. I sent the Familiar ahead, through the guarded doorway and down the hall, hoping that it could distract them, cause them to give chase perhaps, allowing me to slip by them. Unfortunately, they merely killed the cat right away with no loss of vigilance.

Consulting my spellbook, I drew a Fog Cloud enchantment into my mind next. Lurking in the darkened chamber adjoining their guarded hall, I cast the spell, cloaking the entire area where they were posted in a thick, impenetrable fog. Unfortunately, one of them noticed me performing my incantation in just the brief moment before the cloud manifested. As they stumbled about blindly in confusion, I darted through the middle of them and into the chamber beyond, hiding around the corner. I thought that I had done it, that I would be safe now. But no. The one who'd caught a glimpse of me stumbled through the fog into the room, spotted me crouching along the wall, and once again, I felt the strange sensation of watching my own death as his massive studded club caved in my skull. And then, as before with the elf outside, it just un-happened (I have no better way of explaining it), and I found myself back in the safe chamber, having not yet cast my spells. I don't know what is happening here, if I'm being protected by some divine force or perhaps just going mad, but I find it both disturbing and, to be honest, a little bit exciting.

But I still wanted to get into that hall! Undaunted, I tried again. This time I summoned the cat Familiar, studied the Fog Cloud spell, and got into position. I kept the cat close to me. From as far away as I could do it, I filled the corridor with fog again, then hid in the room I was in. This time, none had seen me. But one of them, again that brute with his greatclub, came wandering out of the fog and into my room. I was crouched in shadow just inches away from him, but he did not see me. Yet. I knew that in mere seconds, he would turn and see me, and that would be my end. So I sent the cat spirit forth once again, into the corridor, meowing loudly and darting away. It worked! The vicious man who was a hair's breadth from finding me chased after the cat, his partners still trying to navigate the fog.

Now, very quietly and very carefully, I crept through the fog myself, weaving around the disorderly tomb robbers (not legitimate archaeologists like me, big difference) and making my way into a good hiding spot inside the larger pillared chamber. I held my breath, waiting to see if I would be pursued and discovered. But this time my plan had succeeded! None of them knew where I was, I'd managed to get past them cleanly. While they continued to flail about in confusion out in the hall, I began carefully searching the room, which was filled with bookshelves and contained a huge statue of a robed man. Quiet as a mouse I crept about the room, unseen. One of them did take a few steps into the room, a woman with a bow, looking around suspiciously. But, I noted with some relish, she was a human, and she could barely see anything in front of her in this darkness. I might as well have been invisible to her! Thank you again for these keen eyes, my elven mother or father.

I scanned the various shelves for anything of interest, but sadly I found nothing of note among all of those worthless volumes. There were a couple of more unique-looking books laying out that I might find interesting to peruse, so I took them, but I doubt they're worth anything. There were two different chests in the room, which I opened eagerly (and carefully), but to my disappointment one only contained some shoddy tableware, and the other held a mere two candles! I did pocket the candles, but my disappointment was deep and bitter. So much work to get in here, so much risk, and nothing of any value to be found. Now I had to get away.

As I evaded the human archer, her dull senses not detecting me even as I slipped right past her, I found my way back into the comforting embrace of my cloud of fog. The ruffians had spread out some, and were looking in all directions for me. I noticed then that there was yet another closed door out of this hallway, and none of them seemed to be looking at it. Maybe THAT was the room with the treasure! Against any sort of better judgment or wisdom, I crept, ever so carefully, over to that other door, out of the safety of the fog. I passed right behind the bruiser with the mighty club, mere inches away from him for the second time. Somehow, I cracked the door open silently, shimmied through, and closed it again behind me with nary a peep. None of them noticed me do it.

Another small room, also disappointingly bare of valuable or useful goods. I did pick up a couple of ink pots, and some extra quills, so I suppose those will come in handy as I keep this journal. But still, rather disappointing. As I was grumbling to myself about the poor pickings in these heavily-guarded rooms, I must have made some noise, because suddenly I heard one of the adventurers at the door. I dashed into the corner and pressed myself up against the dusty stone wall, praying to whatever power might have been listening that I wouldn't be seen. A moment later, a robed elven woman with a staff, most likely their mage, burst into the room and ran right past me, looking around everywhere on the OTHER side of the room. She never turned toward me, and I thanked Tymora, Sehanine, Mystra, and a dozen other gods as I took the opportunity to sneak back out into the hall and, once again, into my ever-useful fog cloud.

I was almost safe. I just needed to get past one more of them, a stout-looking grey-skinned dwarf. The trouble was, she was blocking the doorway I needed to get through in order to go back the way I'd come in. I knew I'd need to make a desperate move, calling on all of the athletic prowess that I HOPED I possessed. I sidled up behind her, not daring to breathe, completely exposed should she happen to turn around. Taking a deep breath and marshalling all of my energy, I suddenly jumped up, vaulted over her shoulder, and sprinted for all I was worth through the room, through the other doorway, and on and on until I was once again outside and certain that they were not giving chase. I laughed maniacally, flush with a sense of delicious exhilaration as I reveled in the fact that I was still breathing.

It was an epic heist, for all the skill it required and danger it involved. But it was also a total bust, as I came away from ALL of that with only a few nearly-valueless items. So disappointing, and yet I felt so alive both during and after the insane caper. So many times, they nearly saw me, nearly caught me, but I got out clean. Somehow. And yet I feel as if there is some alternate reality, some other plane like this one, with another me in it, where I did die, my head crushed by a wicked club. Is it possible that that would have been my true fate, but for the intervention of a benevolent deity? I'm really not sure. All I know is, I made it. Now that's what I call archaeology!

I was, once again, exhausted. Even though I hadn't spent much time in the ruin today, and had very little to show for my expedition, I felt like I'd had plenty of action for one day. So I used the rune to return to my nice little camp (I think of it as "my" camp now, and I sure hope no one else comes back to claim it), and settled down to record my tale in this journal. At least now I have some proper, quality ink to write with, instead of the dodgy stuff I was making myself. Tomorrow, I don't think I'll be able to resist taking ONE more look in that ruin. Maybe the robbers will be gone! And even if not, there was another huge set of double doors that I didn't go through. I can't leave that stone unturned, now CAN I?

Let's see what I've accumulated now:

- 1 old robe, 1 suit of fancy half-plate, 2 pairs of boots.
- 1 Master Archaeologist's Toolkit.
- 2 daggers, 1 quarterstaff, 3 shortbows, 2 longswords, 1 handaxe, 1 halberd, 1 crappy scimitar, 1 leather helm, and 1 shield.
- 2 backpacks and 3 collapsible-yet-sturdy crates (picked up another one in there).
- 11 sketchy bulb-things: 3 "Caustic", 5 "Void", and 3 "Spiked".
- 12 Potions of Healing, 2 Potions of Speed, 1 Potion of Poison Resistance, and 1 Potion of Fire Resistance.
- 2 bottles of water, 3 apples, 1 loaf of sourdough bread, and 1 wheel of cheese.
- 2 Scrolls of Revivify, 1 Scroll of False Life, 1 Scroll of Inflict Wounds, 1 Scroll of Mage Armor, and 1 Scroll of Fire Bolt, 1 Scroll of Protection From Evil and Good, and 1 Scroll of Guiding Bolt (at least I got a couple new scrolls).
- 1 copper ring, 1 onyx ring, 1 burnished necklace, 1 malachite gem, 1 onyx gem, 1 huge honking ruby, 2 shiny clamshells, and a pretty ruby ring (probably the best thing I found today).
- 1 Alchemist's Fire, 3 Grease Bottles, and 1 Vial of Poison.
- 3 bundles of Mugwort, 1 of Mergrass, and 1 of Autumncrocus.
- 1 Soul Coin (apparently that's what it's called, according to Identify).
- 1 thrilling journal that will one day be a legendary document.
- 4 quills, 2 ink pots, and 2 candles (worth it?).
- 1 spellbook of FOG SUPREMACY.
- The Watcher's Guide (it glooooows)!
- 138 gold coins (I suppose I'm making more per day than a chambermaid, so there's that).





OOC Part:


DEATH COUNT: 2

I am having a lot of fun with this! I pulled very little meaningful loot this session, but learned a lot about Fog Cloud-assisted stealth tactics. Had my second death while experimenting, but it felt great when I managed to get past that group of NPCs not once, but twice.

I actually played the next day, and have written the next journal entry already, but I'm not gonna post it just yet. I don't want to give folks too much to read at once.

I hope a few people are still enjoying this!



Stay tuned for the next part, coming further down the thread soon!


Part four is now up: https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=733581#Post733581