Sarka, marketplace, Klos 19th, 350AC, 12:30  (underground, 65 degrees, crescent moon)

You walk to the south.  As you go, you can hear faint percussion sounds repeating every second or so:  Tok, tok, tok…  The hut to your left seems to be some sort of storage or silo.  Piles of bundled hay lie outside it.  A dirty badder wearing a pair of canvas shorts, and a bandana tied over his face, is grabbing bundles and bringing them inside.

To the south of that is a cart.  A badder standing in the cart is shoveling heaps of gray powder into canvas bags, which are being tied and stacked by 3 other badders.  There is a haze of gray dust in the air and on the ground, and the badders are wearing bandanas around their faces.

[audio:https://gwevolution.netfarious.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/badgers.mp3|autostart=no]

To the southwest, another badder, wearing overalls and a toolbelt, is using a chisel to chip away at a block of stone.  Three other badders, who you suspect are just random shoppers in the market, are standing around watching.

A very large building is to the south, which is completely made from gray-blue stone, although it has been shaped to look like a mushroom hut, including the roof.  The doors have very ornate arches around them, and are capped with a rune carved into a white block of stone.

Sarka, marketplace, outside mindrenders, Klos 19th, 350AC, 12:25  (underground, 65 degrees, crescent moon)

[audio:https://gwevolution.netfarious.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/overturesun.mp3|autostart=yes]

You move back through the open doors, which start to slowly swing shut behind you.  You hear a strange huffing laughing sound coming from the badders within.  The Mindrenders get one more mental attack on you, but they are at -1RF due to range.

The cold slithery one tries to read Arvak’s mind (15): 30 9 = white.  Moot point, but Arvak’s MS save (11): 1 8 = white.

The booming pressure continues to try penetrating Phallon’s mental defense (13): 60 5 = green reduced to blue.  Phallon’s MS save (15 + 1 RS): 50 1 = blue up to a green.

You are able to keep them at bay, and as you move away from the Mindrender’s hut, their presence fades.

Sarka, marketplace, mindrenders, Klos 19th, 350AC, 12:19  (underground, 65 degrees, crescent moon)

[audio:https://gwevolution.netfarious.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/spiritseeks.mp3|autostart=yes]

You walk forward towards the red pigmented hut.  The dark insects, similar to large roaches with several glowing purple spots, sit on the roof edge and perhaps watch you as you near.  The main door to the hut is flanked by columns made of mushroom stalks.  A lattice of linked animal bones cover them, and as you approach, the thick shruden doors swing open as if by magic.

You enter the dimly lit chamber beyond, and find 6 badders standing in a semi-circle before you.  The central two are wearing elaborate robes in which are inset ancient metal pieces and wires.  They are flanked by muscular guards decked out in plate armor and wielding impressive badder-sized pikes and great swords.

One of the robed badders shouts out in a booming voice:  “Kneel down in the glory of the power of the Mindrenders of Ukrul!  In what lowly and mundane task do you beg assistance??”

Everyone check their private posts!

Sarka, marketplace, Klos 19th, 350AC, 12:17  (underground, 65 degrees, crescent moon)

[audio:https://gwevolution.netfarious.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/spiritseeks.mp3|autostart=yes]

As you stand and stare at the red hut, the swarm of insects disperse.  A few of them are still on the roof (you can only see the small glowing purple spots), but most of them scatter and fly off in various directions with a clacky buzzing noise.

You have a creeping feeling that you are being watched.  Then, with a strange tingling in your heads, you hear voices.  The first one is best described as a slithery chill:  “Sixxx brrainss in fffour bodiesss.  And not a weak will among them.  Come clossser and give us your thoughtssssss.”

The next voice feels like a booming pressure:  “BUT UNSKILLED AND FEEBLE!!  WEAK NON-BADDER SHRAK’L MINDS!  OUT OF PLACE AND SHOULDN’T BE IN SARKA AT ALL!!”

The third voice is warm and calm:  “Yet the king allows them to be here, and we must obey our king.  Do not fear us, or those creatures on the roof.  Please come inside.”

Ragnor, see your private post.

[audio:https://gwevolution.netfarious.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/xp.mp3|autostart=yes]

I haven’t awarded any XP since turn 28.  You guys are overdue.  A lot of the turns were not XP earners as they were just for travel, or having conversations with each new group of NPC’s.  Even the combats were pretty weak: a couple of ice-worms, a chaotic mess against arks in the fog, and then finally a more involved battle against the tendril creatures in the hut outside the badder tower.

You were better at avoiding battle: Lazetur the cyborg, Lord Frall and company, and of course the badders in general so you could get to their city.

Arvak = 53 (2 telekinesis to pull worm out of Zeebo’s head, 2 teleporting the fallen to healers, 3 storytelling to placate cyborg, 2 telekinetic stop of rebar about to hit friend, 2 precognition of tendril attack, 4 combat with tendrils, 2 awareness roll/getting shroom coin, 5 for interaction at shroom den, 3 for two “00” awareness rolls and effect, 3 to avoid combat w/ Frall, 15 for getting into Sarka without bloodshed, 10 for roleplaying/acting.)

Phallon = 57 (2 for calming down Ghrullhar, 10 combat with iceworms, 3 placating cyborg, 5 for astral walk, 6 combat with tendrils, 2 for ID’ing badder shops, 2 bargaining at badder armory, 5 bargaining for solar charger, 3 to avoid combat w/ Frall, 15 getting to Sarka peacefully, 4 for roleplaying/acting.)

Ragnor = 60 (3 for speech to the presidents, 2 for salvaging the ancient bike, 3 for placating the cyborg, 21 combat with tendrils, 2 for sarka espionage, 5 for actions at shroom den, 3 for avoiding combat w/ Frall, 15 getting to Sarka peacefully, 6 for roleplaying/acting.)

Zeebo = 60 (1 life leech, 1 for “00” save vs stun, 1 “00” apothecary roll (invent new painkiller), 1 for awareness w/ cyborg, 2 displacement from tendrils, 1 for fog knowledge roll, 5 for sarka espionage, 3 for badder language rolls/use, 4 for molecular sense/duralloy knowledge, 1 for “00” CH roll at shroom den, 5 for results at shroom den, 2 for apothecary roll (“second skin”), 5 for obtaining solar charger, 3 for avoiding battle w/ Frall, 15 for reaching Sarka w/o bloodshed, 10 for roleplaying/acting.)

I will update your character sheets.

Since the game seems to be stalled, I will not continue until everyone responds.