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Deciding the second trait randomly: Judicious So, Ironskin and Judicious. Which two skills does she possess? Arrange the below in order of preference. A: Acrobatics B: Crafting C: Escape D: Influence E: Investigate F: Medicine G: Might (i.e. feats of physical strength) H: Occult I: Perception J: Riding K: Sage L: Stealth M: Survival N: Tinkering O: Vocation (i.e. a mundane vocational skill) Her first name is: A2: Avo B2: Bersa C2: Duana D2: Gracelyn E2: Jena F2: Leyana G2: Petra H2: Petrea I2: Qinefer J2: Seosha K2: Talestra L2: Vaesa Her surname is: M2: Durston N2: Grenly O2: Hedalon P2: Jethlan Q2: Kalsken R2: Langstor S2: Nelkin T2: Penlon U2: Torsun V2: Yenson
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Nov 26, 2022 20:25
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G E B C D A F H I J L M N O G2 M2
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Nov 26, 2022 23:26
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I realise I missed something earlier; A Lady of the Realm automatically starts with a Broadsword if they have the Code of Strength, which in this case she does. So, I'm going to repeat the item question, as I estimate that would have affected the decision, i.e. she's already got a weapon. A: Meal (Backpack Item) B: Potion of Laumspur (Backpack Item) C: Rope (Backpack Item) D: Sommlending Greatshield (Special Item, +3 CS, +2 Defence) E: Spear (Weapon) F: Sword (Weapon) G: Lance (Weapon)
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Nov 29, 2022 22:41
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D I thought she already had a sword when I voted for a spear as a backup but since we're re voting it let's go shield
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Nov 30, 2022 14:48
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In the town of Southgate, Petra Durston is having an argument. "I can hear what you're saying, and I have heard it many times before. You have repeated it to me again and again, and always I have the same answer: No, we cannot fund a greater deployment of military forces. At least, not any faster. You will have to wait for our existing arrangement to take effect." Her companion sighs. "You can say that, but the attacks will continue, and these bandits will continue to cart away our wealth." He pauses. "Not to mention the casualties." Petra drums her fingers on the table. "Whatever we do, it will take time. But it shouldn't be much longer." He snorts. "Two Kai Lords and a wizard? Do you really expect them to be able to solve the problem single-handedly?" He shakes his head. "But perhaps their testimony will be sufficient. Perhaps then we'll get the attention we deserve." There's a knock at the door. "Enter!" Petra calls out. One of her companion's servants enters. "Milady, the Kai have arrived." She releases a sigh of relief. "Good, show them in." Bold Oak, Brave Spirit and Cerathar enter the room. Petra motions for them to sit. "I am a Lady of the Realm, Petra Durston. Yourselves?" "I am Cerathar, yes?" "Bold Oak." "Brave Spirit." "I am honoured to meet you. I hope your journey wasn't too onerous?" Cerathar makes a face. "Does the expenditure of my wealth tire me? No, but it inconveniences me, yes?" Petra looks momentarily baffled, but rallies. "This is my ally-" she indicates her companion. "-Korres. He's the richest man in the area, and until recently he's been able to keep the situation under control." He nods. "I've been able to hire people to protect the carts before, but I don't believe I can finance the security of everything that's happening now." Brave Spirit scrutinises the pair of them. Petra Durston is a tall woman with short hair and looks formidable even now, without her armour. Korres is an expensively dressed man with a finely groomed moustache. "We were hoping-" Petra continues. "-that with your help, we might be able to find a way to eliminate the threat of these raiders for good." Brave Spirit nods. "One moment." She turns and whispers something to Cerathar. He gives her a confused look. She repeats herself. He nods, and begins to go through the motions of a spell. "My friend here is just ensuring that we can't be overheard by anyone." Petra's eyes narrow slightly. (Cerathar expends 1 Willpower to cast 'Sense Evil'!) Cerathar looks about, and takes a sudden step backwards. Brave Spirit quickly grabs him by the arm. "Someone outside?" She strides over to the door and throws it open. "Petra, Bold Oak, quickly. We should check the area, something's not right." *** As Korres' guards spread out to search, Petra covertly draws the others aside. "I'm not a fool. What was the wizard really doing?" Bold Oak clears his throat. "We sensed something wrong about your friend. Brave Spirit asked him to cast a spell to sense evil." Cerathar nods. "You're wondering what I saw? I imagine you can guess?" Petra groans. "The person I counted as my greatest ally... But I myself am not so dense, I can hear the ring of falsehood. How could he fool me for so long?" "Even if evil lurks within his heart, perhaps he still seeks to destroy the bandits?" Bold Oak suggests. Petra frowns. "Maybe. If he's our enemy in this, why call for more strength to be deployed against them?" A: "We could work with him anyway?" offers Bold Oak. B: "Perhaps we could try to solve the problem but leave him out of it?" wonders Petra. C: "Why not search his house for clues as to his intent?" suggests Cerathar. D: "Let's just confront him, and force out the truth." insists Brave Spirit.
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Dec 3, 2022 00:39
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Direct approach
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Dec 3, 2022 05:29
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Korres looks up as they return to the room. "Finished? No-one else seems to found anything." There's a moment of silence as they scrutinise him. He starts to grow uncomfortable. "Do you have something to say?" "We know." says Brave Spirit. "Know what?" His confusion seems sincere. "About your crimes." "Crimes? I don't know what you might mean." "Tell us what you're hiding." demands Petra. "I know full well that you're concealing something, and I can't work with you until I know what it is." He scowls. "Then you can do without my help." He rises and leaves the room. Brave Spirit moves to stop him, but Petra pulls her out of the way. After Korres is gone, Brave Spirit rounds on Petra. "We needed to know!" He sighs. "We can't place him under arrest without hard evidence of specific crimes. And if he stirs up trouble we may well place ourselves in an impossible situation." She indicates the table. "Let us sit down and I'll go through our circumstances. And then we can decide what we should do." *** "Our problem-" she explains. "-is that we can't simply confine ourselves to protecting the merchants going to and from the town. We've seen that under those circumstances the raiders will simply change to raiding targets within the town, or even just wreak havoc. We can't possibly protect everything. Korres was trying to arrange for more military forces to be placed here, and his idea had some support from my superiors, but I was hoping that a more elegant solution could be found. And the Kai seem to agree with me." "If we can locate their leader and eliminate them, then that might well terrify them into disbanding." suggests Bold Oak. "Or we could try and negotiate?" asks Cerathar. "That worked before?" Petra frowns. "Negotiate with enemies of the Crown?" "But first of all-" says Bold Oak quickly. "-we need to know more about them." A: "How about we question the local people?" he suggests. B: "No, we should lure them out into a trap." says Brave Spirit.
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Dec 6, 2022 00:52
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B
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Dec 6, 2022 01:00
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A covered cart is making its way out of Southgate, heading north along the road. The drivers talk to each other, casting the occasional nervous glance at the wilderness to their left and right. Sometimes they instead look back at their cargo, concealed beneath a heavy piece of canvas. A cloud of dust appears on the road ahead of them, quickly followed by the approach of a group of riders. The drivers look at each other, uncertain of what to do. The riders draw close, dismount, and produce weapons. Their leader is wearing a hooded cloak, keeping his face concealed. "Get down from there!" he demands, his voice rattling from his throat. Suddenly the canvas is thrown aside, and Bold Oak, Brave Spirit, Petra Durston and Cerathar emerge from underneath. The bandits gasp with dismay, but their leader simply throws back his hood and sneers. Underneath, his face is covered with warts and boils, his mouth distorted into a strange shape. He pulls a golden rod from his belt. Brave Spirit's face contorts. "CENER!" she screams. She leaps down and hurls herself at him. The others have only a moment to consider their position. A: Try to take the druid captive. B: Try to take one of the others captive. C: Kill them all then check the bodies.
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Dec 8, 2022 22:49
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C
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Dec 9, 2022 14:29
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Cener Druid Combat Skill: 21 Endurance: 25 Bold Oak springs into action and actually manages to reach the druid first. CS 21 (18 + 1 for wielding a weapon with both hands + 2 for Weaponskill) vs CS 21 Rolling: 9 Cener Druid takes 11 damage! Brave Spirit momentarily tests her psychic powers against the druid, only to find his mind is too strong for her. Frustrated, she moves in to strike him physically. CS 14 (12 + 2 for wielding a heavy weapon with both hands) vs CS 21 Rolling: 4 Cener Druid takes 2 damage! The bandits finally rally and prepare to move in, only to find Petra cutting them off, and then cutting them down. Bandits Combat Skill: 17 Endurance: 20 CS 18 (15 + 3 for Sommlending Greatshield) vs CS 17 Rolling: 4 Bandits take 18 damage! (7 + 2 for using a broadsword against a group, * 2 for Code of Strength) Petra takes 1 damage! (3 damage - 8 defence to a minimum of 1) Cerathar momentarily considers taking action, but then decides he should heroically guard the drivers. Frustrated by his inability to lay a finger on Bold Oak, the druid begins to froth at the mouth. CS 21 (18 + 1 for wielding a weapon with both hands + 2 for Weaponskill) vs CS 21 Rolling: 7 Cener Druid takes 9 damage! The druid lunges furiously, only to find Bold Oak's sword running through his body. The flesh begins to run off his bones. The bandits start to panic. CS 18 (15 + 3 for Sommlending Greatshield) vs CS 17 Rolling: 1 Bandits take 12 damage! (4 + 2 for using a broadsword against a group, * 2 for Code of Strength) Petra takes 1 damage! (5 damage - 8 defence to a minimum of 1) The last of the bandits dies from Petra's devastating sword slashes. Brave Spirit starts to rain blows down on the rotting corpse of the druid. She gradually slows down, and then sits, staring at the ground. Bold Oak looks at the golden rod the druid dropped, frowning. Should I take that? A: Yes. B: No. While Petra cleans her sword, Cerathar goes through the pockets of the bandits. To his frustration, he finds nothing of interest. "Now what?" Bold Oak looks up. "I suppose should continue to our destination, and see if anyone else arrives. We can ensure the safety of our friends here." He indicates the drivers. *** Along the way, Bold Oak is able to heal Petra's injuries. However, while Bold Oak and Brave Spirit have a single meal each, Petra and Cerathar have no food in their backpacks. (Petra and Cerathar both lose 3 Endurance!) They arrive at the town of Hesley without further incident. "We're all out of food." notes Bold Oak. "I suggest we replenish our supplies, then consider our next move." *** Petra has 27 Gold Crowns. She ponders the possiblity of additional protection, or another weapon. C: Buy Gauntlets for 20 GC (+1 Defence). D: Buy a Lance for 15 GC. E: Don't buy any new weapons or armour. F: Buy three meals for 3 GC. G: Buy two meals for 2 GC. H: Buy one meal for 1 GC. I: Don't buy any new meals. *** Brave Spirit takes a single gold crown out of her coin pouch and stares at it. I remember when we last visited the markets. No... Bold Oak wasn't with me then. It seems so long ago. J: Buy one meal for 1 GC. K: Don't buy any new meals. *** Bold Oak wonders if they might need some additional tools. He has 12 Gold Crowns. L: Buy a Rope for 2 GC. M: Buy a Lamp for 1 and 1/2 GC. M: Buy a Spyglass for 5 GC. O: Buy a Compass for 5 GC. P: Don't buy any tools. Q: Buy three meals for 3 GC. R: Buy two meals for 2 GC. S: Buy one meal for 1 GC. T: Don't buy any new meals. *** Cerathar seeks out a potion-maker. Only 8 crowns left... U: Buy a Potion of Laumspur (drink to regain 4 END) for 5 GC. V: Buy a Volko Blackberry Tincture (drink to regain 4 WILL) for 6 GC. W: Don't buy any potions. X: Buy two meals for 2 GC. Y: Buy one meal for 1 GC. Z: Don't buy any new meals.
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Dec 11, 2022 23:37
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A C F J M Q V X
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Dec 12, 2022 03:58
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At the local inn, they gather around a table to have a discussion. Bold Oak throws down the golden rod he claimed from the battle. "The Cener are here. They must be leading the bandits." He looks around at the others. "This makes the matter even more crucial." "You've met the Cenerese?" Petra asks. Bold Oak shoots a look at Brave Spirit. "Some of us have." She's staring at the rod, lost in thought. "Do we have any way of deducing where they might be based?" asks Petra. "With my authority, I should be able to assemble some soldiers. Following that, we can lead an attack." Bold Oak shakes his head. "They might be concealed anywhere." Silence falls. "It's getting late." says Petra finally. "Let's pay for bed and board and meet again tomorrow." "I don't have any money." states Brave Spirit suddenly. "That's fine, I'll cover it." says Bold Oak. (Bold Oak pays 4 GC, Petra pays 2 GC, Cerathar pays 2 GC). *** The next day, Cerathar is almost jumping up and down with excitement. "I have it! Fetch me a map of the area, and I'll solve the problem!" Petra raises an eyebrow, but then goes to talk to the innkeeper. After just a little persuasion, she's able to return with a ragged, but legible map. "All right wizard, let's see it." Cerathar takes the rod Bold Oak showed him before, stares at the map and begins to chant. (Cerathar casts a modified version of Sense Evil for 2 WILL!) Rolling against a target value of 8 2 +3 for Willpower +1 for Sense Evil = 6, a fail! Cerathar struggles, but fails to complete the spell successfully. He tries again. (Cerathar casts a modified version of Sense Evil for 2 WILL!) Rolling against a target value of 8 4 +3 for Willpower +1 for Sense Evil = 8, a pass! Cerathar manages to complete the spell. He stares down at the map, and he seems to see a red spot flaring on it. "There!" Petra looks closely. "In the middle of the forest?" Brave Spirit nods. "That's where they'll be!" Petra looks back and forth between the two of them for a moment, then turns away. "Innkeeper, how much for this map?" She pays him her last two crowns and looks at her empty pouch with some trepidation. *** Petra is able to round up some soldiers as she anticipated and they make the journey. They start to pick their way through the trees. "Wait." says Bold Oak suddenly. "Should we simply walk into their lair?" A: "I could try talking to the animals." suggests Brave Spirit. B: "No, I think I should scout ahead." disagrees Bold Oak. C: "Why not just set the forest on fire?" asks Cerathar. D: "It might be best for us to stick together and advance." says Petra.
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Dec 15, 2022 00:05
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A
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Dec 15, 2022 06:39
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(Finally gone and updated the character sheets, I'll try to keep them up-to-date going forward.) Brave Spirit starts to search amidst the nearby trees, making squeaking noises. Petra looks at her, confused. "What's she-" Cerathar starts to ask. Bold Oak shushes him. A couple of squirrels emerge from the foliage. Brave Spirit lowers her face down to them and continues to make noises. After a while, she turns back to the others. "They're just a short distance away. My friends here can't tell me any details about how many of them there are though." She checks her quarterstaff. "But that doesn't matter." "Hold on, hold on." says Bold Oak hastily. "I've been trained in stealth. I'd better check ahead first." Brave Spirit seethes briefly, but manages to calm down and give him directions. *** Bold Oak returns a few minutes later. "I've found them. It looks as though they outnumber us, but there're only a few of the druids there. And they're not watching the perimeter very carefully, I was easily able to make my approach without being spotted." "If we manage to surprise them, our numerical disadvantage may become unimportant." suggests Petra. A: "I should lead us in a charge." she continues. B: "No, I think I should provoke them with my arrows, and then we can ambush them when they retialiate." objects Bold Oak. C: "No, no, you should try to eliminate their leader with your bow." insists Brave Spirit.
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Dec 18, 2022 00:24
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C
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Dec 18, 2022 06:38
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Brave Spirit pulls 4 arrows out of her quiver and hands them over to Bold Oak. "Here. You might need these." She hesitates. "Should I come as well?" He shakes his head. "No. I'll make my attack from a concealed position. You stay here and keep watch." He vanishes into the trees. *** Bold Oak returns to the perimeter of the enemy camp and spends some time watching their movements. From the way one specific druid is giving out orders, it seems that he's the leader. Bold Oak checks his escape route and fires his first shot. Cener Leader Combat Skill: 28 Endurance: 28 CS 18 vs CS 28 Rolling: 5 Cener Leader takes 2 damage! Confusion erupts in the enemy camp as the arrow appears in the druid's shoulder. Bold Oak fires again. CS 18 vs CS 28 Rolling: 2 Cener Leader takes 0 damage! Bold Oak's shot goes wide. The druids turn to face his direction and begin to chant. His Sixth Sense begins to sound a vague alarm. To his horror, the trees around him begin to shake and their branches rapidly extend towards him. As he hesitates, trying to grasp the danger, one of them seems to lose its structure, moving towards him as if made of liquid, and wrapping itself around his limbs. He struggles to get free. Rolling against a target value of 7: 3 +1 for Escape +1 Combat Skill = 5, a fail! Spending a point of Kai's Favour to re-roll: Rolling against a target value of 7: 1 +1 for Escape +1 Combat Skill +1 from Kai's Favour = 4, a fail! As Bold Oak desperately tries to break free, a wolf comes bounding out of the wilderness behind him and tears a chunk out of the offending branch with its teeth. It spits it out and looks up at him. Baffled, he extricates himself and stares at it. Remembering his danger he flashes a glance at the camp, and sees men rushing towards him. He quickly turns and runs. More branches claw at him, but he manages to evade them. Should he: A: Lead his pursuers to the others, then turn and fight. B: Lose them in the trees, then try and catch the druid's leader alone.
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Dec 20, 2022 23:18
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B? Circle away from our allies leaving the leaders behind and hopefully the rest of our allies will see and take advantage.
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Dec 22, 2022 06:13
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Bold Oak runs through the trees as fast as he can. He's been careful to keep track of his position relative to his allies, and he's able to ensure that he's heading in a different direction. Gradually, the sounds of pursuit become more distant. He suddenly realises that the wolf from before is next to him as he runs, keeping pace. To his surprise, the trees in front of him abruptly reshape themselves, forming a barrier ahead. He skids to a halt. Before he can decide what to do, he hears more trees changing shape behind him. Turning around, he discovers that he's trapped. A: He starts hacking at the barrier with his sword. B: He plays dead. C: He lights his lamp and throws it at the barrier.
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Dec 24, 2022 01:18
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C
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Dec 24, 2022 07:46
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Bold Oak lights the lamp and hurls it at the barrier. It smashes into it and sets it alight. I'm not so sure this a good idea, but I can't let them catch me... To his dismay, the area quickly starts to fill up with smoke. He starts to cough uncontrollably. To make things worse, the barrier starts to contract around him. At his feet, the wolf covers its eyes with its paws, and whimpers. As he tries to think what to do, he feels his Sixth Sense begin to sound. At first, he assumes it's simply a reaction to the fire and smoke, but then he feels something skittering across his mental defences as well. He remembers the dream he had about the bottle and the red mist, and he hears a voice: I can save you. Let me in. He holds it back, whatever it is. But the smoke around him grows thicker, and he can hear laughter in the distance. Deep inside himself, he has an irrepressible need to live. All right, you win. He lowers his defences, and lets it in. *** Petra, Brave Spirit and Cerathar are waiting with the men. Brave Spirit is pacing back and forth with irritation. "How much longer are we going to wait?" "That's not your concern." replies Petra calmly. "I will give the order to attack when the time is right." Brave Spirit glares at her. "And what if I decide I'm just going to go and look for Bold Oak by myself?" "Then any trouble that results will be upon your head." "You know, I've fought against the Cener and had my friends cut down in battle. What have you-" All of a sudden, there're cries of terror from ahead, and a group of bandits come fleeing out of the trees in front of them. "In formation!" shouts Petra. In moments, all the bandits are cut down. Petra shakes her head. "It didn't look as though they were chasing after someone. They were fleeing-" "Look?" calls Cerathar. He points at something glowing brightly, flowing through the air towards them. It has no distinct shape, instead resembling a cloud of burning gas, yet moving with purpose. As it travels, it ignites the trees in its vicinity. "A Fire Elemental?" gasps Cerathar. "Here?" "Another opponent!" shouts Petra. "Get ready to-" "No, no!" exclaims Cerathar. "It can only be harmed by magic or water!" He quickly points and releases a bolt of lightning. (Cerathar spends 3 Willpower casting Lightning Hand!) Fire Elemental Combat Skill: 21 Endurance: 35 CS 11 vs CS 21 Rolling: 6 Fire Elemental takes 6 damage! (3 * 2) The Elemental reacts to the lightning striking it, making a roaring noise, and contracting into a smaller shape. A ball of flame shoots from inside it, seemingly aimed at Cerathar, but veers off course and smacks into a tree. Flames are spreading through the woods. Brave Spirit focuses her will and strikes at what passes for the Elemental's mind. (Brave Spirit spends 1 Willpower attempting to confuse the Elemental!) Rolling against a target value of 6: 2 +2 for Mindblast +1 for Willpower = 5, a fail! Struggling to keep calm, Cerathar attacks again. (Cerathar spends 3 Willpower casting Lightning Hand!) CS 11 vs CS 21 Rolling: 7 Fire Elemental takes 8 damage! (4 * 2) Rather than responding in kind, the Elemental charges forward, only to be met by Petra, who flails at it with her sword. CS 18 vs CS 21 Rolling: 9 No damage inflicted! Petra's sword passes right through the Elemental's form, and only serves to confuse it. Brave Spirit takes a deep breath, and tries again. (Brave Spirit spends 1 Willpower attempting to confuse the Elemental!) Rolling against a target value of 6: 1 +2 for Mindblast +1 for Willpower = 4, a fail! With Petra occupied and the forest going up in flames, the soldiers beat a retreat from the trees. (Cerathar spends 3 Willpower casting Lightning Hand!) CS 5 (-6 for firing into melee) vs CS 21 Rolling: 7 Fire Elemental takes 6 damage! (3 * 2) Grinding her teeth, Brave Spirit tries again. (Brave Spirit spends 1 Willpower attempting to confuse the Elemental!) Rolling against a target value of 5: 6 +2 for Mindblast +1 for Willpower = 9, a pass! Brave Spirit finally manages to get a grip on the creature's mind. (Fire Elemental loses 4 Combat Skill!) CS 18 vs CS 17 Rolling: 4 Petra takes 6 damage! (3 * 2) To Petra's dismay, the Elemental attacks with intense heat rather physical blows, rendering her armour ineffective. (Cerathar spends 3 Willpower casting Lightning Hand!) CS 5 (-6 for firing into melee) vs CS 17 Rolling: 9 Fire Elemental takes 10 damage! (5 * 2) (Brave Spirit spends 1 Willpower attempting to confuse the Elemental!) Rolling against a target value of 4: 3 +2 for Mindblast = 5, a pass! (Fire Elemental loses 4 Combat Skill!) CS 18 vs CS 13 Rolling: 7 No damage inflicted! (Cerathar spends 3 Willpower casting Lightning Hand!) CS 5 (-6 for firing into melee) vs CS 13 Rolling: 3 Fire Elemental takes 2 damage! (1 * 2) Cerathar curses as one of his lightning bolts only nicks the creature. (Brave Spirit spends 1 Willpower attempting to confuse the Elemental!) Rolling against a target value of 4: 4 +2 for Mindblast +1 for Willpower = 7, a pass! (Fire Elemental loses 4 Combat Skill!) CS 18 vs CS 9 Rolling: 0 No damage inflicted! (Cerathar spends 3 Willpower casting Lightning Hand!) CS 5 (-6 for firing into melee) vs CS 9 Rolling: 3 Fire Elemental takes 10 damage! (5 * 2) The Fire Elemental finally disintegrates. A fire is now roaring all around them. A: Retreat from the fire. B: Look for Bold Oak. Twiler fucked around with this message at 00:28 on Dec 27, 2022 |
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Dec 27, 2022 00:26
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A
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Dec 29, 2022 15:10
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Brave Spirit, Petra and Cerathar turn and beat a retreat, following the recently departed soldiers. They barely manage to stay ahead of the flames, frantically skipping at some points in order to pick their way through the burning bracken. Cerathar stumbles, but Petra grabs him by the arm and manages to pull him to his feet again. At last they get clear of the flames. They stop in front of the soldiers who are standing on the outskirts, waiting for them. As they get their breath back, Brave Spirit suddenly notices a wolf seems to have appeared from somewhere, and is staring at them calmly. I don't sense any hostility... Petra straightens up and turns to the soldiers. "You shouldn't have fled without orders, but-" She suddenly notices that their numbers seem to have doubled. Their ranks part, and someone familiar steps forward. "You've caused me a severe amount of trouble." complains Korres. "Firstly you fail to make panicked demands for more troops, then you insist on trying to solve the problem by yourself. Fortunately, the deaths of two members of the Kai Order, a Lady of Sommerlund, and a Brother of the Crystal Star should convince people that this area is in jeopardy." "Wh-what?" exclaims Cerathar. "You're going to kill us?" "Correct. I will finally bring my business here to a close, and arrange matters such that I will have a sufficient number of soldiers at my disposal to enact a takeover." Petra groans. "So that's it. You genuinely wanted more soldiers to stop the bandits, but only so that you could make use of them for yourself." "Yes. And your friends here have already stolen the supplies of gold I built up. I welcome the chance to eliminate them." "You're the Pale Mask?!" shouts Brave Spirit, tearing her gaze away from the wolf. "And my associate here has his own vendetta." says Korres, pointing to a hooded figure, emerging next to him. The figure reveals his face. Brave Spirit bites down on her lip, drawing blood. She immediately recognises the diseased face of the Cenerese High Druid. "Not only did you have to destroy my home, you also had to chase me here and slaughter my colleagues." he rasps. "We were reduced to the status of mercenaries, forced to provide services to this glorified merchant." "Rather ironic-" continues Korres. "-that you should be assisted by my own soldiers, but the price of subtlety is a limit of your capacity to respond quickly. But in the end, things have turned out quite favourably, no?" Petra snorts. "I rather doubt they're your soldiers." "Oh? Who do you think controls the flow of wealth in this region?" Brave Spirit forces herself to calm down. Those soldiers can't have been our enemies all along, I'd have sensed it. She studies their faces, notes that many show expressions of confusion. I don't think his money holds as much clout as he believes... A: Petra tries to persuade the soldiers to take their side. B: Brave Spirit decides to suddenly attack Korres.
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Dec 30, 2022 00:09
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A Looking for nat crit success
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Dec 30, 2022 14:30
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Petra clears her throat. "These men aren't going to aid you. They're loyal subjects of Sommerlund, and mere money is nothing to them when compared to duty. I recognise that they may have strayed perhaps a little in the past, but standing here, before my eyes, they have no other recourse but to remember their country." She readies her sword. "Place these two under arrest. We shall interrogate them and discover the full extent of their crimes." Petra's Judicious trait ensures success! Their doubts dispelled, the men move into position around the Pale Mask and the High Druid. The latter gives a shriek of rage and leaps into action, whipping a sickle from his belt. Before they can react, two men have their throats sliced open. Gasping, the others spring back, and the High Druid begins to recite a spell. Cerathar hesitates. Cerathar only has 6 Willpower remaining. A: Cerathar expends 6 Willpower attempting to counter the spell. B: Cerathar expends 3 Willpower attempting to counter the spell. C: Cerathar conserves his Willpower.
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Jan 1, 2023 23:19
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A
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Jan 1, 2023 23:29
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Cerathar feels the Druid pouring more power into his spell and he struggles to overcome it. Cerathar rolls: 9 + 6 Willpower = 15 High Druid rolls: 1 + 5 Willpower = 6 The Druid's spell fails. He gapes in disbelief. Seeing her moment, Brave Spirit rushes towards him. Cener High Druid Combat Skill: 38 Endurance: 29 CS 14 (12 + 2 for wielding a heavy weapon with both hands) vs CS 38 Rolling: 3 Brave Spirit takes 4 damage! (8 - 4 Defence) To her disgust, he recovers in moments and responds with lightning fast blows. Petra closes in. CS 18 (15 + 3 for Sommlending Greatshield) vs CS 38 Rolling: 7 High Druid takes 6 damage! (3 * 2) Petra manages to wound the druid. He curses. Brave Spirit tries to calm herself and focus on striking. CS 14 (12 + 2 for wielding a heavy weapon with both hands) vs CS 38 Rolling: 0 High Druid takes 6 damage! Brave Spirit manages to avoid the druid's wild blows and lands a solid blow. CS 18 (15 + 3 for Sommlending Greatshield) vs CS 38 Rolling: 3 High Druid takes no damage! To Petra's frustration the druid seems to move with unnatural agility, almost as if he has extra joints. He calls to the soldiers. "Aid us!" CS 14 (12 + 2 for wielding a heavy weapon with both hands) vs CS 38 Rolling: 0 Brave Spirit takes 4 damage! (8 - 4 Defence) The soldiers are hesitating. Cerathar swallows the Volko Blackberry Tincture that he bought earlier. Cerathar regains 4 Willpower. Should Cerathar: A: Prepare to counter any further spells the druid casts? B: Cast Lightning Hand at the Druid? C: Attempt to Levitate the Druid?
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Jan 4, 2023 23:00
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A
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Jan 5, 2023 15:22
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As Cerathar stands ready, some of the soldiers keep a hold of the Pale Mask, while others close in on the High Druid. (Petra spends a Beacon of Light point to give the soldiers a D10 bonus!) Soldiers Combat Skill: 28 Endurance: 40 CS 29 (28 + 1 from Beacon of Light) vs CS 38 Rolling: 3 The soldiers inflict no damage! Spending Beacons of Light isn't useful when you roll a '1'... Brave Spirit lays into the druid again. CS 14 (12 + 2 for wielding a heavy weapon with both hands) vs CS 38 Rolling: 0 High Druid takes 6 damage! Frustrated at the soldiers' failure to achieve anything, Petra launches her own attack. CS 18 (15 + 3 for Sommlending Greatshield) vs CS 38 Rolling: 9 High Druid takes 10 damage! (5 * 2) Blood is pouring from the druid's wounds, and a foul stench fills the air. CS 28 vs CS 38 Rolling: 1 The soldiers inflict no damage! Brave Spirit gives a furious roar, and closes in to deliver the final blow. CS 14 (12 + 2 for wielding a heavy weapon with both hands) vs CS 38 Rolling: 5 High Druid takes 1 damage! Brave Spirit takes 3 damage! (7 - 4 Defence) The High Druid releases one final curse, and then collapses. With a groan, Brave Spirit falls to her knees. Cerathar stares at the dead druid, and something rings at the back of his mind. Rolling against a target value of 7 9 -1 for low Willpower +1 for Sage = 9, a pass! "Petra! Sever the head! Otherwise, he'll arise from the dead!" Petra blinks, then nods. She raises up her sword, and brings it crashing down. Rolling against a target value of 6 4 +1 for Combat Skill +1 for Might = 6, a pass! The druid's head goes flying away from his body. The eyes flick open and glare up at her. And then they roll up into the skull. There's a hissing noise, and the corpse's skin starts to slide away from the form beneath. Foul gases erupt as organs rupture inside. As the breakdown ends, all that's left is a shrunken, grey mass. Petra exhales. "Thank you Cerathar." Staring at the remains, Brave Spirit nods. "Yes- Wait, you said something that wasn't a question!" Cerathar looks puzzled. "Yes, I did. So?" "You- never mind." She sighs. "Let's find Bold Oak." Her Sixth Sense starts to sound a warning, and she turns to see a glowing figure approaching. It looks like Bold Oak, but his face is contorted unnaturally, and he's surrounded by a nimbus of energy. Oh, what now? A: "We should take any chances, we should attack" states Petra. B: "No, let's try talking first." objects Brave Spirit. C: "I'll see if I can levitate him and hold him in the air." suggests Cerathar.
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Jan 7, 2023 23:06
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C
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Jan 8, 2023 17:53
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(Cerathar casts Levitation for 2 Willpower!) Bold Oak rises into the air, but he barely seems to notice. "Mortal vermin." he snarls. He recites a series of words, and a disturbance in the air springs up. Within moments, a tiny whirlwind begins to form in front of them. The soldiers start to back away. Cerathar balks. "Air Elemental!" he shouts. Brave Spirit takes a step backwards. Cerathar's powers are almost exhausted, and our weapons will pass right through it... Wait! What about my mental powers? She takes a moment to touch the Air Elemental with her mind, and discovers it has a type of mental process, something she can attack. But perhaps I'm better off selecting a different target... A: Brave Spirit attacks Bold Oak with her psychic powers. B: Brave Spirit attacks the Air Elemental with her psychic powers. Cerathar hesitates. Almost out of energy. What should I do? C: Try to counter the Air Elemental summoning, using his remaining 2 points of Willpower. D: Cast Lightning Hand on Bold Oak. E: Cast Lightning Hand on the Air Elemental. Petra scowls. More blasted magic. What's happened to the Kai Lord? F: Petra attacks Bold Oak. G: Petra tries to distract the Air Elemental.
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Jan 11, 2023 00:01
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A D G
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Jan 11, 2023 06:41
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Brave Spirit tries to attack Bold Oak's mind. To her surprise, she detects two minds within his body, struggling against each other. She can easily recognise one as being familiar to her, and she sets her mind against the other. It's more powerful than her own, but as she starts to direct her mental resources against it she can see flashes of memory. Lines of undead soldiers... Human slaves... An ancient shining city... Unaware of the mental struggle, Cerathar releases Bold Oak's body from its levitation. As it falls to the ground, he releases a bolt of lightning. (Cerathar spends 3 Willpower casting Lightning Hand!) As the lightning strikes, there's a brief moment of weakness. Brave Spirit and Bold Oak manage to push the intruding mind into a state of retreat. Petra pauses in confusion as the summoning spell fails and the Air Elemental disperses. Brave Spirit inhales. Now! Bold Oak, take your body back! Bold Oak manages to draw his sword, turns it towards himself- -and falls on it. There's a bright flash of light and a screeching noise fills the air. The light fades, and Petra finds herself staring at Bold Oak's burnt and distorted body. It gradually dawns on her that the noise is coming from Brave Spirit. She's screaming uncontrollably. Ending to follow...
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Jan 13, 2023 23:55
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Bravo!!
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Jan 14, 2023 09:09
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Back at the Kai monastery Brave Spirit has just finished explaining her adventures to River Blade. "And after that, Cerathar and Petra helped me to return here." River Blade remains silent for a few moments, then speaks. "In a vault beneath this place, we hold treasures from the past. A short time ago, we discovered that one of these had vanished. It appeared to be a bottle of a glowing vapour." She pauses. "The bottle remained, but the contents vanished. We believed that it dated back to the time of the Ancients. If this was so... I imagine that one of them preserved its spirit in such a thing, and it somehow made a home for itself inside Bold Oak's being." She thinks for a moment. "It must have taken some time. That must have been what he saw in his dreams." She sighs. "There's nothing else that can be done now. At least it's over. I dread to think what might have happened if that thing had been fully loose on Magnamund." "There's one more thing I do find incredible." adds Brave Spirit. "After... what he did, I met a wolf. But it's the same wolf that we helped when we first left the monastery! It told me that it was looking for Bold Oak, that it knew it belonged with him. How could it travel such a distance and find him?" River Blade frowns. "It does seem impossible, but some people would say as such of many of things that we experience." Brave Spirit sighs. "I do wish it had found him sooner, perhaps it could have... done something." "Well, his name will not be forgotten. For the Kai, personal sacrifice is both anticipated and lauded." Brave Spirit clenches her fists. "I think... I think I need some time alone." *** Lying in bed that night, Brave Spirit thinks back to that distant time when she first departed the monastery. Did I really dream of adventure? Did I really understand what that meant? Bold Oak, Wise Fire, True Dancer... Was that what our lives were leading to all along? Is that how I shall end? Shedding blood and then rotting in the ground? Kai and Ishir speak to me, help me understand. END *** So, I was originally planning on continuing this for a lot longer, but: a) My enthusiasm for things only lasts so long. b) Having three characters dying rather changed the way matters were unfolding. One problem I did have was that while running the bits of the adventure based on the modules was fairly straightforward, it left me ill-prepared for adding additional content. Here, the first and second adventure were based on modules, the third was devised by myself, the fourth was another module, while the fifth was again something I made up. I wasn't expecting the third to turn into an assassination mission, but I felt obliged for it to become suitably deadly when matters went wrong. I still haven't solved all the problems I have with my general writing style and also the problems of how to organise this type of project.
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Jan 16, 2023 23:11
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When ever you start something new let me know. I enjoyed it!
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Jan 17, 2023 02:09
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