|
Post by TG Barighm on May 8, 2018 18:05:26 GMT -5
TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (Yes. Two rings is plenty) * * * * * * *
ADAM:
Adam heads to the site of the big tournament to see what he needs to do to qualify. He may not be the most famous party member, but his involvement hasn't gone entirely unnoticed. Adam can easily enter the tournament at any time and all he has to do is show up; however, the tournament organizers wish to sponsor Adam. They will pay him 200 GP if he signs with them, but maybe Adam can do better than that. Surely someone out there will pay more.
There are a lot of random jobs kicking around Spellmount, but they're all very minor after Adam's adventures in Helcath and at Baldorak. Deliver this, guard that, beat up this guy, get money from that guy, go to the far end of the island to find some herb...all boring stuff.
Unfortunately, when Adam begins sniffing around for information about Allarant, he discovers the crimelord may have left the island in a fancy magical ship.
IRDRED:
Irdred asks his question.
Aigon suddenly looks nervous. He fiddles with the pen on his desk for a moment before looking back at Irdred.
"On occasion," he suddenly replies. "Accidents happen. Taking advantage of a rare opportunity to study a very dangerous creature...we got it, but there were...casualties. And who would have thought a mummy could hide such a dangerous flesh eating disease! I still have the scars from that. Most of my time on the other side has been the result of scouring Helcath of coins. A very dangerous place. If you don't know of it...good. You will enjoy a much happier life by not visiting it."
Aigon suddenly leans close to Irdred. "I don't know if they're real. The spirits, I mean. They appear to be the same as those...I've killed, and our art does not meddle with the spirit...not to my knowledge. This taint they mention...nobody has ever studied it. How could you? You would need to be dead."
Aigon leans back in his chair. "But it's not like I've ever been haunted by one of these spirits, not one I didn't attempt to shackle anyway-I wouldn't recommend it. A single ghost can turn an entire army into frightened children, but they will haunt you the rest of your life-so I doubt they're real. Vengeful spirits is an occupational hazard, so you'd think those we 'tainted' would be a little more proactive. As it is, they merely make a brief trip to the other side a little less welcoming."
Regarding the research...
Irdred begins his first day of researching. He spends the entire day casting his healing spell over and over and over and over and over and over...
Let's just say he doesn't have much luck (Failure on 1). At least the variant is available for purchase if he ever wants it.
Regarding disenchanting...
The dust that results from disenchanting can be used to enchant another item, yes, but never to the degree of a Shard of Light...well, at least not from somebody with minimal enchanting experience. Legendary class items are not that easy to reproduce. Magic dust mostly helps you avoid needing a craftsman or an enchanter, but you still need a spellcaster for the spells.
Magic dust is also very valuable. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag Adam searches for a better deal, possibly from the more affluent members of the city. He will spin a yarn that he was the most important part of the group and made the killing blow to Xevalos (obviously a lie). If no one bites, he will take the original offer.
He will also look for an item that imparts Advanced Dodge or Improved Parry. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag Irdred deflates somewhat at Aigon's story. He had wanted to believe that Xevalos was responsible for the tainted spirits. After all, only therianthropes showed up in Irdred's dream; the worg and pirates that he had reanimated were absent. He's not sure what this means, but it's clear now that necromancy is indeed at the root of the issue, not Xevalos.
No matter. Where one door closes, another opens... but all in due time.
I don't know if they're real. The spirits, I mean.
"...Impossible to say with certainty. Further evidence is needed. But if every practitioner of necromancy witnesses these apparitions, it lends credence to them being real. Wouldn't you agree, sir?" His face suddenly darkens, but he doesn't voice what is troubling him. You knew. Even if you were in denial, you knew. I came in here talking about "broken-down machines", but all along you knew there was more to a corpse than that. And you said nothing.
This taint they mention...nobody has ever studied it. How could you? You would need to be dead.
"You just answered your own question." Irdred taps his temple, and a wry, slightly unbalanced smile spreads across his face. "Nobody has ever studied it because nobody else will do what it takes to get to the bottom of it. But I will. ...And this is what I shall require." He then starts listing off demands, for lack of a better term. He wants a larger, private, and above all secure laboratory, well-stocked for both necromancy experiments and alchemy. He wants full access to the Council's supply of corpses, not just the rat and bird corpses that he's been restricted to thus far. And he wants funding in the neighborhood of 7,000 gold. He'd rather not reveal how this gold will be spent, but if pressed, he'll make it known that it will go toward the purchase of a Delay Healing tome and the creation of certain alchemical substances ::cough::poisons::cough::, both of which will be integral to his research.
Disenchanting:
Magic dust is also very valuable.
(More valuable than just selling the original item, I presume? The items I'm thinking of disenchanting are the charm baton, enhance gear oil, and resistant armor (unless Talbot speaks up about wanting to keep that).)
Other: -I forgot to mention that Irdred will also try to craft an Advanced Heal potion every day. -For both potion-making and research, he'll use the Dagger of Slaughter to create a lucky object beforehand, if that helps in his efforts. -He investigates what and where Helcath is, despite Aigon's warning. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (My cousin is using my monitor to repair some broken old computers or something, and I'm still getting used to typing on a laptop-damn tiny buttons!-so I'll just be answering questions today)
ADAM: I'm trying to avoid items that replace Traits. If an item grants the property of a Trait, it's usually limited in some way. There are enchants you can put on weapons to improve your ability to Parry with them, and a Barrier potion will block attacks, not as good as Dodge but still helpful. I suppose magical boots could give you the ability to dodge for a bit.
IRDRED: Magic dust is treated like currency for major transactions. It's worth 1000 GP, the exact amount needed to successfully enchant an item, so little bits of it here and there isn't worth much. Most magic items are worth 2000 GP, so it's roughly worth the selling amount. Item size determines the amount of magic dust earned, but this whole magic dust thing is just supposed to be a little detail in the world and I don't want it to get too complicated, so dust is 1000 GP, most items produce this much regardless of how many enchantments are on the weapon, and small things like potions don't produce enough to be worthwhile.
I'd like Talbot to have the armor but I'm not sure how to do so without costing him too much money. I still want the Hardened enchantment. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (would a dispelling item affect just spells cast on Jack, or would it affect other magical items he is carrying?)
Jack will look for a pair of pistols that fire lightning, but then, after thinking about for a moment, he realizes that he wants one to by sonic so he can call them Thunder and Lightning.
Jack will talk to the other potential sponsor about sponsoring him for the big tournament. He explains that as a favor to Roan he is not entering the smaller tournament, and is entering the guild tournament under Roan's patronage.
At Haschem's Manor.
Jack takes the bag of gold. "Any ideas on their numbers?" Jack asks.
After getting directions to the warehouse, Jack will go in search of Irdred and Adam. If he finds Irdred, he asks for his help, promising the corpses for his studies. He promises Adam a split of the cash. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (It will act like a Dodge for Spells. You won't accidentally dispel your own enchantments) * * * * * *
JACK:
Jack actually has a tough time finding someone who sells the guns. Thankfully, when he does, it's someone who can offer him his discount, so the two guns will cost 4000 GP each. Note these guns only deal 1 HP damage, but they still benefit from Jack's pistol expertise traits (so final tally will be like +4).
These guns don't need to be reloaded every shot. Will Jack keep his regular guns?
Regarding sponsors...
The merchant doesn't have a problem with Jack taking part in the guild tournament. As long as Jack isn't officially sponsored, Jack can sign on with the merchant. The merchant is offering Jack a 300 GP signing bonus and he will have to give the merchant 40% of his winnings.
Regarding Haschem's task...
"Nope," Haschem replies, then waves dismissively at Jack.
Irdred is very busy, so Jack can't find the necromancer, but he does find Adam (it's up to Dremmy if Adam wants to help, or work for, Jack). Irdred may still appreciate the corpses for study. Jack also runs into Talbot...
ADAM:
Adam goes about searching for better sponsors. He quickly realizes he doesn't know where to find such people and starts asking around the battle arena. He finds a couple people: a big guy who sponsors a lot of fighters and doesn't seem that interested in Adam and a sexy woman who loves watching men fight eachother. The big guy acts like he is giving Adam a flat rate: a 200 GP signing bonus and Adam must give up half his winnings, but Adam is expected to attend every tournament. It sounds like the big guy can get Adam into a lot of tournaments, although many tournaments are weekly events.
The sexy woman offers Adam a 1000 GP signing bonus, and maybe something else...but she doesn't mention how much of Adam's winnings must be shared, nor does she mention how often Adam is expected to fight. Not that she seems to care about that sort of thing. She is too busy caressing Adam's bulging muscles to talk much business.
Neither sponsor seems to know anything about the party's exploits and aren't interested in Adam's attempts to inflate his role in the adventure.
Adam later runs into Jack. The halfling appears to be offering a job (or a favour, but I don't think Adam is the type of guy to do favours).
IRDRED:
Regarding's Irdred's discussion with Aigon...
"Unfortunately, not every necromancer has witnessed these spirits, nor have many been in a position to animate a corpse we haven't provided," Aigon crosses his fingers and leans over his desk. "The majority of necromancers merely research new uses for the dead. The worst the average necromancer has to deal with is running away from authorities as a result of a botched grave robbing attempt. I'm afraid you and I are the most adventurous necromancers here, and this may come as a surprise to you, but I'm not exactly the most influential voice in the council chambers.
If the spirits are to be believed, this 'taint' only occurs when the spirit still inhabits the body...assuming that is true. I'm still not certain we even damage the spirit at all! It's more likely we drain some kind of living energy produced by the body, but that is research best left to the healers. Even so, I'm quite certain the 'spirit' is not present in corpses that have been dead for awhile."
Regarding Irdred's request for a lab and funding...
Aigon's features suddenly harden. "Such youthful zeal! Such ambition! I remember when I thought like you did.
I'm going to be honest with you...I don't think most necromancers want to know the answer to that mystery, nor do I believe a newly appointed junior member such as yourself should risk that standing on something so controversial. You may do what you wish on your own time, with your own resources, but I can't allow you to risk your career like this, not beneath the council's noses. You will have a lab and a space in the vault to store your research materials, and you will have access to better corpses, but I do not approve of this use of funding."
(Diplomacy Failure on 2) I imagine Irdred is a little miffed to see his potential research shot down by politics.
Regarding other things...
-It takes a full day of focus to create a potion. He already used this day to research Delayed Healing. He doesn't have time to create a potion today. -Irdred creates a Lucky object -Irdred has little trouble finding more details about Helcath (Success on 2), but discovers it's not that easy to find exactly where the place is or how to get there. Only Summoners know exactly where the hellish plane is, and although there are magical devices around to get you there, they're not exactly public knowledge. Apparently it's very important to have native currency when attempting any lengthy visit to Helcath. -Irdred eventually visits the Authority's grand halls, but it's later in the day and nobody is willing to accept him right now. He will have to come back tomorrow.
STATUS: Irdred has Lucky Trait Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag Jack will sell his weakest pistols. He keeps the dwarven pistols and the silenced magnums. He then buys the dispelling item and the two magical pistols.
Jack signs with the sponsor for the big tournament.
Unable to find Irdred, Jack offers Adam half the pay for his help in dealing with the Rats. He doesn't mention the job to Talbot. Savage Tide Info Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag Adam declines Jack's offer with the added note to "stay away from me if you know what's good for you". He realizes what happened in Xevalos' keep wasnt exactly Jacks fault, but he still believes Jack was willing to give himself over to Xevalos for his own personal gain.
Adam walks away from the woman offering the 1000GP bonus. He doesnt like the idea of going into a contract without knowing what he will get in return. If the tournament sponsor is still available and Adam gets to keep more than half his winnings, he will take that offer. If not, he will take the second offer. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag Asking Irdred not to pursue the truth is like asking a dog not to be a dog, but he doesn't come out and tell Aigon that he will continue his research with or without the Council's approval. He says instead, "What is this, the Queen's domain?! How could the Council not want to know??" He stops, takes a breath, reins in his anger, and goes on more calmly. "...Actually, don't bother answering that. I have no use for the willfully ignorant or their political motives."
He looks for a moment like he will leave. But at the doorway, he spins back around, willing to give it one more try from a different angle. "Even if the Council refuses to seek knowledge for its own sake, surely they can appreciate the power that comes with that knowledge?" Irdred is the one to lean forward on the desk now. "Think about it. If these spirits are real, if the taint is real, we have the power to decide who is sentenced to eternal punishment in a state of limbo, and who is allowed to go on to their final reward. We can set things right in death, what the law fails to do in life!"
He's not sure why he trusts Aigon enough to say these things out loud. The old man does remind him of his mentor somewhat, so maybe that has something to do with it. He goes on, "And unlike the nebulous promises and threats offered by the Holy Light, our manner of post-mortem justice will be backed by hard fact. ...Yes, one might argue that it could even be used as a deterrent to crime. The most capital of punishments. If the Authority can be convinced to see things that way... if they make use of our 'services'... we suddenly have a slew of criminal remains at our disposal. Perhaps that will make the Council reconsider their position?" It's a long shot, but worth a try.
Disenchanting: (I'm not really seeing any benefit at all to magic dust, then...? It's even counterproductive to create it. I'd expect more out of an item that requires two traits to craft, but I don't blame you for not wanting to go in-depth with it, so I'll just leave it alone.)
Other things: -Irdred will attempt to figure out Delay Healing at least a couple more times on his own, but if it's proving too troublesome, he may cave and buy the tome. Research will take priority over potion-brewing for now. (Ugh, another mark against Enchanter being worthwhile...) -He sells the Enhance Gear oil, the Charm Baton, and the Resistant Armour. (Assuming he does get at least 1,000 gold each for those last two). He checks how much he can get for the Hellshatter Grenade as well. -He buys a sturdy lock or three for his shiny new lab. It's not equipped for alchemy by any chance, is it? (I'll have to go back and refresh my memory on Helcath before I know if Irdred wants to do anything with that) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag STORY ******
"En garde!"
The rapier slices through the air in the blink of the eye, but the second rapier is quicker, blocking the strike of the first and knocking it aside. The first rapier is pulled back. Its handler, a young boy with blonde hair, fakes a winding thrust. When his opponent commits to the attack, the boy lashes out at his opponent's legs, piercing the leather and creating a wide hole. A second lightning quick strike find's his opponents stomach, thus creating a second hole in the leather armor.
"Splendid, my prince!" the boy's opponent pulls his protective leather mask away and grins broadly at the boy. "You are becoming a fine fencer."
The boy, throwing his mask to the floor, beams with delight.
The fencing chamber of the queen's palace is brightly lit with numerous chandeliers, even in the middle of the day, with each and every candle redirecting its wax into bulbous containers hanging beneath the grooved chandeliers. They swing lightly in the breeze from a nearby opened window, an enormous thing with panels of stained glass reaching all the way to the exceptionally high ceiling. Racks filled with various types of training equipment, from swords to shields, line the walls. The stone floor is worn to a shiny smoothness from centuries of shuffling feet.
"Again?" the prince asks.
Smiling, the boy's opponent, a tall, lanky man with long brown hair and a hint of a moustache, shakes his head in a slight motion. The fencing instructor can already hear the footsteps in the corridor.
"I believe your mother is calling me," the fencing instructor explains. The prince's smile fades and he looks down to the floor. The instructor places his hand on the prince's shoulder and goes down on one knee.
"Cheer up! The day is still young. I'm sure we can practise more later, but only if you eat your vegetables", the instructors says with a jovial, but slightly stern look in his eyes.
The prince nods vigorously. "I will! I promise."
"Then you better get to the cook and ask her for an extra helping at dinner. You will need your energy."
The prince rolls his eyes. "Aww! You tricked me! And after I promised too."
The fencing instructor laughs as the prince runs for the door and throws it open just in time to reveal a young man at the door. He is surprised to see the door fly open, but quickly regains his composure as the prince runs by.
"I do not mean to interrupt", the messenger begins, "but the bishop has just arrived and he wishes to meet with the queen."
The fencing instructor sighs, then nods to the messenger. The messenger disappears through the door and is soon followed by the instructor.
The fencing instructor never did like the bishop. The title is a farce. There isn't a single religious bone in the bishop's body. He is actually a wizard, an archmage of Atlas'Baerone no less, who arrived as part of an agreement with Spellmount. The fencing instructor doesn't know the exact details, but it has something to do with the cease-fire agreement, created shortly after the death of the king.
It doesn't take long for the fencing instructor to find the bishop. He is sitting on a red cushion in a sitting room near the grand hall.
A fairly tall, scrawny looking man, the bishop doesn't have the fatherly look normally associated with the city's priests. His hawk-like eyes have a fierce look to them, like this man expects obedience, and his dark hair stands in defiance of aging. The tall white hat barely hides the jet black hair, and the pristine white robes do little to mask this man's commanding stature.
"Bishop Cirillo," the instructor greets the man with a bow.
"Do not regard me by name, child. It is disrespectful," the bishop chides in his usual no-nonsense manner. "Please use my title."
"Very well, bishop," the fencing instructor maintains his well-rehearsed grin. The instructor never understood how a wizard, in a city still suspicious of magic, can become the bishop.
"May I ask the nature of your business?" the instructor asks as he begins to lead the bishop to the queen.
"You may not," the bishop replies in an emotionless tone.
The instructor comes very close to growling with frustration, but he keeps himself under control. The bishop, walking at a slow, deliberate pace, lengthens what should have been a short walk, and the instructor's patience is soon tested.
"How was your work in the isles?"
The bishop narrows his eyes. "If it will stifle your curiousity...it went very well. The primitives and cut-throats are stubborn, but they are now doing honest work. The Maker will be proud."
The fencing instructor shakes his head in disbelief and is glad the bishop does not notice. This wizard has grown too fond of his position as "bishop". He probably doesn't know of the "Maker".
"But there is still a lot of work to do here", the bishop continues, "and I had to return. I must advise the queen of recent developments. That is the nature of my business."
The fencing instructor nods and continues leading the bishop to the queen's chambers. He did not think he could get more talk out of the bishop.
The drifting notes of music reached the ears of the pair long before they found its source. A soft melody, one that evokes memories of a golden age long past, drift through the corridors of the palace. The pair stop before the heavy oak doors attempting to hide the music, and when it is opened, the notes burst forth with greater intensity. Daylight fills the corridor.
Beyond the doors is a great balcony, ringed by vast columns supporting a glass dome, with every column supporting a thick blood-red curtain. The balcony's balustrade is supported by pearly white balusters, and the floor is paved with marble. Sitting in the center of the balcony is a large harp, and sitting on a chair next to the harp and stroking its strings is the queen, but she does not study the instrument. She is looking out at her city.
A light breeze stirs her golden blonde hair and carries the music into the city below the palace. The sounds of urban life appear to have been silence by the music produced by the harp. It is like the city's citizens have all stopped to listen.
"Your services are no longer needed", the bishop says to the fencing instructor before ducking through the doorway. The fencing instructor bows in reply, then steps away from the door. The door slams shut, but then the instructor carefully and quietly nudges the door open an inch. He places his ear next to the crack and begins to listen.
"My queen! Cease playing this cheerless song and rejoice. I bring good news," the bishop begins.
"I'm listening," the queen coldly replies. The harp's music does not stop.
"They have it, your majesty. They succeeded at their task," the bishop says with increasing excitement.
The music suddenly stops.
"Impressive", the queen says with a sense of awe in her voice. The music suddenly begins again.
"We can begin whenever you wish. With the aid of the Plans, we will be unstoppable!" The bishop sounds very excited now.
"Are all preparations complete?" the queen asks.
"Everything is ready. I merely await your word."
There is a pause.
"My queen?"
"That is all. Thank you for efforts. Your service to me and my people is greatly appreciated."
There is a loud stomping noise and the bishop soon appears at the door, throwing it open in clear frustration and marching down the corridor without even noticing the fencing instructor. The instructor, ducking out of the way at the last moment, slips onto the balcony and approaches the queen. She is still looking at the city.
"I see the fool still thinks he is using you", the instructor says from his spot by a column. "But he is a productive fool. Shall I begin?"
"Yes", the queen replies, still engrossed with the city laid out before her. "I can't stop now."
"It is as good as done", the instructor replies and turns away. He stops mid-step. "You will honour our agreement?"
"Yes", the queen replies. "You will have your revenge."
The fencing instructor nods, his hand unconsciously drifting to the protective leather mask on his belt. He stops right before reaching the door and spins around. "I have never heard you play that song before. I am curious...what is it?"
"A serenade...for the city. I wish to lift their spirits one last time...", the queen replies.
Nobody could see the queen's face as she stared at the city below her, but if they could, they would have seen a mournful look in her eyes.
/STORY Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag Jack sighs after reading the note from Adam. He makes a stop to buy two invisibility potions, then heads for the warehouse. He'll watch from outside for several minutes, looking for a quiet and easy way in. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (Those potions are 300 GP each, actually 240 GP after the discount. Still buy them?) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (yes. provided I have the funds to do so.) Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (Magic dust is more of a legendary and preparatory item. In a healthy economy, it's probably nothing special, but if you need to enchant an item in the middle of nowhere, it can be a godsend. You may also find it on the road and it can be very useful in creating wands and potions on the go. Magic dust is also a universal currency. Certain legendary creatures have no interest gold. I suppose I can put in a rule that allows enchanters to use magic dust to add enchantments to existing magical items. Now that could save you a lot of money. ...but yeah, I'm just tossing out ideas here. It will probably become very useful if you guys continue after the end of the game) * * * * *
SPELLMOUNT
ADAM:
Adam is able to convince the tournament sponsors to let him keep 55% of his winnings.
With little else to go on, I'm fast forwarding Adam all the way to the end of the week to the start of the city's big tournament. Adam is allowed to use his gear, but he's not allowed to use consumnables. He can still do regular shopping though.
Checking the tournament bracket, Adam spots Jack's name on the list, but the halfling is way on the other end of the bracket and will have to beat quite a few opponents before he can reach Adam...assuming Adam beats his opponents.
Regarding the tournament...
Healers are on hand to restore any taken or dealt, so don't be afraid to unleash hell. Adam's first opponent is a muscular man wielding a very large club. The ring is only 60 ft. in radius, we're not talking Colosseum sized here, and Adam starts 30 ft. away from his opponent.
JACK:
Jack purchases the magical pistols. They look pretty funky, crafted with crystals and glass and all sorts of other sparkly components instead of your standard materials, but they work as promised allowing Jack to fire a seemingly endless tirade of magical rays. He can't help grinning like a boy about to execute the mother of all pranks. The guns cost him 4000 GP each. Starting enchantments for these guns is 2000 GP as normal. The magic is the result of a spell source Jack doesn't have to monitor (I was gonna make magic dust the ammo, but decided that would be too big a pain).
The Dispelling enchant is applied to his armor, because that is the slot I'm using for protective enchants, for 1600 GP.
But Jack doesn't have any more room on his belt. His is currently trying to carry 6 pistols, 2 knives, and 2 throwing knives (I forget if he already threw that stuff away at some point).
Jack sells off his bag of loot from the Citadel. The majority of his sales comes from the guild itself, and being quality dwarven pistols, manages to collect about 2500 GP and a lot of favour from Simone and the guild vaultkeeper. Jack now has 9900 GP after his purchases.
Did Jack use the Touch of the Saint?
Regarding the job...
Jack buys the two potions and heads to the warehouse later that night. Thankfully, the butler gave Jack proper directions to the warehouse in question, so the halfling has little trouble finding it.
But it's not the finding part that gives Jack pause. It's the location. He expected the directions to take him to the harbour, but that's not where he goes. He finds himself climbing up the mountain, heading towards the industrial district and soon passes the platform where he flying island lands (it's not there now).
Jack isn't going to the harbour. He is headed towards the sky docks!
He groans when he discovers Spellmount's idea of a warehouse in the ultra modern industrial district is also a little bit skewed: squat, circular buildings with tall conical roofs, almost like a wizard's hat. These buildings aren't much larger than your average house and the only large thing about them is the doors. How the heck can these people use these little things as warehouses?
All the same, the directions lead him to one such little house near the end of the sky docks. Just to add insult to injury, this particular house is sitting on a small floating island about 100 ft. away from the nearest skydock. The only way Jack can see to reach it is by way of a rowboat strung to a post. It may just be a rowboat, but it floats just like it is in water and not like it is floating a few thousand feet in the air...
Between Jack and his target is a large skydock currently occupied by a grand runeship, easily much larger than Anser's vessel, named "Scourge of the Heavens". This is clearly a war vessel, and despite the time of night, the crew is currently busy carrying crates into one of the little warehouses.
IRDRED:
Looks like Irdred's gambit backfires.
Aigon rises to his feet, no longer looking like the goofy wizard in yellow robes, but a powerful man with nearly a century of knowledge backing him. He is clearly agitated, if not angry.
"It is bad enough we may be cursing souls without our knowledge, but doing it willfully? What right do we have to judge any mortal creature so? No, that is power I never wish to see used, and I expect you to never bring it up again.
I do not believe a man should have claim to his unwanted possessions after he dies, and that includes his discarded corpse, but experimenting on the eternal spirit...I can't fathom such a travesty. It is a crime against nature! The Earth Plan must have addled your mind. Damn you, Swan! Now, get out of my sight, and don't return unless I call for you."
Irdred doesn't see much point in arguing with Aigon anymore, so he departs. The door slams shut after him.
Despite this, Irdred's finds a cryptic letter waiting for him at the inn:
"Don't use poison. You will still be poisoned when you wake up and can die before you can cleanse it. Don't shoot yourself in the head or heart. Repeated damage can lead to fatal scarring even with healing. Suffocation causes no such damage and is easily healed by magic."
Regarding Irdred's shiny new lab...
Yes, the lab is equipped for alchemy, but he should by a mobile set anyway. You may want to do alchemy away from the guild.
Irdred doesn't need to buy locks for his lab. Locks are provided in the form of magical wards that don't open unless they receive the proper runic passwords; however, Irdred notices a lot of necromancers using regular locks as well. Perhaps this means something...
Also, because Irdred knows runes, he can "reprogram" the wards to do lots of interesting things, like trigger traps if somebody gets the password wrong, or other weird stuff (but note it's not that important).
Oh, wait, the research...
...yep. He had to work late into the night, but Irdred figures out how to delay his healing spells to trigger when a) the moment you take damage and b) at a specific HP point, such as going off right before death. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (Just wanted to drop in for a second to say that Irdred won't sell the magical items until this magical dust thing is all figured out. ^_^ ) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (I would rather see you post an action and advance the game than worry about what to do about some new rule. Consider magic dust out of play for now. I'll save it for post-game adventures if we get that far) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag Adam charges his opponent at top speed, shield at the ready. He will try to disarm him first. Go for the grapple. Stab him a bunch of times. Take a limb. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag ADAM:
Adam charges his target like a bat out of hell. The guy is unarmored and does a good job acting tough by hefting his weapon, but Adam has the agility to attack first (Success on 2), hacking at the tough guy's sword arm just as he attempts to swing the heavy club. Adam is a surgeon with his sword and slices off the guy's hand in one clean swipe (Success on 2; negative factor negated by Adam's two positives; -3 HP). The big club, raised over the guy's head, falls and clunks him in the skull sending the big guy reeling.
This is too easy, so Adam ends it with a quick thrust to the guy's chest. It's over just like that. The guy falls to his knees.
But the crowd is not satisfied. They boo and yell for the guy's head. If Adam can't give the crowd a good fight, perhaps he can appeal to their bloodlust...
Will Adam attempt to appease the crowd? And how? (don't forget, healers are on hand to make sure nobody dies, so no worries there) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag Adam beheads the man with no hesitation. He lifts up the mans head to the crowd then drops the head on the ground. He walks away and doesnt look back at the corpse. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (The two regular knives should be in boot sheathes, not on Jack's belt. So I have 9900 GP left after buying my gear? I might want to make more purchases before proceeding if I do. The touch of the saint should have been applied to one of the magnum's, but I don't think I said as much.) Savage Tide Info Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (Let's not be hasty! Magic dust is one of the reasons I took Enchanter, after all, and it's not as if I've been neglecting other actions because of it. -_-
Besides, will you really wave this in front of me...
I suppose I can put in a rule that allows enchanters to use magic dust to add enchantments to existing magical items. Now that could save you a lot of money.
...only to take it away? :sadnews:)
***************
Irdred writes Aigon a letter thanking him for his concern, and saying that he respects his opinion, and that the Council need not take responsibility for anything he says or does, and that the Earth Plan did in fact do something to addle his mind (not that that has anything to do with what he said in the office).
The lab: Irdred sets his own runic password, but invests in some traditional locks all the same. He sets a trap that melts the flesh off the hand of anyone who tries to break in.
Research: He needs a version of Delay Healing that activates after a predetermined amount of time, so if he hasn't figured that out yet, that'll be his next target. On that subject, he looks up how long a person can be dead before healing no longer has any effect.
He was aware of the dangers of poison, and was going to do plenty of testing to make sure it's "safe" before using it for real. ...If a poison whose sole purpose is to kill him can be called safe, anyway. (An earlier description of Delay Healing mentioned that it can be broken up so that it heals a portion of the spell's total effect, and then heals the rest later. Can it be broken up so that part of the spell is used to remove poison, and the rest is used to heal? Although I suppose it's really not important how Irdred gets the job done. He was just looking for a relatively quick, painless, and non-messy method, but if it comes right down to it, those three criteria are optional. :S ) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag
Let's not be hasty! Magic dust is one of the reasons I took Enchanter
(Gah! You're driving me nuts! Do what you want :tounge:) * * * * * * *
ADAM:
The mercenary makes a show of beheading the man. The crowd loves him for it. When he's finished, the healers go about putting Humpty Dumpty together again. The opponent is fine, albeit a little dizzy.
Adam's next fight is against a funny looking guy wielding a pair of daggers. He looks like a street urchin, but there is a confident look on this guy's face.
JACK:
Kay, moved the daggers to his boot sheathes and hid the throwing knives in his jacket, but Jack still has 6 guns on his belt and he can't fit his new elemental guns there. And yeah, go ahead and buy something before continuing with the job. Unless Jack wins a tournament or sells something, he's not getting anymore large sums of money.
IRDRED:
Additional locks costs 50 GP each. There are some very good ones for 300 GP though if Irdred is interested (but really, it's not gonna be an issue).
I'll allow Delay Healing to have a "timer".
Can it be broken up so that part of the spell is used to remove poison, and the rest is used to heal
I suppose, but honestly, it will save Irdred a lot of time and effort to not brew the poisons and just stuff his head in the bottomless bag (when he regains consciousness, he can just pull his head out again).
The general rule of thumb with healing after death is about 20 minutes. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (I said earlier that Jack would sell the weakest pistols, keeping the magnums and the dwarven pistols.
Is there an enhancement available that reduces the wear and tear on the guns?) Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag
keeping the magnums and the dwarven pistols.
(I'm talking about those particular pistols. All other pistols have been sold)
Is there an enhancement available that reduces the wear and tear on the guns?
(I'm allowing any magical enchantment to automatically improve the material resistence of a weapon, and stronger materials help a lot too. Jack's guns are actually very strong) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (hmm, okay, I thought I only had two of each. Sell a pair of the dwarven pistols then.)
Jack buys 3 cure potions (the variety that heal 2 hp). Jack gets enhancements to increase the damage and accuracy of the magical pistols.
(Is there an enhancement to allow the pistols to overcome spell resistance, if such a thing exists? If it does, then get that. If he has money left, silence one dwarven pistol.) Savage Tide Info Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag Shopping. Irdred buys the 300GP lock, because he's paranoid like that. He also buys a portable alchemy lab and a second Far Step potion, and looks into prices on the potion bandolier and sling. He sells the Enhance Gear oil and checks how much he can get for the Hellshatter Grenade. If it's not too expensive to hire a Dispeller, he converts the armour and baton into magic dust. He'll figure out what to do with the dust later.
(Okay, Irdred's staff. I remember that the smoky quartz was responsible for the +1 damage, but I don't remember what exactly the caltrop chain and skeletal hand did. One of them is for ranged necro touches and the other is...? If you remember off the top of your head, great, otherwise I'll go dig through the pages to find out. Also, the caltrop chain is considered an adornment, right, not a tassel?)
Research. Irdred kicks himself. He forgot to ask Aigon about the lich tome, and now that chance has clearly passed. He starts looking into who some of the more influential Council members are.
He researches a spell variant that duplicates the Nostrum of Spirit Walking, and after that, the spell variant for Smart Undead.
He sets aside ten minutes to kill himself. His lab is securely locked from the inside during this time, with a sign saying, "ARCANE SCIENCE IN PROGRESS. DO NOT ENTER!" He'll start himself off with a ten-minute Delay Healing timer. Mostly he wants to see which spirits are present and whether they are receptive to questions. ...Well, actually, it doesn't really matter if they're receptive or not. He hints that if they cooperate, he may look into finding a way to fix their condition. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag Adam repeats his performance from before. Quick attack. Disarm. Chop off both arms and legs. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag
Is there an enhancement to allow the pistols to overcome spell resistance, if such a thing exists
(Nah. With armor, there are lots of ways to beat it, but with spells, there is either an effect in place to negate magic entirely or damage reduction. In such cases, you either have to think about Dispelling mechanics or just deal more damage than the reduction reduces. You won't see any superb magic resistence unless the creature is meant to be highly resistent to that element. The best overall resistence I can think of is 2)
**Btw, did you guys ever notice I provided a link for the Nest of Bees? * * * * * * *
ADAM:
Adam repeats his previous performance: charge in, begin hacking.
The funny looking guy awaits Adam's charge, and when the mercenary slashes, dances away from the blade and parries it (Adam Success on 2 for First Attack; Success on 2 for Attack; Opponest Success on 3 for Parry), then counters with the blade in his off-hand. Adam easily turns this attack aside with his shield (a miss).
The sentinal shield has no orders and is blocking by default.
Adam sweeps his sword at his opponent's legs. This time the funny guy can't parry the attack and Adam buries the sword deep (-3 HP). The funny looking guy cries out in pain, but tries to dance around Adam. Despite the wound, the funny looking guy suddenly springs over Adam's shoulder while he is bent down, landing just behind the mercenary. He tries to stab Adam in the back, but the magical armor holds up.
Adam spins around, sword held out, for a backhand slash. The funny guy ducks the attack (Attack Failure on 1), then counters with the blades while continuing to circle Adam, although not as quickly as before. Adam easily blocks the one attack that nearly gets through (Block Success on 3). The funny guy manages to get the jump on Adam at one point and slashes Adam across the arm, but his healing ring restores that damage (Renewal Success on 3).
Eventually Adam has enough of this annoyance and delivers a powerful slash that slices clean through the funny guy's blade and into his chest. While the funny guy is impaled on Adam's sword, he grabs him with his other hand, pulls the sword out, and uses it to cleave the guy's legs off. The crowd cheers and is happy there was a real fight.
Adam's next opponent appears to be a wizard: a confident looking middle-aged man with winged hair and a little triangular beard on his chin. In one hand he fondles a length of beads, in the other a staff. The threat in this fight is obvious from the get-go: the sand on the ground has risen up and surrounded the wizard to form a serpant-like creature.
JACK:
Jack sells two of his dwarven pistols bringing him up to 11K GP.
The healing potions cost Jack 300 GP, or 240 GP with his discount, for a total of 700 GP.
Putting the Enhanced and Precise enchants on Jack's new guns will cost 16K GP total, so that's well beyond Jack's budget (even with the discount, so around 12.8K GP). Remember, the initial enchant costs 2k GP, but every additional enchant triples the price.
But that final total isn't that far above the amount Jack has. Maybe there is something he can do to get the money...
IRDRED:
Irdred buys the more expensive lock and potions. The Hellshatter grenade will sell for 450 GP.
Irdred is able to convince a council enchanter to disenchant the baton and armor for a very decent sum of 500 GP.
I'll bet the skeletal hand is responsible for Irdred automatically animating those he kills with his necro touches, so the chain is for the ranged attacks. If Irdred likes the accessories he has now, he can keep them and change the staff since his current staff doesn't have any characteristics, although the Precise thing is an enchantment. Well, at least he can get something for that staff. Adornments run the length of the staff. I know, not the best word. Maybe "shaft slot" would be better.
Irdred discovers bandoliers for potions and important in-battle magical components are very popular in Spellmount. Now that he is looking for them, he can see all sorts of mages running around with bandoliers: a woman with a little dog fastened to one, a wealthy mage with glittering dust in the vials, a girl with a healer's badge and an animated skeletal bird on her shoulder, another mage with a bunch of rods sticking out, and others. They range from the practical to the purely aesthetic, and though the prices go into the 1000 GP range, there are bandoliers at 25 GP that suit Irdred's needs just fine.
The sling proves to be a little more tricky. Irdred finds a halfling who sells slings, but he's never heard of using one to fling potions before and wonders why a big person like Irdred can't just throw it. He can understand the practicality of it though and uses one extra-large sling to toss an empty vial. It fits, but it's hardly aerodynamic and highly innacurate.
Regarding research...
Irdred starts asking about the council's more influential members. He doesn't get any good answers. Apparently they're all influential. This is such a bad answer Irdred digs a little deeper and discovers there are no "head" members, bosses, or leader of any kind present at the council. This strikes Irdred as odd, but he doesn't learn anything else by asking questions.
Irdred's research on duplicating the effects of the nostrum proves to be easy-breezy (success on 2). On the fourth day after the party has returned from the citadel, Irdred works on creating smart zombies, but this doesn't go nearly as well (multiple failures on 1).
Irdred then goes about killing himself, setting up Delay Healing to work after a short while, and placing his sign on the door. This actually attracts more attention then it diverts from curious students and he has to yell at a few people before they leave him alone. Irdred eventually settles down in a chair and places the bag on his head...
Now, Irdred knows the bag has a semi-vacuum like nature. It doesn't exactly suck you in, but air just doesn't enter it for some reason. Irdred won't have to worry about sealing the bag, but he still has to sit for for a bit until he passes out. This doesn't end up being a problem: the contents of the bag fall on his head, and between the grappling hook and other contents, knock him right out.
A moment later, Irdred finds himself standing in the familiar shadowy realm, the spiritual lantern in his hand, and that feeling of raw necromantic power at his fingerprints; however, he's not in the queen's palace. He is in his lab. It's mostly the same, although Irdred can't see himself lying on the ground for some reason, and there is no light save for that from his lantern.
The otherworld version of the council chambers has a very eerie feeling...Irdred remembers the feeling of dread from the queen's palace, like he is being watch, but the council hall is just...weird. It's like the place is...warped, somehow. Irdred doesn't even know how to begin explaining it. But he doesn't have to for now because sitting on a stool next to him is a pirate. This is one of those better-dressed pirates from the cove, not the crazy ones from the merfolk's prison island.
"I heard you're looking for us. Figured I'd stop by for your crazy experiment," the dead pirate explains. He suddenly grins. "I enjoyed watching you knock yourself out. What are you going to do for an encore? Shove a sword up you arse?" Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag Jack will just increase the damage and accuracy of the lightning pistol, and the damage of the thunder pistol for now. The rest of his money he stores someplace safe before leaving for the warehouse.
(Does Jack see any guards around the warehouse?) Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (Nah, there doesn't appear to be any guards)
|
|
|
Post by TG Barighm on May 8, 2018 18:06:03 GMT -5
Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag "A dead man who finds humour in the macabre. How droll." Irdred doesn't laugh, though, and is quick to get down to business. "So you've been following me around, have you? Then I don't have to waste time explaining why I'm here or what I want. Are you open to an interview, spirit? It's not as if you have anything better to do, after all." He pauses to hear the ghost's reaction, and assuming it's negative, he adds, "I thought as much. Perhaps we can come to some mutually beneficial arrangement, then." ********** Prior actions: Irdred tries to talk down the disenchanter's price, reasoning that he himself is filling the Enchanter half of the equation, and that the disenchanter would be doing little more than lending his Dispelling services. He passes on the sling but buys the potion bandolier for 25 gold. (BTW, I thought the grappling hook was destroyed?) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag Adam moves in closer to the wizard. He takes out crossbow at the wizard head. If he can jump over the sand creature and onto the wizard beat him with the crossbow and sheild. If not he will try to dodge the sand creature to get at the wizard, switching to his longsword. He commands his shield to block attacks from the sand creature. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag IRDRED: -Irdred tries to talk the dispeller down, but he somehow offends the man who apparently feels he's giving Irdred a huge discount (Persuasion Failure on 1). Regarding the ghostly encounter (heh)... Irdred is actually surprised when the pirate spirit nods and smiles. "So, you're not going to shove a sword up your arse? Pity. Ah, yes...I know about your unnatural work with the dead...and those you've tainted. Sounds like you actually give a damn. Good, because I want to get out of this mess. If that means helping you, then so be it! I even have a head start...I've been looking around. This place is full of interesting stuff. Necromancy has a funny habit of bleeding into the 'other realm'...or whatever you call this place. And when a book is left open, I read it. I think I may have found something...at least, I've noticed there is this one room where the magic actually does something to me. Normally it doesn't. Come! I'll show you. It will help you, I'm sure of it!" ADAM: As soon as he is allowed to, Adam whips out his crossbow and fires it at the wizard's head. The wizard unleashes the sandy serpant and it rapidly slithers through the sand towards the merc. The wizard tilts his head to one side to avoid the bolt (Failure on 1) while the serpant draws dangerously close to Adam, but he doesn't care. He charges through it, attempting to leap over the beast and go after the wizard. Midway through the air, the lightning quick serpant suddenly leaps up and wraps itself around the mercenary in a blink of the eye, and both come crashing into the ground (Success on 3). The sand creature's rough hide feels like stone, and it has a grip to match. Adam tries to reach for his sword and manages to draw the weapon (Success on 3). The serpant attempts to tear at Adam with its razor-sharp fangs of glass, and the Sentinal Shield tries to stop it, but it's pinned just like Adam is (Failure on 2). By some miracle, Adam twists his head out of the way before the creature can bite (Serpant's attack Failure on 1). The wizard appears content to watch the struggle, a sly grin on his face. Adam feebly tries to hack at the snake's sandy hide, and though this is difficult, he has the sense to thrust instead of cut (Adam Success on 2; two positive factors beat negative factor for being pinned; -3). The sword pierce's the serpants hide and goes all the way through. The sand serpant hisses but continues to tighten its grip and Adam is beginning to feel feint (Success on 2; -1 HP). He also watches in horror as the sand begins to fill the wound he just created (Snake regen 1 HP). Thankfully, it's not enough to completely close the wound, and a second strong thrust from the mercenary, accompanied by a sharp jerk, cleaves the serpant in half (Success on 3; -3 HP). The lower half of the sand serpant's body crumbles into dust, but Adam decides to deliver a shield bash to the snake's hissing head just in case. It explodes in a shower of sand. The crowd goes wild. Adam now focuses on the wizard and charges him, his stupid grin now gone. The wizard began casting a spell as soon as Adam began to charge, and a mere few seconds before reaching the wizard, the spell discharges. Adam raises the shield... The mercenary gets his shield up in time seconds before an invisible force erupts from the wizard's hand. It creates a tail of dust as it tears through the sand and strikes Adam's shield. The blast strikes the shield dead-on, ripping it free of Adam's hand and sending it flying all the way to the other side of the arena, but Adam is still on his feet (thanks to being Acrobatic!), and he shoves the sword into the wizard's gut. Or so he tries. The wizard dances out of the way and begins casting another spell. Adam spins around and tries to cut him, but he slips on the sand and momentarily loses his balance giving the wizard time to finish. Adam tries to evade, but the force hits him dead on and now it's his turn to go flying about 30 ft. (Success on 3; -1 HP). The crowd cheers. Thankfully, the ring restores some of Adam's HP. *Note though in this game I was focusing more on testing different magical effects in the 33 rules, so I allowed some effects that should have remained as armor enchantments to find their way into rings Adam scrambles to his feet and charges the wizard again, this time flying across the arena at breakneck speed. When the wizard unleashes another round of that invisible force, Adam throws himself to the ground and rolls across the sand, the mysterious force passing inches above him, before getting back to his feet and resuming the charge (Acrobatic check not really necessary, but seemed like a good place to work it in; spell attack Failure on 1). When the mercenary gets close, he drives the sword deep into the wizard's gut, the words of his next spell interrupted by a gasp. Adam leaves the sword sticking out of the wizard's stomach as the spellcaster falls to his knees, then draws his daggers and plunges them into both sides of the wizard's neck. A couple sharp jerks of the daggers and the wizard's head rolls off. Adam decides it's his turn to send something flying: he picks up the head and drop-kicks it into the crowd. They love him for it. Adam's next opponent is the first that strikes him as being a legitimate challenge: a viking wielding a huge waraxe...well, if there were vikings in this world Adam would know what they are, but you get the picture. The viking is very tall and has broad shoulders, a horned helmet, and appears to be fully armored with heavy chainmail. The waraxe has a bunch of icicles stuck to the blade for some reason. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag Jack takes one of the boats (paying to rent it if he needs to) then travels up above the warehouse before descending onto the roof. Savage Tide Info Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag Irdred will probably go ahead with the disenchanting anyway, but first, how much would his staff sell for (not the accessories, just the staff itself)? ****** He is immediately suspicious of the ghost's proposition. He hadn't planned on leaving the safety of his lab, not when the building is swarming with necromancers that might find a ghost such as himself useful. But that doesn't stop him from agreeing in the end. "Let's be quick about it, then. But if it looks for an instant like you're leading me into a trap... well, rest assured that I will find a way to make your condition infinitely worse." While it's true that he wants to fix what he's done, he has little pity for pirates, particularly those that kidnap him. "Now, about my questions," he says en route to their destination, all the while keeping an eye out for any necromancers that appear to notice him. He fires off a barrage of questions at the spririt, such as, "Where are the others? You are here because you were denied entry to the next life, but what is that precisely? And who turned you away? And come to think of it, I killed you before I ever practiced true necromancy, so what are you even doing here in the first place?" For this last one, he can only assume that even a simple Animation spell inflicts a taint. The idea that everyone he's ever Animated is trapped in limbo is staggering indeed. ...But if not that, then something else is going on here that could potentially be even worse, so he remains very cautious as he follows his guide. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag JACK: The floating rowboat doesn't appear to actually fly. It merely floats, so Jack is forced to quietly 'row', yes he actually needs to row for some reason, to reach the warehouse on its little island. He can't get up to the roof that way. He ties the boat to a little jetty and steps onto the floating island. Unlike the other warehouses, this one is bathed in darkness. There is absolutely no light. The light from the streetlamps provide just enough light for Jack to see. Thankfully, there is no junk or obstacles to worry about, save for a small set of stairs leading up to the island proper. Jack doesn't see anyone else on the island, nor are there any windows for Jack to peer through. Looks like the only way in is through the front door. IRDRED: The pirate rolls his eyes at Irdred's threat, then passes through the door of Irdred's lab. Irdred follows and finds himself in the council hall's corridor. Irdred is surprised to find the corridor swarming with spirits. All sorts of people, from lowly peasantry to wealthy folk, are wandering the corridor. There are even a few animals, but they don't appear to be paying any attention to the rest. These spirits aren't the same as the pirate: Irdred sees the pirate spirit as well as he can see any living person, albeit with less colour, but these other spirits are faded or misty looking, some are transparent. "Look! A living person," someone shouts. The spirits suddenly surround Irdred and begin to launch a barrage of questions and "last favours" his way. "Oh, please, tell my little Timmy his mother is okay!" some old woman yells. "That trickster never paid his bill! That money belongs to the hardworking family that did the work. It's wrong!" another man says. "He murdered me! And got away with it! I refuse to rest until he's brought to justice," a young lady shouts. "Back off, you whelps," the pirate spirit yells. He begins to push the wandering spirits aside, many of which are tossed aside like ragdolls. It's like the pirate's condition has given him enormous strength over the others in this world. The spirits quickly disperse before the pirate's might. Many disappear through the walls and others quiver in fear. Irdred always figured the council hall was haunted. There was no way you could do this much research on the dead and not have a few ghosts wandering about, and though Irdred has never done any work with ghosts, knowing the hall was haunted helped him avoid a lot of scares. A lot of newer members aren't as well prepared. Nary a day goes by without someone screaming in fright. "Can you believe these guys choose to be here?" the pirate shakes his head. "Unfinished business and all that. It's well known necromancers tend to capture and communicate with spirits, so they think they can talk to one if they congregate here. Idiots! They treat us like pests. Someone gets lucky every once and awhile, but when a necromancer wants a ghost, they usually capture someone much more powerful than these louts. I hear there is quite a good career in spiritual privateering...no, not for me. If these spirits were smarter, they'd go visit the healers or the shamans down south. They seem to know what they're doing." Irdred begins asking his questions as they make their way through the corridor. "The others? Oh, they're around. Believe me, they're not going anywhere. Animals too, but they can't communicate so they just wander about. They're far from friendly, but I convinced them to leave you alone. Figured you needed help from someone with a bit more class. Not like we can leave you. I don't know why, but we tend to attract some pretty nasty demons if we wander too far from you." The pirate shakes his head. "We organized ourselves into a band and tried to reach a church, but when we got close to it...it burned. Like fire. You never feel anything but the cold in this place." Reminded about the odd coolness of this world, Irdred shivers. "The next life? Oh, heck, I'm sure I would be denied entry regardless, but the taint has made the afterlife difficult in other ways. We can't go near churches for one, nor will necromancers talk to us. I'm sure there are others who will talk to spirits out there, but we haven't found on yet. Now, the way I understand it, some beings of pure light wander this world. I haven't seen one, but the way the goat man tells it, these creatures help wandering spirits. They attacked him, calling him 'foul' and 'cursed' or some such. I think he just assumed they ferry spirits to a better place. I don't really believe in that stuff anyway." As for that last question...er...I think I will just ignore that one...d'oh. Irdred encounters a number of curiousities as they travel through the corridor. A strange, yellowish gas issues forth from one door they pass. Everything about this world is bleak and subdued, so actual colour of any kind strikes Irdred as unusual. The pirate spirit ignores it and they continue on. They also pass an opened door. Inside is a curious silverly object that shines very brightly. When Irdred spots this object, he is overwhelmed with immense curiousity and wishes to investigate, but the pirate spirit grabs his shoulder and pulls him away. "It's a trap. Like I said before, the necromancers think of us as pests. Go near that thing and you'll be sucked into...gee, I don't know, but I've seen a number of spirits get eaten up by that thing. We try to avoid this room. I've gotten used to it." As the pirate spirit leads Irdred deeper into the council hall, the number of wandering spirits diminishes until they eventually disappear. Irdred now finds himself standing before a forgettable looking door he's seen before, tucked away behind a column and covered by a tapestry. He just assumed it was a broom closest, but in the spirit world, he can see an odd, shadowy mist oozing forth from the door. The other rooms they passed didn't look nearly as ominous. "This is it. The one spot in this place spirits can't penetrate. I've explored every square inch of this guild hall and seen all sorts of necromancy at work, but I've never encountered anything like this. I'm starting to think necromancy can't actually hurt a spirit, so this must be something else. It's beyond this door. Come on, nothing is going to happen. It just looks scary." The pirate suddenly passes through the ominous door. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (I can't remember if I had jack drink the invisibility potion already or not. If not he does so, keeping the vial/flask/whatever with him.) Jack frowns. Something smells fishy. Jack lays the vial down on the ground about 8 feet from the door, then knocks on the door and stands to the side of it. (his hope is that the door opens, whoever opens it goes to pick up the vial, and he slips inside while they're doing that.) Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag JACK: Jack's ruse works. The door of the warehouse suddenly swings open. "Hey! You're supposed to come inside you stupid...", the voice stops. A young man wearing a bandanna and a tattered shirt and pants steps out. He begins looking around, a puzzled look on his face, then bends over when he spots the empty vial. Jack quietly steps around the man and enters the warehouse. At least, Jack tries to be quiet. His equipment rattles around in his backpack and his guns bang against eachother (Stealth Failure on 2; negative factor applied because Jack's Load status is Noisy). "Wha...?" the young man suddenly straightens and looks around, but he can't see Jack. He begins to scratch his head in confusion, then glances at the dockworkers for the Scourge. The warehouse may have looked small, but on the inside, it's huge. The ceiling is at least 100 ft. high, and the floor stretches twice as far as that. The walls are lined with an endless number of empty shelves, but if there is any indication of this warehouse being in use, Jack can't see it. All he can see is a couple of crates and a barrel sitting near the door. Siting on the ground near the crate is a teenage girl wearing a boy's work clothes, and sitting on the barrel is a man smoking a pipe. The only light in the room comes from a small lantern sitting on the ground by the barrel, some 20 ft. away from Jack. When the young man with Jack's empty vial closes the door, the smoking man jumps off the barrel and snarls. "What's going on? Where is he?" The young man shrugs, then holds up the empty vial. "Damned amateurs! Don't you remember where we are? Daddy must have sent an invisible cop!" the smoking man suddenly kicks one of the crates and there is a muffled yelp from within. "He must have gotten inside! Spread out and find him." Jack is only 5 ft. away from the young man, while the girl is about 10 ft. away. The man with the pipe is 20 ft. away and standing by the "yelping" crate and lamp. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag Irdred prods at the mist with his toe, as if testing the temperature of a pool of water, before following after his guide. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag IRDRED: The mist seems harmless enough, so Irdred passes through the door and enters the new chamber. Irdred finds himself standing in a fairly large, circular chamber. The source of the mist is immediately obvious: it is issuing forth from a symbol on the floor. The symbol stretches across the entire floor and features a mix of spiderweb-like imagery, eyes, and a number of symbols Irdred has never seen before. On the other side of the room is another door, also forgettable looking but not blocked by anything, this is covered with a web of reddish and orange light. The light appears to pass through the walls around it as if it's protecting something within the room and the web just so happens to encompass the door. This is definitely magic, but the problem is...Irdred has no idea what it is. He has never seen it before. (SMART SUCCESS ON 3) "A career in spiritual privateering..." the pirate said... The pirate spirit walks into the center of the room, seemingly oblivious to the enchantments around him. He points at the reddish orange light surrounding the door. "There. That door. I can't get through it. It's like a brick wall. Nothing else in this whole place can affect me the way this thing does." Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (I looked up privateer, but I'm still not sure what is meant by the phrase spiritual privateering?) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (Thought it was just another term for mercenary, and it sort of is, but I guess it's not that simple; however, coming from a pirate it still works) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag "Hmm. Frosty." He looks the viking's armor. He's looking for exposed straps that he can cut and armor he can remove off of him. Shield and sword at the ready, he closes the gap between them quickly. He looks for an opportunity to get in close and wrestle him down. Sword stabs in exposed areas all the way. If he has long hair Adam will use it to his advantage. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag ADAM: Adam examines the "viking's" armor, but it's a chain shirt with leather padding to provide extra protection for the more exposed spots. It doesn't look like Adam can just cut this or that to crack open the viking's armor. He's just going to have to look for openings. Adam begins his charge and the crowd cheers as he does. The viking begins to do something Adam didn't expect...the viking is casting a spell. A sheet of ice suddenly appears around the viking. He is standing on the ice and doesn't seem the least bit concerned by it. When Adam reaches the ice, his momentum sends him sliding hard towards the viking, but Adam knows a thing or two about balance (Acrobatic Success on 3), so he stays on his feet and sticks his sword out changing his charge into a sliding thrust. This gives him a chance to attack first. It's an impressive looking attack, but the viking thrusts the shaft of his axe down on Adam's sword and turns it aside (Adam Attack Success on 3; viking's Parry Success on 3). Parry or no, Adam's momentum carries him directly into the viking. The viking crashes onto the ice while Adam slides for a few more feet before stopping. The viking quickly returns to his feet as if he were standing on solid ground, but Adam slips and stays down on the ice (Failure on 1). The viking hefts his big axe and marches up to Adam, then swings it over his shoulder in a wide arc. Adam rolls to the side and the axe smashes into the ice (Attack Failure on 1), then quickly scrambles to his feet (Acrobatic Success on 2). Adam then leaps onto the viking's back and wraps his arms around the viking's chest (Grapple Success on 2), pinning the viking's arms together. The viking roars and attempts to spread his arms, but Adam manages to resist the viking's immense strength and keep him pinned (Maintain Grapple Success on 3). Adam then kicks the inside of the viking's knees and knocks him to the ground, then stabs at the viking's back. It's an easy strike (-3 HP). The viking continues to struggle against Adam, but the mercenary now has his knee pressed down on the back of the viking's head. Another stab finishes him off. The viking does have long hair, so he takes the viking's waraxe, grabs his hair to lift his head up off the ground, then uses the inner curve of the axe to slit the viking's throat. And just for extra brutality, he then buries the axe in the viking's back. The crowd is on their feet and keep cheering long after Adam leaves the arena. The big tournament goes on... Now moving into sunset, Adam meets his next opponent: a short, lanky guy with thin, spiky hair supported by a headband. He's got a dagger in both hands and he's eased into a combat stance Adam has seen used before by professional knife fighters. Hopefully he's more of a challenge than the last guy. The crowd cheers when Adam walks into the arena, but they boo the lanky guy. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (So... spiritual mercenary work? As in, a ghost working for the highest "bidder", whatever that means? How is that relevant here? Sorry if I'm being obtuse, but it seems very important, so I'd appreciate if you could shed some light on it. ) "Try stepping through it now, so I can observe its effects," Irdred instructs, not sure he wants to mess around with unknown magic webs himself. One thing the vaultkeeper said keeps ringing in his mind: "Ghosts tend to be vengeful." Although the pirate seems honest enough so far, there is no way to be certain. Unless, perhaps, he refuses to touch the web, which would be a pretty good indicator of his untrustworthiness. But if the pirate complies, and it is indeed nothing more than a "brick wall" to him, "I presume that the room is similarly barricaded on all sides? Floor and ceiling too?" Then, "Stand aside. I'm going to try something." He then focuses from his well of necromantic power, and fires all he's got at the web. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag Jack draws the magic guns and unloads both barrels on the young man. If the young man is still standing, Jack will fire on him again, before turning to shoot at the girl, unless it looks like someone is about to attack or do something with the yelping crate. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag IRDRED: When Irdred asks the pirate to touch the strange reddish web, he begins to fidget and hesitate. "Uh...nah, I assure you it's solid. Like a brick wall. Why don't you give it a try? I'm sure you can learn more by getting a closer look." JACK: Thunder and lightning indeed. A miniature storm erupts from the spot where Jack is standing sending crackling electricity and eardrum-destroying sound in the young man's direction. Both rays of magic hit, and being a sneak attack, deal incredible damage (-5 HP per shot). The young man is literally blown away. Jack, although still invisible, has given his position away, so the other two Shadow Rats respond in kind. The girl throws her daggers at Jack while the pipe-smoking man begins shouting orders and drawing his own gun. One dagger catches Jack in the shoulder, but it's nothing he hasn't dealt with before (-1 HP). Jack's next two shots blow the girl away too (both hit, -3 HP per shot) leaving only the man who is now drawing another gun. He fires on Jack, but the halfling ducks the bullet (Dodge Success). When the man realizes he is at Jack's mercy, he drops his gun and puts his hands in the air. "Don't shoot! We can work something out...right?" STATUS: Jack -1 HP Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag Jack can't help but smile. He really, really, really likes these new guns. He resists the temptation to kiss them, and instead keeps them trained on the man. On the other hand, he really needs to look into something that keeps his movements quieter. "Perhaps," Jack says. "Tell me, what is it you took from Haschem? And why are you Rats always stealing from the nobles? You should really be using your talents to better yourselves, not engaging in petty thievery. And how many of you are there? I need to know, so I know when I've killed you all." (Jack is still invisible, correct, after speaking he will slowly move to the side, trying to make as little noise as possible.) At the first sign of any trickery, Jack will shoot the man. It's highly likely he'll shoot the man anyway, when all is said and done. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag JACK: Yes, Jack is still invisible, and the man doesn't notice when Jack steps to one side. The man growls. "Kill us? Why ask about our struggle, then? If you don't really care, then you don't need to know. You must be some kind of outsider." The man suddenly reaches into his pocket and pulls something out. The movement is surprisingly sudden, and before Jack can act (Failure on 1), the man whips it into the ground. There is a flash of light and a burst of thick smoke that causes Jack to cough for a bit. When the smoke has cleared, the Shadow Rat is nowhere in sight. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag "Clever..." Irdred says. There is a quiet menace in his voice, which is much, much worse than his more typical shouting rages. He attempts to exert control over the spirit. (I figure this should be a piece of cake with Irdred's enhanced powers in this world, but let me know if I am overstepping my bounds and I will change my actions.) He commands him to march toward the webbing, but stops him just short of actually touching it. "Who put you up to this?" he asks almost gently. "And what happens when one of us touches this web? You will tell me, or we will find out the hard way." d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag IRDRED: Irdred doesn't know how to control spirits, enhanced powers or not. The spirit's eyes suddenly widen. "No! Don't cast spells in here! Oh, boy..." But it's too late. The shadowy mist on the ground begins to swirl rapidly around the room, then rises up to the ceiling as a single circular mass, like a big, black cloud. The hint of reddish light begins to shine behind Irdred, and when he spins around, he finds the web has completely blocked his escape. "Damn you, necromancer! If you only listened to me...if you only fell for it...now we're BOTH going to lose our souls," the pirate growls menacingly. "Devil! I swear I will take you down, one way or another, before I die!" The pirate spirit suddenly lunges at Irdred, his hands held out and grasping for Irdred's neck, but Irdred raises his hands to fend the spirit. The necromancer has no idea where it comes from, but his strength is vast in this world, and fending off the spirit is a simple matter of grabbing his hands and pushing him away. The spirit is hellbent on revenge and begins to kick Irdred, which immediately strikes Irdred as stupid because he doesn't feel any pain, but just for the sake of exerting his authority, Irdred punches the spirit in the face sending him sprawling to the ground. But this gives Irdred a good chance to see what the black mist is up to, and he does not like what he sees. A mist has formed a portal of sorts, to a place of darkness, and emerging from the portal is a hellish creature of equal darkness. Irdred counts 6 things that must be legs emerge from the shadowy portal. The "legs", which look more like great columns of roiling shadows, affix themselves to the ceiling. A moment later, the creature's main body emerges, a mass of thick, cloud-like shadow with something shaped vaguely like a canine's head. Big red orbs of light must be the eyes. As the creature fully emerges from the portal of darkness, two long shadows, they more like arms, stretch out from the body towards the necromancer. The pirate spirit leaps to his feet and runs to the exit. He passes through the door easily, but bounces off the red web of light. He begins to pound on it like somebody could hear him, but noise is diluted in this world...if it can even be called noise. "No! The spirit lives forever! It can't be destroyed...then what? Oh, Holy Light! Let me out of here!" the pirate yells. A horrendous desire to submit to fear, to panic, to collapse to his knees and scream until this whole ordeal is mercifully ended suddenly grips Irdred's mind, but he resists and holds his ground. He can't help shielding his face from the creature though, like it's some kind of burning fire mere inches from his face. There is no pain, but Irdred sure feels like he can't let this thing get near him. The pirate continues to scream. "Do something, necromancer! Or it's oblivion for both of us!" While black mist falls all around him, Irdred straightens himself up and tries to stand tall in the face of this creature's frightening countenance. There is no running away. CHALLENGE BATTLE: NETHER DEVIL Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag Adam changes over to his daggers and makes his way over to the lanky guy, but he is cautious. Knife fights are different from sword fights. He circles the guy before striking. He wants to get as close to him as possible, wrapping his opponents arms up and pinning him to the ground. If he can get his opponent into some sort of wrestling maneuver like a Full-Nelson or even a Half-Nelson and slam him on the ground he will try to. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (Both daggers? one in each hand?) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (Um. Okay, first things first: -Approximately how much time is left on Irdred's Delay Healing timer? -He doesn't technically have any equipment here, right? -So what exactly do his enhanced powers consist of? Besides punching spirits in the face. That felt good, but I imagine it will not work on this thing.) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (Yes. Both daggers, one in each hand.) (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag "Hrm, should have been more tactful," Jack muses as he looks around. He'll side step a bit more, than listen to make sure the man is gone before checking the yelping crate and bodies. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag (The rest of the party is on Day 5 and 7, and Jack is still on Day 2, so I need to focus on him for a bit) * * * * * * Jack can hear the warehouse door swing open. The Shadow Rat can't leave the island without the boat...nor can Jack for that matter. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag Jack sprints for the door. Once outside he'll take aim at any noise made by the sewer rat. If he does make any noises, Jack waits to see the rowboat shift with a sudden wait and fires on that. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag * * * * * The SHADOW Rat (lol), isn't actually invisible, so Jack can clearly see him jumping into the rowboat. Jack fires on the man, and though he misses with his first two shots, his second set of shots blow the guy out of the boat and sends him falling a good long ways. Unfortunately, the light from the lightning gun and sound from the sonic gun immediately catch the attention of the Scourge's dockworkers. "Hey! What's going on over there?" one guy yells. "I don't know, but it looks like someone fell out of that boat." "Did anyone see what happened?" "No, but we better check it out." Jack may not know much about Spellmount, but the Scourge of the Heavens is a military vessel, so there is a good chance some soldiers are kicking around, and the last thing the halfling wants to deal with is Spellmount's idea of a warrior. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag -Approximately how much time is left on Irdred's Delay Healing timer? -He doesn't technically have any equipment here, right? -So what exactly do his enhanced powers consist of? (Irdred is not sure exactly how much time is left on his spell, he doesn't have any equipment, and Irdred's powers are simply stronger on the other side) ADAM: When in Rome...Adam switches out his sword and shield for his daggers. He cautiously approaches the knife fighter... ...and the knife fighter suddenly disappears into thin air. Adam blinks and looks around, but the guy is gone. The crowd begins to boo. Hmm...nobody has signalled an end to the fight, so this must be some kind of trick.
|
|
|
Post by TG Barighm on May 8, 2018 18:07:05 GMT -5
Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag He stops moving. The sound of the audience is probably too loud for him to hear any footsteps, so he pays attention to the ground. Any movement he can detect he will try to match, getting closer with every step, and striking the area he thinks his opponent is in. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag ADAM:
Adam thinks he's caught the bugger when he sees some dirt get kicked up nearby, but he realizes too late this is nothing more than some junk tossed into the ring by the crowd (Perceptive Failure on 1). A half second after Adam comes to this realization, he feels burning cold steel dig into his back (This is gonna hurt...Both Attacks Success on 3; Backstab Critical Hits; -6 HP total).
Adam spins around to confront his attacker, but the knife fighter backflips away from Adam and out of his reach. Adam tries to chase him before he can disappear again, but the horrible pain in his back slows him down (First Attack Failure on 2; negative factor for having two knives shoved into your spinal column negates positive factor for Agility). Adam is happy he can still walk.
The knife fighter disappears again.
Adam desperately searches for any sign of the trickster, but now he's having trouble thinking (Another 1).
He doesn't have a chance to think much else. Everything suddenly goes black.
Adam was defeated in the sixth round of the "big tournament" by the knife fighter; however, Adam later hears rumours that this guy may have been, in fact, a Shadow Rat assassin. Adam knows a fair bit about the Shadow Rats, but they're just trouble-makers. According to the guy spreading the rumour, the common Rat is just a decoy, and the real Shadow Rats are far more sinister. Apparently the existence of their club can be found in Spellmount record books as far back as millenia.
Not that I think Adam cares. I'll bet he's more ticked off about not having a chance to fight Jack. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag "Pull yourself together, Irdred. You knew this would be hazardous when you stuck that bag over your head," he grumbles.
Oh, Holy Light! Let me out of here!
"There is no Holy Light here, only me," he growls at the pirate. "And if you want to make it out of this ali.... if you want to make it out of this, then think, damn it! You knew that magic would call this being here, so do you know how to send it back??"
Irdred has already figured out that he can't hope to fight the creature off. All he can do is channel negative energy into a touch, but he doesn't want the thing to touch him. Fantastic. He focuses on staying away from the nether devil, dodging, and not getting cornered. (If he has Ghost traits, Irdred tries out a Terrifying Presence of his own.) (Can he move in three dimensions? Not sure if gravity still applies to him.)
All the while, he looks for anything that could be of use: any runes he recognizes, that could perhaps be activated to banish the creature back to wherever it came from. If the devil manages to catch him, though, Irdred pumps it full of every ounce of negative energy he's got. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag Jack retreats back into the warehouse, locking the door behind him, if possible. He then looks for a place to hide, deep in the warehouse. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag JACK:
There is a lock on the door, so Jack uses it, then looks for a place to hide. Unfortunately, the shelves are empty, so there is nowhere he can actually hide. He settles on getting as far out of sight as he can. He eventually hears someone banging on the door of the warehouse, but nothing comes of it. They don't try to force the door open. Good thing too because Jack's invisibility has begun to wear off. He's visible by the time he returns to the door.
Jack can hear sobbing coming from the yelping crate, but Jack has finished the job. It's over.
IRDRED:
CHALLENGE BATTLE: NETHER DEVIL
The pirate doesn't reply to Irdred. He's too busy whining to care about anything Irdred has to say.
Irdred isn't technically a ghost, so no luck there, and thank god he can't move in three-dimensions (that would be such a headache) since the laws of gravity still seem to function "normally" here.
Irdred looks around for anything he can use, but there is nothing. He can't recognize any of the runes and this magic is completely foreign to him. Irdred starts to get the feeling this trap was specifically designed to deal with people like Irdred, ie. necromancers.
The shadowy devil attacks, but not by reaching out to touch Irdred as he suspected. Instead, its eyes suddenly light up into burning orbs. There is a sudden surge of light and Irdred can see something emerging from the ground. It looks like a pillar of pusling reddish-orange orbs, sort of like lava, rising out of the ground. As the pillar of light rises out of the ground, tufts of red light pop out of the orbs. They look like spikes.
The pillar currently occupies the center of the room, but as it rises, its base spreads and is slowly filling the room. Irdred is currently 20 ft. away from the flood of lava-like light. Once again, this magic is completely foreign to Irdred.
Irdred falls back to the door and finds himself standing next to the pirate, who is still hopelessly pounding on the barrier. The devil now begins to approach the two. It reaches out with its long, shadowy arms... Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag Jack looks for something to open the crate with. Barring that, he uses one of his daggers. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag JACK:
The lid of the crate isn't tight, so Jack has little trouble prying it open with a dagger. As soon as he opens the crate, a young woman pops out...a rather rotund young woman with a pig-like nose, large ears, and awkward teeth.
"OH! MY KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR! THANK YOU!" the large maiden yells. She suddenly scoops Jack up and embraces him in a bone-crushing hug. Jack gasps for air, then kicks his way out of the embrace.
Haschem's daughter. Yes, Jack can see the resemblance. He can also see Haschem's ring on his daughter's finger.
"I KNEW daddy wouldn't let me down! You came to save me. Yay! And these stupid Shadow Rats are dead. They deserve it," the girl spits on a corpse. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag "Ah, well, sorry it took so long," Jack says. "we'll be leaving in a jiffy, provided of course the rowboat is still outside."
Jack will search the corpses, looking for anything of value and anything that might identify them.
"I wonder who owns this warehouse," Jack muses. "I doubt they'd take kindly to find shadow rats lying around." (Is the crate big enough to stuff the bodies in?) Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members September 2010 edited September 2010 Flag JACK:
Jack finds nothing of interest on the two corpses. Between the crates and barrels, he can hide both corpses. He goes about doing so, although Haschem's daughter ends up providing most of the muscle. She is a big girl.
Jack then goes to check the door of the warehouse. He cracks it open a bit...and discovers bright light flooding the island. No, not sunlight-Jack can still see the night sky in the distance-but light coming from somewhere. Looks like the Scourge's soldiers are keeping an eye on the warehouse. Problem is, Jack is absolutely certain there is no other way out of the warehouse. Well, no non-magical means. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Jack closes the door back. He turns to the girl, "We might have a bit of a problem. One of the Shadow Rats took a spill off the side of the island. Now the military is poking its nose around. You wouldn't happen to know any magic spells that could get us safely out of here, do you?" Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag JACK:
Haschem's daughter shakes her head. "Oh, no! Never magic. Daddy taught me magic is the sign of a weak-willed man. It is better to use the gifts the Holy Light gave us."
Jack blinks. Way too many jokes here...
"Let's just go out there and tell them what happened", Haschem's daughter suddenly claps her hands. "Oh! If they don't believe us, we can convince them you're my bodyguard and this is my daddy's warehouse!" Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Jack scratches his head. He doesn't like the sound of this, but he sees no other way out. "Okay," he says with a shrug. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag JACK:
Jack follows Haschem's daughter out the front door. There is a yell from the docks as soon as they exit, but nobody comes to greet them, so Jack goes down to the jetty and pulls on a little bell that calls the floating rowboat. The two get in the boat, and dips about 6 ft. with Haschem's daughter in it, and "row" across to the other side. There they find a hard looking man in light armor waiting for them.
"Who are you? What is your business here?" the soldier asks.
Jack opens his mouth, but Haschem's girl stops him and steps forward.
"We are here on business. This is my father's warehouse and he is my bodyguard."
The soldier raises an eyebrow at Jack, then narrows his eyes at the girl. "Are you aware a man died moments before you left that warehouse? There was definitely magic involved. Do you know anything about it?"
Haschem's daughter's eyes widen. She does a good job of feigning shock. "Oh, how terrible! How did it happen?"
"We believe a wizard used a bolt of lightning to knock the man out of this rowboat. The one you just exited. That can't be a coincidence."
"Oh, the poor dear! Was he leaving my warehouse...or trying to enter it? I'm certain we would have noticed him leaving."
The soldier suddenly looks puzzled. "Uh...no, I don't know where he was going..."
Haschem's daughter tilts her head. "No? Perhaps he was headed somewhere else and this was the first boat he could find."
The soldier shrugs. "Well, we did see the lightning..."
"My good sir, as you can plainly see, I am no witch! Daddy doesn't believe in magic. And my bodyguard here has never seen the inside of the university, or is it common practice for wizards to use guns?"
Jack gets the girl's meaning, but he still finds himself looking away from the soldier at that last comment.
The soldier sighs. "Um...no, guns aren't standard issue equipment. In fact, he looks more like a pirate, but is this really your father's warehouse?"
Haschem's daughter suddenly holds her ring up to the soldier's face. He blinks, then steps aside.
"Lord Haschem? I'm sorry, ma'am. I won't hold you up any longer. Please, be safe out there."
As they walk away from the skydocks, Haschem's daughter giggles. "What a silly man. I guess it was better to not mention the Shadow Rats. Nobody likes a mess to clean up."
Despite being dark, the magical streetlamps provide more than enough light for Jack to lead Haschem's daughter back home; however, when they finally reach the manorhouse, it becomes immediately obvious something is wrong. For one thing, the gargoyles perched on the gate aren't there anymore. Even worse, Jack quickly spots the missing gargoyles: they're now standing in front of the main entrance to the house, and instead of sitting on the ground, their arms are stretched out to block the door.
Haschem's daughter is immediately confused by this. "Uh...why did daddy move the gargoyles to the front of the door? Hmm...these look like the ones from the back of the house."
But Jack has a different idea. He has seen gargoyles wink and move before, but never blocking a door like this. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Jack draws his magical guns. "I don't like the looks of this," he says to the girl. "Is there somewhere else I can escort you, where you will be safe until we can sort this out?"
Jack tries to survey the whole scene, to see if there is anything else out of place. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag * * * * * *
Haschem's daughter crosses her arms. "If daddy's in trouble, I'm not going to run away. I want to help."
Jack examines the manor. Jack can now see more gargoyles are missing, not just the ones at the gate. Some windows are also open, but none are broken. Nowhere does Jack get the impression of conflict. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Adam is upset that he couldnt defeat his opponent. What the hell is a Shadow Rat doing in a tournament anyway? He didnt think those buzzards would try to obtain money the legit way. Maybe they were placed in the tournament to send a message. Either way, it's not good to see an assassin in any setting. (Are there multiple tournaments run a day/week or is there just the one?)
If there arent any more tournaments to join, he requests an audience with Swan. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag * * * * * * *
ADAM:
Yes, there are lots of tournaments, but most are themed. Adam is on Day 7 though, so he wouldn't have time before the next event started...but he did skip like 5 days to get here. Perhaps Adam can play out one of the days he missed until everyone else is caught up.
The previous tournaments: two Firearms Guild tournaments, a smaller and larger one, an archery tournament, and a beast taming tournament (ie. beat the crap out of, NOT kill, ferocious animals until they submit).
Adam tries to arrange an audience with Swan, but regardless of what day Adam requests, Swan says he's too busy and will "let the party know" when he's ready to see them. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag A Firearm Guild tournament doesnt sound appealing to Adam since he is more adapt to blades. He will enter the archery and beast taming tournament. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (Funny thing is, Adam is probably more likely to win a gun duel than Jack is)
ADAM:
The beast taming tournament comes before the archery tournament, so we'll start there (and for simplicity's sake, we'll assume Adam is sponsored by this time).
This tournament requires an entry fee, but because he is sponsored, Adam doesn't have to pay it.
The rules are different for this tournament: Adam isn't supposed to kill any animals. That would be too easy. Adam's goal is to force the animal to submit. He can do this in any number of ways: beat the animal down, tie it up, pin it, wrestle it, exhaust it, etc. Note clubbing sounds easy, but since it's non-lethal damage, and most animals are royally pi$$ed during a fight, it won't work too well until the animal is rendered helpless.
Anywho, Adam's first challenge is an angry bull. Adam is armed with a club wrapped in wool and a net. The net feels odd in his hands. Same arena dimensions as last time: 60 ft. radius.
IRDRED:
I suppose there are enough actions here.
As the devil gets close, Irdred prepares a nasty touch for the beast. The nether devil is reaching for the necromancer, so it's not difficult to grab the creature back and pump it full of necromantic energy.
But the effort is in vain, his negative energy acting like a shadow overlapping another shadow. As far as Irdred can tell, his touch does nothing to the creature. The devil's touch, however, does something to him: he gets shocked in a most unique way, and it's not necromancy (-3 HP).
Irdred stumbles away from the beast. The lava-like stuff is filling the room.
Okay, necromancy is out of the question. Any other ideas?
STATUS: Irdred -3 HP Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (Sorry, I totally missed the previous update... it was edited in after I had already read Jack's. I'm not sure Irdred would have allowed that to happen, but it's not as if he had any other ideas, so I suppose I'll stick by it.
For lack of other ideas, may I have a map? I get the feeling I'm missing something here.
St. Elmo's Fire is on by default and would have revealed anything special, right?) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (Yeah, St. Elmo's Fire is the reason Irdred can even see the symbol on the ground. Oh, and believe me, a map won't help here. Irdred's movement is so limited, and the devil's so mobile, it won't make a difference) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (Interesting. I figured Jack would have the advantage due to him having two levels of Precision plus the Weap. Exp. for Handguns.)
(Also, is the net just a regular net or the ones with the metal balls at the end?)
Adam charges the bull. He makes sure to be careful of its horns. He wraps the net around the bull's head and uses it as leverage, beating it on the head. He also tries to put it in a head lock, using the horns to twist its head and drive it to the ground. He would also use the net to cut the bull's circulation to its head. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (Hmm, I'm stumped. So let me think out loud for a second here: -The symbol seems important, but taking the time needed to figure it out pretty much means death. -If negative energy is ineffective, maybe positive energy will work. Unfortunately, 30 seconds of contact with this thing pretty much means death. -Could try reasoning with the giant smoke monster. But I have a feeling that also means death.
If this were a video game, I'd think this is one of those battles you aren't supposed to win. Any possibility of a subtle hint before I commit to anything?) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag
Any possibility of a subtle hint before I commit to anything
(Yes. Take another look at the description for the Heal Wounds spell) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Jack cautiously approaches the gargoyle. "Has something happened to the house? Or Master Haschem?" Jack asks as he approaches. Savage Tide Info Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (Aha. When did that get there? )
Irdred jerks back from the strange shock. In the back of his mind, he ponders the curiosity of experiencing pain without receptor cells -- a lone rational thought that he clings to desperately, like a shield to fend off a circling panic. Everything has an explanation, even magic. So what could hurt something that is already dead?
He comes to a conclusion, although he knows he is a drowning man grasping at straws for even considering it. Next time the nether devil reaches for him (or the pirate), he tries to dodge and counter with a healing touch of his own. If he succeeds, he hangs on and doesn't let go. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (It's been like that for a long time) * * * * * *
JACK:
The gargoyles appear to be ignoring Jack.
"Who are you talking to?" Haschem's daughter asks as she follows the halfling. A disgusted look crosses her face when she glances at the statue-like creatures. "They sure are ugly, aren't they? I wonder why everyone likes these things."
She scratches her neck with the hand sporting Haschem's family ring.
The gargoyles suddenly quiver, then slowly pull the doors open. Haschem's daughter yelps, then scampers behind Jack. The halfling is knocked down by her generous proportions.
"They're alive!? Wow...I had no idea."
Jack rolls his eyes, then enters the manor.
There is no other sign of gargoyles or the manor's staff, but Jack does his best to remain stealthy. Haschem's daughter follows, but she has to take her shoes off to be stealthy. Jack doesn't know the manor very well, only the room where he first met Haschem, so the halfling decides to start there.
As he draws nearer to the sitting room, he can hear Lord Haschem's voice echoing through the corridors. When he reaches the opened door to the sitting room, he peeks around the corner and looks around.
Jack can see a few more gargoyles sitting still as stone around the perimeter of the room. One gargoyle, with large bat-like wings and a devil-tail, is standing in front of the large fireplace with its arms crossed across its chest. Standing before this gargoyle is Haschem and he looks angry.
"...and that's it! No more argument. The matter is settled: the pact is finished", Haschem says to the gargoyle. The creature doesn't budge an inch in reply to Lord Haschem. Jack could easily confuse this gargoyle for a statue if he didn't know better.
Haschem shakes his head in frustration. "Your people are so bloody stubborn! I would have thought you learned a thing or two in the centuries you've spent watching my family. You can't bully me into honouring an agreement my ancestors signed centuries ago. I can't afford it!"
"What is he talking about? What agreement?" Haschem's daughter whispers into Jack's ear.
IRDRED:
The pirate is still hopelessly banging on the reddish barrier.
Irdred isn't very good at dodging anything, but he makes an attempt to avoid the devil's touch. Despite his best efforts, the creature's arms are just too big and Irdred finds himself being touched; however, Irdred does a little touching of his own and unleashes a torrent of positive energy into the creature. Irdred gets shocked again, but the creature's hand jerks away like it was just burned (-2 HP damage dealt, Irdred takes -3 HP).
Unfortunately, the second round of shocking, which feels more like a sudden burst of icy cold mixed with a weird buzzing feeling, leaves Irdred feeling drained. He stumbles away from the creature as the devil begins to regard the necromancer a little differently. It now turns its attention towards the pirate and reaches for him. The pirate spirit screams when he is touched and falls to the ground. Irdred watches in horror as the spirit releases bursts of light and darkness at the touch. Is this what happens when a spirit is destroyed?
The devil won't go near Irdred now. Instead it leaves the ever-growing pool of lava-like stuff fill the room. Soon the pool reaches Irdred's feet and he feels burned (-1 HP).
So this is it...Irdred can't get out of the room. The lava is upon him, the pirate's spirit is being destroyed, and his very soul is in danger.
"NO!" the spirit screams. "NOOOOO!!!"
Irdred suddenly feels something grab and yank him backwards...
...and Irdred finds himself looking upon absolute darkness, but he can feel cold stone along his back and legs. Remembering the bag, he pulls it off his head and finds himself lying on the floor of his lab. He feels lightheaded and dizzy, but that's to be expected.
Somebody is knocking on the door.
On the 6th day, Irdred successfully figures out how to make his undead animates smarter leaving the 7th day open for whatever he wants to do. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Jack shrugs and motions the girl to be quiet. He attempts to nestle himself into the girl's "generous proportions" while trying to make it look like he is just trying to keep hidden. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag JACK:
Jack...uh...hides.
The discussion between man and gargoyle continues. Lord Haschem now has his arms folded across his chest.
"So, that's it, is it? We're finished? No pact, no money...there is nothing stopping you from killing me? You will never get away with this. Gargoyles aren't exempted from Spellmount la..."
Haschem is cut off when the gargoyle suddenly reaches out and grasps him by the neck. The gargoyle lifts Haschem off his feet and the large man makes choking noises."
"Father! No, stop!" Haschem's daughter yells as she runs into the room. Jack is, once again, knocked to the ground.
The gargoyle turns its head to look at the girl and allows Haschem to drop back to the ground. The creature appears to have relaxed its grip.
"What are you doing here?" Haschem yells. "That damned halfling! I paid him to get rid of the Shadow Rats...you weren't supposed to come back!"
"I'm...I'm sorry!" Haschem's daughter replies, "I didn't mean to run away. I didn't mean all those things I said."
"Damn you, girl! The one time I need you to act irrationally and pout...you become apologetic!"
"I'm so sorry! And I brought the ring back. I know you don't really love this ring more than me..."
Haschem's eyes bulge. "WHAT!? Get that cursed thing out of this house! Now!"
But two gargoyles suddenly come alive and grab both of Haschem's daughter's arms. They also attempt to grab the ring on her finger. She tries to fight the beasts off, but their grips are as hard as...uh, stone...and they've got the strength to match. The lead gargoyle begins choking Haschem again and he is lifted off the ground.
The other gargoyles don't appear to be doing anything.
ADAM:
The bull charges Adam right out of the gate, which is no surprise, so Adam whips the net at the bull's head as it approaches. Despite not handling a net before, his throw is perfect (Success on 3) and the net wraps around the bull's head. Adam keeps a hand on a rope trailing from the net for his next move.
When the bull finally gets close, Adam dives out of the way (Bull's attack Failure on 1), and from the ground, tugs the net and pulls the bull closer to him. It's not enough to throw the bull off balance, just enough to get Adam back on his feet, who then immediately throws his arms around the bull's head. He his little trouble getting the bull in a headlock (Success on 3).
The bull begins to twist and kick and Adam is throw over the bull's back and onto the ground (Maintain hold Failure on 1). The bull whips around to face Adam, but the mercenary keeps a firm hold on the net. It has begun to wrap around the bull's neck and is starting to choke. The bull struggles and violently whips its head about and Adam can't hold onto the net any longer (Failure on 1). The bull's head is still wrapped in the net, but without any pressure the bull is no longer being choked. It now just looks kind of silly with a net on its head.
When the pull charges Adam again, he makes an attempt to grab the horns. He gets his hands up and manages to grab the horns and finds himself lifted off the ground. Using his impressive acrobatic training, he flings himself over the horns and onto the bull's back. He uses the net like a harness.
Adam spends the next few moments riding the bull like a cowboy as the beasts kicks and twists to get the mercenary off its back. Adam smacks the bull in the head with the club as he rides and manages to get a couple good whacks in (-2 NL). He also chokes the bull a bit (-1 NL). Adam is eventually thrown off.
Adam quickly rolls to his feet (Agility Success on 3) and leaps at the net wrapped around the bull's head. This time he can't get a good grip, is bumped hard by the bull but avoids being knocked down (Acrobatics Success on 2), then has to deal with the bull's horns again. He narrowly avoids a horn in the gut and backpeddles away from the bull.
K, all of Adam's tactics used up. What does he want to do now?
*Bull -3 NL Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Jack climbs back to his feet and scratches his head. "Nobles," he thinks with a shake. Had no one know he was there, Jack would have simply shirked away. Instead he drawls his magical pistols, pushes the door open with his foot and addresses Haschem, "Had you told me you wanted her dead, I could have arranged that. However, that was not part of our deal. Now, I'll not have you disparaging my name. I am, after all a professional."
Jack levels his pistols at Haschem's head. "May I?" he asks the gargoyle holding Haschem.
|
|
|
Post by TG Barighm on May 8, 2018 18:08:17 GMT -5
TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (Actually, Jack could slink away if he really wants to. No one is paying attention to him) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (then jack does slink away. He's a bit pissed about getting his full payment, but he doesn't really want to fight the gargoyles for a few handfuls of gold.) Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag JACK: And so Jack leaves the Haschems to their fate. The gargoyles are still at the front door, but they don't stop Jack. He disappears into the night. The next day Jack hears rumours about murders in the wealthy district. But he doesn't ask about it and he doesn't listen to the details. Okay, next up, the three tournaments and any other business you have in mind. I know Jack is skipping the smaller firearms tournament. Will he enter the second larger tournament and then the city's big tournament? Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (yes, the second larger tournament, and then the big tournament.) Savage Tide Info Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Go for the net and resume trying to choke the bull down, hitting him over the head. Horn grabbing and twisting the head to get him down to the ground. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Irdred takes staff in hand, at first as a precaution against whoever is knocking, but then finding that he needs it to balance himself. He makes his way to the door as quietly as possible and listens for any sound outside, healing himself all the while. Somebody obviously went to a lot of trouble to set up that trap for him, so he's being excessively careful. Rampant paranoia has already saved him once today, after all. Day 7: -He will be doing some shopping and research, but first, what exactly is the difference between ghouls/mohrgs and zombies/skeletons? And does the bone menagerie only allow the free animation of skeletons, or mohrgs as well? -He sends a letter to Someone Who Knows Things (including the requisite 50GP fee, of course). The letter asks who is responsible for the attempt on his life... soul... whatever. He is intentionally vague about what happened. He finds it unlikely that Someone knows all the details and would like to keep it that way, but s/he may still have an idea who had planned the trap. -At the Council of Necromancy, he goes to the room with the glowing lure and asks someone about it, wondering if actually is a trap for ghosts like the pirate mentioned. -He also approaches the web room, not entering it, but just inspecting the area around the door and looking inside from the doorway. Is it any different from what he saw in the nether realm? And is there any evidence that it has been visited recently? d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag IRDRED: Irdred carefully listens at the door. After a moment of knocking, Aigon's voice comes through. "Hello? Are you finished yet?" Regarding day 7... -Ghouls exude a nauseous stench that sickens nearby living creatures a la D&D ghouls. Mohrgs are basically skeleton berserkers. They can rage in battle. Free Bone Menagerie skeletons can be turned into Mohrgs. -Irdred gets a bizarre answer. A person will attempt to take Irdred's life-two attempts, actually...but it hasn't happened yet. The first attempt will be from "the golden one", although Someone won't elaborate for some reason, and the second attempt won't occur in Spellmount. It sounds like Someone is surprised somebody already tried to kill Irdred without he or she knowing about it. Someone also notes it's difficult to learn a lot of things happening around Irdred these days. Perhaps the Anti-scrying ring is to blame? -Irdred goes to the room with the spirit lure and discovers the door to the lab is locked. (SMART) Being the smart guy he is, Irdred conjures his St. Elmo's Fire and discovers an enchantment on the door. It's a weird mix of necromancy and a couple other forms of magic Irdred doesn't know. When he examines the door, he discovers this particular lab belongs to a Council Member. Irdred asks some other people about the door, but all he gets is averted eyes and scared looks. One person suggests Irdred not get mixed up in a councilman's business and leaves it at that. -Irdred finds the door hidden behind a tapestry and examines it. The door has multiple locks, and a quick scan with Elmo reveals the door to be covered in more magical wards than the Atlas'Baerone bank. He even recognizes the one used on his lock. Anyone who tries to break into this door will be blown sky high. ADAM: Adam can't get a jump on the bull before the beast charges and finds himself gored in the leg (-2 HP), but this makes it a lot easier for him to grab the net. The bull tries to throw Adam to the side again, and with the horn in his leg, the bull gets enough leverage to toss Adam aside. Adam scrambles to his feet and attempts to jump on the bull's back, but misses and crashes into its side. Jumping and kicking, the bull tries to step on Adam, but he rolls out of the way. From beneath the beast, Adam reaches up to grab the net, but the bull jerks away. The bull now tries to jab its horns into Adam, but he rolls out of the way at the last possible second. Its horns pierce the ground and Adam uses this chance to hurl himself at the beast and grab its head, but the bull suddenly pulls its horns free and threatens Adam forcing him to veer to the side. Adam, panting heavily, is starting to feel worn out by the fight. The bull begins scratching the ground with a hoof, but doesn't charge. Adam times his next attempt just right, leaps at the bull's horns, grabs them, and begins to wrestle the animal with all his might. The bull thrashes its head about, but Adam holds on, and in the next round, finally wrestles the beast to the ground. He begins pounding on the bull with the club and the animal finally submits. The crowd enjoyed the show and cheer for Adam. Adam's next furry opponent is a tiger. It growls at Adam when he enters the arena. Adam is, once again, armed with a net and club. **I gotta say these animal bouts are a lot more fun to GM than the regular fights JACK: Jack reports to the large gun dueling tournament and discovers Roan was right about the halfling's popularity. The last time Jack participated in this tournament, there weren't many spectators, but now more than half the arena is full. The first opponent is just some drunk from the guild. The drunk is actually faster on the draw than Jack is, but his aim is terrible and Jack takes him out with ease. The next round is comical. Jack and his opponent fire at the exact same time, but miss, then fire their secondary pistols, and miss again, then fire their third pistols and miss again. Out of pistols, the winner in such a situation is the one who can reload a pistol first and fire. Thankfully, this happens to be Jack, and he takes out his opponent. Jack's third opponent is a woman in a blue riding dress he has never seen before at the guild. She proves to be fairly quick on the draw and fires before Jack can, misses, the halfling misses on his shot, and the woman hits Jack on her second pistol. For some reason, the woman who beat Jack sends him a letter "wishing him luck" and says something about "children wielding guns look cute". It's not a win, but Roan is still glad Jack entered the larger guild tournament first. The guild earned double the usual amount and Roan gives Jack a 200 GP cut (he doesn't tell his sponsor about this). Regarding the big tournament... Jack discovers Adam is participating in the tournament. Jack's first opponent is a stereotypical mercenary covered in scars and wielding a sword in either hand. He's not heavily armored. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (I can use any gun in the big tourney, correct?) (I forgot this earlier) Jack sends Irdred a note detailing the location of the warehouse and the fact there is a crate inside containing two "experiment supplies". Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (You can use your normal gear, yes, save consumnables) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Adam circles the beast then charges it, making sure the net wraps around the tigers head or front legs. Beat it with the club. Headlock or full body grapple to the ground to get it off its feet. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Jack will open with his magnums, then dwarven pistols, saving the magical guns for last. He's hoping to keep them a secret as long as possible. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag JACK: The sword-wielding guy charges Jack, but he can easily draw his guns and fire before the sword dude can get close. Unfortunately, one gun misfires and the other shot is off (all 1's), so the sword dude manages to reach Jack. The halfling ducks the first slash, but the second catches him in the leg (-1 HP). Jack runs between the sword dude's legs and pulls his second set of guns out (First Attack Success on 3), then shoots the merc in the back. This time both guns go off and the merc is shot dead. The crowd didn't appear to enjoy this fight that much. Jack's next opponent is a girl in her teens with a staff. As Jack walks into the arena, the girl casts a spell that summons two big dogs into the arena. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Irdred stays silent. Aigon is a prime suspect, seeing how he's the only one Irdred told about his experiments. But that doesn't guarantee his guilt. Surely he could have told other Council members about your intentions? And the letter. He wouldn't send you a letter warning you about repeated suicide if he meant to kill you anyway. This hopeful part of him wants to dismiss the old man as the perpetrator... but... No! You only assumed that letter was from Aigon. So he lets Aigon think him dead for the moment to see how he reacts. Day 7: -"Huh," he says when he reads Someone's letter. At this point he can't help but be a little impressed with himself. Not even a month in Atlas'Baerone, and already all these people want him dead. That must be a new record. He writes back with, "Now is not the time for riddles. Who is the 'golden one'? Is it Aigon?" and, "Precisely when, where, and how will these other attempts occur? Give me the details." He didn't even know that he'd be leaving Spellmount again anytime soon, so he finds it peculiar (and telling) that a would-be murderer would incorporate this into their plans. -As of now, he will always have Delayed Healing active on himself, set to revive him a couple of minutes after death. -He believes Jack's letter is not from Jack at all, but another clever trap, so he does not act on it. -He visits the Authority about Xevalos, recalling there was some sort of reward for destroying the half-giant. -He writes down everything he can remember about the symbol in the web room and researches what kind of magic it is. -He researches a spell variant that would allow him to see through the eyes of (and make use of the other senses of) his minions. -(One last thing before I finish my shopping list. What's your stance on smart skeletons that shouldn't physically be able to retain their skills from when they were alive? Like, can a bird skeleton fly despite lack of feathers, and can a snake skeleton inject poison despite lack of poison glands? Does magic override logic here?) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Like, can a bird skeleton fly despite lack of feathers, and can a snake skeleton inject poison despite lack of poison glands? Does magic override logic here? (No, not in this case. It's simply impossible; however, it is still an issue in the case of creating a zombie bird or snake, thus the variant is still needed. Skeletons aren't totally useless though: smart skeletons will stop to pick up weapons and armor now, and they're not slow like zombies are) * * * * * * IRDRED: Aigon continues to knock on the door. "I hope you didn't kill yourself in there! Hello? Oh blast...I need a dispeller...any student who can dispel magic will get an A on their next test! Anyone?" Regarding Someone's work... Another letter sent, another fee paid. Someone promptly replies clearly expecting Irdred to ask more questions. Apparently the unique "instances" behind these assassinations make it difficult to provide details. All Someone is willing to say is that the first attempt will take place in the University of An'M and the second attempt will occur outside of Spellmount. Irdred eventually realizes Someone is unwilling to admit he may NOT know something and is trying to protect his reputation here. The university is probably full of defenses stopping Someone's abilities to gather information, so they must be magical, and the other attempt, outside of Spellmount, is outside of Someone's realm of information. He doesn't say anything more about "the golden one", again suggesting he doesn't know and is unwilling to admit as much; however, he does say both attempts on Irdred's life are the result of one person's efforts. As for Aigon, Someone admits the necromancer does have the resources to off Irdred at any time...but not within the university of An'M. By default, he can't be responsible for the second attempt because the same person organizes both attempts. Not only that, but Someone states matter-of-factly that Aigon has never murdered anyone who didn't deserve it. In fact, and Someone gives this one for free because Irdred is such a good customer, he suggests Irdred be far more wary around Swan than Aigon. Regarding other errands... -Irdred writes down what he can remember about the symbols, and when he finally does leave his lab, will research them. He does find some field notes about the symbols...written by none other than Aigon (but saying anything more will be redundant; just talk to the guy). -Irdred finally visits the Atlas'Baerone Authority and meets with an officer there to discuss whatever it is they wanted to discuss. Turns out they're concerned about what Irdred found at Baldorak Citadel, the Earth Plan, its effect on the Citadel, and what happened to Xevalos. The officers use enchantments to ensure Irdred tells the truth, so he is forced to answer all of their questions. They're a little concerned about what the Earth Plan did to the Citadel, but they're relieved to learn Irdred has difficulty remembering details about his time with the Earth Plan. When it comes to Xevalos, Irdred discovers there is a bounty for him, and the officers are surprised to learn Irdred knew about the bounty; however, they also ask for proof of his demise. The party doesn't have any, so the officers assume Xevalos got away. Irdred insists he's not lying, and he can't, but for some reason the Authority refuses to believe him. The bounty remains. Unfortunately, this eats up the rest of the afternoon and Irdred doesn't have time to research another variant. On Day 8, the story continues, so Irdred can't do anything on that day. ADAM: Adam carefully circles the tiger, but as he does this, the tiger crouches low to the ground, sets its hind paws, and just as Adam is ready to charge, the tiger pounces. This is probably the first time Adam has encountered a creature that can run just as fast, if not faster, than him. The tiger is on Adam in a blink of an eye, and it's everything he can to do get the net in the tiger's face. Unfortunately, it was a snap decision and the net doesn't fly right. It just folds up on the ground. The tiger slams into Adam and pins him to the ground and begins to claw and bite the mercenary. He is mercilessly bitten and clawed (-2 HP). Adam tries to wrestle the tiger, but a dilemma soon presents itself: the tiger WANTS to wrestle Adam, and unlike the mercenary, has claws and fangs. Adam moves to get the tiger in a headlock, but the tiger allows it and continues to claw at the rest of his body (another -2 HP). If Adam remains pinned he's going to be torn to shreds. STATUS: Irdred Delayed Healing, Adam -4 HP Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Not much more use in feigning death at this point. "What do you want?" Irdred calls through the door. If he's not fully healed yet, he stalls for time to do so before opening the door. Day 7: Shopping: -He disenchants the resistant armour, the charm baton, and his staff. -Okay, so, starting with 18339 GP, -500 (alchemy lab) -100 (far step potion) -100 (letters to Someone) -25 (bandolier) -750 (to create the 3 vials of magic dust) +50 (from selling the Enhance Gear oil)... ...he is left with 16914 GP. This he will spend as follows (using up GP before gems): (None of this includes his discount, so he may buy more stuff depending on how much cash he has remaining.) -6000 GP for a Devil's Clutch staff, to which he attaches the smokey quartz, the skeletal hand, and... -a Bone Menagerie (2000 GP), which replaces the caltrop chain. He still keeps the caltrop chain for now, though. -6000 GP for a Necromantic Fury tome. (This can be shaped into spheres, cones, lines, etc., right? Is its damage increased by the smokey quartz as a Necromantic Touch?) -On the more mundane side of things, he purchases some rope, a grappling hook, and a couple spiked chains. He refills his powderhorn as well. These are all stowed in the bottomless bag. -He also purchases a disguise. Oddly enough for a disguise, though, it sure stands out in a crowd. It's a plague doctor's outfit, a weird getup that covers every inch of skin courtesy of a wide-brimmed hat, a creepy long-nosed mask, and an oily-looking greatcoat (though unlike the picture, Irdred's coat is covered in many hidden pockets). Actually, he buys two such coats -- more on that later. The previous items are definite purchases. These others are conditional: -Does a tome exist for the "seeing through minions' eyes" spell variant that Irdred had wanted to research (I shall call it Deadsense from now on, since it's less awkward to type)? If it exists, and if it is a 2000 GP tome, he may buy it. -He would like to upgrade his Fire Resistant Ring into a Fire Warding Ring (as warding armour, decreasing damage by 3). (He wants to use magic dust to accomplish this, so this is where I start to get even more hazy on the cost involved) -If Necromantic Fury is cast through the staff, he would like to add the Precise enchantment to the staff. He will probably use magic dust to accomplish this as well, depending on his funds. -He wants to buy some Dispelling potions, but before he does so, he checks prices on Dispelling wands. Necromancy: -He raids the Council's stash of corpses, building up a veritable pet cemetery in his bottomless bag for future use. (For simplicity, shall we say that he can pull any number of small animal corpses out of the bag from now on? Unless you really want to keep track of how many and what kinds he has.) Most of the corpses he takes just come from whatever random animals the Council has access to, but there are a couple specific ones he has in mind... -...such as a smallish white vulture, little bigger than a raven, which he reanimates immediately as a Smart Enhanced zombie. This one will be flying around acting as a lookout for him wherever he goes. -He also makes a point to animate a great many snake skeletons, dozens of them, courtesy of the Bone Menagerie. These are curled up in every pocket and sleeve of his new coat, ready to leap out at any moment: the idea being that if anything hostile comes close to him, he can quickly surround himself with a wall of fanged mouths to make them think twice. -He also attempts to get a human corpse from the Council. Even just a skeleton is fine. This one he does not animate right now. It goes in the bottomless bag. -Lastly, he remembers to take those blue-winged bats he saved from before (I think there were three?) and throws those in the bottomless bag as well. Other things: -He makes a point to be seen around town wearing his new disguise. But he doesn't seem terribly concerned about hiding his identity -- he removes the hat and mask often to get some air. This might seem to render the disguise pointless, but he has a plan, honest. -Just so the Authority wasn't a complete waste of his precious time, he mentions to them that, by the way, somebody tried to kill him, and he has reason to believe there will be more such attempts, and does the Authority plan to do anything about it? -(Unless this was already addressed the day before) Irdred approaches Aigon about what happened in the nether realm. As can be expected, he has questions. What is the web room and the symbol it contains? Who else knows about it? Who has access to that room? And did Aigon tell anyone about the types of experiments Irdred was planning on running? Edit: Forgot to mention, if he still has free time after all this, he'll use the Dagger of Slaughter to make some lucky healing items. There should probably be a limit on how many of those he can make, huh...? d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (K, it's Thanksgiving here, and I'm doing the baking, so I highly doubt I will be able to update over the day or so) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (sorry for the delay, had my wisdom teeth removed Friday) Jack eyes the dogs warily. Jack will fire on the girl (same order of guns as last time) while trying to avoid any attacks by the dogs. Savage Tide Info Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Adam tries to kick the tiger off of him. He uses the club to beat the animal on the head and uses the net to trip him up. He puts some distance between him and the tiger if it gets too hairy. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag ADAM: Adam uses his exceptional wrestling skills to knee the tiger in the gut and uses the extra leverage to throw the tiger to one side. He quickly rolls away and collects the net, then tosses the net at the tiger's legs. The animal quickly rolls to its feet and turns to face Adam. The net hits the tiger in the legs, but it just bounces off without a proper "tripping" action. The tiger growls at Adam and the two slowly circle eachother for a moment, then the tiger leaps at Adam. He whacks the tiger in the face with the club and quickly dives out of the way before the beast can strike. When the tiger lands on its feet, it uses its momentum to circle around and charge Adam again, but the scenario plays out the same way: Adam whacks the tiger before diving out of the way. The beast gives up on this tactic and now cautiously approaches Adam, occasionally clawing at Adam's legs and growling. This gives Adam some time to collect the net and he launches it again-a bad throw-and it looks like the tiger was waiting for some kind of opening because it suddenly charges Adam again, this time focusing on ramming Adam in the gut. Adam tries to dance out of the way, but the beast knows Adam's movements now and moves accordingly, catching the merc square in the stomach and attempting to bowl him down. Adam can't maintain his balance this time, so down he goes. He gets bitten as he falls (-1 HP). Adam puts his hands on the tiger's face and pushes away, then does the same with his feet and manages to get himself free of the tiger's grasp. It tries to pull him back and Adam gets clawed, but another solid whack with the club momentarily discourages the tiger. Adam scrambles to his and quickly backpeddles away from the feline. The net is on the other side of the tiger. Adam is starting to feel worn out by this fight and the tiger is still going strong. Now what? *Tiger -3 NL JACK: Jack pulls his gun out, but he achieves eye contact with the girl and she realizes Jack will focus on her, so she quickly gets a spell off that encases her in a white light-Xevalos did the same thing. Both of Jack's shots are direct hits: the first hits the white barrier, causing the light to dissipate but is harmlessly deflected, while the second hits the girl dead-on. She clutches her chest and falls to the ground, but she's not quite out. The dogs charge. The exact same thing happens in the next round: Jack draws his guns, fires, the girl puts the barrier up, first shot is deflected but the second hits, and that's the end of the fight. Oddly, the dogs don't disappear after the girl is defeated. They must be real dogs and not just summoned creatures. Not that it matters. They don't attack Jack once the fight is over. Jack's next opponent is an odd one: a man with angelic wings that glow with a fiery light. The dude himself is pretty plain looking, wears clothes more suitable for mining, but he does have a shield, sword, and a bunch of guns on his belt and one in his hand. Jack assumes the wings are magical and not real. IRDRED: Irdred begins healing himself. "Oh, good...you're alive," Aigon replies. I suppose he sounds sincere, but Irdred may be too paranoid right now to notice. "May I come in? I'd rather not talk out here." Regarding major purchases... -No, variants aren't replacements for regular spells. Necromantic Fury is just a basic 20 ft. radius blast; however, it is based on Necro Touch so yeah, its damage will increase. Regarding conditional purchases... -No, Irdred can't see through the eyes of his dead minions. I think this is an impossibility for necromancy. I've always understood this sort of power to be the "merging" of senses or some such, but this was always with living creatures. Being creatures of pure necromantic energy, and little else, I just can't see undead allowing this same kind of merging, plus I imagine this could be harmful to a living creature. -I don't want to get heavy into the whole magic dust thing, so I'm using spells as a reference point...and due to an annoying door-to-door salesman, I lost my train of thought at this point, so we'll say Irdred can use the 3 stacks of magic dust, and help from someone with Adv. Frost spells for about 500 GP to improve his ring's resistence. -Necromantic Fury works on an entirely different mechanic specific to AoE attacks, so Precise won't help. -With Irdred's discount he can buy Dispelling wands for 800 GP or the weakest potions for 80 GP. Regarding Fun with Necromancy... -Irdred raid's the guild's ossuary and comes back with a bag full of corpses. He does find his vulture-like bird, in fact he discovers a number of unusual things in the ossuary pointing to an Egyptian-like culture like mummified cats and canopic jars, then animates his bird and commands it to watch his back. Being smarter than the average zombie, the bird immediately takes off and flies around, occasionally stopping to rest on Irdred's shoulder. It actually has something of a personality making the bird feel a lot like a pet...minus the poop. Irdred has little trouble securing a human skeleton. The snake skeletons resting in Irdred's pockets feel weird. They don't move much, but as Irdred walks, their prickly bones poke at him from numerous angles. It's not very pleasant. I'm pretty sure Irdred cashed in those bats ages ago. *If Irdred continues to animate a large number of skeletons at a time, then yes, I will keep track. Regarding other things... -I see where you're going with this disguise...but Talbot doesn't. Irdred actually passes Talbot in the street. The knight doesn't recognize Irdred, and he even gives him a funny look. -The Authority is a little interested in Irdred's concern, but unless Irdred can provide something more concrete, they can't help much beyond posting extra guards at the university. Thankfully, this is an era where police don't have to worry about red-tape, so Irdred's real concern here is finding something for them to act on. They don't provide bodyguards: they seem to think Irdred is bada$$ after his adventures at the citadel. -I'm pretty sure I said there can only be one Lucky Organ in existence at any one time. If not, I often do say something to that effect, so you can safely assume this case is no different. **If leave the questions for Aigon to their little discussion after Irdred awakes...assuming Irdred lets him into the room. STATUS: Irdred Delayed Healing and Smart Enhanced Vulture Zombie, Adam -6 HP Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag STORY: ======= Swan stood all alone in the grand chamber of the university. He stood before a huge door, covered in all sorts of runes, including the high runes indicating the various magical arts, and a pair of chairs. One chair sat just to the left of the door while the other chair to the right side of the door. A ring of chairs filled the room. The chairs at the beginning of the ring near the door were small and not very comfortable-Swan had to burrow one from a student-and they grew increasingly larger and more grand looking as they neared the opposite side of the ring. One chair was an exception: the grand archmage's chair. It was not very large, but crafted from extremely rare and magically charged sylphwhood. It looked more like a series of vines and roots bound together to form a chair, because sylphwood is always alive and will not allow itself to be cut, then covered in gold-orichalcum wiring. It's topped with a runed headrest. But Swan is not interested in this particular chair right now. He is now focused on a small and very boring looking chair he dragged in from the hall. He places it directly behind the first of the larger chairs just to the left of the door. He then remembers who will occupy that chair and proceeds to move the little chair to the right of the door. Swan then wipes his brow and looks up to the ceiling. It rises to impossible heights and four great columns, each placed right against the wall, rise all the way to the top and into darkness. Placed on every pillar, about midway up, is four great statues: two winged women, Swan was told those are "angels", and two muscular men. A huge chandelier, supported by massives chains being gripped my the male statues, burns with an earthly blue light. It does not use candles or orbs or any of that...it projects a constant stream of electricity, or when required, a much softer looking reddish flame. There is a knock at the door. "The high council has arrived! We shall now enter the room." Swan quickly sprints to the door and unlocks it, then opens the door and bows. "The council chamber is ready to receive you! You may enter." An archmage wearing long, black robes with golden scrollwork on the hem walks past. Swan, in the middle of a bow, does not see the archmage's face. "Ready, you say?" a hint of disdain fills the archmage's voice. Swan sighs, then snaps his fingers. A small table suddenly appears within the ring of chairs. It is covered with tea-filled cups and biscuit laden bowls. The council loves those biscuits. The archmage takes a seat in his chair. He is soon followed by another archmage, a woman in a blue dress with a glowing crescent moon floating behind her head, then another, a man wearing a funny looking green suit and smelling of earth. Soon the rest of the council shuffles into the room and take their seats. "Arise, mages of the high council! The grand archmage has arrived!" Everyone rises to their feet, some quickly, others take their sweet time. The grand archmage does not enter by way of the door, but by some mysterious form of magic that originates from the ceiling: a shower of golden sparks and leaf-shaped motes begin to fall, there is a feeling of warmth, and the motes and sparks congregate near the sylphwood chair in a sudden rush of wind and burst of light. The grand archmage has arrived. He is remarkably tall. His long black hair hangs all the way down to the bottom hem of his long, flowing robes of red and gold. Perched on his head is a large round hat of some sort, a thing Swan has never seen anyone else besides the grand archmage wear. He has heard whispers of the grand archmage hailing from a place called "the Orient". The grand archmage takes a seat in his chair. "Before we begin, I'd like to thank the chamberlain for preparing the council chamber. We shall now begin this meeting of the high council. Who is represented on this day?" Books placed on stands in the corner of the room suddenly open. Words are being burnt into their pages. Swan looks up and sees both of the angelic statues have come to life: in one hand are great books, in the other, a feather pen. They have begun to write in the books. They continue to write as the council members sound-off. Swan grins and nods. Sometimes the angels aren't in the mood to write and Swan has to "encourage" them. Sometimes they fall asleep! Swan can't blame them. Most of these meetings are boring. Seeing everything in order, Swan takes a seat in his tiny chair by the door. When the council members have finished, the grand archmage raises an eyebrow. "Everyone? Every school has come today? That hasn't happened since..." "We last went to war", the archmage in the black robe interrupts. The woman with the moon jumps to her feet. "What are you suggesting? We're at war?" "Yes. They are coming..." There are gasps and angry yells from the council, but the grand archmage gestures for silence. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I was told we're here to discuss the Chamberlain's findings, then we will move on to this...important notice? The scroll was vague. Chamberlain, if you please." Swan rises to his feet, then walks into the center of the circle. "As you all know, we recently re-acquired the Earth Plan", Swan begins. A number of archmages nod, "and I have been experimenting with it to determine the nature of the merfolk's mysterious 'relic'. Just to briefly summarize my previous findings, I theorized the relic is some kind of...framework, or guide, for building something greater with multiple Elemental Plans. I have begun to apply that logic and I have noticed a difference in how the Earth Plan behaves. Unfortunately, I'm now certain the relic requires all four of the plans to work." The grand archmage nods. "Good work, but have you determined whether or not we should leave the relic within the merfolk's care? To have the power of all four plans working together to create something...unknown...is it safe?" "I can't be certain yet", Swan replies with a shake of his head. "I need another Elemental Plan. I believe the relic is meant to use all four plans, so I will need to have at least one more to determine if multiple plans working within the relic's framework significantly alters their effects." "And how do you suggest we get another Plan?" "The only other Plan we know about is the Water Plan, but there is no way the merfolk will let us use it after their relic was stolen", Swan replies as he begins tapping his chin in thought. "I have no idea where the Wind Plan resides, but we do have a good lead on the Fire Plan. It once rested in a temple on the border of the queen's domain." The grand archmage leans back in his chair. "Does the queen know about the Fire Plan?" "I do not know, grand archmage, but the royal guard is known as the Fireweavers and often use fire magicks. This practise is similar to an ancient order of monks that once thrived in the area. They were known to use fire magic and said to be the protectors of a great power hidden in the region. The existence of the Fireweavers is contradictory of the King's ban on magic a decade ago, nor does it coincide with the queendom's growing interest in religion. I suspect the queen created the Fireweavers as a result of re-discovering the Fire Plan; regardless, it's far too big a coincidence to dismiss." The grand archmage suddenly stands up. "Then we shall determine whether or not the queen has the Fire Plan! Send someone to see how much the queen knows. If she has the Fire Plan, we will negotiate a temporary loan. If she does not know about it, we will send someone to search for it." "I do not believe that will be necessary", the archmage in the black robes interrupt. The grand archmage turns his gaze on the black robed mage. "Do you have another idea?" "We can consult with archmage Cirillo. He may not be a councilman anymore, but he is the queen's advisor. He must know something about the Fireweavers." The grand archmage nods. "I agree. He may know something. Chamberlain!" Swan nods and sprints over to the far side of the room. A large crystal ball sits on a small table in a corner. Swan uses magic to levitate the ball over to the serving table in the center of the ring of mages, then casts a spell to activate it. The archmages lean close to the ball and look into its murky depths. The grand archmage lifts his hand. "I command you, make contact with archmage Cirillo! Archmage, your fellows require your presence immediately! Do not tarry. This is important." It takes a few minutes, but a hawkish man with jet black hair, in clear defiance of his age, eventually appears within the depths of the crystal ball. Sitting on his head is a very tall white hat. "I see you are enjoying the benefits of your new position...bishop", the grand archmage adds with a grin. Archmage Cirillo hastily snatches the hat off his head. "It is not my fault these simpletons value my talents so highly. These zealots practically begged me to become their leader." "I never thought of you as a religious man, Cirillo. Do you preach the Holy Light to your disciples? Or did you advise the queen to seek a higher calling?" Swan quips. "Did Swan become an archmage while I was gone or is he butting into matters he has no say in?" Cirillo angrily replies. "No, the chamberlain is merely supervising these proceedings", the grand archmage replies. He gives Swan a stern look. Swan nods and returns to his tiny chair by the door. "The chamberlain is right, archmage", the woman in the blue dress adds. "I always wondered how our ambassador became a religious leader. It strikes me as...odd." Cirillo shrugs. "What can I say? The populace was still suspicious of magic after the king died-most blamed his assassination on Atlas'Baerone-and the queen felt like the city needed something to fill the void. The teachings of the Holy Light seemed like a gentle way to reintroduce magic into the queendom. I worked hard to spread the word and lay a foundation, and the next thing I know, they make me their bloody leader. Trust me, I don't enjoy this." The woman grins. "Oh? You don't?" Swan also grins. The only reason Cirillo left to serve as an ambassador is because the council refused to give him more power. Cirillo frowns. "What is this about? I'm very busy." "We wish to know whether or not the queen has the Fire Plan", the archmage in the black robe replies. Cirillo's eyebrows pop up. "What? The Fire Plan? Is it here? I thought that was just a legend." "We find it highly coincidental the queen created the Fireweavers to serve as her royal guard so shortly after a time when magic was banned. There is absolutely no precedent for such a thing...with the exception of an ancient order of monks who supposedly guarded the Fire Plan." Cirillo shakes his head. "An order of monks, you say? I don't know anything about that. I assumed the Fireweavers was a traditional thing, something long forgotten but blindly followed by traditionalists. An acknowledgement of the queendom's first great hero...who just happened to wield fire magic. Hmm...this is becoming very interesting...I will definitely look into this." "Please do", the grand archmage says with a wave of his hand. The crystal ball winks out. "Now, what is this about war?" "Our diviner has learned something important: a great threat shall arrive very soon", the archmage in black robes announces. He suddenly turns to face a woman sitting next to him: she is wearing a dark blue riding dress. Her skin is pale and her long, black hair covers her shoulders and legs. Her large, round eyes appear to be looking at something invisible. It's hard to tell if she is aware of her surroundings. "They are coming...", she suddenly blurts out. "Many men, led by a powerful individual...a paladin...will attack the university." "Who will attack us?" the lady with the moon asks. "What are they after?" "The Earth Plan", the diviner replies, still sounding half-dazed. "And the doll. The paladin...clad in gold...will strike at the heart of the tower. They will steal the Plan and the doll. I...I can't see them. They are...warriors...thieves...foul, evil men. They have no hearts...no soul...they care only for gold." "Sounds like pirates and mercenaries", the man in the green suit adds. The idea that anyone can overcome Swan's defenses overwhelms him. He rises and marches into the center of the ring. "That is preposterous! Nobody can overcome the university's defenses, ESPECIALLY pirates! Her divinations can't be right." "Perhaps, but her divinations concerning events in the immediate future are never wrong", the archmage in the black robes replies. "You know this." The other archmages nod and murmur in agreement. Swan shakes his head. "No...this can't be right...this is disturbing news. The tower has never been breached. How can they do this? It's not possible." "I agree with the chamberlain", the archmage in the green suit shouts. "How are they able to breach the tower? It has never happened before!" "There is a traitor among us", the diviner suddenly announces. The archmages begin to cast suspicious looks at eachother. "The traitor will open the gate...and pave their way..." Swan bends closer to the diviner. "What else can you see? How do they get in? When do they take the Earth Plan? Where is our defenders? Are we defeated or does the enemy have to flee soon after they steal the Plan?" The diviner shakes her head. "I'm sorry...all I can see is the paladin...followed by a mass of dark men...and some mages...they will be joined by mages." "More traitors", someone growls. The grand archmage jumps to his feet. "We must make preparations. We must also root out these traitors! Call the inquisitors! Anyone who tells so much as a white lie shall be thrown in the dungeons. And get every soldier and Authority officer you can find. The word of a diviner is not infallible! We will defend the Earth Plan!" As a flurry of activity surrounds him, Swan finds himself sitting in an abandoned chair. After all of his efforts...after spending nearly all of the university's teaching funds on adventurers...he is about to lose the Earth Plan to pirates. But that can't be right...the Oracle told him otherwise...and the Oracle is always right. Could the Oracle be wrong? No, it can't be...something far greater than the Oracle is at work here...but what creature besides the gods can possibly be more powerful than the Oracle? /STORY Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Irdred heals himself entirely before opening the door for Aigon. He does not close the door behind him, figuring that if Aigon was planning on trying something, he wouldn't do it in plain view of all the students milling about the hall. **************** -Deadsense: (No problem, but to me, it just seemed like a natural extension of the strange bond he already has with his animates. I actually got the idea when reading back through the thread -- at one point Irdred could taste the blood in his zombies' mouths, so I thought, hey, why not other senses? I see now that this was just a bit of flavour text. ... ...Damn you, unintended puns. Damn you. ) -The ring: Yikes, all three stacks of dust? That being the case, it's more cost-effective to forget all that disenchanting and just buy a fire warding ring. Those are 2000 GP, right, same as enchanting a piece of armour with Warding? Then that would allow him to sell the fire resistant ring, the resistant armour, the charm baton, and the staff, and come out well ahead of where he would be if he had done it the other way. (Magic dust really is a nifty idea, but yeah, it needs some serious ironing-out, and I don't think either of us want to try and make it work right now. Unless you want to discuss it further, I won't say any more on the subject -- my frustration with the dust has now surpassed my frustration with the Enchanter trait not amounting to what I thought it would.) -I'd like an update on his funds before I say yea or nay on the Dispel wand. (How many charges in that thing?) -Snakes: Irdred buys a liner or something for his coat to ease the discomfort. -Bats: just their paws were cashed in. Irdred had the footless corpses preserved. -Talbot: Irdred greets him in the street, making himself known. If not exactly amiable, then it at least appears that the necromancer doesn't loathe him entirely anymore. The thing with the dead rats has made them even as far as he's concerned, though Talbot may not see it the same way. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Jack opens with his rifle. Something about this guy doesn't seem right to him, so after the rifle he switches to his magical pistols. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag it just seemed like a natural extension of the strange bond he already has with his animates (I gave Irdred the ability to sense the status of his animates because I thought it would be super lame to have Irdred standing around giving commands to his animates without realizing they've been destroyed. Only an issue if Irdred can't see his animates, but if that were the case, then he would be discouraged to send his animates out of sight) Magic dust really is a nifty idea, but yeah, it needs some serious ironing-out (I really just wanted a currency for major transactions, something worth 1K GP a pop. It seemed like a good idea for that purpose, but then I tried to actually use it. I have a plan in mind, but I'm going to save it for "the expansion" if we decide to continue playing) * * * * * * IRDRED: Irdred allows Aigon to enter the room. He leaves the door open, but Aigon spins around and shuts the door behind him. Normally an understandable gesture, but Irdred is paranoid right now. Does his actions change? Regarding other things... -Talbot thinks Irdred looks weird and walks away. -I dunno why but I prefer to calculate purchases later at night, so check back then (pretty sure Irdred will have all the money necessary to make his purchases though). JACK: The winged dude begins to flap his wings and takes off into the air. Jack whips out his rifle and fires it at the flying guy before he can react. The guy can't get his shield up in time to block the bullet, not like it would have mattered (-3 HP). The flying dude nearly falters when he gets shot, but he doesn't fall. He fires his gun at Jack, but the halfling dives away (Dodge Success on 3), then whips out his pistols and fires again. Jack can see what the flying dude is trying to do: fly so high into the air Jack has difficulty hitting him, but Jack is good at hitting faraway objects. Flying dude hits the ground with a satisfying crunch (rolling 3's like crazy here). Jack's next opponent is a huge woman, an orc, decked out from head to toe in armor. She is wielding a huge axe, with great ease btw, and Jack catches a hint of magic in that armor. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Adam figures its now or never since he is pretty much on his last leg. He charges the tiger, swinging madly at its head and legs. He tries to jam the club in its eyes or down its throat. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag "I would prefer if the door was open, if it's all the same to you," Irdred says to Aigon, looking a bit wild-eyed and ready to defend himself. "Gets a bit stuffy in these laboratories, wouldn't you agree? Devilishly so, one might say." Whatever the equivalent of Sense Motive is, it's turned to 11 here. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag IRDRED: Aigon gives Irdred a curious look, but he closes the door anyway...not all the way. He leaves a bit of a crack. "Are you okay? You sound...a little upset," Aigon continues to look curious. "We really should keep the door closed. This isn't the place to talk about...your business." PERCEPTIVE is the Trait Irdred is looking for, and in this case, he spots something when he mentions the devil (Success on 3)...he spots nothing at all. Aigon's face doesn't change in the slightest at the mention of the devil. Perhaps Aigon has an amazing poker face, but Irdred is pretty certain the man is showing genuine curiousity and concern. "It did not go well, did it?" Aigon raises an eyebrow. Regarding Purchases... -Calculations are a little off, but when all is said and done, Irdred has 9424 GP left. This assumes he sold the four magical items instead of disenchanting them. Also had him buy the ring. Irdred's new staff is wrapped in a red, pebble-skinned membrane of demon hide. A pair of demon horns top the staff, so Irdred stuck the smokey quartz within the horns. The bone menagerie, a thick leather thread supporting thousands of tiny bones from various animals, is tightly wound around the length of the staff. The skeletal hand still tightly clutches the butt end of the staff. And the wand is actually supposed to be 2000 GP (1600 GP with discount). Wands have 20 charges. ADAM: Adam goes berzerk on the tiger's butt and proceeds to whack it as many times as he can before he goes down. The ferocity of his attack must have surprised the tiger because it cringes when Adam charges. He strikes the tiger in the face and right in the eyes (-1 HP; tiger slightly dazed). The tiger makes a defensive swipe at Adam's legs and manages to cut him open (-1 HP), but Adam keeps it up. The tiger eventually backs away, then leaps up at Adam to knock him down. He just barely rolls out of the way, then counters. The next few moments see Adam dance around the tiger while looking for openings to land a quick blow. Utilizing his speed and agility, Adam manages to beat the tiger into submission. It eventually sprints to the other side of the arena and begins licking its wounds. The crowd loves the show and begin chanting his name. Adam's next opponent is a 12 ft. long giant spider. It's black with red stripes. The arena has been changed somewhat: a number of spikes and spears have been placed around the edges of the arena to discourage the spider from climbing out. Adam still has the club, but instead of the net, he was given a lasso. STATUS: Irdred Delayed Healing and Lucky and Smart Enhanced Vulture Zombie Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (Are the spikes evenly spaced enough for someone to use them to climb up the wall? How far up the wall do they go? How far out of the wall do they protrude?) (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (Not those kind of spikes; large stakes at the top of the wall and pointed downward. The spears are planted against the ground like they're about to receive cavalry) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag "Spider. It just had to be a spider." Adam quickly makes his way to the spider, trying to lasso one of its legs or fangs. He wants to try to break one or more of its legs. If close enough, he wants to take out one or more of its many eyes. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag "Now what makes you say that? It went smashingly!" Irdred hesitates for moment, and then he does close the door the rest of the way. When he speaks to Aigon again, his voice is no longer dripping with sarcasm. "Actually, I did make an important discovery," he says grimly. "Certainly not the sort I set out to make, but of personal interest to me all the same. Tell me: did you talk to anyone about the type of research I would be conducting?" (I imagine the conversation will lead around to all his other questions at this point.) ************* (Actually, since it looks like Irdred will have more than enough cash now... what if he didn't sell the staff? Is there any reason he can't hold a staff in each hand? As long as he only uses one to attack, it shouldn't impart any penalties, right? Re: the wand, would a Greater Dispel wand cost triple that then (4800 GP)? By the way, when I was figuring Irdred's prior costs, I forgot the 300 GP lock; don't know if you remembered to factor that into your calculations.)
|
|
|
Post by TG Barighm on May 8, 2018 18:08:48 GMT -5
TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag * * * * * Aigon looks surprised at first, but once Irdred starts to act serious aagin, the dean of admissions calms down. "Of course I didn't talk to anyone else about your research! I told you, I don't want you to risk your career on this. I still don't. Why? Is someone harassing you?" -I could come up with some excuse or other lame reason for why Irdred can only hold one staff at a time, but I'm going to avoid that silliness and put it this way: staves have always been a 2-hand weapon and I don't see any reason for that to change now; however, you're right about holding onto the old staff. It may be a good idea to have a staff more suitable for fighting a single, more powerful target. Blowing up zombies and Neco Furies don't do any more damage to a single target than a Necro Touch. -A Greater Dispel Wand is 6000 GP (or 4800 with the An'M discount). -I didn't forget. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag "Ha. My career!" For someone as humourless as Irdred, he sure seems to find this incredibly funny, although there's a note of desperate relief in his laughter. "There's a bit more at stake than my career. By rights, I should be very, very dead right now." He tells Aigon about the pirate spirit, the web room, and the devious trap. He grills the old man for information about the room: what is it, who knows about it, who has access to it? "And if you haven't tipped anyone off about my research, then it's possible that the spirits did. So we're looking for someone who can communicate with the dead." It may be a good idea to have a staff more suitable for fighting a single, more powerful target. (My concern then is this: if he switches out the bone menagerie staff, won't all those snake skeletons break free of his control? I'm guessing he needs to be wielding the bone menagerie to retain control of them, not just have it in his possession.) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag IRDRED: Irdred doesn't get the reaction he expected. Instead of looking worried, Aigon cracks a smile. His smile widens with every word until the Dean breaks out laughing. "Oh, my boy...if we assassinated every necromancer who tried his or her hand at questionable research...why, we'd have no necromancers! I assure you, nobody around here is trying to kill you...well, unless you tried to steal a flesh golem. Very quick way to make enemies. If the council did find out about your research, the worse thing they could do is ban you from using the labs or throw you out of the guild. Murder is entirely unnecessary. Did you already forget what I said about spirits? Very vengeful sort when they've got a grievance with somebody. Did you actually think your...tainted spirits would be happy to see you? No, they're often quick to harm those that have earned their wrath. Most of the time they push people down stairs or off balconies. It sounds like your spirit found the council's little pet...very clever. Remember when I said one of my deaths was the result of an...interesting creature the guild wished to study? Yeah...that thing. Nasty, isn't it? Lucky it only killed my physical body. As for that room...my boy, if you prove yourself to be a valuable asset to the guild, then you will see what is in that room. I wish I could tell you about it, but I haven't been in there." Aigon's good humour suddenly dissipates. Now he looks upset. won't all those snake skeletons break free of his control? (Hmm...good point. I guess you'll just have to order them to attack or tell them to leave or something before switching. Technically they'd stay under your control up to the HP limit, but I imagine you will have regular zombie running around too. Oh, well...do what you think is best) ADAM: Adam charges the spider and winds up the lasso. As he does this, the spider begins weaving webbing around its back legs for some reason. With the giant spider's front legs firmly pressed into the ground, Adam tries lassoing its fangs. Despite being unfamiliar with the lasso, he manages to wrap it around the spider's fang. When this happens, the spider freaks out and begins backpeddling away from Adam. The lasso is ripped free from his hands, but picking up the fallen rope is easy. Adam keeps the rope as he closes with the spider, who has now backed into the far wall-the spider somehow manages to avoid a spear (Dodge Success)-then proceeds to hammer the spider's eyes, but the giant insect suddenly lunges forward and pushes Adam away before he can strike. Before Adam can regain his balance, the spider lunges again, this time attempting to knock him down. Adam is flattened (Spider Attack Success on 3) and suddenly finds himself looking up at the spider's web-spinner. The spider begins to spin webbing, but Adam manages to roll away before he gets caught. This is when he notices the spider's back legs are covered in webbing. Before Adam can even think about his next move, the giant spider suddenly leaps into the air and spins itself around to face the mercenary. Now his back is to the wall. The lasso is still firmly wrapped around the spider's one fang, so Adam charges its first set of forelegs in an attempt to break them. He strikes one easily enough, but it's like trying to chop a tree trunk with a blunt axe. Adam isn't going to break any of the spider's legs this way. The spider lunges again, but Adam has seen this attack before and instinctively rolls away. He manages to dart in and whack the spider in its thorax (-1 HP). Adam quickly backs away before the spider can act. When it does, it tries to back into Adam with its web-covered hind legs, but the mercenary has already sprinted away. The spider suddenly changes its tactics: it leaps again, this time into the center of the arena, and now it is carefully watching Adam's movements. *Spider -1 HP Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (If the skeletons are in the bottomless bag when they break free of Irdred's control, are they capable of getting out?) "That's what I get for trying to help the wretched fool," Irdred says in frustration. "Idiot!" Whether he's referring to the pirate or himself is unclear. But he is still unconvinced that a mere pirate could a) figure out the web room unassisted, and b) outwit him. "How about anyone outside the guild?" he persists. "Perhaps it was someone else who knows about the room?" And when he writes to Someone the next day, it only serves to lend weight to his suspicions. "No matter. What was your real reason for coming here?" he inquires of Aigon. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Jack fires on the orc with his magic pistols. He figures magic against magic, and all that. He targets her weapon arm with his lightning gun. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (If the skeletons are in the bottomless bag when they break free of Irdred's control, are they capable of getting out?) (When Irdred opens the bag, yes, but for the most part, they won't realize they're stuck in a bag; however, you can only regain control over one skeleton at a time and you will have to fend off the rest while trying to do it) * * * * * IRDRED: Aigon shakes his head. "Oh, no. There are few wizards who know how to communicate with spirits, and the majority of them are members of the council. And for those who can communicate with spirits, live in the spirit world, or know how to travel through the spirit world...we have defenses for that. You encountered one. Pray you don't encounter the others. Most know that room as little more than a locked door. You will be hard-pressed to find anyone around here who has been in there even among the council. This is mainly because those who do enter that room...very rarely return. As for why I am here...I saw your sign on the door. I took it down. You were drawing attention with that. Not the best way to keep your secret research a secret, hmm? I decided to check on you while I was here." JACK: The orc charges and Jack draws his guns. His first shot pops the axe out of the orc's hand and gives her a good zapping (-3 HP) while the second shot is off. This dispaly of magical brilliance wows the crowd. The orc stops to pick up her axe, then charges again. Jack fires his guns, but this time the orc ducks and weaves around the blasts forcing Jack to miss. When she gets close, she swings the big axe in a wide-arc. Jack ducks the axe (Dodge Success on 3), then moves to one side and fires his guns again. At point-blank range, both shots connect and the orc is overwhelmed by the blasts and blown away (wow! Jack is rolling 3's like a maniac). Now there is a buzz among the crowd when Jack enters the arena. His next opponent is a tin can with a hooked axe in one hand and a shield in the other: your typical heavily armored knight. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Rifle shot to the head, then switch to the pistols. Thunder at the weapon arm, lightning at the feet. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (K, I want to get to the next event) * * * * * * * SPELLMOUNT: Day 8 On the 8th day after returning from the citadel, the party receives a summons from Swan. He wants the party to meet him in his office ASAP. He says it's urgent. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Jack will go. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag JACK: Jack starts his next match off by pulling out his rifle and firing at the knight. Unlike the slow moving Talbot, this knight actually has a bit of speed and quickly closes the gap between the two. Jack fires, but his shot is just wide (A 1...change of luck, perhaps?). Jack backpeddles away from the knight as the walking tin-can gets closer. He draws his pistols and fires. The knight raises his shield, but Jack anticipates this and fires at the knight's foot. It nearly blows his leg off (-4 HP). His other shot is wide. The knight is sufficiently slowed by this attack, so Jack fires again. The knight manages to get his shield up in time to block one of the magical rays (-1 HP to shield, it only has 3 DR), but the second ray does blow the knight's weapon arm clear off. The knight surrenders after that. Never got around to it, but is Jack one to execute a defeated foe and play the crowd? Jack's next opponent wears a leather mask and must be one of those wind-magic wizards. He also wields a greatsword. The crowd sounds pleased with this match-up. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (No, he doesn't, unless the opponent scores several hits or in some other way aggravates him. What do you mean by "must be one of those wind-magic wizards"?) Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (Remember the guy at the very beginning of the game? First page) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (Can I continue the match or are we calling it a day?) Adam makes his way to Swan's office. He tells Swan of the box and the note that came with it. "I don't know what it's all about. I can only assume that you have enemies that want to do you some harm. As long as you pay me, you won't have that kind of trouble out of me." (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Irdred buys a Greater Dispel wand as well as a holster for it (unless the bandolier can accommodate it). He does sell the old staff. He had been hoping that he would have more time before being summoned to the university. His disguise hasn't been sufficiently associated with him yet. As it stands now, his original plan has little chance of success. (Partly due to "deadsense" not being an option, and partly due to other glaring flaws in the plan that I hadn't thought of before. I may still proceed with a gimped variation of the plan. But first, I face the problem that Irdred has little motivation for proceeding to the university, so...) Irdred strongly recommends to the group that they arrange to meet Swan elsewhere besides the university. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (Other events will continue to run concurrent to the main event. Hopefully they will conclude before they start to interfere. That said, I'm canceling Jack's meeting with the Authority. It's not really important and he's not going to get a reward or anything out of it) * * * * * * IRDRED: Irdred buys his wand. If there was anything else Irdred wanted to do leading up to Day 8, you will have to remind me. As for Swan, there is a good chance the rest of the party has already departed without Irdred. Will Irdred skip the meeting or try to get a message to Swan or...what? Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (Will wait to see if everyone does actually leave independently or as a group. Irdred will likely be skipping the meeting in either case. But if the others left without him, he will write a message to Swan stating that it's urgent that the meeting take place elsewhere, and hope the message reaches him before Adam, Jack, and Talbot get there. Question: is it possible to enchant an object with a "scrying field", for lack of a better term? Before Day 8, Irdred would have looked into a way to spy upon others without being physically present. The original idea being to use it on one of his minions and thus duplicate deadsense in a way, but if the group left without him, he would consider using his letter to Swan as the scrying object instead.) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Jack opens with his magic pistols. Savage Tide Info Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Adam pulls on the lasso to keep the spider off balance. He then tries to wrap the lasso (if its still attached to the fang) around at least two of the spiders legs. Going for the eyes or fang. Underneath to hit on the body. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag IRDRED: If Irdred can find someone who can cast the Divination spell, yes, he can, but that will take the greater part of the day, not to mention the enchanting process itself. The meeting will be finished before he can send the letter. But Irdred sends his message to Swan anyway. He gets a prompt reply: apparently the university's emergency is far too great for Swan to leave now. Irdred will be paid for his services. JACK: Jack pulls out his pistols and fires on the masked man. The masked man suddenly flies to one side and avoids Jack's first shot, but he can't avoid the second (-4 HP). The masked man yelps, then casts a spell. Jack is expecting something to fly at him or protect the masked man, but he doesn't expect a mini-tornado to descend onto his head and send him flying about like a ragdoll in a windstorm. He can't hold onto his guns and they go flying. The tornado suddenly changes, and Jack is slammed into the ground (-2 HP). The wind dissipates and Jack struggles to his feet, but by this time, the masked man has closed into melee range and attempts to cleave the halfling. Jack, still dizzy, can't avoid the attack and takes a blow to his back. Thankfully, the masked man didn't swing the sword quite right (-1 HP). Jack backpeddles and reaches for his other guns, but the masked man suddenly casts a spell that create a sudden burst of air around him. Jack is, once again, blown away and off his feet (-1 HP). The masked man begins to cast another spell and Jack does his best to get his guns out and fire any way he can, but yet another mini-tornado descends upon his head, he is whipped about, and eventually thrown 20 ft. and into the arena wall (-1 HP). But this time Jack manages to hold onto one of his guns. When he lands, he quickly raises his gun and fires. The masked man darts out of the way and the shot misses. Cursing, Jack scrambles to his feet and reaches for his next set of guns, and the masked man begins casting another spell. Once again, that damn tornado descends onto his head, but this time it hits the top of the arena wall, and instead of sending Jack flying, he is only slightly blown about. This allows Jack to escape, whip out his pistols, and fires on the masked man. He blows the man's mask off and sends him to the ground in a heap. Close call! This is when Adam is defeated and Jack hears about it. Jack's next opponent appears to be another heavily armored knight, sword and shield in hand, but something doesn't seem right about this guy: he's kicking the dirt like a bull and holding his sword wrong. ADAM: Adam gives the rope a sharp tug and momentarily throws the giant spider off-balance (Success on 3), then charges. When he gets close, he attempts to wrap the lasso around the spider's legs. The spider lunges, but Adam merely steps to the side and this actually helps him wrap the lasso around the insect's legs that much quicker. Two legs are wrapped up, but Adam doesn't have much rope left. Now he has to stay close to the spider. The giant spider isn't happy about being tied up like this. It suddenly spins some webbing and attaches it to the ground while Adam whacks it in the face (not the eyes, but still painful, -1 NL), then the spider leaps up and spins around while Adam is dragged by the rope...or at least Adam tries to hold on. He loses his grip and falls to the ground. Adam then watches the rope get caught in the web. Looks like losing hold of that rope was a blessing in disguise. The spider now focuses on spinning webbing, so Adam jumps to his feet and tries to club the thing for all he's worth. He misses and accidentally strikes a leg, but the spider keeps spinning the web. *Think I'll stop here and see if Adam changes his approach. *Spider -2 NL SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M CONDITIONS: Noon, cool breeze Adam, Talbot, and Jack go to see Swan. I'll assume Irdred isn't going for now, and may arrive late if he decides to come. When the party arrives at the university, they discover it to be a hive of activity: there are guards everywhere, and not just battlemages, but Authority police, mercenaries, and a number of guild wizards from all over Spellmount. Even the magical defenses have been activated: gigantic golems of crystal and steel wander the halls, animated pieces of armor guard important rooms, ghosts fly all over the place, and an assortment of weird and wonderful fantasy creatures, from unicorns to fey to imps. They even spot Swan's parrot flying all over the place, along with owls, bats, and large moths. The one thing the party doesn't see is the university students: there are absolutely no classes today. When they arrive in Swan's study, they find him sitting in a chair. Next to him is another wizard: a very tall man with long, black hair. He sports yellow robes and a multitude of golden rings and other jewelry. "I'd like to introduce you folks to the grand archmage," Swan announces. He suddenly stops and closely examines the party. "Where is the necromancer? Is he not joining us? Hmm...he may be running late. He will just have to be brought up to speed later. I'm just going to get to the point: the city is under attack. They will arrive sometime tonight. I'm not exactly sure when. All of our information is coming from diviners, but one thing is certain: there will be a battle in these halls." The grand archmage suddenly steps forward. "Not exactly, but the diviners say it will be so." Swan nods. "Yes, we're currently operating under the impression they will land at the sky docks. Pirates and mercenaries, you see. It's the only way they can reach the university with minimum effort. We will be posting troops there. We will also have troops at the harbours...just in case." The grand archmage gives the group a stern look. "But that is none of your concern." Swan sighs. "Um...yes, that's not why I called you here. Apparently they're after the Earth Plan...and the doll. We will hide the Earth Plan in the most secure chamber in the university and we would like your group to guard it. The doll...well, we have a little surprise in store for anyone who takes the doll. It's worthless without the Plans, you see, so we have decided to let them take it. I will hide a device inside of it so we can see where they take the doll, they would never risk dispelling the doll, then we will know once and for all who is behind the attack on the merfolk. We need them to think we're guarding it though, so defenses will still be necessary." The grand archmage frowns. "I think you've revealed too much. Are you sure about this, Swan? They're not wizards. I'm certain we can find skilled, and far cheaper, help somewhere else." Swan shakes his head. "These folk defeated Xevalos and brought the Earth Plan to us. They are easily the best we've got...unless you wouldn't mind allowing the council to defend the Earth Plan? No, that is risking too much, I think, so we have to turn to someone else. These men are just as good." This is when Adam produces the box and shows it to Swan. "What is this?" Swan examines the box, then opens it. A number of objects around the room suddenly fall to the ground. The magical orb rolls off the desk, a number of books slam shut, the magical lamps go out, and a number of other devices cease to function. "I think this is an anti-magic device," Swan announces. "Many of the tower's defenses are controlled by me in this room. I wouldn't even be in this room if I thought you knew the tower better, and I wouldn't have come back after our meeting had concluded. I activated the defenses this morning. Yes, this would have definitely disabled many of the tower's defenses." The grand archmage smiles. "And now we know how they planned to breach the tower. There is no way they can succeed now." Swan grins. "Excellent, Adam! This will make my job much easier. I see you were to collect a reward...go ahead! Take the key, I'm sure it will be there. I will even send guards with you to make sure it's not a trap. I think the diviners will be proven wrong tonight, don't you?" The grand archmage nods. "Yes, but we still need to protect the Earth Plan...just in case." "Of course," Swan says with a nod. "You will be rewarded, as usual, but not with coin. We're running low on gold. We have some special items in the vault that may interest you." Will the party help guard the Earth Plan? Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Tournament: Adam moves around to the back of the spider and clubs its abdomen. He will try to stay at its back to keep the spider from shooting webbing at him. Swan's Office: Adam agrees to guard the Earth Plan. He will retrieve his reward for the box before doing so. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (BLARGH SPIDERS AREN'T INSECTS ....Sorry. Pet peeve of mine. I'm better now. ) To Irdred, it sounds like he's being bribed to walk into a trap, so he manages to keep his curiosity in check and doesn't go. He does send a reply stating bluntly that there's no reason Swan can't explain what he wants in writing. Of course, when the others return unharmed, it becomes clear that there was no trap (yet). He'll ask to be brought up to speed at that point. (Also, it's a damn good thing Irdred was not there when the dispelling box was opened. ) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (Does Jack recognize the guy without his mask? He collects his guns and inspects them for damage. Later he'll have to look into something that will keep the guns in his hands, no matter what happens to him. How does the next battle start? Is Jack near a wall? If so, he puts his back to it and waits to see if the knight charges. If he does, Jack attempts to dart out of the way at the last second, letting him slam into the wall before shooting with the magic pistols.) At Swan's Office: "This doesn't give us much time, but I guess we'll have to make do," Jack muses. "Is it possible they will use magic to arriver, instead of ships?" Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (Huh...all those shows on Discovery and I've never heard that mentioned once. Meh, they're still bugs to me) * * * * * * * SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M CONDITIONS: Noon, cool breeze Swan ponders Jack's question for a moment. "I suppose it's possible, but it would take all night to teleport an entire army into the university and we have wards to protect against that. This box...it changes everything." The grand archmage shakes his head. "Whoever wanted your mercenary to place this box has failed. Our current defenses will suffice. Your men know their jobs and we can't wait anymore." The grand archmage walks out of the office while Swan looks after him with a look of worry. "Suddenly I'm not so sure of myself...please find the necromancer and have him join you. I think you will need all the help you can get," Swan then runs to catch up with the grand archmage. "We don't need the necromancer," Talbot grumbles to himself. Adam takes the key and retrieves his payment for the job he didn't do: 7500 GP worth of gems. IRDRED: It's likely the party will be busy running around, so Irdred has to send mail to Swan. He gets a simple reply: the city and the university will come under attack tonight and Swan needs the party to guard the Earth Plan. Swan also tells Irdred to burn this note and not tell anybody. Swan doesn't want to start a panic. Of course, it's not difficult for the general populace to determine something is wrong. About an hour after talking to Swan, he receives mail addressed to "Every person and home in Atlas'Baerone" ordering everyone to stay in their homes tonight and to have a means of reaching the nearest Authority or healing house. Soldiers and battlemages patrol the streets, and intimidating magical constructs like 20 ft. tall golems suddenly become routine sights. Nearly every person Irdred runs into ask what is going on, but the soldiers simply tell them to stay in their homes. Shops begin closing later in the afternoon. The Council of Necromancers is no exception despite being in the old dwarven district: nearly every student has returned to their homes. The staff have locked themselves away in the servant's quarters and most necromancers are nowhere in sight. Some continue to toil away in their labs, but most, including Aigon, are nowhere to be found. Irdred is told the council hall will be sealed at sunset and won't open again until tomorrow, so if Irdred needs to be anywhere, he better get moving. If there was something you wanted to do, you better do it quick. JACK: No, Jack doesn't recognize the man without his mask. Jack may start the next match with his back to the entrance gate, so he does that. The knight charges all right: like a train. This guy is FAST. He barrels at Jack at alarming speed and it's everything the halfling can do to avoid being hammered (Dodge Success on 3). Jack throws himself out of the way at the last possible second and the knight slams into the gate and bounces off. Momentarily stunned, Jack unleashes everything he's got at the knight. Jack's first shot is off, but the second strikes the knight in the back. The sonic blast is dimished somewhat (so only -3 HP). The knight spins around and suddenly throws both his sword and shield at Jack...and both weapons come alive and attack Jack of their own accord! The knight also charges... Jack gets to attack first, but which target will he shoot? *Knight -3 HP ADAM: Adam circles behind the giant spider and attempts to strike it in the back. Strike it he does (-1 NL), but instead of weaving more webbing, the spider suddenly backpeddles and tries to overrun Adam. The mercenary quickly dives out of the way and is now facing the spider's side. Adam now sees all of the spider's legs are covered in webbing. The spider spins around and attempts to overrun run Adam again, and again he clubs the spider in the face and dives out of the way before he is trampled (-1 NL). While the spider's rear is facing him, Adam quickly darts in and delivers another solid blow (-1 NL). The spider suddenly spins webbing and attaches to the ground, then leaps away from Adam. Adam follows the spider and tries to stay focused on its rear. The spider spins more webbing and sticks it to the ground, but Adam manages to club it again before the spider can escape (-1 NL). The spider leaps again, this time to the left, and begins to spin more webbing. Now Adam sees what's going on: there is a line of webbing between him and the spider. The giant arachnid is trying to force Adam into the webbing. Adam circles around the web and tries to keep up, but the spider jumps before Adam can deliver a blow. It looks like three points of a square have formed and the spider is moving on to the fourth. Adam follows and tries to keep up, but the spider has gotten way ahead of him. The square is completed and when Adam gets closer, the spider jumps again and creates another line of webbing through the center of the square. Now Adam faces a dilemma...the only way he can approach the spider now is to go through the center of the square and risk touching the webs. If he goes around the perimeter, the spider will just leap again and create more webbing. At this rate, the entire arena will become one big web. Spider -6 NL Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Jack focuses his attack on the knight. **************** "As much as you might dislike him," Jack says to Talbot, "I agree with Swan. We need as much help as we can get." Jack takes a piece of paper and quill and ink from Swan's desk and begins writing a letter to Irdred. "This is probably the easiest and quickest way to find him," Jack says as he finishes the letter. "We can't afford to be looking all over the city for him when we need to be preparing defenses. Now, let's go see where they've secreted the Earth Plan." Jack will look for a place to drop the letter. A sudden chill goes down his spine and he stops, turning to Talbot and Adam, "Do either of you know anything about gargoyles?" Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (Ref. Sheets updated. If something is missing, let me know. If something is on there that shouldn't be there...consider it a gift) * * * * JACK: Talbot blinks. "Gargoyles?" * * * * * Jack points his guns at the knight... ...and the shield and sword come flying in, each going for one of his guns (First Attack Failure on 1). Thankfully, Jack pulls his guns away from both (Lucky SOB), then fires on the knight. Just like last time, his first shot misses while his second hits (-3 HP). But now the knight gets close, and instead of a punch or kick, attempts to tackle the halfling. Jack ducks and the knight sails over his head. When he lands, he grabs the shield and keeps it close, but the sword continue to fly around and attack on its own. Jack spins on his heel and fires, narrowly pulling his guns in just in time to avoid the flying sword. The knight manages to block the first shot with his shield, but not the second. Down he goes. Now the crowd is really cheering for Jack...right up until the next match starts. All he hears is booing, but not for him: it's for his opponent, a lean guy wearing dark clothes and wielding a pair of daggers. Jack knows a Shadow Rat when he sees one, and this guy apparently knows Jack: his eyes widen and he growls in anticipation. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag "Ah, another Rat come up from the sewers," Jack taunts. "I'll put you down like your brethren before you." Jack fires the magical pistols and moves around, wary of dirty tricks. Savage Tide Info Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag After Jack's letter and after witnessing the general state of the city, it's pretty obvious to Irdred that he might have been mistaken about Swan luring him into a trap. The whole city can't all be in on it, after all. Though the possibility of some plot or another still exists, he now realizes that the letter from Someone was more likely referring to the impending attack. Sure, it would be easy enough to avoid the whole situation by staying home. But Irdred has grown rather attached to this place, death threats and all, and he'll be damned if he's just going to sit around while pirates take it away. He'll go help defend the Earth Plan, disposing of Swan's letter first as instructed. By the way, if at any point he is filled in on the part where they intend to let the doll to be stolen, you can bet he'll have something to say about it. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag ADAM: I think Adam intended to enter the archery tournament after the beast-taming tournament, so I'll just do that now. Adam manages to hit the bullseye on the target enough times in the first round to advance, but in the second round, he can't quite nail it. Neither can his nearest competitors, so a performance test begins. Both competitors are pretty close to the bullseye, but Adam is not and he is eliminated. IRDRED: Irdred doesn't hear about the plan to allow the doll be stolen until he arrives at the university later that day. By this time, nearly every shop and house is locked up tight, the sky and waters surrounding the island are filled with ships, and Irdred can't go anywhere without running into some soldier or golem warning him to retreat indoors. The far-flung parts of the city aren't nearly as bottled-up, but most shops are still closed. SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M CONDITIONS: Evening, Cool Breeze When Irdred enters the lobby of the university, he discovers the rest of the party waiting for him. Swan appears moments later and this is when Irdred hears about the plan. (What does Irdred say?) **Btw, complicated preparations are NOT necessary for this event. Don't worry about having lots of potions or spell items on hand to get through this. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (So the spider creates a square of webbing, each side going from the floor to the ceiling like a wall of webs. Another through the center. Am I inside the square with the spider on one side and me on the other or am I outside the square and the spider inside?) (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (I never said the webbing goes to the ceiling. Adam can easily jump over the webs, but there is a possibility he gets knocked into webbing; Adam is standing outside one edge of the square and the spider is on the opposite side)
|
|
|
Post by TG Barighm on May 8, 2018 18:09:27 GMT -5
Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (I know you didnt. Im just looking for confirmation.) Adam jumps over the webbing into the square. He charges the spider, walling on whatever he can hit. He will also try his best to push the spider into its own webbing. If the spider is determined to ram into Adam, he will jump out of the square. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Irdred basically points out what a god-awful idea it is to give the doll away. If someone is going to this much effort to steal it, then chances are they a) know how it works, and b) either know where to find one of the Plans or have one in their possession already. Not to mention that he, Jack, and Talbot went through hell and high water to secure the thing in the first place, and he doesn't want to see his efforts go to waste. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag ADAM: Adam jumps over the webbing and charges into the middle of the square, but the spider just leaps to another corner, and now there is an "X" of webbing within the square. It looks like this is good enough for the spider because it now leaps into the middle of the square, where the center of the "X" is, and waits for Adam to attack. The mercenary is happy to oblige, and when he gets close, takes a swing at the spider's eye. It suddenly shifts out of the way (first time Dodge registered this whole fight) and Adam has to stop and regain his balance or go right into the webbing. The spider his happy to give him a little nudge and Adam falls into the webbing. He gets tangled up and can barely move. The spider is upon him now and is preparing to bite him. Adam does everything he can to fight the spider off, but all he can do is flail away with his club. He doesn't hit anything. The spider bites him the back. Adam gets one last shot to strike the spider...then everything gets hazy and he feels tired... Adam is poisoned and knocked out by the giant spider in the 3rd round of the tournament...and won. Yes, somehow Adam managed to strike the spider in the last second before succumbing to the poison and the arachnid gave up instead of finishing Adam off. Adam needs a little extra time to recover from the last fight, so it's afternoon when he finally gets back out there, but he may regret it. Adam's fourth, and final, opponent is a 20 ft. tall wind drake. The mini-dragon is tearing around the arena, its legs secured by a giant mythril chain, and its huge, billowy wings are being used to send up lots of dust and scratch at the ground. At the sight of Adam, it hisses and briefly jumps into the air before the chains drag it back down again. This beast is definitely not happy. Adam is assured before the fight starts that drakes can't breath fire. Adam is now armed with all of the available tools: net, lasso, and club. The lasso is wrapped around his waist so there is a slight delay before using that. SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M CONDITIONS: Noon, cool breeze Irdred shares his concerns. "I assure you, the doll is worthless without multiple Plans in your possession. We know where three of the Plans are, and even if our would-be thieves have the fourth, that alone isn't enough to use the doll," Swan is using the kind of tone a schoolteacher uses to correct a student. "Once the doll is in their possession, we will know once and for all who is behind these attacks, and I assure you, we fully intend to stop them. This assumes the pirates even get that far. They will need all the help they can get." Swan seems more confident now than he did in his office-Irdred doesn't know this-so perhaps the chamberlain is right. Regardless, that's the plan and it doesn't look like they have enough time to think up a new one: it's already sunset. "The doll is in my office, it's been there this whole time and any spies in the university will have reported as such, so that is where it will be when they attack," Swan explains. "You will be guarding the Earth Plan. I will not say out loud where it is hidden. The grand archmage will take you there in a moment." "I'm here now," the grand archmage suddenly appears behind the party. "We have prepared the defenses and you should be comfortable. I highly doubt anyone will reach the Plan, and if they do, they will have to contend with a number of traps. Now, hold eachother's hands..." This makes Talbot frown, but the party grabs eachother's hands. There is a sudden warmth... ...and the party find themselves standing in the high council's chamber (described in the recent story post). The party is alone. The main door is shut and barred. Sitting on the small table in the center of the room is a tray covered in drinks and snacks. "I'm accustomed to guard duty," Talbot announces before plopping down in a seat near the table. He grabs a cookie and munches on it, "but I've grown to enjoy our little adventures. I hate sitting here while the rest of the university fights to...er, pretends to defend the doll. How silly...I guess it's necessary." While the battle rages below, the party is forced to sit and wait. It's as boring as it sounds. BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT! SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M-Battle Zone CONDITIONS: Night, Humid, Noisy The party may be sitting around and bored, but you don't have to do the same! You guys get to participate in the batlle, but instead of party members, you will be using "clones", or soldiers who just so happen to share all the same Traits and gear (but not consumnables). Even better, if your clone goes down, you can just spawn a new one and continue the fight. But even better...you don't have to play your character! Ever wondered what it would be like to play Jack? How about Talbot? Want to command the undead like Irdred? You can spawn as whoever you want, even brand new characters with unique Traits if you'd like, and there is no limit on who plays who. All of you can be Jack! This sequence is purely for fun and not meant to be serious or anything. You die, you respawn, select a new character per spawn...whatever you like. It ends when the enemy general is defeated or you guys choose to continue with the story. Because Keno isn't present, it will just be you two. Thankfully, there are a lot of soldiers and NPC's around to help you out. First order of business: who would you like to spawn as first? Or would you like to move on with the story and forget all this (not recommended; this event also serves as a warm-up for the kind of challenges you will be facing in endgame)? Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (Nice. I'm Jack'n it up, yo.) Tournament: "You have got to be kidding me." Adam says as he looks over at his opponent. He looks down at his weapons and gives a sarcastic eye roll to the attendant that handed it to him. "Oh well." He says as he charges the beast. He circles him as fast as he can, hitting it when he gets in close and then moves away quickly. When the opportunity presents itself, he will climb the beast starting at its tail, inching his way up to its head. Just to be difficult, Adam tried to jam the club into one of the drakes eyes. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Swan's lecture is constantly interrupted by Irdred very loudly cracking his knuckles. He's about to respond with some lovely comment or another when the grand archmage appears, and at that point he (thankfully) loses his train of thought. Yellow robes? He gets a dire warning about a "golden one", and suddenly there's yellow everywhere he looks. He's not sure what to think anymore. Well, too late to worry about it now. "I have a bad feeling about this," he states, glaring at the cookies. (I'll start with a Talbot-clone. Sheet?) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (I'll post Talbot's sheet in the utility thread) * * * * * * ADAM: Adam charges the drake and attempts to circle the beast until he can find an opening, but the drake has a lot of reach and lashes out with its left wing before Adam can get close. Adam just barely dives out of the way as the leathery wing goes sweeping past, manages to stay on his feet, and keeps moving. He quickly darts in for a whack to the drake's hind leg and strikes a fleshy spot (-1 NL), then attempts to grab the tail. The drake doesn't spin around to face Adam, it simply winds up its tail and sweeps the entire area. Adam is thrown to the ground, but his armor ate up most of the impact. He quickly scrambles to his feet and jumps up to grab the tail. When the tail is swept through the area again, Adam has to fight to hold on, manages to do so, and heaves himself onto the drake's back. The drake shrieks and leaps into the air, rapidly beating its wings to get Adam off its back. Adam drops down and attempts to get a firm hold of the drake's thick scales, but he can't find a groove in time and is thrown off (that was a 1). He lands on his back about 10 ft. from the drake's tail (-1 HP). The drake performs another tail sweep, but Adam is back on his feet with an acrobatic leap and somehow manages to jump over the tail as it goes by. Will Adam continue to tackle the tail or try something else? *Wind Drake -1 NL *Adam -1 HP IRDRED: "I have a bad feeling about this," Irdred states, glaring at the cookies. Talbot glances at the cookie he is eating. "Are you allergic to nuts? I think there are nuts in these cookies." **I doubt they knew anything about allergies back then, but I couldn't help myself SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M-Battle Zone CONDITIONS: Night, Humid, Noisy Your clones, and most of the university's guards for that matter, are currently positioned at the main entrance to the university. Dremmy is playing a gunslinger, who may or may not be a halfling since racial abilities aren't in play, and Soulweaver is playing an armored knight. The majority of troops that were amassed in the university have left to patrol the rest of the city. Shortly after nightfall, everyone becomes a little nervous. The prophesized attack should start soon, but the university will have warning, right? It's not that easy to reach the university from any of the docks. At roughly 8pm, there is a raucous from one of the western corridors. There are shouts, followed by the sound of steel-on-steel, and soon the noise of battle fill the halls. "What...? Are they here? Already? How did they get in?" one soldier shouts. "No time to figure it out! Send the troops!" another soldier replies. The steel golem is the first to move. It marches towards the western corridor and is followed by the majority of troops, but there is a sudden shout from the eastern corridor. A smaller group of guards head to the east, followed by the crystal golem and a few ghosts. The remaining group of guards remain at the doors. The entire university guard is now fully deployed. Healers, ammo suppliers, and commanders remain in the main hall. The imps are being lazy and don't appear to be headed into battle. Where to? **map forthcoming TIP OF THE PAGE: If you're looking to lead an assault, fight by the steel golem and you will have plenty of support. If you're injured or need a break, fight by the crystal golem or find a healer. Fighting by ghosts is a gambit: they're great at clearing out large crowds, but their abilities affect everyone. Imps need a lot of encouragement to be effective. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Adam continues for the tail and back. He aims for the wings and head if he can climb back up its back. He also tries to wrap the net around its head and uses it as a bridle, beating it across the head. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Okay, still some work to do here, but at least you can look at the map: 33univanmbattle.gif *I've also made some special toons in Aurora just for you guys. They will represent any character you play **Let me know if the image is too big for your monitors; my new monitor is huge and it's hard for me to tell Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag ADAM: Adam continues for the drake's tail as it winds up another tail slap. Adam dives under the dragon as the tail sweeps by, narrowly missing the mercenary, then jumps up and tries to grab the tail again. He gets a good grip, but can't heave himself up. The drake bends and reaches its head around like it's trying to bite at an itch. Adam tries to avoid it by letting go, but the drake grabs him with its teeth. By the crowd's reaction, you'd think the match is already finished. So now Adam is in the the drake's mouth and getting bitten (that's -2 HP btw). Adam gets the net out and wraps it around the drake's head, then works on getting free of the drake's grip. He can't get free and is forced to endure another chomping (that's another -2 HP). He eventually manages to get his hands and feet on the roof of the drake's mouth and forces it open just long enough for Adam to tumble out (Wrestler and Acrobatic for the win!), and as he falls, he grabs the net, twists around, and wraps the net tightly around the drake's head (Go Agility!). Somehow, through all of this, Adam maintains hold of the club and even tucks it into his belt (multiple 3's). The drake is thoroughly ticked off at this point, and while Adam dangles from the net, begins to whip its head back and forth in an effort to get the net off its head. Adam had a good run of luck up to this point, but it runs out here: he can't hold on and is whipped into the ground. Thankfully, he's able to use his acrobatic ability to reduce some of the damage (so just -1 HP). The drake can't get get the net off its head though. Now Adam is bloody and very sore. He can't take another beating. He could risk another bite and go for the net, but with so little damage done to the drake at this point, that may not be the best idea. *Wind Drake -1 NL *Adam -6 HP SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M-Battle Zone CONDITIONS: Night, Humid, Noisy The two orange circles on the map indicate the "disturbances" and it's not exactly clear what's going on there. The Steel Golem has been dispatched to the western wing. The Crystal Golem has been dispatched to the eastern wing along with the 3 ghosts available to the guard. The imps have yet to be deployed. I haven't said it yet, but they're good for tossing fireballs. You guys are currently by the main gate. You can redeploy golems and ghosts and imps as you wish. Generic troops are under the command of the captain, but they're generally available wherever you go. You guys don't have to stay together. Although you want the enemy to steal the doll from Swan's office, you don't want it to be too obvious. That said, there are places the university really doesn't want the enemy to go, so there will be things to protect (not revealed yet). There will be consequences that affect the main party if you fail to protect important locations. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag Gunslinger heads west. (Oops! Forgot about the...) Tournament: Adam moves back enough for the drake not to reach him. He removes the lasso from his waist. He lassos the drakes head and hangs on. He tries to yank the drake around a bit. If he is lifted off the ground he will swing close to the drakes body to hit what he can. If he is still on the ground, he will circle the beast and use the lasso to tangle the beast up, hitting him where he can. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (No input for the tournament? And does Soulweaver need a poke?) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (This is giving me flashbacks to the multi-party battles in FFVI. :thumb_up: Also, have patience. Hasn't even been a day yet. ) ******** The knight (whose name shall henceforth be Gary) stays put for now to guard the main gate, suspecting a diversion. Before he considers going anywhere, he suggests sending someone to scout each corridor and then report back about the nature of the disturbances. We should also deploy some Adam-clones and imps northward a) cut off the attackers as they head that way, and b) set up a pincer attack with the east and west units (but focusing mostly on the west unit for now). (Are there Empowerers on hand by any chance? Do different units have any way of communicating with each other besides scouts? Also, I realize that these are more general ideas and that I'm not giving Gary a whole lot to do, so I'm willing to switch to an Adam clone if they end up getting involved in the battle before him.) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (Aww...poking is fun ) * * * * * * * ADAM: Adam backpeddles away from the drake while he removes the lasso. The drake tries to bite Adam again, but he just barely backs out of the beast's reach and unleashes the lasso. The lasso wraps around a small horn on the drake's head and tightans. Adam moves to yank the rope, but the drake proves to be much stronger than Adam and pulls him into the air. The drake whips its head upwards and Adam is sent skywards, but this time he manages to hold onto the rope. He does a little acrobatic thing in the air to change his fall into a directed flight, sending him and the rope spiraling around the drake's neck. Each pass makes the rope tighter. The beast tries to snap Adam out of the air, but the net hinders its mouth and it merely bumps Adam. When Adam runs out of rope, he finds himself on the drake's back. Using the wrapped rope like a ladder, he sprints up the drake's neck to its head. The beast shakes its head as Adam climbs, but the rope is making it much easier for him to hold on, and he reaches the drake's head in short order. The net is also very helpful, and he uses that to get a good grip before whacking the drake in the face, notably the eye (-1 NL). The drake hisses and roars and Adam continues to rain blows on the drake's face. One whack...two whacks...another...and another. He's got a great thing going and it's starting to look like the drake's eyes are about to pop out of its skull. The drake desperately tries to knock Adam off by jumping into the air, shaking its head, and striking itself in the neck with its wings. All come very close to hitting Adam, but the drake is fighting blind now, and it's easy for Adam to swing to one side of the drake's skull to avoid the blows. More clubbing...and more clubbing...the drake is going crazy now (around -8 NL at this point). It's becoming very difficult to hold on. Adam eventually loses his grip and is thrown to the ground, not hard enough to get injured, and quickly scrambles to his feet. The drake is most definitely blind now, and it's thrashing about blindly in search of Adam. He doesn't have the net and lasso anymore. It's amazing he still hasn't lost the club (seriously, all 3's on that). *Drake -8 NL *Adam -6 HP SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M-Battle Zone CONDITIONS: Night, Humid, Noisy *I actually have a female model for Gary...maybe Gacey? **And clones are only available to players, so there are no "unplayed" clones lying around waiting to be used, although you can switch clones at any time (but they all start by the gate). ***The healers can empower you, yes, if you want to get into the battle faster or need a little boost. It's just messengers for this fight. It's not a big battlefield and there is only one field commander. DREMMY: Dremmy the gunslinger heads west and soon meets up with the stone golem and its contingent of troops. As soon as they round the corner and enter the western corridor proper, they discover a group of mean, surly types spilling out of the nearby classroom and gathering in the corridor. There are currently only 8, but they're growing in number at an alarming rate. The mercenaries consist of your typical rogue-ish types: there are Black Eyed pirates, previously seen attacking the merfolk prison island, orc raiders with their oversized two-handed weapons, heavily armored troops, and Anubi (as in, Egyptian jackal-headed folk) pirates armed with bows and clearly serving as support. No sign of the traitorous mages yet. The steel golem doesn't wait for orders: it simply charges into the fray and begins stomping around and swinging its massive arms at anyone it can reach. The majority of pirates and mercenaries fall back and try to establish a line, but two orcs with big axes and hammers scream bloody-murder and begin hacking at the golem's legs. Their weapons bounce off the golem's armor like rubber, but the golem can't take advantage of the orcs' recklessness. Dremmy, only just now arriving with the other University guards, watches the golem get to work. *Dremmy's battle map: img809.imageshack.us/img809/4506/33anmbattledrem.jpgSOULWEAVER: Soulweaver, as Gary...or Gacey...tries to convince the guard-captain to send the imps north. He agrees and a unit of Imps reluctantly head north towards the stairs, but not before calling Gary a "lazy SOB". It's not long before the first reports arrive: the enemy has appeared in the western and eastern corridors. Both golems have engaged the enemy. The full battle map doesn't need to be updated yet. STATUS: All Allied Forces at 100% ENEMY FORCES: Enemy forces at 100% * * * * * * Hey look! It's badarse Dremmy! ...and Gary...er...Gacey: 33playerimages.jpg Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (Nah, her name'll still be Gary. ) I'll switch to an Adam clone named... Magritte, who will head north with the imps and keep them in line. When she gets to the intersection, she takes one group of imps west. If her FAST trait can be upgraded by the Empowerers, she has that done before heading north, otherwise go with TOUGH. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members October 2010 edited October 2010 Flag (Is the ammo unlimited or do I have to go back to a check point to restock?) Dremmy uses the Piercing Rifle on the pirates not occupied by the golem. He walks closer to the battle. Reloads. Takes a shot. Adam charges the blinded beast. Same tactics. Grab the tail, climb up its back and beat on its head and neck. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (Jack has a lot of ammo so you shouldn't have to worry about reloading, plus those magical guns of his don't need to be reloaded) * * * * * * ADAM: Adam charges, throwing caution to the wind and looking to grab the beast's tail. The drake continues to bite, slam, kick, and hammer the area in any way possible to stop Adam. By some miracle, Adam manages to avoid all attacks and reaches the drake's tail, but he can't get a hold on it. The tail just narrowly misses Adam's head, then he jumps up and grabs it again. This time he gets a hold on it and climbs up, then begins to race up the creature's back. The drake, now aware of Adam, begins to flap its wings in an attempt to get Adam off its back. Adam loses his balance here and tumbles off the drake's back, but not before grabbing a wing. He quickly climbs back up onto the drake's back and continues, but loses his balance again. He grabs the other wing, hauls himself back, and the merry-go-round continues to spin. Adam manages to reach the drake's neck and grab the lasso. The drake is whipping its neck about like crazy-the drake has backed up into the arena wall at this point-and Adam has to fight to hold on. Adam gets whipped about, but holds on, and slowly makes his way up the drake's neck. When Adam reaches the drake's head, he pulls out the club and smacks it hard. With one last desperate effort to get Adam off, the drake sharply arcs its neck and lunges forward. Adam can't hold on and is thrown, but he tightens himself into a ball as he flies, whips out his clubs, and smacks the drake in the eye one last time as he falls (figured you guys will want to see this one: Adam First Attack Failure on 1; Failure on 1 to hold on; Acrobatic Success on 2 to twist into a position to attack in mid-air; Attack Success on 3; negative factor applied because it's a wicked hard thing to pull off; -1 NL). This strike pops the drake's eye out. The drake hisses one last time, then retreats into a corner of the arena. It is no longer on the offensive. ADAM WINS THE TOURNAMENT!!! REWARD: 1000 GP (split with sponsor, so 550 GP) OTHER REWARDS: Adam can choose a secondary reward-an additional 1500 GP (not split) or a summoning stone that calls forth a horse for Adam to ride (but not a warhorse) Adam's status with the Spellmount Unwealthy has increased to Useful+2. JACK: Jack pulls out his guns, but the shadow rat suddenly disappears from sight. Jack fires on the rat's position anyway, but doesn't appear to hit anything. Jack begins to closely watch the sand for movement. He spots a slight disturbance in the sand just off to the left (Success on 2; positive factor due to sand on the ground), so he fires on that position. Jack's first shot appears to miss, but the second shot hits something and a small cloud of dust suddenly kicks up (Success on 2; -1 penalty applied; positive factor due to expertise; I can't give Jack his precision damage bonus in this circumstance; -2 HP). Jack focuses his next shots on this cloud of dust, but he appears to miss. This jerk is staying invisible. Jack have any special ideas or just stick with spot and shoot? *Shadow Rat -2 HP **I want to see what Keno does for the battle sequence before updating Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Jack will drift away from the last sand disturbance, (keeping his back to the wall if possible) while keeping an eye out for any more disturbances. "I gotts some cheese for ya, ratty." (Question: What would it take to create magical guns with an area damage or area damage option?) (I'll take an Irdred clone named Maru.) Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (I suppose it wouldn't be too difficult to introduce an enchantment that adds an AoE effect on rolls of 3) * * * * * * * JACK: Jack backs up until he walks into the wall, or more specifically the entrance gate into the arena, while keeping a close eye on the ground for more disturbances. He catches sight of what appears to be a footprint nearby, so he fires on it. Same result as last time: his first shot misses, but the second strikes something (-2 HP). Jack hears a grunt followed by crunching pebbles. He continues to keep an eye on the sand which is why he spots two silvery blades appear to materialize out of the air and fly at him. He easily ducks them, then fires on the spot where they came from. This time his shots don't hit anything. Jack can hear pebbles crunching, but he doesn't see any footprints until they're right on top of him: the shadow rat has moved into melee range! Jack tries to duck an attack he can't see, but he feels himself stabbed in the side anyway (-2 HP). *Shadow Rat Assassin -4 HP **Jack -2 HP SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M-Battle Zone CONDITIONS: Night, Humid, Noisy **I know Keno wishes he looked cool (heh)...but I don't think his Aurora counterpart accomplishes this, so no close-up. Just keep an eye out for the guy wielding the fiery axe. It's easier to see that way. CHIAPET Joins the game! Spawns as...Irdred! He starts by the main gate. SOULWEAVER (As Adam): Magritte can upgrade the Fast Trait, but the imps can't keep up with her, so she goes with the Tough Trait. She leads a group of six imps, all muttering and cursing random drivel, along with a handfull of university battlemages (a unit of battlemages travels with every unit by default unless you don't want them to accompany you). Magritte heads north and takes a left when she reaches the far side of the university (that's what you meant, right?). THERE IS A UNIVERSITY TRAP NEARBY! DREMMY (As Jack): The battlemages with Dremmy charge. A number of armored mercenaries and pirates swing around the golem and rush to meet the battlemages while the steel golem focuses on a few orc warriors. Anubi archers begin to pelt the golem with arrows, but they're useless against the behemoth. A few pirates avoid the battle entirely and head into the library. A couple battlemages give chase. Those battlemages unable to find a target fling balls of ice and rays of lightning at the Anubi archers. Dremmy gets closer and begins firing on those pirates he can see in melee with the battlemages. His shot blows right through a mercenary's shield (-3 HP) setting up a crushing blow from a nearby battlemage, but it takes the rest of his turn just to reload. Speaking of the battlemages, they're kicking butt: skulls are crushed and shield arms are rendered limp and useless. They can't kill any archers, but those in melee are tearing through the enemy. The Steel Golem knocks all orcs and mercenaries aside save for one. This lucky individual manages to knock a plate off the golem's leg (-1 HP). Despite Dremmy's success so far, there are still an alarming number of mercenaries pouring through the door of the nearby classroom. The Black Eye pirates are particularly annoying: instead of joining the battle, they're running all over the place. Some are running towards the library, others down the corridor towards Swan's office. DREM'S BATTLEMAP: img535.imageshack.us/img535/4506/33anmbattledrem.jpgMESSENGER SAYS: The ghosts have scattered the pirates! But more keep coming... BATTLE WARNING: There are reports of pirates trashing the library and looting the storage rooms! Don't let them steal/destroy valuable university property! (there are main game consequences here) COMPLETE BATTLE MAP: 33univanmbattle.gif STATUS: Allied Forces at 100%, Steel Golem -1 HP, Soulweaver TOUGH ENEMY FORCES: Enemy forces at 98% * * * * * * * TIP OF THE PAGE: The university utilizes a series of traps you can use against the enemy! All traps are of the 60 ft. cone of fire/ice/electricity variety and activate when enemies get near it (allies can't accidentally trip them). Activate them to deal some extra damage! Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Adam will take the 1500GP. Dremmy continues to pick off the pirates, paying special attention to the archers. After a few shots he yells for everyone to press forward, changes over to the Thunder and Lightning guns, and follows the battlemages into the library to take care of the pirates in there. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Magritte heads west until she and the imps can see some sign of battle. Actions depend on where and when that occurs. (Where are the library and storage rooms? Did any imps head east, or are all of them with Magritte?) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (The Library is the big room to the west. The storage rooms are the small rooms to the east. If you want to send some imps and battlemages to the east, I can make the changes) * * * * * * SOULWEAVER (As Adam): Magritte takes her group, either the whole group or half of it, past Swan's office. As she approaches the area where the trap is (the yellow "T"), she encounters a small group of pirates, about 5, that may be trying to reach Swan's office. Magritte can't reach the trap without busting through the pirates and getting behind them. DREMMY (As Jack; Group Status at 50%): Dremmy switches to the magical guns and begins raining hell on the archers. A couple shots and two archers go down. The rest of the battlemages begin to press at Dremmy's order, and the butt-kicking continues: more mercenaries go down. The golem doesn't crush any targets this round though. But the pirates counter: most of the archers turn their bows on the battlemages and the never-ending flood of mercenaries does not ease. A couple orcs swinging their huge battleaxes around cleave through a couple battlemages while the arrows nail quite a few battlemages, a few fatally. Suddenly, half of Dremmy's frontline is down. Will Dremmy still go to the library? STATUS: Allied Forces at 98%, Steel Golem -1 HP, Soulweaver TOUGH ENEMY FORCES: Enemy forces at 97% Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Jack backpeddals away, keeping the wall to his side and fires on the location where the rat was most likely standing (unless some other disturbance of the sand or pebbles gets his attention.) *************** Maru heads toward the library. If she comes across any dead pirates/anubi/etc she raises them as undead to fight against the pirates. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag JACK: Jack tries to backpeddle away from the Shadow Rat, but the invisible assailant continues to press the attack, although Jack can see the rat is circling around. The Shadow Rat is clearly hoping to get around Jack and stab the halfling in the back, but Jack doesn't allow this to happen. Despite successfully spinning around to face the Shadow Rat, Jack still finds himself dealing with invisible blades (First Attack Failure on 1; melee stands higher than ranged attacks and spells in terms of attack order when fighting in melee range). It's hard as heck to dodge the blows: he gets stabbed twice (-4 HP). Jack tries to blast the Shadow Rat, and it is point blank, but it's hard to concentrate when daggers are being thrust through your ribs (Both attacks Failure on 1). The Shadow Rat appears to realize Jack is on the ropes, so he doesn't let up the attack. Jack manages to get one gun to go off and strikes the Shadow Rat dead-on, but the blows just keep landing... Jack is defeated by the Shadow Rat Assasin. The assassin ends up finishing in 3rd place (the guy who defeated him used fire to ignite the Rat's clothes and he couldn't hide). Jack doesn't wake up in the arena basement. He finds himself in a hospital surrounded by healers. Jack learns the Shadow Rat spent about 5 minutes mutilating Jack's corpse after the halfling was defeated and security had to be called in to get the Rat out of the arena. Even worse, Jack was injected with some kind of magical poison and there was a brief moment where the healers couldn't revive the halfling. Thankfully, they figured out what was going on, but it isn't until Jack leaves the hospital does he realize he's been out for an entire day. CHIAPET (As Irdred, Group at 100%): Maru takes a group of battlemages west and finds Dremmy locked in battle with the pirates. There are currently 30 pirates in the corridor and Dremmy's force has been reduced to about 8 battlemages. Unless Maru wishes to animate battlemages, he can't acess any dead pirates without risk of moving into melee. That said, he's at risk of being hit with arrows anyway: the anubi archers are starting to build up into a very formidable looking force. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (Is maru aware of any way to flank the attackers?) Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (Maru could follow Magritte and get around from the north, or you could try going through the library. If Maru can beat the pirates in the library, she could continue to the northern exit and hit the pirates in the corridor from behind; however, this assumes Dremmy's force can hold out) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (To the library! For some reason, I was thinking I couldn't get there) Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (Yeah, I'll mark all the open doorways on the next map update) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (The group will stay together for now, at least until these few pirates are taken care of) Magritte readies her sword and charges! ...But at the last second, she does something acrobatic-like to get around behind the pirates. A wall kick, or jumping off of their shoulders, or something. She'll be counting on the imps and battlemages to divert their attention while she goes for the trap. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Dremmy stays with the battlemages now that their numbers have been cut in half. He aims for the archers and any pirate that seem to be overwhelming the battlemages. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M-Battle Zone CONDITIONS: Night, Humid, Noisy SOULWEAVER (As Adam; Group Status at 93%): Magritte makes a big show of charging the pirates...then does a little roll that allows her to roll past the pirates. The two she rolls through try to swing at her as she rolls by and one pirate is fast enough to slash her (immediately healed by the healing ring). All of the pirates turn to face her, but then the rest of Magritte's squad intervenes: fireballs aplenty scorch the pirates while the battlemages hammer into them. The pirates prove to be very agile and manage to avoid the worst of the fire damage and the battlemages have difficulty hitting them, but a couple pirates go down. So too does a couple battlemages. Magritte runs over to the trap: a seemingly innocous torch mounted on a pillar near the far wall, flips a switch, then backs away. The trap is now armed and will attack any enemy that approaches it. At this point I suspect Magritte will hammer into the remaining pirates from behind, so she does: she sneaks up behind one pirate and runs him through with her sword (-3 HP). Down he goes. The remaining few pirates are horribly overwhelmed and go down easy. Magritte can see the huge swell of pirates building up where Dremmy is. CHIAPET (As Irdred, Group at 100%): Maru leads her group into the library where she encounters about 5 pirates rooting through the books looking for anything of value. One pirate is attempting to start a fire. Maru can see more pirates on the far side of the library. She could ignore the pirates and keep going. Will she ignore them or attack? Or split her force up? DREMMY (As Jack; Group Status at 20%): Dremmy fires his magical guns on the archers he can see while Maru leads her group into the library. Both of Dremmy's shots land and another archer goes down. The Steel Golem continues to beat up the orcs and mercenaries gathering around its feet. Another powerful stomp knocks the majority of mercenaries to the ground, but a few press the attack. They can't penetrate the steel golem's armor. As for the battlemages, with so few left, those casting spells on the Anubi archers are forced to join the melee scrum. They manage to knock a few mercs silly, but another volley of arrows and a few vicious swipes from the orcs have reduced Dremmy's unit to a handfull of men. Dremmy has to duck an arrow. The pirates and mercenaries continue to swell. There is now somewhere around 70 pirates in the corridor. The heavily armored and orcish types are focusing on fighting while the Black Eye pirates are scattering and appear to be looking for something. MESSENGER SAYS: The ghosts have scattered the pirates, but the battlemages are having a heck of a time chasing them down. They're taking casualties. BATTLE WARNING: The traitorous mages have appeared! They've mixed themselves with the healers and are attacking!
|
|
|
Post by TG Barighm on May 8, 2018 18:10:06 GMT -5
Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Dremmy continues to fire at a few of the archers. He then moves over to assist the battlemages and fires upon the pirates they are in melee with. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Maru focuses her group on the pirates trying to start the fire. As pirates fall, she'll reanimate them and send them after the distant group until her group can move on. Savage Tide Info Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Magritte stations most of her group next to the trap she just armed. From there, she has them fire into the distant group of pirates. However, she instructs that they should fall back to Swan's office if they hear any hostiles approaching from the east.
She then tells the messenger to relay to the captain that more troops will soon be needed at this position.
Magritte herself does not stick around, however. Taking three imps with her, she sprints eastward to a) arm the northeasternmost trap and b) get a better sense of what's happening in that corridor.
Hopefully the healers can hang in there for the moment... d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag
SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M-Battle Zone CONDITIONS: Night, Humid, Noisy
SOULWEAVER (As Adam; Group Status at 93%):
Magritte issues her orders, then takes some of her imps east (they love her for it and are happy to get away from the fight). The rest of her battlemages fling spells at the pirates further down the corridor, but they don't have much luck hitting anything. The imps don't fare any better: they're a little too far away.
Magritte really has to hoof it to reach the eastern corridor. When she gets there, and activates the trap, she discovers the battle in a state of chaos: pirates of all kinds are running all over the place screaming at the top of their lungs. Battlemages are trying to chase them down, but they're scattered and have no organization. The three ghosts in the middle of the corridor are doing a good job terrorizing the enemy, but more keep pouring out of the nearby classrooms, much like in the western corridor, faster than they can be scared and then dispatched. The crystal golem, way at the end of the corridor, appears to be confused. It can't support its allies while they're running around chasing panicked pirates.
CHIAPET (As Irdred, Group at 70%):
Maru orders her group to attack. Despite there being just 5 pirates, they're quick to spin around and fight. The pirates prove to be vicious combatants and take down a couple battlemages, but they're completely swamped by the battlemages and soon fall. Maru goes to work animating corpses. She sends the first zombie to the north, but this isn't a quick process, and by the time she starts working on the second corpse, more pirates appear at the entrance to the library. With Dremmy's group going down, 10 pirates easily make their way into the library.
All of a sudden, Maru is blocked off from the corridor. Her battlemages turn to face the pirates and engage them. The following scrum is vicious and very gory: the battlemages do an AMAZING job ripping the pirates apart with spells and enchanted maces. Maru loses just 1 battlemage while the entire group of pirates is wiped out.
But there is always more pirates coming in this section of the corridor. Maru can already see more shadows in the doorway. She sends her second zombie to assault the pirates on the northern side of the library (she loses control of the first, but by this time the zombie has reached the pirates and is focused on them). The zombie is quickly hacked apart, but not before grabbing onto a pirate's back and chomping its neck.
DREMMY (As Jack; Group Status at 0%):
Dremmy continues to fire on the archers and manages to kill two more. The steel golem has also turned a couple more mercenaries into crushed grapes, but it's completely surrounded by orcs and armoured men now. Another piece is knocked off its leg (-1 HP).
With Dremmy's unit reduced to a small handfull of men, he suddenly finds himself in melee with a group of orcs and armoured mercenaries. His men do an admireable job holding the mercenaries off, but they keep going down and are now yelling at Dremmy to fallback.
Dremmy finds himself being axed by an orc (-3 HP). He backs away and tries to fire on the orc and manages to blow him away (-6 HP damage total). Another mercenary hacks at Dremmy from behind but is blocked by a nearby battlemage. More orcish axes make for Dremmy's head, but he ducks this attack (Dodge Success), then uses his acrobatic skill to tumble out of the throng of warriors. He now has a clear path back to the main gate.
Another volley of arrows is fired at Dremmy's group. This finishes off the last of his men and leaves Dremmy all alone in the corridor. Not only that, but he takes an arrow in the gut (-1 HP).
BATTLE WARNING: New messengers can't be sent while the captain's unit, with the healers, are under attack.
STATUS: Allied Forces at 94%, Steel Golem -2 HP, Soulweaver TOUGH, Dremmy -4 HP ENEMY FORCES: Enemy forces at 94% * * * * * * TIP OF THE PAGE: AoE's really hurt in a situation like this. If you got'em, use'em. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (is it possible to seal the library doors?) Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (You can bar the doors, yes, but it will be very difficult to do while pirates are trying to force their way through) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Maru will rally her group into a defensive formation and try to drive the new coming pirates from the library. She'll divide her time between healing battle pages and unleashing necromantic rays at the pirates. Savage Tide Info Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Dremmy runs south, sets the trap, then runs east to get healing. He yells out, "My groups down! Requesting help!" He heads back west (with any help he can get) and attacks any thing that rounds the corner. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Back to Gary now. (Will Magritte still be in the same spot if I switch back?) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (No, you can only control one clone at a time. All new clones spawn at the main gates)
SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M-Battle Zone CONDITIONS: Night, Humid, Noisy
SOULWEAVER (As Adam; Group Status at 93%):
If you're still playing Magritte, she can join the fighting in the eastern corridor. If you're playing Gary, he/she can help fight off the traitorous mages.
CHIAPET (As Irdred, Group at 70%):
The battlemages form a defensive line by the library door. Pirates pour in and the fighting is fierce, but the battlemages continue to dominate and strike down every pirate that tries to force its way through the door. They're doing so well Maru can focus exclusively on healing. She manages to heal one battlemage to full health.
This is when the trap in the corridor goes off. The scorching flames are pretty close to the entrance to the library and do a great job warding the pirates off. This clears the door and allows Maru to close the door and safely bar it from further incursions.
With nowhere else to go but north, Maru takes her battlemages to the northern side of the library and deals with the pirates there. Her second zombie managed to kill a pirate, but got hacked down. Doesn't matter now: Maru's battlemages are on a roll and have little trouble clearing out the rest of the pirates, although she loses a few more battlemages in the fighting. The northern door to the library is still unsealed, and more pirates are trickling in, but it's not nearly as many pirates as the southern door.
THE LIBRARY HAS BEEN SECURED!
DREMMY (As Jack; Group Status at 0%):
Dremmy runs to the trap and attempts to activate it before he gets swarmed. He is not able to arm the trap before he is attacked (Agility Failure on 1), but he ducks and dodges like a pro and manages to escape the throng of enemies before they can touch him. He heads back to the main gate...
...and discovers the healers are under attack by a group of mages. These must be the traitors Swan was trying to find. Dremmy can't get any reinforcements while the captain's unit is under attack like this.
The trap activates and spews a torrent of fire on the pirates. Many are set aflame, cook nicely, and char. Just like that, a good portion of the corridor is cleared of enemies. The pirates need to regroup and come up with a new plan.
The steel golem is still fighting, but the pirates have it completely surrounded and have managed to chip away at most of its armor.
OVERALL BATTLE MAP:
33univanmbattle.gif
STATUS: Allied Forces at 94%, Steel Golem -4 HP, Soulweaver TOUGH, Dremmy -4 HP ENEMY FORCES: Enemy forces at 90% Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (secured as in we can leave it and not worry about it?) Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (Maru still needs to seal the northern door, but for the most part, the library is safe. You can leave that job to the battlemages and respawn by the gate if you want) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (Is that a stone golum between Dremmy and the trap to the east?) (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (It's nothing. The crystal golem is fighting with the Allied unit in the eastern corridor) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Dremmy informs the Captain of what has happened and that the west corridor may be compromised. He will tell him to be on the look out for pirates from that corridor rounding the corner. He them starts helping out the Captain and the Healers as much as he can. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Magritte has the imps shoot fireballs at the pirates in the eastern corridor...
...then I will switch to Gary, who will be defending the healers and smiting the traitors. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag maru leaves the job to the battlemages and respawns. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag
SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M-Battle Zone CONDITIONS: Night, Humid, Noisy
SOULWEAVER (As Talbot; Group Status at 100%):
Magritte's imps begin launching fireballs, but the pirates are so spread out it's hard to deal any real damage. The rest of the battlemages advance on their own, but the rest of this story will have to wait...
Gary is activated and charges the traitorous mages.
The captain and the healers did form a circle in the middle of the hall, but the traitorous mages have exited this circle and have surrounded the healers. Nearby battlemages have attemped to engage the traitors, but it looks like the mages have managed to hammer the healers with a few spells. Gary joins the closest group of battlemages and attempts to engage a nearby mage, but the robed-jerk is slippery and dances around his mace. A spell is thrown his way, but Gary turns the spell aside with his shield (Talbot just picked up Spell Block, so this is the first time you guys are seeing it).
CHIAPET (As Irdred, Group at 0%):
Maru respawns near the battle with the traitors and starts things off with a couple necrotic rays. She manages to hit a couple mages which is enough to ruin their concentration.
DREMMY (As Jack; Group Status at 0%):
Dremmy needs to reach the captain before he can deliver his message, so he charges the group, slips through the line of mages, pushes his way through the university's battlemages, and manages to reach the captain. He delivers his message, but it doesn't look like the captain can do much while his group is under attack, so Dremmy turns his attention to the traitors. He manages to kill one with a well-placed shot.
The battle rages for a little while. Dremmy picks off a few mages, Maru kills a few with her necrotic touches and even raises a few as zombies (a passive ability Irdred has) while Gary blocks spells launched his way and fends off attacks directed at nearby battlemages. The entire unit has to weather a handfull of fireballs and blasts of lightning and the like (check the status line) and this is where Gary's help proves invaluable: with Maru and Gary concentrated on the line of mages near the gates, they manage to break up that group of mages. This greatly relieves some of the pressure and allows Gary to join the other group of battlemages where he continues to block spells and other attacks.
Unfortunately, the battlemages don't perform as well as the rest of the party, not until they eventually rally near the end of the battle, so the party has to endure another round of magical blasts and booms. Dremmy goes down at this point, but with so many healers around he quickly finds himself back on his feet. Eventually the traitors are forced to flee: they head north towards the stairs.
There have been no messengers from the western corridor.
MESSENGER SAYS: The pirates in the eastern corridor have rallied and regrouped and are now pressing the crystal golem and Magritte's unit. The ghosts are still present but they're not nearly as effective as before (you can only scare someone the same way for so long). They need to be redeployed.
BATTLE WARNING: Don't let the pirates or traitor mages reach the stairs! There are innocents hiding in the upper floors.
**Don't think I need a map update here. You guys are all gathered in one place.
STATUS: Allied Forces at 91%, Healers at 40%, Steel Golem -5 HP, Dremmy -8 HP, Maru -4 HP ENEMY FORCES: Enemy forces at 88%, Traitors at 33% Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (Can I get a new group and lead a charge against the fleeing traitors?) Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (Yes, your group will be restored) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (very well then) CHARGE! Savage Tide Info Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Dremmy calls for healing, gets a group of battlemages, and chases after the pirate/traitors going for the stairs. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag The healers should have some time to heal themselves at this point. The ghosts should probably head north to cut off any traitors that continue past the stairs.
As for me: Switch to an Irdred-clone named Elen and send some Necrotic Fury down on the pack of traitors (and if there's time, grab a Fast trait from an Empowerer). Hopefully the necro fury takes place before any of our guys engage them in melee. (Chiapet: I'm not sure if it's listed on Irdred's sheet, but Maru does have an AoE attack.) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (It's listed under variants as "Necro Fury"; also, Irdred can blow up his undead for physical area damage. And here's a funny idea: Irdred's tiny skeletons don't have to be animals. He could cut off people's hands and animate the hand itself-the bones pop out on their own-and you can create an army of "Things" lol)
SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M-Battle Zone CONDITIONS: Night, Humid, Noisy
SOULWEAVER (As Irdred; Group Status at 100%):
Gary suggests the Captain and his healers take some time to heal. The captain welcomes this suggestion and goes about the healing process.
With the Captain's unit saved, Gary dispatches a messenger to communicate with the ghosts.
This is when Elen takes to the stage, and being the only group ready to chase the traitors, is the only one to actually do so, but by this time, the mages have already reached the stairs. Elen definitely doesn't have time to stop for buffs, so s/he immediately launches a few Necro Furies. Where the spell strikes, the light in the area is sucked into a tiny point and disappears, and everyone in the spell's radius grows pale. Thankfully, this doesn't include any of Elen's men.
The battlemages stop to cast their spells, and a few mages are taken down, but there are survivors and they do reach the stairs, climb up, and disappear out of sight. I suspect Elen continues the chase and possibly leaves the battle (but that is up to you).
CHIAPET (As Irdred, Group at 100%):
Maru has to regroup. When all is said and done, there are no battlemages ready to give chase when the traitors flee.
Maru watches Elen chase the traitors. Some of the traitors are killed, but the rest manage to reach the stairs. There aren't enough traitorous mages to warrant another unit of battlemages, so maybe Maru can find something else to do.
DREMMY (As Jack; Group Status at 100%):
Dremmy calls for healing and forms a new group of battlemages, but this takes some time and he's not able to chase the traitors.
The chase has already resolved itself by the time Dremmy is ready to go; however, new problems soon arise.
MESSENGER SAYS: The pirates in the western corridor are attempting to disarm the traps. They're taking losses but they are making progress.
MESSENGER SAYS: The majority of pirates in the eastern corridor are advancing towards the main hall! Magritte's unit has engaged these pirates from behind.
BATTLE WARNING: A group of traitor mages have appeared in the northern section of the main hall! They appear to be performing a ritual to cast an advanced spell.
OVERALL BATTLE MAP:
33univanmbattle.jpg
STATUS: Allied Forces at 90%, Healers at 60%, Steel Golem -7 HP ENEMY FORCES: Enemy forces at 84% Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Maru takes her group and heads to the northern hall to disrupt the traitors.
(she would have taken time to heal herself, as well) Savage Tide Info Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Dremmy takes his group to engage the enemy in the south eastern corner of the map. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (Northeast trap was activated, yes?
Also, Magritte left some battlemages and imps at the northwest trap -- where are they now?)
Elen does continue the chase. If this means leaving the battle, I'll respawn as another Irdred clone and head east. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag
SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M-Battle Zone CONDITIONS: Night, Humid, Noisy
SOULWEAVER (As Irdred; Group Status at 20%):
K, northeast trap tripped and I haven't forgotten about the group in the western corridor.
Elan continues the chase up the stairs and spends the rest of the battle hunting down the traitors.
So, Soulweaver reappears and takes a group to the east. She joins up with Dremmy's new squadron, grabs the crystal golem while they're at it, and meets the pirate force head-on.
The crystal golem begins projecting protective barriers around the battlemages while they charge into the ranks of the mercenaries and orcs and pirates and all that. The magical barriers greatly discourage the pirates and the battlemages manage to kick some major butt. Scores of pirates and mercenaries lie dead in the eastern corridor and just like that the major offensive is stymied.
But it's far from over. Lines of Anubi archers form behind the pirates and begin firing volleys into the ranks of the battlemages. The protective barriers help deflect some arrows but the majority still get through. Dremmy finds himself protected by one such arrow while Soulweaver manages to escape the business end of another arrow.
I imagine the archers have to deal with a few Necro Furies...well, they take out a few archers but not as many as hoped. Dremmy manages to kill a bunch though, but those arrows are doing a good job slowing the battlemages down. Thankfully, the battlemages continue their butt-kicking ways, and with another good round, can break through the pirate's lines and hit the archers. Even better, they can reach the trap; however, the two units of battlemages have been greatly weakened by the fighting.
CHIAPET (As Irdred, Group at 90%):
Maru races into the northern section of the hall. She discovers a group of mages casting some kind of ritual spell. A faint blue light has appeared within the circle of mages.
"Where is our help? Haven't they dealt with the captain?"
"I think so...here they come now."
"No, you fool! That is the university guard!"
It may be a small group of mages, and the majority are focused on completing their ritual, but they still unleash fireballs and bolts of lightning that fill most of the northern hallway. The battlemages desperately counter with the same while attempting to get closer. Maru herself gets singed a bit, but her fire resistent wards her from the worst of it.
Thankfully, the majority of battlemages survive the magical assault and close in with the mages. The mages prove to be a lot harder to kill than the pirates and the fighting rages for awhile before the mages suffer enough losses to retreat. Maru's spells are constantly blocked, dispelled, or deflected.
"Forget the spell! Finish it now and let's get out of here."
"But...! It won't work right..."
"If you want to die for it, be my guest."
There is a sudden burst of purple light. The faint light within the circle of mages now glows fiercely and has begun to expand into a portal of swirling colours. The traitors scatter and run, but the battlemages are too focused on the portal to follow. As they watch, a huge, 30 ft. tall humanoid creature with hooved feet, bat-like wings, bull-like horns, and a head that looks like a cross between a dragon and a ram, emerges from the portal. In its hands is a massive waraxe.
"AH...THIS PLACE REEKS OF FEAR! I SHALL ENJOY THIS...WHERE ARE MY LIEUTENANTS? WHERE ARE MY SLAVES? WHY ALONE HAVE I BEEN SUMMONED? YOU FOOLS! YOU DARE ASK FOR MY HELP ONLY TO FAIL ME? SUCH INSOLENCE! I WILL NOT BE DISRESPECTED BY PUNY MORTALS...AH, HERE ARE SOME NOW...I SEE LITTLE NEED TO ABANDON THE AGREEMENT...MORE BLOOD FOR ME!"
EPIC BATTLE: DEMON KING ABIZBAL
DREMMY (As Jack; Group Status at 40%):
See Soulweaver's entry.
MESSENGER SAYS: The steel golem has been destroyed!
MESSENGER SAYS: The ghosts are pinned between two groups of pirates. They're fine, but the messengers can't reach them.
BATTLE WARNING: Stop the demon king!
STATUS: Allied Forces at 89%, Healers at 60% ENEMY FORCES: Enemy forces at 76% Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Maru sends a message for immediate assistance then launches the attack against the demon king.
(Is there anything she could use the hall to slowdown the demon king? chandeliers to drop on him, that kind of thing?) Savage Tide Info Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Soulweaver's group works on clearing the storage rooms of pirates and barricading them. She animates zombies to help with this task. If possible, barricade the "enemy spawn" room, too.
Then I'll switch to a Jack clone named Annie ASAP. Annie heads north to assist with the demon king. She takes the route that takes her past the top-center trap and activates it en route.
|
|
|
Post by TG Barighm on May 8, 2018 18:10:34 GMT -5
Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Dremmy takes his group up the eastern corridor to engage the enemy storage rooms. He then takes his group to engage the enemy to the northeast. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (The hallway doesn't have much in way of chandeliers and such, but there is a trap nearby)
SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M-Battle Zone CONDITIONS: Night, Humid, Noisy
SOULWEAVER (As Irdred; Group Status at 0%):
Soulweaver's group is getting ahead of itself: there is still a line of pirates, and a bunch of archers, between herself and the storage rooms. She begins to animate zombies and send them into the enemy while Dremmy and her battlemages continue to press the attack. The battlemages do successfully break the pirate's lines, but their exhaustion becomes readily apparent and the lot are lost in the attempt.
Soulweaver finds herself and just a few battlemages standing before a firing squad of archers. Her zombies are keeping the remaining melee fighters busy, but there is nothing to stop the volley coming her way. The crystal golem's barriers do a good job protecting Soulweaver, but an arrow reaches Dremmy.
Your group was wiped out before you could reach the storage room and the trap. Soulweaver is still standing though. Now what?
CHIAPET (As Irdred, Group at 30%):
EPIC BATTLE: DEMON KING ABIZBAL
Maru calls for help, then begins the attack.
Most of the battlemages are too afraid to move into melee, so they begin firing off spells, but they're aim is off despite the demon being such a big target. Some mages do move into melee and the demon king begins to cast a spell. Maru launches a necromantic ray at the demon king, but her spell bounces off the demon and does nothing.
"WORTHLESS INSECTS! YOU AREN'T WORTHY TO FIGHT ME. FLEE!"
An overwhelming sense of panic grips Maru's battlemages, including herself, and she and a good number of her battlemages turn and run as quickly as they can from the demon king. The battlemages that managed to resist the spell continue the attack, but they're not having much luck.
"WEAKLINGS DIE! ONLY THE STRONG DESERVE TO LIVE. I HAVE WEEDED OUT YOUR STRONG...NOW THEY ARE MINE TO COMMAND!"
The fear effect on Maru's group has dissipated, but those battlemages that resisted suddenly turn on the rest and attack! Thankfully, they don't fight that well. While the battlemages fight, the demon king does something that sees his weapon become coated in a thick block of ice. Maru's spells continue to be useless against the demon king.
"YOUR RESISTENCE IS PATHETIC. FEEL THE TOUCH OF THE ABYSS!"
Maru and the majority of her battlemages are suddenly encased in blocks of ice (-4 HP)! They can't move!
The demon king moves into the center of the frozen battlemages and swings his huge waraxe in a wide arc. Thankfully, his aim is off and he only shatters a few of the battlemages. The ice breaks free around Maru and she is now able to move, but very few of her battlemages have survived the demon king's assault, at least those not currently under the demon's command.
DREMMY (As Jack; Group Status at 0%):
Your group was wiped out before they could reach the storage rooms and the trap. You're also a sitting duck for the Anubi archers. Now what?
MESSENGER SAYS: The pirates in the western corridor are taking heavy losses from the traps there, but they've come up with a plan to disarm them and will probably do so and soon.
CAPTAIN'S ORDERS: If the pirates from the western corridor join up with the pirates in the eastern corridor to spearhead an attack on the captain's group, he plans to retreat to the stairs; however, he doesn't want the demon king to have free rein in the university. Do whatever you can to slow the pirates down.
STATUS: Allied Forces at 86%, Healers at 60%, Maru -4 HP ENEMY FORCES: Enemy forces at 72% * * * * * * * TIP OF THE PAGE: Evil-type creatures are immune to necromantic damage and similar evil effects. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Dremmy runs back to the Captains group. He grab a new group of battlemages and heads to the western corridor. He picks off any trying to disarm the trap. If the group falls, he runs back to the Captains group and assists them. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (I don't have a very clear picture of what is happening in the eastern corridor -- how many pirates/archers are we talking about here? I'm thinking I will take cover behind the crystal golem and alternate between raising zombie minions and hitting the archers with necro furies... but without any idea of how much of a dent we've put in the enemy's numbers, I can't gauge if this has any chance of success. I would like to at least reach the trap, if not the storage rooms, before switching characters, but I may rethink that if this is a lost cause.) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (Soulweaver and Dremmy's squad did a great job kicking butt and managed to kill off the melee fighters, but that battle weakened your units to the point where the archers, standing behind the frontlines, picked off the remaining battlemages. You could attempt a suicide run for the trap, but you'd have to run through the archers. The issue is you're near the enemy spawn point, so they can quickly reinforce their position whereas you will need to run back and get more battlemages. This may be your best shot at reaching the trap.
It's not like it's "Game Over" if you die or anything. Go nuts!)
**Just for reference, the average squad of battlemages is around 20 units. Most pirate units are in the 40-70 range. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Soulweaver will try to soften up the line of archers a bit before making a run for the trap. Taking cover from the arrows behind the crystal golem, she sends a messenger back for reinforcements. But rather than idly waiting for them to arrive, she builds up her own squad of undead reinforcements. The zombies rush the archers while Soulweaver sprays the area with necro fury (which has the nice side effect of healing said zombies). If any zombies look like they're about to go down, try to preempt this by exploding them all over the archers.
If an opportunity to reach the trap presents itself, take it! (Is the line of archers within range of the trap?) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (Is there a trap near Maru's position? If so, she'll arm it, hoping it helps with the Demon King. If not, she tries to rally her troops and retreat to the east, hoping to lead the Demon King away from the captain, and possibly into a working trap.)
(Can I spawn a Talbot clone?) Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag
SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M-Battle Zone CONDITIONS: Night, Humid, Noisy
SOULWEAVER (As Irdred; Group Status at 0%):
Soulweaver retreats and takes cover behind the crystal golem. She sends one of the few battlemages she has left as a messenger, then goes to work zombifying corpses. Now that the zombies are the focus of the pirate's attack, they go down quickly. The archers hammer the crystal golem's position, but a few arrows can't hurt the crystalline construct. As the zombies go down, Soulweaver's clone blows them up sending bone, limbs, and heads flying all over the place (I know I said the spell originally dealt fire damage, but that doesn't make much sense and I thought flying limbs would be more funny; still, your call). This does take a few pirates and some nearby archers down, but the zombies are going down faster than Soulweaver can animate them, so she resorts to blasting the archers with Necro Furies. A few well-placed blasts puts a big hole in the archer's line.
This is Soulweaver's chance, but it's not a very good one. Maybe she can use the crystal golem here?
And yes, the archers are in range of the trap.
(Btw, I'm not going to enforce this now, but I just wanted to mention you can't blow up an undead you have no control over. This just seems sensical; however, this shouldn't be an issue because you can animate tiny skeletons for free and they blow up just as well as other undead do)
CHIAPET (As Irdred, Group at 20%):
There is a trap near Maru's position, just to the southeast. Maru's runs to that position with the surviving battlemages and arms the trap. The demon king and the enslaved battlemages give chase and trip the trap and soon the hall is filled with a wicked torrent of flames. The ice on the demon king's axe melts, but it's the enslaved battlemages that feel the full force of the flames.
"TRICKS! DISHONOURABLE MORTALS. FIGHT WITH HONOUR!"
The demon king unleashes another icey blast, and though it still hurts like the dickens (-4 HP), the fire melts the ice so nobody is frozen in place. Maru's dispelling ward disrupts the blast of ice directed at her before it can take effect.
Yes, you can spawn a Talbot clone.
DREMMY (As Jack; Group Status at 100%):
Dremmy organizes a new group of battlemages and heads to the western corridor. There he discovers the pirates attempting to disarm the trap...more like a bunch of guys trying to smash the thing, so Dremmy and the battlemages fire on them with guns and ranged spells. Dremmy easily blows a few pirates away while the rest of the battlemages finish off the rest. They're sitting ducks for Dremmy's group and suddenly the trap is no longer being threatened. The remaining pirates either get burned by the trap or are too afraid to approach. Archers fire arrows at the trap, but they can't penetrate it.
OVERALL BATTLE MAP:
33univanmbattle.jpg
STATUS: Allied Forces at 86%, Healers at 60%, Maru -4 HP ENEMY FORCES: Enemy forces at 71% Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (I want fire damage. Doesn't mean limbs and stuff can't still go flying everywhere. They'll just be on fire. )
If she can direct the crystal golem forward, Soulweaver has it bowl through the archer's ranks so she can follow in its tracks and get closer to the trap. Raise a zombie or two amidst the archers first to distract them a bit. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Dremmy stands his ground at the trap. He and his group will continue to pick off anyone heading for the trap.
If I can, create an Irdred clone to take a group to the east to help Soulweaver at the trap, firing Necro rays and raising zombies to deal with the archers. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Maru tries to hold her ground, bending her magics toward whatever protection she can give her allies.
Meanwhile, David, a tall knight in armor arrives, circles around the squares, and attacks the demon king from behind with his squad. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag
SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M-Battle Zone CONDITIONS: Night, Humid, Noisy
SOULWEAVER (As Irdred; Group Status at 0%):
Soulweaver sends the crystal golem into the midsts of the archers. It performs as expected: mercenaries and Anubi archers are trampled as the crystal giant breaks their ranks in one fell swoop. A significant number of archers die in the attack. They counter with arrows, but they can't hurt the golem.
Soulweaver and her remaining battlemages follow the golem and attempt to raise a few zombies. The battlemages manage to fight the archers off long enough to complete the animation spell and the undead soon join the fray. The archers aren't as good in a melee fight as they are with those bows, so they quickly scatter. With the pressure easing, Soulweaver makes a run for the trap followed by her brave battlemages. They reach it, arm it, and watch as a wave of fire burns the pirates filling the eastern corridor.
It smells like BBQ and it is glorious.
A fresh regiment of battlemages arrive in the form of Dremmy and attack the archers from behind. Amazingly, Soulweaver and her battlemages are still alive. Will the heroes retreat or guard the trap?
CHIAPET (As Talbot, Group at 100%):
EPIC BATTLE: DEMON KING ABIZBAL
The demon king steps away from the trap and summons a column of ice on the trap's location. This causes the trap to become frozen solid, but it is still spewing fire and begins to melt the ice. The demon king ignores this and continues to advance on Maru's location
Maru holds her ground and finds herself limited to healing nearby allies. Said allies continue to engage the enslaved battlemages while the demon king, no longer concerned with friend or foe, unleashes a wicked cleave. All nearby battlemages are torn asunder (-3 HP each). The demon king then stops to restore the ice on its axe.
The trap soon burns through the ice and the demon king, now passed the trap, is no longer concerned with the magical device.
Thus David the knight arrives. Unfortunately, his heroic entrance is ruined by the trap restoring itself, so now the knight has to circle around and attack the demon king from the front.
As for Maru, she manages to dispel another blast of ice directed her way and retreats (and despawns).
DREMMY (As Irdred; Group Status at 100%):
The group in the western corridor remains to defend the trap there.
A new Dremmy appears and heads east to attack the archers from behind. The crystal golem is still beating up archers, and many have regrouped and fled towards the main hall now that their rear escape route is filled with fire. Pincered between the golem and Dremmy's new group, the resulting slaughter completely clears the lower section of the eastern corridor. Amazingly, there are few wounded and no deaths.
MESSENGER SAYS: The pirates have completely looted the storage rooms.
STATUS: Allied Forces at 84%, Healers at 60%, Maru -4 HP ENEMY FORCES: Enemy forces at 65% Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Dremmys group stays to protect the trap. If possible, try and barricade the room the enemy is spawning from.
Create a Talbot clone and take a group of battlemages to the Demon King. Charge him head on and dont hold back. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag David charges the Demon King. He'll try to deflect blows with his shield will distracting the demon king so others can attack. Savage Tide Info Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Well, those pirates who looted the storage rooms have nowhere to go, right? They're stuck between two traps. So let's mop 'em up and take back the loot. Necro Fury + charred zombies + hiding behind the crystal golem -- same basic strategy as before, except that Soulweaver urges the battlemages to fight from a distance so as not to get in the way of her Necro Furies. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (Those spawn points double as escape points, so no, the loot is gone. Do you still want to attack the pirates?) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (I've just been informed I must see a play. The tickets are expensive and will be wasted otherwise, so this update will be brief)
SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M-Battle Zone CONDITIONS: Night, Humid, Noisy
CHIAPET (As Talbot, Group at 70%):
EPIC BATTLE: DEMON KING ABIZBAL
Sir David charges the Demon King and goes about the whole "heroic knight" thing. He strikes the demon king in the knee who then counters with a kick from said leg, but the knight dives out of the way. The demon king then takes a swing at the knight, but Sir David blocks the huge axe with the shield and the mighty weapon bounces off it like a giant rubber ball. Meanwhile, the battlemages join the assualt, some in melee and others with spells. Being thoroughly surrounded, the demon king casts a spell (but melee has first attack in this case, but don't land enough blows to break the demon king's concentration) and roughly half of the battlemages are filled with an overwhelming desire to flee. Sir David, however, has an iron will (and the Trait to match) and is not easily dissuaded. He continues to harass the demon king.
Now to Dremmy...
DREMMY (As Talbot; Group Status at 70%):
You can't barricade the spawn room without going through the trap's killzone. Also, don't forget the enemy is supposed to steal the doll and this is the closest spawn point to Swan's office.
This is when Dremmy the knight appears, also joining in the fight against the Demon King, and adds to the harassment. The Demon King begins channeling another spell and the air around him suddenly grows very cold, but the combined efforts of the two knights and battlemages disrupt his concentration. The Demon King counters with a wide cleave, but a block from Dremmy's shield stops the cleave before it can reach the battlemages. Not only that, but the axe is reflected and smacks the Demon King in the face.
Faced with assault specialists, the Demon King drops the fear spell and casts something else, but once again, the combined efforts of the battlemages disrupt the Demon King's concentration and cut the spell short. Even better, the battlemages who were running around in fear are no longer panicked. The Demon King decides to relieve some of the pressure before casting another spell, so he unleashes another mighty cleave. This time the axe cuts a large swathe through the battlemages before Sir David can block it with his shield (affected mages took -6 HP damage). Not only that, but David's shield is nearly split in half by the impact (shield took 2 HP damage; it can't take another hit).
The Demon King preps another spell, and despite a good attempt by Dremmy to break DK's concentration, the demon manages to complete the spell. A small number of battlemages suddenly turn on the two knights and attack. They fend off the traitors with ease, but now the Demon King is free to cast spells.
*Demon King -6 HP
STATUS: Allied Forces at 84%, Healers at 60% ENEMY FORCES: Enemy forces at 65% Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Sir David drops the shield (if he can and wields his weapon with two hands.) Savage Tide Info Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (Bah, I say)
Spawn a Jack clone named Annie, grab a Delayed Heal from one of the healers, and advance toward the Demon King. Let the knights distract him in melee while she hangs back and fires everything she's got at him -- start off by aiming for the eyes. She keeps one battlemage with her for the express purpose of reloading for her. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Talbot Dremmy continues the full court press on the DK. He does his best to disarm him. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag SOULWEAVER (As Jackl; Group Status at 100%):
EPIC BATTLE: DEMON KING ABIZBAL
Annie takes to the field, briefly visits the healers, then approaches the Demon King. With magical pistols in hand, Annie has no need to reload and focuses her fire on DK. She starts out with a bit of bad luck and misses the Demon King.
CHIAPET (As Talbot, Group at 60%):
Both knights continue to press the attack on the Demon King, Sir David minus shield, while fending off attacks from the enslaved battlemages. The knights are practically unstoppable, they fend off every attack directed at them, but the Demon King manages to get a spell off before they can disrupt his concentration.
The hallway is filled with ice. It doesn't quite reach Annie's position, but the knights and a handfull of battlemages are frozen solid. Dremmy blocks the attack with his shield and is only partially frozen (-2 HP), but Sir David takes the attack head-on and is frozen in place (-4 HP).
In the next round, the Demon King winds up a powerful attack, but a well-placed shot from Annie throws off his aim a bit. Unfortunately, this isn't enough to completely deter the attack, and Sir David is forced to cope with the full-force of the Mighty Strike (Mighty Strike Success on 3; Critical Hit! -8 HP damage). The knight is shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces.
Chiapet is now waiting to respawn...
DREMMY (As Talbot; Group Status at 60%):
Dremmy attempts to disarm DK again, but it's hard to knock a massive battleaxe out of a demon's hands (Talbot has never been very good at that sort of thing).
Annie manages to shoot the Demon King again, and he suddenly growls.
"CURSED MAGES! IF MY LIEUTENANTS WERE HERE...YOU ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO EARN A RESPITE, BUT DON'T THINK YOU HAVE DEFEATED ME! I SIMPLY CHOOSE TO WITHDRAW..."
The Demon King spins around and hacks at the air behind him. Where his axe cuts a tear in the very fabric of space itself appears, and like cloth being sucked into a vacuum, the edges of torn space bend into the void and flap violently. The Demon King steps into this dark fissure, and after his departure, the torn threads of space knit themselves up and seal the void.
CAPTAIN'S ORDERS: With the enemy in the western and eastern corridors maintained and the Demon King defeated, the captain has decided to fall back to the stairs. The enemy is now free to steal the doll. The party may have to help encourage this somewhat.
BATTLE WARNING: It appears the leader of the attack on the university has appeared outside the gate and will attack in a few rounds. Be ready for it!
STATUS: Allied Forces at 83%, Healers at 60%, Dremmy -2 HP ENEMY FORCES: Enemy forces at 62% Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag "Enemy officer defeated," Annie says to no one in particular.
She has a messenger direct the ghosts to the gate, then she takes cover somewhere near the gate (but outside the ghosts' fear range) and waits for the boss to show up. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag I'll spawn an Adam, take up a position to push the pirates toward the doll's location. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (A DW reference. Cute.
The trap in the northwest is blocking the pirates from reaching Swan's office. You may need to disable it.
Can you guys imagine doing this without the traps and golems and all that stuff?) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag My Adam clone, named Joe, will go disable the trap. As discretely as possible. Savage Tide Info Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag I'm going to stick to the Talbot clone and stays with whatever group goes after the lead enemy. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag
SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M-Battle Zone CONDITIONS: Night, Humid, Noisy
SOULWEAVER (As Jack; Group Status at 100%):
Annie sends a messenger into the eastern corridor, but they still can't get through to the ghosts (the two traps and the corridor being filled with pirates is a big deterrant). On the bright side, Annie gets a rather amusing report of the pirates forming a wide circle around the ghosts. She then heads to the gate.
The crystal golem is currently standing around doing nothing in the eastern corridor.
CHIAPET (As Adam, Group at 80%):
One Adam, coming up!
This fresh Adam takes his shiny new battle group northwest and attempts to disable the trap there. He has the imps that were left there "accidentally" damage the trap causing its lethal effects to be lessened. This allows the pirates to push forward and eventually reach the trap. After they smash it, the horde of pirates push into the northwestern corridor and slam into Joe's group.
Maybe everyone is still too afraid of the trap going off, but neither side manages to do much damage. Joe goes on a killing spree, hacking heads and limbs off left and right, but he is the only person to really do anything. Joe ends up falling back a bit just so the pirates can reach Swan's office. When they do, they charge into the heavy wooden door and begin hacking it, but as soon as they break through, there is a great rush of of magical energy from the door. A red light fills the hall and is soon followed by a serpant-like creature, glowing with a reddish light, that leaps forth and flies over the pirates. Wherever it goes, scores of pirates melt into piles of purple jelly, and after a few moments, the creature flies away. The pirates are too afraid to approach Swan's office after that. The old man made a good show of defending his work.
DREMMY (As Talbot; Group Status at 100%):
Dremmy gathers up the remains of Maru and David's battlemages and uses them to bolster his own troops, but I'm not sure where he goes. The leader of the pirates will appear at the gate, but the pirates amassing in the western corridor are now swarming Swan's office and giving Joe a hard time. Both situations sound equally important to me.
Where does he go?
**I imagine you guys would like a map at this point, but the battle is winding down and there is really only one important thing left to deal with
STATUS: Allied Forces at 82%, Healers at 60%, Dremmy -2 HP, Soulweaver Delayed Heal ENEMY FORCES: Enemy forces at 60% Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (how far is joe's group from swan's office?) Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag (Not far; literally a stone's throw away) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Dremmy takes his group to the gate to confront the leader of the pirates.
|
|
|
Post by TG Barighm on May 8, 2018 18:11:27 GMT -5
chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Joe tries to make it look like his group is advancing to swan's office. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M-Battle Zone CONDITIONS: Night, Humid, Noisy CHIAPET (As Adam, Group at 70%): Joe advances on Swan's office, doing his best to look like he's taking advantage of the confusion created by Swan's trap. His battlemages kill many and there aren't many pirates left to enter Swan's office. Anubi archers eventually appear and begin pelting Joe's squad with volleys of arrows. He uses this as an excuse to fall back, thus allowing the pirates to enter Swan's office, grab the doll, and leave. They don't try to loot Swan's office. They're too afraid. SOULWEAVER & DREMMY (As Jack and Talbot; Group Status at 100%): Annie and Dremmy form their lines before the doors to the university. They can hear the wind pick up outside. It is shortly followed by a shrieking noise and the doors are suddenly thrown open with a violent gust of wind. Half of the battlemages and Dremmy are thrown off their feet by the breeze. As they return to their feet, a squad of pirates rush in to engage the battlemages. Their leader, standing just outside the gates of the university, and alone, watches the combat unfold. It appears to be a man wearing a black leather mask. He is wearing black leather armor and a cape. He is currently floating off the ground and is supported by a tunnel of wind. Conveniently, a path opens up through the battlers to the masked man. Quick, attack while the rest of the enemy is busy! CAPTAIN'S ORDERS: The doll has been captured by the pirates. The captain and the healers have withdrawn from battle. STATUS: Allied Forces at 82%, Healers at 60%, Dremmy -2 HP, Soulweaver Delayed Heal ENEMY FORCES: Enemy forces at 58% Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Dremmy makes a mad dash to the leader. He throws his shield at him and then tackles the man down, doing his best to beat him to a pulp. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Joe makes a half-hearted attempt at fighting back against the Anubi archers. Once the archers have fled with the doll, however, he heads toward the main gates to join the battle there. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M-Battle Zone CONDITIONS: Night, Humid, Noisy CHIAPET (As Adam, Group at 60%): The pirates that took the doll flee, but the Anubi archers continue to rain arrows on Joe. He counters and takes down a good number of pirates, but they continue to fight. Joe could stay here and keep fighting, but why risk the lives of his men on this farce? The doll is gone. Joe retreats and heads south. The pirates don't follow him. For simplicity's sake, we'll say Joe reaches the southern gates by the time the rest of the group is ready to attack the leader of the pirates. SOULWEAVER, DREMMY, & CHIAPET (As Jack and Talbot and Adam): Annie, Dremmy's rep, and Joe charge through the opening in the enemy's ranks and race to the gates. As soon as they pass through, a great gust of wind slams the gates shut leaving the group all alone to face the menace by themselves. The man in the leather mask is also alone. There are no pirates in sight. The three of you are about 30 ft. away from the man in the leather mask. CHALLENGE BATTLE: MAN IN THE LEATHER MASK MAP: *forthcoming STATUS: Allied Forces at 81%, Healers at 60%, Dremmy -2 HP, Soulweaver Delayed Heal ENEMY FORCES: Enemy forces at 57% Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Joe charges, attempting to get close enough to strike Savage Tide Info Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members November 2010 edited November 2010 Flag Follows Joe, circling to a flanking position and attacks. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (It's actually kind of important Soulweaver is around for this, so I'm slowing things down a bit till she comes back) * * * * * * * SOULWEAVER, DREMMY, & CHIAPET (As Jack and Talbot and Adam): CHALLENGE BATTLE: MAN IN THE LEATHER MASK Annie unleashes magical hell with the magical pistols while Joe and Adam move in for some good ol' fashioned slice and dice action. Her second shot is off, but the first strikes the man in the leather mask dead on (-3 HP). The man is floating a fair bit off the ground, so simply reaching him is proving to be a bit of a challenge for Joe and Drem. Joe jumps up and manages to reach his leg for a slash (-3 HP). Drem can't quite reach him. For all his impressive wind work, the man in the leather mask isn't taking hits too well, but when he finally gets a chance to do something, he rises high enough in the air to be well out of the melee fighters' reach. He then casts a spell and a mini-tornado touches down on Annie's position before she can get out of the way. The tornado lifts her into the air and batters her a great deal (-4 HP, +3 from Delayed Heal). In the next round... Annie is suspended by a tornado. She can't do anything and is still being knocked around like a ragdoll (-4 HP). Thankfully, she touches the ground at one point and uses this to kick the ground and escape the tornado (Dodge Success on 3). The melee fighters can't do a darned thing at this point. They just can't reach the flying man. He then releases a powerful gust of wind that sends Joe and Talbot flying backwards a good 60 ft. Joe strikes the gate while Drem tumbles backwards and off the stairs leading down to the university's plaza. Joe has definitely felt better (-3 HP), but Drem, despite being knocked around, is able to tough out the damage (wind damage is still a physical force so it needs to beat armor and such). Joe's regenerating ring hasn't kicked in yet. And no, none of your "on 3" defenses registered that round. The masked man's defenses also didn't register so everything balanced out in the end. *Leath Mask -6 HP MAP: (I used an air elemental for the masked man) img842.imageshack.us/img842/505/maskedman.jpgSTATUS: Dremmy -2 HP, Annie -5 HP, Joe -3 HP * * * * * * * TIP OF THE PAGE: Spells that create physical effects, such as blunt force from air and earth attacks, need to beat armor to register; however, because they're physical effects, magical damage reduction doesn't work on them, but they can still be dispelled. These spells are handy for mages who don't want to be caught with their pants down against enemies with powerful magical protection, but they're not as effective against armored foes. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag Joe switches to his crossbow. If he takes another hit, uses the healing wand if the ring has not kicked in yet. Savage Tide Info Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag Dremmy waits for an opportunity to grab him by the legs or pull him down for the attack. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (Talbot has a crossbow) * * * * * * SOULWEAVER, DREMMY, & CHIAPET (As Jack and Talbot and Adam): CHALLENGE BATTLE: MAN IN THE LEATHER MASK Joe's ring finally kicks in (+1 HP). Annie climbs to her feet and fires on the masked man while Joe pulls out his crossbow. Again her second shot is off, but the first is dead-on...until the masked man spins away from the shot at the last possible second (Dodge). Joe fires a bolt at the masked man and his shot is accurate, but a sharp gust of wind suddenly throws the bolt away. Dremm waits for an opportunity. The masked man casts a spell that once again sees Annie surrounded by a tornado, but this time the agile gunfighter somehow senses the next spell is headed for her and manages to Dodge it before the spell can take effect. In the next round... Dremmy pulls out and preps his crossbow, because I figure you would, while Joe reloads his crossbow. Annie continues to fire on the masked man. One shot is thrown aside by the winds surrounding the masked man, but the first shot manages to strike him despite his efforts to avoid it (-3 HP). Dremmy fires a bolt, but it is deflected by the winds surrounding the masked man. It looks like Annie's shot disrupted whatever spell the masked man had planned for this round (Failure on Concentration). In the next round... The fight is winding down. Annie scores another hit on the masked man while the other warriors work their crossbows. This time Annie's shot doesn't disrupt the masked man's spell and another massive gust of wind sends everyone flying. Annie and Joe manage to do a little acrobatic trick to turn the gust into a slight bump, the magic doesn't quite reach Joe, and Dremmy uses his shield to reduce the damage. The masked man suddenly growls. "I will not die before I can take my revenge!" He suddenly flies high into the air and well out of sight. THE ENEMY GENERAL IS DEFEATED! VICTORY! STATUS: Dremmy -4 HP, Annie -5 HP, Joe -2 HP Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M, Council Chamber CONDITIONS: Torchlight, Cool Talbot is lounging in one of the larger councilman's chairs. His feet are up on another chair and he is currently munching on a cookie. He is staring at the magical light bouncing around the chandelier above him. The angel statues above also seem bored and have begun playing "Hangman" in their books. The warrior statues, supporting the chandelier, give no indication of their moods. Talbot suddenly jumps out of his chair and begins pacing. "I hate waiting like this. We should be downstairs with the rest of the army and defending the university!" The rest of the party sighs. This is the hundredth time the young knight has said that. There is a sudden hollow "boom" noise from behind the barred doors to the chamber. Talbot stops pacing and spins around. "What was that?" Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag "I believe the time of waiting is over," Jack says with a smirk. He backs away from the barred doors, looking for cover and drawing his guns as he does so (Magical). Savage Tide Info Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag Irdred (sans hat and mask) had been busily studying the statues in a vain effort to shut Talbot's voice out of his mind, but now he looks sharply up at the booming sound. "Oh, good. With any luck, they'll kill us all so we don't have to listen to your griping anymore," he says brightly. He follows Jack's lead in staying well away from the doors, finding cover, and readying his staff. He also Animates his shortsword and instructs it to attack if something hostile breaks through the door. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag * * * * * * * Talbot watches Jack and Irdred duck for cover on either side of the heavy doors, then readies his morningstar and shield. Bored and acting a little silly moments before, the party now looks deadly serious. The angel statues have stopped playing their game and eagerly watch the party supposedly prepare for battle. Even the warrior statues have turned their heads a little to glance at the doors. Moments pass since the booming noise was heard. The silence stretches into minutes. Talbot continues to watch the door...waiting... The silence is abruptly ended by a crackling noise from the other side of the door. Jack, knowing this sound all too well, dives away from the door... ...or does he know the sound? It certainly sounds similar to burning blackpowder, but no explosion follows. Instead, a soft, blue light begins to trickle through the cracks of the door. There is a crackling sound over head and the party looks up to see great arcs of electricity suddenly begin jumping from the chandeliers to the statues. The angels freak out and begin covering their eyes with their books while the warrior statues grit their teeth and bear it, ever vigilant in their task to support the chandelier. Irdred whips his gaze back to the door when a frosty draft is suddenly felt. The chilling air surrounds the party now. Irdred watches as frost forms on the ground directly beneath the door. A shiver goes down Irdred's spine. Somehow he knows that is not the cold. What was that about somebody stepping on your grave? *No actions for Adam Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag "Finally. Some action." Adam jumps up and draws his sword. He runs over to the side of the door waiting for it to open and attack whatever comes through it. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag Jack has a momentary sensation of needing to go to the bathroom, but quickly shakes off the feeling of fear. He ducks down behind cover and waits for the door to open. Somehow, he doubts it will open slowly, with all the magic being thrown around. He checks his pants just to make sure he didn't wet himself. Savage Tide Info Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag Somewhat regretting what he had said moments before, Irdred gets ready for whatever is to come. (How far off the ground is the chandelier? If it's in range for a Dispelling Burst, I may try that.) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (I'm just gonna save you that wand charge and say it won't do anything. Yes, the electricity will be dispelled, but because it's not a passive effect it will just come back) * * * * * * * Jack feels his bum for evidence of nervousness. There is a loud bumping noise from the other side of the door. After a moment, the door begins to bend inwards. It groans mightily with every inch and splinters of wood and metal studs break free and fly into the room. As the door bends, the thin sheet of frost on the floor grows into a slick surface of ice. Irdred finds himself slipping and falling. "What are you doing? Don't let them in!" Talbot cries out before charging the door and hammering into it with all his might. He begins pushing against the door as if he expects to stop whatever is forcing it open. The draft picks up. Slips of papers begin to fly around the room and the tray of snacks falls off the table. A couple of chairs fall over. The electricity spreads to the rest of the room and arcs jump to Adam's drawn sword and Talbot's helmet. It feels warm and tingles a bit, but it doesn't hurt. Talbot's efforts to stop the door from failing is waste and the doors are eventually thrown open by what appears to be an enormous chunk of ice formed into a battering ram. Talbot stumbles back from the door and slips on the ice on the ground. He backs away as the ice chunk continues to move through the door. Inches before overtaking the young knight, it stops, crumbles, and forms a pile of ice chunks. The entity responsible for the assault soon shows itself: a person, wearing a full suit of golden platemail, steps through the door. Not a single inch of skin is showing. This golden knight isn't very tall or heavily built, but still moves fluidly in the heavy looking armor. In its hands is a sword crackling with electricity and a large, round shield covered in frost. The entire suit of armor, and the shield, are covered in odd square-shaped runes. They look like mazes you'd find in a hobby book. Talbot scrambles to his feet as the golden knight steps beyond the door frame and looks around the room. It raises a sword. The knight is clearly hostile. EPIC BATTLE: GOLDEN KNIGHT Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag Open Fire! Savage Tide Info Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (Map? Is the frost covering the whole floor? What kind of cover is available?) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (The ice only covers the floor immediately around the door. There are pillars around the perimeter of the room... ...but honestly, it won't be an issue. Don't waste your consumnables) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (I'm more worried about Irdred slipping on ice when he shouldn't be. ::points a few posts up:: He should be well away from the door, yes?) As long as Adam and Talbot are far enough away to not be at risk, Irdred sends some Necro Furies the golden one's way. The sword still has its orders, so it goes to chop off a hand or two. (Status reminder: Delay Healing and Lucky are active.) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag Once the fireworks from Irdred and Jack have finished, Adam goes to disarm the golden knight of his sword and shield. Try to remove some of his armor as well, mostly going for the helmet. (Not a joke) Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (K, for some reason I was thinking Jack and Irdred moved to either side of the doors) SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M, Council Chamber CONDITIONS: Torchlight, Cool EPIC BATTLE: GOLDEN KNIGHT Jack, now standing by Irdred more towards the center of the room, starts things off with a couple magical shots. The blast of lightning fizzles out when it strikes the golden armor like it was nothing, but Jack knows the Magical Dodge effect because he also has it, and the knight raises the golden shield and blocks the sonic shot. Adam decides to wait for the "fireworks" to stop before attacking. Talbot charges the golden knight and attempts to knock the shield away, but the golden one easily blocks the attack with its shield. When Talbot's morningstar connects with the golden shield, it flares up with a bright bluish light and suddenly unleashes a torrent of frost. Everyone is caught in the cone of the blast and only Adam's magical defenses kick in to save him (Talbot -2 HP due to 1 DR, Jack -2 HP due to IceRes.1, Irdred -3 HP). Irdred's healing kicks in to reduce the damage. Irdred doesn't recognizes the weird symbols on the armor, but he does recognizes the glowing arcane runes responsible for the blast of ice: they are "Water" and "Titan". Talbot is frozen solid in a large chunk of ice. The knight raises the sword and electricity begins to leap off the blade. Talbot is too close, so Irdred settles on a normal necrotic ray and decides to do it before the knight can do whatever it plans to do with the sword. Neither is faster and both spells are unleashed at exactly the same moment. The necrotic ray fizzles out on contact with the golden armor, but the bolt of lightning that strikes Jack and jumps to the rest of the party does anything but fizzle out. Looks like the halfling can't Dodge lightning, nor does any of the party's magical defenses kick in (Everyone -3 HP damage). Thankfully, Adam's Ring of Regeneration kicks in to restore 1 HP. Speaking of Adam, he makes it a point to deprive the golden knight of that sword ASAP, charges in, and takes a swing, but quickly discovers the golden knight can do more with a blade than just shooting lightning bolts. The knight parries Adam's thrust, and when his sword comes in contact with the knight's sword, gives him a good shocking...or at least it would have if his Dispel Dodge didn't just kick in and negate the spell. Irdred's sword flies in to aid Adam, but it flies over the knight's left shoulder and misses. STATUS: Talbot -5 HP and Frozen, Jack -5 HP, Adam -2 HP, Irdred -4 HP and Lucky and Animated Floating Sword * * * * * * * TIP OF THE PAGE: I've decided on how the Damage Reduction situation should work. See the 33 System Test Thread for details (after I finish watching this movie; expect it in an hour) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (I thought Jack was behind cover, to the side of the room, perhaps I am mistaken?) Jack takes cover to avoid as much of the magic leaping around as possible, then returns fire. He'll aim low, trying to take the knight off his feet. Savage Tide Info Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (I also thought Irdred and Jack were behind cover...) Irdred uses a Dispelling Burst on the knight, all the knight's possessions, and Talbot's ice prison (along with any other magical unpleasantness that pops up before Irdred gets his turn). Then he hunkers down behind cover to heal himself and Jack. The sword keeps on swinging. (If, on the other hand, you did remember that we were behind cover and the cover simply was not effective against the lightning, then Irdred will keep shooting rather than futilely trying to heal.) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (I had you two by the sides of the door for cover, but then you said you didn't want to be by the doors...but really, it's not gonna matter. That's not the point of this encounter. I'll explain after) SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M, Council Chamber CONDITIONS: Torchlight, Cool EPIC BATTLE: GOLDEN KNIGHT Adam makes another attempt to disarm the golden knight while Irdred's sword continues to aid the mercenary. The animated sword whacks a particularly strong part of the knight's armor and does nothing while Adam slips his blade under the wrist of the golden knight's wrist and pulls...but the golden knight quickly pulls its hand away and deflects Adam yet again (Adam Disarm Success on 2; Golden Knight Parry Success on 2). Touching the blade of the electrified sword, once again, gets Adam shocked and this time his magical defenses don't kick in to save him (-3 HP). Talbot blinks. He mouths something that looks like "Schmoo". Jack unleashes another storming salvo, then ducks behind the grand archmage's chair for cover. Both shots are dead on...so dead on, both shots strike exactly the same spot; thus, a single successful block of the shield blocks both shots (Not literally; both Blocks were successes). Irdred runs to join Jack behind the chair while unleashing a Dispelling Burst (free charge!). The ice shatters and Talbot is free, but none of the golden one's equipment appears to be affected. Talbot quickly jumps in to take a swing before the knight can unleash another charge of the sword, but he's not quick enough. The golden knight doesn't unleash a bolt of lightning or a blast of glacial air. Instead, electricity begins dancing all over the room, and every is suddenly covered in a thin lair of ice. The entire room is bathed in frigid air. The entire party gets shocked and chilled. Adam and Irdred's magical defenses protect them from the electricity while Jack is spared the chilling effect. Talbot strikes the golden knight in a breastplate, but then slips and falls on his butt. (SMART Success on 3) Irdred's basic knowledge of enchanting allows him to recognize the odd nature of how the golden knight's arms react to magic. He's never seen anything like it. Even heavily enchanted items use magic the same way. They just use a heck of a lot more of it. These items do more than use a lot of magic... Irdred also notices the Dispelling effect didn't strike the golden knight's armor the way it should have, but in this case he's not sure why. Something weird is going on here... ENEMY: Aura of Electricity, Aura of Frost STATUS: Talbot -6 HP, Jack -6 HP, Adam -6 HP, Irdred -6 HP and Lucky and Animated Floating Sword Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (is the knight standing under anything Jack could shoot and drop on him?) Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (Nope. Hasn't moved much from the doorway)
|
|
|
Post by TG Barighm on May 8, 2018 18:12:16 GMT -5
chiapet Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag Jack will fire again at his shins. "I think we're in trouble," he says to Irdred. Savage Tide Info Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (The auras, do they reach out into the hallway too, or just this room? Am I to assume that all of Irdred's snake skeletons are kaput? Also, where exactly is the Earth Plan? Is it accessible to us?) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (The auras don't appear to be affecting the corridor; I think Irdred got rid of the snakes because they were so pokey. Is he still wearing that cloak? The party has no idea exactly where the Earth Plan is)
(pokes Dremmy...he thought he could hide in WoW, but there is no evading the poke!) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag Adam backs away from the knight. He takes cover changes over to his crossbow to see if he has better luck there. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (I think I made my point. Time to move towards endgame)
SPELLMOUNT: University of An'M, Council Chamber CONDITIONS: Torchlight, Cool
EPIC BATTLE: GOLDEN KNIGHT
Adam backs away and pulls out the crossbow, but it's not loaded and he has to do that before using it. Meanwhile, Irdred's sword and Talbot attack the golden knight. Talbot tries to tackle the golden one while the sword does its usual flying slash. The sword successfully strikes a weak spot, but the armor manages to fully absorb the attack. Talbot charges the knight, but the golden one deftly evades the young knight with a grace belying its appearance. Talbot slips and slides into the far wall.
Jack quickly leans out from behind the chair and fires his magical weapons at the golden knight. One shot is off, but the sonic blast nails the knight in the side, and this time the blow isn't blocked or dispelled in any way (-2 HP).
...but Jack's joy quickly dissipates as the armor appears to fix itself (GK +3 HP).
The golden knight suddenly whips the shield at Talbot. The knight quickly throws himself on the ground and the shield passes over his head (Shield Bash Failure on 1).
Irdred preps another necrotic bolt just as the golden knight raises a sword in Jack's direction. Irdred isn't able to get his spell off first, but that's okay, because Jack pulls his head back before the bolt of lightning can strike him and it crashes into the far wall. Irdred's necrotic bolt flies true and the golden knight blocks the bolt with its shield. The shield reacts in an odd way. The glowing lettering appears to fade. It looks like Irdred's ray damaged the shield...but there doesn't appear to be any physical damage.
The damage auras do their damage. Talbot's armor is still strong enough to avoid the chill, but he still gets shocked. Jack is able to Dodge an arc of electricity head for him and is still immune to the ice. Irdred's defenses negate the electricity but he gets chilled and Adam has to endure the full brunt of the spells. The mercenary is the first to fall.
In the next round...
Talbot manages to get back on his feet without slipping and tries to tackle the Golden Knight again. This time the golden one gets the shield up and bashes Talbot away. Once again, being struck by the shield unleashes a frigid blast of ice that leaves the young knight encased in ice. The former royal knight goes down.
The animated sword continues to hack. Its attack is blocked and it's also completely encased in ice.
Jack and Irdred continue to fire or fling rays at the golden knight. Both of Jack's shots are blocked by that cursed shield and Irdred misses entirely.
The golden one raises its sword high into the air. A bolt of lightning shoots straight up into the air and comes back down on the remaining party member's position with a great flash and ear-splitting boom. Jack somehow manages to Dodge the lightning strike and rolls away, but Irdred doesn't even realize he was struck. Everything just goes black for him. The necromancer falls.
In the next round...
His ears ringing and streaks of purple filling his vision, Jack is the only remaining party member. An arc of electricity strikes him in the back and throws his aim off, but one shot gets through...and is blocked by the shield.
Jack doesn't realize how it happened, but his shoes are suddenly frozen in place. The golden knight walks right up to him and raises its sword.
"I finally rid myself of you," a surprisingly higher-pitched voice says from behind the golden helmet. Jack knows he has heard this voice before, but he doesn't get a chance to think on it. The sword is plunged into his chest and everything goes black.
STATUS: Talbot -10 HP, Jack -10 HP, Adam -8 HP, Irdred -10 HP Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (Okay, so why did I do what I just did? I will explain.
I wanted to show you guys what kind of damage and defenses you will be dealing with instead of throwing you into the thick of battle with absolutely no warning whatsoever. You have very few precious Traits and rewards left to earn, so instead of taking whatever, going into the endgame, getting your butts kicked, and having no way to go back and change your decision, I decided to show you exactly what king of dangers await. In a video game, dying and trying to survive a hard encounter using raw skill and different tactics is part of the fun. You can't do that in an PbPRP. It's more about foresight and strategy and I think I've helped in that regard.
I hate going into a major battle only to discover my favourite spells and gear isn't good enough for that particular fight. So really, I just did you guys a big favour.
Btw, I've gone over your sheets and I believe every Trait and piece of gear you bought up to this point will serve you well-you weathered the damage a lot better than I thought you guys would-so don't fret about your early decisions not being good enough for the end game.
Anywho, it's time to go where no RP we've ever played has gone before...END GAME!!) * * * * * *
SPELLMOUNT: Guild of Healing; Patient Halls
Jack bolts upright and is immediately met with a stinging cold sensation in his chest. He falls back down and is met with something warm and fluffy. He appears to be in some kind of bed, but he is no longer in the university.
A warm glow bathes the halls of this building. It is morning and the rays of the rising sun are slowly filling the bright white corridors with light. Nurses and mages in white and yellow robes run all over place and Jack can clearly see an endless row of beds filled with more injured. Most of them are wearing military uniforms.
"Easy! You just survived a terrible ordeal. I wouldn't move around so much. Not yet," a familiar voice says.
Jack looks around and spots the rest of the party lying nearby in other beds. None of them are wearing clothes. Talbot still has his helmet on for some reason.
Jack now spots Swan sitting in a chair. His voice sounds comforting, but he sports a worried expression.
"You took the worst hit of your group. I'm glad you recovered," Swan motions to the other party members. "It is very fortunate the battle went so well. I sent a number of men to reinforce your position and they arrived very shortly after the paladin left the scene. Our healers quickly stabilized you before bringing you here."
"So what if we survived? They can use the Earth Plan at any time! This whole city will be crushed," Talbot yells.
Only now does Jack notice the rest of the party is conscious. He gives Swan a curious look.
The chamberlain sighs. "Oh yes, you haven't heard...the Earth Plan was stolen just like our diviners predicted. I truly thought the Earth Plan would be safe in the council chambers, and the defenses are exceptional, but...the paladin somehow knew exactly where to strike. Where to find the Earth Plan. I fear we've been betrayed by someone within the council."
"It does not matter now," another voice says from the door. It's the grand archmage. His golden robes and necklaces have been traded for a crimson mantle and earrings. His fingernails are painted red. Despite the somewhat girlish look, he still looks very intimdating and commanding. "The same diviners have said the traitor has flown away from the city. We will not find him, or her, now. There is no point."
Swan nods in agreement. "The damage is done. There is no point looking for the traitor now, not while the enemy has the Earth Plan. They have proven they are dangerous and we can't let them keep the Plan. If they can take it, they can use it. That is why I'm happy to say there is one bright spot in this tragedy: my plan worked. The enemy took the doll and I tracked where it went.
The doll was most definitely taken to the queen's royal capital. More specifically, the royal palace."
"Oh, hell..." Talbot mumbles.
Swan nods at Talbot clearly misinterpreting the young knight's reaction. "It all makes sense now. The Fire Plan, hiring pirates, the merfolk, the stolen ship...all to mask the queen's goal of acquiring the elemental plans! Now they have two and with the help of the Earth Plan-if they have the Fire Plan, I doubt it would be much use underwater-they can attack the merfolk and take the Water Plan."
The grand archmage straightens up to give himself extra height. "Then we must declare war on the queen! Gather our armies! Ready the fleet. We will attack the royal capital and take back the plan."
Swan, looking very tired, shakes his head. "No. We can't do that. They have the Earth Plan now. If they see our airships, they will rip this entire island apart. We can't risk threatening them. We must be discreet; we will send a small group of our very best into the city to take back the Plan."
The grand archmage folds his arms across his chest. "It will takes weeks for our very best agents to return to Atlas'Baerone and the traitor will recognize our best mages. I will not entrust something so important to random mercenaries."
"I agree. We must go with someone we trust," Swan turns to the rest of the party. "Once again, I must turn to you four for help."
The grand archmages scoffs. "Them? They were defeated by the paladin who took the plan! They have failed once, you think they won't fail again?"
"They were not expecting an assault on the council chambers. I told them as much," Swan replies, "nor were we supporting them as well as should have. This time we will open our vaults to them. We will give them everything they need to sneak into that city. We must not be stingy!"
The grand archmage growls, then turns his back on the group. "Fine. Give them what they need and prepare a ship. A normal ship. The queen's forces will be on high alert if they see a magical vessel; however, I will still prepare the army. If the worst comes to pass, we must have a response prepared."
The grand archmage marches away.
Swan sighs again. "Unfortunately, he is right. You must use a normal means of transportation. It will take 5 days to sail to the queen's capital, so I must ask you to prepare yourselves. I wish you could have more time to recover, but I don't think we can afford to waste any time. We must depart immediately.
I will also begin searching the vaults for anything you can use. It may take some time, and I probably won't have anything ready for you by the time you leave, but do not worry. I will get the gear to you. That said, our library was well protected during the battle. I'm certain I can find something for you to use there. Unfortunately, our storage rooms were looted, so I don't think we have much for you in there. You may also want to talk to the students. I'm sure they can help in some way."
NEW TRAIT LEARNED!
EVERYONE GAINS 1 HP!
EMERGENCY DISCOUNTS AWARDED! GAIN AN ADDITIONAL 20% OFF ALL UNIVERSITY OR MAGE GUILD PURCHASES. This stacks with Reputation discounts.
*Will work out the list of items you can select from later Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag "Swan," Jack says. "There was something about the paladin. Something odd. He, no, she spoke before the end. I think she knew who we were. The voice seemed familiar, but I am unable to recall who it was. Savage Tide Info Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (There's a lot to think about here... will get back to you) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (Sorry about the delays. I'm constantly distracted around Christmas) * * * * * * * LIBRARY REWARDS:
The following items are available to Irdred via the university's library:
-You may select any 1 Spell Variant scroll of 2000 GP value or less
SPELLBOOKS: (select any 1 book; only mages may use spellbooks)
-Book of Healing: Cast any Healing spell, of any strength, with any variant applied. Casting spells consumes pages. A basic spell consumes 2 pages, an advanced spell 6, and a greater spell consumes 18 pages. Can't cast legendary spells. There are 50 pages total. You can't learn variants this way. The spells in the book aren't inked in a readable manner. -Book of Dispelling: Same as above, but casts Dispelling spells. -Book of Elements: Same as above, but the chosen book applies to one of the damaging elemental effects. -Book of X: Same as above...there is a spellbook for nearly every line of spells.
STOREROOM REWARDS:
The following items are available to you via the university's storeroom:
-Pick 2 Potions of Adv. strength or less.
STUDENT REWARDS:
The students who hid in the university are very happy none of the pirates reached the dorms. They have put together a little kit for the party to use:
-Magic Bomb x3: Magical bottlerockets gone wrong. They still explode nicely for 2 points of non-typed magical damage. 10 ft. area. -Go-Rope: This animated rope will fling itself at ledges and arches and latch on for you. No throwing necessary! Great for getting around. Don't use it in battle. It's not invincible. 50 ft. reach. Kind of heavy at 10 lbs. -Lock Gremlin: He may be smaller than your pinky finger, but he's VERY mean...to locks. The lock gremlin can bust through simple locks with ease. Lives in an extra-dimensional pouch and can take care of himself. -A donation of 1000 GP to the entire party.
-Choose one of the following: >Animated Pen: Will do your homework for you. Also very useful to artisans that do a lot of writing. Cuts item creation time in half in such cases. >Beaker of Brewing: Very useful for passing those hard alchemy tests, but don't get caught! Also very useful for alchemists. Cuts item creation time in half. >Enchanted Hammer: Enchanting items is such hard work. Use this to fly through those pesky projects! Also very useful for enchanters. Completely replaces the need for a blacksmith during item creation.
So, who gets what? Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (I don't suppose Ghost Irdred was able to witness anything significant while the party was dead?
Also, I know we weren't supposed to win, but there are a few things I'd like to clarify for the future: -Delay Healing is set to activate a few minutes after death, not upon taking damage. -The snake skeletons still should have been present, with a liner inside the coat to cut down on the pokey-ness. I know they're gone now in any case, but I am planning on replenishing them, and I don't want the pokey problem to come up again. -It was nice that Irdred was able to fire necrotic rays... but I wasn't aware that he was still capable of doing that?)
************
Irdred shoos the nurses away in a huff, saying something about how they probably botched his healing and that he could do a much better job himself.
When Swan enlists the party for the raid on the capital, Irdred laughs in the chamberlain's face. "You refused to listen to me before, and now you need us to fix your problem. Why am I not surprised?" He is more thoughtful than angry, however. "...If their goal had been mere conquest, one Plan would surely have been enough. But, hm, they needed the relic... something else is going on here. What are they after...?" he muses, speaking more to himself than to anyone else. He shakes his head. "I need time, time to think, time to research. To the library!" He looks like he's about to get up and leave immediately, clothes or no. But he stops, spins around, and realizes that he doesn't quite know where he is or how to get to the library from here. He settles instead for gathering his clothing and equipment, though this does diminish the impact of his dramatic exit. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag ( -I probably should have come up with something because there is still a lot of story exposition needed, but I'm so busy right now I couldn't think of anything. -Delay Healing, by default, heals you when you get damaged. Irdred's heal after death thing was required to survive his romp in the spirit world. I didn't take that to mean all of his applications of Delay Healing would function the same way, and if I did, then I forgot. Thankfully, these "free" deaths also served as a net for these little details I may have forgotten about. -I was pretty sure the snake skeletons were part of that costume and that's it. I then figured Irdred put them in his bottomless bag and was going to use them as explosives. -Necro Furies are optional. Technically, the effects of a staff adornment only occur if you channel magic through them. I might not use all these gimmicks in the next game I run. They're a pain to keep track of) * * * * * * *
SPELLMOUNT: Guild of Healing; Patient Halls
Swan shrugs in response to Jack. "It's unfortunate you could not recognize the voice, but you should learn everything you need to know upon finding the doll."
Swan is perplexed by Irdred's reaction. "I refused to listen? My boy, this entire venture was designed to confirm your accusations! You must be thinking of someone else.
And I must point out the potential for catastrophe is everyone's problem. You can't run or hide from the Earth Plan's influence. It must be recaptured now."
Talbot mutters something incomprehensible. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (The Advanced potions is 2 for the group to share or 2 per person?
Is this correct? Shouldnt that say Master Acrobat requires Acrobatic Confidence and 10 traits?
">MASTER ACROBAT (Requires Acrobatic, 5 Traits): Your confidence never waivers an inch when faced with impossible jumps and deadly circumstances. Master Acrobats may treat rolls of 1 as a roll of 2."
I'll take the Lock Gremlin, but will pass up on the pen, beaker, and hammer.
Trait: Bone Breaking Weapon: Purchase an additional Longsword + enchant with Deadly Weapon Sell the daggers and the shurikens and purchase a Spring-loaded wrist blade + enchant with Spellfracture Sell the crossbow and bolts and purchase a Longbow and arrows (however many fit in a quiver). I would also like to alter Lionhearts helmet to fit Adam's head properly and enchant it with Healing Armor) (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (It's 2 potions per player)
Is this correct? Shouldnt that say Master Acrobat requires Acrobatic Confidence and 10 traits?
(Yep, that's correct. I changed a lot of the skilled and "do or die" Traits from a greater 10 Trait pre-req to an advanced 5 Trait pre-req. I did this awhile ago. Skills like lockpicking, pickpocketing, stealth, and similar abilities that help flavour a character, although nice, paled in comparison to combat traits in terms of productivity. While such skills are definitely useful, rolling a one while attacking a monster is not nearly as bad as rolling a one while attempting to jump across a crevasse. It's kind of hard to feel like an expert when you think to yourself "Yeah, I may succeed on a roll of 2, but if I roll a 1, I'm gonna die". Originally I didn't think this would be such a bad thing-just don't do anything so dangerous-but events in game have shown sometimes you just have to take that risk and it's very disheartening to know, when all the lights are on your character, who is the supposed expert, you've got a 33% chance to blow it. Not only that, but a single negative factor and you will still fail on those 1's and 2's even if you do have a Greater Trait.
So, yeah, I made it a lot easier to really master a skilled Trait. Dunno if it's obvious in the Trait description, but the positive factors granted by those basic Traits now stack. To get two positive factors on your rolls of 2 will still take 3 Traits to pull off, so I really didn't need a "filler" Trait sandwiched between the basic and greater versions. This change should be true for all profession-type Traits. I still haven't listed every possible skill imaginable in the rules yet, but you guys should know by now to ask about anything that's not there.
Is Acrobatic Confidance the old advanced trait? I forget. Did a search in the 33 rules and it didn't pop up.)
I would also like to alter Lionhearts helmet to fit Adam's head properly and enchant it with Healing Armor)
(All armor enchants come in sets, so that includes the chest, leggings, belt, and the rest of an armor's pieces, including the helmet. I sometimes allow "gimmick" pieces like Jack's gloves and helmets could be such pieces, but gimmick pieces aren't supposed to be as good as an enchantment.
...in other words, helmets don't act independently from a set of armor. Adam's armor already has an enchantment on it, so adding the Healing enchant would count as a second enchant, thus tripling the price to 6000 GP. Even then, I'm not sure if the effect would stack with the Regenerating Ring. I suppose you could get two healing attempts in a round, but I'd rather not have the extra thing to think about. I'll have to think on it.
I've got no real good reason why armor sets include helmets with regards to enchanting. It's just easier to keep track of that way.) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (Ok. Let me do this. I want to sell the crossbow, shurikens, bolts, and daggers. I want to buy a Longsword, Longbow and arrows, and Spring loaded wrist blade. Now, if weapons do not count towards the armor set prices, I want to enhance the second Longsword with Deadly Weapon. Next, enhance the wrist blade with Spellfracture. It its possible and I have any money left, I want to invest in poison tipped arrows. If the enhancement prices do stack with the armor prices, then just add Deadly Weapon to the second Longsword and forget the rest of the enhancements.) (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (Weapon enchantments are a completely different gear slot.
Just for clarification, the slots are weapon, shield, and armor. Note that's just how I'm running things. Other GM's can have as many slots as they want) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (Sorry, I know I have not been posting as much as I should. This is mostly due to real-life events, but in-game events do have something to do with it as well. I gotta admit, things do look a bit hopeless after the golden knight battle, if that's what the endgame looks like. I did learn that we need more elemental protection, but there must be something else I'm missing...)
Irdred asks the group if they experienced anything after death. He finds it peculiar and a bit disturbing that he did not.
At the library, he researches what those strange runes on the golden knight's armor were all about. What manner of enchantments are they, if Dispel has no effect on them? Why did magic not behave normally around the knight?
Shopping list to follow later, but for now:
-New trait: Greater Necromancy
-As for the free spell variant, I'd like a little clarification on these before I choose one: Summon Ghost: Does this give Irdred control over the ghost, or could it turn on its summoner? Will o' Wisp: "The necromancer's spirit is animated to make this spell work." What precisely does this entail? That cryptic message kind of scares Irdred off from using this variant -- it makes it sound like he might be "tainting" his own spirit.
-Still deciding on the book and potions, but I'm leaning toward Barrier.
-What type of item creation does the Animated Pen apply to? Does the Beaker of Brewing only apply to alchemy, or to potion-brewing as well? d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (I'm sure all of the final battles won't be that bad. You guys held up really well actually, despite rolling very badly and the knight rolling very well. There is still more HP and Traits to go around and gear to find, so you guys will get stronger; however, it's gonna take more than a few good rolls to win the larger battles. You will need to use every trick and resource available to you) * * * * * * IRDRED:
-Yes, Summoned Ghosts are under your control. Unlike zombies though, you might be able to talk them out of haunting you if you lose control. You might want to have some holy water on hand, heh.
-Will'O'Wisp basically creates a Will'O'Wisp from scratch, but Irdred's own spirit is used as the raw resource. Because of this, any damage the Wisp takes is transferred to Irdred until it is destroyed; however, you don't have to worry about losing control of it. Wisps are incorporeal so they rarely take damage. Irdred's spirit is already tainted, so I wouldn't worry about that.
-The Beaker applies to all things alchemy, poison, and potion-making related. The pen speeds up the creation of magic scrolls, books, forgeries, and anything related to writing.
At the Library...
Irdred heads to the library and begins researching the golden knight's odd runes.
(Success on 3) Irdred quickly identifies the runes, they're definitely Titan-based runes, but this information doesn't help him much; however, his curiousity about why Dispel didn't work leads him in an interesting direction. He begins to look up the specifics of Dispel and discovers the spell only works on magic, not the creatures who cast the spells. In other words, you can dispel the magic, but not the spellcaster (and if you can, the author is loathe to explain how). Irdred is absolutely certain the mysterious paladin was casting spells through the sword and shield, so enchantments MUST have been involved.
This leads Irdred to a query: are there any enchantments that can't be dispelled? This leads Irdred to a book about advanced enchantment...and he makes a remarkable discovery.
Artifacts.
Legendary pieces of weapons and armor known to be completely undispellable. They are said to be the creations of the Titans and only they know how to create them. Whatever special process is involved in the creation of artifacts is a mystery. One thing is certain: all artifacts have a will of their own. They are living creatures, plain and simple; thus, it stands to reason...
...you can dispel the spellcaster's magic, but you can't dispel the spellcaster...
This can only mean one thing: the golden paladin is using artifacts. That is why they couldn't be dispelled. It also explains the Titan runes.
(SMART) That said, Irdred knows everything there is to know about sucking the life out of living creatures. If the artifacts are alive, they MUST be susceptible to necromancy.
**I love this ruling. I understand why artifact items need to be so special, but from the standpoint of the rules, it doesn't make much sense. "You can't create/destroy artifacts because they're so special" never struck me as being a very good explanation; however, when combined with intelligent items and viewed from the perspective of a living entity...suddenly it all makes sense. Treating an artifact as a creature, with Defining Traits and all that, and not as a normal item, allows me to bypass the standard item creation rules and treat the artifact as a "special" case...like they're supposed to be. It's so perfect. I love how well it flows with the rules. Of course, it's still MY interpretation...other GM's may do what they please.
JACK:
Enchanting the two magical pistols cost Jack 2400 GP (after discounts) and leaves him with approximately 10K GP.
Enchanting the magnum with the one enchant on it costs 3600 GP and leaves him with approx. 6k GP. He can't afford to enchant the other Magnum because it already has 2 enchants on it and the third would cost 18K GP (or something like 11K GP after discounts). All of his dwarven pistols have 1 enchant on them and would cost 3600 GP each.
Will Jack continue enchanting his pistols in this manner? Or do you want to save some of his money for other things?
ADAM: Adam doesn't get much for his weapons, about 40 GP, but it does reduce his load a bit and frees up a lot of room on his belt. He ends up not needing to pay for the sword and bow: university battlemages willingly give them to him and they're not crappy weapons either. The Spring-loaded blade costs him 300 GP. He doesn't get a discount here.
He takes the Lock Gremlin and enchants the new sword and spring loaded blade. This costs him only 2400 GP and he still has 22K GP to play with.
Btw, if you still want to add Healing to your armor, you can. The ring was an exception to the rules, so it shouldn't stop you from adding something to your armor. You will get two healing attempts in a round.
Adam still has the Torturing Brand. Did he sell it and I forgot? Anywho, he still has it.
Nobody has taken their 2 free potions yet. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (I'll keep the Torturing Brand and take my two potions. Not going to worry about any more enchants.) (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (But what potions? Standard healing potions or something of the other magic types or...?
I highly suggest you put every last penny you have into your character in some way, be it enchants or potions or whatever, because there isn't much game left and there is little point in saving it) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (Not sure what I can get for 22GP. How much for the Defending Bracers?
I'll take 1 advanced heal and 1 potion that grants some sort of elemental resistance to lightning (if there is an advanced version of the potion, I will take it. If not I will stick with the standard.)) (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (I could have sworn I had a post in here where I talk about enchanting the pistols and getting another ring or something to resist lightning/other elements. However, I do see that now....) Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (Sorry. At this point in the holidays I usually only have a half hour to update before I have to rush out the door for some reason or another. It's even worse this year because I lost that last weekend)
(I think I took care of the pistols. If you want another ring, you could get one that reduces one type of elemental damage by 3 or all magic damage by 1. All 2000 GP. Multiple resistences don't stack btw)
Not sure what I can get for 22GP. How much for the Defending Bracers?
([22K GP, or 22,000. Adam is very wealthy at the moment. By default most magical items start at 2000 GP) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (OH! Well then. Let me take a look and see what I can blow it on.) (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (A ring the reduces lightning by 3 please) Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag YOU'VE GOT MAIL!
Every party member is surprised to find the magical mailboxes following them. They reach inside and discover a small jewelry box topped with an elaborate ribbon. A small note reveals the gift is from the gift-giving fairy.
I wonder what is inside? You will have to open it to find out! Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag Jack cautiously opens the gift. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (Last call for preparations before the party departs. I'll be updating tomorrow. You guys have had tons of time) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag Adam also opens his present. (Will update this later on tonight.) (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag Expecting a trap, Irdred has one of his minions open the gift while he stands a safe distance back.
Free variant: Touch of the Vampire He adds the Precise enchantment to the devilskin staff. Is there a spell variant that allows for ranged necro touches, so Irdred doesn't need to use the caltrop chain? He replaces his vulture and his snake skeletons (but he doesn't animate the snake skeletons until I know what's going on with the bone menagerie/caltrop chain). He takes the Beaker and a Barrier book. (Any time for crafting before departure?) Free potions: Elemental Barrier x2
Other shopping: depends on whether he can buy a spell variant for ranged attacks. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag * * * * * *
The gifts are not traps...
...they contain Shards of Light! You know the deal here: any (appropriate) enchantment, so long as it's not necrotic in nature, on any piece of equipment that can take it. Use it, sell it, whatever! Merry (belated) Christmas!
Is there a spell variant that allows for ranged necro touches, so Irdred doesn't need to use the caltrop chain?
(Er...no. Staff adornments modify spells whereas spell variants add new spells to an existing roster of like-spells. Hopefully that's not confusing, and if it is, than that's my fault for allowing some spell variants to "blur" the lines between spell and mod. Mods. should be restricted to staff adornments and new ways of casting a spell to variants, but hey, all of this stuff is experimental. There may be some hitches)
He takes the Beaker and a Barrier book. (Any time for crafting before departure?)
(No, but you will have a full 5 days during the trip to do whatever you like)
|
|
|
Post by TG Barighm on May 8, 2018 18:13:03 GMT -5
chiapet Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (Can I add an area affect to one of my magical pistols?) Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (I suppose I can create an enchant that may deal additional area damage on rolls of 3.
Also, all purchases that are clearly marked as being things you want to do will be added to ref. sheets.
And because everyone still seems to be busy, as we often are this time of year, I going to allow access to most of Spellmount's shops while you're in the royal capital by way of magical mailbox. It won't be as good, but it will have to do) * * * * * *
SPELLMOUNT: Docks CONDITIONS: Noon
With their final preparations completed, or possibly interrupted for some of you by annoying mailboxes filled with messages demanding "where are you?", the party make their way to the docks. They discover a fairly boring looking galleon, a rather large and stable looking ship at odds with the other magical ships filling the harbour, with a ramp currently lowered into place. It appears to be receiving a healthy collection of cargo: deckhands are loading all sorts of tradeable goods onto the ship.
"It must look like a normal merchant ship," Swan explains as he suddenly appears nearby. "They may not like magic in the royal capital, but they have many magical means to find it. Hypocrites, yes?"
Swan chuckles to himself for a moment. He finds his comment very amusing.
"An acceptable level of security is hardly hypocrisy," Talbot mutters, but it doesn't sound like he is looking for an argument. He doesn't say much these days.
When Swan is finished chuckling to himself, he straightens himself up and gives the party a serious look. "Alas, there is very little amusement to be found in this situation. I shouldn't be joking. I suggest you take your things onto the ship and prepare to depart. It will take 5 days to reach the city. When you do, lay low and find a way into the castle. This is urgent, but be careful. They haven't used the Plan against us yet, so you may have time to form a proper plan. No need to be reckless.
Try to retake the Earth Plan. You may want to enlist the services of Archmage Cirillo. He serves the queen as an advisor and should know where the Plan is being kept."
"HELLOOOOO!!" A woman's voice shouts from the ship.
Swan, momentarily startled, hastily regains his composure. "Oh yes, I forgot...I'm sure you remember Ms. Anser."
The woman with guns on her belt and a feather in her hat cheerfully waves at the party from the stern of the ship. "Oh, it's going to be so exciting to work with you guys again! Our last adventure was awesome."
Swan nods, then turns back to the party. "Captain Anser will once again ferry you to your location. She is still new to our employ, so I doubt any of the queen's agents know of her yet, and she has other skills you may find useful. If things go horribly wrong, and you are required to make a last ditch effort to secure the Plan...let her know. I will send soldiers into the city to aid you. Hopefully the casualties will be...minimal."
Talbot nods like he understands something the rest of the party doesn't, then turns to board the ship. With little else to say, the rest of the party boards the ship. Swan waves as the ship slowly departs from the harbour, but he looks worried.
As the ship departs, Swan's parrot suddenly swoops out of the sky and circles the ship, then settles down on its usual perch: Jack's shoulder. It squawks and spins around a couple of times, then bobs its head.
"You'd be lost without me! Lost without me! *whistle* Cracker?" the parrot says in its usual parrot-y manner.
The party can hear Swan burst out laughing on the pier. "Ha! You can use all the help you can get! Good luck!" And with that, the old wizard moves out of sight.
Anser laughs and takes the wheel. "Here we go again! Into the beast's mouth as happily as pigs to their slop. Most men will say we're crazy, but I say...I'm a woman! What do I care what men say?"
Sara suddenly pulls out her gun named Banshee and fires it into the sky. It makes a terrific shriek causing most of the ship's screw to scramble in fear of their new captain's wrath, but the jovial swashbuckler merely giggles. "Aww...they're not used to a girl with moxie. Let's take it slow for now. We will have plenty of time to...ooh! New guns! Show me!"
Anser runs up to Jack and grabs at his magical pistols.
"Wow! Carved crystal and magic! I've heard of this but never seen it before!"
The party has to kill 5 days.
* * * * * * * *
Swan walks away from the pier and finds himself walking directly into the Grand Archmage.
"I hope you're right about this, Swan. We can't afford any mistakes."
Swan straightens his robes and smiles. "I'm sure they can handle it. If not, we have Anser. What are you doing here, anyway?"
"Issuing new orders to the fleet in person. The queen's agents can't intercept those. It may confuse them," the grand archmage suddenly looks puzzled. "I say...was that a parrot I saw flying out to that ship? These men of yours are very...unorthodox. They're practically pirates."
Swan nods and shrugs. "Yes, they are. I do not know where they got the parrot, but who am I to complain about the results? If they wish to keep a pet, then so be it." Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag Jack will let Sara examine the guns.
(I'll add the area enhancement to the lightning gun. How much money will I have left after that? I want to buy some healing potions (preferably some that heal at least 3HP)). Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (If you use your Christmas Gift, the Shard of Light, it won't cost you a thing...well, for one gun anyway.
Greater Healing Potions will cost 900 GP, but I think Irdred may brew up a bunch during the trip. I should probably assume he will while Soulweaver is gone, but he can also brew necrotic potions so...I dunno. Oh, and because of the Barrier Tome, he can brew Barrier potions of all types) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag Okay, this is what I've got so far. This is what has been entered onto your ref. sheets. Definitely let me know if I'm missing something:
JACK'S INVENTORY UPDATE: 3,479 gold remaining, SPELLFRACTURE enchants added to magical pistols and 1 magnum, Ring of Lightning Res.3, Shard of Light
Jack can't afford to add the area enchant to his gun. He will need to use the Shard of Light.
ADAM'S INVENTORY UPDATE: 23,646 gold remaining, DEADLY Longsword, Longbow and Arrows, SPELLFRACTURE Spring-loaded Blade, Adv. Healing Potion, Adv. Barrier Potion, Shard of Light
Adam finds a poison vendor that sells basic, advanced, and greater poisons for 100, 300, and 900 GP. He can choose from the following:
WEAKENING POISON (basic): Targets afflicted with this poison lose the benefits of their physical Defining Traits. BURNING POISON (adv): This poison deals 1 additional point of damage upon affliction and has a chance to deal another point the next round. KILLER POISON (greater): Targets afflicted with this poison become Sickened and take 3 HP damage. This poison continues to deal 1 HP damage every round until the target dies, 5 HP of lingering damage is dealt, or the poison is healed. The effects can be delayed by Toughing them out. If Adam can force this poison down a target's throat, it will kill them outright if they don't succeed at a Tough roll.
IRDRED'S INVENTORY UPDATE: 4,624 gold remaining, Touch of the Vampire Variant, a whole lot of tiny skeletons, Tome of Barriers, Beaker of Brewing, Elemental Barrier Potion x2, Shard of Light
UNCLAIMED: Magic Bombs x3, Go Rope
Also, a couple adjustments to the rules, one minor and one major:
ELEMENTAL RESISTENCE: The differences between 1 Elemental Res. vs. 3 Elemental Res. and the costs involved was starting to get confusing, so I decided to tie these enchants with the original spell responsible for them: Elemental Barrier. In other words, there is now the Ward enchantment that grants 2 Res. against one type of element. That's it. The Resistent enchantment is now a ring that reduces all magical damage by 1 which is more fitting for the unusual nature of rings anyway.
ENCHANTING: I decided to use the criticism I got here to make the Enchanting process a lot simpler. As usual, simplicity is the point of the rules, and Defining Traits are sacred, so forcing Enchanters to pile on a bunch of Traits was a little unfair. From now on, any spellcaster who knows a spell, and has the ability to craft an item, can enchant an item. You will also see the rules for Enchanting has been moved to the basic "spellcasting in a nutshell" section of the rules to further clarify Enchanting is available to ALL spellcasters; however, as with all things in the rules, just because you can Enchant an item doesn't mean you're any good at it. The Enchanter Defining Trait is now used to increase your success rate on 2's and 1's as you get deeper down the line. You will also need to be good at the item creation skill necessary in crafting, or you can hire someone else to do it, because both the creation of the item and the Enchanting process requires a successful roll (not a problem if you have the Defining Traits). A highly skilled enchanter looking to make a lot of money still needs a bunch of Traits, but a mage looking to save some money on potions and enchants can operate with just the Enchanter Trait (or none at all if you're feeling lucky). Having skill in item creation saves you the trouble of hiring someone else.
That said, as a HOUSE rule, I'm only gonna allow full-blown mages to attempt enchanting without the Enchanter Trait.
Note: NONE OF THE ABOVE CHANGES WILL TAKE EFFECT THIS GAME. You still get to keep your Res.3 items, so don't worry about it. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (How many uses could I get out of a vial of poison if I dipped my arrows/blade tips into it?) (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (Not many. One for a medium sized or larger weapon, two daggers or equivalent weapons, and 10 arrowheads) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members December 2010 edited December 2010 Flag (Alright. Here's what I have.
2 vials - Killer Poisons 5 - Advanced Heal Potions (if there are stronger potions, I will take those instead) Barrier Shield (I assume you would have to take out the Sentinel enchant on the shield to do it or do I have to buy a whole new shield) Remove Dispelling Armor and replace with Resistant Armor (Use Shard of Light) Defending Braces Speedy Boots) (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (Enchants don't get removed-Irdred can disenchant them to create magic dust but the item is destroyed-you just add more enchants to the same item. Additional enchants triple the price of the base enchant-2k, then 6k, then 18k, etc-so the Barrier enchant would be added to the Sentinel enchant. Resistent would stack with Dispelling.
Note you're getting a discount on all of this stuff though, so your money can go a long way.
Speaking of which, I finally got around to updating Talbot and I gotta say...he's pretty unstoppable now. Definitely remember to utilize his Guardian Trait in the future. He might negate all damage directed at you) * * * * * * *
THE OPEN SEA: Anser's Ship
Jack allows Anser to examine his pistols. He doesn't see them again until later that night.
Talbot inches over to Adam. "Did the old man drag you around the market district? Swan, I mean. I spent all morning with him. He made me buy all sorts of strange stuff. Like this," Talbot holds up a small bottle containing what appears to be a wooden toy horse. "He said it's a unicorn and I need to use it during times of great stress. I can understand a lot of the other stuff he bought me, like this 'hero' potion, but this...! I think the old man has gone bonkers! All this pressure must be getting to him." Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (Let me change that....
2 - Killer Poisons - 1800gp 5 - Advanced Heal Potions - 4500gp add Barrier to Sentinel Shield - 6000gp add Resistance to Dispelling/Great Armor - Free w/ Shard of Light Defending Braces - 2000gp Speedy Boots - 2000gp
That should leave me with 7,346gp
Can I change out the Deadly enchant on the Longsword to Murderous? Can enchants be added to Bow/Arrows? Would you have to enchant each arrow seperately or could I just pick up Magical Ammunition (so far I have only seen it used on mechanical weapons? If no one wants the Go Rope, I will take it.) (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (Yes, you can switch Murderous for Deadly if you want and yes, bows can be enchanted like any other weapon. No, I'm not gonna bother with enchanted ammo anymore. It's an extra detail to keep track of and I don't wanna. Jack doesn't even use his) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag Okay, final shopping: -Irdred buys a Bone Arm staff and a holster for it (just as a reminder, this staff costs 2000 gp before discounts and doubles the effect of spell variants). This and the Devilskin staff will be holstered in such a way that they form an "X" behind his back. However, upon entering the Queen's territory, these staves (and anything else that identifies him as a mage) will be hidden in the bottomless bag. -I changed my mind about the Precise enchantment... can I switch it from the Devilskin staff to the Bone Arm? -Put the Black Quartz, Caltrop Chain, and Skeletal Hand on the Bone Arm. This is the staff he will be using by default (so don't animate the snake skeletons just yet). -Put the Bone Menagerie on the Devilskin Staff. -He enchants his cravat clasp (a.k.a. amulet slot) with a Lightning Ward. He then uses the Shard to add an Ice Ward. -I think he's got all he needs to create potions en route... but if I'm forgetting something that is needed for this purpose, let me know so I can buy it.
*************
On the ship: Irdred's vulture friend eyes the parrot hungrily for a moment, but fortunately it seems to forget all about it as soon as it receives its instructions from Irdred. These instructions are to act as a lookout on the ship and sound an alert if it spots any other vessels approaching during the journey.
Irdred himself is pretty quiet for the most part, though he's clearly not pleased about being stuck on a seafaring vessel yet again. He only asks Swan how much he trusts the crew members of this ship, and asks Anser if she has ever worked with this crew before.
Then, giving Atlas'Baerone one last look, he says wearily to the group, "Well, when someone tries to kill us, let me know." He then retreats to his quarters to brew potions. He'll be brewing two Advanced Delay Heal potions per day unless someone requests something different. (So if you guys want poisons, barrier potions, necromancy potions, or animate potions, let me know). d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag STORY
His breath was awful. It carried the foul odour of a mouldy cheese. It was also slightly salty, with a hint of pepper, like the cheese was accompanied by some spicy meal. The foul breath also carried a very important message.
"We have it, your majesty," said the owner of the horrid breath.
The pirate pulled his scarred and slightly mishapen head away from the queen's ear. She did not wish to face the man. Something about his hideous visage, his grimy face, his calloused hands, the very nature of his vocation...it reminded her all too much of her grim task. She did not have to face the horrors she plans to inflict on her countrymen just yet. She will avoid it for as long as possible...even if it means she must avoid looking into a murderer's eyes.
He was still there. Waiting, breathing...
"Tell him to begin his work," the queen whispered back.
She was not quite certain if the pirate heard her, but then the heavy footsteps of the pirate began to disappear down the corridor.
And so it has begun.
She rested her hands on the doorhandle before her...the prince's room. He would be waiting for her. She had delayed for much too long now, but...she now owes him this time. She is about to take something very dear to him away. She can spare enough time to allow this one small mercy.
The queen threw open the door and stepped in. The prince's room was not very large, but it was heavily decorated and comfortable: a large bed sat in the middle of the circular chamber. Cushions of every sorts littered the floor. Chairs and training gear sat near one wall and paintings hung near the bed. The prince was a very creative boy and he loved his paintings, but he also excelled at swordplay. He excelled at everything, often with little practise.
"Is that you, mommy?" said the prince. He sat on his bed, a smile splitting his face two.
"Yes, it is me," the queen nodded and smiled back.
"I thought you said you were too busy to come tonight," the prince replied.
"It's okay. My business has been...concluded. I won't be so busy anymore."
"Oh, wonderful! Will you please tell me a story? The fencing instructor tells many, but they're not as good as yours."
The queen nodded, at which the prince squeeled with glee, and she took a seat next to the bed.
"Tell me the story of the great Sir Eglemore! No, wait...tell me about the legendary pirate king...no, I've heard that one a hundred times...how about the story about the magical sword and cup? And how the adventurer Ramzan journeyed for 20 years to..."
The queen raised a hand. The prince immediately fell silent.
"I have something specific in mind for tonight," the queen said. "Something very special...for all the times I couldn't come up here to tell you a story."
Another smile split the prince's face. He must be expecting something truly extraordinary, the queen thought, but all she can offer him is the truth. Hopefully it will be enough.
"It begins with the makers of our world, the mythical Titans..."
The prince immediately rolled his eyes and groaned. "Not another Titan story! These are so boring."
The queen raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You know about the Titans?"
The prince nodded vigorously. "I've read lots about them, and heard stuff from others!"
"What do you know about the Titans?"
"They made the world, of course! And they gifted us with spells that could control wind, earth, fire, and water! You could create earthquakes and giant waves. But nobody knows where these are...as usual. A lot of people think the wizards are hiding them, but they're just guessing."
"Very good!" the queen cheerfully replied. She meant it. "But do you know where the Titans live?"
The prince blinked a few times before replying. "Umm...I don't know. Nobody seems to know where they come from. There are lots of ideas, but some of them are very silly. One scholar thinks they live on the stars in the sky, but some believe the stars are actually big balls of fire. The Titans would burn to..."
The queen had to raise her hand again. The prince stopped talking.
"They live here, with us, but not literally here...they live in another world that exists next to ours. They can cross into our world at any time, speak with any creature, and do their work when needed."
The prince shook his head. "That's silly! The alchemists say 'if you can't see or feel it, then it can't exist'!"
"Who are you going to believe? Your mother or the alchemists?"
The prince lowered his head. "I'm sorry..."
The queen sighed and shook her head. "No, you are right to question what others want you to believe, but I am your mother and you can trust what I say. You do trust me, right?"
The prince nodded.
"Now, let me continue, and please, no interruptions...the Titans live in another world and their purpose is to take care of both worlds.
But there are other worlds, and not just ours. Like you said about the stars...there are other worlds, some just like ours, somewhere in the infinite nether, and believe it or not, creatures do live on these stars...or rather, near these stars. And on one such world, a group of creatures became very, very intelligent. They became so smart they didn't need their bodies anymore. They became creatures of thought and used their will to hurt others and take what they wanted."
"Can't the Titans do the same thing?"
The queen shook her head. "No. As mighty as the Titans are, they need to work to reap the fruits of their labour. A Titan must earn its keep or the other Titans will abandon it. These intelligent creatures became lazy. All they needed to do was think and their will would be done, but their incredible power came at a great price. For all their intelligence, they were still mortal and all mortal creatures require nourishment, but what does a creature with no body eat?"
The prince snapped his fingers. "Oh...thoughts! They eat other people's thoughts."
The queen smiled. "Very good! They can not live without the thoughts of other people. Without someone to believe and worship them, they simply...starve. Their power would be drained and they would become...little more than ghosts, I suspect. Powerless...lifeless...and spooky!"
At this the queen quickly grabbed the prince and began to tickle him, occasionally adding "wooo!" sounds for added effect. The two laughed for a few moments, then the queen returned to her seat.
"Now, let's see...where was I? Oh yes! The smart beings can't live without other people's thoughts. It didn't take long for them to consume the thoughts of every creature on their own world, but they were undisciplined and greedy. They abused their power. They realized they needed to be more careful in the future, and with no bodies to hold them back, they left their world and looked for a new one to consume. When they found one, they were much more careful in how they went about consuming the thoughts of its people, but they discovered they couldn't just eat any thought. The people on the world had to believe in them. This wasn't a problem on the smart ones' own world because their people knew of their power, but on a new world? Where nobody knew about them? They had to make the people believe and they did that by creating prophets."
"Prophets? Like a priest?" the prince interrupted.
"Not quite. A priest is a holy man, but these prophets preached lies about how great the smart ones were and how they would do great things if everyone worshipped them. They made the smart beings out to be gods! And in a way, they were, but deeply flawed and evil gods...
But word alone wasn't enough to convince the people of this world to believe in the smart ones. There were some believers, yes, but not nearly enough to make the smart ones powerful again. They needed to prove their power, so they consumed the thoughts they could for many centuries until they were strong enough to create an avatar. A true warrior of the smart one's will. This creature was blessed with their strength and used its enormous influence to convert entire countries into believers. Those who didn't convert were destroyed. This action garnered many believers very quickly. It caused massive amounts of suffering, but the smart ones did not care. They were satisfied."
"But how was this avatar able to conquer so many countries? How can one person be so powerful?"
The queen poked the nose of the prince. "A good leader can influence thousands, and with enough people, you can accomplish anything. A kingdom's people is its true wealth, and with enough respect, the people will do anything its leader wishes them to do...even if it means believing in something as evil and warped as the smart ones from another world."
"Oh, I understand THAT...but nobody's influence lasts forever. Even a good idea can be forgotten after a simple book-burning. Their avatar would fall to an arrow...just like everyone else."
"You are right and the smart ones knew this. They needed more than just an influential person, they needed this personality to be all powerful, nearly immortal, and when they became strong enough...they created such a person."
The prince threw up his hands. "Hold on! These creatures are really smart, but they're not gods! These aren't the Titans. They don't know the secrets of creation."
"Creating life from nothing...no, I do not believe they knew about that, but taking something and making it stronger? It is well within their power, and so they entered a mother's womb and blessed the baby with great power, and after it was born it grew into an unnaturally talented and immensely intelligent person, and if anything happened to their avatar, the smart ones would bless it with superbly good fortune."
The prince raised an eyebrow. "If these beings are so powerful, why can't they just force someone to believe in them like how a mage can gain control of a person's mind?"
"Mind control is not thought. It's control. It's different, but the smart ones weren't above using charms and enchantment to protect themselves and their avatar."
"Protect themselves? You mean someone eventually attacked the smart ones?"
"Oh yes! You see, these other worlds are also protected by Titans and eventually the Titans found the smart ones and attacked them, but the smart ones could cross between different worlds too, being little more than creatures of pure will, and it took the Titans a very long time to find them. Eventually the creatures were driven out of the world and its citizens thoughts were free of the smart ones."
"Why didn't the Titans just force the people to stop believing in the smart things? They're more powerful, aren't they?"
"The Titans are sworn to uphold the freewill of a world's creatures. They can educate and advise, but they will never force someone to do something they don't want to do. They can be...harsh at times, and sometimes their advise will lead a king down a dark road, but they are the protectors of this world. You must always trust them."
"So..you can talk to the Titans?"
"In a way. They have the power to approach you in person, but they often speak to us in dreams...when it matters, of course. I doubt they're interested in talking about the weather."
"Have they ever talked to you?"
The queen regarded the prince for a moment before answering. "I believe so."
The prince suddenly looked fearful, but not because of the queen's answer. "You said...you said the smart ones could cross worlds too...and they could steal thoughts and control the minds of others...can they speak to us in dreams? Just like the Titans can?"
The queen took a deep breath before replying. "I suspect they can."
"Do they...do they look like little balls of light?"
The words hung in the air for many moments. The words seemed so simple, so passing, and yet the queen's answer could change everything. She weighed her answer in her mind, considering possibilities, outcomes, consequences...she wanted to be sure the worst would not come to pass. There was only one answer she could think of that would console the prince during the coming crisis.
The prince stared expectantly into the queen's eyes, worry clearly evident on his face.
"No. They do not," the queen finally replied. "They look more like...like...
...farts."
The prince quickly relaxed and even giggled. "Oh...good...I was...nevermind...but if the Titans can't find the smart ones, how do we protect ourselves from them?"
"I'm not sure," the queen replied, "but every good leader needs followers. A city. Resources. The avatars aren't immortal, but they are very...lucky. This does not matter if they do not have anyone to follow them. Take away their power..."
"Oh! I see! If they have no followers and no country, they can't become powerful. Their influence would be stunted."
"Correct," the queen replied, a big smile splitting her face. "And now it's time for bed. I hope you enjoyed the story."
"Oh, it was okay, but next time I want to hear more about Sir Eglemore," the prince said as he slipped beneath the blankets. "Or maybe the sword and the cup."
The queen kissed the prince on the forehead. "Of course. Any story you want. Sleep tight."
And with that, the queen departed the prince's chambers...
...only to find a bruised and battered man waiting for her just outside the door. It was the fencing instructor, his bruises obvious and bandages heavy, yet he still continued his service to his queen.
"That was a good story. I hope he has the wisdom to one day fathom its message."
The queens nods and closes her eyes. A single tear escapes. "I pray he does, and when he does...I hope he forgives me."
/STORY Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (Well, dang...we're nearly untouchable now)
THE OPEN SEA: Anser's Ship
Irdred expresses his concerns to Anser.
"Aww...you're worried? Don't be! They're well paid, they're loyal, and they don't want to die. Believe me, the port guards won't be nice to them if they discover our true identities...since, you know, we're great and will escape. They won't," Anser chuckles to herself.
Irdred manages to successfully brew 6 potions. This occupies all of his time. The rest of the party is quiet-no one says anything to Talbot-and the voyage continues without incident (I considered an encounter, but decided to keep things moving).
Thus a day comes when the ship approaches a busy harbour. They have finally arrived at the royal capital.
ROYAL CAPITAL: Harbour, Southern Docks CONDITIONS: Morning, Bright, Warm GOALS: Infiltrate the Palace and retake the Earth Plan, Safely Enter the City
quebec_city_print.nac_.jpg *crappy pic but best I could find
The northern end of city, clearly where the royal palace is situated if the high walls are any indication, sits on a bluff overlooking an ocean, but for the most part the terrain appears unremarkable. It's a stark contrast from Spellmount, both in terms of terrain and architecture: the city appears to be stuck in the middle ages. They can't see much else at the moment, but they do notice a couple military ships slowly circling the harbour. A number of ships appear to have been boarded and are being inspected.
Talbot, wearing normal clothes for a change, watches the scene. There's a hint of worry on his face. "They always inspect ships during war time. We might be able to dock, but there's no avoiding an inspection. They might be looking for us. How do we get past the guards?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Anser replies.
Anser guides the ship up to a pier. The party isn't stopped, but as soon as the ship settles into place and is tied to the pier, a couple of guards, wearing dented and scratched mail, approach the ship.
"Okay, here they come...they should have a means to detect magic and we know they're watching for ships from Spellmount. And likely for us...how do we get out of this?" Talbot seems to be directing this question at Irdred. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (just two guards? Are their other guards on the pier?) Savage Tide Info Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (What does Irdred know about these types of inspections? Is all magic considered "bad"? I know necromancy's right out, but what about, say, healing magic?) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (The party can only see two guards, but the docks are so busy it's hard to make out any other guards among the hustle and bustle. Their plain looking armor doesn't make them stand out nearly as much as the royal guards do.
Irdred doesn't know anything about dock inspections. The people of the city generally revere healers; however, the issue at hand has nothing to do with magic itself, but the fact the queen just declared war on a city of mages and you're a magically charged bunch showing up at her doorstep a few days later)
**I should mention the pier is about 100 ft. long. There is a flagstone road filled with people, crates, and other things you expect to see at a busy harbour, and just beyond that is a tall, 3 storied building. It backs onto a wall that features an opened gate nearby. This gate is the most obvious way into the city.
IRDRED FINAL SHOPPING: All changes made. It takes a day to enchant the amulet so he loses one potion and 6 pages are consumed from the Barrier Tome; his load is still Medium but he is Bulky now; he has 3,624 gold
Irdred's staff is now the skeletal arm of some beast large enough to have a 5 ft. long arm. The staff is topped with a skull and Irdred put the quartz in the skull's mouth. The skeletal hand still occupies the butt of the staff.
ADAM FINAL SHOPPING: Changes made. Did you still want to enchant that bow? Adam now has 13,146 GP, but his load is Bulky now (you've got 3 swords on one belt)
That's it for shopping.
And ref. sheets updated to reflect the changes. These changes are final. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (Cursing Weapon for the bow as long as I dont have to jam the bow itself into anyone.)
"Fighting our way through might be a bad idea. Talking our way out of things isnt our best suit. We could always pretend that Irdred is our captive." He says watching for Irdred's reaction out of the corner of his eye with a grin. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (lol...no, the jabbing part is for implementing a permanent curse. Minor curses are fine.
And that's it for buying stuff. No more purchases from Spellmount) * * * * * *
The hint of a grin forms on Talbot's face. "As much as it pains me to admit...the necromancer has proven useful. If we say he's our captive, they will search him more carefully, discover he's a necromancer, and kill him where he stands. No, I don't think that will help...but it could make a great distraction. How about we call that our back-up plan?" Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (Ignore this) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag During the trip, Irdred splits the Advanced Delayed Heal potions between the group (2 for Talbot, 2 for Jack, 2 for Adam). He will also don his hat and mask, and pack his bottomless bag into his bag of surgery supplies once they get closer to port.
**************
Oddly, Irdred doesn't seem terribly opposed to Adam's plan. "I hate to disappoint you, but it's possible they won't kill me on the spot -- let's just say that there are certain people in power here who would prefer to keep me alive and well.* But if they don't kill me, they'll imprison me on principle, and it would needlessly complicate matters if we were to split up. I say we save it for a last resort. I have a better idea for a distraction."
Out of view of the guards, he puts a flask of alchemist's fire in his vulture's talons. He then instructs the bird to to fly high into the air and drop the flask at a strategic spot. (The target depends on our surroundings -- any nice casks of gunpowder laying around? Or any ships that look like they belong to the queen's forces? Or better yet, one of the queen's ships with casks of gunpowder on deck?) The vulture is to hide somewhere after this task is done.
Irdred dusts his hands off. "If we're still boarded after that, we can wait until the guards search the interior of the ship, and then deal with them there."
(*This has to do with Irdred's backstory, so I don't know if you want to incorporate it or not. I can send you details if you want.) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (It's been a very long time since I've seen Irdred's backstory, so yes, send me the details) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (Okay, but I think it would be more efficient to have a regular potions)
ROYAL CAPITAL: Harbour, Southern Docks CONDITIONS: Morning, Bright, Warm GOALS: Infiltrate the Palace and retake the Earth Plan, Safely Enter the City
Irdred can't see any casks of gunpowder lying around, and taking a wild guess would be a waste of the alchemist's fire, but there is no shortage of royal ships floating around the harbour, so he sends the undead vulture in that direction (yes, I'm aware it's not a heavily decomposed zombie). The vulture flies up to the sails of the nearest ship, drops the flask, and its contents are spilled all over the sails. It doesn't take long for the entire mast of the ship to become a giant torch.
"Gah! We're under attack!" someone shouts. The party isn't exactly sure where the shout came from, but it's followed by a yell of "To arms!" and the guards spin around and run off somewhere. The people working around the docks begin to shout and run about in a panic and soon the entire harbour is rife with activity.
"Go!" Sara urges. "Move now before they realize it's nothing."
"What? What about you? We can't leave you here," Talbot replies.
Sara grins. "Aww, the brave knight is worried about the damsel in distress. You don't have to worry about me, sir knight. I've done this sort of thing a hundred times. Be sure to tell Swan when you're ready to infiltrate the palace. I'll see you later."
And with that, the eccentric runeship captain charges the side of the ship, leaps over the side, and dives into the water.
"She is right. We better hurry," Talbot reiterates, then charges the ramp.
It doesn't take long for the party to cross the pier and disappear into the crowd. The party easily blends into the throng of curious onlookers. This is especially true for Jack who just outright disappears because he's so short. The party pushes through the crowd until they reach the harbour gate, then they begin to move at a more inconspicuous pace.
At some point during all of this, Swan's parrot flies off. When Jack checks his shoulder, the bird is gone.
ea1d2b6b84baa8cde3f660f452134f5d.jpg *The harbour gate looks a little something like this
"There's a tavern nearby where we can discuss our next move. The owner hates the knights for some reason and he always watered down our ale, so you rarely ever see guards in there. It should be a safe place to talk," Talbot explains.
Now that the party has entered the city proper, they are quickly reminded of how spoiled they were in Spellmount. Gone are the fancy magical lanterns, the colourful buildings, the eclectic people, and the awesome sight of magic being used in the streets. The royal capital is a much more dreary place in contrast: the flagstoned streets are dull and colourless, the stone-brick buildings are tightly packed and generic, and the most colourful thing in the markets is rainbow trout. Tightly packed groups of guards, usually 6, patrol the streets. Their armor has little flare besides the sword and flame of the queen's court emblazoned on their chestplates, and their weapons are simple. Most of the roads weren't designed with wagons in mind, and those besides the main roads feel claustrophobic.
But the city isn't completely devoid of spectacles: renaissance fashion is in heavy use among the city's people, and though it's not quite as colourful as it was in Spellmount, there is still an effort by most people to stand out from the usual fare of tunics and breeches. Banners and flags hang from nearly every gate and top most towers, and when there isn't a wall obstructing the party's view, they can clearly make out the white-washed walls of the queen's palace.
Another benefit to returning to the mundane world: prices have returned to normal. The ridiculous prices of Spellmount are a long lost memory. You can buy heaps of food for a few gold now, healing potions are considered to be rare and valuable again, the average adventurer looks like little more than a lightly armored man with a weapon instead of the heavily enchanted types of Spellmount, and horses, buggies, flying carpets, etc. are rare sights.
Talbot eventually spots his tavern and leads them inside. It's an unremarkable looking place marked with a sign that depicts a rooster rolling die for some reason:
istockphoto_4160173-architecture-of-old-quebec-city-canada.jpg
"The Gambling C*ck," Talbot announces. "Don't be fooled by its tame appearance. This place can get very rowdy at night. It's almost always filled with sea dogs and other salty types."
Once inside, the former knight sits the party down in a far corner and orders an ale.
"Okay, options...I know we have a job to do, but before we do anything else...I have to check on my family. I heard an awful rumour about them and I have to see if they're okay. We should also look into establishing a base of operations until we have a better idea of how to infiltrate the palace. We can't just run in there. I know we've survived some incredible things, but the entire royal guard might be a bit much. Doesn't the necromancer have a lab or something nearby?"
As the party talks, Irdred can't help but notice two funny looking dwarves enter the tavern. They take a seat nearby and begin talking in anything but hushed tones.
"This is a disaster!" the first, wearing a monocle and looking like he just set his bushy moustache on fire, exclaims. "We'll never be ready before our presentation."
"They'll have us executed for sure," the second, the taller dwarf of the two, replies. "You don't spend that much money without expecting something in return. And we've got nothing!"
"We've got ale," the first dwarf says as he raises his mug. "That's the only good thing going for us right now. Let's drink and enjoy what is probably the last day of our lives."
"If only ale could fix the damned thing, I'd buy a hundred more," the second dwarf mutters.
INFILTRATION QUESTS: From this point on, you will have the option of choosing many different side-quests. They may seem simple or unrelated to the story, but every quest (save for reputation specific tasks) lead into the palace in some way or form. It's just a matter of which flavour of quest you'd prefer.
INVENTORY UPDATE: Irdred uses alchemist's fire Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag Adam seems distracted. He seems to be looking across the tavern at someone. He says without moving his focus from where he is looking, "I also have some business to take care of. Let me know where this lab is and I will meet you guys there." He keeps his eyes trained across the room. If they leave the tavern, Adam will try to follow him without being noticed. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag "The lab..." Irdred ponders, keeping his voice down. "I imagine it's in a sorry state, but sufficient for our purposes."
But he doesn't reveal its location just yet. "Wait, Adam." He eyes Talbot sternly. "You... were awfully loyal to the Queen when we first met. Fanatically so, one might say. And I somehow doubt that Sir Bryant's fate alone was enough to make you see reason. So, what is it? Is there anything you'd like to tell us? Because I can't help thinking that you are harbouring some ill-conceived plot to betray us, and I'd really like some reassurance that you are not." d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag Talbot narrows his eyes at Irdred and crosses his arms across his chest. "Other than the fact we now have sufficient evidence to suggest the Queen is behind these crimes..."
The young knight suddenly looks sad. "...the knights think I'm an imposter. Something strange is going on and I'm worried about my parents. Look...let's try to work this out quickly. I really need to get home." Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag This seems good enough for Irdred, because he doesn't pursue the matter further. "And I'm worried about my laboratory." He reveals its location now, quiet-like. "That is where I was when the Queen's miscreant pirates took me, and while I doubt their rum-addled brains could possibly construe the types of research occurring there... well, there is always the off-chance that they mentioned something to someone who would know. When we approach, we should be cautious."
Meanwhile, he glances surreptitiously at whatever has Adam's attention, and keeps an ear open for whatever those dwarves are talking about. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag
ROYAL CAPITAL: Harbour, Southern Docks CONDITIONS: Morning, Bright, Warm GOALS: Infiltrate the Palace and retake the Earth Plan, Safely Enter the City
Adam seems to have his eyes on a dashing looking, with a hint of danger, young-man in the corner. Irdred has never seen Adam with a girl, so this may explain a few things. Adam better be careful in the religion-addled royal city because they stone people like that here.
With the location of Irdred's lab revealed-we'll work out exactly where later-the party splits up and goes about their business.
IRDRED:
Irdred continues to listen to the dwarves.
The first dwarf slams his mug on the table. "Another round!"
"Okay, we need to break the problem down into its basic elements," the second dwarf begins. "We need to think about this."
The first dwarf grins. "You want to think? Now? With three cups of ale in you? I know you like a challenge, but..."
"Stop fooling around! We're in serious trouble here. The queen is expecting us to deliver a working prototype by the end of the week (Note: It's Monday btw). She already extended the deadline and paid good money for us to fix the problem. We've got nothing! She will accuse us of being charlatans and throw us in the dungeon."
"Yeah, I'd rather that not happen again," the first dwarf replies. "We still have a good bit of money left. How about we just take it and run? We'll have a week's head start. By the time they catch up, we'll be in a neighbouring country."
"Then they will kill us for sure!"
"Better than rotting in the dungeon."
"Let's just fix the damn machine."
"We've tried everything! Would you rather risk 5 days on the machine, or 5 days on a good head start?"
"I suppose you're right..."
JACK:
The subject of Jack's attention does not appear to do anything else. Maybe he is just a rude nobody. The man eventually gives up staring and turns his attention somewhere else.
Jack isn't sure what to do with this, and the rest of the party appears to have their own business. Irdred did mention his lab was discovered. Perhaps it would be prudent to go ahead and investigate (unless there is something else Jack has in mind).
ADAM:
The young man eventually gets up and leaves the tavern...and is followed by two other intimidating looking men, one a well-muscled brute with an axe, and a rat-faced guy with a scar on his cheek. Both looked like seasoned fighters. The trio appear to be a party. On the bright side, the brutish man gives Adam some cover, plus he is a lot easier to spot than the young guy.
The three immediately take a right outside of the tavern and appear to be headed back to the docks. Adam does his best to blend in with the surrounding crowd, moving purposely but not too quickly, while keeping a close eye on the brutish mercenary. They don't stop until they reach the gate Adam just passed to escape the harbour.
The burning sails of the royal naval ship have stopped burning and the commotion has died down. Anser's ship is still sitting at the end of the pier and it is now being swarmed with guards. There appears to be a lot of arguing, but none of the ship's crew have been allowed to leave yet. Thankfully, no one pays any special attention to Adam.
The trio of fighters make a left and continue along the docks, so Adam continues to follow. They continue for awhile, passing numerous ships, endless piles of crates filled with exotic goods, and all sorts of different people from different continents. Adam eventually spots a majestic ship...and immediately guesses this must belong to Allarant.
It also just so happens to be the queen's personal ship-the one the party sold-but Adam doesn't know that.
The pier to this fine vessel is currently being guarded by a retinue of royal guards, not the forgettable looking guys with dented armor, but the queen's elite fighting force. This strikes Adam as odd. It's even more confusing when the trio of mercenaries walk right up to the guards, say a few words, and are allowed to pass without argument.
This is a head-scratching moment: if the ship belongs to Allarant, why is it being guarded by the royal guard, and why were those buffoons allowed to pass? As Adam ponders this mystery, he spots the scar-faced man take up position at the bow of the ship. He appears to be surveying the docks. Watching for anything suspicious, perhaps? Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag Jack departs, he'll travel a short distance, turn a corner, and wait to see if he is followed. He doesn't go too far from the main thoroughfares. Savage Tide Info Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag Adam walks away from the docks. He heads for the location of the lab that will be their base of ops and stakes it out, overlooking it carefully but not going in.
|
|
|
Post by TG Barighm on May 8, 2018 18:13:32 GMT -5
TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag
ROYAL CAPITAL CONDITIONS: Morning, Bright, Warm GOALS: Infiltrate the Palace and retake the Earth Plan, Safely Enter the City
JACK
Jack exits the Gambling C*ck and, while sticking to the main road, keeps an eye out for anyone following him. It doesn't take long before Jack spots the shady man following him, but now he's joined by another man: a dark skinned man from the southern colonies wearing a vest and a bandana.
Jack ducks around the corner to get out of sight...
...and spots his face hanging on the opposite building.
Jack quickly tears the "Wanted" poster off the wall. It looks old and faded, like it has been hanging on this wall for weeks. It's a wonder the thing hasn't disintegrated. Little skill was put into drawing the halfling's face, but there is no mistaking it is him. There aren't many other details written on the poster other than Jack's capture is worth 200 gold coins, he was seen in the company of a wanted necromancer, and to report to a guard if captured.
ADAM
Adam heads to Irdred's lab.
But we don't really know where Irdred's lab is, do we? Let's find out!
MULTIPLE CHOICE:
a) A mausoleum within an abandoned cemetary
b) A ruined cathedral hidden deep within a forest
c) A subterranean tomb hidden beneath a boulder. Part of a monolithic stone circle near the coast.
d) Bates Motel
*Note Soulweaver's vote counts as 2 votes for this subject Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag As much as I would love to inhabit the Bates Motel, A seems more appropriate. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (I only have a moment, so I vote D! I'll get back to you with more in-depth actions later.) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (A)
(Are there any nearby doors or open windows jack could go through? How far does the alley go before another turn. Jack makes a note to find a scarf to wear over his lower face.) Savage Tide Info Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag Irdred's ears perk up at the mention of the queen. He continues to listen to the dwarves. They don't appear to need any encouragement to keep talking, but if the conversation appears to be wrapping up, Irdred will send a round of ale over to their table to keep their lips flapping. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (Soulweaver's votes get priority because it's her character, so Bates it is)
JACK
These buildings are older and don't appear to have any windows. He also doesn't see any doors, but the alley doesn't go very far before it turns a corner, so Jack sprints to the end and turns a corner.
He keeps an eye out for his pursuers and spots them walk by the alley without noticing him. He breaths a sigh of relief and looks around. He appears to be in a back alley running behind a series of houses. Wet clothes are strung up on clotheslines overhead, rats fearlessly run about, and garbage and human refuse litters the thin walkway. A couple homeless people wander the alley. They pay no attention to Jack.
IRDRED
The dwarves keep talking.
"So that's it, then? We're going to run for it?"
"Unless you've got a better idea..."
"Fix the machine, perhaps?"
"Ain't going to happen."
"What about Henry? He's the one who drew up the designs. He might have an idea."
"Ha! Now I know the ale is getting to you. Henry lives on the other side of the continent, you drunk ninny."
"Fine! Not Henry, but there has to be an engineer somewhere in this city."
"Are you blind? This place is still in the stone age! They don't even have guns. You'd be better off asking for a blessing from a priest."
"They have siege engineers..."
"Tell one of the queen's men we screwed up and need her help? Yeah, that's a great idea..."
"Oh, come on! There has to be someone in this city who can help us. Just one extra set of eyes and a good brain behind them...that's all I ask..."
ADAM
The mercenary sets out to find Irdred's lab. The necromancer provided a complicated set of instructions for Adam to follow, so the place must be well hidden.
Once Adam leaves the harbour, the city becomes a lot more lively. Street vendors, performers, and preachers line nearly every corner. Priests and nuns busy themselves patrolling the streets as much as the guards do, and there are religious symbols all over the place. The most prevalent being the circle and "V" signifying the "golden halo of light" and the coming dawn (Spot the reference!).
Adam knows about the city's thing for religion, so he is used to this. He passes no less than 3 churches on his way to the southern gates, 5 houses being used by locals to deliver sermons, and 20 street preachers. He can even see the steeples of the grand cathedral on the northern side of the city, but the wall blocks most of his view. The "Old Wall", as it is called, was the original boundary of the city, but it has since grown beyond the wall.
At the southern gate, Adam spots two thoroughfares of traffic: those exiting the city, and those trying to get in. Exiting the city isn't a problem, but entering it is the opposite: the guards are carefully expecting everyone trying to enter the city. A long line of people run down the road as they wait to get in. A number of people are tied up and sitting on the ground. Adam hears some talk of "traitors" and "mischief makers" but Adam knows the sort that cause trouble. These innocents definitely aren't those type of people.
Adam continues down the road for a good while. Irdred's lab is roughly a 2 hour hike from the city and well into the countryside, but for the speedy Adam, it's more like an hour. He spots an overgrown road breaking away from the main road and heads that way as per Irdred's instructions. Apparently this used to be a heavily used road to a small fishing village on the coast. It connected to another road to the southern penninsula and was once hailed as a highway to the "prosperous" south. Unfortunately, the villages on the penninsula continue to struggle and produce little, and a much quicker road was eventually built from the city to the fishing village. A number of small businesses were built along these roads to take advantage of the traffic, but the traffic never came, and these businesses died away.
The inn was one such business.
Nestled deep within a small forest separating the inner roads from the coast, Adam finds himself looking at an abandoned inn. A sign with missing letters sits over the door, and only the letters "B", "A", "T", "E", and "S" still remain, but it is hard to tell what they originally spelled. Perched on a small hill overlooking the inn is a creepy looking manorhouse. Both properties have seen better days, but they still seem to be intact.
An abandoned wagon, in a surprisingly good state of repair, sits outside the old inn. Adam can also see disturbed earth at the foot of the hill, and knowing the necromancer, these are probably shallow graves.
Adam can smell a campfire. Looking up, he spots a thin wisp of smoke beginning to rise out of the old inn's chimney. Is someone in the inn? Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag Adam looks up at the window at the top of the house. He then goes up to the front door of the house and knocks. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (Chimney smoke is coming from the inn btw, not the house) * * * * * * *
As much as I'd like to throw the classical movie house into the game, the manor house looks a lot more like this:
Pic_Attr118.jpg *I had a better house, but being called C*ck Manor, which was included in the URL, I can't post it
Adam begins his short jaunt to the house. He looks up at the most prominent window expecting to see something, but the light is hitting the window in such a way to make it reflective. He doesn't see anything but glare.
Seconds before stepping onto the stoop, he spots what appears to be a person in the bushes on the far side of the house. The figure quickly ducks out of sight. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (does jack know where the lab was?) Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (Yes, he does, but he won't get there before Adam does) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (Oh! When you said chimney I was thinking of the one in the house. I couldnt remember if there was one in the original inn.)
"I can see you over there. Please don't make me chase you. Are you the owner of this place?" (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (I don't literally use locations from other properties. More like they inspire the design) * * * * * * *
The mysterious person doesn't reply to Adam. Looks like he or she ran off. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag Adam goes over to where the stranger was and looks around. He then goes to the inn to and knocks on the door. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag * * * * * * * *
Adam walks up to the corner of the manor. He doesn't see anyone, but he does see the doors to the cellar. One of the doors are open. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag Is it even possible? Is fortune smiling upon us at last? Irdred may distrust his luck, but he'd be a fool to let this chance pass.
This does, however, means that he needs to interact civilly with others -- not exactly one of his strong points -- but he can pantomime pleasantries well enough if need be. "My apologies, gentlemen. It is not normally in my nature to intrude," he says to the dwarves, turning around in his chair to face them, "but I couldn't help but bend an ear to your tale of trouble." He calls over a round of ale over for the two of them. Then, glad that his mask hides his grimace of distaste, he goes on, "Could be that it is within my faculties to help." d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag IRDRED
The dwarves stare at Irdred for a moment before replying.
"And what faculties might that be? Eavesdropping and a penchance for wearing goofy outfits?"
"Shut up, you nincompoop! He is offering to help."
"He could be a bleeding hood! You can't possibly trust him?"
"Am I to trust you? You want to run and risk the dungeons."
The dwarves start to argue again, so Irdred has to grab their attention with a cough.
"Oh, right...so, how can you help us?"
*We're behind, so we'll just say Irdred tells the dwarves what he can do without mentioning necromancy.
"Alchemy, eh?" the first dwarf leans back in his chair for a moment. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to show him the machine. It's not like he can steal the design of a broken machine."
"Maybe he can whip something up to help us out?"
"Maybe," the first dwarf leans forward in his chair. "You can call me Billi and this is my oath brother Fort. We don't have much time, so let's go."
The dwarves and necromancer quickly close their tabs and head off to the harbour. They soon arrive at a dull and featureless building near one of the smaller piers. It's an old warehouse. The only colour it features is a flock of seagulls on its roof and a thin carpet of bird droppings.
Billi walks up to the door and pulls it open, it's quite a feat for the small dwarf to drag the heavy door open, while Fort watches for some strange reason. The trio then enter the warehouse. Irdred can see a small, dwarven sized work table on the left side of the warehouse, piles of tools and scrap metal on the right, a number of other workman's items lying about, and the machine itself sitting in the center of the warehouse:
press.jpg
"Behold the printing press!" Fort exclaims.
"It can print a full page of text in mere moments! Much faster than the best scribes can write," Billi adds.
"We can produce a hundred pages in a day with this. Imagine! An entire book in a day."
"The queen wants to educate her citizens? Producing a whole lot of books ought to do it."
"When it works, anyway...the ink smeers, the pages rip, we keep breaking pins, and the whole darn thing is just a pain to operate. Got any ideas?" Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag Adam goes down into the cellar. "Hello?" He draws his Enhanced Longsword. "Anybody home?" (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag "Oh! You are beautiful, aren't you?" Irdred muses over the machine in honest wonder, forgetting for a moment his purpose in coming here. When he does remember, though, wonder is quickly replaced with disappointment -- the machine is not the siege engine he was expecting. His plan had been to make a "Trojan horse" of sorts out of the dwarven machine, and it will be far harder to do that with a printing press than with a siege engine. Could this be a waste of time?
"Start it up. I want to see it in action," he directs the two dwarves. Even if it does end up being a waste of time, Irdred can't help but inspect the machine for obvious flaws. He may not be an engineer, but he does have a head for the basic workings of things. Even if he can't tell what the problem is, does he think he could make the printing press function properly via an Animate spell, if he so chose?
He also looks at the supplies the dwarves are using -- can he spot any problem with the type of paper and ink they are using? d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag IRDRED
"Alrighty! Grab a chair, Fort," Billi instructs as he runs up to the printing press. Fort grabs a tall chair with a make-shift ladder built into it and moves it up to the machine. Once atop the chair, Billi grabs the crank and uses it to climb onto the table. He places a sheet of paper under the press, applies some ink from an inkjar, then returns to the chair where he begins to use the crank. The dwarf struggles mightly to turn the crank, and press squeels in protest, and it practically crushes the paper below it.
The final printing is completely illegible and the paper is torn. Quite a feat considering how thick the paper is.
"If we had more time to figure this out, I'm sure we can," Billi states as he climbs off the chair. "But we only have a few days before we have to make our presentation to the queen."
"And that's to say nothing of getting the thing into the palace. We haven't even begun working that part out," Fort adds.
The process is slightly amusing to the seasoned mage. A bunch of animated pens will do just as good a job, and they can work through the night, but the mundane world needs its nonmagical solutions.
Irdred begins to inspect the press and immediately identifies a number of issues. For one thing, they're not using the best mixture of ink for this kind of application. It's obviously some cheap stuff grabbed from the market. Irdred is certain he can mix up something much better. Noting the dwarf's struggle to turn the crank, Irdred inspects the machinery itself. The dwarves are using oil to lubricate the machine, but it's a poor choice. The oil is too thin and it doesn't cling well. Irdred knows a lubricant that should work much better. Irdred also investigates the matter of the fragile pins. This is just a matter of poor metallurgy. Whoever the dwarves trusted with smithing the machine's parts clearly isn't very skilled, or a damned cheat. Irdred may not know much about smithing, but he knows a good bit about chemistry, and he can definitely upgrade many of the machine's components. All he needs to do is find a trustworthy smith. If he can sneak in a few enchantments, the machine will never break (any enchantment upgrades an item's strength).
Irdred could easily force the machine to work via Animation, but with the problems Irdred identified, its issues will still hold it back. Don't forget Irdred is no longer in magic-friendly territory.
It may not be a siege engine, but the dwarves still need to get the printing press into the palace to give their presentation.
It's a quick and painless way into the palace. Throw in some stealth and you may be able to bypass the queen's guard entirely. If this is the path the party wishes to follow, pursue this questline to its conclusion (or pursue it anyway just for the sake of having an option, but keep in mind Irdred could be using this time to brew more potions). You may wait for other opportunities to present themselves if you do not like this questline.
ADAM
Adam descends the stairs into the cellar. At the bottom of the stairs, he can see a series of shelves covered in all sorts of strange things.
But he doesn't see much else. The cellar door slams shut and fills the room with darkness. Adam can hear the unmistakable sound of chains wrapping around the doors. The light issuing through the cracks provide just enough light to see the stairs, but not much else.
JACK
While Jack wanders around the city, he picks up on something odd. Despite the increased security around the city, Jack hasn't heard anyone mention the war with Spellmount. Surely something as dangerous as a potential battle with a city of wizards would be cause for alarm?
A quick image of the warship Scourge of the Heavens flashes through the halfling's mind. That monster could do some damage. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag Jack will inquire of news of the city from some of the homeless, while making his way in the general direction of the lab. Savage Tide Info Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag "You have got to be kidding me." Adam uses the lock gremlin (if its small enough to squeeze through the wood boards) to unlock the lock on the chains holding the door together and exit the cellar. If not, might strike the door. If that doesnt work, he will feel his way around the wall for door or set of stairs leading up to the main house. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag JACK
The majority of news Jack gathers is boring: festivals, readings, religious gatherings, and about a hundred other things related to the church. All this religious stuff strikes Jack as a little creepy, but being a person with few morales, anything remotely holy may seem odd to him.
Jack does catch a few interesting bits: there was a parade awhile back celebrating the return of the knights who died defending the queen's ship. Their corpses were put on display and marched through the street. There is a monument to them in the city's cathedral along with the names of every knight recovered.
Jack is also surprised to hear the queen's ship, "Love of the Sea", was also recovered and currently sits in the harbour. This being the same ship Jack sold a few weeks ago.
Jack also hears a bit about an annoying group of thieves in the city. This wouldn't be so interesting if everyone agreed on the story, but Jack hears this same group of thieves referred to as rebels, troublemakers, and disloyalists. Apparently they're responsible for a few mishaps in the city, notably anything that tarnished the queen's image. It is said their leader is a former knight.
ADAM
The gremlin makes short work of the chains and they soon fall away from the doors. While Adam waits for the little creature to do its work, he picks up on a few odd noises in the cellar. They could just be his imagination.
When Adam pushes the doors open, there is a distinct hissing noise from somewhere nearby. He looks around, but again doesn't spot anything. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag Adam doesn't stick around to see what it is so he runs away from the cellar. He grows tired of the games so he makes his way to the in and kicks the door in. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag ADAM
Adam charges the inn and...well, the door is already open because the hinges are broken, so he kicks the door frame and makes a big fuss just for the heck of it.
He puffs himself up just to look extra intimidating, then steps into the inn. He finds himself in the inn's former common room. Nearly every piece of furniture in the room is covered in rot or moss, but the floor appears to be in good condition. There is a lot of scuff marks and disturbances in the dust like people still use the old inn. Speaking of which, Adam immediately spots three people dressed like gypies huddled around a small fire in the fireplace. They're watching the door when Adam marches in and squeek like frightened little girls when the mercenary does arrive. One of them is, in fact, a girl.
"Oh please, good sir! Don't hurt us," one hairy looking man says as he cringes in fright.
"W-we're just poor travelers. W-we have nothing for you to take," the girl stammers. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag "Shut up." He puts his sword away. He says sternly, "Who are you and what are you doing in this nasty inn? Who lives in the house back there?" (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag * * * * *
"We're...we're just travelers! Honest!" the girl replies.
"It's cold and we're hungry. We stopped to eat and warm up a bit," says the hairy one.
The other man just nods.
"Nobody lives there," the girl adds. "We know better than to go in there."
"Yeah, this place is safe enough during the day, so long as you don't go into the manor. Queer things living there."
The other man just nods in agreement.
"But at night...strange creatures come out and wander the woods. We've never seen them. Nobody who has lives to talk about it and the guards don't come this way anymore."
"Yeah, you best be well away from here by sunset."
The mute points at the road and continues to nod in agreement. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag "That means it's dangerous here. I want you gone by morning. You never saw me." Adam looks around for some candles and matches then heads back to the manor. He heads for the front door and uses the lock gremlin to unlock it. He proceeds inside and looks around. If nothing interesting is there he looks for a way into the cellar, lighting the candles. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag * * * * * *
"Oh, we never stay for long," the girl replies.
The other man is still nodding. Adam is starting to think the guy has a weird twitch or something.
Adam discovers a well-used candle in the back of the abandoned inn. It won't last long, but it's all he's got. He lights the candle using the gypsy's fire, then heads back to the manor house.
As Adam approaches the house, he notices the glare on the large window has gone away. He now catches a glimpse of movement. It looks like a rocking chair was moving for a second, but it isn't now.
The lock gremlin mumbles something about being overworked before jumping onto the doorknob and climbing into the keyhole. The lock is quickly dispatched and the little labourer climbs back into his pouch. Stepping into the manorhouse, he discovers himself in the foyer. The stairs to the upper floors lie before him, and the common room sits to his left and a dining area to his right. It looks like Irdred liked to keep the house dark because there are heavy curtains on all the windows. The light from the door is barely enough to illuminate the house's interior.
One thing is obvious: Irdred has a lot of stuff. The dining table is jam-packed with all sorts of items, most of which Adam can't see in the darkness, but he doubts he can identify most of them, and the common room is filled with books piled up to Adam's head. Dust and cobwebs cover everything and it's all Adam can do to avoid sneezing.
But that's not the thing that catches the mercenary's eye. There are a couple chairs in the common room. The shape of two people occupies these chairs. They sit unmoving and do not heed Adam's presence.
A chill goes up Adam's spine. The seasoned mercenary is not accustomed to fear, but something nags at his mind. This place is spooky and he can't quite put his finger on why. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag Jack inquires about the thieves. Savage Tide Info Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag If there are any candles or lanterns that he can light, he lights them as he goes through the manor. Then Adam heads toward the two figures sitting in their chairs. The gypsies mentioned that no one lived at the manor. Maybe they are squatters just looking for a place to stay for the day. He goes over to them to kick them out.
|
|
|
Post by TG Barighm on May 8, 2018 18:14:00 GMT -5
TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag JACK
Jack asks about the thieves, but he doesn't learn much. He receives a multitude of answers: they're just thieves, they're rebels fighting for injustice, they have secret information and they're fighting to reveal it, they're a group of cultists, they're aliens stealing babies, etc. Nobody knows where they hide or how to contact them...short of making oneself a target or Jack can get their attention by causing a little mischief.
ADAM
Adam can't see any candles in the darkness. He raises his burning candle high so he can get a better look at the place, then proceeds deeper into the dark house. When he reaches the two people in the chairs, he is shocked to discover a pair of shriveled corpses. Adam suspects Irdred has something to do with this.
Adam's examination of the dead is interrupted by the sound of footsteps. It sounds like they came from upstairs. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (May as well keep our options open. I'll pursue this questline for the time being.)
"It's a start," Irdred mutters, more to himself than to the dwarves. The printing press may be quaint by his standards, but he keeps any commentary about the superiority of magic to himself. He instead takes detailed notes on the press (particularly the troublesome pins), then arranges for the dwarves to meet him back here in three days' time. That should give him enough time to decide if this is even worthwhile, and if so, come up with a viable plan.
"Several of the components are faulty, but a week is more than enough time to make the necessary adjustments," he assures the dwarves. "Allow me to handle the components. In the meantime, you two devise a method of transport. Something enclosed, that will protect the machine's delicate parts against the elements." And protect us against the prying eyes of the castle guard, he adds mentally. Then, aloud, "Get started immediately, if you will. Whatever you come up with will likely need some refinements, so see to it that I have something to work with when I come back on Thursday."
Unless Billi and Fort have anything else to say, Irdred will leave to seek out a smith. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag Adam curses Irdred and his sick necromatic practices and walks over to the stairs. "Irdred? You had better not be playing tricks on me! I don't care how much we need you! I will not hesitate to put a blade through your neck!" He draws his Enhanced Longsword and makes his way up the stairs. Attach to injure unless it is someone helpless. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag ADAM
Sword drawn, Adam returns to the foyer and begins to make his way up the rickety old stairs. Every step he takes creaks and moans, but he soon reaches the upper floor.
At the top of the stairs, Adam finds himself facing the room with the large window. Inside the room he can see an old rocking chair. It's not moving now, but the mercenary saw it moving when he was outside. There appears to be a doll occupying the chair.
Looking around, Adam's candle reveals more rooms to his left and right and one more behind him. Everything, save for the one room before him, remains dark.
"Trespasser..." a voice hisses from behind Adam.
The mercenary spins around and spots a tall man wearing a thick coat. He is standing in the doorway of the back room. His clothes are worn and torn in some places, his eyes small, and his cheeks sunken. It's hard to tell in the candle light, but the tip of the strange man's nose appears to be blackened.
"Trespasser," the man repeats. "We trap man in cellar and you escape, yet you do not leave? Why do you not leave? Do you taste the darkness like we do? No, that can't be...your blood is warm."
To reach the man, Adam would have to go around the stairs and past one of the rooms, unless he feels like climbing. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag "I see. You're one of Irdred's ghostly playthings. He was the one who sent me here. He did fail to warm me of its inhabitants." He puts the sword back in it's sheath. "I don't know what you all do here so I will just leave and stay at the inn." He heads down the stairs. "Don't follow me." he says as he points at the man and walks out towards the inn. He makes himself home in the kitchen and cleans up a bit. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag ADAM
Adam starts back down the stairs.
The weird man tilts his head at the mercenary and gives him an evil smile. "You talk as if one has dominion over us. You are wrong. It is clear you are ignorant. A worthless sack of flesh, no more. Bequeath your spirit energy to us! We have better use for it than you."
The weird man suddenly steps away from the door to the backroom and slams the door shut. Just as this happens, the front door also slams shut and fills the lower floor with darkness. Adam can see another person standing in the shadows by the door, but even more surprising, this person's eyes appear to have been replaced by glowing orbs of bluish fire. After closing the door, this strange person begins to shuffle towards Adam. It is about 15 ft. away.
The mercenary also catches movement by the chairs. The corpses have begun to rise to their feet. Their eyes also glow in a queer way. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag Adam sets the candle down and runs the rest of the way down the stairs. He attacks the first creature he comes to, aiming for the head. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag ADAM
Adam charges the strange person at the bottom of the stairs, but the figure with the glowing eyes ducks Adam's slash.
Within seconds after putting his candle down, it goes out. Adam now can't see much of anything. All he can see is bluish orbs of light floating in the darkness. He tries to get his bearings straight, but there isn't much he can do in the darkness.
Adam suddenly gets punched in the groin. It really smarts (Attack Success on 3; negative factor on Block due to darkness, -2 HP). He stumbles about for a second, but he's able to turn to face the ball-puncher before it can land another blow. Adam can only guess where the next attack is coming from and he guesses wrong: he gets clocked in the face (Attack Success on 3; -2 HP). Adam lashes out the best he can, but the glowy eyed monster swiftly evades his attack (All 1's, sorry). Thankfully, his renewal ability lessens some of the pain (+1 HP).
Adam can see the corpses and their glowing eyes getting closer.
IRDRED
Fort nods. "Alrighty! I'll go find some strong guys who can move this thing. It shouldn't take long."
Billi also nods. "I'll go rent us a cart. It will be tricky to borrow a horse."
With that taken care of, Irdred goes out in search of a trustworthy smith. He starts with his old smith in the New City quarter near the southern gate. Old Benny has been smithing in the New City for decades, and despite having more than enough money to move into the wealthy quarter, refuses to leave his customers. He believes quality shouldn't be restricted to the rich and he rarely asks questions. A good guy with a neutral heart. Perfect for Irdred's needs.
Irdred can hear Benny's hammer before he actually reaches the smithy. The house gutted to serve as a smithy looks a lot like Benny himself: old, worn, always covered in soot, yet more charismatic than the forgettable houses surrounding it. Old Benny, long since passed his prime, yet somehow still able to swing the heaviest hammers, occupies his usual spot by the anvil. His assistants are nowhere in sight and it looks like a slow day at the smithy.
Benny immediately recognizes Irdred upon setting into the smithy.
"Irdred, my boy! I haven't seen you in weeks," Benny begins hammering to hide his next words. "Are you in a spot of trouble? Your face dominated the wanted posters for weeks! I was getting worried. Glad to see you're okay. The posters have long since peeled away, so I doubt anyone will remember you. Can't say the same about the guards. Now, whaddya need? Crack in your cauldron? Need another one of your queer tools? I've always been curious about those strange tools you use, but you know me. No questions asked!"
STATUS: Adam -3 HP and Blind Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag Using the glowing orbs as his guide, he goes to grab where the thinks the body of the man is and wrestles him down, stabbing him multiple times in the body and releaving him of his head. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag * * * * * *
Adam leaps at the glowing eyes. His guess is a good one, and he wraps his left arm around the weirdo's neck and pushes him to the ground. The weirdo doesn't try to fight Adam. It tries to bite Adam!
Adam has hung around with a lot of zombies lately, and despite the slight oddity of this particular group, these guys sure act a lot like zombies. Adam has little trouble breaking the weirdo's neck (Bonebreaker Critical Hit! -2 HP). A follow up slash of his sword send its head rolling across the floor.
But while Adam is busy wrestling the first of the glowing-eyed zombies to the ground, the other two shuffle up behind him and attack! The first grabs Adam's sword arm and pulls the mercenary off the downed zombie with incredible strength. The second zombie latches onto Adam's chest and bites him in the shoulder (Success on 3; -2 HP; they're getting lots of 3's). Thankfully, the renewing ring kicks in to help Adam out a bit.
Adam now has one zombie pulling on his arm and the other gripping his breastplate. These zombies are showing far more strength than Adam has seen before.
STATUS: Adam -4 HP and Blind and Grappled Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag Adam tries to push the zombie grabbing on his arm away from him. If his sword arm is free, he will us it to jam the sword into the head of the one that is on his breastplate. He wrestles down whichever he can get his hands on and takes their heads as well. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag ADAM
The only free arm Adam has left is his shield arm, so he attempts to push the zombie away with a thrust of his shield. He whacks the zombie with the shield, but he can't get the glowy-eyed monster off him.
The zombie holding Adam's arm attempts to drag the mercenary to the ground, but despite the zombie's strength, Adam's masterful wrestling skills allows him to twist his arm free from the zombie. When the second zombie tries to take another bite out of Adam, the mercenary shoves his sword through the zombie's open mouth, then rips the sword out of the right side of the zombie's face (Attack Success for -3 HP). When Adam attempts to turn the table on the zombie, the first zombie grabs his back again and messes up his attempt (Grab attempt Failure on1 ). The second zombie is knocked aside, Adam hip-checks the first zombie aside, and the tattooed warrior is now free of undead hands.
A quick slash beheads the second zombie. The first zombie attacks Adam from behind again, but this time Adam spins around and knocks the zombie aside with his shield (Block Success on 2). He then tackles the undead and the two end up on the floor (Tackle Succes on 3). Adam easily pins the zombie down while keeping its blackened teeth away from the mercenary's flesh. Adam gets his hand on the zombie's forehead, smacks it into the floor a few times, then saws off the zombie's head with the sword.
Three zombies, three heads. Adam's attackers have been dispatched. Oh, and the ring restores another HP.
STATUS: Adam -3 HP and Blind
TIP OF THE PAGE: Don't forget to issue commands to your magical items! When you have a choice of targets or giving up actions, they don't work automatically. They need to be instructed. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag Adam gets the door open to get some light into the house. He uses the healing brand to heal himself to full health. He then goes into the room the previous two zombies walked out of and looks for the fireplace. He takes the time to move the bodies into the room and tries to start a fire with their bodies. If that doesnt work, he will look for anything combustable to light and start it that way. He sets their heads on the nearest table (and names them Larry, Curly, and Moe). He opens window curtains for more light as well. He searches each of the rooms, opening window curtains and looking for candles to use for light. He examines the doll was in the upstairs room to see if there is anything special about it. He looks for the door to the cellar from inside the house. He also checks the kitchen to see whats available for food. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag ADAM
Adam throws open the front door, filling the lower floors with light and a bit more cheer. He then uses the WAND to restore to his health.
As he finishes using the wand, a gunshot fills the manor. He feels something hit his shoulder, but no pain. A bit of steam rises from an armor plate covering his shoulder. Adam spins around and spots the weird guy with the black nose standing at his spot by the backroom on the second floor. He is pointing a gun at Adam...until he begins attempting to reload it.
"The darkness does not want you here!" the weird guy hisses.
STATUS: Adam -3 HP and Blind Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (I knew that didnt look right when I typed that out.)
Adam closes the gap between him and the man. Tackle to disarm. Grapple into submission. Drag him outside the house. Make him explain his actions. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag ADAM
Adam charges up the stairs to get at the weird guy. The strange one immediately ducks into the backroom.
Once Adam is at the top of the stairs, he races passed a side room...
...and a zombie suddenly jumps out and attempts to grab him!
Adam is totally surprised. The zombie hammers into him and pushes him against the second floor bannister, then attempts to bite him in the arm. Adam elbows the zombie in the mouth, knocking some teeth loose in the process, then pushes the undead off him. As he does this, a second zombie appears from the room on the other side of the house. The weird man slams the door to the back room shut again. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag He charges the first zombie and attacks to dismember and behead. If he can push him into the room the zombie came out of he will do that. If he gets double teamed, he will command the shield to bash anything else that gets close. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag * * * * * *
Adam lashes out with a savage blow to the zombie's head. He cleaves the zombie's skull in half, severing everything above the ears clean off, and sending the dome of the zombie's skull spinning to the floor (Critical Hit! -4 HP). The zombie is momentarily stunned, but it doesn't fall. Adam's next strike cleaves the zombie in half and sends it torso to the floor. The zombie is so old it does not bleed.
Adam noticed a lot of resistence on that last slash. These guys have incredibly tough flesh.
When the second zombie gets close, Adam commands his shield to bash. The shield lashes out at the exact same moment thrusts his sword. The shield merely bumps the zombie, but the sword goes clean through the undead's torso (Sword attack Success on 3; -3 HP). The zombie tries to grab Adam and pull him close for a bite, but the mercenary pushes the zombie away.
This is when Adam hears a door open. He spins around just in time to see the weirdo emerge from the backroom. The black-nosed guy is attempting to merely touch Adam. With the shield bashing in this round and still not quite stabilized on Adam's arm, the mercenary is unable to get his shield up in time to counter the attack. The weirdo touches Adam...
...and he suddenly feels like he was just punched in the gut with a chunk of ice (-2 HP). Adam feels some of his energy drained away.
The odd attack dampens Adam's reflexes somewhat, perhaps because he's never been on the receiving end of an energy draining attack before (but really because he failed his First Attack roll), because he suddenly finds himself unable to react to the combined attacks of both weirdo and zombie.
The zombie grabs Adam from behind and attempts to bite him again, but the warrior throws his head back and knocks the zombie's mouth away. The weirdo moves in for another "touch", but this time Adam gets his shield up and knocks the outstretched hand away.
*Zombie -3 HP
STATUS: Adam -5 HP and Grappled Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (To help set the mood for Adam: here are a few things that Irdred might have been keeping around his place. Here and here.)
***********************
Irdred freezes for a moment when Benny says his name so loudly, but when it becomes clear that nobody could have overheard him over the sound of the hammer, he relaxes.
Are you in a spot of trouble?
"Ha, that's one way of putting it. Wanted posters, eh? Interesting." He almost asks what the posters were saying about him, but he figures that it would have been all lies in any case. ...Or at least grossly overexaggerated.
"I'm loathe to endanger you by staying here longer than necessary, so I will be brief," he says to the old smith, then tells him what he needs.
(I'll trust this guy to expedite the game and because it seems like you want me to trust him, but if he betrays us, I'm going to be very upset. ^_^) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (Irdred, you sick FREAK!)
Adam goes for dismembering the stranger, taking off his hands/arms and possibly legs. If he can kick the stranger down the stairs, he will do so. As for the zombie, he will have the shield try to keep him at bay for as long as he can. If he can get away from the stranger, he will also go for beheading the zombie. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (Nah. I'm trying to speed things up here. Wish I could do a lot of the stuff I had planned for this point of the game, but I really want to finish this) * * * * * *
ADAM
Adam tries to hack at the weirdo, and despite being held by the incredibly strong zombie, manages to cut the weirdo's other hand off (Success on 2; two positive factors beat 1 negative factor; -3 HP).
Adam throws back his head again, but the zombie holds on. The shield swings itself around and bashes the zombie in the side, Adam hears the distinct sound of ribs breaking, and this is what finally throws the zombie off the mercenary. A split second before the weirdo can "touch" Adam (Success on 2 for First Attack), the tattooed warrior hacks at the weirdo's hand and slices it off. The hand sails through the air and lands somewhere downstairs. Ink black bloods bubbles forth from the wound and runs as thick as molasses.
The black-nosed weirdo stares at its bloody stumps in awe while Adam spins to deal with the zombie. With his shield already used to bash, none of his defenses are ready to fend off a superhuman punch from the zombie (Success on 3; -2 HP). Adam feels his nose break for what must be the hundredth time.
Adam gets his shield up and pushes the zombie back while the undead struggles to get a good grip on the mercenary. When he gets enough space, Adam brings his sword up through the zombie's jaw and out the top of its head. Another sharp jerk rips the undead's skull in half. It collapses onto the floor.
But the weirdo doesn't let a couple lost hands discourage him.
"This is just a flesh wound!" the weirdo hisses before attempting a bite of its own. Its teeth sink into the back of Adam's armor and finds nothing but leather. Adam spins around again, sword held aloft for a strike, and completes his reverse slash by tearing the weirdo's head free from its body.
Adam bends down and picks up the weirdo's head. He gets a closer look at the black nose and wonders...
"The darkness never dies!" the head suddenly hisses, its eyes rolling and tongue reaching for Adam. "Light is an illusion, for there is always darkness...it always lingers...it tastes divine...there is no hiding from it. You must become one with it..."
Adam holds the still living and talking head well away from him.
STATUS: Adam -6 HP Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (Are you keeping the Taxidermy theme of the original Bates Motel, Soulweaver/TG?)
He takes the head out of the mansion and into the inn. He goes into the kitchen and sets the head on the table. He asks it a few questions while he uses the healing wand to heal himself back to full health. "So what's the deal with you and that house? Are you trying to build a zombie army or are you just bored?" He then looks for a bag or satchel to put the head in. He looks for some gloves to put on and heads back to the house. He prepares himself for a zombie to jump out at him and cleans up the mess he made. (open curtains for more light). He takes the zombie bodies and throws them into a pile in the back. He searches the house carefully for more unwanted inhabitants while looking for more candles or lanterns to light. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag ADAM
Adam carries the severed head back to the inn, where he gives the gypsies a good fright, and plops it down on a table in the kitchen. The head continues to hiss and whine at Adam and doesn't resply to his questions. Eventually the head looks Adam in the eyes.
"The darkness is coming...I have seen it! The light will betray you...and righteous fire will consume all!"
Tired of dealing with the uncooperative head, Adam stuffs it in an old potato sack. He then returns to the house and begins opening curtains and lighting lamps when he can find them. Once the house has been cleaned of rogue undead, and not the undead elements that are behaving themselves and sitting quietly on the shelf like they're supposed to, Adam searches the cellar. It's creepy, and a little disturbing, but he doesn't find any more rogue undead. With the weirdo dispatched, the mood in the house noticeably improves, despite the weird stuff lining the shelves, and Adam no longer feels nervous.
Adam does not need to use the wand. The ring of renewal will restore all of his HP in time.
IRDRED
Benny always keeps his word, and he does good work. When Irdred returns later that night, he discovers the new pins waiting for him. After spending time in Spellmount, the price of the work seems super cheap at only 50 gold pieces.
Irdred spends the rest of the night looking for the ingredients he needs to create his lubricant. Intending to begin his work tomorrow, Irdred finds himself looking for a place to stay for the night. The Gambling C*ck isn't the best place, but it's the only one the entire party knows about, so it's best he stays there.
After Jack does his...stuff, whatever that may be, he also returns to the C*ck. I also assume Adam does the same because that's the only way he can inform the party Irdred's lab has been cleared. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag TALBOT
Talbot pauses. His foot is frozen in mid-air. He wishes to take another step, but something in him does not allow him to continue. His gaze remains fixed on the windows and brick archways of his family home. He can't bring himself to actually enter the dwelling, not before his eyes trace every square inch of it, every brick, window, and even the ugly stains and loose stones on the stoop.
Talbot is not concerned about the house, nor is he concerned about what may lay within. This may be the last time he ever sees the place where he grew up, but there are more pressing concerns. The young knight takes a deep breath, then wills his paralyzed foot to finish that first step. Talbot marches up the stoop and pushes the door.
It's not locked. Curious, Talbot pushes the door the rest of the way.
A rush of warmth greets him. The smell of cooking bread fills the air, and the soft thudding of his uncle assembling a new shoe is plainly evident. The wizened cobbler looks up from his seat at the table and smiles, as does Talbot's father sitting on the stairs near the door. He is sharpening his old sword again like he always does. Talbot's sister charges through the room with her arms spread wide to give him a hug, and his mother is carrying a tray of his favourite breadrolls in hand.
But there is no warmth in this cold, abandoned dwelling.
The images of Talbot's family melt away and are quickly replaced by the reality. The air is chilled and the table covered in dust and grime. The stairs are grey and covered in mud, and spiderwebs fill nearly every nook and cranny. There are is no sign of anyone living here, not one shoe or old sword or pot. There is nothing here.
Talbot examines the scene without so much as a twitch in his cheek, but his shoes have suddenly become lead. He has seen what he needed to see, but can't bring himself to flee this lonely place.
The door suddenly opens. Talbot spins around and finds himself standing face to face with a tall, middle aged man with a scruffy beard.
"Oh! I didn't mean to startle you, young man," the stranger steps away from Talbot. "I saw you enter. Are you interested in this property?"
"Yes," Talbot replies. His tone is icy and emotionless.
"I had my eye on it," the man says as he looks around. "Not the nicest place in the quarter, but the right place to be if you're looking to join the middle class, and inexpensive to boot. I'm surprised anyone would give up this place."
"Not without a fight," Talbot says in the same tone.
"Aye, the family that was here must have had pressing concerns to address," the stranger replies as he takes a seat on the stairs. "I was hoping to avoid a bidding war. Can I persuade you to consider other properties? You look well off."
"What do you know of the family that was here before?" a quiet ferocity has entered Talbot's voice.
"Why, not all that much! They up and disappeared in the middle of the night. I reckon they were in some trouble, I do! Nasty business, I wager, but I don't want to get involved in that, and neither should a nice young man like yourself. Dangerous times we live in."
"I see," Talbot's voice shrinks almost to a whisper.
"I didn't know them myself, but they seemed like a nice bunch. And they had a son in the knights, they did! That is something to be proud of. Not sure what happened to him. He didn't die in the pirate attack on the queen's ship, so he must be safe and sound in the castle. Probably gambling in the corridors as we speak!"
Talbot nods, but he says nothing.
"Now that I think about it, I did hear something about him being in a bit of trouble. Got mixed up with some of the nasty elements around here. Maybe he's in the dungeons? That might explain why the family would leave town. Perhaps they're ashamed of him? Poor lad, but I can't feel sorry for someone who chooses to mix himself up with the wrong sorts. But he is young! We all make mistakes at that age. Make it right and do the time and I'm sure he will be reinstated in the knights."
Talbots sighs. "I should be going. I want to ask around about the...uh, property."
Talbot moves to open the door, but the stranger sticks his foot out and kicks the door shut.
"Leaving so soon? Don't you wish to humour an old man? Why, I'm trying to impart some fine wisdom unto you, lad! It would be very impolite, and a tad foolish, to spurn my words."
Talbot narrows his eyes at the stranger, then growls.
"Stop pestering me with this facade, old man! If you're a royal inquisitor, then come out with it! Do not taunt me with vagueness and innuendo."
The stranger chuckles. "If you wish. I was merely trying to help."
"I know what you're doing, and my being here for this long proves you've done exactly that," Talbot sharply replies. "Where will they enter from? The back? Or will they make this quick and come through the front?"
The stranger shrugs. "For you? I told them to surprise me. Some dumb kid returning to his house...ha! I want a challenge."
"If you want to help me, tell me where my family is."
The stranger grins, then leans forward. "Now that's the trick, isn't it? I hear you've got a new family. A couple trouble makers who have been shirking the law for far too long. I tell you what, you give me your new friends, and I give you back your family. I wasn't lying about what I said. Beg for mercy from the queen...she's soft, I'll bet she will give it to you. A few years in the dungeons and you're back patrolling the streets and beating up thugs. I think it's a good deal considering you're a treasonous b*stard."
Talbot hesitates and the stranger grins with every passing moment, but eventually Talbot narrows his eyes at the inquisitor.
"You tell me where my family is, and I'll give you whatever you want."
The inquisitor's smile flattens. "I don't think you heard me right...give me your friends, and you get your family back."
"The knights have already told me my family is missing from the records. Left the city decades ago. Are they even alive? What did you do to them? If you hurt a hair on my sister's head, the Holy Light help me, I will..."
The inquisitor rolls his eyes and raises a hand for silence. "Spare me! I've heard this tough talk before and it always ends the same way: me cutting fingers off and you screaming for mercy. Is that what you want? Because that is what I would prefer."
Talbot suddenly nods to himself. "I see. They're gone, aren't they? The last support I could ever have in this city...all to protect the queen's grand scheme. There really is no Light left in this city, is there?"
The inquisitor sighs and his face softens. "For what it's worth...I promise you they didn't suffer. Now, since I appear to have lost my leverage here, I'm afraid I must..."
Talbot's howl of unrestrained fury is the only warning the inquisitor receives.
The gossip about some poor, tortured dog fills the street for many hours afterwards. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag Irdred thanks Benny for his continued discretion. After the rest of his day's work, he heads to the Gambling C*ck for the night.
Are you keeping the Taxidermy theme of the original Bates Motel, Soulweaver/TG?
(Irdred probably would have only kept the skulls and skeletons around. Though I'm not opposed to full-blown stuffed animals if TG wants to do something with that) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (Drem? It okay to send Adam back to the city?) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag (Oh, hell, put whatever you want in the lab. Think it's best to move this along, so I'm not going to confirm whether or not Adam returns to the city. He has to come back at some point anyway.
Btw, for those not involved with the Superhero game, there's an Epic-Tier Battle currently taking place there, so if you want a better idea of things to come, you might want to watch how that one goes)
ROYAL CAPITAL: The Gambling C*ck CONDITIONS: Evening GOALS: Infiltrate the Palace and retake the Earth Plan
Irdred takes the liberty of booking a room for the night, which is more like a room-like space above the kitchens in the old inn, but he can't complain. He manages to secure the room and a meal for every member of the party for a few gold coins, so what's one night in a cramped room with Talbot, a murderous halfling, and a gruff mercenary?
Hmm...if he hadn't already paid for the room, Irdred might consider going somewhere else...
The rest of the party returns in short order. Jack plops down in a chair and mumbles something about a lot of business he still needs to address, and Adam joins him...on the opposite side of the table. When the young knight shows up, he looks different.
Talbot may be a tall, heavily built man, but his plump cheeks and big eyes always made him look more like an oversized kid in armor. His less than graceful gait, mismatched armor, and penchance to miss with that morningstar of his didn't help improve this image, but tonight he wears a murderous look. His weapons and armor are still tucked safely away within a Bottomless Bag, yet he looks more dangerous now than he ever has before. He's almost intimidating.
The former knight nearly falls into a chair next to Adam. He keeps his eyes down.
"Did we order food yet? I'm hungry," he barks to nobody in particular.
As if in direct response, a waitress suddenly appears with the party's food in hand. Pork and potatoes with a bit of bread. Not all inns can match the luxury of Spellmount.
"You guys...talk. I don't care what...just say something," Talbot barks again. He immediately stuffs some bread in his mouth. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag Adam looks at Talbot with some concern for two seconds before the feeling of sympathy washes away. "So, I went to the lab today...." and he tells them what he encountered. "I am so glad someone took the time to warn me. By the way, I still have Blacknose's head in a bag. I'm sure he would love to say hello."
"We may have a problem." He goes on to tell them of the boy he followed and the ship he watched the kid get on. He also tells them about Allarant. "I can't figure out the connection between the two." (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag "You have a head in your...?" Talbot is stunned at first, but then realization kicks in and he grows angry. "Quiet, you fool! That...stuff is illegal here. We willl be beheaded on the spot...I'm not talking about the guard. Keep it hidden." Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag "I didn't bring it with me, Talbot. I left it back at the inn. I'm not dumb enough to get caught walking around with that thing. Besides, it talks too much. What is wrong with you? You seem angrier than usual."
|
|
|
Post by TG Barighm on May 8, 2018 18:14:27 GMT -5
Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag When Irdred booked the room, he would have specified that he is not to be disturbed. Not even for room service -- best not to have nosy waitresses poking around -- so he will have brought the food in himself.
As for Talbot: he can guess at what might have caused such a dramatic shift in the ex-knight's demeanor, but before he can think about the implications this might have for the mission, Adam speaks up about the lab and derails his train of thought.
He doesn't even argue with Adam about who should have warned whom, so fascinated is he with the presence of undead at the lab. "Ooh, very interesting. Those were certainly not of my creation. I see two possibilities: either some squatters got into my potion cabinet and accidentally inoculated themselves with a state of undeath... or another necromancer has taken up residence there in my absence." This last prospect seems to disturb him. As he tries to piece together what might be going on at the lab, he asks Adam, "Did you happen to notice what types of clothing the corpses were wearing?"
As for the talking head in a bag, "I would very much like to speak with it, but I will be otherwise occupied for most of tomorrow." He mentions that he is working on a plan to get into the palace along with the printing press.
(Re: Allarant, can I get a brief rundown of what Adam knows about him? Will Irdred and Jack have realized that it's the same ship they sold based on Adam's description?) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members January 2011 edited January 2011 Flag * * * * * *
Irdred quickly figures out what happened at his old lab once he receives a few more details: Adam definitely encountered a Wight, and Irdred has his recent time spent in the Council halls to thank for that bit of knowledge. Wights are basically zombies that have preserved their human intellect and will to survive, but all other aspects of their formal personality are twisted by the same monstrous change that accompanies zombification. They may know who their loved ones are, but they will still kill them and eat their brains. Any other comparisons to zombies end right there because Wights are exceptionally dangerous. Wights have somehow figured out how to control and use the necromantic energies sustaining them and they act a lot like necromancers. Not only can they use necromantic spells and raise undead, but uncontrolled undead will listen to a Wight and follow its orders, and all undead near a Wight are automatically Empowered. Wights are attracted to areas that have seen necromancy such as necromancy labs.
It is theorized that Wights are actually the animated corpses of necromancers or untrained necromancers who had natural talent for the art. This theory originates from the practice by some early wizards of transforming themselves into Wights, who were always necromancers, and may be the precursor rituals to true lichdom. Becoming a Wight is not that difficult and has a respectable success rate, but many agree, and for good reason, that it's not an acceptable replacement for actual lichdom.
Jack and Irdred do recognize Adam's description of the queen's ship. It was very unique.
Adam doesn't really know much about Allarant other than he is often connected to a lot of Adam's less "tasteful" jobs. Based on these jobs, Allarant may be responsible for a good deal of organized crime in the region, and he may be behind a lot of pirating. Adam's knowledge of Allarant's crime syndicate would never have advanced beyond that if he hadn't taken that last job in Spellmount and swore vengeance on the crimelord. Apparently Adam knows something, even if he doesn't know what, and he deserves to die because of it. Of course, Adam only cares about revenge... Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag
ROYAL CAPITAL: The Gambling C*ck CONDITIONS: Evening GOALS: Infiltrate the Palace and retake the Earth Plan
Talbot suddenly slams his empty mug onto the table.
"I've had enough of talk," he exclaims with a touch of irritation in his voice. "There is nothing left to talk about. There is only how and when we...do it. We need to rest. Tomorrow we work to bring down the...you know who. I can't be seen in public because I'm...known to some, so let me know when it is time to infiltrate the...you know what."
Talbot then departs and marches up the stairs.
When the rest of the party is ready for bed, they join the knight in the cramped room above the kitchen, and I do mean cramped: it's just a couple bunk beds stuffed into a room that is just big enough to avoid being labeled a closet. Talbot has already stuffed all of his belonging into his Bottomless Bag, now tied to his wrist and clutched tightly in his hands, and now lays asleep on the lower right bunk. The rest of the party prepares for bed and soon join the knight in sleeping.
ROYAL CAPITAL: The Gambling C*ck CONDITIONS: Night, Pitch Black, Quiet GOALS: Infiltrate the Palace and retake the Earth Plan
Adam is awakened in the middle of the night by a rattling sound. It stops as suddenly as it begins, but Adam is certain he heard something. He carefully listens for anything suspicious, but hears nothing more than Talbot's snores and an odd wheezing sound coming from the halfling. Irdred mumbles something about "pickled ducks eyes" and then rolls over in his sleep.
There is no use looking around. There is no window and the room is a solid wall of darkness.
Adam can't hear anything from the inn below. It's well into the night and there shouldn't be a single soul in the common room, nor would there be enough traffic outside to mimic the rattling sound.
Wait! There it is again! It sounds like it is coming from the door to the room. It's not a very pronounced sound, barely noticeable except during the dead of night, but it definitely sounds like somebody is fiddling with the door...
*I'm currently under the assumption the party stripped, at the very least unarmed and unarmored, before going to bed. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag Adam quietly slinks out of bed and grabs his murdering sword. He wakes Talbot first by covering his mouth and shaking him awake, whispering to him what is going on. Once Talbot understands (or not), Adam will position himself by the door, open it when ready, and swings threateningly at the stranger. If hostile, chop away. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag (Heh. Suppose Irdred can't act if he hasn't been awakened) * * * * * * *
Adam grabs his sword, then carefully slinks out of bed. Despite doing his best to be quiet, he still manages to bump the bed post with his foot. When he walks over to Talbot and shakes him, the young knight groans and loudly exclaims "What?".
The rattling noise by the door stops. It is soon replaced by a low mumbling before stopping altogether.
Talbot gets the picture immediately and Adam assumes the young knight begins rooting around his Bottomless Bag based on the noise he is making.
Adam then makes his way to the door, and in the darkness, that's quite a task, but he manages to do so without making any more noise. Talbot whispers "Got it!" and Adam assumes that is good enough. He reaches for the door, quickly pulls it open, and...
What were you expecting to see in pitch black darkness? The best Adam can do is swing his sword wildly and hope he hits something...which he does! He feels his sword slice into something, likely a person, just below Adam's waist. This person must have been down on one-knee (Penalty of -1 for darkness induced invisibility; Adam rolls 3, reduced to 2; Success on 2 due to positive factors; -2 HP dealt; Adam doesn't benefit from accuracy based damage bonuses).
Whoever Adam hit cries out and tries to scamper away, but it sounds like this person runs into a wall a half-second later.
*Mystery target -2 HP Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag Irdred sleeps on, unaware. "...Happens every time, a bug in the brainpan..." d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag (oops!)
Adam yells for Talbot to get the lights, loud enough for all to hear. If he still cant see he will tackle where he thinks the mystery person is. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag * * * * * * *
"Get the lights? What lights?" Talbot shouts back. Adam may have forgotten the era in which he currently resides.
The shouting is enough to wake Irdred and Jack.
Adam tackles the spot where he figures the mystery person's grunt came from. He charges that location and...
...smacks into a man's body! And it's definitely a man based on the curse he utters upon being struck. Adam immediately begins grabbing for anything he can use to pin the mystery man and manages to do so in seconds (Success on First Attack and Grapple). Good thing too, because Adam can feel the distinct motion of the mystery man trying to bury a dagger into Adam's side. The dagger isn't going anywhere as long as Adam has him.
"He's on top of me! Aim above my voice," the mystery man suddenly yells.
"Right!" a woman's voice replies. It sounds like it is coming from the far end of the corridor. In this darkness, it's hard to determine where anything is.
A dull "thunk" sound can be heard just off to Adam's left. There's also a thud from the party's room followed by a curse from Talbot. Looks like the knight isn't having nearly as much luck navigating the darkness. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag Adam presses his sword against the mans throat. "Stop or I collect his head! I already have one in a bag and he's getting a bit lonely." If they dont listen, slice the mans throat then roll him over and use him as a shield facing the direction of the gun shot, pressing the sword at the man's kidneys. "Where's my light, Talbot!" (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag Irdred opens his eyes and, without thinking, activates St. Elmo's Fire so he can see what is going on. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag (There was no gun shot) * * * * * * *
ROYAL CAPITAL: The Gambling C*ck CONDITIONS: Night, Pitch Black, Smokescreen GOALS: Infiltrate the Palace and retake the Earth Plan
Irdred, after taking a moment to realize what is going on, activates his St. Elmo's Fire. The balls of fire circling around themselves appear a few inches from his hand, and the room is lit up by a hazy blue light. This strikes Irdred as odd. The blue light suggests the party is completely surrounded by magic...
It's enough light to help Jack determine a course of action. He quickly begins rooting around his magical bag for his weapons. Talbot also gets his bearings straight and steps into the tight hall of the inn. The light from Irdred's supernatural lantern is stronger than a typical torch and easily illuminates the man currently pinned by Adam. The mysterious man is dressed in dark clothing and sports a hood, but a badge of some sort sits on his breast, and his dagger has a silvery hilt. He doesn't look like your average cut-throat.
The man laughs in Adam's face. "I'm proud to die in the line of duty. Kill him!"
Adam still can't see the woman in the corridor. The door to the party's room focuses Irdred's light into this small section of the second floor corridor. Adam moves to slice off the man's head, but he needs to free one hand to use his sword, and the man immediately begins to struggle, so the mercenary has to settle on a less than stellar stab in the chest (still 3 HP damage though).
Talbot suddenly jumps into the corridor and tries to get his shield up, but he's just not fast enough, and Adam can feel cold steel slice into his right side (-2 HP). Without his armor, there is nothing to stop it. Adam can the feel wound begin to burn...
Adam's arms suddenly feel like jelly...he fights to maintain his grip on the man, but the stranger's strength is magnified due to the poison (Grapple Failure on 2; negative factor negates positive factor; Weakened characters receive negative factors on all strength/endurance based abilities). The stranger easily breaks free of Adam's grasp, but instead of attempting to flee, he tries to stab Adam with his dagger. Thankfully, Adam is still quick enough to twist away from the attack (but in reality, he rolled a 1).
There is a sudden "BANG!" sound, and the area immediately around Adam is filled with a thick smoke. Irdred's light can't pierce that...
I doubt Adam took his rings off. The Ring of Renewal kicks in (+1 HP).
*Mystery man -5 HP
STATUS LINE: Adam -1 HP and Poisoned (Weakened) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag Adam swings wildly in the smoke. If he hits nothing, he will stop and make his way back into the room. He explains what he saw as he gets dressed and armed. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag Once Jack has his weapons out he shoots at the oponnent he has the clearest view of. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag Jack doesn't have a clear view of anything. Shoot anyway?
Updating conditions to reflect that.
Btw, does this mean you're back? Or you just got a break? Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag Jack will move for cover and await a clear shot.
(break, although I'm not sure how long of one) Savage Tide Info Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag Irdred listens for the assassins' movements. If it sounds like the struggle is continuing, he calls for Adam to get down. He then tosses a grenade past him and through the smoke, aiming at wherever he guesses the female knife-thrower to be.
If it sounds like the attackers are gone or are fleeing, he douses St. Elmo's Fire, moves forward to where he last saw Adam, and heals him. "We need to leave. Now. Ready a lantern," he advises the group. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag
ROYAL CAPITAL: The Gambling C*ck CONDITIONS: Night, Pitch Black, Magical Light GOALS: Infiltrate the Palace and retake the Earth Plan
Jack waits for a clear shot from his bed. Adam and Talbot provide plenty of cover.
Adam begins swinging around wildly, but his reflexes have become sluggish and the sword feels very heavy in his hands, so it's less wild, more limp. He swings his sword at a nearby noise when he hears it, but doesn't strike anything (2 negative factors negate all of his positive factors). At one point Adam bumps into Talbot. It's a wonder he doesn't actually hit the young knight.
Irdred tries to listen for movement, but he can't hear anything over Talbot and Adam bumping into eachother and grunting.
Eventually the smoke clears and Irdred's eerie blue light washes over the party once more, but the necromancer is still sitting in the small room, Adam and Talbot just inside the corridor. Throwing a grenade now would just hit them. His only option is to move up to the door and attempt to roll the grenade down the hall. (SMART) Even if he misses, at least the blast will wake the entire inn, although the likely result is somebody calling the guard and it may be better to avoid them.
Will Irdred still use the grenade?
Unfortunately, the dissipation of the smoke has just made it easier for the ambushers, still hiding in the darkness, to see the warriors. Adam feels another dagger slice into his leg (-1 HP). And to add insult to injury, he suddenly finds himself resisting an urge to vomit (additional -1 HP from poison). At least Adam's ring is kicking in at the right time: another 1 HP is healed, but it does not seem to be helping his weakened state.
Something strikes Talbot's shield. The party can see a throwing dagger plop onto the ground.
POSITIONING: You're not meant to see where you are in the darkness, so no map, but here's a rundown to help if you're confused: the party started out in their beds within the small room. When Adam heard something at the door, he opened the door and tackled the ambusher standing just outside the door. Talbot followed and both warriors are now attempting to hit something right outside the door, although there is far too little room for the two to fight. Jack and Irdred are still lying in their beds. Irdred's ghostly lantern did illuminate the room with a blue light, but the doorway focuses this light into the small area just outside the door. The surrounding corridor is still pitch black.
*Mystery man -5 HP
STATUS LINE: Adam -2 HP and Poisoned (Weakened) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag Irdred figures that it's only a matter of time before the trigger-happy Jack will awaken the whole inn anyway. So yes, he does go to roll the grenade into the hall (well away from Adam and Talbot, of course). The second he releases the grenade, he takes cover next to the door frame, douses St. Elmo's Fire, and covers his ears in anticipation of the explosion.
After the boom, he says urgently to Adam and Talbot, "We need to evacuate the premises immediately. Break through if you have to."
How well does Irdred remember the layout of the inn? Specifically, does it have any windows that would allow moonlight in, and how easy would it be to navigate in pitch darkness? He'd rather not activate his magic lantern again. If he thinks they'll definitely need light to move around safely, he asks everyone, "Who has a lantern?" d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag (Heh, funny you say that. If Chiapet had not shown up, I was gonna have Jack sneak into the hall and use his Silent Magnums for sneak attacks) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag Adam quickly makes his way back into the room and braces for the impact of the explosion. He does his best to get dressed and asked for healing of the poison in his system. Afterwards, he looks for a light source (dont think Adam had a lantern on him) and heads out with the group amid the chaos of the explosion. If he can see, he will disable any lingering assassin in his way to clear a path for the others to escape the inn. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag (How will Irdred light the grenade?) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag (The everburning candle. Even though it's not appearing in Irdred's inventory, this is a glitch . I just flipped back through the pages to confirm and I definitely have it.) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag (I was under the impression the candle was sold or given to another party member because Irdred has a few different ways to create light; however, I just remembered he has another way to light the grenade) * * * * * *
Irdred conjures a flame Cantrip from his finger and uses this to light the grenade's wick. He then hops out of the bed and leans against the door where he promptly rolls the grenade down the corridor. Irdred notices the odd behavior of light from the flame and the burning wick. It does not appear to be stacking with the bluish light from Irdred's lantern (but again, the blue light indicates the presence of magic. It's not the actual colour of light emitted from the soul lantern).
Irdred orders Talbot and Adam to return to the room. As they move, both Adam and Talbot take take a dagger and crossbow bolt respectively (-2 HP each; Talbot is poisoned and weakened). There is a yell from the corridor, followed by a mighty "BOOM!" that resonates throughout the inn. It doesn't take long for yells and shouts to fill the corridor.
Talbot reaches for the bolt and gingerly pulls it free from his leg. "Urgh...I'm not feeling good...these cowards are using poison."
The entirety of the inn is now filled with commotion. The party can hear more than a few people in the corridor. Adam and Talbot are injured, but it looks like they can walk, and the party needs to get moving, so Irdred ushers them along. Talbot may be weakened, but he's still strong enough to push anyone blocking the party's path aside.
(SMART Success on 2) Irdred allows his lantern to wink out and instructs everyone to hold hands, then directs the party into the corridor. There are windows in the other rooms, but they do not appear to be letting in any light. Talbot has to push a bunch of people aside, and thanks to Irdred correctly remembering the layout of the inn, manages to lead the party into the common room without too much fuss. Jack mumbles something about needing to fish out his gear.
The team spots the innkeeper starting a fire in the fireplace. Only now does the inn have any light, and only now can the party clearly see the source of the queerness on the upper floors.
An impenetrable shadow blocks the stairs. Light simply does nothing to dispel it. A few of the inn's patrons still emerge from the darkness, but it's not long before the upper floors have emptied.
"Magic! In my inn!" the innkeeper shouts. "Who is responsible for this heresy? I demand to know! I'm calling the guard."
"Please tell me you have a way to get rid of this poison," Talbot mumbles. He's barely audible over the commotion filling the inn. "I can't move very quickly like this..."
*Mysterious Woman -3 HP
INVENTORY UPDATE: Irdred used a Grenade STATUS LINE: Adam -3 HP and Poisoned (Weakened), Talbot -2 HP and Poisoned (Weakened) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag Jack grumbles and holsters his weapons before leaving with the party. Savage Tide Info Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag "We have to leave. Now." Adam struggles to leave the inn. "We need to get to a spot out of sight where we can get rid of this poison." (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag "For once I agree with you," Irdred mutters to Adam. He departs with the group, hoping that their absence goes unnoticed amid the chaos.
He waits until they are someplace out of sight before healing Adam and Talbot. He'll also want to don his costume at this point. While doing so, he speaks in low tones:
-First order of business, they have to get away from here before guards begin to converge on the inn. He suggests they make their way to either the lab or to the warehouse where the printing press is being kept. -He asks Adam and Talbot if they got a good look at the assassins. When Adam mentions that the man had a badge, he asks him to describe it. Does this badge mean anything to him? d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag
ROYAL CAPITAL: The Gambling C*ck-Streets CONDITIONS: Night GOALS: Infiltrate the Palace and retake the Earth Plan
The party quickly exit the inn while its patrons shout and yell about this and that. Thankfully, they're not the only ones: a few other people join them and flee down the street, so there is no worry of being spotted. Once the party is in the street, Irdred goes about removing the poison and getting the party back to full strength.
When Irdred mentions the badge, Talbot groans.
"The Pilgrims of Darkness...the queen's royal assassins," Talbot mumbles. "They choose to walk in the darkness in order to bring light to it. This is not good...they're the best of the best. I've heard stories of them assassinating rulers, while surrounded by their bodygaurds, in broad daylight and getting away unharmed. They must have followed one of us to the inn."
Talbot suddenly grits his teeth, but says nothing.
Talbot warily examines the surrounding streets. "There are always four of them, but I wonder...if the queen knows we're here, why not send an army? We can't beat an entire regiment. Why keep it quiet?"
Meanwhile, the party arms themselves as best they can. Jack, not needing to contend with healing, manages to fully equip himself. Adam and Talbot get their weapons out, but can't armor up, and Irdred is unable to pull any of his gear out while healing.
Before Irdred can continue his healing, he only dispels the poison, there is another "BOOM!" sound, and a thick smoke surrounds the party. Everyone begins to violently cough. Thankfully, everyone, save Adam, is able to control the coughing long enough to regain their balance. Adam is doubled over and can't move while he coughs.
"They're *cough* here!" Talbot croaks before moving down the street. He doesn't seem to realize where he's going, he is just trying to get out of the smoke.
STATUS LINE: Adam -3 HP, Talbot -2 HP Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag Adam does his best to get out of the smoke. If he is stabbed he will swing in the direction of where he thinks the stabbing came from. If he can get out of the smoke, he will defend himself as best he can. He will try to get to his shield (using murderous sword). (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag (No one has been attacked and Adam can't attack anyway) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag (Were there any civilian witnesses about when the smoke bomb hit?)
|
|
|
Post by TG Barighm on May 8, 2018 18:15:03 GMT -5
TGBarighm Member Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag (A few, but they were running as quickly as they could away from the inn) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag Jack holds his breath the best he can and makes for the edge of the smoke. (Did he happen to see what direction the smokebomb came from?) Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag I suppose Jack was that busy. Let's find out!
Success on 3! Jack notices some movement from the rooftop of the house across the street right before the smoke bomb went off. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag (Why can't I attack? I am armed and blinded by the smoke. Why wouldnt I think that the assassins are near enough to stab me?) (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag (Not blinded, coughing too violently to do anything else. Fair point that I didn't list that in the status line) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag (Ok. Then I will change that to just trying to get out of the smoke as best I can.) (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag Irdred stays low, moving in a sort of running crouch to get out of the smoke and look for the source of the attack. If he noticed any sort of cover before the smoke bomb hit, he'll try to make his way toward that. Otherwise he tries to blend in with the fleeing townspeople. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag
ROYAL CAPITAL: The Gambling C*ck-Streets CONDITIONS: Night GOALS: Infiltrate the Palace and retake the Earth Plan
Irdred looks for cover, but the fleeing inn patrons are closer and easier to blend into, so he joins their group. They appear to be running in an easterly direction. He manages to flee a good block before the people stop to catch their breath. There does not appear to be anyone chasing Irdred.
Meanwhile, Jack and Talbot work their way out of the smoke while Adam stumbles around. The smoke eventually clears and Adam is free to act normally again, but everyone has to weather another around of deadly daggers.
Throwing daggers seem to fall out of the sky. Adam and Talbot are spared stabbing pains, but Jack is not. A throwing dagger suddenly catches him in the leg. A wave of nausea washes over the halfling, but he's able to fight through it (-1 HP from dagger, -1 HP from poison; Tough Success negates remaining poison effects).
"They're on the roof of that house!" Talbot yells. He points at the house directly across the street from the inn. Jack already spotted movement there.
"What's going on here?" a voice calls from the inn. It's the innkeeper. He is standing in the doorway. "I refuse to tolerate any more disturbances! I'm calling the guard and..."
A dagger suddenly thunks into the door. With a squeek, the frightened innkeeper slams the door shut. The distinct sound of a bar being fitted into place can be heard.
Jack, Adam, and Talbot are currently standing in front of the inn. Across from them, a mere 10 ft. away, is the house in question. The houses are so tightly packed together there are few alleys to speak of, and none currently in sight. There is very little cover: the streets are clean and clear of all random clutter-sorry, no barrels-save for the stoops outside most houses, but that can hardly be called cover.
Oddly, there does not appear to be any guard patrols in sight.
INVENTORY UPDATE: I believe Adam has his sword out, Talbot just his shield and weapon, and Jack is fully armed. Irdred is still in his jammies I believe. STATUS LINE: Adam -3 HP, Talbot -2 HP, Jack -2 HP Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag Adam rushes toward the house with the assassins on the roof and uses the house for cover while he gets his armor on. He then looks for a ladder or something that gives him access to the roof. If its not outside the house he breaks into the house to make his way to the roof. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag "Did anyone see anything?" Irdred quickly tries to gather information from the crowd. And I do mean quickly -- he doesn't want to stick around here for long.
Are there any streetlamps lit, or is it completely dark? Can Irdred see what the rest of the group is doing from here? Are there any side alleys, or are all the buildings butting right up against each other? d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag (There are streetlamps, but there aren't that many and they're all burning low. They're only kept lit early in the evening, not late at night. The road has twisted enough for Irdred not to be able to see the party. Most of the buildings are right up against eachother, so there are few allies. Irdred can look for one though) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag Irdred slowly backtracks until he can see what the rest of the party is doing. A soon as he's out of sight of the crowd, he makes sure he has Delay Healing active. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members February 2011 edited February 2011 Flag
ROYAL CAPITAL: The Gambling C*ck-Streets CONDITIONS: Night GOALS: Infiltrate the Palace and retake the Earth Plan
Adam charges the house where the assassins are lurking, then pushes up against the face of the house for cover. This seems like a good idea for Talbot, so he joins the mercenary by the house. Jack doesn't want to be the one left out in the open, so he joins the two warriors by the house.
Adam begins rooting around in his bag for his armor, but before he can find anything, there is a "clink" sound nearby and some kind of liquid splashes on the gathered warrior. Jack somehow senses this coming and ducks behind Talbot in time to avoid the mysterious liquid (Dodge Success on 3). It dosen't take long for the warm liquid to start burning. Adam and Talbot find themselves shrieking from the pain (-1 HP lost now, another -1 HP lost later). Thankfully, Adam's renewing ring kicks in for 1 HP of healing.
Adam, growing tired of this crap, decides to forego the rope and just hops onto the side of the building and attempts to climb it. There are more than enough hand and footholds, and it doesn't take long for Adam to reach the roof. The burning acid messes with his concentration, but he's too skilled to fall (Adam's Athletics check Success on 3; -1 penalty for acid messing with your concentration; Success on 2 due to positive factor from Athletic trait). The roof of the house is not flat: it is angled, but there are footholds (see pic. below). Adam quickly realizes he's not alone. Standing a mere few feet away from him is a figure in dark clothes perched on the edge of the roof. This person appears to be surprised to see Adam suddenly appear and has begun to backpeddle. The assassin is reaching into his or her clothes for something, likely a weapon.
Jack pulls out his silenced magnum and begins searching for targets while Talbot desperately searches for the source of the attacks. There is a loud "crack" noise from nearby, followed by the sound of wood clicking on the ground.
"Someone just fired a bolt at us!" Talbot announces, then looks to his left. Jack looks in that direction, but doesn't see anything. A little too dark and everyone has run off.
The noise has caused a few windows to light up with candlelight.
Irdred can hear the party yelling and begins advancing down the street until he can see what's going on. He doesn't have to go too far to see two figures standing on the roof of the house across from the inn. A couple more figures are huddled beneath this house, but Talbot's shield is easy to spot even in the dim light. Irdred then casts Delay Healing.
Nice example of the rooftops:
2742636099_839846b2d0.jpg?v=0
INVENTORY UPDATE: I believe Adam has his sword out, Talbot just his shield and weapon, and Jack is fully armed. Irdred is still in his jammies I believe. STATUS LINE: Adam -4 HP, Talbot -4 HP, Jack -2 HP, Irdred Delayed Healing Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag Adam charges the assassin on the roof, grapple, disarm and knock unconscious. Push him off the roof if necessary. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag Can Irdred see where the crossbow bolt came from? d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag (No way Irdred can see the bolt) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag
ROYAL CAPITAL: The Gambling C*ck-Streets CONDITIONS: Night GOALS: Infiltrate the Palace and retake the Earth Plan
Adam quickly charges the assassin, but the man or woman proves to be quicker, pulls out a dagger, and backs away from the edge of the rooftops and whips at the dagger at the mercenary. Adam, who could have used his sword to parry the attack here since he's looking to grapple, does not, and ends up with a blade in the gut (Another -2 HP; sorry, no more freebies. Kid gloves are off), but at least it's not poisoned. He tries to grab the backpeddling assassin, manages to get a hand on the person's shirt, and attempts to put him in a choke-hold. The assassin twists away at the last second (Dodge Success on 3) and pulls free of Adam's grip, then counters with a spinning back-kick (Darn, another 3). Now it's Adam struggling to avoid falling off the roof, loses that battle (A roll of 1), and falls.
Adam's acrobatic prowess (Success on 2) saves him at the last moment: he twists around and plants his feet in a planter by a window, backflips, then gets his hands on a window sill to stop his fall. The dagger in his stomach stings like the dickens, but a round of healing from his ring kicks in to alleviate some of that pain (+1 HP).
The assassin appears on the edge of the roof and looks down on Adam. Looks like he or she is trying to decide what to do.
Meanwhile, Talbot, shield raised, begins to edge closer to the door of the house.
"We're sitting ducks out here! We need to get inside this house," Talbot says to Jack. The halfling quickly gets the message and fires his magnum on the door of the house where he imagines the bar will be. The shot tears wood and creates lots of splinters, but the hole isn't big enough for Talbot to get his hand through. As this happens, another bolt flies through the air and strikes Talbot in his unarmored leg (-2 HP).
A piece of glass suddenly catches a bit of moonlight and creates a flash light. This momentarily catches Talbot's attention and he focuses on it. Glass shatters against the young knight's shield and it begins to burn with a violent blaze. The heat from the alchemical fire forces Talbot to drop the shield.
Jack fires another shot at the door. The hole is wide enough to fit a couple fingers through...human fingers. Jack figures the hole is big enough to allow his hand to pass through it, does so, and begins feeling around for the bar. It's a lot of strain on his fingers, but he somehow manages to summon enough strength to lift the bar out of place (Success on 3). The door swings open and the halfling rushes inside for cover.
Irdred has little trouble seeing Talbot's shield light up like a vertically burning campfire.
NVENTORY UPDATE: I believe Adam has his sword out, Talbot just his shield and weapon, and Jack is fully armed. Irdred is still in his jammies; Jack Magnums spent and -2 bullets STATUS LINE: Adam -5 HP, Talbot -6 HP, Jack -2 HP, Irdred Delayed Healing Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag "Inside, quickly," Jack yells over his shoulder as he ducks inside, reloads his magnums, and puts his back against the wall. Savage Tide Info Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag If there is a window near, Adam will swing for it. If not, he will judge the distance to the ground and prepare to drop if its not too far to fall. Last option is to take his sword and swing it to get the assassin to back up so that he can pull himself back up onto the roof. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag (Irdred's biggest advantage right now is that he doesn't look like a target, so he will continue to go without weapons for the time being. Any chance I can rewind a bit to at least start donning clothing, though? Vest, amulet, etc., not his plague doctor costume.)
Irdred flinches at the sudden blaze, but surprisingly, the old familiar fear only rears its head for a moment before being pushed to the periphery of his mind. He doesn't stop to think about why this might be so. All the same, he clutches his fire resistant ring tightly.
Does the illumination from the shield allow Irdred to clearly see what's going on with Adam? If so... -Duck into an alley if there's one nearby. -Animate his flying sword and send it after the roof assassin. -If the assassins happen to notice that it was Irdred who cast this spell, he'll be taking this opportunity to arm himself. (Which staff he uses depends on how far he is from the action.) -If he is noticed, he may also make for the doorway with Talbot and Jack, but this is again dependent on how far away he is.
If, however, Irdred still can't determine who is friend or foe on the rooftop... -Can he still send the flying sword after "the enemy", even if he can't see who the enemy is? -If he cannot do this, he will wait and see if anyone follows Talbot and Jack into the building, or if anyone else gets involved in the roof fight. -Meanwhile, he dons his vest, etc. (if he hasn't already) and starts animating small animal skeletons (stowed inside the bottomless bag for the time being). d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag
ROYAL CAPITAL: The Gambling C*ck-Streets CONDITIONS: Night GOALS: Infiltrate the Palace and retake the Earth Plan
Irdred has been standing around watching the fight for a minute or so now, so he does have time to reach into his Bottomless Bag and pull out a few things. The fire on Talbot's shield continues to burn, so Irdred can see Adam hanging from the window and Jack run into the house. He can also see the assassin standing on the roof.
Irdred decides to send the animated sword out first. There are no alleys, but the house next to him juts out more than the next house beside it, so Irdred ducks behind that for cover. He is able to equip all of his field equipment.
*And no, the animated sword has no intelligence. It can only be directed to attack/defend specific targets. It can't make decisions like that.
The fight is taking place roughly 80 ft. away from Irdred.
Adam is hanging from a window, so there is no need to swing to one; however, it may be a lot quicker to drop and run for the opened door. It's not that far a drop, and it won't hurt at all if Adam falls correctly, but the dagger in his gut may screw up his concentration. I'm not sure which action is preferred, so I'll go with the first: Adam attempts to pry the window open with his sword (they're shuttered windows), but the assassin can see what the mercenary is trying to do and wants to put a stop to it.
A sharp pain erupts in Adam's left shoulder. It's everything he can do to hold on (-2 HP, but Success on 3), and manages to pry a shutter open before he falls. Adam rolls into the dark room of the house. He can't see much in the darkness, but there appears to be a bed near the window and a dresser to his right. There does not appear to be anyone else in the room.
It's at this moment the sword hovers up to the assassin and takes a swing at him or her. Totally surprised by the attack, the sword cuts deep into the arm (-1 HP).
Meanwhile, Talbot eyes his burning shield with a mournful look. His morningstar raise, he quickly steps back outside to grab the rim of his shield and drag it inside.
A dagger flies out of the shadows towards the young knight, and he doesn't see it, but the magical properties of the morningstar react for him and knock the dagger aside (Success on 2 for parry). Talbot gets the burning shield into the house and slams the door.
"I couldn't leave it out there. They would take it!" Talbot explains as Jack begins to reload his guns.
Of course, you now have a burning shield inside a wooden house. When Talbot realizes this dilemma, he instinctively kicks at the flames, but is immediately reminded he is not wearing any shoes. He ends up hopping around on one foot.
*Rooftop Assassin -1 HP
NVENTORY UPDATE: I believe Adam has his sword out, Talbot just his shield and weapon, and Jack is fully armed. Irdred is armed; Jack Magnums spent and -2 bullets STATUS LINE: Adam -7 HP, Talbot -6 HP, Jack -2 HP, Irdred Delayed Healing Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote chiapet chiapet Member Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag (Did Jack see where the dagger came from that targeted Talbot? I'm assuming not.)
Jack finishes reloading and then moves to below a window. He'll try and spot the assassin(s) if possible. Savage Tide Info Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag (No, because he was leaning against a wall. This building does not feature glass windows. If Jack wants to look outside, he will have to open the shutters) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag Adam pulls the dagger out of his gut and drinks a greater healing potion. He keeps the dagger. He takes the time to suit up out of view of the window. He puts his back to the wall next to the window and looks out the window to discern possible assassin positions across the street. If he spots any, he will change over to his long bow and start firing at the assassins. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag Irdred stays put, only peering out to see if anyone follows the others into the house.
(If he were to cast Necrotic Fury, would it originate from his position before exploding? Or does it just appear over the intended area? In other words, could an onlooker trace the spell to him?) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag (Since Necrotic Fury modifies your ray to blow up at the end, than yes, it can be tracked, but only if someone is looking out for it. Depends on angles and where everyone is standing) * * * * * * *
Adam quickly quaffs a healing potion, then manages to get his shield out before a shadow appears in the window. The assassin has climbed down after Adam and performs a nifty little stunt to swing into the room by a shutter. Irdred's animated sword follows shortly afterwards, but the assassin doesn't seem too concerned about the magical weapon. As soon as the assassin lands, he or she whips out another dagger and throws it at Adam. The mercenary tries to get his shield up in time, but can't. The dagger quickly replaces the one Adam just removed (-2 HP; thankully, no poison).
The sword tries to strike the assassin in the back, but the ambusher easily side-steps.
It's hard to see much in the dark room. Adam can see three large shapes to his left, he assumes they are beds, and something that looks like a cabinet or dresser of some sort to his right. That must be the wall. He's not too sure how far away he is from the back wall. That part of the room is still shrouded in darkness.
Meanwhile, Talbot desperately searches for a way to put the fire on his shield out. He can't find one and ends up flipping the shield over and hopes that will smother the flames. When he's finishing doing that, he grabs the bar and fits it into place. Jack and Talbot can hear the noise Adam is making upstairs, but they're not certain it's him.
Irdred peers around the corner and watches a dark shape climb into the window of the house. He doesn't see any more movement. Irdred can see a number of people have thrown open their shutters and appear to be watching the scene play out in the streets.
"Hey! You! In the shadows. Call the guard," a voice over Irdred's head calls out. The necromancer looks up and spots a man standing in a window directly above him.
*Rooftop Assassin -1 HP
NVENTORY UPDATE: Adam has sword and shield equipped, Talbot just his shield and weapon, and Jack is fully armed. Irdred is armed; Jack Magnums spent and -2 bullets STATUS LINE: Adam -6 HP, Talbot -6 HP, Jack -2 HP, Irdred Delayed Healing Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag Adam looks down at the dagger in his gut. "You've got to be kidding me!" Adam has had it. He drops the dagger he pulled out earlier and pulls the new one out of his gut. He is going for the kill. He instructs his shield to bash the assassin at every opportunity while he tries to get close enough to jam the dagger into the assassins gut or neck or head. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag * * * * * *
Adam loses it...I think. He pulls out the dagger, and the one he took earlier, and charges the assassin. Unfortunately, Adam isn't the only speedy person in the room, and when he tries to bury steel into his opponent's gut for a change, the assassin responds by quickly whipping some dust into Adam's face. Adam begins to sneeze hysterically, drops his daggers and shield, and begins blundering around the room.
Irdred's sword comes to the rescue! ...or so it tries. The assassin ducks the following slash.
While Adam sneezes, the assassin quickly fall backs to a nearby bed and whips the blanket off it. The sword thrusts itself through the covers and misses. Once the sword has penetrated the blanket, the assassin attempts to wrap the textile around the blade and smother it, but the magical weapon backs out before it can be captured (Failure on 1 for Grapple). The weapon counters and strikes the assassin in the side. A red line of blood sprays onto the blanket (-1 HP).
The assassin growls-sounds like a man-and attempts to smother the sword again. This time he manages to wrap the animated sword up into a ball. The sword begins to thrash about and manages to slice an opening large enough for it to escape (Success on 3 for an attack to the blanket). The assassin finally resorts to a more traditional attack-a kick, possibly to knock the sword to the ground-but misses, and the sword's counter attack fares no better (Go go 1's!).
Adam sneezes away while this epic struggle happens. The powder eventually wears off and Adam returns to his senses. The assassin spins to face Adam, but he wins First Attack this round.
Meanwhile, Irdred watches as a shadow suddenly runs up to the front door of the house. Irdred can't figure out what this person is doing until a blaze erupts around the door. A second blaze explodes on the shutters of the nearest window.
Inside the house, Talbot and Jack notice the sudden appearance of firelight filtering through the cracks of the shutters.
*Rooftop Assassin -2 HP
NVENTORY UPDATE: Adam has sword and shield equipped, Talbot just his shield and weapon, and Jack is fully armed. Irdred is armed; Jack Magnums spent and -2 bullets STATUS LINE: Adam -6 HP, Talbot -6 HP, Jack -2 HP, Irdred Delayed Healing Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag Quickly, Adam goes for his shield and sword and charges the assassin, attempting to ram into him shield first. He continues to try to kill him, take his arms, commands the shield to bash, and run him through with the sword. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag "You get back inside!" Irdred snaps at the man in the window above him.
As the blaze erupts around the doorway, though, he seems to forget that the man exists. "Bloody hell! The bastards are going to burn the whole city down...!" He tries to spot where the second blaze originated from. He then looks for a way to get around to the back of the building, since he expects that his comrades will try to escape that way.
|
|
|
Post by TG Barighm on May 8, 2018 18:15:34 GMT -5
TGBarighm Member Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag
ROYAL CAPITAL: The Gambling C*ck-Streets CONDITIONS: Night GOALS: Infiltrate the Palace and retake the Earth Plan
Something about Irdred's tone must have scared the man in the window, because he suddenly makes an "Eep!" sound and disappears into the house.
Irdred can clearly see the source of the blaze: as mentioned earlier, a person in dark clothing has approached the house and begun creating these fires. As Irdred watches, a third such fire ignites the window on the other side of the house. The shadow then leaps onto the house and begins climbing up the side just like Adam did earlier.
Irdred looks around, but he doesn't see an entrance to the back alleys nearby. Irdred knows the city well enough to determine there must be an entrance somewhere, but he may have to seek out an intersection before he finds that entrance. It's very likely the rest of the party will retreat to the back of the house before Irdred can get there.
Speaking of Adam, he decides to stop fooling around, grabs sword and shield (not sure why you dropped your best weapon in favour of a dinky dagger), and charges the assassin. He used his first action to grab the weapons, so he focuses on moving into melee for now. When he gets close enough, the shield shoots out to slam the assassin all on its own (but remember, it doesn't float, so you still need to hold it; unless you added that enchant), but the ambusher easily side-steps the attack (a fancy way of saying "rolled a 1").
Adam is now standing at the end of the plain bed, the assassin directly beside it. The man suddenly jumps onto the bed, backs up against the wall, and whips another dagger at Adam. The shield is still resetting from its bash, so Adam can't block. The dagger joins its cousin in Adam's gut (another -2 HP). The ring kicks in, but Adam is starting to feel weak. He doesn't give up the chase and soon joins the assassin on the bed. Adam proves to be quicker when he gets close enough to slash (Success on 2 for First Attack), leaps onto the bed, and uses his momentum to deliver a mighty thrust, and hey, his shield adds a whack as well.
The assassin throws himself out of the way at the last possible second (Sorry dude, my die seems to hate you; all 1's) and both sword and shield strike the wall. Adam's sword actually pierces the wall and cuts deep into it. The assassin ends up on the ground and, thankfully, isn't able to maintain his balance as he goes down and ends up lying in a heap.
Adam wins First Attack, but pulling his sword out of the wall will count as his action for the round (remember, interaction with any item, exempting interactions that occur as part of movement, count as an action). He also hears something coming from the window and...does he smell smoke?
As for Talbot and Jack, the halfling puts on a worried look. He looks around for a way out. He doesn't spot a back exit, but he's sure it's there.
Talbot shakes his head and grins. "They're trying to smoke us out! We've got a few minutes. You go upstairs and see if it's Adam making that racket, and if it's a civilian, help them out. I'll stay down here. I need to gear up."
Jack agrees this isn't a bad idea, but he didn't think about the possibility of civilians or even Adam. The noise might be more assassins and the halfling may get the jump on them. Jack looks for stairs and when he finds them, races up them as quietly as he can (and Succeeds; a 3).
Jack will not reach Adam for another few rounds.
*Rooftop Assassin -2 HP
NVENTORY UPDATE: Adam has sword and shield equipped, Talbot just his shield and weapon, and Jack is fully armed. Irdred is armed; Jack Magnums spent and -2 bullets STATUS LINE: Adam -7 HP Caution!, Talbot -6 HP, Jack -2 HP, Irdred Delayed Healing Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag Adam turns and raises his shield in defense. He pulls out the daggers in his gut and begins throwing them back at the assassin. When he runs out of daggers, he will reach back (shield still between him and the assassin) and try to pull the sword out of the wall. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag "One, two... where is number three?" Irdred mutters to himself as he sees the second assassin enter the window.
At this point, he does the following: -Change the sword's instructions from offensive to defensive. It will defend Adam, specifically. (Did the sword do anything last round?) -He can't really assist directly as long as all these magic-fearing witnesses are peering out their windows, so he does seek out an intersection to get around to the back of the house. Before running out from his hiding spot, though, he dons his hat to cover up his most distinctive feature -- his hair. The last thing he needs right now is for someone to recognize him from an old wanted poster. -As he runs, he calls his vulture zombie out of wherever it may be hiding. (I realize it may be far away and might take awhile to get here.) Its job is to fly overhead and, if it spots any black-clad people on the rooftops, start circling and squawking and generally blowing their cover. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag (Quick update: doing a family thing today and I don't really have time for this) * * * * *
-I didn't forget about Irdred's sword-it missed-but I didn't mention it. -I'm not sure how Irdred knows his sword needs to go on the defensive. -Irdred calls for his vulture, it's not far, and begins circling the rooftops. Hasn't spotted anyone yet. -Irdred runs until he spots an entrance to the alley, further up the road at an intersection.
-Adam throws the daggers at the assassin while he still lies on the floor and nails him in the butt (-1 HP). -Assassin tries to roll away. Adam uses this break in the action to pull his sword free. -Assassin throws another dagger when he gets back on his feet, but Adam blocks with his shield. -Irdred's sword goes for the assassin's leg but the guy jumps over the blade at the last second. -Second assassin appears in window and surveys the scene (not gonna have this one attack in a quick update).
-Jack is now on second floor, but still doesn't know where Adam is.
*Rooftop Assassin -3 HP
NVENTORY UPDATE: Adam has sword and shield equipped, Talbot just his shield and weapon, and Jack is fully armed. Irdred is armed; Jack Magnums spent and -2 bullets STATUS LINE: Adam -7 HP Caution!, Talbot -6 HP, Jack -2 HP, Irdred Delayed Healing Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag
-I'm not sure how Irdred knows his sword needs to go on the defensive.
(My thinking goes like this. One assassin vs. Adam = equal odds. When it was just one-on-one, the offensive boost from the sword was meant to tip the scales in Adam's favor. But now with the second assassin in the window, I don't think it's unreasonable for Irdred to think that Adam might be overwhelmed, and therefore defense would be more important.)
Irdred keeps going, constantly looking behind and above for anyone following him. If the back alley is devoid of people, he readies his devilskin staff and starts animating small animal skeletons. These stay in the bottomless bag for now. If he reaches the back door of the house without incident, he will look for a window and peer inside. He will not enter, however. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag Keeping him's shield between the assassin and himself (and if he is close to the door), Adam will charge the assassin. He pays attention to what Irdreds sword is doing and uses it to his advantage when attacking. He is still trying to take the assassins arms and legs off, commands the shield to bash when close, but keep the assassin inside the room between him and the assassin outside the room. He doesnt want to get surrounded. If the outside comes into the room, Adam will make his way out of the room and down the stairs. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag (Still sick, so another quick update) * * * * * *
-Irdred makes his way into the alley. It's quiet, so he begins animating some tiny skeletons. -Irdred's vulture begins squawking at something across the street from the house the party is hiding in (so near the inn).
-Adam charges, and in a flurry of steel, hacks off the assassin's right arm (-3 HP). The man cries out and gives Adam a look like he is seeing the mercenary for the first time. The assassin begins to reach into his pocket... -The assassin in the window jumps into the room and tosses a dagger at Adam, but Irdred's sword strikes it out of the air (Parry Success on 3). -Jack suddenly appears in the door of the room and stabs the assassin in the back (-3 HP). Down he goes. -The second assassin whips out a vial and smashes it on the ground near Adam's feet. It's another smokebomb. Adam begins coughing but Jack manages to tough it out long enough to charge through it. Unfortunately, he's technically blind in the smoke cloud and runs face-first into a bed post. By the time he manages to find his way out of the smoke, he discovers the second assassin has fled.
-The smell of fire has grown.
NVENTORY UPDATE: Adam has sword and shield equipped, Talbot just his shield and weapon, and Jack is fully armed. Irdred is armed; Jack Magnums spent and -2 bullets STATUS LINE: Adam -7 HP Caution!, Talbot -6 HP, Jack -2 HP, Irdred Delayed Healing Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag If Adam notices the smell of fire, he says "Jack! Get everyone out of this house!". Then he will search the house for survivors (rescuing them if they need it) before leaving the house (if not through the front door then through the window) and crossing the street. If he doesn't notice the smell of fire, he will drink down another advanced healing potion, fully suit up, then jump out the window in search of the assassin(s). (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag * * * * * *
Adam can smell the fire, so he begins searching for innocents in the house. Jack doesn't seem too interested in finding survivors. Instead, he runs to the window and searches for targets. When he doesn't find any, he runs downstairs to find Talbot has equipped most of his armor, but he has fallen back to a different room.
There doesn't appear to be anyone else in the house, so Adam joins the rest of the party on the bottom floor of the house.
"Okay, the front is an inferno, so we will go out the back," Talbot instructs the party. It only takes a minute to find the back door. When Talbot pushes it, he discovers it won't open!
"Huh?" Talbot says with a shocked looked before trying the door again. It still won't open.
Talbot then goes for some nearby windows, but this is when he discovers more firelight!
"How did they get around back so fast? Damn it, we trapped in a burning house!" Talbot yelps.
This is when Irdred arrives. As he races down the tight alley, he eventually spots a house with burning shutters. He spots a figure standing just outside this house. It appears to be doing something to the backdoor.
Irded's last footstep makes an exceptionally loud slapping noise and this causes the figure to turn its head in Irdred's direction.
Looks like Irdred has been spotted... Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag "Upstairs! Now! We can make it out the window!" Jericho drinks another advanced healing potion before heading up the stairs to the room he was fighting in and heads out the window. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag Irdred stops where he is, meeting the figure's gaze. Without looking away, he silently calls the flying sword from wherever it is, with the idea that it will sneak up and deliver a critical blow against the assassin.
While he waits for the sword to arrive and make its move, he calls out to the assassin, "Step away from that door. What are you trying to do?" He is stalling for time, of course, not necessarily expecting a response.
Still uncertain if the assassin recognizes him as an enemy, he doesn't take any other action until a) the sword reaches its target and attacks, b) the assassin makes any hostile movement, or c) the assassin tries to flee in any way. Irdred responds to any of these three conditions with a Necro Fury.
Meanwhile, he keeps an ear open for the vulture to gauge if the other assassin, the one by the inn, changes position or stays put. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag
ROYAL CAPITAL: The Gambling C*ck-Streets CONDITIONS: Night GOALS: Infiltrate the Palace and retake the Earth Plan
Irdred says his bit, but the assassin doesn't look like the type to hesitate. He or she immediately whips out a small crossbow and fires it at Irdred. The mysterious ambusher proves to be a fantastic shot and Irdred finds a bolt in his gut, and a burning sensation suggests this bolt is poisoned; however, Irdred is able to tough out the effects of the poison (Tough Success on 2) and his Delayed Healing spell pushes the bolt out and reverses the damage. The assassin appears to be stunned by the development.
Irdred counters with his spell: his ray of pure necrotic energy races towards its target, but when it reaches its target, all shadows in the alley appear to race into this central point before flying outwards in a burst of darkness. The assassin wasn't expecting the blast at the end and is engulfed (-2 HP).
Irdred's vulture stops squawking after a few moments. It must have lost sight of its target. Irdred then hears the sound of thunder, not from above, and watches the back door of the burning house tremble. (SMART) Sounds like Jack is trying to shoot the door open.
Adam spins around and races up the stairs while drinking another potion, but Jack and Talbot doesn't follow. Adam passes Irdred's sword as he goes and the sword suddenly spins around and follows Adam to the window. The mercenary watches the sword fly out the window and out of sight, then sticks his own head out the window.
Adam doesn't know how he managed to do it, but he somehow gets his shield up in time to block the bolt that flies out of the darkness (Success on 3; negative factor due to unexpected attack). He then hears the sound of thunder coming from beneath him.
*Engulfed by Darkness Assassin -2 HP
INVENTORY UPDATE: Adam has sword and shield equipped, Talbot fully armed, and Jack is fully armed. Irdred is armed; Jack Magnums spent and -2 bullets STATUS LINE: Adam -5 HP, Talbot -6 HP, Jack -2 HP Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag Adam ducks down below the window. He takes this time to fully suit up, then drinks another adv. health potion. He backs up and takes a running start towards the window with his shield up in front of him. He dives out of the window, shield first, and rolls as he hits the ground. He makes his way across the street (shield up) and dives for cover. He looks for where the shots are coming from. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag (Keno quit. Looks like his busy schedule is gonna be a long-term thing. I'd get another player, but Soulweaver also technically quit and she was just sticking around at a reduced capacity as a favour to me. Replacing the only two characters who have any real understanding of the entire plot doesn't make sense, so I guess we're done here.
So close to the end too...) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag
she was just sticking around at a reduced capacity as a favour to me.
(Hey, that's not true. I stuck around, against my better judgment, because the game is bloody addictive and I really wanted to see the end.
Any chance you'd be willing to wrap up the game with a short summary of what was supposed to happen?) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag (Ah, that's different then. I'd even consider continuing just because we're so close to the end, but you're still very busy, right? You guys would have to post multiple times a day to get this done at a decent pace) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag (Yeah, I'm still very busy, and will be for the foreseeable future...) d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members March 2011 edited March 2011 Flag (Yeah, I thought so. I'd have to really trim the game down to maintain decent momentum, but I have already reduced it quite a bit. Any more and the game will start to feel like Xenogears' second disc.
I guess I'll start working on that summary.
I'm planning another game like this, check the RP thread, that will allow you to play at your own pace if anyone is interested. You can play in a party, or go it alone, explore and loot, or take part in an epic plot. Entirely up to you)
**No...I want to see this game to the end, damn it! I've got an idea...I'm going to relate the final events in Story-update form with some input from you guys with regards to quotes and character reactions. No managing sheets or actions. No worrying about success or failure. Just some light RP'ing...that should be enough to carry us to the end. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag I'm up for that. Can't wait to see how this ends. (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag
ROYAL CAPITAL: The Gambling C*ck-Streets CONDITIONS: Night GOALS: Finish the Game
Bolts flying through the night from some unknown source is enough to convince Adam to try something else. He spins around and returns to the inn, kicking the one fallen ambusher as he goes, and joins the rest of the party on the first floor. Jack is attempting to shoot the door open and he is doing a wonderful job. A good chunk of the door has already been blown away.
Outside, both Irdred and the assassin turn to face the door just in time to watch the handle get blown away, but whatever the assassin did to the door, it's not opening. Irdred, being the smarty he is, realizes this must be magic and he pulls out his Dispelling wand. A zap later negates the spell on the door. The assassin, expecting some kind of attack, quickly reloads the crossbow in hand, but at the exact moment he or she raises the bow to fire, the door suddenly flies open. The heavy door slams into the assassin and throws him into the back of another house. Talbot retracts his foot and exits the house, followed by Adam and Jack. Adam quickly executes the assassin.
"Let's get out of the city. It will be easier to deal with them in the open," Talbot says as he races past Irdred. The necromancer moves to object, as is his policy whenever Talbot says anything, but everyone has already begun to follow the young knight and Irdred doesn't want to be left behind.
The party flees to the end of the ally without encountering resistence, but upon exiting onto the street, they return to warily watching rooftops and windows. A number of people are standing in windows, shutters open, yelling about fires and calling the guard. Some civilians have exited their homes with buckets of water in hand, but the guard remains absent.
"Pilgrims of shadow policy," Talbot explains. "When they're operating within the city, no guard may interrupt their operation, but it won't be long before we exit their operation boundry. We need to maintain a low profile until we can reach the gate."
Irdred was worried about the gate, but at least Talbot realizes that may be an issue. Hanging around until more assassins show up is not an option, so the party keeps moving. They don't encounter any more assassins when they approach the city gate, but Talbot grudgingly reassures the party they're still present. This is the same gate Adam used earlier, but it's not open. The portcullis is down and a small contingent of guards are stationed at the gate. A number of guards appear to be drinking the night away in a nearby guardhouse, but a respectable number maintain their position by the gate.
Irdred gives Talbot a worried look, but the young knight doesn't appear to be surprised by this development.
"Okay, we don't need to open the gate. We just need to find the guard with the key, unlock the personnel door, and then we can get out of here. Now to find the key...I suppose Jack can slip in..."
Adam pulls out the Go Rope and points to the wall.
"...or we can get up to the wall and climb down. Yeah, that will be a lot easier, and quiet."
Unfortunately, to access the wall, they need to enter the gatehouse. This small room tucked into the gate-wall is still close enough to the guards to attract enough attention, but not so close the party can't sneak past them. Talbot and Irdred aren't very good at stealth, but the necromancer has an idea, although Jack mutters something about leaving them behind.
Irdred animates a dead rat from his bag and sends it into the group of guards. The undead pest runs up the leg of one guard and the armored man begins to scream and dance around. The guards thoroughly distracted, the party gathers around the gatehouse. Adam deploys his Lock Gremlin, who makes short work of the door, and the party enters. They soon find themselves at the top of the wall and Adam deploys the Go Rope. The animated rope latches onto a nearby hook, and the party climbs to safety.
The party flees into the countryside, but Irdred reminds them the assassins could still be following. They could chase the party to Irdred's hide-out. This brings up an interesting question: if the queen knew enough to dispatch assassins, why not send an entire regiment of troops to hunt the party down? Irdred thinks on this as they race, but he can't find an answer. Perhaps the queen is trying to keep the war with the mages quiet, but that explanation doesn't add up. Capturing a few agents from Atlas'Baerone is hardly proof a war is being fought, and the queen can easily deny such a claim.
Irdred ponders this mystery as the party trudges through the forest.
At one point, Talbot calls a stop and has the party plan their ambush. Irdred's vulture continues to circle the skies and it eventually squawks a warning. Irdred casts Spiritwalk and investigates the area the vulture is circling as a ghost. They're hard to spot, but with aid from the vulture, Irdred finds the remaining two assassins lurking in the shadows. When Irdred returns to the party, he calls his vulture back, then has it carry some of Jack's Bluefire powder to the spot the assassins are hiding. The party then goes searching for them, and when the vulture finds them, drops the powder on them. The magical powder has an odd blue hue to it, and it twinkles brightly in the moonlight like blue fireflies. It's a simple matter of dispatching the assassins at this point.
The party does not reach Irdred's lab until just before dawn and spend the rest of the morning sleeping in. They decide it's best to stay at the lab until the big day arrives: infiltrating the palace.
While the party rests, it's likely they discuss a number of things (campfire)... Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag "This is just wonderful. How the hell did they get wind of us so fast?" Arms crossed across his chest, Irdred eyes the others sternly. But then, his gaze wanders off into space as a different possibility crosses his mind. "And yet... they weren't exactly after all of us, were they? Some of us just happened to get in the way of their real target."
He reflects again on the question that had been nagging at him during their journey: why would the queen want to keep this quiet? Only one thing made sense. There was only one person here who would motivate her to do things the way she had. "Talbot. Ha. Could it be that, out of all of us, you're the biggest threat to the queen? Perhaps you should tell us exactly what happened when you were on your own yesterday." d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag Talbot hesitates. "I...I um...may have been...spotted." Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag (Sorry, guys. A massive storm hit our area and we lost power all day long. I'm back.)
Adam pokes Blacknose, still in his sack, with the end of sword. "Spotted doing....what exactly? Surely the queen's knight didn't light a flare and draw an arrow straight to out location?" (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag
ROYAL CAPITAL: Countryside; Irdred's Lab GOALS: Finish the Game
Adam runs his blade along the length of the wight's face. It does not stir. The mercenary pokes the wight' with curiousity. Mere millimetres from the wight's mouth, the undead jolts to life and narrowly misses biting off Adam's finger. Adam frowns at the undead and resolves to pull its teeth out later that night.
Talbot lowers his gaze to Irdred's shoes. "Er...let's just say I am still...known to certain parties. They didn't forget about me."
Jack, who is cleaning his gun, saunters up to Talbot. He rests his gun in one hand and carelessly points it at Talbot's groin. The halfling then wonders aloud whether or not Talbot is still a queen's man.
Talbot narrows his eyes at the halfling. "No. There will be no more of that, not until I hear her explain her recent actions. Starting unjust wars, associating with pirates, and wielding forbidden magicks...I can't let any of it stand. Someone must approach the queen."
Jack nods, but he continues to regard the young knight with a suspicious look. Gun still in hand, the halfling takes a seat in a dusty old chair. He then mutters something about Sara Anser.
"Look, let's not make this about me, okay?" Talbot said. "They think I'm dead! Those who know better end up dead or work hard to correct my good luck."
Talbot glances at Irdred. "I doubt the queen is focused on me. The necromancer here is the only one who can claim the Earth Plan. If anyone is a target, it's him."
Irdred's train of thought is derailed by the prospect of being a major target. His look of suspicion is replaced with concern. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag (Blew through my character limit, so I needed a fresh post)
ROYAL CAPITAL: GOALS: Finish the Game
Despite their victory in the forest, the party spends the rest of the night casting nervous glances at the windows and keeping their hands on the hilts of their weapons. When dawn finally arrives, exhaustion defeats the party's resolve and they drag themselves to bed, but not before nominating Talbot for guard duty. He complains, but he doesn't put up much of a fight.
Irdred decides it is best to lay low in the lab until the day comes to present the printing press to the queen. A couple party members are surprised the necromancer managed to find a way into the castle, but they don't argue. Irdred also uses the mailbox coin to establish contact with Swan in Atlas'Baerone. He makes good on his promise to supply the party with powerful magic items. The party departs a couple days later at dawn.
They discover the guard at the gate has been substantially improved, but Talbot prepared for this possibility, much to the party's surprise, and leads them to an old sewer grate tucked within a small grove. The young knight explains the grate was used by thieves to sneak into the city until the knights blocked it, but Talbot expects the party has the means to break through the blockage. Talbot's bet is a good one and a couple shots from Jack remove the blockage. After an uneventful trip through the sewers, because there is no point in making it more exciting under these circumstances, the party find themselves inside the city.
Talbot is not prepared for the second surprise: new wanted posters have been posted around the city. There aren't that many, and Adam is still spared the embarassment of being represented in such a poorly drawn manner, but the rest of the party must endure the crude caricatures. Irdred happily dons his plague doctor outfit, but the rest of the party has to stuff their belongings in their magical pouches and then acquire less conspicuous attire. Once they are ready, Irdred leads the party to the dwarves' workshop and introduces Talbot and Adam as the muscle. As for Jack, the dwarves have reservations about his presence and wonder aloud if he's worth the extra pay. Irdred promises the dwarves Jack is well worth the extra coin and will cover the cost. Jack can't help scoffing at this remark out of habit.
The printing-press is soon loaded into a rented cart and hauled to the castle gate. Getting through the outer gates and into the palace grounds proves to be painlessly easy, but then the guards halt the team. The party must surrender themselves to an examination before the cart can be brought into the palace and they must wait for the examiner. The party mutually agrees they can't afford to risk giving themselves up now, and while the dwarves wait for the examiner, the party sneaks away from the cart. Talbot, who knows the layout of the palace, leads the party to the kitchens where the guard presence will be lightest. When they get there, they run into a guard, but Irdred quickly steps in and introduces himself as a doctor.
"Thank the Light! It's about time," a rotund woman shouts. She stomps through the kitchen doors and approaches the necromancer. "Lianna has been sick for days! The poor thing has a cough and hasn't been able to work. I'm not about to let a good young worker fall to sickness. Not on my watch! You get in there and treat her good, yes? Hop to it!"
"Now see here..." the guard is interrupted by a glare from the rotund woman. She turns her nose up as she marches into the kitchens.
The guard shakes his head and mutters to himself, but at the sight of Jack recovers and points at the halfling. "Who is this? And these men? What are they here for?"
"Assistants," Irdred replies.
The rotund woman pokes her head out the door and frowns. "Well? Why are you still out here? Is he holding you up? I said we need a doctor now! No paranoid tinhead will stop the one doctor we've managed to get up here in weeks. If Lianna dies, I guarantee you will never see another 'misplaced' honeyed biscuit, oh no!"
The guard blushes, then steps away from the party.
The commanding woman leads the party to this Lianna. She shouts orders at various maids and servants as she goes, and many people, guards included, scurry out of the way as soon as they can hear her approach.
Talbot grins. "It's nice to not be on the receiving end of her voice."
Jack mutters something about large women and a good place to hide a dagger. Adam laughs, but avoids looking at the halfling.
The party discovers Lianna bedridden within a small room deep in the servant's quarters. It's kept well away from the rest of the rooms and looks like a converted storage room. Irdred asks the vocally gifted woman to leave him to work, then goes about treating her illness. She is startled by Irdred's use of magic, but promises not to tell anyone about it.
Now deep within the palace, the party ducks into a nearby room and arm themselves. They formulate an assault plan, with the queen being the main target, and use Talbot's knowledge of the palace to form a strategy. If the queen is currently awaiting a presentation, she must be in the audience chamber. The path through the servant's quarters, past the dining halls, through the war room, and finally into the grand hall will be tricky, but there shouldn't be many guards.
The party doesn't have much trouble getting through the servant's quarters and Talbot eventually acquires a suit of armor emblazoned with the royal guard's fire crest. This is enough to get the servants out of the way, but the dining halls require a little more effort. Adam's ability to scale nearly any surface is used to great effect to open doors, get behind guards, and create distractions while Jack uses his silenced magnums to remove stubborn targets.
The party eventually reaches the grand hall where they discover the queen in the middle of a heated argument with the High Bishop Cirillo. The queen's throne is surrounded by the royal guard and she is on her feet. The guards look ready for combat.
"WHAT!?" the queen shouts. Her voice echoes throughout the grand hall. The party can clearly hear everything being said from their hiding place nearby.
She balls her fists. "What do you mean I don't need all of the Plans to use them?"
The bishop Cirillo bows his head. "It is...not necessary, but highly recommended. They are more stable when used..."
The queen will have none of what the bishop is saying. She suddenly kicks him in the face and the wizened bishop tumbles backwards.
"Everything I've done! Every sacrifice I made! Every sin betraying the will of the Holy Light...and it was all in vain?" the queen continues to shout. Her voice is beginning to crack.
"My queen, if you will let me explain..."
"ENOUGH!" the queen screams so loudly it's a wonder the stained windows don't shatter. "I know the Earth Plan was used to destroy the giant's citadel! Whoever did that could not have had another Plan in his or her possession and certainly not all four."
The queen narrows her eyes at the bishop. Her mouth twists into a sneer. "Bishop, or should I say mage? You want the Plans for yourself. Don't deny it! I've been suspicious of you since the very beginning, but you have proven yourself to be very useful. I no longer require your services. Guards, seize him!"
The bishop raises a single hand and the guards stop dead in their tracks. The bishop, no longer looking so wizened or frail looking, tosses away his bishop's hat and dusts himself off.
"I never liked that hat," Cirillo said. "I see your hounds know their place. Perhaps their b*tch should follow their example? Lest you forget, my good queen, I have the Earth Plan and I don't plan to spend any time in a dungeon."
The queen holds her ground. "And I have the Fire Plan, but unlike you, I have always been ready to use it. Now that I know you don't need the other Plans, that day has arrived, but what do you plan to do mage? Here you alone stand, surrounded by my best men, while my most loyal agent has already begun the ritual to summon the avatar of Fire."
Cirillo laughs. "Do you really think your ants can stand against the titannic might of the Earth Plan? Oh no, my good queen, it is you who stand alone. And what about your precious city? A single word, that is all I need, and every last man, woman, and child will be turned to dust."
Jack begins to aim his guns at Cirillo's back, but Talbot places a hand on one gun. "No, if you fire now, they'll be more than happy to focus on us. Let them fight eachother. We can come back after it's over and clean up."
The most unusual grin fills the queen's face. Is it...mirth? Relief?
"Please, I beg you! Utter your words. Crush my subjects. Smash my buildings and topple my towers. Do not let me get in the way of your rage. Do whatever you must do to secure your victory. This city is a curse on a page waiting to be read, its people a blight waiting to be unleashed, but know this mage: after your bloodlust has been sated, the avatar of fire will stand against you, and then you will know what it's like to stand before the might of the Titans. It will consume everything! No amount of rock you summon can withstand such an inferno."
Talbot's face is filled with disbelief. "No way...she is bluffing. She must be!"
Cirillo, equally shocked, takes one step away from the throne.
"What?" he mutters. He looks around as the royal guard begins to advance on him. The guards cast furtive glances at the queen, but they continue to approach the bishop.
"What?" the bishop continues to back away from the guards, and more quickly now. Disbelief still remains frozen on his face. "You...you really don't care if I destroy everything? You really...don't care? You don't care about your people? You don't care about your bloody son?"
The queen frowns at the bishop. "I will deal with my son. I suggest you flee, mage. You will need time to summon your own avatar, do you not? You best be ready when the avatar of fire arrives. It will not hesitate to attack."
"But...that will leave me defenseless!"
"Then, by all means, destroy the city. I care not. I welcome it. It will relieve me of the burden," the queen replied. She turns her back on the bishop and begins to march towards a door in the back of the audience chamber. "Choose quickly, mage! Fight and die, or live and flee."
The door slams shut. The guards charge Cirillo. The mage glances at the royal guard, panic filling his face.
"F**k," he utters.
**reaching my character limit, to be continued... Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag "And suddenly, the man of God becomes the enemy of the state. Do we have a new ally or do we watch to see if his prayers of safe passage are answered?" (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag
ROYAL CAPITAL: GOALS: Finish the Game
Before anyone can reply to Adam, a huge gong is struck somewhere. A tremor fills the palace. Pieces of cracked stoned fall from the ceiling, nearby vases and mirrors tip over and smash against the floor, and the guards struggle to maintain their balance. Cirillo, now with an angry look on face, does not seem perturbed by the tremor.
"The power of the titans now rest in my hands! I will not lose it," Cirillo shouts.
A large chunk of the floor suddenly rips itself free and lashes out at the royal guard. Many are thrown aside or crushed by the stony assault, but unlike the weaklings the party has grown accustomed to battling, these soldiers summon the will to return to their feet and keep fighting. Few guards are actually slain by the assault.
The attack reminds Irdred of something, but he can't recall the memory. It's like he has seen all of this before, and yet it remains far out of reach...
Logic soon takes over, and he points and yells at Cirillo, "The bishop has the Earth Plan!"
"Sure looks like it!" Talbot replies. "Forget the queen. The bishop has the Plan. He's our target!"
Cirillo spins around to face the party, but he doesn't appear to be surprised to see them. He just grins and waves at them like an old friend.
"You guys are late! You should have dealt with the queen by now," Cirillo glances at the advancing guard. "Bah! I don't have enough time to deal with you or the queen. That blasted avatar is coming!"
And with that, Cirillo spins on his heel and runs for the door. The party gives chase, spells and guns blazing, but the bishop causes a section of the ceiling to collapse before the party, blocking their attacks and sealing the exit.
The entire palace is up in arms, but nobody pays much attention to the party as they return to the servant's quarters and use the kitchen entrance to flee the castle. Everyone is focused on capturing the bishop.
Talbot leads the party to the stables to acquire some horses. A short skrum is necessary to liberate the horses from the guards there, but they eventually get their hands on the finest horses anyone has ever seen, race across the courtyard, and gallop out the front gate. Yells of "Find the bishop!" and "Close the gates!" follow the party as they charge through the streets of the royal capital.
There are also a few curious calls of "Seal the city! Don't let anyone leave!".
"He will be at the cathedral! His personal guard reside there," Talbot yelled over the galloping horse's hooves.
A house on the corner of the street suddenly explodes. Brick and mortar fly everywhere as a massive vine, covered in huge spikes, rises out of the ground.
Talbot groans. "Not these things again!"
The gigantic vine rises high into the sky before lashing out at another building. Splinters of wood and bits of stone shower the party.
Talbot, proving himself to be an excellent rider, urges his mount to go faster. The rest of the party struggle to keep up, none moreso than Irdred who grips the mane of his horse for dear life. He mutters plenty of obscenities as the party rides and finds himself wishing for the reliability of an undead mount.
More gigantic vines assault the city. One crashes down onto the street and blocks a lane. Another vine fills the street with rubble forcing the party to backtrack. Vines are sprouting anywhere! Tremors fill the city.
Soldiers and guards fill the streets like ants. They shout at civilians to remain indoors, but many ignore these orders and brave the streets anyway. Some run for the gates only to find them locked down; others run for the harbour, but they discover a line of guards blocking access to the ships. Many people scream and shout for mercy, their cries filling the air like a flock of birds. "I'm wealthy! I can give you anything you want" some cry, others say "My children! Please save my children!", but none are given the freedom they seek.
The gigantic vines show no mercy. They ignore the cries. All are crushed beneath their massive bulk.
The party soon approach the cathedral, a towering building of white and gold standing out from the houses and shops around it. It's surrounded by a fence, and, more importantly, a group of royal guards. They're attacking the cathedral's grand doors, but it is blocked by the vines.
The captain of the royal guard turns to greet the party when they arrive.
"Talbot! Aren't you supposed to be dead?"
"Never dead, just betrayed," Talbot answers. "Captain, please listen to me! We want to help. We need to reach Cirillo. We don't want the city to be leveled."
The captain shakes his head. "The traitor will be executed, but what about the Earth Plan? I know you were sent here by the mages. I will not have them take the Plan so they can use it against us."
"Forgot about the Plan! The city is in danger now!"
The captain glances at the rest of the party. "What about these fugitives? A mercenary, a murderer, and a necromancer. Damn it, Talbot, a bloody necromancer! Necromancy was outlawed long before we even knew of the Fire Plan's existence."
Talbot throws up his hands. "Not now! Not while innocent civilians are dying all around us..."
The captain, sword already drawn, draws a second sword for his other hand. Both swords suddenly erupt in flame. "You're my enemy, Talbot, you and those bloody fugitives, and servants to an even greater enemy. Those bastards at Spellmount! Cirillo came here from that cursed tower to steal the Fire Plan, didn't he? All this talk about Plans...that's what those villains wanted, isn't it? How else could scum ever successfully infiltrate Spellmount? And now the trap has been sprung...their reinforcements will arrive any moment. Thank the Light we have the Fire Plan!"
Talbot shakes his head. "No, that's not right at all! The queen..."
Rage fills the captain's eyes. "How dare you insult the queen! Your queen! How could you have ever called yourself a knight? A real knight trusts his queen. A real knight would never question his queen's judgment. A real knight would have fought to the death before allying with his queen's enemy. Pirates have more decency! You're not even worthy of being called 'scum'. You're worst than that...a knight foolish enough to be used by his enemy. I can't think of a word befitting enough to describe you..."
Irdred opens his mouth, but Talbot interrupts him.
"No! That can't be right. Swan just wants to study the Plans...they just want to stop whoever is stealing them..."
The captain grins. "Now you are starting to understand...Guess who ends up with the Plans at the end? The mages. Do you know who hired the pirates to attack the merfolk and steal the Water Plan? Cirillo. Who do the pirates belong to? Allarant. His asking price would have been very high...where do you think a poor, dishonourably discharged mage would have gotten the money to hire Allarant's fleet? Twice! Spellmount. Nobody else could have pulled this off on their own. The 'bishop' had help...who better than Spellmount who just so happens to be at war with us now for 'stealing' the Earth Plan."
Talbot stutters. "But...but..."
"Earth Plan hidden in the most secure part of that bloody university...got it pretty easily, didn't we? Bless the Light for giving us a queen with the ability to see through this plot. She played the game very well. She was not fooled by Cirillo's 'guidance'. In fact, she used the fool to work for her! Bloody good form. I never doubted her and you shouldn't have..."
Talbot's gaze falls to his boots. "I...I was loyal, but...I don't know anymore...I just wanted to bring someone to justice.
The captain claps Talbot on the back. "A thief once talked me into giving him my sword and armor so he could feed his family. Led me into an ambush and robbed me blind. Happens to the best of us at your age, but you...dealing with those mages. They're a clever lot, they are! They had an unfair advantage. Maybe...maybe I can talk to the queen. She has a heart of gold. A little time in the dungeons and a few years of guard duty, and nobody will care what happened. I wouldn't be surprised if she issued a full pardon! Yes, I can see it now...deep undercover, you were! Brought the villains down from the inside without them knowing your true purpose."
Adam doesn't like where this is going, so he draws his sword and hacks at the captain's arm. The captain pulls away from Talbot and focuses on the rest of the party. The other guards now form a circle around everyone.
The captain glances at Talbot. "No pardons yet! We still need to deal with this scum. They don't deserve any mercy."
You guys are losing Talbot! Quick, make him see reason! Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag Adam points his sword at the captain. "LISTEN TO YOURSELVES! If the mages don't get their hands on the Plans, the Queen will! If not the Queen, some other nefarious group bent on ruling the world! Power left unchecked leads to disaster! We have seen enough with our eyes to see that no one is worthy of handling such power with respect and responsibility!" He turns to Talbot and yells at him. "Talbot! You have seen with your own eyes what the Queen thinks of her people! Would she allow this to happen if she cared about them at all! Is that the kind of person that you would give your allegiance to? Men, Women, and Children are dying! And over what? The power to destroy all they see! If this power does not bring a safer world to our children then it's a power not worth having!
"Make your choice, Knight! Protect the very people you swore an oath to serve or watch them die as you join your Queen in her endless search for worthless power!" (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag Talbot shakes his head. "No...she was just bluffing...force Cirillo to flee. You saw what happened with the Earth Plan at the citadel! That talk about avatars...it may give us a chance to stop the bishop. She must have known!" Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag "What have they done to you, Talbot? Where is your honor? I may not like you, but I respect you for standing up for the right of the people! Heh. I respected you. Do you see what she has done? She has personally made her people EXPENDABLE! If she were to use the Fire Plan for good, then she would have used it to protect her people! Where is she now? Where is her protection? She has gone off to summon an avatar of fire with power the likes we have never seen! She has left and she is not coming back! Not for you! Not for her people!"
He looks at the captain. "And if what you say is true, Captain, then Swan needs to be stopped. They all do. But we have to start here and now before the world is engulfed in the power of the elements!" Adam lowers his sword and addresses everyone. "This is no time for debates! We don't even care about the Plans any more! Right now we have people that need our help! We can't do that fighting each other here! We have to stop Cirillo! NOW! We deal with the consequences of right and honor later!
"We go in to save this town and its people together or you die by my hand so that I can save it myself!" He looks right at Talbot. "Stand in my way and I. Will. Kill. You."
|
|
|
Post by TG Barighm on May 8, 2018 18:16:15 GMT -5
Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag "Talbot," Irdred says seriously, "nevermind the fact that the queen will never take you back. Nevermind the fact that she has led everyone believe you are dead, that she sent assassins after you, that she is making sacrificial lambs of her people even now. None of that is important! What matters right now is that if we don't work together, then this private war between the queen and the bishop will destroy this city and everyone in it that you care about! Your family does not have time for this finger-pointing."
He has nothing else to say to the young knight. Letting Adam handle Talbot from here on out, Irdred focuses on the guards. "This is madness," he says to the guard captain. "Look around you, man! The world is being torn asunder around us, and you're concerned about us?! Shouldn't Cirillo be slightly higher on your list of priorities? He is our mutual enemy -- let us help you! Arrest us afterwards if you must." ...You brainless bellwether, he manages to avoid saying out loud.
Then, remembering several other instances where he was able to make allies out of enemies, he goes on, "I am a healer. Are any of your men injured?" ...Although he has his doubts that this will work as well now as it has in the past, it's worth a shot. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag
ROYAL CAPITAL: GOALS: Finish the Game
Jack doesn't say anything. He is attempting to keep his two guns trained on every target at once. He points his guns at a new target every second.
The guards cringe from Irdred. "Do not let the necromancer touch you. He will curse you!"
"Such a cruel trick," the captain said as he points his swords at Irdred. "Do you see, Talbot? This filth is not like us! We do not need their help to save this city. Come, knight! Join us in our finest hour!"
Talbot does not reply immediately to the captain. His face has hardened. Something Irdred said has completely disrupted his momentary bout of doubt.
"You killed my family," Talbot said. He pulls out his morningstar. "The queen was afraid I might reveal the truth, so she had them eliminated and declared me dead. Nobody would believe some vagabond pretending to be a knight and nobody would ever know I existed! And you...you would have given the order!"
The captain sneers. "I do as my queen commands. I'm sure she had a good reason. She will gladly compensate you for your loss. Gold, property...anything!"
Irdred, being the smarty he is, suddenly remembers and important flaw in the captain's argument: Irdred saw the queen with the pirate captain. She was giving him orders! If Spellmount paid for Allarant's fleet, why did the queen fake her own capture? It's highly likely the queen would never tell the captain of the guards this little nugget of information. He will believe anything she tells him.
Irdred points this out and the captain is taken aback.
"What a vile lie! Our queen would never associate with pirates. Never!"
Irdred now asks if the queen has lately made any exceptionally large transactions.
The captain growls.
"You killed my family...I have nothing left to protect," Talbot said. He takes a step closer to the captain. "Gold, shelter, honour...none of it matters now. There is only revenge."
The captain glances at his men. "Enough of this banter! They lie when they should be listening to reason and they dare insult our queen. The queen has ordered the capture of these men. Charge!"
But it's Talbot who strikes the first blow. He immediately slams into the guard captain with all of his might and knocking the royal guard to the ground. Jack begins firing at his current targets and Irdred ducks behind a bush and begins animating skeletons. Adam hacks those behind the party to keep their escape route open.
The ensuing battle is fierce. Archers using magical fire-coated arrows fire on the party, each shot erupting in a blast of flame and intense heat. Royal defenders, armored from head to toe and wielding huge shields, advance on Adam and Talbot and prove to be exceptionally difficult to kill. They heal their team mates, create auras of luck, and temporarily dispel protective magical effects. Last but not least, the captain himself proves to be a deadly adversary, dishing out 5 HP damage per sword strike. Talbot's exceptional defense, Adam's speed, Jack's raw damage, and Irdred's skeletal bombs prove to be enough to win the day.
With the royal guard captain defeated, the party advance on the cathedral. A little encouragement from the party, in the form of bombs and gunfire, is enough to remove the magical veins. Talbot kicks open the huge doors and the team rush inside.
The cathedral is trashed. Only corpses reside within. Cirillo's bodyguard appear to have fought a huge battle.
Irdred spots a man still breathing in the back of the room. Irdred stabilizes the man long enough for him to explain.
"Bishop...evil! Ordered us to protect him...while he used vile sorcery...devilry forbidden in our hallowed halls! Transformed into a...demonic beast!"
When Irdred politely explains he used magic to save the man's life, the man's eyes bulge and the stress of this sudden turn of events cause him to have a heart attack and die.
Talbot looks puzzled. "Vile sorcery? Did he already summon his avatar? How did he get here so fast?"
A loud "squawk" fills the cathedral.
Swan's parrot suddenly appears, does a lap around the ceiling, then flies into hiding.
"That little devil!" Talbot shouts. "You're not just working for Swan. You are working for Cirillo too!"
"Swan? Swan! That quack! How dare you insinuate I can tolerate any of that man's drivel," Cirillo shouts. He is now standing on a balcony overlooking the party. "Stop pointing your guns at me, halfling! After all the help I gave you, is this how you thank me? Do you not recognize your beloved 'pet'"
Talbot's jaw drops.
"Don't give me that look," Cirillo said. He is sporting a look of great amusement. "I dare say, you were awfully quick to take me in! My feathery form has always proved oh-so useful in overhearing the most delightfully useful pieces of information, but I never thought it could be used for subterfuge. Color me surprised...and, shall I say, red?"
Jack fires a shot at Cirillo, but he quickly ducks behind cover.
"Where is the Earth Plan, Cirillo? We know you summoned the avatar! We know you're defenseless!" Talbot shouts.
"Drat. You heard that, did you?" Cirillo answered from his spot behind cover. "Yes, apparently one can not ask the Plan itself to take physical form without giving it up. The Plan literally grows legs and goes on a rampage! Somebody has to stop that mad women from using the Fire Plan. I would like to get out of here with my life. No sense in having the Earth Plan without it!
But I'm not entirely defenseless. You do not become a council member without having some skill in magic or did you really think transforming into a parrot was the full extent of my powers? I can become something much...bigger!"
And then the balcony exploded. Chunks of brick and wood flew in every direction as a huge winged beast emerged from the new cavity in the cathedral's wall. Where Cirillo once stood, a dragon now emerges.
Cirillo the dragon proves to be every bit as difficult to defeat as the captain of the royal guard. Acid breath flying everywhere, a huge tail whipping about, and beating wings throwing the party off their feet, but they eventually prevail.
Cirillo does not go down gracefully. Instead of accepting defeat, he transforms into Swan's parrot and attempts to fly through a hole in the stained glass windows, but a well-aimed shot from Jack brings the parrot down for good.
Talbot points in the direction of the palace. "We can't claim victory yet! The queen still has the Fire Plan and she needs to pay for my family's lives. None of us are safe as long as the Fire Plan rests in her hands."
Now outside the cathedral, the party witnesses an incredible sight.
At some point during the battle within the cathredral, the queen's palace has risen into the air. Entire sections of wall, towers, and the keep have begun to float, but this sudden levitation does not appear to be entirely stable: large chunks of stone and earth break free from the palace's foundation and fall to the ground.
Thankfully, the palace has not risen very much and Talbot spots one section of the wall, and a nearby tower, that is still grounded. If the party can get there in time, they can enter the palace from there. The massive vines have stopped plaguing the city for some reason, possibly because of Cirillo's defeat, so the return trip to the palace isn't nearly as difficult.
The levitating sections of the palace make it much easier to enter the palace grounds, but now the royal guard is out in force and the party is forced to fight through their ranks. They man the walls and fire arrows, but the party manages to climb the walls and advance along its length. At one point a group of guards leap out of a tower and attempt to pincer the party between them and a hail of arrows. The party manages to prevail and advance along the wall. They continue towards Talbot's tower.
Halfway to their goal, the avatar of Earth suddenly reveals itself.
Emerging from a small forest outside the city, a great plant, of no specific species, arises from the ground and towers over the party. It stands well over 200 ft. high, its limbs the same species of spiked vines and roots the party has grown accustomed in the last hour, and at its apex sits a huge sunflower, serving as a demented crown.
A huge vine suddenly comes down behind the party and smashes the wall. They immediately charge and more vines emerge from the ground and tears the wall to pieces. As the wall collapses, the party is forced to jump bulges and leap gaps, but the manage to reach a watchtower before the section of wall completely fails.
They are not given any time to rest. A huge vine suddenly rips through the center of the tower and blocks the exit on the other side. As another vine smashes the top of the tower and sends debris falling, the party desperately hacks at the vine. When the vine finally withdraws, the party charges through the door seconds before the tower collapses.
The failing wall eventually forces the party to return to solid ground, but even the soil betrays them while the avatar of Earth is about. Entire sections of soil jump out of the ground and form human-like creatures, plans and trees trip or grab at the party, and the huge vines do not cease their relentless attack. At one point, the avatar surrounds the party with a vine and then attempts to finish them off with an unending wave of elementals. A desperate offense on the vine frees them of their prison and they continue to race towards Talbot's tower.
Upon finally reaching the tower, the party is dismayed to see the avatar approaching. The towering elemental will likely smash the tower before the party can enter the palace, but then Jack notices the crown of the avatar, the flower, does not stand higher than the tower itself. This section of the palace grounds sits on a bluff overlooking the city and is taller than the avatar of Earth. Irdred reasons a liberal dose of fire, and a solid defense of the tower, could give the party a chance to slow the avatar down, not to mention saving the tower. It's the only plan they have, and they don't have time to think it through, and so Talbot and Irdred take up a position at the base of the tower, on a balcony overlooking the city, while Jack and Adam race to the top. Talbot and Irdred draw the avatar's attention and when it gets close enough, Jack and Adam leap from the tower's apex and into the giant flower. While Talbot and Irdred desperately fend off vines and elementals, Jack and Adam begin setting fires and fighting off a few enemies of their own. When the fire gets good and hot enough, the avatar begins to flail wildly and it soon withdraws its vines. Talbot and Irdred race up the tower and cross into the floating palace, but the avatar has moved away from the palace. It suddenly trips and falls, but as it does, the edge of the flower approaches one end of the palace. Sheathing their weapons, Jack and Adam race towards the petals closest to the palace, Adam grabs Jack's hand, leaps...
...startles a passing seagull...
...and gives birth to a new phrase among all birds everywhere: "when halflings fly"...
...and narrowly grabs the edge of a balcony. Jack climbs up Adam's back, then helps hoist the mercenary into the palace.
The party is now separated, but that can't stop them now. The queen awaits...
*to be continued... Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag * * * * * *
Adam's feet kick at air as he struggles to climb up and onto the balcony. Jack is tugging on Adam's sleeve, but the halfling's meagre strength is of little help. Adam grunts as he fights to lift his free hand high enough to reach an edge. When his fingertips finally touch the cold, hard surface of stone, he lets out a relaxed breath. Adam hoists himself up to the balcony, and with Jack's "help", swings his legs over the railing.
The two advance into the chamber and discover a sitting room. They sneak up to the door and peek into the corridor and discover a couple guards. It's a long, unbroken corridor, so the two plan an ambush: Jack hides behind a nearby vase while Adam waits by the door. The guards are downed on their next pass.
Meanwhile, Talbot and Irdred find themselves locked in battle with a handfull of royal guards perched on a staircase. Talbot holds them off while Irdred searches for a way to get behind the royal guard. Clever use of his spells and the undead skeletons in his bag allow the two to pass. The next door leads them into a long corridor with a bevy of archers waiting for them at the far end. The two are forced to duck into nearby rooms and slowly make their way through the area, by any means possible-they have to jump balconies at one point-while battling guards attempting to slow them down.
While the battle rages below, Adam and Jack sneak through the palace barracks. Decoys, distractions, and similar tricks are the order of the day here and they manage to get through without much trouble.
There are many similar challenges, but eventually the party is rejoined and they advance into the castle's northern wing. Talbot explains the queen resides there. They soon encounter new challenges in the form of a collapsing staircase, towers breaking away and rising into the sky, and other floating chunks of masonry as the floating palace grows more and more unstable. They eventually encounter fire elementals roaming the halls. That must mean...
"If the avatar of Fire is nearby...we must stop it," Talbot said in a grave tone. "Everything is for naught if the avatar is allowed to cause havoc."
And oh, what havoc the ensuing battle creates...
The party enters a large chamber with a grand staircase flanked by two smaller staircase. The corridors above are open to the room below. Floating a few feet above the grand staircase is a whirling sphere of pure flame. It's a lot smaller than the party expected and Talbot comments to that effect.
The sphere of fire explodes in response. Large columns of fire form around the sphere. Nearby candles unleash jets of flame and instantly melt. The columns of fire collesce around the sphere until it takes the shape of a massive four-legged beast with three vaguely canine heads and a demonic tail. It spews fire and roars, then charges the party.
This one is not easy. The entire chamber becomes one great big oven and the intense heat quickly gets to those without any form of protection. Clothes catch on fire, weapons glow red hot, and eyebrows are lost to the intense heat, but there is no backing away. The exits are blocked by walls of fire, so there is no other choice but to destroy the avatar. Simply striking the avatar proves to be difficult due to its body being a manifestation of pure fire and the party is forced to use magical ranged attacks. When it becomes weakened, the beast transforms back into its spherical form and summons a contingent of fire elementals. At another point in the fight, the avatar becomes a tornado and sweeps around the room looking for those foolish enough to approach it. Eventually the avatar becomes desparate and increases the heat in the room to metal melting levels, causing the stones to melt and the entire chamber to break away and fall.
The party is forced to flee and, seeing the avatar has lowered the barriers blocking the exits to condense its power, run through the doors at the top of the stairs. The chamber breaks away and falls to the ground below and the party is awarded a brief reprieve.
But the avatar is not when finished with the party. As the party climbs through a series of greenhouses overlooking the city, the avatar returns, hanging from the edge of the greenhouse and instantly melting all of the glass. The battle rages anew, but now the party is forced to deliver a few quick attacks before fleeing to the next greenhouse before the previous one melts and collapses. Eventually the party reaches a tower and the avatar begins to knock out the supports. The party retreats again, but the avatar follows. Irdred gets an idea and Jack knocks out the remaining supports of the tower while Talbot and Adam hold the burning beast off. The tower collapses on the beast and crushes it. A wave of fire races outward and soon reforms into a sphere, but this time the party has a chance to study the sphere. Irdred concludes a round of dispelling should be enough to end the spell maintaining the avatar and the beast is finally defeated.
This is when Sara Anser makes her dramatic entrance. Her runeship suddenly rises up from below the palace as the fiery motes of the avatar begin to collesce a few metres above the party's heads. Just as the Titan's rune for "Fire" appears, Anser reaches out and claims it. The Fire Plan is now hers.
"Sara! What are you doing? Only a mage can claim the Plans!" Talbot yells.
"Really? Well, shucks! That must mean I'm a mage," Sara answers. She grins. "You didn't really think the council would trust you guys with the Plans, did you? Sorry, they're awfully thankful for all you've done-really! No foolin'-but the Plans are just too dangerous to leave in your hands. Don't take it the wrong way, okay? We're still friends. Oh, and I already grabbed the Earth Plan, so don't you worry about it. All taken care of!
No need to hang around, heh...the Plans are safe. So why don't you hop on and I'll give you a ride back to Atlas'Baerone. The Scourge it's on its way to finish this lot off."
Talbot shakes his head. "No, the queen needs to answer for her crimes. She is too crafty, and far too dangerous, to be left alone. We must finish this! I will not leave anything to chance," Talbot said. He raises an eyebrow. "Anser, how did you get the runeship here so fast?"
Anser pats the side of the runeship. "I had this baby parked a short ways down the coast. It can fly on its own. Isn't magic grand? And Anser is my adventuring name! We're friends now, so you can call me by my real name..."
Anser gives the party a salute. "Swan, at your service! Sara Swan. Sorry for the deception, but you have to admit, who better to keep an eye on you guys? Hmm...palace ain't holding up too well, is it? Well, that's why you get an airship when you want to fly. The Fire Plan must have been holding it up, so...that means I can keep it floating until you're ready to leave. Good luck with the queen! Let me know when you're ready to leave. Dad says your payment will be waiting in the mailbox whatever you do."
All the party can do is blink while the runeship drops out of view.
Talbot turns to Irdred. "Sara SWAN? Really? The old bugger had a daughter? I had no idea! ...but you spent hours in those libraries. You must have heard something, right?"
Irdred shrugs. Jack says something about seeing the resemblance.
The party does not encounter anymore resistence to their march into the queen's chambers. Large sections of the palace have crumbled and fallen back to the ground, so the majority of the party's walk takes place in the open air. Few walls remain, and those that do are heavily damaged. Only the queen's chambers appear to be intact and they are easily seen at the end of an exposed path of stairs.
Seagulls cry as they fly around the remaining shell of the floating palace, and the setting sun bathes the exposed rooms and corridors in a warm light. A cheer reaches the party from the ground...the battle on the ground has ceased. There is only one obstacle left to face, but is it really the final battle? Is it really over? It has been so long since the journey began...can this really be the last page of the story? It's hard to believe it after all this time...
A haunting melody reaches the party's ear...somebody is playing a harp.
Talbot pushes open the door to the queen's quarters.
Elegant, luxurious, and spacious...exactly what one can expect from the room housing the royal family. The party pays little attention to this, although Jack spares a few glances at the more valuable trinkets lying around-nearly everything in the room has been knocked over-and they continue their march until they spot the queen.
She is sitting on a small chair covered in felt and playing a grand-looking harp gilded in gold and silver. Her long, blonde hair sways in the breeze from the broken windows, and the setting sun silhuettes her form against a nimbus of light formed by the sun's rays.
"It's over," said the queen. Her voice is barely audible over the harp. "It's over!"
Her voice is much more audible this time, but it quivers. The party can't tell if it's rage they hear or sadness.
"You don't know what you have done...what curse you have unleashed upon the world," the queen said. "There is only one other way...just one way..."
The queen suddenly jumps to her feet and throws the harp to the ground. The queen, now standing at her full height, is no longer silhuetted by the sun's rays. She is now clearly visible to the party and she is not outfitted in royal finery.
She is fully armored, from shoulder to toe, in golden armor.
The queen now steps down from the small dais on which the harp sat and approaches the party. In her hand is a sword, it's tip dragging across the ground. It releases violent sparks of electricity with every step.
"There is only one other way," she said, her voice still quivering, but now the party can clearly see the tears running down her face. "But I can't do it...I just can't! The burden of rule is upon me, but I can't do it...not even for my people. I'm weak...too weak...I couldn't stop the king...I can't stop this..."
Large arcs of electricity begin to jump from the edge of the blade into surrounding objects. Ice begins to form on the queen's left side.
"I just can't do it...I won't do it! I will not do it!"
Her voice becomes shrill. "HOW CAN YOU EXPECT A MOTHER TO MURDER HER OWN SON!?" Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag "Her son? What does her son have to do with this?" Adam unsheathes his sword. "How could you abandon your people like this? How could you let it get so far?" (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote Soulweaver Soulweaver Artist - 6 Eyes Studio OrlandoFull Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag Just as an aside, it's worth noting that Irdred underwent a dramatic change over the course of the fire avatar battle -- from blatant paralyzing terror at the beginning to -- dare I say it? -- actual giddiness upon its defeat. He even allowed himself to laugh, and not in a bitter, or ironic, or mad-scientist sort of way either. A real laugh, like some dark, heavy weight had just been vanquished inside him. None of the party could claim to have seen this side of him before. He eventually looked embarrassed and clammed up, so who knows if anyone will see that happen again.
***********
At the queen's chambers...
Irdred did have some choice words prepared for the queen -- and the revelation of the golden armor certainly did not help his already dim image of her -- but he finds himself unable to utter his maledictions now.
He mulls over the queen's rambling, but unable to come to any solid conclusions on such short notice, he responds shortly to Adam's query about the queen's son, "We lack several key pieces to this puzzle." A curse unleashed upon the world? Couldn't stop the king? Murder her son?
He may not have all the pieces of the puzzle, but he can at least formulate a partial picture of events with what information he has. So he takes a shot in the dark. "Your Majesty," he says, doing his best not to let the sarcasm show at this title, "if I may. No one wants to murder your offspring. Funny that you mention him, though. Why bring him up? Does it have anything to do with his communion with strange, glowing orbs of light in his dreams? ...Some manner of spirit possession perhaps?" He is intrigued by the boy's "condition" -- perhaps more interested in solving the mystery of it than in helping out, but no one really needs to know his motivations. "I have some experience in this area. There might be something that can be done for him. Let us at least try."
If this causes the queen to hesitate in her apparent battle preparations... well, it's more like postponing the inevitable, really. She sure as hell still needs to answer for her crimes, and it's not like Irdred would ever let her off the hook -- but figuring out what's going on with her son might make her more cooperative. That being said, he's fully expecting his words to fall on deaf ears, so he does get ready for a more immediate fight. If it comes to that, he quickly informs the party that the queen's armor and weapons are in fact living artifacts -- meaning that they can be killed. He'll be focusing his own attacks on destroying these artifacts. d50ec1_55936bde3fc543d1bc4708dab1bcbe65~mv2.png Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag (Everything you guys need to put it all together has been revealed, both in-game and out-game.
But it's starting to look like we can't play the final battle. If Soulweaver can post for the next week or two, I may be able to get someone else to play Jack; otherwise, it's a no go) Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag
ROYAL CAPITAL: Queen's Chambers GOALS: Finish the Game
"Don't you DARE lay your dirty hands on him!" the queen shouts. The queen raises her sword and points it at Irdred. The necromancer is slightly startled by her outburst.
"Foul fiend! You have the nerve to offer me your aid after murdering so many of my men? After killing the half-giant? You are a liar! You are not here to help, but to destroy. You see my armor, you remember your defeat at my hands back at the university...and you hesitate. You concoct this ridiculous idea of offering aid, but you intend no such thing.
My son...can't be helped. You can't help. The craftsman of this world can't help him! Nobody can help him now...there is no other way to stop it, but I can't do it...no, the city must be destroyed! Its people eradicated; otherwise, all is lost..." Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote Adremmelech Adremmelech The Original Playa... Full Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag "You're right. We have no intention of aiding you in anything other than your demise. The murder of innocent people is wrong no matter how you sugar coat it. Your 'son', wherever he is, will be dealt with in due time. If that means murdering him, then so be it. Right now, this has to end." (Not a joke)
Spell List Spell List 2 Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag (No final battle then...maybe never again) * * * * *
ROYAL CAPITAL: Queen's Chambers GOALS: Finish the Game
The queen growls at Adam, but Talbot quickly steps in.
"It's over! The avatars have been defeated. The Plans are safely in the hands of the mages. Submit now and save what little face you still have..."
"It's not over while I still live," the queen replies. "I did not survive this long as queen without learning a few tricks. I will return!"
Talbot narrows his eyes. "No, you will not return. We will ensure that doesn't happen. You talk about saving your son, but what about my family? I won't have a chance to save them. Taking your son's head is just retribution!"
These words send the queen into a violent fury. Bolts of lightning streak through the air while discs of ice form around the queen's shield and begin to hover around her. Talbot and Adam immediately charge, this time cautious of her shield, but find it difficult to land a decisive blow while keeping a wary eye on the shield. Irdred focuses a necrotic blast on the queen's position, and some of the magic affects the golden armor, but the queen has magical defenses. Damaging the armor is not as simple as it sounds, but at least it gives Irdred an additional way to win the battle.
Despite having some experience with the Golden Knight, the battle is still very tricky. The effectiveness of Jack's magical guns are greatly reduced by the queen's magical defenses. When he switches to his magnums, a blocked bullet causes the shield to unleash a huge blast of ice. Talbot fights to disarm the queen, but touching the blade causes him to take a nasty shock. Adam tries to find a weak spot in the armor, but this is the toughest armor he has ever seen, and the few blows he does get through are immediately regenerated. The battle only gets more complicated when the auras are created. Talbot and Adam eventually see success in unbalancing the queen instead of going after the sword and shield, but this still leaves the backlines open to lighting bolts. The bursts of chain-lightning force Jack and Irdred to spend more time ducking for cover than being productive.
Just when it seems like the queen is weakened, the shield surrounds her in a protective caccoon of ice. A massive lightning blast shears the queen's chambers in half and causes large sections of the floor to fall away. The party is forced to retreat to the next room while the queen heals herself within the ice.
After what I suspect is a few tries, the party finally prevails.
The queen, weakened by the power of the armor, and a very sound beating, slumps to the floor.
"My son...my beautiful son...is a demon...my city...his weapon...please don't let them corrupt him..." she mumbles. She is choked with tears among other liquids.
Talbot appears torn. His working jaw suggests rage, but his eyes show pity. He then turns to a set of stairs at the back of the queen's chambers.
"I don't know what she is talking about, but the prince will be up those stairs."
This seems like a good idea, so the team gathers themselves and advances towards the prince's chambers...
A yelp erupts from behind them. The party spins around to see the man in the leather mask, his arm bound in a sling, withdrawing a dagger from the queen's back. She looks up at the man with an odd look of satisfaction.
"My blade ended your life. I will be known as the one who brought justice to this land. As we have agreed, your debt has been paid. You stole my childhood. I take your people."
The man in the leather mask pulls out a single gold coin and holds it up. The coin is very worn and appears featureless. The man in the leather mask then drops the coin at the fallen queen's feet. She looks surprised to see it.
"Restitution for your loss," the man in the leather mask said. He then jumps into a nearby hole in the floor and flies away with a wind spell.
The party doesn't know what to think of this exchange, so they leave the queen to die and run to the prince's chambers. They find him sitting in his bed. He is scared and eagerly awaits his mother. The prince is now in the party's hands.
I'm gonna bet the party decides to kill the prince here. Maybe I'm wrong, but it makes the following scene a lot easier to implement.
A voice suddenly rings out within the party's heads. "YOU WILL NOT HAVE THE BOY!"
"HE IS PRECIOUS TO US!"
"WE WARNED YOU!"
"PERISH AND BE FORGOTTEN."
There is a flash of light followed by a cracking noice. The remains of the palace split and crumble. The party falls. The prince is lost in the falling debris.
Anser's runeship suddenly swoops in, and...
Saved again!
*roll credits*
**"Expansion" to follow. It won't be nearly as detailed.
***If you have any questions about the plot or want anything cleared up, please direct your queries to the utility thread
THE EXPANSION
There is surprisingly few casualties considering the damage from the crumbling palace and the avatar of Earth. Sara Anser, having full control over all elements of the planet, is able to restore the palace brick by brick, although she can't do the same for the furniture and other accessories. At least the city has its palace back.
Claiming the queen's armor is impossible. It was tied to her life and disintegrated upon her death.
There is no sign of the prince. He has mysteriously disappeared.
The party may have done all the work, but the man in the leather mask takes full credit for actually killing the queen. Unfortunately, Talbot foolishly confirms this technicality, people eventually stop listening to the party's stories, and soon the man in the leather mask is hailed as the hero and savior of the city. It's a kick in the pants, but at least Swan's reward helps ease the pain. At least the citizens believe their queen and bishop were responsible for this catastrophe, although Spellmount's involvement is leaked-Talbot again-and, with a little help from the man in the leather mask, the people are soon convinced the mages' forced the queen to act rashly and became corrupted with power. Magic is hated more than ever.
With little love from the local populace, and a font of necromantic knowledge awaiting him, Irdred decides to leave the queen's lands behind for good. He doesn't bother helping the Council of Necromancers set up a safehouse. He would rather get started on his research.
Talbot, his record of treason lost in the destruction, is recognized by an old friend and is reinstated into the knights, but he refuses. He says something about never trusting powerful people again and departs from the city. Rumours soon circulate of a mighty warrior defending small villages from local threats.
Adam, upon learning of Allarant's presence within the city, immediately sets out to enact his revenge on the crimelord. I can't say whether or not he succeeds.
Jack, flush with cash, decides to enjoy a little vacation. He sees little need to put his life in danger when he can afford to live it up. Barighm Boards Archives-old game threads stored here Quote TGBarighm TGBarighm Member Full Members April 2011 edited April 2011 Flag *cut to address word count limit
6 months later...
The party, no matter where they are, receives a summons from Swan. He is offering them a job and promises a huge reward for their services. The party may be busy, but Swan finds a way to get them to answer the summons: Irdred, now having some rank within the university's hierarchy, is forced to see Swan. Jack needs the money after living large, and Adam is bribed with information concerning Allarant's whereabouts (going with a "quest for revenge" thing here). Talbot is not interested in the reward and wishes to return to his work, but he is worried about what the queen said. He wants to see what Swan has to say.
Swan explains he has acquired three of the four elemental Plans. The Water Plan is on loan from the merfolk. Swan believes he has discovered the location of the Wind Plan: an island far to the south is constantly battered by a hurricane. Sailors have reported this for decades. Swan suspects the Plan must be there.
Talbot groans. He complains about being Swan's errand boy, but the wizard explains he already sent a team to search the island. They never returned. It has been 3 months, so Swan decided it was better to trust his go-to team. Whatever disagreements arise, the team eventually departs for the island. Sara Anser, or shall I say, Sara Swan, once again lends her services.
It's a fairly long flight, but the party eventually find themselves hovering over an island so heavily battered by fierce winds they can barely see it through all the dust and rocks kicked up by the storm. Anser is forced to fly low. She spots a large sea cave on the west side of the island, braves the storm, and enters. The party discovers homes and steps carved into the rock. Someone used to live here...
The party explores some of the ruined structures while journeying deeper into the island. The fierce winds occasionaly find their ways beneath the earth. This presents a few challenges, but the party overcomes them and eventually find a way onto the surface. They are within the eye of the storm and they soon discover a ruined palace. Within the palace they discover a giant with skin like rock and metal. This creature is revealed to be a Titan, but he is clearly disturbed and openly hostile. There is no reasoning with the Craftsman and the party is forced to battle. Their reward is the Wind Plan which is once again scooped up by Anser.
The party returns and gives the plan to Swan. The wizard explains an unusual feature of the Relic: it also acts as a key of sorts. It can grant access to the Elemental Planes, but Swan is not interested in this. The mages already have access to other Planes. Swan is convinced he has discovered a "back door" within the fabric of creation, but he needs all four Plans to "trace" the perimeter of this door and expose it. It doesn't take long for Swan to successfully do this, but the old man is utterly consumed by the use of all four Plans at once and is killed in the attempt...
..but not before opening this backdoor.
The party wakes up within the realm of the Titans, the very Craftsman of the world, and the creators of the all powerful Elemental Plans.
The Titans are glad to see the party and the unification of the four Plans. They take back the Plans and explain they need them to continue their war with the "aliens", a race of interstellar soul-suckers. The aliens come from other galaxies, a concept lost on the party, and are exceptionally adept at controlling any creature right down to their DNA; however, their power is dependent on psychic transference, or the thoughts of other creatures, and they can't exist if they're not worshipped.
The Titans explain they have been fighting these creatures ever since they appeared many centuries ago, but it's not a fair fight. The aliens, or Orbs, hide in quasi-planes where the Titans can't find them and where they can influence the people of this world. The Titans have vowed never to interfere with the freewill of any creature, but they're also tasked with protecting the world. Forcefully altering a creature's perception is forbidden, and exposing themselves to the world almost always causes more trouble than it fixes. The Titans are forced to search for the aliens and deal with them directly.
Irdred points out the Golden Armor and the Titans admit to crafting it for the queen. Apparently it's okay for the Titans to give gifts if they feel it's necessary, and since the queen was so close to two of the aliens' "Blessed Ones", they felt she needed all the help she could get. The Orbs need these "Blessed Ones", or paragons of their races by way of radically enhanced genetics, to spread their influence. It can take a long time for the conditions to be right, but once the Blessed Ones appear, they can rally the smallest villages into powerful empires. These empires sweep across entire continents and quickly destroy and replace all cultures with their own. This is how the Orbs conquer entire planets.
Unfortunately, the queen did not live up to the hopes of the Titans; she could not kill her own son. She did try: she hired an assassin once, but he failed, and the Orbs punished the queen by creating flash floods. Instead, she tried to destroy the engine the prince needed to build this empire: the city itself. Alas, the prince has disappeared, and there may be more Blessed Ones elsewhere, so the Titans are running out of time. They must act quickly.
The Titans have a plan: they wish to restore the Divine Plan. The Elemental Plan is just half of the entire Plan of Creation (The Elemental Plan is often depicted as a 4-pointed star within a circle. The four spaces between the points belong to the missing 4 Plans. The central point of the star represents the Core of Creation, ie. The Titans' Forge). The Divine Plan, when combined with the Elemental Plan, gives the Titans complete access to every aspect of existence: the material, the immaterial, the supernatural, the psychic...everything. The Titans will be able to search every possible fabric of existence for the Orbs. This will require an enormous amount of time, and it may be too late, but there is no other option.
The final four pieces the Titans need is the Time Plan, the Life Plan, the Cosmic Plan, and the Soul Plan. The first three parts of the Divine Plan can only be acquired by the Titans, but the Soul Plan delves into the very essence of life and is housed within the Hall of Dreams. The Titans often journey into the Hall of Dreams, but never for very long or else they risk messing with free will. Acquiring the Soul Plan will require an extensive journey into the very fabric of existence maintaining the Hall of Dreams, and likely into it, and that's just too risky. It is much easier, and far less risky, for mortals to acquire it.
This is where the party comes into the picture. Their victory against Xevalos, a Blessed One, impressed the Titans and they trust the party. Nobody wants to see their souls stolen by aliens, so the party sees no reason to not help the Titans. Thus they enter Weave World.
Weave World. A place existing between all aspects of creation where every individual weave of magic can be seen, touched, and even altered. Swan once showed the party what a spell looked like: tight balls of brightly lit and multi-coloured threads, but only Irdred could appreciate this presentation. In Weave World, these threads of magic are clearly visible to the entire party. Millions of rainbow-like lines of light course through the air and form an unending web of weaves. Its unclear whether or not these threads ever come to an end or if they travel for infinity.
Unfortunately, Weave World may define creation, but it does not include the essentials of life such as air. The party is quickly forced to seek out a means to breath...and air suddenly flows around them. This close to the Hall of Dreams, one must simply imagine and it manifests as real. They also lack something firm to walk on...and a road appears beneath their feet. Talbot considers this to be a riot and wonders if he can use Weave World to see what really happened after the queen's ship was attacked by pirates.
Weave World is happy to oblige Talbot's wishes when Jack and Irdred think back to that first fateful encounter with the pirates and the queen. The cave and pirate ship is recreated in exaggerated detail, but something has perverted the memory...
The pirates themselves appear as blackened husks. They are Nightmares, and by its very definition, a Nightmare must be a major threat to be scary. The party's previous conquests mean nothing in the face of their own mind's attempt to create a terrifying version of a mundane creature. The Nightmare versions of the party's old enemies are by far and away the most powerful creatures they have ever faced.
But they are not alone. The Titans have noticed an evil entity has entered the Hall of Dreams and have sent help: Sir Bryant, his very life force summoned by the Life Plan to assist the party. He can't journey beyond the pirate memory because he is remembered as a great hero within it, he would be weakened outside that memory, but he is glad to help the party one last time.
The party uses the memories of their travels to journey into the Hall of Dreams. It's a reliable way to build the roads and bridges they need to find the Soul Plan, but it also leads to a few hiccups. The party summons images of Baldorak Citadel at one point, but this leads to the creation of therianthrope Nightmares. They are surprised when Xevalos appears to lend a hand. He is not happy about it and he has a few choice words for the party, but he has to help or else the Titans will punish him. When the party reaches the Hall of Dreams, someone summons the image of the queen's palace. This is not the work of the party, but royal guard Nightmares appear all the same and, surprise, surprise, the queen is summoned by the Titans to aid the party.
It turns out she is responsible for the evil entity polluting the Hall of Dreams. The most horrible entity she could possibly think of was manifested by Weave World, and then the Orbs appeared and gave this manifestation a new life. It was tasked to guard and control the Hall of Dreams allow the Orbs easy access whenever they wished. In the queen's mind, there is only one person more evil and foul than any villain she has ever encountered, including herself...
The King.
The manifestation of the tyrannical king is not just a husk, but the very soul of the actual king empowered by the Nightmares of the queen and given a perverted form of life by the Orbs. He's big, well over 100 ft. tall, he's immensely powerful, and just downright crazy-hard to defeat, but in the end, the Hall of Dreams is liberated and the party secures the Soul Plan (which is promptly snatched away from the party by the Titans...at least it wasn't Anser).
The Titans now have all 8 Plans. They create the Divine Plan, reward the party with super special Titan artifacts, and begin laying out their strategy for searching the fabric of the world. Sounds like a lot of work. They could easily find where the Orbs are hiding if they got their hands on a creature, any creature, that has been to their home plane, but the aliens are very careful. They never revealed their home plane to any of the Blessed Ones. The Titans would obviously begin their search with them. The Orbs may have visited other creatures in their dreams, but finding someone who knows the significance of such a dream is very difficult.
This is when Irdred remembers his death at Baldorak Citadel and the dark castle he visited in soul form. He remembers the orb of light warning him about the prince. Maybe...
Irdred reveals this dream to the Titans and they search his mind...
...and are ecstatic. The Titans recognize the weaves in Irdred's dream. It is more than a dream, but a plane of existence. Irdred was brought to that realm. Death would not have taken him there. At the very least, it's a lead and the Titans begin their search there.
Success! The Orbs have been found. The Titans can now bring the fight directly to the aliens. They can't hide anymore. The Titans have sealed off the plane. Their influence on the rest of the world has been cut. The Blessed Ones will be incredible individuals, but they won't be guided by the Orbs. The Titans resolve to destroy the aliens for good so they can't pollute another world. As powerful as the Titans are, the Orbs have a few nasty tricks up their sleeves, so they devise a simple decoy strategy: the Titans will attack head-on and hope to draw the majority of the aliens' attention. Meanwhile, the party will find another entrance and attempt to take the Orbs by surprise. It's unlikely the Orbs will pay any mind to mere mortals when the Titans are at their doorstep. It's true the party has a disadvantage in being mortal, but the Titans give them a little extra something to help turn the tables: the Elemental Plan. Every party gets one Plan to use as they see fit for the final battle.
And so the party departs for the quasi-plane where the Orbs reside. There they discover an incredible conglomeration of structures mashed together into one gigantic ball of gold floating in a space filled with a strange light. The Titan's ploy work and the party enter the Tower of the Hidden Orbs and they eventually encounter the Orbs. This battle is unlike any they have ever fought. It can't be done with mere weapons or magic, but this event is so far into the future I never began to fathom exactly how this encounter would play out. Regardless, I would not allow any second chances here. You win or lose...and that's how history is written.
THE END!
|
|