Terry can feel his bond strongly now. He finds that even if he allows his focus to relax a little the connection stays strong. It's as if nothing could sever it now. The wombat is excited and extremely happy to be connecting with a wizard, a companion. It looks about for an appropriate spot to enter the material world. It settles on a spot in the grassy clearing near to a gopher hole. The underground burrow is comforting and could provide safety if required. The hole is near the edge of the clearing about twenty feet from where Teriadoc is performing his ritual. Deciding the time is right, the wombat steps through the mystical portal and finds himself in the grassy glade. The sky is dark and starry. The air is cool and filled with the sound of crickets.

The scene is peaceful and serene yet no sooner has the familiar materialized when it's internal alarm goes off. It hears rustling in the bushes nearby. It turns to look in the direction of the sound. Immediately it spots an extremely large hunting wolf spider. It has its many multifaceted eyes fixed on the wombat, yet it has not moved to strike. Yet.

DM notes: Your familiar has arrived. You will have complete control of this character. Remember to use the appropriate intelligence score when conversing with the creature.  I will give you the reigns for Celestial Wombat who can be renamed of course.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:15, Mon 01 Apr.

This cute, furry little marsupial has survived by trusting its instincts. The instinct to flee this threat is then subverted by a new instinct to protect this small, frail looking little creature that is beckoning with a apple. Calling upon its own mysterious powers the celestial wombat springs away from the threat with incredible speed. Instead of rushing to the burrow the wombat will charge to the Gnome and the spin around in front of him, fur bristling and snorting.

Wilda will cast expeditious retreat and then move to stand in front Terry, between him and the giant spider.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:30, Wed 03 Apr.

Terry's joy at the success of the summoning and the warmth of the established empathic link is immediately replaced by a sense of fear and the wombats sudden rush to stand in front of him. Picking up the crossbow Terry will focus his mind and gain the ancestral ability to speak with burrowers. "Friend, what's wrong?"

Terry has cast speak with animals.
He has rolled a spot check (+5 with alertness) and gotten 17.
He has rolled a listen check (+7 with alertness) and gotten 26.

"SPIDER! Big spider, go away spider, grrrrr!"

"Ahhh, spider... ok, it'll be ok..."
"Winston, please get Master Pumblechook!"

A large brown wolf spider, about the size of a gnome is lying in wait just inside a bush when a warm blooded rodent seemingly appears out of nowhere. The spider tenses and shifts it's position, catching the eyes of the creature. The spider freezes.

Suddenly, the rodent flees. Instinctualy the spider pursues with surprising speed, but not as surprising or as fast as the rodent.

As soon as thecrodent moves the spider rushes out in pursuit but is unable to catch it before it joins another warm blood. A two for one!

The spider closes to within 20 feet of Terry and his new friend.


Initiative Spider
1d20 + 3
Rolled: 18 + 3 = 21

Initiative Terry
1d20 + 1
Rolled: 14 + 1 = 15

Wombat, started combat so it went first.
Now Terry can act.

This message was last edited by the player at 02:55, Thu 04 Apr.

Terry stares at the giant spider and curses, realising that his best spell is useless against vermin. Thinking quickly he remembers that a natural predator of spiders is the owl. Muttering under his breath Terry vocalises deep from his throat and from the trees behind him echoes the piercing hunting cry of a giant screech owl. When the cry echoes out Terry looks over his shoulder and cries out in fear "Argh! Winston, go quickly, there's a giant spider and a giant owl!"

Terry casts ghost sound 30 ft behind himself to make the sounds of a giant screech owl in an attempt to scare off the spider..

The wombat holds its ground, fur bristling, ready to dodge and weave if the spider attacks.

Wilda will take the full defence action.

The spider is locked onto its prey and intends to rush it, but suddenly the situation changes. Though spiders don't have ears they have very good hearing. The hairs on their body can not only transmit frequency but also amplitude and a sense of direction. Sounds from above always cause a forest spider to take notice. The spider faults in its tracks and drops low into the grass, trying to hide itself. It's attention is turned upward where it has detected the sound of feathery talons from the sky.


Initiative Spider
1d20 + 3
Rolled: 4 + 3 = 7

Initiative Wilda
1d20 + 3
Rolled: 16 + 3 = 19

Initiative Teriadoc
1d20 + 1
Rolled: 12 + 1 = 13

This message was last edited by the player at 22:57, Thu 04 Apr.

The wombat holds its ground, snorting angrily, ready to dodge and weave if the spider attacks.

Wilda will take the full defence action.

Terry will focus again, this time making the sound of a branch snapping and then from five feet away from the first screech another louder screech. As soon as the spider appears distracted Terry swings up the heavy crossbow and takes a shot.

As a free action Terry makes more owl nises with ghost sound.

Terry attack
1d20 + 1 dex + 1 size
Rolled: 19 + 2 = 21 (critical threat)

Terry Crit
1d20 + 2
Rolled: 18 + 2 = 20 (crit)

Damage Bolt
2d8 for crit
Rolled: 7
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:21, Fri 05 Apr.

As the spider becomes completely still it senses danger from above. Remaining perfectly still is the best defense. The trees above are dark and it can see no threats.

Suddenly a sharp pain literally pierces the back of its abdomen. It wtithes in pain. There is a stick thrust into its body. It shakes, but the stick remains.

All thought of hunting and food are replaced with escape and survival. The spider staggers toward the bushes it came from.

Terry will place a hand on the wombat and will urge it to move with the spider, keeping thirty feet between them. Making another owl noise behind them Terry will whisper a much simpler variant of the summoning incantation. A small, horned, red viper appears in the bushes next to the spider, with a sinister hiss it lunges at an arachnid leg but misses.

As a free action Terry makes more owl nises with ghost sound.

Terry will cast summon monster to summon a small fiendish viper.

Viper attack
1d20 + 4 to hit
Rolled: 5 + 4 = 9

The spider flinches and fades away from the new threat. It certainly looks like food, but hunger has been replaced with fear, or what vermin experience as fear. The spider hisses and bares it's fangs in response to the perceived threat. The spider backs away. It notices the small burrow that Wilda had spotted when she arrived. It makes a break for the hole.


Initiative Spider
1d20 + 3
Rolled: 3 + 3 = 6

Initiative Wilda
1d20 + 3
Rolled: 2 + 3 = 5

Initiative Terry
1d20 + 1
Rolled: 10 + 1 = 11

This message was last edited by the player at 12:34, Fri 05 Apr.

The viper will make a last lunge at the arachnids leg as it flees, its fangs finding the soft meat at a joint. Terry will hiss a short spell, almost as if he was spitting into his hand and will then flick it at the spider. As the spider scurries into the burrow a small spray of acid splatters the earth at the tunnels mouth. There is a small puff of black smoke as the viper returns to the seven hells while Terry and the wombat watch the spider scurry out of sight.

The fiendish vipers attack of opportunity
1d20 + 4 to hit
Rolled: 18 + 4 = 22
1 point of damage

DC 10 fortitude save against viper poison.

Terry casts acid splash
1d20 +2 to hit
Rolled 4 + 2 = 6

The spider manages to escape into the hole and disappears from the dim light of Terry's fire. Suddenly a small clapping sound is heard from the entrance to Pumblechook's hovel. It's applause.

"Well done Terry! You are a wizard. You made short work of that fairly dangerous vermin. Use of the figment ghost sound was astute. Once a wild animal shifts from hunger to fear, if it has escape, the fight is over. Where did you learn to shoot like that?"

Pumblechook beams a smile and looks puffed with pride in his star pupil.

"DM notes:  300 xp awarded to Terry. You made it look easy. It wasn't. Nice job.  I am awarding you an additional 50 xp for good role play of this scene. 350 in total."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:11, Sat 06 Apr.

Terry braces the crossbow with his foot and winches the string back onto its notch then places a bolt with a slightly shaking hand. Crossbow loaded in case the spider reappears he will place it gingerly on the ground and will then kneel next to his new friend. Absently stroking her soft fur he will say "Thank you Master Pumblechook. As well as learning magical theory with you and studying alchemy my cousins and I like to train with the militia in case Kobolds and Goblins attack. I'm sorry I wasn't able to finish off the spider, that brute's big enough to be a real threat to a Gnome, on the way home I'll ask the constable to get some hunters to finish it off."

Looking the wombat in the eyes Terry says "Hello dear one, my name is Teriadoc Proudfoot, please call me Terry. I am an apprentice mage to the great master Pumblechook, I have summoned you here much like he summoned his wonderful weasel Winston. Do you have a name?"
The wombat snuffles into Terry's pockets and finds another apple.
"Hello Terry, I'm Wilda. You feel very tired, would you like some of this funny apple? I'd give you yummy gold apples but I can't smell any, this red apple is good though!"
Terry smiles at Wilda.
"Thank you. I also need to explain that my magic is nearly gone for today, it lets me talk to you. When I've had a sleep I'll be able to talk to you some more."

"Master, this is Wilda the Wombat. Would you like to have a little chat with her this evening or should we come back tomorrow?"

Bidding good night to master Pumblechook Terry leads Wilda back towards his family burrow. He heads to the the town watch on the way and will tell the first guard he finds about the wounded spider, the clearing and the burrow it hid in. When he gets home he will introduces Wilda to his Ma and together they have a good time offering Wilda various fruits, breads and vegetables and learn a little about the plane that Wilda came from when Ma Proudfoot calls upon her own innate abilities to speak with their burrowing guest.

Exhausted from summoning and the fight with the spider Terry heads to bed early, while Wilda continues to snuffle around the burrow, memorising every nook and cranny of her new home. She has lived in an unchanging valley for a very long time, she is excited by this new world and truly happy that she has a warm place to explore it from.
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:04, Wed 10 Apr.

"Well done Terry! Wilda is a fine familiar,  Very fine indeed. You did well to defend her so bravely. She will never forget that. It is late and you need rest. Terry, come see me occasionally,  I will be taking on a new student. Once I select one, my availability will be limited. You are always welcome to stop by, just understand that my attention may be limited. Seek out friends and find reasons to use your skills. There are no substitutions for experience. Goodnight young man."

"Thank you master Pumblechook! Please know that I recognise that I have barely scratched the surface of the arcane and also that it would be an intensely proud moment for me if you ever felt I could assist you in your studies or in training the next apprentice. If you ever call for me I'll be here as fast as I can. Good night master."

Waking up Terry is over joyed to see Wilda snuffling around their burrow and spends significant time brushing her fur and making her and his ma porridge with honey and berries. He then attends to his studies and decides to attempt a business venture that he has had in mind. He leads Wilda down the tunnels of Glitterhovel and makes straight for Kinder Cobbles Apothecary.

Entering the main store room Terry proudly makes a show of revealing a faintly golden wombat. "Hello master Cobble, how are you today? Please allow me to introduce the new friend that master Pumblechook helped me summon. This is Wilda, visiting us from Elysium!"
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:08, Thu 11 Apr.

The familiar clunky clinging of a bell above the door rings as Terry enters the shop. Kinder Cobble appears from the back room at the beckoning sound.

"Terry! Good day my friend. I havn't seen you in a few days. I figured the old hermit had you running around some way. So Wilda you say."

The gentle gnome turns to Wilda and speaks to her.

"Any friend of Terry's is a friend of mine. Welcome to Glitterhovel,  welcome to Aldarius. I have not seen a wombat in decades. I do hope you enjoy it here."

Kinder turns back to Terry,

"I have some healing tonic that needs bottled.  Remember to add the elderberry juice before corking the vials. A drop of berry helps the taste ya know."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:36, Fri 12 Apr.

"No problem master, I'll scrub up and get right into it. There is one thing that I would like to talk to you about before I do. You see, summoning Wilda was a final trial of sorts and I'm now competent enough to reliably cast a few basic spells. One of them allows me to learn the attributes of magical artifacts, identify their powers and activation triggers. Would you be happy for me to advertise from your shop that I am available to provide the service identifying items magical properties? I would charge 125 gold for this as this magic requires a pearl worth 100 gold. I was also hoping that you would be able to buy such pearls off the jeweller for a favourable price and then I could purchase them off you at market value. This way you would benefit from allowing me to provide this service and I can start saving towards the equipment that I will need to start my own store. I can't wait until we can expand our businesses and each specialise in the creations we most enjoy making."

"We could  certainly extend our services here. Pearls are not easy to come by but I know who to ask. Mort Moleburrow the jewler here in the bazaar. The tougher part might be finding customers, but occasionally folks need something figured out."

Kinder gives Wilda a pat and Terry's back as well.

"That's a fine friend you git there. Congratulations!"

Kinder goes about restocking shelves with a batch of headache tincture he just finished bottling.

Terry sets to the task of bottling the tonic, making sure to add the berry juice before corking, with great enthusiasm, deeply happy with how well his proposal has been received. After giving the shop a dust and a sweep he then sets out three pieces of parchment and will make three copies of his advertisement. It will state in bold, simple Gnomen "the newly graduated mage Teriadoc Proudfoot will identify any unknown magical artifact for 125 gold coins, if interested please inquire at Master Cobble Kinders Apothecary." In the middle of the page he will quickly draw a circle resting in the centre of an open book radiating light. He will then repeat the message in the rounder human script. Terry Then prepares lunch for himself and Master Kinder and will ask "What would you like me to work on this afternoon master?"

Master Cobble always has plenty for Terry to do. Terry is smart and responsible and eager to learn so Kinder gives him responsibility to help him grow and to help his business.

The two go about a typical morning in the shop when some familiar faces walked through the door.



This thread is now closed. The story continues in Chapter 1.