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Our Adventure Begins Each of you receive a letter in a plan envelope. Each of them, no matter how they came to you, are identical. The envelope was sealed with a seal none of you recognize. It looks like a circle, the top half being solid and the bottom half containing a small humanoid figure with horns and a tail. The letters each had the same directions. They directed you to an old trade road that runs next to The Quiet Forest, so named because of it's poor hunting, remoteness, and general lack of anything interesting. It just grew thicker and darker and deeper as the years wore on and no one paid it any mind. The directions assured each of you that on this road there was a "mossy boulder." The letter assures you you'll recognize it when you see it.(Indeed you do! the "boulder" is the size of a small house and is covered in moss several inches thick in places. When you reach the boulder you set out perpendicular to the road and walk straight into the forest until you reach your destination, again with assurance that you'll know that which you seek on sight. As you walk through this forest you don't see one another. You see no markers, no signs of humanity, and no living things. Eventually you come to the ruins of what was obviously once a bustling village. You're greeted by a group of impossibly thin men, each wearing a leather full-body suit and a face mask. The effect was that none of them could be told apart from the others or identified in any way. "Greetings! Please wait for the others." one of them greets each of you as you walk out of the forest. "This is the city of Grimerton. I'm sure you have many questions but please wait until everyone is here. Should you need refreshments or healing my compatriots here will be more than willing to accommodate you." His voice is smooth and breathy, sounding almost like a whisper even at normal speaking volume. The other men(?) with the greeter approach you, holding plates of simple yet nourishing food and wine flasks. A couple of them pull out gnarled blackened wands and begin examining you for injuries. How do you respond to your greeters and each other? (Posting order will be assumed to be the order in which you arrive) Along with your first post I'd also like your character sheet, backstory, and how you received your letter. Find it among your belongings? An enemy's possessions? Delivered to you by a messenger? I know some of you already have this in your backstory, this part only applies to those that don't. Also fill in your bonds. Oh yes. Rolls in Orokos. Use "Outstanding Individuals" as the campaign name. Dylanthulhu fucked around with this message at Jan 10, 2013 around 07:44 |
| # ? Jan 10, 2013 06:57 |
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| # ? May 19, 2013 06:03 |
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Ghede Lavosier HP: 12/12, XP: 0 Prepared spells: Magic Missile, Contact Spirits Grieving the loss of his prized crocodile, Ghede was easy prey for the pox. As he struck out into the flooded forest to find his answers, it struck him down with raging hallucinations and crazed ranting. Consumed by the illness, Ghede was taken by the ferocious currents of the forest. During his few lucid moments Ghede tried to swim for the nearest patches of dry land, but was always lost again to the fever before he could reach them. After what felt like months of struggling - though it could have been days, or even hours- Ghede knew he was finished. The exhausted wizard commended his soul to whatever spirits or forest god would take it, and closed his eyes for the last time to sink into the depths. He woke with a splutter, lying on his back on a lone mound in the forest. The note was pinned to his chest and -despite the swamps around- was perfectly dry. ---- "Who did this?" he yelled as he got to the ruins, waving the note above his head. "Why bring me here, of all places?" Marching closer, old habits struck Ghede hard. His eyes were drawn to the architecture of the ruins and broken stones, and before long he was analysing the nooks and crannies to try and remember if he'd dived in similar ruins before, and where the treasure was likely to be hidden. Discern Realities: 2d6+1 3 Uhoh! backstory posted:Ghede Lavosier, Travelling Wizard Character sheet posted:Class: Wizard quote:Bonds The Supreme Court fucked around with this message at Jan 10, 2013 around 12:09 |
| # ? Jan 10, 2013 11:55 |
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Regulus HP: 26/26 XP: 0 The letter was out of place here. Despite the seal it looked nothing like anything else in this hall of demon-worshipers. Regulus did not know how they came upon it, but the surest way to find him these days was in a place like this. The cult had been stealing orc children for use in their rituals. Regulus suspected his old order knew all about it but he took the challenge while they turned a blind eye. In any case, this letter was a clear sign, as clear as the mossy boulder... Upon arrival, Regulus accepts the offer of water and stands waiting for what, and who, will come. The swamp man looks deadly ill, but whether it is a curse born of his own evil or borne for resisting it remains to be seen. Regulus does not judge by appearances any longer. quote:Name: Regulus quote:Regulus General Ironicus fucked around with this message at Jan 16, 2013 around 16:07 |
| # ? Jan 10, 2013 13:46 |
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Sparrowhawk HP 18/18, XP 0, DMG d8 "Mr. Connor, Follow the old trade road near the Quiet Forest until you reach a mossy boulder--you'll know the one. Leave the road and walk into the forest. You'll know when you've arrived. You will be compensated for your cooperation." The letter was cordial, direct, and addressed to a name I hadn't heard in years. For a fleeting moment I am sure I've been made, sure the last job would be my last job. But that doesn't make sense. The letter wasn't posted to my door. It was a stroke of luck the fat bastard I just ripped off was dumb enough to keep it in his vault with the gold scepter. And yet it was meant for me. Someone knew I was breaking into that vault, someone who really wanted to get in touch with the hardest man to find in Castle Rock. A knock on the door. "Hawk, open up, it's me, Charley." The latest fence, a sweaty man who moved in two weeks ago. He never comes to see me and he isn't using the password. I wait. He knocks again, and I hear the rattling of metal chain. There's at least two city guardsmen with him, probably more. I methodically moves to the window and peeks out. A few more guards on the street below. Not insurmountable but I'd rather not cause a scene, so it's the escape ladder up to the roof for me. They can have the drat scepter. I have to know who sent this letter and why. *** "Any closer with those wands and you'll need to buy me dinner first..." Hawk trails off as the masked men reveal that they have, indeed, brought him dinner. He looks around at his fellow arrivals. The ranger is unfamiliar to him. The paladin as well, though a vague recollection stirred of burglarizing some famous knightly order of which this fine specimen was no doubt a member. Unfortunately he knows the other two. Amber was a professor at the Academy during the one job he'd been dumb enough to try and work from the inside. When the new transfer student Garrett Crowne mysteriously disappeared at the same time as some old tome--Hawk had already forgotten its name or significance--it was doubtless not long before they put two and two together. There'd been wanted posters with his face out for weeks afterwards and he eventually had to skip town. "Guess she did teach me something after all," Hawk murmurs thoughtfully. The wizard, Ghede, Hawk is actually on good terms with. Poor fool is convinced Hawk's the chosen one or something. It remains to be seen who's conning who. Hawk turns his attention to the masked men prodding him with wands. No doubt they'll make their move soon, whatever it might be. The question now is: What here is useful or valuable to me? aka What can I steal? Discern Realities: 2d6+1 8 Captain Walker posted:
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 17:04 |
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The Letter posted:Haleck smashes the bottle and collects the letter as Scooter steals the last blackened tuna steak from the pan. Mango salsa decorates the walrus's whiskers. Turning back to the campfire too late, Haleck cries out. "At least try to savor it for a moment you giant bastard!" Haleck vaults off the front of his mount into the congregation. "I could us some refreshment!" He tears into the offered food and directs more of the serving staff back to his walrus. Haleck gives a moments pause on his way through the second wine flask when he recognizes Amber from the civil war, but recovers his momentum quickly. Stealthwiz posted:
Stealthwiz fucked around with this message at Jan 10, 2013 around 19:15 |
| # ? Jan 10, 2013 18:46 |
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Ghede doesn't remember the city at all. Not only does he not think he's been here- it doesn't look like anyone has in quite some time. The streets are empty and quiet, not giving up any of their secrets. One of the thin men approaches him and tries to prod at the wounds on his arms but it doesn't seem to do any good. Sparrowhawk, you see that anything worth stealing here definitely isn't outside. The man who greeted you says over his shoulder "Don't worry, young man. There'll be more than your share of plunder right before your eyes, soon enough." He then turns to Ghede and says "The simple fact is, sir, that none of us did this. The city did it. It brought you here, let you come here, and hasn't yet slain you for being here. That is sign enough you're the heroes we need. We have one more on her way, then you'll meet with our mayor and he'll explain everything."
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 19:44 |
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Sparrowhawk Hawk opens his mouth to deliver an indignant reply, then thinks better of it. He says instead, "The plunder must be generous indeed if there's enough left for me after these...heroes, I suppose, have taken their cut. One thing I know about heroes is that regardless of intentions, they never pass up treasure. Isn't that right...Professor?" This last is directed towards Amber (when she shows up) with all the smug malignancy Hawk can muster. The others he can work with, but the mageknight recognizes him, and as such i is a serious, immediate threat, one he'd like to deal with using sharp words rather than a blade--the better to come out with clean hands.
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 19:56 |
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Amber Nacia Kardas "I've looked all over it, no traces of anybody. I've poked around, asked the other professors and they've got nothing. We can't track down who wrote it. I'm telling you Amber, it's a trap." "A trap, from who?" "I don't know! Maybe those cultists are still around--" "Theran lives down in Panikia, not a trace." "Then the Crimson Blaze--" "Would set this school on fire the moment he came back, targeting you." "What about the Mistwalkers?" "You made peace with them last week!" "There's other tribes of them out there!" "Yes, but you're practically one of them, they'd smell your scent all over me." Mag paced, frustrated with the situation. But she had a point. All the enemies they used to have were either completely gone, dead, or pacified. And the few people that might have a grudge on him would certainly target him instead of Amber. "Well fine then. I'm going with you." "You can't, we've been through this before. First of all, the letter said to come alone. Second of all, you've got your own mess here." "That research paper would be done already if Wacero would stop stealing my drat work! He's not even a Glyphcaster! I'm telling you, it's Kriana. Ever since they hired her here, she's had it out for me. Never directly, always roping someone else into this." "Well, if you didn't blow up her lab--" "That was an accident!" Amber merely narrowed her eyes at her husband's outburst. "But that's still why you can't come along. If you leave, they'll kick you out, me with you, and expel Phrae and Krislynn. I'll be fine, I'll be taking Arc's ship, she was planning on doing some trading in the region anyway. If anything happens to me, you know she'll get word to you. And besides, we've taken jobs way more suspicious than this before." Dark woods did not easily disturb Amber, old boulders always served as a good landmark, but the moment she laid eyes on the leather-covered men, she quickly started having second thoughts. Things were quickly turning into more and more of a trap now that she could see the people who summoned her. "No thank you, I do not require any refreshments..." she said simply when offered food, out of concern for poison or the like. The moment the wands were brought up to examine her, she focused on them. (Using Lore on the magical wands. No rolls necessary, just a question: What purpose do these wands serve?) But as she looked around to the people not in leather costumes, she found many familiar faces. "Haleck, it is good to see you again. Regulus, it is a pleasure to finally see you in person. Ghede, I am glad to see you are still alive..." And then the last one... "Surely by now, little Sparrow, you should know better than that. I've always worked to keep such treasures out of the hands of those who might misuse it." Krysmphoenix posted:Amber Nacia Kardas Krysmphoenix fucked around with this message at Jan 10, 2013 around 20:33 |
| # ? Jan 10, 2013 20:20 |
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Regulus As he sits enjoying his drink Regulus watches a thief, a novice wizard, and a man riding an improbable mount arrive. He remains silent with only one thought on his mind: "Babysitting".
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 20:37 |
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One of the thin men jumps and points his wand away from Amber. "My apologies, ma'am. It was my intent to treat any injuries you might have gotten in our forest." "Yes," says the greeter "we have no intent of hurting you. Walk with me, please." He leads the party into the city proper. Winter has just fallen and there's a light dusting of snow on the ground crunching under your feet. "These are the ruins of Estermoor. We once housed a large collective of arcanists that focused heavily on experimental magic. That's actually where we're headed right now, their ritual chambers. Some time ago a mistake was made by a powerful wizard. I'm not nearly qualified to explain to you all what happened, I'm taking you to our historian, Gregory. He lives in the library at the ritual chambers. Normally I would consider this frivolous, but only he can explain to you what's really at stake here. He was one of those wizards who resided here before the accident." After a few minutes of walking through this wasteland that was a city he turns on his heel to face the party. "I am so very rude. My apologies. My name is Robert, I am the mayor of this city, and this is what the wizard's spell did to me." He pulls up his leather hood to reveal his frightening face from the bottom up. A mouth twisted into a grin around two long sharp fangs, a large hooked nose, two yellow eyes sunken far into his face surrounded by deep black pits, and a perfectly smooth bald head, his skin so pale the moon reflects off of him. How do you respond to him?
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| # ? Jan 11, 2013 08:06 |
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Haleck 20/20, 1 Armor, 0 XP "Gruesome. Did the spell affect everyone else in the same way?"
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| # ? Jan 11, 2013 09:35 |
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"No, and that's the strangest thing. I seem to be a vampire. And I am! I am immortal, I crave blood, I don't age, I have a severe aversion to sunlight, and I suppose I might be able to do other things but I've never tried. I have had quite some time to find a way to suppress the urge to drink blood and indeed the alchemists among our numbers have managed to make a substitute that can at least nourish me. Gregory, in the library, is a ghoul. He eats rotten flesh and has become entirely nocturnal. He basically survives on dead animals from the forest and limbs that drop off of our citizens that became more... *ahem* earthy. We have zombies, vampires, ghouls, shambling skeletons, the whole gamut of undead in our numbers. Even a couple liches! We all maintained our personalities and most of us continued to live normal lives. Blacksmiths kept making weapons, priest kept preaching, farmers kept working their fields. We didn't have much choice. Gregory would be better able to explain why than me."
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| # ? Jan 11, 2013 10:11 |
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Sparrowhawk HP 18/18, XP 0, DMG d8 Hawk makes a mental note that attempting to provoke Amber--at least in that manner--is futile. For now, he backs off, focusing on the situation at hand and the need to cooperate with these people. He turns his attention to Robert as the mayor unmasks in grand fashion and reveals a horrifying, undead visage. Making no effort to conceal his disgust, Hawk quickly offers mumbled condolences. He asks, "Is this a recent development? Did it occur all at once, or was the spread of...undeath, I suppose, more like a plague?" He glances at Ghede's scar-covered arms. If it was a magical plague, the wizard was likely to be the expert. Captain Walker fucked around with this message at Jan 11, 2013 around 17:18 |
| # ? Jan 11, 2013 16:28 |
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Haleck 20/20, 1 Armor, 0 XP "Having those Liches around must make it a lot easier to maintain the keep the zombie and skeleton villagers in good repair. Sounds like a decent afterlife. The magical mishap caused the city itself to come alive too? Gregory's got some difficult explaining to do." Stealthwiz fucked around with this message at Jan 11, 2013 around 16:38 |
| # ? Jan 11, 2013 16:35 |
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Regulus HP: 26/26 Armor: 3 XP: 0 Damage: d10+1 Even after Regulus' awakening he had never considered the undead as a nuanced people. They were always safe targets for smiting. They were either animated by intrinsic evil, committed evil deeds, or both. This settlement was hospitable at least, and they lived as best they could with their afflictions. The righteous path lies unclear, and on the way to Gregory Regulus prays for guidance. What here is evil?
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| # ? Jan 11, 2013 16:42 |
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Amber When the greeter, Robert, removed his mask and explained the situation, Amber visibly relaxed. Sure, there was still the risk of danger, but now she knew what these people were trying to hide. They seemed to intend no harm, or at least for now. Horrid as the situation was, they seemed to be handling it quite well to minimize harm on innocents. "How long ago did this happen, and how many of you are there?" Given the nature of the calamity, procreation likely became an impossibility, and their numbers could only dwindle.
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| # ? Jan 11, 2013 16:48 |
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Ghede HP: 12/12, XP: 0 Prepared spells: Magic Missile, Contact Spirits "The city hasn't slain us yet? What happens to unwanted visitors?" Ghede follows, intrigued by the unfamiliar ruins and someone else caught by the pitfalls of magic. A plague, restless spirits, he might just have some purpose here. "If you're looking to lift a curse, I can thoroughly advise against going for a swim. That's no use at all." The Supreme Court fucked around with this message at Jan 11, 2013 around 19:50 |
| # ? Jan 11, 2013 19:31 |
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"It happened over a century ago, m'lady. By my count I'm 167 years old. Gregory can tell you exactly how long it's been, most of us eventually stopped caring. There's about a quarter of us still here, about 200 or so. Our numbers have dwindled because of desperation. Some left in search of cures for what ails them, but I don't think they'll find any. Other simply embraced their new lives as monsters and struck out to make homes for themselves in the cobwebby corners of this land, hoping for some mighty adventurer to give them the death they were robbed of." Turning to Ghede Robert continues "And the reason nothing has happened, or will happen, to you is that everyone knows you're here, and you're most definitely welcome. You're our first visitors since the incident. The wizard who caused it also went to great lengths to protect us from his mistake, we've been in hiding for so long... But I think I'll leave that story to Gregory. Like I said, I'm not a wizard by trade. In fact, I was not unlike Sparrowhawk here in life. Gregory will explain it much more succinctly than I can, for I fear I may have confused you. We don't seek a cure, just to maintain our sanctuary. As sir Haleck here pointed out... it's not that bad." Robert leads you to the heart of the city. The buildings here are less crumbled, the roads more defined, this is one place that actually look "lived" in. At the far end of the square there is a low building with a domed roof. Smoke billows from it's tall, finger-like chimneys, faint bangs and crashes can be heard from inside. "This is the ritual chamber..." Robert strides up to the door and gives it a firm knock. It quickly opens, a hunched form with long scraggly gray hair and flesh that seemed to be withering away before your eyes sticks his head out and beckons you all inside. "...And this is Gregory." You're in a small foyer. A set of double doors leads into a room to your left. A grand archway inscribed with dozens of magical wards gives way to a vast completely dark room on the other side. The darkness in the room occasionally gives way to flashes and lines of light as the mages inside practice their spells. Gregory walks on all fours to a desk in the middle of the room. He puts his hand behind a candle on his desk and blows on it, instantly igniting it. By it's yellow light you all see a massive tome dominating the table. It's surrounded by quills and pots of ink. It's dim light doesn't reveal much of the room around you, just that's it's full of junk and is incredibly filthy. "So, these are our heroes, Robert?" He kicks his feet up on the desk and smiles "Hmm.. reminds me of the pack we used to run with back in the day, hee hee..." He sighs "Welcome to the Maelstrom, the intimidating sounding name we gave this hall when it was built. While I'd love to have met you all under less pressing circumstances I know I need to give you all a crash course in what's going on here, so let's get to it. Please hold all questions and comments until the end of the story, and make sure you pay attention... He gives you the history of Estermoor at breakneck speed. "One hundred thirty six years, fives months, three weeks, one day, thirteen hours, and thirteen minutes ago a wizard who studied here performed a ritual to become a lich. Others among our order had done it before. They take care of their affairs, perform the ritual, and as they're undergoing their transformation one of us teleports them as far away from here as we can. That was the rule. We all knew it, played fair, and it went fine until Blik tried it. While he was performing his ritual he knocked over a candle. Normally that's fine, we just stop the ritual, cleanse the room, and do it again. Blik didn't stop. The candle stopped the spell from being contained to just Blik. It grew and grew until it engulfed the whole city, turning us into what we are now. Blik got his wish alright... he became a lich. He then took to his study, far under his family's ancestral tomb, and was never seen again. His flesh-golem minions emerged several hours later and erected The Belltower. The Belltower is in the graveyard and it protects this city. When it was finished the bell was put in place. The minions set it ringing and left. They too went back to Blik's tomb. We don't entirely know what Blik did but no one has ever come looking for us, the roads into the city simply disappeared, and we can't find any reference to the city or any of it's inhabitants in our history books or maps. We just seem to be gone. That was all fine and dandy until the bell stopped ringing. Our roads are reappearing and you all didn't suddenly become very distracted on the way here. What really scared me was this." He pulls a map out of his pocket and points to the forest. A small clearing is visible in the middle of it on the map. "We aren't ready for the outside world, or vice versa. Yes, we're sentient but I still eat rotten flesh. We need to find out how to get that bell ringing. It's not a normal bell, of course, and after a few minutes it just stops ringing again. The magic has gone out of it. We think the secret might be on Blik's person or in his home. We didn't do undocumented magic, and no one knew that better than him. I am convinced somewhere that crazy halfling left us an answer if we could just find it. No one wants to go into his workshop to look for the answer, we fear it's dangers. Most of us are too frail to make the journey the bottom. We figured we'd just enlist the help of brave souls like yourselves. I created the letters that found you guys. We will most certainly pay you and you can keep anything you might rustle up while solving this little dilemma for ours. That is... if you'd be willing to help us?" ----- Regulus- You realize there's evil here but it's not pervasive, there is probably the same mix of good and bad people here that there is anywhere else you have traveled, the inhabitants are just a gruesome-looking small community at this point. Dylanthulhu fucked around with this message at Jan 12, 2013 around 08:23 |
| # ? Jan 12, 2013 08:20 |
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Haleck 20/20, 1 Armor, 0 XP "I'm willing to help. But, when are you going to be ready to return to the world? You've spent 150 years hiding behind this bell. Lot of good a couple hundred immortals could do outside of here." Stealthwiz fucked around with this message at Jan 12, 2013 around 10:48 |
| # ? Jan 12, 2013 10:39 |
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Sparrowhawk HP 18/18, XP 0, DMG d8 "If you need a bell fixed, you should probably find a bellmaker. But as far as the breaking into a lich's workshop and circumventing his security to find the bell's instruction manual...I'm game," Sparrowhawk smirks, then says to Gregory conspiratorially, "Honor among thieves, old-timer. Though I must warn you, I'm not as well-equipped as you might like...my associate and I had a falling out. Don't suppose you're still in possession of a good pair of picks?"
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| # ? Jan 12, 2013 16:53 |
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Amber HP 15/15, DMG d6, Armor 1 -- 0 XP "I suppose this explains why my husband's tracking spells couldn't determine any worthwhile information from your letter... The power is fading but it still has some function left in it." And yet still Amber was torn. For years she had treated undeath like a scourge, one that needed to be burned and eradicated to keep the living safe and the dead resting. And now several undead stood before her, keeping their hungers at bay, trying to function peacefully despite the curse inflicted upon them against their will. They didn't even want to remove that curse, only to hide themselves. They had no desire to spread the undeath outwards, and even wish to destroy the one who invoked the undeath to misuse it. So ultimately the job became to break in and crawl into a long sealed crypt full of abominations of life and death to destroy the thing controlling them? When put like that, the choice was pretty simple. "I'll offer my services however I can."
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| # ? Jan 12, 2013 19:56 |
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Ghede HP: 12/12, XP: 0 "I'm in." This is wrong, thinks Ghede. He thinks back over all the lingering spirits he's spoken to over the years and can only remember angry, bitter creatures. These restless dead are different, but any contact with the living world could be disastrous. "But not to hide you again, that's not why I'm here. You are cursed. This" Ghede gestures to the ruins surrounding them "this is not life. You are a stain on the natural order and we all know it. The dead must pass on, they can only cause ruin" "There's an answer to all this somewhere in that crypt. I'll find it and lift this curse" The Supreme Court fucked around with this message at Jan 13, 2013 around 02:19 |
| # ? Jan 13, 2013 02:16 |
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Regulus HP: 26/26 Armor: 3 XP: 0 Damage: d10+1 Ghede's offer impressed Regulus, and he hoped such a thing was possible. "I will take this quest, for it strikes me as a righteous one. I have seen you are good people and deserve to be safe from prejudice. It shall be done. Though if Blik or any of your former neighbors stand against us they will be dispatched in a manner of my choosing."
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| # ? Jan 13, 2013 05:50 |
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"I'm quite glad none of you think we mean you harm, and we'll appreciate any help you could give us... but something ah..." Gregory gestures at Regulus, only to be quickly informed of his name by Robert "Ah, thank you, something Regulus said interests me. He says that he would let none stand against him... If you could bring us acceptance... You'll stand with us, would you stand up for us? Hmm..." He trails off, eyes focusing on a seeming distraction several inches above his head. He snaps out of it for a moment and says "Well, Miss Amber, I'm sorry if we caused you any worry but we were being as careful as possible." He then continues staring off into space while absentmindedly scrawling what is quite obviously a transcript of the conversation taking place in the book in front of him. Robert shrugs "Sorry, with unlimited time on our hands conversation has become something of a lost art. Haleck I'll be honest... we're scared. We were holding out in hope that Blik's notes would provide us with a permanent solution. Sparrowhawk... I might, I just might... let me dig in my office for a minute when we're done here. Now... Ghede, our attempts at curing ourselves have been fruitless, if you could discern a cure I would purposely remain undead until the day you lived out your natural lives just to try to find a way to thank all of you every day. Most of us have grown complacent with this existence, but many have longed for a natural death for ages now. So... time is limited, how do you think we should proceed from here? I'm interested in hearing how you think we should go about this since this is your mission. Any of the option we've discussed would please me, as long as they prove to be viable."
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| # ? Jan 13, 2013 07:23 |
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Haleck 20/20, 1 Armor, 0 XP "Bilk's workshop is the place to start. Whether we reactivate the bell or lift the curse, starting from where he left off is going to better than reinventing those wheels." Stealthwiz fucked around with this message at Jan 13, 2013 around 19:07 |
| # ? Jan 13, 2013 19:02 |
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Ghede HP: 12/12, XP: 0 "I agree, the workshop sounds like the best place to start. Even if we just get his notes, we should have a better idea of what we're dealing with" "While the others decide, what can you tell me about the magic behind a normal lich transformation process?" Ghede hopes some of the rituals involved are similar to his own, with a better understanding of what went so disastrously wrong he might be able to summon some pretty potent voodoo and undo the curse. Spout Lore: 2d6+2 7
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| # ? Jan 14, 2013 20:33 |
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Sparrowhawk HP 18/18, XP 0+1, DMG d8 Something about the way these people live--cut off from society, utterly alone and misunderstood--resonates with Sparrowhawk. Not that he personally doesn't prefer it that way...but he appreciates it's not for everyone, and the men and women of Estermoor weren't given a choice in the matter. "Whether we're fixing the wards or undoing the curse, we'll need to know how they work first. Unless you have any other compelling leads, raiding the workshop seems a safe place to start. " He pauses. "Well, 'safe' being a relative term. Has anyone actually ventured inside? If I can't have the luxury of properly the joint, I could use any description of the security you can give...or failing that, any idea of how those who went in met their end." Seeing Ghede deep in thought, Hawk decides to do the same. It's been quite some time since Hawk has raided a wizard's residence and he wasn't exactly taking notes, but now seems like a good point to try and dredge up that info. How does one typically bypass a wizard's defenses? Spout Lore: Criminal Actiity: 2d6+1 6 I misspelled activity, that gets me a reroll right? 
Captain Walker fucked around with this message at Jan 15, 2013 around 17:08 |
| # ? Jan 15, 2013 17:05 |
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The Supreme Court posted:Spout Lore: 2d6+2 7 Liches often make pacts with Death itself to achieve that state. Captain Walker posted:
Nope. But hey, XP! Gregory looks up at Ghede and says "Well," jerking his head back toward the chamber behind him "I saw the ritual, I was to be part of the group that teleported him out of here when he rose. The instructions he gave us were to wait for his body to stir, and then get him out of here. The ritual was supposed to end with him stabbing himself in the heart and then his corpse lying on the floor until the candles around it burned out at which point the pact he made with death would come into effect and he'd rise again, his soul now residing outside of his body. "No," says Robert to Sparrowhawk "There are only a few of us who were of the adventure-going type left, and we fear that our forms would make us prey to whatever beasts might lurk in Blik's home. Nothing out here can destroy us, but we don't have the faintest inkling what may be in those subterranean chambers. We know he had multiple flesh golems down there, gods only know what else he cooked up."
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| # ? Jan 16, 2013 00:56 |
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Amber HP 15/15, DMG d6, Armor 1 -- 0 XP "As I'm certain some thieves could testify, a wizard's atelier can be one of the most heavily guarded locations in the world. And given the time this lich has spent down there, along with what I can only presume a more than unhealthy dose of paranoia, his defenses will be quite strong indeed, and possibly beyond simple brute force golem guards or carefully timed explosions. The greatest dangers can be the most subtle. Psychological warfare against the intruders, deceiving them with illusions or hallucinations, to sap away their strength of even get them to turn against each other," Amber stated calmly. "And given the nature of this situation, I fear that the possible existence of ghostly aberrations and other immaterial threats make complicate matters further, leaving us vulnerable to traps that it's guardians are likely immune to." She pauses for a moment, letting that sink in. "Of course, this is all mere speculation. Are there any local power sources his workshop might be drawing on? Leylines perhaps? If we can remove the source of energy powering these dangers, then many of the traps will be completely removed if not made significantly easier to avoid."
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| # ? Jan 16, 2013 02:42 |
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Sparrowhawk HP 18/18, XP 1, DMG d8 That bitch! She knows Hawk can't even spell 'atelier'. "I'm assuming by 'some thieves' you mean 'good thieves'..." he retorts almost as soon as Amber's first sentence is finished, but then he remembers the need to cooperate and recovers, "...well, I could bore you with bragging all day, but even besides myself, it's a rare breed of burglar that can pilfer an arcane and come out with all their mental faculties. Not to mention organs." He waits patiently for Amber to finish, then continues, "Your speculation has merit, Professor, but I believe you've overlooked something obvious. What kind of person is able not only to master the complex arcane formulae and rituals it requires to become a lich, but to consign themselves to living in an underground lair for the rest of eternity; never seeing the sun again, except through a crystal ball?" He gives the assembled a moment to arrive at the conclusion he then speaks aloud: "A shut-in. A sociopath who has already rejected society and sees no benefit in interacting with it ever again. And yes, while I'm aware that describes the vast majority of wizards--present company excluded, Ghede--the fact is that this particular specimen was probably a recluse long before he became a lich. Tell me that I'm off base, Robert, when I suggest that our lich's main power source is probably in his lair somewhere, the better to keep an eye on it without exposing himself." Realizing this is bad news, he quickly adds, "Should be useful if you want to try to parley with a lich, though."
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| # ? Jan 16, 2013 03:53 |
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Regulus HP: 26/26 Armor: 3 XP: 0 Damage: d10+1 "It would be best if we prepared ourselves for the journey, rather than try to out-speculate one another. One should not jump to conclusions. Fate has brought us to this place, and I know that it will carry us forward for our task is righteous." Regulus turns from his new companions and back toward the undead beasts in need. "If you have also tired of this theorycraft, I would suggest we take a night's rest and set out for Blik's refuge in the morning."
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| # ? Jan 16, 2013 04:14 |
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"O-kay! So, I believe the plan here was for you to stay at my home, so let's head on over that way. I can dig for some picks for young Sparrowhawk here and I've got plenty of places to sleep in that house." says Robert, motioning toward the door. "Thank you for your assistance, Gregory. I'm sure I'll see you tomorrow at some point." With that he leads you to a house which, unlike most here, is still in very good condition. You're all show to various rooms in the house that have been converted into hasty bedrooms. A bed, a table, and a chair are in each of them. "Make yourselves as comfortable as you can. I do apologize- we're not used to hosting guests, for obvious reasons."
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| # ? Jan 17, 2013 08:27 |
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Sparrowhawk HP 18/18, XP 1, DMG d8 "I don't think the cover of darkness will help us much here. I could certainly use a night's sleep." Hawk claims the second-floor study as his own and settles in for the night in his usual fashion: stuffing the bed with pillows, putting the chair in front of the door, and hanging his bedroll a foot below the rafters. From his makeshift hammock, he mulls over the situation. He was kind of a dick to Amber and it looks like the paladin is having none of it. But curiously enough she doesn't appear that Amber is as much of a threat as he'd thought. Yes, she knows his face and assumed name, but she doesn't seem to care, either. Maybe these people wouldn't immediately stab him in the back at the first opportunity. Huh. That'd be a change.
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| # ? Jan 19, 2013 00:59 |
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Amber HP 15/15, DMG d6, Armor 1 -- 0 XP "Agreed, we could all use some rest..." Amber said in agreement. As they moved to the house, she followed Hawk closely, and stopped him in the hallway. "I have a few words for you. "First of all, I don't like you, and I'm sure you don't like me either, but if we are going to make it through this, we are going to have to work together. So I call a truce. We work as comrades for this mission, but twenty-four hours after we disband for a job well done, I will treat you like the wanted criminal you are. Until then, you don't need to watch your back around me." Amber started walking away, but paused before turning around. "Oh, and if I ever see you near my daughter again, or any of my other children for that matter...well, I'm sure you'll quickly see that I haven't let my skill with the sword rust with age." She then returned to her room, humming a somber tune. Once there, she placed her sword under the pillow just in-case, and sat down at the chair, her mind wandering. She picked up the mandolin, and plucked at the strings a few times. "Sorry Father, you know how it is. When you're watching over children, you don't quite have the time you used to," Amber whispered softly, giggling slightly at the thought. "Although I suppose most of the children I watch over these days aren't even mine. Still, I know they're capable. Besides, Krislynn has less to fear of the Little Sparrow than he does of her. She hides that temper well, but underneath is a hurricane..." She strummed a few chords, trying to reach for a simple melody. "It's been a while...why not? Ballad meter should do, it's simple enough." The five strangers took on the road, They traveled 'neath the sun. Within the quiet woods they saw The ruined Grimerton. Once there they saw what plauged the town, The viled curse that spread. It turned ev'ry man, woman, and child, Into the living dead. (  Ballad Meter: An iambic meter, using four line verses of 8-6-8-6 syllables. The Gilligan's Island theme song was also in Ballad Meter, so you can sing this to that.)
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| # ? Jan 19, 2013 03:52 |
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Regulus HP: 26/26 Armor: 3 XP: 0 Damage: d10+1 Once he claims a chamber of his own Regulus lays out the few, necessary possessions he brought. His armor hung on a peg, and his supplies stowed in a corner, he lights a candle and kneels with the shrunken head of his former captor at his knees. He reflects inward on the turns his life had taken, the pains he had endured, and the wisdom opened to him, and now to the task ahead. "There is a need here, a need most men would disregard held by a people I would have once slain without thinking. I know I have been brought here by divine will, and I will honor that will by discovering the truth of this curse. All I ask is that I be given the tools to do so, senses that pierce lies, for one desiring to subvert nature's order cannot be trusted, and freedom from hunger, thirst, and sleep that I may be ever vigilant against the mysteries of this land and companions I do not yet know." Using the Quest move, I'm ready to keep some vows. General Ironicus fucked around with this message at Jan 19, 2013 around 05:32 |
| # ? Jan 19, 2013 04:18 |
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Haleck 20/20, 1 Armor, 0 XP "Goodnight team, let's get a crack on this bright and early." Haleck signs goodnight to Scooter as the walrus squeezes into opposite guest room.
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| # ? Jan 19, 2013 16:20 |
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I'm sorry, guys. I'm not ignoring you I've been knee-deep in an onslaught of pissed off cell phone company customers. It's been a really rough week at work. I've got a three-day weekend starting today and I'm gonna post as much as I can over the next couple days. Robert greets you all in his foyer, again accompanied by the men who met you at the gates of the city. This time they're all in various shabby clothes which are worn and patched but exposing quite a lot of rotten flesh. It's rather evident they're all zombies. They're all holding what are obviously meant as gifts to you. There are a couple wine skins, some loaves of bread, two handfuls of small cigars, and a whetstone. "We'll help you any way we can." says the nearest one to you, bowing. "If it gets too intense down there come out. If anything happens to you we don't have time to try this again." Robert steps forward with a small leather pouch, slapping it into Sparrowhawk's hand. "You better put these to good use, whippersnapper." Turning to the rest of you he announces "We've prepared what food we can for you, and one of Gregory's boys dropped these off." He holds up a bag with three bottles clanking around in it. "Some concoction one of their alchemists made. Apparently the stuff in these will catch fire if it's exposed to the air and you look at it too harshly. Just as soon as you guys are prepared we'll head to Blik's home."
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| # ? Jan 22, 2013 18:17 |
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Regulus HP: 26/26 Armor: 3 XP: 0 Damage: d10+1 "You have my thanks for your hospitality. I know in my soul you will all find peace in your time." Regulus takes up his gear, ready to set out with the others. Still waiting to be assigned vows to keep for the Quest.
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| # ? Jan 24, 2013 22:09 |
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Amber HP 15/15, DMG d6, Armor 1 -- 0 XP Amber nodded at Robert's warnings. "Indeed, we'll take our care with this. And thank you for the food." She said, taking the bag and inspecting the contents. Although with undead bodies it was likely they didn't need it in the first place. Still, she was plenty used to making the best out of what meager ingredients given. But the bottles had her concerned. "What kind of fire are we talking about here? Slow burning? Swift but easily consumed? Explosive? I live among wizards, and trust me, they know all sorts of fires. I'd like to know what I'm working with here."
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| # ? Jan 24, 2013 23:17 |
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| # ? May 19, 2013 06:03 |
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Ghede HP: 12/12, XP: 0 Ghede gives the zombies an intense stare; he's met and made zombies before in the swamps, but none of them proved exactly friendly. He decides politeness is the best option. "Thank you for the supplies. I'm ready to break this curse!" Standing under the city gates, the wizard eyes the explosive flaming vials with a glint in his eyes. "I have a safe option of carrying these, but it involves voudou magicks and raising the dead. It might interact horribly with the curse over this area." Ghede looks around at his companions and -before anyone can stop him- quickly pulls out a load of bones and teeth from his pockets. He scatters them in a smooth practiced motion, muttering in odd tones. For a finishing touch, the wizard pulls a vial filled with black, putrid water and drips the foul-smelling liquid over the bones. "I sure hope this doesn't go horribly wrong. Get your lazy crocodile rear end out of the pit, Gumbo. You've had your rest!" Cast Spell (Unseen Servant): 2d6+2 11 You conjure a simple invisible construct that can do nothing but carry items. There's a quick flash and the air is filled with the smell of brimstone. "Well that went better than expected!" blurts Ghede. "For anyone who can see into the magic spectrum, my good dead crocodile has partially returned." The Supreme Court fucked around with this message at Jan 24, 2013 around 23:40 |
| # ? Jan 24, 2013 23:21 |
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