Playing by (e)Mail Update 2

My AD&D 2nd Edition Play by Email game continues apace, and is almost as long as The Fellowship of the Ring. Here are some additional details about the player characters (and who is involved), updated statistics (because I like numbers), and collated links to the story (for those that care to read it all without clicking "previous post" 50 times).

Just a note: Due to the flexible nature of this format, new players are always welcome. Feel free to contact me if you want to join in.

Note on Languages: Languages other than the ubiquitous "Common" are often handled by the players translating their conversations into other real-world languages using Google Translate. If you have trouble following conversations where he is involved, you can use Google Translate to back-port the languages to English. Most of this centers on the character Hrud, who does not speak Common. Most of his conversations should be translated from "Javanese", unless he is talking to a dwarf, in which case use "Danish". The players inform me that strange syntax and miss-translations are intentional.

The Party: (organized by Players)

• Darcy Quick:
• Lyra (A young half-elven psionicist with an overbearing mother).
• Paul King:
• Hrud (A barbarian who has trouble communicating with the others).
• Alan Knightly:
• Frantiska (An elven paladin...run over by a wagon).
• Yamtwit Cheeseater (A goblin priest and purveyor of magical dairy products).
• Sheryl:
• Sister Winona (A rather lax priestess of Tyr, the god of justice).
• Miero Bloodsong (halfling assassin)
• Stephanie Donnel:
• Skæggede Gudsven (dwarven faux-holy-woman with an awesome beard)
• NPCs:
• Sister Rye (Winona's halfling "apprentice").
• Teldicia (A mysterious "elven" woman with unusual powers).
• Brother Rant (Another priest of Tyr and former international spy).
• Amara (A somewhat sinister little girl with a magical doll), formerly a PC of Doug Noel.

Former Party Members:

• Alan Knightly:
• Gendry (A minotaur pirate...stabbed in the back by an NPC "ally").
• Sheryl:
• Donovan (A former herald for the local government, the party's organizer and father-figure...crushed under a falling balcony).
• Roger Brasslett: 
• Bo (A dwarven artisan who we never learned much about).
• Mike Pruett:
• Shaddup (Annoying gnomish craftsman).

The Story So Far:

• Chapter 1: Arriving in New Phlan
• Day 1:
• Shaddup and Amara meet on a ship.
• Donovan, Lyra, and Gendry are introduced, and a party forms.
• Day 2:
• The ship lands in New Phlan.
• The party meets Amara's uncle for lunch.
• The party get their official "license" to be adventurers. (Woo politics and mundanity).
• The party heads into the Slums and gets in their first fight or two.
• The party faces off against a (small) acid-spitting dragon.
• The party finds a gate to the Nine Hells and Gendry gets killed.
• Lyra teleports back to town and meets Sister Winona,
• Donovan faces off against some kobolds and meets Frantiska and Hrud.
• The party reunites, deals with more paperwork, and Shaddup leaves the party.
• And everyone finally gets some sleep.
• Chapter 2: Handle with Care
• Day 3:
• The first "adventure" gets underway with the rescue of a girl in the Slums.
• The party goes shopping and stocks up on supplies for the road.
• The party meets Amara's father.
• The party unloads their unconscious rescuee and finally get on the road.
• The party does a drive-by of a creepy cemetery.
• The party investigates an old tower, fight some fish monsters, and find a lot of treasure.
• The party makes camp for the night and are scared witless by some undead.
• Day 4:
• The party fights about privacy rights.
• Lyra teleports back to town to do more shopping and Winona joins the party.
• Frantiska gets run over by a wagon and we meet Yamtwit.
• The party rescues Bo from some orcs and wake up covered with leeches.
• Day 5:
• The party stops to rest at Iniarv's Tower in the swamp and Frantiska leaves the party.
• Chapter 3: An Old Woman in Melvaunt
• Day 6:
• The party is ambushed by a large force of kobolds on the road.
• The party discusses how to save the old man's village from the kobold army.
• Day 7-10:
• The party prepares to ward off a kobold invasion.
• Chapter 3.5: The Squatters in Onyx
• Day 11:
• The party decides to take the fight to the kobolds and invade their lair.
• The party continues to explore the Kobold lair and tries to get by without a thief.
• The party deals with several ambushes and Donovan dies.
• The party frees a couple of prisoners and add them to the ranks.
• To be continued...

Now some statistics, mostly for my own benefit:

• First game post: 08/06/2013 (corrected from previous post)
• Runtime to date: 83 weeks
• In-game time elapsed:  11 days
• Total posts to date: 2927
• Average posts per week: 35.3
• Total Words:  177,272
• Combat Encounters: 17
• Average combat duration: 3 rounds or 25 posts
• Average Party Level:  2nd...