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Two months ago, Wolfram von Houten organized an expedition into the Borderlands. Although a minor noble, Wolfram had ambition and, more importantly, enough money to hire a little over sixty people to join his expedition. There was even a famed mercenary captain leading the way. And yet, everything went to poo poo. Spider-riding goblins killed the captain and most of his men he brought with him, and the next week saw the death of almost everyone else to trolls, bandits, poison, and even dehydration. Wolfram is missing, most likely dead in a ditch somewhere, and only nine of you remain. Eventually, you have reached what passes for civilization in these parts, and a fortified town can be spotted in the distance. Sadly, it looks nothing at all like that image. Its walls are made of wood, the land surrounding it is hills covered with dull shrubs, with no bodies of water in sight. The houses look closer to shacks, with a modest manor seated in the middle. And yet, towns such as this are extremely rare in the Border Princes, so this is the pinnacle of life in this wasteland, everything else is downhill from here. But the walls are sturdy, the town itself built on a hill with steep sides, and the only accessible path leading to the town's gates has a dozen or so pikes topped with the heads of greenskins, so it is also possibly the safest spot you'll find in this region. The gate is guarded, but the guards wisely decide not to get in the way of an actual knight with proper weapons and armor. Inside is a modest market, selling shoddy clay pots, tin hammered into the rough shape of cutlery, and whatever else passes for trade goods in these parts, although it might be possible to find something of use hidden behind the trash. The town even has a local brewery, although whether you're desperate enough to try their "alcohol" is up to you. Whatever you decide to do with your time, eventually your strange group will draw the attention of those who rule here. A young man in mail armor that is slightly too big for him approaches Sir Guy, clears his throat, and then shouts out a proclamation, despite standing directly in front of the knight. "Gildemeister Tibolino requests your presence at his palace, in order to properly welcome you! Acceptance of the summons is mandatory!" Obviously proud of himself for not forgetting any of the words, the young man stands at attention as he waits for a reply. ________________________ Welcome to the game! The nine(!) players trying to find a way out of this hellhole are: Mors Rattus: Sir Guy d'Urvaine, Human Knight of the Realm grassy gnoll: Margot, Human Explorer Redeye Flight: Mariano Manzanedo del Diamanterra, Human Bodyguard John Dyne: Roland Mohr, Human Journeyman Wizard Waci: Maruviel, Elf Noble wiegieman: Donrod Brightgrip, Dwarf Journeyman Runesmith thatbastardken: Elise Sterne, Human Veteran frankenfreak: Lorandara, Elf Xun: Attickus, Human Entertainer Please put your character sheet in your first post, and then I'll link those sheets right above here for convenience. Everyone has some time to do some shopping, although anything of scarce, rare, or very rare availability will need a Gossip test to find. Difficult modifiers are +0% for scarce, -10% for rare, and -20% for very rare. Once everyone has posted what they're doing/their thoughts on the massacre of the expedition/their horror on how far civilization has fallen out here, I'll move the game along to the meeting with the local Prince, unless you guys really want to break off the rails immediately. Astus fucked around with this message at 04:11 on Sep 13, 2017 |
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Sep 12, 2017 23:47
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Reserved in case I need it. In the mean time, have some maps of the local region: Terrain Map:  Map with Border Princes:  You are currently in Tibolino's realm, near the north border. Astus fucked around with this message at 19:36 on Sep 13, 2017 |
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Sep 12, 2017 23:48
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What Sir Guy knows about Tibolino: Absolutely nothing, which is strange because all nobles love to gossip about rumors of this or that black sheep that got exiled to the Borderlands. Either the man was nothing before he came to the Borderlands, or else he's from the Borderlands. ___________________________ Inside Gildemeister Tibolino's "Palace" "Welcome to the Seat of Blades, the heart of my realm, and bastion against the Greenskins! Please be seated, honored guests." Tibolino's idea of a dining room seems to consist of several tables thrown together in a slightly large room, while the Gildemeister and his councilors have their own table on a raised platform. Actually, this looks like a hastily repurposed throne room, set up just moments before you arrived. Much like Tibolino himself, who has thrown on furs over his well-worn armor and decorated himself with whatever jewelry was to hand. This is a man who is considerably more comfortable in a fight than he is hosting guests. "I, uh, noticed that two of your companions did not accept my invitation, but perhaps I was being rude, inviting you all into my home before you've had a chance to rest? I must admit, I was not expecting any travelers to approach from the north, usually only Greenskins come that way. Normally I'd allow you to spend some time recuperating, but I have a, ah, rather urgent matter to discuss." One of the councilors seated to the side of him, a giant of a man, bursts into tears and slams his head into the table in front of him, causing cutlery and plates to bounce into the air. Tibolino clears his throat and gestures to the mini-ogre, "Right, this is Gustav, who used to be my right-hand man when I was still a mercenary captain, and serves as my castellan now that I've ascended to ruler of these lands. His son has been kidnapped, which we assumed was because one of the other lords wanted leverage or a ransom. You know, the normal kind of kidnapping that happens. However, I sent some recruits to go track down the culprit, and what was left of their bodies were found a day later. The peasants that found them claim they had been partially eaten." At this Gustav raises his head suddenly, tears and snot streaming down his face, as he wails out something unintelligible. Before the Gildemeister can stop him, the castellan slams his head back down again, this time shattering the table as he continues to cry inconsolably. As servants rush forward to clean up the mess, Tibolino pulls out a purse of coins. "The recruits clearly can't handle this, and my mercenary soldiers are needed to defend these walls. We're running out of time. If you could return Gustav's son or at least...confirm his status, I will pay you." Judging by the iron grip he keeps on the purse, he is not normally one to part with his money easily. "Just name your price." _______________________ Rundown Smithy Donrod: After a bit of searching around, you eventually come across an anvil which someone is using to make tin tools. It cannot be called a smithy, and the man cannot be called a blacksmith, but he at least knows enough to be embarrassed in front of a dwarf. He will not object if you wish to use his ramshackle forge, but he does mention there is an armorsmith in a village to the southwest, who has the tools and the skill to tend to the mercenary soldiers' armor. _______________________ Drunken Goat Inn Roland: Even in the inn in the middle of a fortified town, the winds of shyish are strong, distracting you from your rest. Death is just an everyday acquaintance in this part of the world. Just as you are about to get some actual sleep, something catches Christoff's attention. When you turn to look, all you see is the door shutting. Well, that's certainly not creepy at all. Astus fucked around with this message at 08:37 on Sep 17, 2017 |
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Sep 17, 2017 03:14
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Gildemeister Tibolino's Palace Tibolino seems shocked by Sir Guy's words. "I'm sorry, it's just, the Borderlands is terrifyingly good at weeding out anyone who has morals. I forgot you're new to these lands, and I apologize for treating you like a common mercenary." He hesitates, before adding slowly, "Although, young Johan, Gustav's son, is no child. He just turned twenty, so hopefully that doesn't affect your chivalrous attitude." Listening to both Mariano's and Elise's questions, Tibolino regains a bit of his composure. "The kidnapping happened a few days ago, the patrol was sent out soon after, and the peasants who found their remains reported it to me yesterday. Johan was being trained to be a proper soldier, so it was odd when we found no signs of struggle in his quarters, but we did find some tracks outside of the town. Care had been taken to hide or erase them where possible, but we believed they led to the southwest. As the bodies of my men were found in that direction, I would say we were right. If you want to ask the peasants any questions, I could summon them here shortly, but I doubt you'll get any more out of them than I did." At the question of which Princes would stoop so low, Tibolino has to stop himself from laughing. "If it means survival or an advantage over another lord, then nothing is too despicable for the average Prince, unless it would get them overthrown. As for those who have a motive, Waldenmund to the southeast is a greedy bastard, and he isn't fond of me either. I have my own issues with that priest, Liederberg, to the south, although maybe his religion would forbid such an action? Finally, there's my immediate neighbor Slaevas, who already rules a large amount of this region and is always looking for a way to keep expanding. But none of them are cannibals, nor would they tolerate cannibalism in their lands." When it looks like Gustave is about to wail again, Tibolino quickly adds, "Although, we still don't know for certain the cannibalism and Johan being kidnapped are related yet." This seems to relax the giant slightly. _____________________ Local Smithy, Currently Under Reconstruction To Donrod, the rebuilt forge is simple but serviceable, not worth being compared to the forges he's used in the past but more than suitable for a tinsmith. For the human smith and the ever-growing crowd of on-lookers (who have learned to keep a respectable distance from the runesmith), it is an engineering marvel, something that stands out from the surrounding ramshackle buildings with how well-built and sturdy it looks. The embarrassed and thoroughly humbled tinsmith, unsure of how to approach Donrod and certain he is about to be the next one to get boxed by the dwarf, decides to bow. "Sir Dwarf, this is too fine of a forge for one such as m'self, and I am forever in your debt. But, I fear I cannot afford to pay you for your service. I promise to pay you back someday, so please, keep me and me family out of your book!" Rebuilding the smithy so it's serviceable doesn't require a test from Donrod, but if you want to add some other minor improvement in the time you have left, it'll be at Routine (+10%) difficulty. Failure simply means you don't have the materials and/or time necessary. Success will certainly raise Tibolino's opinion of the company, and might grant some other minor effect depending on what you have in mind. Just don't expect the tinsmith to be able to pay you. _____________________ Drunken Goat Inn The room darkens slightly as the candles flutter, and a cold draft seeps through the crack in the door as the sounds of the inn drift away, replaced by an eerie silence. Slowly, the shape of an old man becomes visible, his face haggard and his clothes covered in blood. The ghost glides across the floor towards Roland, before sticking his hand out in front of the wizard. "Hello, m'name's Odo, nice ta meetcha Roland." He smiles, revealing the many gaps in his teeth, before he realizes he can't shake your hand. "Oh whoops, sorry 'bout that, still new ta bein' a ghost an' all. So you one o' dem priests o' Morr? That'd be real helpful right 'bout now, I don't think I like being a ghost much."
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Sep 21, 2017 09:16
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Gildemeister Tibolino's Palace At Elise's request for horses, Tibolino furrows his brow. "I can get you a cart easily enough, but horses are somewhat of a rarity in these parts, so I have none that I can spare. If the Greenskins or another Prince were to attack, I'd need those horses to send word out for the army to gather as fast as possible. As for the peasants, I will send for them to answer your questions. Perhaps there is something they can reveal further, but I fear they saw little before they ran away." He motions to one of the servants still picking up splinters of the smashed table, and the man bows before hurrying out of the room. A short time later, a trio of disheveled farmers enter the throne room, clearly still shaken from what they've seen and exhausted from their journey. Tibolino asks them to tell you everything, and one of the farmers steps forward "We was comin' back home after visitin' the market, and since the path don't take a straight line to our village, we thought 'why not take a shortcut?' So we went through the tall grass, and then halfway through it felt like I'd stepped in some mud, only slipperier. I looked down, and it was...it was just horrifying, you know? Worse part was I actually recognized the poor man, he'd passed by us when we still on our way to the market. And now here he was, just bits of him left lyin' around. And then we saw there was a small pile of bits just ahead. We immediately turned 'round and ran back towards the town, and I don't think we're going back until we know for sure the path is safe again." ___________________ Drunken Goat Inn Odo makes a face, "Wizard? I was always told by my folks ta never trust a wizard. Then again, you seem nice enough, and it's not like ya can make things worse for me, right?" As Roland asks about his fate, the ghost floats about the room lost in thought before turning back to the wizard. "Ya know, I ain't really sure. I was gettin' old, sure, but the doc said I still had a few more years left in me. I think I remember some sort of sound when I was about ta go ta sleep, but then my memory gets hazy up until suddenly I'm a ghost. Can't find me body neither, no matter how hard I look. But it's like I can feel it's nearby, and it's getting real irritating that I can't find it. But, if you can help me move on, then that probably doesn't matter, right?" ___________________ Local Smithy Realizing just how much of an honor it is to receive a rune for his modest forge, the smith readily agrees to Donrod's terms, thanking him profusely as he eagerly gets back to work. Even with the new forge, his own skill still has a ways to go, but at least he seems motivated now. This whole affair has taken a while, but there might be time to catch the end of the meeting with the local lord, or Donrod could retire for the day and head to the inn that was mentioned earlier. A +10 bonus to smithing tests works for me.
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Sep 27, 2017 03:12
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Gildemeister Tibolino's Palace As Tibolino instructs his servants to ready the cart for tomorrow, Elise and Vivandrel are able to question the farmers on their own. At first uneasy, they start to open up after being bribed with food and Elise's assurances that she won't tell the Gildemeister. "There's a small grove of trees a bit past halfway or so on the way to our village. We don't get to see trees very often this far from the swamp, so we wanted to see 'em up close for once. Only, we weren't supposed to ever go near there, you see. Our elder kept warning our village that the grove was cursed, and that we should all stay away from there. Please don't tell our lord this, he don't believe in curses or anything like that, and we're afraid he might think our elder already knew there were cannibals or some such and never sent word to him." _______________________ Drunken Goat Inn Odo takes a long moment to think again. "Well, I don't much like ta idea of bein' 'removed' by magic, ta be honest, so I guess I can wait a bit longer. Don't have a surname, just Odo. I was a servant for Johan, who was the son of one of the council members. Bright lad, but a bit brash, and a bit drunk most of ta time. Don't know where he is right now, however. Probably doesn't know I'm dead yet." The ghost pauses for a moment, "...Does anyone know I'm dead? I don't think I like this feelin'. I'm gonna go look for my body again, and try ta remember more of what happened. If you see master Johan, he might be able ta help. If he remembers me, anyway..." Before Roland can say anything else, Odo disappears through the wall. _______________________ The Next Morning After meeting up at the inn later that night and filling in Donrod (with his new and improved axe) and Roland (and Roland deciding whether he should mention the inn was currently haunted), you all get your first night's sleep on actual beds in quite some time. In the morning, the cart promised by Tibolino arrives, and with some last-minute preparations you all leave the safety of the town's walls and head to the southwest. The path to the village twists and turns along with the hills, but at least there are no potholes, so the trip is as smooth as a ride in a cart with no suspension can be. Following the farmers' directions, you leave the path once the hills flatten out, and soon approach a sea of tall, dry grass. A small grove of trees can be seen in the distance, but taking the cart when you can't see the ground or any stray rocks hidden in the grass could be a bad idea. As the cart stops, the stillness in the air becomes noticeable, and there is a strange silence around you. There's no animals around, or even a breeze, just perfectly still grass and the trees in the distance. If the kidnappers are here, they certainly picked a good hiding spot. _____________ If anyone has any shopping they wanted to do, you can assume you bought it last night or right before you left. You probably don't need the cart going forward, but if you do want to bring it into the grass without worrying about breaking a wheel, then you can make a routine (+10) test, using whichever skill you think will help to avoid rocks and other hazards hidden in the grass. Regardless if you all decide to just march straight in or approach more cautiously (or have some other plan), I'll need an average (no modifier) perception check from whoever wants to keep a look-out.
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Oct 7, 2017 23:53
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Outside the Grove The silence hanging around the grove almost drowns out the idle chatting about the undead as you make your approach. While the ride isn't smooth, Elise is able to avoid breaking any wheels or getting stuck in the mud, and so the cart trundles along behind the others. But despite almost everyone in the company trying to keep an eye out, everyone is either too tired or distracted to notice anything wrong. Except for Sir Guy, and more importantly Sir Guy's horse. The knight may have noticed the stench slowly building up in strength as they got closer, and may even have felt like he was being watched, but it is his trusty steed who hears the grass start to part, and rears up just in time to avoid a spear from an unseen attacker.  A guttural howl breaks the silence, as more attackers rush out from their hiding spots. Soon you are surrounded by almost a dozen Beastmen, with one standing head and shoulders above the others. He shouts in a language none of you understand, and two unusual-looking Beastmen, one with large hare-like ears and the other with a coiling tail, rush towards Sir Guy. However, there is hesitation in their movements, possibly due to their ambush failing, which gives you all a moment to act first. There is another howl from towards the grove, and any who look that way can see the sea of grass start to part. Another threat will join the battle shortly... __________________ Concealment test vs 55 (I almost forgot the Rover talent adds +10 in rural areas): 48, so Sir Guy's horse got more degrees of success thanks to its acute hearing talent. Thanks to that, you guys are not surprised. I'm also not using the initiative system, so you guys get to act first, then the beastmen. Enemies: Bestigor [Leader] Gors 1-8 Large Ear Gor Tail Gor Mystery Threat (arrives next turn) There's no map, because everything is too close for exact positioning to matter. No one is in melee just yet, if you want to charge or use a ranged weapon. And while the (more) mutated gors are moving towards Sir Guy, anyone can choose to intercept them.
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Oct 16, 2017 00:20
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Skirmish Outside the Grove For however distracted they were moments before, the company is quick to take action once the threat of Beastmen is revealed. Sir Guy charges into the fray, and while he and his horse are unable to catch the rabbit-like Beastman, those large ears don't help the creature detect Elise taking aim. The gor is dead before it hits the ground, the bullet hitting right between its eyes. Vivandrel follows up, breaking almost every bone in another gor's body in a quick flurry of attacks while it was distracted by the gunshot. Sadly, the fight is not as one-sided as those two made it look, as Margot barely scratches a gor in the arm with her shot, and Maruviel's follow-up shot only manages to chip part of the gors horns, which seems to enrage it to no end. Before it can attempt to take revenge, however, Bearickus leaps toward the Beastman and leaves a large gash on the gor from Bearickus's claws. Donrod also manages to land a blow on the bestigor's arm, embeding his axe through the scavenged armor and tough, leathery hide. The bestigor barks out something in an unfamiliar language, before shoving the dwarf backwards and arcing its giant axe in a large sweep. Thankfully the attack only manages to clear some of the tall grass, and the bestigor has left itself wide open. The remaining gors surge towards the company. The one with the tail readies its spear for another attempt against Sir Guy, trying to throw off the knight by feinting towards his horse before lunging up at the Brettonian's head. Two more gors notice Roland's spell and rush towards him, only to be intercepted by Mariano. Undeterred, they raise their axes and attack the swordsman from opposite sides. The gor being mauled by Bearickus desperately swings at the bear, but is too panicked to land a hit. Another two gors attempt to gang up on Vivandrel, but the image of what she did to the last gor she faced fills them with dread and they can only swing wildly in her general direction. The final two gors decide to attack those in the back, with one leaping onto the cart behind Elise and another trying (and failing) to cut down Maruviel. The sound of thumping footsteps gets closer and closer, until a misshapen form the rough size of Bearickus leaps out of the grass. Covered in fur, its eyes merged together, and with a spiked tail trailing after it, there is little left to show what this mutant used to be, save the armor which it has bent and distorted with its massive body. But even with this monstrosity charging into the fray, Roland's spell prevents any of the company (or their horses) from so much as flinching at the mutant. Of course, that doesn't mean it's harmless... ___________________ Elise shoots the large-eared gor through the head, and Vivandrel just murders gor 8 (who failed to parry). Margot and Maruviel do a combined 1 damage after TB and armor to gor 3, with Bearickus doing 5 more damage (I just assumed you guys would focus fire on any gors that were wounded, rather than spread your damage out). Donrod manages to do 5 damage against the bestigor, due to it rolling a 38 vs 37 for its dodge. On the attack, the bestigor makes an all-out attack against Donrod and misses, meaning it cannot parry or dodge for this turn. The tail gor attempts to feint but rolls a 51 vs the 40 it needs, so I don't think Sir Guy needs to make an opposed WS test? Either way, it makes a standard attack and hits the head for 13 damage (before TB and armor), unless Guy parries or dodges the attack (both have a -10 penalty due to the spear having the Fast quality). One of the gors spends a full action to leap onto the cart with Elise and Attickus, the remaining six move towards a target and make standard attacks against 40, or 50 if they doubled up on someone: Gors 1 & 2 vs Mariano: 25, 13, will do 10, 9 damage to left/right arm if not parried or dodged (Mariano gets two parry actions from parrying stance and an off-hand weapon) Gor 3 vs Bear: 73, miss Gors 4 & 5 vs Vivandrel: 70, 76, both miss Gor 6 vs Maruviel: 46, miss Bestigor is in melee with Donrod [has 9/14 wounds] Tail Gor is in melee with Sir Guy Gors 1 & 2 are in melee with Mariano Gor 3 is in melee with Bear [has 6/12 wounds] Gors 4 & 5 are in melee with Vivandrel Gor 6 is in melee with Maruviel Gor 7, Elise, and Attickus are not in melee yet technically, but can move within range on their turns without spending an action Margot and Roland are not in melee Mutant is not in melee yet, but will charge Sir Guy next turn if nothing changes
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Oct 23, 2017 06:22
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Skirmish Outside the Grove The runesmith's axe bites deep into the bestigor's thigh, and the burning rage in the creature's eyes diminishes somewhat. But instead of attempting to remove the dwarf's axe from its leg, it uses its remaining strength to bring its own weapon down on Donrod's head! Meanwhile, Sir Guy scores a telling blow against the Beastman with the long tail, and the gor staggers back, bleeding heavily but still able to fight as it aims its spear towards Laurent's legs. At the same time, the howling mutant rushes toward the knight before spinning around and swinging its spiked tail at Guy's mount, either still having enough intelligence to coordinate with the tailed gor or (more likely) just going for the larger target. On the other side of the battlefield, Elise sinks her halberd into her opponent's arm, the Beastman's tough hide stopping her from taking the entire limb off. In a blind rage, the gor brings its axe up high, only to shudder and stop short as it drops its weapons. Stumbling, the gor reaches back with its one good arm and pulls out the tool of its demise from its back: a simple paintbrush. The Beastman gives one last incredulous look at the cowering painter before falling off the cart into the mud. In the background, Bearickus continues to maul his opponent, but the gor, barely clinging to life, manages to find an opening in between the blows and buries its axe in the tough body of the bear. The wizard Roland and the duelist Mariano team up and are able to separate the gors that were attacking the Estalian, although one of the Beastmen was able to knock away the magical scythe before it landed, and the other received only a shallow scratch from Mariano's blade. The gor facing the wizard advances slowly, frightened by the magic weapon and discouraged by no longer having the advantage in numbers. Its "attack" comes nowhere near Roland, and looks more like the creature is trying to shoo the wizard away. The other gor, however, has had enough of Mariano's taunting, and attacks with all the strength it can muster as it swings its axe towards Mariano's arm. A few feet away, Vivandrel fails to land a blow against either of the gors teamed up against her, which only encourages them to continue their attacks. One of the Beastmen makes an easily avoided strike, but as Vivandrel lightly steps away, the other brings its axe down towards her arm, hoping to sever the limb completely. At the same time, the other elf Maruviel mistimes her lunge; a mistake the gor doesn't pass up as it aims a strike straight for her head. ___________________________ Donrod does 6 damage after soak to the Bestigor, bringing it down to 3/14 wounds, but is unable to dodge or parry this round. Sir Guy takes the tailed gor down to just 2/12 wounds, almost killing it in one blow. Elise hits Gor 7 for 9 damage, and then Attickus finishes the job...with a paintbrush. I realized later that Xun just wanted to blind the gor with paint, but I had already rolled damage (treating it as an improvised weapon), and Attickus got an Ulric's Fury and hit for 13 damage. With a paintbrush. Then again, he is the third strongest member of the Crooked Shepherds (1st is Bearickus, 2nd is Sir Guy). Bearickus does 5 damage to Gor 3, bringing it down to just 1 wound. Roland's attack is parried even with the fast quality (rolled a 12 vs 30), and Mariano's attack hit, but did zero damage. Both Vivandrel and Maruviel missed, and Margot has finished reloading. For the Beastmen, the Bestigor continues trading all-out attacks against Donrod and hits the dwarf's head for 10 damage (before soak, and Donrod cannot avoid the attack). Tail Gor aims then attacks Sir Guy, landing a hit to Laurent's left rear leg for 8 damage before soak. The mutant charges in and tries to use Strike to Stun against Laurent, managing to hit and succeed on its Strength test. Laurent must pass a Toughness test (with a +10 bonus for each point of head armor) or be stunned for 2 turns. The the six remaining gors all make standard attacks: Gor 1 vs Roland: 84, miss Gor 2 vs Mariano: 14, will do 12 damage to left arm before soak (can be parried) Gor 3 vs Bear: 16, will do 14 damage to body before soak (cannot be avoided due to all-out attacking), since I don't think Bearickus has armor, the attack takes Bearickus down to 10/20 wounds Gors 4 & 5 vs Vivandrel: 34, 56 (miss). Gor 4 will do 14 damage before soak(can be parried, since I'll allow natural weapon fists to count as having an offhand weapon available) Gor 6 vs Maruviel: 40, will do 12 damage before soak (can be parried) Status of enemies: Bestigor: in melee with Donrod, at 3/14 wounds Tail Gor: in melee with Sir Guy, at 2/12 wounds Mutant: in melee with Sir Guy Gor 1: in melee with Roland Gor 2: in melee with Mariano Gor 3: in melee with Bearickus, at 1/12 wounds Gors 4 & 5: in melee with Vivandrel Gor 6: in melee with Maruviel Elise, Attickus, and Margot are not in melee. Astus fucked around with this message at 03:07 on Nov 11, 2017 |
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Nov 11, 2017 02:48
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So, a lot of time has passed, as several players have mentioned they were too busy to post, and then I was too busy to update due to the holidays. As a quick check, how many of you guys would still be interested in continuing this game? Since we went into this game with nine players, I think it'll be fine if a few have to drop due to not having any more time/interest for the game. Also, I think I made a mistake in how many beastmen I threw at you guys, I wasn't aware of how durable they are. Since the Bestigor is definitely dead, I can either have most of the beastmen flee to make things more manageable, or we can skip to the end of combat if you guys prefer. And if there aren't enough players staying around to continue the game, that's fine. PbP's don't last very long, but hopefully you guys had some fun with this game.
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Dec 25, 2017 00:52
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Skirmish Outside the Grove - End For what could have been a disastrous ambush, the end of the fight with the Beastmen is almost completely one-sided. Elise's halberd separates a gor's arm from its body, and the creature thrashes around on the ground until it bleeds out. The gor trapped underneath Bearickus doesn't fare much better as the bear rips it apart, while Roland's magic causes another Beastman's arm to wither away while it stares in abject horror. Any desire the Beastmen had to seek revenge for the harm they've suffered immediately dissipates once Donrod's axe manages to cut clean through the bestigor. The herd's leader gurgles out something in their dark speech, before making what is probably an obscene gesture at the dwarf before expiring. The rest of the gors scatter into the tall grass, fleeing in blind panic at the sight of Roland's magic and the death of the bestigor. Only one last foe remains: the hulking mutant. Seeing the others flee, the mutant raises to its full height...and sits down in the mud, its eyes staring dumbly straight ahead. With the mutant no longer thrashing around, the company is able to see that it wears a gem-studded amulet, but why would a random mutant following a Beastman herd have something that expensive looking? Roland: Even without focusing your mind on the currents of magic, you can feel the amulet's power, and its danger. It would be an extremely bad idea to touch it, let alone wear it, but you can't make out what its true purpose is with just a casual glance. But perhaps some things are better left unknown... The amulet is not the only thing to stand out among the mutant's possessions. The shattered remnants of armor hand loosely from its body, similar in style to the guards from the town. And its "fine" clothing (or what passes for fine clothing in the Borderlands) it wears underneath the armor is also strangely familiar. After a few moments, it hits you: it's the same style that Gustav wore, the man whose son you were searching for. ...Oh. Well, mission accomplished? There's still a lot of unanswered questions, like how Johan became a mutant or how he ended up with those Beastmen, but the job was to find Gustav's son and possibly return him. Although, perhaps bringing a live mutant into town might not be the best of ideas. ___________ Right, let's see if there's still some life in this game. I'm not sure what to do about those who haven't said if they were still in or not, but that still leaves six players remaining. I wrapped up the fight, but you guys still need to decide what to do with mutant Johan, the amulet (go on, touch it, it'll be fine), and whether or not you want to search the grove the Beastmen were presumably using as a hideout.
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Jan 13, 2018 20:31
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Outside the Grove Johan continues to stare blankly as Elise talks, looking through her more than at her, but there is still a brief flicker of recognition in the mutant's eyes when Elise asks Johan to remove the amulet. Slowly, the mutant nods his head and clumsily removes the amulet with a clawed hand, dropping it into the mud. Unfortunately, nothing seems to change, as Johan continues to look as if he was in a trance. He doesn't seem capable of answering any of Elise's questions, but does appear to be easily controlled, doing whatever is asked of him. Which might explain why he suddenly stopped fighting after Donrod killed the Bestigor. Roland focuses on his magical senses, and sees strands of the wind of Shyish drawn to the amulet. Looking closer, he can also see a small amount of blood from the fallen Beastmen slither through the mud, before being absorbed by the gem in the middle of the amulet. If this is the amulet's power source, however, then the lack of reaction would mean this is nowhere near enough for the amulet to do...whatever it's meant to do. But the winds of Shyish are much stronger near the grove itself, where the Beastmen probably made camp, and Roland can catch glimpses of restless spirits floating above. Whatever is in the grove won't be a pretty sight, and the spirits do not look to be in a mood for talking. ___________ Johan can follow basic orders, but isn't capable of communicating. This also means he won't put up a fight if you want to put him down. Decisions for the Crooked Company: Kill Johan, or not? It's possible to try and use the mutant in a fight, but you guys seem too smart to do that. Focus on getting paid and leaving, or look into how this could happen? Being curious could put the company into danger, but even Border Princes know that Chaos is bad news, unless they happen to be corrupted themselves. Search the Grove, or leave it well alone? There might be money or other valuables in the Beastmen camp, or perhaps a clue as to what happened, but you will need to make a Willpower test. What should be done with the amulet? Smashing it could be dangerous, but you have no way to know until you try. Leaving it would mean it's someone else's problem, while taking it could draw unwanted attention, but give you more time to figure out what you should do. Finally, if you all decide to go do something else, what kind of job will the Crooked Company look for? (That is, what do you, the players, want to do next?)
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Jan 25, 2018 02:33
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What happened to Johan was unfortunate, but there's no point in prolonging his misery. The mutant looks up at Donrod's command, and then it is over. As for the amulet, it is decided to hold on to it for now, until the company can find a more permanent solution. A small iron lockbox is fished out from the wagon, and Roland places the amulet inside, careful to never touch it directly. This should be safe enough for as long as the artifact isn't active, and the box itself can be warded or blessed once the company has the time and means to do so. Trying to figure what the amulet actually does would be a little trickier. Obviously just dunking it in blood was the worst idea, even if it was likely the fastest way. The safest (and slowest) way would be for Roland to think back to his time at the College to try and recall any relevant texts or magical theories he has read that could lend some insight into the workings of the amulet. Unfortunately, as the artifact was clearly corrupted with Chaos, a subject obviously not taught to students in the Colleges of Magic, it would be difficult to apply more orthodox theories to this particular item. The third option would be to partially ward or bless the iron box, allowing Roland to still glimpse at the strands of magic shifting around the gem embedded in the amulet without having to stare directly into a Chaos artifact. It would be faster, but if the wards were even just slightly not strong enough, there was a risk that the wizard wouldn't be able to handle it. ___________ Once you have some study time, you can either make an Academic Knowledge (Magic) test at -10, or a Magical Sense test at +10. The first is completely safe, but takes more time, while the second option requires that the box is warded somehow, and still carries some risks. ___________ Of course, right now the more immediate threat loomed just a short distance away. Steeling themselves the best they can, the Crooked Company heads into the grove. Inside the Cursed Grove The smell only gets worse as you make your way farther in, until you reach a small clearing in the middle of the grove. The small pond would probably have been pleasant to look at once, before the Beastmen set up camp here and left their mark. Bones lie partially hidden in the mud, and the smouldering remains of a bonfire sits next to a pile of...well, what counts for "food" for Beastmen. The winds of Shyish are like a maelstrom now, and if Roland dares to look above, he can see the restless spirits circling closer, becoming more and more agitated, as even those without magical sight can hear the faintest of whispers at the edge of their minds. It would not be best to linger. The sights, smells, and whispers do not get to Donrod, however, and so the dwarf is able to notice something strange. Some sharpened branches have been stuck in the mud as a crude pen, probably meant for Johan, but in the corner of the pen is a book. The book is completely unadorned except for a small indentation on the cover, as if something could slot into it. The obvious answer would be the amulet, but the indentation is too small. What's weirder though is that the book is resting on a pile of clean-ish hides, kept away from the surrounding mud and blood, despite Johan having lost his mind and Beastmen not being known for being good librarians. Meanwhile, Mariano and Elise both notice a out-of-place crate inside a ramshackle tent. Surprisingly, the crate contains bottles of actual alcohol instead of whatever the Drunken Goat inn back in town called "beer". There's two more crates scattered around, but both are empty. Prince Tibolino didn't seem to be aware of the small Beastman herd however, and if they didn't raid the town for these crates of booze, where did it come from? ____________ Everyone exploring the grove needs to make a Willpower test or gain 2 Insanity from the sights and the creeping spirits, with the exception of Donrod who already made their test. Also, Roland rolls an extra d10 when casting any of his spells inside the cursed grove, even if he'd rather just roll one die. It is also possible to try and loot the dead for extra stuff, if you like taking risks.
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Feb 13, 2018 00:35
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Inside the Cursed Grove A few moments after being pushed into the bonfire, the book catches alight and starts to burn. Who knows what knowledge that book could have held? It could even have been an important clue as to what had happened here, but that opportunity is lost forev - Wait, nevermind, the burning book is bleeding out from in between its pages. Good riddance, although every member of the company feels a slight shiver down their spine as the blackened book begins to curl up. A closer look at the bottle's brand reveals that it comes from the Empire, and while not particularly fancy, it would still likely costs a bit of coin to import it to the Borderlands of all places. Come to think of it, the alcohol served at Tibolino's hall also wasn't so bad, but no one caught a glimpse at the brand back then. Well, either way, the crate is property of the Crooked Company now, and is safely stowed away onto the wagon as everyone prepares to get the hell away from here. Everyone except Roland. The spirits were still restless and the winds of Shyish tumultuous. While giving the dead a proper burial was no longer possible (it was a bit difficult to tell what part belonged to which body), it would be irresponsible to just leave before doing something to help put the spirits at rest. And during Elise's failed attempt to find anything valuable, the spirits had become more agitated, hovering over the former soldier until she left their remains alone. Directing his witchsight to where Elise had been digging through, Roland is able to see a large amount of Shyish coming from the bodies, which is expected, but also from something small laying next to the pile of remains. Opening his eyes, he sees a heavy-looking blade, its use obvious by the stains around its edge. With a bit of help from the others, the company is able to cover the remains with the hides from the Beastman's tent and branches from the nearby trees, and set it alight. Burning the remains should help calm the spirits somewhat, although they would likely still carry some resentment towards the blade. Destroying the blade and tossing it into the fire might be enough, or Roland could always perform a ritual to make certain, although the area was still charged with the winds of Shyish. Heading Back to Town Once Roland finishes up with dealing with the dead, the company quickly sets out back to town. The trip back along the road is uneventful, with the only other people you meet being a small group of traders and their wagon, who make certain to steer clear of the company. Eventually, the town is in sight, but as you draw closer you notice some activity at the gates. It appears several of the guards are putting up more stakes with fresh Orc heads mounted on them, with Gildemeister Tibolino, still clad in armor but with none of the fur or jewelry he wore before, directing his men on the most visible places to place the stakes. The Prince himself looks exhausted, although he lights up for a moment when he sees the company approach, until he notices it's just you and no one else. "I take it you have bad news, then?"
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Mar 15, 2018 23:33
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During the Trip Back to Town The merchants clearly want nothing to do with the company, although Elise doesn't notice anything strange about them. It was just a good idea in general to stay away from armed, bloodstained travelers, really. Attickus and his bear try the direct approach and attempt to make small talk, but the traders refuse to respond. They did seem a bit afraid, but then, bears aren't exactly common in the Borderlands, and a bear trying to gossip is just plain weird. At the Town Gates At the sight of the bundle of Johan's broken armor, Tibolino's face turns grim as he mutters under his breath, "Isn't that just how the world works, huh?" After both Mariano and Donrod explain Johan's fate, and Roland assures that his spirit has safely moved on, the Prince eyes the head of the Gor fixed to the stake. "Well, at least they paid in blood for what they've done. You all have my thanks for what you have done for me and my people. I am especially grateful towards your wizard, as priests are rare in these parts. But I can't help but feel troubled by the fact these creatures had set up camp within my realm without my knowing." When Mariano brings up both the book and the bottles of alcohol found at the camp, Tibolino freezes up for just a moment, before dismissing his guards. "A book that bleeds, you say? Can't say I've ever heard of something like that, although I agree that it was best to destroy it. Nothing good comes from books, least of all a cursed book that bleeds. But your other mystery," He holds up the bottle of alcohol, "I believe I can help with. My Chamberlain, Dietrich, arranged to buy a large amount of this brand from a friend of his in the Empire a couple years back. I suppose I should check to see if any of it was stolen from under our noses, but there are more important matters to attend to for now. I still need to inform Gustav of the loss of his son, set up more patrols to prevent something like this from happening again, and there is also the matter of your reward. If you would prefer something more practical than money, I can open up my armory instead. And I must insist that you attend a feast in my hall in a few days time, to celebrate your victory." While the others talked with the Gildemeister, Elise talks to the nearby guards. Orc attacks aren't very frequent, but Tibolino is very active in sending out patrols to search out and hunt down roving bands of Greenskins before they can collect into an actual horde. It seems Tibolino was a mercenary himself for most of his life, and makes a serious effort at defending his realm compared to the average Prince. Some of the guards also seem to be veterans from the way they talk and carry themselves, although Elise is able to spot a few greenhorns mixed in their ranks as well. They can't really be compared to an actual professional army from the Empire, but they can definitely hold their own out here in the Borderlands. Back at the Inn Still exhausted, Roland makes his way back to the inn, retiring to the same room as before. Once alone, he gingerly places the iron box containing the amulet on a table. It would be better to do this in an actual lab, or even a well-stocked library, but both were in short supply in these lands. At least there was no ghost to distract him this time. ______________ Right, congratulations for clearing your first mission! Everyone gets 300 xp to spend on advances. Also, since you guys still have around 800 gold or so, you can choose to gain some equipment as your reward instead of more money, without having to test for availability. You won't find anything of master craftsmanship or anything super rare, however. You also have some downtime to figure out what to do next. I'm assuming Roland will use this time to study the amulet, but that still leaves everyone else. There is also the upcoming feast to think about. Do you want to attend it, or would you prefer to go off on your own to do something else?
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May 6, 2018 04:35
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