Something Wicked This Way Comes (Inactive)

Game Master Fanguar

I'll pass on the axe.

@Gm

You mentioned it to me as well, about the skill points!

Okay.
I know this novella has been going on for quite a long time now.
I’m facing some issues which I don’t really feel like burdening you guys with. For now, I’ll be taking a time away from the boards until I can settle things, couple of days, week at maximum.

I apologize for the inconvenience once again :(

Take it easy and take care.

Well.
It went surprisingly well, all things considered.
I’m somewhat already back, may not post today, but I’ll try to catch up tomorrow.

Thanks for your support and patience.

Okay here's the rumours (and my take on them)

#1: I hear Captain Varning is leading another patrol out tomorrow. I wonder how long they’ll be gone this time? The last time they were gone for five days! If you ask me, these patrols are a waste of time. They're just an excuse for Varning to get out of the tower and gallivant around the countryside instead of doing his fair share of guard duty.

Do we risk an ambush? Take him out while he's in the wilds? Or at the least indispose him allowing one of us to assume him as a doppleganger?

#2: Balentyne’s magister, that creepy Tacitus, has been spending a lot of time working on something in his tower! I don’t know what it is, but it’s said that something unnatural was recovered from the north.

Very interesting... Could be a rotten apple in the orchard? At the very least if we find out what he's up to we could blackmail his assistance??

#3: I’ve heard that Father Donnagin was sent here after the church demoted him from bishop. He got into some sort of trouble – serious trouble I’d wager to be banished to the Watch Wall.

Serious trouble suggests another who could be malleable... but as a priest he could expose us, so treading carefully as we investigate would be prudent.

#4: There’s a pack of dwarves in town led by a grumpy short fellow named Barnabus Eisenbauch. They’re here to fix up the watchtower or so I’ve heard. A hard working fellow -- just don’t challenge him to a drinking contest. He’ll drink you under the table every time!

Someone can take him on? If we beat him then he might have secrets to reveal or at the very least earn a place in his crew (and access to the watchtower). Conversely as a hard drinker we can poison his ale/mead/liquor and have the dwarves up in arms (particularly if we dopplegang his protagonist - link with #1???

Mere musings but we're going to have to get our savvy villainy on I reckon...

There are other rumours that you can discover with another day of idle talk, so you don't actually have to follow up on any of these just yet.

You can also follow up on any these above rumours, e.g. Learn more about the patrols. Many soldiers spend their evenings, and pay, in the inn's common room. If you are trying to be circumspect about your inquiries, give a bluff check to hide your intentions. (for example if you ask a bunch of questions about a patrol and suddenly the patrol goes missing....hmmm)

Some easy info to come by is that these patrols are routine, occur once a week and usually last 3-4 days. Also the dwarves are all staying at the inn, so they are pretty easy to interact with.

Busy with Offshore Europe today/tomorrow gents, so please bot Albrekt as necessary.

Normal service should be resumed by close of play tomorrow.

Cheers

Hey guys.

I've updated the loot sheet and divide the money.
Based on the previous money each of us had, and the amout we got from the cap and his crew, currently this is the individual money for the party:

.

Albrέkt's Total: 1.327,00
Spent 0,00
Remaining 1.327,00 It does not account for the initial 1000 gold

Arthur' Total: 2.402,00
Spent 1.325,00
Remaining: 1.077,00

Ember's Total: 2.994,00
Spent 1.538,00
Remaining: 1.456,00

Kaynen's Total: 1.327,00
Spent 0,00
Remaining: 1.327,00 It does not account for the initial 1000 gold

Lucetta's Total: 2.402,00
Spent 97,00
Remaining: 2.305,00

==

When you purchase something, add the item in the part reserved for your character, this way, we can keep things clean.

Vill do.

@Albreket

Dat German accent.

Heheh. Much fun - channeling Hans Landa, Lee & Kirby's Red Skull and every B-Movie German villain I can recall :)

Hope its not too annoying lol

It is great.

Danke ;)

So now you have a heap of information.

Remember the goal here is soften up the keep so that the bugbear army can overwhelm it. Eliminating defenses, defenders, leadership, etc.

GMF - Any chance you could put the rumours and intel we've uncovered thus far into the Campaign Tab of the game? Will make it easier to reference whilst plotting nefariously.

Added the rumour list. I will update them if you find out anything else pertaining to them.

Also, this is a fine 'split the party' moment. A lot of these rumours can be followed up individually. You basically now know the town gossip about the keep. The rumours are there to give you hints to follow up on, but you don't need to follow up each to be successful.

I have quite a heavy autumn and winter coming up with 1 research article to write and 2 projects to start along with teaching responsibilities, so I am afraid this is the end for me. It was nice to play with you best of luck with the game.

Hum.

I think we may be done.

Arthur left, Lucceta last post was Sep 3, 2015.

Are you planning on recruiting again, GM?

It's definitely a difficult spot of the AP (as I've just seen here, not that I've run or experienced before) since it's extremely sandboxy - something we'd more easily overcome in chat or in person.

I've almost suggested we all meet in a chat room for an hour to slog through how to tackle the next part...

I have interest in continuing the AP as long as there are players who wish to play. I will find us replacements.

I have no problem in railroading you guys a little through this part, but some players resent that. I have no problem railroading the s%*+ out of you guys. It really depends on how much you care about player agency.

Well, I kinda Like Ember.

I would like to continue. :D

Ja. I am here too.

When you get the chance, could you please tell me what your personal wealth is at. I know we are below standard WBL.

Also, feel free to scheme will I recruit more warm bodies.

Ja. Bring more...

Invited 3 more players. Getting a necromancer, a sorcerer and a melee oracle. All three have played some of this adventure before, so I will probably just use my emense cosmic GM powers to rework the fabric of existence and make it that they've been your companions the whole time, while Arthur and Lucetta never were.

It's not particularly elegant, but I've always preferred practicality over verisimilitude.

So for our newcomers, here's a recap:
1: You escaped the prison and made your way to the safehouse.
2: You spent several months as the guests of Cardinal Thorne. You were tested and found worthy. You signed a contract with the Church of Asmodeus to work to overthrow Talingarde and were named the Nessian knot.
3: You travelled aboard a smuggler's ship to transport weapons of war to an awaiting bugbear army far to the north. You bluffed your way past inspections and fought off the elements (and worse) to successfully deliver your cargo.
4. You met the leader of the Bugbears , Sakkarot Fire-Axe, and found that he was a follower of Asmodeus. He gave you a signal flare to use to signal his army to attack the fortress of Balentine. He indicated that he wouldn't be ready for at least a week, but did not expect to be able to keep the hoard together for more than 4 weeks.
5. You sailed closer to the town of Aldercross, which sits in the shadow of Balentine, and tied up a loose end with the murder of the smuggler captain and his crew, and the destruction of their ship.
6. You've been in Aldercross for a week and have discovered many rumours (see campaign tab) and have discovered a secret tunnel that connects the inn that you reside in and the fortress itself.
7. Now with this information you plan your attack to weaken the keep in preparation of the bugbear attack.

Someone order a wizard?

Howdy folks. Thanks for letting me join your little club.

Here's a little primer on Xanos-

He's famous, especially among the Mitrans. He's kinda like their version of Caine (yes, that one), but if Caine were an immortal wizard). The name of Xanos has been associated with blasphemous wars and betrayals for as long as the Mitran religion has existed. Over the centuries a person named Xanos has popped up occasionally, usually sowing death and horror before being defeated by some heroic Mitran priest or something like that.

The name Xanos has even become a sort of title among a number of anti-mitran cults, with many people calling themselves Xanos. The most recent story of Xanos involved the rise of a doomsday cult called the Sons of the Apocalypse. They were destroyed by The Victor, King Markadian the First, though it is said that Xanos himself escaped.

There are lots of other stories, feel free to make up your own if you want to.

Anyone with a few ranks in knowledge History or Religion would probably know most of this stuff.

What all this means is that a person calling themselves Xanos would be pretentious or delusional. It isn't really a real name. It's more like someone saying they are "Alistair Crowley" or something like that.

So feel free to react accordingly when he shows up in game.

Just read GM Fanguar's notes about how Xanos will have been with the group from the very beginning-

So, for ease of that transition, here's some thoughts:

Xanos was kept in a separate cell than the rest of the party, trussed up like Hannibal Lecter. He was gagged and muzzled so that he couldn't talk, and his arms were bound to the wall by intricately made manacles which were seamless. No hinges or locks. They look like they were essentially forged around his arms. They are engraved with all kinds of Mitran symbology. Xanos still hasn't managed to get them off, but he is close to a solution. He's been wearing them for long enough now that a faint smell of rot is starting to come from inside them. Xanos doesn't seem to care much.

He has been collecting hands since Branderscar. He made out with Sergeant Blackerly's hand, Warden Richter's hand, the Smuggler Captain's hand, and a few random others. He strips the bones from them and keeps them each in an individual bag in his pack. He hasn't explained why.

As for the name, Xanos, he says it is his name. It is up to each of you individually to decide if you believe he's actually the Mitran religion's ancient nemesis, or if he's just another delusional pretender.

Thanks for the invite. Just noticed that your player who left causing you to look for more players was my GM who left causing me to look for a game.

Most of Vank's story can come out in role playing.. For the GM's reference Vank carves a fist clutching a lightening bolt into the flesh of any enemy he personally kills.

Has anyone been appointed leader of our knot?

Willkommen von und all.

Ja. Fräulein Thorn is our "self appointed leader"... but ve shall all bend der knee to Der Bleich
Prinzessin eventually... ;)

Albrέkt is an anti paladin of Urgathoa who serves the Knot's in an unholy alliance betwixt his Mistress and The Archfiend. His devotion has been blessed with the gift of Vampirismus.

He is a lumbering brute, and wretched dullard whose nazi-villian accent I totally ham up :)

Looking forward to playing alongside you all.

Welcome folks.

We don't have to retcon anything if we don't want to. In this AP it's actually totally realistic for Tiadora to teleport in with three warm bodies, say "The Cardinal wishes you to work together" and tada! Everyone is friends!

I don't really care what we go with.

In this timeline, Ember believes herself to be the Cardinal's daughter. (She was raised as such and everyone knows her as that.) She's an Asmodean hard-liner.

I just realized that none of the current PC's were actually with the party in Brandescar, so a coherent back-story is pretty moot at this point.

When you get the chance, could you please tell me what your personal wealth is at. I know we are below standard WBL

I believe Kaynen stands at

I don't show any purchases since creation, so...

Total wealth is 2547gp
Total coin avail 1626gp

I haven't finished my gear gear yet. I know I've spent 1500 on two wands, about another 1000 on additional spells, and just under 1000 on mundane gear. I'll have exact amounts as soon as I can.

The next few days are going to be pretty busy for me, so that, and possibly my character's introduction, will have to wait until tuesday at the earliest.

Ember's today gold: 2.994,00

And welcome. :)

I haven't finished my gear gear yet. I know I've spent 1500 on two wands, about another 1000 on additional spells, and just under 1000 on mundane gear. I'll have exact amounts as soon as I can.

The next few days are going to be pretty busy for me, so that, and possibly my character's introduction, will have to wait until tuesday at the earliest.

Keep it under 3k total. That will keep you consistent with the current PCs.

Hey all, figures a game I jump in the middle of is the the furthest along, by far, of all the WotWs I've been in, lol. Will make do, gonna try to actually catch up on gameplay.

Mechanics wise, Haruk is an Infernal Sorcerer, who focuses on enchantment and illusion spells, as well as fire.

RP wise, as well as likely party role, can probably be gleaned from his history. Its actually one I am rather proud of :)

Working on updating him now, I believe I will actually make him a Human vs his initial Tiefling. Not only does the GM prefer that, but I don't loose that much via giving it up as my race.

Edit: Quick question, you said two traits, does that include a campaign trait, or in addition to, for a total of 3?

Total Wealth: 2 327GP (1000GP+1327GP)

Current Wealth: 1403.17 (1327GP+75GP+17SP)

Don't mind either retconning or if Der Kardinal decides that Lucretta and Arthur would be best served elsewhere and they are replaced with Xanos, Vank and Haruk? Perhaps the
Hellionic coven think these new members of the knot are better placed to progress the Prince of Hell's agenda and mission??

Edit: Quick question, you said two traits, does that include a campaign trait, or in addition to, for a total of 3?

2 total and you don't have to select a campaign trait if you don't want. Also, if you want to stay tiefling that's fine.

re: integrating new characters:
Either way is fine with me.It really depends on what people want for their background. As is, I think that only Kaynen has escaping Brandescar as part of his. It also doesn't have to be one or the other, everyone can pick whether they get a retcon or are airdropped in.

I'm happy with being retconed in as I can keep a lot of the events of his previous game as how he remembers things happening (might not how things really happened but memory can be faulty, particularly if you have 1000s of life times of memories competing in your head.)

As for equipment, in the previous game he was gifted a headband of disguise by the cardinal. Along with general equipment that'll make up most of his 3000k.

In reworking Vank to 25 points I have a quick question. At 1st I took weapon proficiency of extra revelations Ancestral Weapon because it seemed a bit cheesy in the prison escape starting situation.

Now we are not there and I'm rebuilding Vank I have a couple of questions: Do you mind if I swap? Secondly as written its rather limited, would you mind if I used it to summon a weapon (which I become proficient in) then use another weapon of the same sort with that proficiency. Basically use it to get flexible weapon proficiency for limited time per day (1 minute per level), and weapon when needed. I think it would still be weaker than the Battle Oracle's 'Skill at Arms' which gives all martial proficients and heavy armour (given his military ancestors, I would be very happy if you decide I could take 'Skill at Arms' even though its not in my normal list).

Vank's post reminded me. Regardless of background, everyone does have a circlet from the Cardinal that functions as a headback of disguise. That doesn't count against your wealth total.

@Vank: You are free to swap out that revelation (you can rebuild your character however you wish). Your suggested modification would be acceptable. 'Skill at arms' synergizes too well with ancestor's other revelations, so that would be pretty broken, though you could switch mysteries if you want.

Thanks GM. I really like ancestral weapon flavour, so I'll grab it now. The hat was the only thing on wish list I'll have to think about it.

Should we assume we're already with the group then?

I have. I say get stuck in and we can get things moving and work out the details later.

Sure, just jump in. We can hand wave the whole transition. If you are retconing, you've been there all along. If your being teleported in, just assume that happened a couple of days ago (that might be the best option for Haruk, since he is less familiar with the AP)

Oops! Posted in the wrong page! :D

Just got my internet turned back on, will post tomorrow.

Ok, here's Xanos' retcon-

He was there in Branderscar, all trussed up, kept in a seperate cell. He wasn't much help in the escape until the keys to his muzzle-mask were found on Warden Richtor. Once he could speak again he was limited to cantrips only. He used Daze a lot.

He explained he was a sorcerer, but had been cut off from his source of magic. Once free of Branderscar he made his way to the cardinal's little vacation home at the edge of the swamp, and that was the last anyone saw of him.

So, anyone who was at the cardinal's house would know him. Anyone else would not.

I am on vacation at the moment with limited posting time. I'll do an introductory post for Xanos when I get back to real life on the 8th.

Haruk is done, baring choosing my second level spell.

Not sure how I should enter. DM do you want to write me in, as I feel it might be a lil awkward for me to just suddenly show up.

Just jump into the conversation.

Assume that you've been there for a couple of days. You've been vouched for, so no one should mistrust you. You're an agent of the church of Asmodeus and have signed an infernal contract to serve the interests the church under the authority of Cardinal Thorn. You're basically being brought in as support for the current mission. How you've come to be affiliated with Thorn is really up to you.