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Jacoby "Because I this we're all being controlled! Hendrick...please...put the sword down."
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Sep 12, 2015 01:51
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Hendrick "Shut it, Jacoby! He killed Rolf, his skeletons attacked the village! Now you want to be his friend? NEVER!" Hendrick suddenly lunges out and swings his sword at the closest skeleton warrior. Attack roll: 14 , damage roll: 13.
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Sep 12, 2015 08:33
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Osric stands up, calls his remaining two guards (what with Hendrick having taken out another one) to the side, and lifts his axe up, ready to strike. "Apologies, it seems I need to deal with an old grudge with a sword that already killed me once. Have at you!" King Osric attaks Hendrick: 1d20+3 15 1d8 6 Osric goes on the offensive very quickly, swinging his axe in a wide arc, and manages to catch Hendrick with a strike to the face with the flat of his axe blade for 6 damage. "Had enough, Kingslayer? Lay down your arms! I must know what happened to my queen!"
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Sep 14, 2015 17:24
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Allie She scrambles back and tries to get Jacoby's attention, "Can any of this help?" she stage whispers handing him the sack.
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Sep 14, 2015 18:42
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Hendrick "DIE!" Cursing and spitting blood through broken teeth, Hendrick launches himself at Osric yet again. Attack roll = 25!! Damage roll = 11 Sweet, natural 20! 
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Sep 15, 2015 14:03
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Okay, going to be completely transparent here: I originally intended to run Osric as a regular wight with average hp (15) but Hendrick rolling a 20 on his first attack roll against him just seems so drat appropriate that I'm going to treat is as a one-hit kill.  Hendrick presses himself at Osric furiously, forcing the dead king on the defensive. Not after long he finds a gap in Osric's defense and with a single upward slash decapitates him. Osric's skull falls onto the floor and the fell power that animated him seems to exit his body. However, your triumph does not last long: Osric's skull trembles for a while and there's a sudden flash of light. Suddenly, on top of his collapsed corpse, you see the translucent figure of Osric. His spirit looks a lot more like what he probably looked like in life, except for the incorporealness and transparency. "Well done, Kingslayer, you have defeated me once again! But remember when I told you you could only hope to destroy my body? This is but a temporary setback for me." He turns towards Jacoby. "Now that that's been handled, would you mind telling me about what's happened to my wife?"
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Sep 15, 2015 17:00
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Jacoby Jacoby is pretty much frozen in place in shock from watching events unfold, but manages to get his head together enough to answer. "She's bound somehow to the stone in the center of our village. She doesn't know how she got there, or why, but she sees everything that's happening to the people there, and it's causing her to weep helplessly for them. She wants to know what happened to you, to be with you once again."
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Sep 15, 2015 17:08
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"I don't understand. The last time I saw her I was departing on my latest campaign with my soldiers. I had promised her that I would arrive before Winter came. I never returned, because on my way back from war we were waylaid by a group of ruffians, lead by the one wielding that sword," he says, gesturing at the sword Hendrick is still grasping in his hand. "My body was left to lie there and was only recovered months afterwards. That was when I was buried here, along with my most trusted warriors. My memory is hazy: I was dead but my spirit still bound to this plane, and it all felt like a half-remembered dreamed. The next time I rose she was not there next to me." "My wife never took the oath that bound my spirit into this world, but I always comforted myself with the idea that even after her spirit moved on to the next world her remains would be buried close to me. It seems neither of those things have come to pass. Unless she has somehow been prevented from passing into the afterlife?" That last sentence jostles your memory about something that Hadewig said: "I don't even know why I'm stuck in this place. I swore to the gods that I would wait for my husband before passing beyond the veil..."
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Sep 15, 2015 17:39
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Jacoby "Of course...that's it! Your highness, she swore that she would wait for you before passing to the next world. Perhaps if we put your remains to rest next to hers." Jacoby's grin of realization fades. "Um...assuming we know where they are."
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Sep 15, 2015 17:51
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Osric's face goes extremely glum. "Oh no. No, that won't don't." "You see, Hadewig was never aware of the terms of my oath. It was my oath and I did not wish to burden her with it. However, in swearing to the gods she has inadvertently bound her spirit to mine. Mine being stuck in this world means that she will be forever bound to this world." "I'm going to ask you to do a thing for me: you must put an end to my state. Bound as I am to my lord, I can not bear the thought of my beloved being cursed to share my fate. I'm sure your friends will be happy to oblige me," he says, pointing especially at Hendrick and Jerald. "Those charms have been enchanted in such a way as to tether my spirit into this world. The ritual that was performed on them must be reversed, and in the process those relics destroyed. Behind my throne you will find the entrance to my inner sanctum, which conceals a book with the ritual that was used for the process. I am sure that as a wicca you can reverse it." "But before you do this, I wish to say one thing: my actions have been ill-informed. The plagues, my attacks on your village, they were all the actions of a man blinded by anger at the loss of their loved one. I was a fool to submit to this accursed state, and I am sorry that it has resulted in so many lives lost in vain. I know mere words won't bring them back, but I hope they offer at least some solace to you." "However, there is another matter: my return can only mean that my dark master has also found a way back into this world. He was always a tyrant, even more so than I, and in comparison to him even my jealous rage pales in comparison. While the blood of your friends and family is on my hands, he is the true source of this evil. If nothing is done to stop him, he will surely unite all of this lands under his dark reign once again."
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Sep 15, 2015 18:11
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Hendrick Hendrick touches his mangled face with his fingertips, mumbling to himself "OW! Son of a...for a corpse he packed a pretty good punch." OOC: Did the sword-induced berserk mode go away once the wight corpse died, or am I still semi-insane?
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Sep 15, 2015 18:14
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Comrade Koba posted:OOC: Did the sword-induced berserk mode go away once the wight corpse died, or am I still semi-insane? Basically, the sword has been yelling at you in your mind all this time, but the moment Osric's skull hits the floor it goes quiet. You can still feel it, somewhere in the back of your head, but having fulfilled its purpose (at least to an extent) it has been sated for now.
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Sep 15, 2015 18:26
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Hendrick Hands still trembling somewhat from shock and adrenaline, Hendrick sheathes his sword. "Very well, spirit...if this will send you on your way and bring peace to the village, I've no objection."
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Sep 15, 2015 18:33
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Allie Allie casually hides the sack of ...things, under her cloak, and does her best to look innocent.
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Sep 16, 2015 02:54
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Jerald 3/12 I'm still weighing my options when Hendrick charges. I start to follow him, but it's all a bit anticlimactic as Hendrick just rushes up and smites down the king. His body falls, leaving his spirit standing where it was, who then seems mildly annoyed and keeps talking. It's infuriating! There's no justice to be had or anything! But I still listen. I lean against the wall while he talks, ankle still pounding from that tumble. I say, "From what I've seen, she's a good woman who doesn't deserve her fate. And if it gets rid of you for good, I'm willing to help Jacoby with what he needs."
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Sep 17, 2015 03:17
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The ritual isn't all that difficult: Jacoby reverse engineers the original ritual that he finds in the tome that Allie gave him (Osric does look a bit surprised when you produce the book from your person, but he doesn't question it). The original ritual mostly featured chanting and bleeding on stuff to bind Osric's spirit into them, so you devise a ritual that involves chanting words to the exact opposite effect while destroying the relics in a ritualistic manner (something which Hendrick's sword is happy to do for you). Once you have finished the ritual Osric's spirit speaks his last words, "Thank you," as he is seemingly pulled towards the sky. You return to town, Victor and Jerald carrying Rolf's body between them. Your return is not a triumphant one: the villagers tell you that some hours ago they saw the spirit of the Weeping Widow departing the standing stone and ascending towards the sky, only to be joined by another spirit coming from the North of town, after which the two disappeared in a brilliant flash of light. While the adults know and understand what you have done and that it has finally freed Neuenburg from its curse, the mood is still somber: another friend has been lost and another funeral is to be arranged. Allie: Of all your friends you were the one who survived the adventure relatively unscathed. As things normalize in town your father is spending more and more time at the store, but you can see that your friends are still suffering from the after-effects of your little adventure. Whom do you comfort during these difficult times? Hendrick: When you left for the Barrow the townsfolk regarded you as a simple woodsman. When you return you carry yourself differently, like a great hero of old. Your sword makes you heir to the birthright of the hero called the Kingslayer, and as you spend more and more time with the sword its voice becomes much softer, no longer an overbearing shouting in your head. It speaks to you of further rights to be wronged: If what the wight told us is true, there is an even greater tyrant to be slain. What do you do? Jacoby: You have not heard of Zabitha since that fateful day. Your attempts to contact her by speaking to the wind go unanswered and you are becoming more and more anxious. Even Brute, Zabitha's old hound, is more animated than before, as if something was wrong. What's worse, your experience seems to have left you touched by death: while at Rolf's funeral you could swear you could see him looking at the crowd from between the trees at the edge of the forest, but when you look there again he is gone. What do you do? Jerald: The villagers no longer regard you as the nasty bully you used to be, and as you settle into your daily routine you find many of them coming and going just to send their regards and shower you with compliments. The inn is the only thing that remains as a reminder of your father and mother, but given recent events it is now filled with painful memories. Joan is there to help as promised, and she does her best to lift your spirits as you try to get things back the way they are, but your every waking moment is still haunted by memories of lost friends and family. What do you do? Victor: Like Allie, you also survived the adventure relatively unharmed, but you have still been changed by the experience. What's worse, your friends all seem much worse for wear after recent events. Whom do you offer comfort?
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Sep 17, 2015 08:33
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Jacoby has been spending time trying to get back into the "ghost world" so he can see if the queen is still there. But given that the first time he did it, it was an accident, he hasn't had much luck. He's also been trying to talk to Rolf (if that is indeed Rolf), but he can't seem to get the spirit to talk to him. He's also worried that Rolf blames him for his death. Jacoby...has not been feeling like a very effective witch lately.
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Sep 18, 2015 15:08
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To immediately address Jacoby's issues: the time you thought you saw Rolf was a one-time deal. He only appeared briefly during the funeral, after which you haven't seen him around. Even when you briefly saw him during his funeral, he didn't seem particularly haunted: he was merely observing his own funeral as far as you could tell. As for the Queen, there have been no signs of hauntings around the Weeping Widow since the conclusion of your adventure. You hope that this means that the Queen has finally been able to depart into a proper afterlife.
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Sep 18, 2015 16:08
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Hendrick has been spending a lot of time in the tavern. About half of it it is spent recounting (somewhat embellished) heroic tales of what he and his friends went through, with the part about him single-handedly slaying Osric the Vile - corrupted lich-lord of the unliving - usually being a favorite among the patrons. The rest of his time is usually dedicated to questioning any travelers that might pass the village, making discrete inquiries about any legends that might concern the "evil master" that the ghost of king Osric mentioned.
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Sep 19, 2015 12:53
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Allie Allie has been kept busy working at the store and serving at the tavern. Her father is holding some items thatneed to be passed along and she is waiting for the contact to arrive. In the meantime she's agreeing with Hendrick.."Of course that's how it happened..." and then giving the listeners a huge wink and a 'Yeah sure...' expression.
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Sep 19, 2015 16:57
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Jerald 3/12 Out of all the deaths, I think I feel the worst about Rolf. At least I did everything I could to help my parents pass. I know that we wouldn't have saved him, but what if we could have? I don't think I'd be able to live with myself, that's what. It's nice of everyone to come and patron my place, because it's not like I get out much anymore. I always knew that running this place was a lot of work, but I never quite realized how little time I'd have to myself when no one else worked here. In a way, it's probably good for me. Less time thinking about what I could have done differently. Even now, though, I can't help but smile when Joan comes in to help. It's so thoughtful how much time she's devoting to making sure I'm doing well. I've always said how sweet she is. After things settle down back to normal, I pull Jacoby aside and ask him, "So, you got any ideas about that dark lord of Osric's? Figure it's the kind of thing the town witch should be looking into, right?"
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Sep 21, 2015 01:41
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Jacoby Jacoby stifles a yawn, and nods. He looks like he hasn't been sleeping well lately. "Nothing really; I've been trying to find out if the queen's spirit is still bound to the stone. I don't even know where to start about looking for Osric's lord."
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Sep 21, 2015 21:14
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Hendrick, as it happens, your town is experiencing an unprecedented influx of travelers: during the weeks following your adventure, more and more people are arriving in your town from the West, stopping for no more than a night at the inn. As you discretely inquire about Osric's "dark lord" from them, they make a sign to ward one from evil spirits with their hand and go pale. When pressed on the subject they simply tell you not to speak ill of the dead or you'll be the first they'll come and get. Apparently something is going on in the West that is driving people away from their homes? What do you do? EDIT: In case you're wondering, I'm angling for some closure to the adventure. I'm not sure if we want to continue with the game (we could, turning it into a more sandboxy campaign), but I'm trying to fill in the details to set up a closing scene for this adventure, probably one that features lots of bitter-sweet goodbyes as our young heroes strike out into the world to fight a big bad evil guy. Ratpick fucked around with this message at 09:57 on Sep 22, 2015 |
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Sep 22, 2015 07:24
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Jerald 3/12 I look around at the inn. People from towns keep stopping by, sure, but no one's really staying. In fact, there's been a good bit of travelers, but they don't really seem to have much money. I'm not even sure I can keep this place open at this rate. So, maybe I should close up shop? At least for a little. And who know's what I'll find out there. So, I say, "Well, let's go see what we can find. Only so many times you can read the same dusty books, right?"
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Sep 23, 2015 20:56
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