The charging aasimars strike, one burying his starknife across the hobgoblin's thigh seconds before the guard can deflect the blow, while the brawler's ranseur skewers his throat, spraying blood in the air! A little acid adds insult to injury and an arrow thwips harmlessly by, as the guard collapses to the ground, gurgling on his own blood, before expiring seconds later, his eyes blankly staring at the night sky and the stars he will never see again...End of combat. The dead guard lies in a pool of his own blood at the entrance. The entrance of the cave goes forth 20' into the darkness and turns to the west. Marching order? Corridor is 10' wide.
The two scouts step out of hiding rushing toward the hobgoblin! The guard raises his bow to fire and grimaces in pain as an arrow grazes his right shoulder. He gives a brief look but decides to focus on the two enemies bearing down on him. His trained military reflexes fail him, as the bow slips momentarily from his hand, which he catches quickly, but it is enough for the blonde halfling with the iris-colored eyes and the glowing-haired female reach him. He hopes he is able to avoid their blows, while he desperately tries to survive.
Initiative:
Guard: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16
Party: 1d20 ⇒ 15 (you each add your modifier)
All party members act first!
We can dispense with a map for this section.
Silently, Zedna and Nick reach within 50' of the hobgoblin without being noticed, while the rest of the party watches. But without further cover, what is the plan?
The overlook on which you are currently is 10' above the ground. You have two ways to the guard who is 100' from your current location. You can stealth up to 50', using rocks and tree stumps as cover with the appropriate Stealth checks. However, the last 50' of ground, there is no cover, so no Stealth unless you can turn invisible. The other way would be to do some climb checks and drop down on the guard, but given from the quick preview I just did, no one has ranks in the skill, it may not be preferred. You can roll the stealth checks and move at 1/2 speed or take -5 to go faster until you reach 50'.
The hobgoblin guard seems distracted and bored, confident his darkvision will spot any threats. He has bow in hand and a sword at his side.
The Present
16 of Arodus 4713
Two days outside of Kenabres 9:32pm
A cool breeze blows through the hills, momentarily relieving you from the humid temperature common in the summer, and breaking the stillness of the woods that you find yourselves in. Weapons drawn and crouched down, your eyes and ears scan the woods for any dangers and finding none, you relax, if only for a few seconds. You scan your fellow members, whom you have known for no longer than a month, each one of them bearing a unique trait of their ancestry. Your thoughts reflect back…
A month ago…
You remember being recruited for the Mendevian Crusade, each one of you with your own reasons for risking your lives against the demonic forces of the Worldwound. Then oddly, instead of joining the front lines with the majority of soldiers, you were each called to a special meeting and seated in the meeting hall of the Grey Garrison. After a few minutes you heard steps approaching and in entered the aged inquisitor, Lord Hulrun himself, the ruler of Kenabres, clad in shining, resplendent armor. Holrun He was accompanied by a half-orc woman clad in golden colored plate mail adorned with the symbol of Iomedae. Lord Hulrun spoke, eye brows furrowed, in a serious tone, ”Thank you for coming each of you and for joining the war effort. But let me be blunt, the Fourth Crusade has not ended, more like it has petered out. We are in the midst of crippling shortages and record lows in morale among the crusaders, and to be honest, the Mendevian war effort teeters on the brink of collapse. We have heard reports that the demonic occupation of the Worldwound is growing, as is corruption among our ranks. The situation is very dire…but you four may be the spark we need. Your heritages, no secret to anyone with eyes and access to information, may be the solution. I want you four to spark the war effort, boost morale and recruitment efforts, and drive out the corruption. I want you four to be my special military squad, the symbol of Heaven’s Fury on the Worldwound, my Blitzkrieg soldiers, trained and developed to deliver swift victories and terrible losses on our demonic enemies! With heaven at our side, we cannot fail!” The aged human pauses for effect, realizing he was shouting now, and his voice returns to its normal tone, ”Apologies, I think you four can do special things. I plan to announce our new efforts at Armasse, which is fast approaching in a month. Our crusaders need a morale boost. What say ye?”
And you each accepted of course for your own reasons and you were assigned to Irabeth Tirablade, the half-orc paladin, who would be your Master at Arms and who provided you with special missions. Irabeth You four had already escorted a dwarven delegation on its way to Kenabres to negotiate cold iron contracts, a much needed resource, through some dangerous territory. There had been some hiccups in the operation but all in all, it had been a successful mission, with promise for the future.
The present
And so here you were again, in these woods, on the trail of a hobgoblin gang who had been waylaying caravans and crusaders in the region, rumored to be led by a fiendish bugbear named Jozra. They thought attacking at night, where humans could not see without light sources, would prove to be their advantage. They were wrong! You had picked up their trail at the site of a caravan attack a few hours ago and tracked them to these hills. How long had you been waiting? It feels like hours but honestly it was perhaps minutes. You sense movement and a woman with golden hair steps out of the shadows, ”I found their lair…follow and try and be quiet…or as quiet as you can be in your armor.” She eyes the half-orcish looking warrior in scale mail with a mischievous grin. The party follows her for about 5 minutes to an overlook where your scout, Zedna, points to a cave entrance built into the side of a hill, where a lone hobgoblin stands guard some 20 yards away, oblivious to your presence for now. You all feel the rush of adrenaline building, as you plan your attack….
Zarak strikes the enemy with a vicious blow, nearly beheading the rat-faced demon, causing it to bellow loudly in pain! It is clearly quite wounded, in pain, and about to die, as its eyes scan the store for an exit!
Sabrina's blade slices the rat-faced demon and it howls in pain, as blood spurts over the floor. Angered, the demon unleashes its claws and bite at the paladin! Sabrina dodges the first blow, gets clipped by the second claw, which draws blood, and gets bit severely on her shoulder! After the bite, the paladin sees where the bite marred her beauty and also supernaturally diminished her sense of self-worth!
Claw: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12..miss
Claw: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20...hit
Damage: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Bite: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27
Confirmation: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19..confirmed
Damage: 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (2, 5) + 4 = 11
Sabrina Fort save: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10 vs. DC 13...fails
Sabrina suffers a –1 penalty on all Charisma-based checks for the next 24 hours.
Total damage: 14!
The creature is an Abrikandilu demon but you only know the basic demonic traits: DR/cold iron, immune electricity and poison, resist acid, fire, cold.
Waiting on Sabrina's action. Both Zarak and Saquiel missed.
The half-orc bloodrager leads the party into the shop breaking through the shop's front door window. The source of the mayhem is quite apparent: you see a deformed, horned, hunchbacked humanoid with a forked, ratlike tail and two thumbs on each taloned hand ripping the clothes to shreds, while pleas for help can be heard from further inside the store.
You head toward the library through the besieged hellish streets of Kenabres, fires burning constantly around you, the smell of brimstone thick in the air, and the grisly scenes of death all around you. You can tell many hundreds if not thousands of people have lost their lives in the invasion.
On your trek, Zarak (the most perceptive in the party and whom I assume is in the lead) hears sounds of mayhem from a nearby shop and alerts the party. The shop, one of the few not on fire, served as a tailor and purveyor of fine clothing and was often visited by the wealthy of Kenabres, especially before a gala, before the invasion. As you get closer to the storefront, you hear sounds of clothes being torn and shredded from inside, but due to the racks and other items in the shop, your view is blocked.
The elf takes the staff and uses it as a walking stick and lets the party guide him. You travel forward at the elf's slower 20' speed now. He speaks, "I know you have missions of your own, but if you could please lead me to the Blackwing Library, when you have a chance, I would gladly appreciate it."
It is the closest area to your present location.
Chance:1d100 ⇒ 74 Info:1d20 ⇒ 8
As you move through the city toward whatever destination, you hear the worries of citizens barricaded in their homes who refuse to leave the perceived safety of their homes. At one home, screams for help and you see four dretches, the lowest class of demons, trying to break into a house barricaded with boards. Zarak and Saquiel's martial tactics are more than sufficient to destroy these weak demons who present no challenge to the party. After dispatching the demons, instead of receiving thanks from the citizens, you hear them lament, "Curse you all! Queen Galfrey revealed herself as a succubus and fled into the Worldwound—she’s the one who betrayed us!"
So where is the party headed? Blackwing Library? Somewhere else?
The bound elf tenses as the party moves around him, but relaxes a little when Saquiel cuts his bonds. He rubs his wrists and speaks in an eloquent voice now that the fear of being burned at the stake has passed, "My savior has a name, Saquiel and he has friends, though they have not bothered to give their names to me yet. You are crusaders? Eaglewatch? Something else? Thank you for saving me from those sick cultists. By the smell of things, it appears you saved me from quite a terrifying death. I am Aravashnial, a mage of some renown in Kenabres, or at least I was before I was blinded in the attack. I was trying to make my way through the city to see healing at any of the churches. The damage to my eyes I believe is permanent, beyond the cure blindness spells some acolytes can cast. Say, what are your goals here? Thousands died in the initial onslaught and the demonic presence is still in the city. If you wish, I can accompany you and try to help as best as I can in my condition. Kenabres is the only real home I know, since I left Kyonin. Per chance, have you seen an ornate staff lying around here? It is quite meaningful to me."
Kalla, you can tell his retina has been permanently damaged. Perhaps only a Regenerate spell can restore the elf's sight.
Saquiel, the prayer book is bejeweled and dedicated to Baphomet. it appears she was sacrificing souls to him.
While you chat with the elf and you search the dead cultists, you find the elf's MW Quarterstaff along with the following:
Each of the four cultists had: MW Glaive, MW chain shirt, potion of cure light wounds, scroll of comprehend languages, scroll of cause fear, vial of unholy water, unholy symbol, and 10 gp.
Hosilla's corpse contains:
+1 glaive, potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of invisibility, *Wand, 2 alchemist's fire, tanglefoot bag, antitoxin, a locked case about 6' in length with a key, and a scroll with Orders on it.
Scroll:
Hosilla,
You will remain, for the time being, in
Kenabres, but know this: the city’s days
are numbered. I shall assume command of Drezen
shortly, and once Vorlesh has finished with
the wardstone and Kenabres is no longer of
interest to us, you are to return to my side.
Excellent news regarding the salvage of
Yaniel’s sword from the museum as well—bring
it with you, for I believe this weapon could
be quite useful once we corrupt it. Before you
leave for Drezen, stop by the three safe houses
(Nyserian Manor, Topaz Solutions, and the
Tower of Estrod—the passphrase remains “I’ve
new material for the archives,” for now) to
ensure no evidence remains behind.
May Lord Deskari and Lord Baphomet watch
over you!
S. V.
The cultist, is well, like most cultists, fanatical, so it does not yield. In fact, it tries to skewer Sabrina with its reach weapon as she approaches! Sabrina deftly parries the blow, comes close and cuts down the cultist! The smell of the burning corpses on the stakes is so intense, you are sure it will stay with you for awhile.
AoO:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14 Combat over!
The blind elf tied to the stake turns his head as if to listen, "Anyone out there? Can someone please free me?" He bows his head in defeat.
Waited long enough...time to move one.
Zarak moves into the cultist's range and decapitates her!
Sabrina delays...
Round 2: Cultists:
The blue cultist moves 5' back and strikes at Zarak.
Attack:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
The red cultist strikes at Sabrina and then moves next to Hosilla.
Attack:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24 Damage:1d10 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
I did not have the proper stats this morning and the cultists actually have +5 hit not +3, so Sabrina was hit as well.
She takes 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12 damage.
Round 1: Hosilla
She starts casting a spell, when Saquiel's scorching ray hits her in the chest! She screams in pain and is wobbly as she can barely stand!
As for Saquiel, you have to move behind Sabrina to be in PB range and Sabrina provides +4 cover bonus. However, even with that added bonus, you hit the Hosilla's touch AC.
Concentration check: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24 vs. DC of 33....spell fizzles!
Summary of 1st Round:
1 cultist killed
1 cultist wounded for 4 damage
Bloodwing took 8 damage
Sabrina took 12 damage
Hosilla took 21 damage
The elf who is tied to the stake yells out, "I hear magic and combat, please help me, I've been blinded!"
Sabrina moves forward and wounds one of the cultists, but she still stands.
Round 1: Cultists
The leader screams, "We must avenge Jemina and kill the infidels! Focus your attacks on their front line, especially the half-orc...I will focus on their back line!"
The cultists all yell in unison, "Yes, Mistress Hosilla!" They position themselves 10' away from the party strike with their glaives.
The red cultist attacks Sabrina, while blue and green attack Bloowding.
Red: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18...miss
Blue: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21...hit
Damage: 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Green: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4...miss
The leader scoffs at Kalla as her dust fails to blind any of the warriors, "Your magic does not affect the true believers of the Labyrinth! You pray to a weak god!"
However, after saying that, a raging Zarak rushes forward and cuts down with brutal efficiency one of the cultists, as he drives his sword nearly through her torso!
Three cultists and the leader remain. Sabrina is up.
The voice and fear in it seem genuine to you, Saquiel. As you follow the eager half-orc past the smoke, which stings your eyes for a second, you hear female laughter, "Scream all you want elf, no one is coming to save your blind ass! You're up for the stake next, the Lord of the Labyrinth commands it!" You hear an anguished "Nooooooooooo!" Just then, the 6'7" massive form of Zarak steps through the smoke, with the party behind him. You find yourselves near a plaza with a fountain located near the entrance of the city. In earlier times, it was a place for commoners and nobles alike to gather and chat and gossip or relax in the sun, when they stopped thinking about the Worldwound. Now, however, a different scene greets you. The water from the fountain is blood red, as you spot a number of severed heads bobbing on the surface. The headless corpses to whom the heads belong you assume lay draped over the side of the fountain. Five stakes with citizens on fire burn before your eyes, their fates beyond your salvation. You see an elf dressed in robes, his eyes recently burned, standing near a wooden post, surrounded by four female warriors dressed in chain shirts, wielding glaives. Warrior women
10' away from them stands another woman, presumably the leader of the band, also wielding a glaive and standing in front of a burning corpse with a book reciting phrases inaudible to you. Leader
The four women and their leader turn to you when Zarak and the party make their appearance. The leader shouts, "You have interrupted the Lord of Minotaurs' condemnation rites...you will pay for this with your lives!"
Sabrina knows the unholy symbol the women wear marks them as cultists of Baphomet, the demon lord!
Kalla, Sabrina, and Zarak are up in Round 1! Combat Map I marked the cultists with different colors so please refer to the color when attacking them. Thanks.
Feel free to retcon any further rp on the road if you wish. Just wanted to get to the juicy stuff.
The one-day travel back to Kenabres feels like an eternity, as the party is lost in their own thoughts of the fate that has befallen their city. However, when you reach the city by dusk of the next day, the images that greet you are scarred forever into your brain. From a distance, you can see the smoke of many fires, which when you approach, you can see through the broken portcullis are the charred bodies of hundreds of Kenabres citizens still on fire set out about the city as grotesque sculptures. The tremors and demonic attacks have devastated the city, leaving it a smoking, apocalyptic ruin. Deep chasms riddle the city, while the paths of enormous demons have left ruinous trails of rubble extending out from the city’s heart. Above, the once-familiar skyline of Kenabres is forever changed—the tower of the Kite and the Cathedral of St. Clydwell having been completely destroyed, while elsewhere plumes of dark smoke still rise from the smoldering remains of burned-down buildings. Fat buzzards wheel above in skies scarred by red smoke and black clouds. The Worldwound has expanded its borders, and now the city of Kenabres is enveloped in it.
As you approach the entrance, past the smoke and out of your line of sight, you hear a male voice, "Help!!! They're about to kill me! Is anyone out there?"
The Worldwound. A tear in the fabric between our world and the realm of demons. The ceaseless onslaught of the Abyss is held back only by the bravery of the crusaders and the strength of the Wardstones, massive objects of immense power that are anathema to the demons. But even with the Wardstones at their backs, four different crusades against the demonic forces have not been able to purge the Worldscar of its corruption or come any closer to sealing the breach. The Fourth Crusade ended six years ago with record low morale and rumors of corruption in the ranks, and as the crusade falters, the demonic forces swell within the Worldscar...
Four days ago:
You were summoned to Eagle Watch headquarters where your commanding Officer, Irabeth Tirablade, a paladin of Iomedae, gave you your orders and a treasure chest with platinum bars: ”You are to meet with Dragan BloodAxe, dwarven ambassador of his clan, with whom we do much business, at this location in 2 days.” Irabeth hands Sabrina the map and the chest to Zarak. ”It’s about a 2 days’ ride east from here. He will entrust to you a shipment of cold iron, obviously necessary for our continued battles with the demon-kind. In exchange, you will give him the treasure chest. Don’t screw this up. We cannot afford to lose this shipment. Morale is already so damn low among our ranks and the Crusaders and our supply of cold iron weapons is not eternal. Thankfully, Armasse is approaching in 4 days and that should lift morale. The jousting tournaments and mock battles and duels, contests of skill and strength, and a chance for the common folk to learn the soldier's arts, if only for a day, will help forget their troubles. Hopefully, the history lessons will inspire more soldiers…we sure need them. Lord Holrun is scheduled to speak. If you hurry, you should be back in time. Please don’t be late. I’ve talked you four up to him, so don’t make me look bad by not being there.” Irabeth smiles at the party. ”You are my most trusted soldiers. I have confidence in you that you can pull this off. Be back safely with the shipment.” Irabeth’s level of concern and trust in you was genuine.
You set out immediately and reach the meeting point on the day designated, despite being harassed by bandits on the roadside looking for easy prey to extort, which you dispatched without much issue. After confirming your identities, the exchange was made and the ambassador dwarf and his delegation departed, leaving you with a rickety wagon filled with cold iron ore. When you complained about the state of the wagon, the ambassador merely scoffed, ”The journey from our mountain home was long. Deal with it.” With nothing else to do, you headed back to Kenabres. After surviving another ambush, this time by a pack of three chokers, the party was one day away from Kenabres when one of the wagon’s wheels fell off. You scavenged the area for supplies and after a few hours, you were finally able to fix the wheel, but it was almost noon and you knew you would miss the first day of Armasse. As you continued traveling, suddenly a powerful vision overcame each of you!
Armasse officially began at noon, with the blessing of the festival by Lord Hulrun himself, ruler of Kenabres. The crowd gathered in Clydwell Plaza quieted as the aged inquisitor took the stage, clad in shining, resplendent armor. He cleared his throat, but just as he was about to speak, a bright light shone from the west, as if the sun were rising from the wrong direction. Hulrun’s shadow fell huge and distorted across the cathedral’s facade. A moment later, the sound of a thunderous explosion ripped through the air and earth, along with a violent tremor. To the west, the fortress known as the Kite—the location of Kenabres’s wardstone—had vanished. In its place, a brilliant plume of red fire, lightning, and smoke erupted into the heavens. A moment later, a powerful roar accompanied a welcome sight rising from the crowd—Kenabres’s greatest guardian, the ancient silver dragon Terendelev, who had until that moment been attending the opening ceremony disguised as a human. Above, another form appeared, as nightmarish as the dragon was breathtaking. A humanoid shape three times the size of any man, with skin coated in fire and lightning, gripped a flaming sword and whip. The creature’s identity was immediately obvious: Khorramzadeh, the Storm King of the Worldwound, had come to Kenabres, a city of a little over 12,000 souls!
As the ground continued to shake and disgorge demons into the streets, the dragon and the balor lord clashed above. The fight was over in a few harrowing moments, as the balor cut deep into Terendelev’s body, swooping down to strike the dragon and arresting her charge. A few more blows, and the titanic duo spiraled downward toward the crowd. The sight of the dragon smashing into the facade of the Cathedral of St. Clydwell is one you would ever forget. At that moment, a titanic demon erupted at the far end of the plaza, reducing several buildings to ruins as it smashed into this world. You can hear the screams of Kenabres’ citizens as they try to flee the demonic invasion. Meanwhile, the dragon’s battle is going badly for her as she is outnumbered and she takes to the skies. The balor lord follows and attacks her from behind. The last image you see before the vision fades was the Storm King standing before the ancient silver dragon, his sword lashing out and cleaving full through her neck, severing her head!
16th day of Arodus 4713
12:10 pm
Then the world goes black as you find yourself back on the road to Kenabres a day away from your destination.
Reopening this Recruitment and looking for 2 players! During the 2+ weeks that the site was down, we lost our 2 previously selected clerics. The players haven't entered the burning city yet.
Party currently consists of:
Sabrina - Aasimar (Angelkin) Paladin (oath against fiends) (oath of vengeance)
Zarak - Half-orc Bloodrager
If you applied previously or want to submit a new concept now, please feel free. Same character creation guidelines as before.
The Worldwound. A tear in the fabric between our world and the realm of demons. The ceaseless onslaught of the Abyss is held back only by the bravery of the crusaders and the strength of the Wardstones, massive objects of immense power that are anathema to the demons. But even with the Wardstones at their backs, four different crusades against the demonic forces have not been able to purge the Worldscar of its corruption or come any closer to sealing the breach. The Fourth Crusade ended six years ago with record low morale and rumors of corruption in the ranks, and as the crusade falters, the demonic forces swell within the Worldscar...
Four days ago:
You were summoned to Eagle Watch headquarters where your commanding Officer, Irabeth Tirablade, a paladin of Iomedae, gave you your orders and a treasure chest with platinum bars: ”You are to meet with Dragan BloodAxe, dwarven ambassador of his clan, with whom we do much business, at this location in 2 days.” Irabeth hands Sabrina the map and the chest to Zarak. ”It’s about a 2 days’ ride east from here. He will entrust to you a shipment of cold iron, obviously necessary for our continued battles with the demon-kind. In exchange, you will give him the treasure chest. Don’t screw this up. We cannot afford to lose this shipment. Morale is already so damn low among our ranks and the Crusaders and our supply of cold iron weapons is not eternal. Thankfully, Armasse is approaching in 4 days and that should lift morale. The jousting tournaments and mock battles and duels, contests of skill and strength, and a chance for the common folk to learn the soldier's arts, if only for a day, will help forget their troubles. Hopefully, the history lessons will inspire more soldiers…we sure need them. Lord Holrun is scheduled to speak. If you hurry, you should be back in time. Please don’t be late. I’ve talked you four up to him, so don’t make me look bad by not being there.” Irabeth smiles at the three women and the half-orc. ”You are my most trusted soldiers. I have confidence in you that you can pull this off. Be back safely with the shipment.” Irabeth’s level of concern and trust in you was genuine.
You set out immediately and reach the meeting point on the day designated, despite being harassed by bandits on the roadside looking for easy prey to extort, which you dispatched without much issue. After confirming your identities, the exchange was made and the ambassador dwarf and his delegation departed, leaving you with a rickety wagon filled with cold iron ore. When you complained about the state of the wagon, the ambassador merely scoffed, ”The journey from our mountain home was long. Deal with it.” With nothing else to do, you headed back to Kenabres. After surviving another ambush, this time by a pack of three chokers, the party was one day away from Kenabres when one of the wagon’s wheels fell off. You scavenged the area for supplies and after a few hours, you were finally able to fix the wheel, but it was almost noon and you knew you would miss the first day of Armasse. As you continued traveling, suddenly a powerful vision overcame each of you!
Armasse officially began at noon, with the blessing of the festival by Lord Hulrun himself, ruler of Kenabres. The crowd gathered in Clydwell Plaza quieted as the aged inquisitor took the stage, clad in shining, resplendent armor. He cleared his throat, but just as he was about to speak, a bright light shone from the west, as if the sun were rising from the wrong direction. Hulrun’s shadow fell huge and distorted across the cathedral’s facade. A moment later, the sound of a thunderous explosion ripped through the air and earth, along with a violent tremor. To the west, the fortress known as the Kite—the location of Kenabres’s wardstone—had vanished. In its place, a brilliant plume of red fire, lightning, and smoke erupted into the heavens. A moment later, a powerful roar accompanied a welcome sight rising from the crowd—Kenabres’s greatest guardian, the ancient silver dragon Terendelev, who had until that moment been attending the opening ceremony disguised as a human. Above, another form appeared, as nightmarish as the dragon was breathtaking. A humanoid shape three times the size of any man, with skin coated in fire and lightning, gripped a flaming sword and whip. The creature’s identity was immediately obvious: Khorramzadeh, the Storm King of the Worldwound, had come to Kenabres, a city of a little over 12,000 souls!
As the ground continued to shake and disgorge demons into the streets, the dragon and the balor lord clashed above. The fight was over in a few harrowing moments, as the balor cut deep into Terendelev’s body, swooping down to strike the dragon and arresting her charge. A few more blows, and the titanic duo spiraled downward toward the crowd. The sight of the dragon smashing into the facade of the Cathedral of St. Clydwell is one you would ever forget. At that moment, a titanic demon erupted at the far end of the plaza, reducing several buildings to ruins as it smashed into this world. You can hear the screams of Kenabres’ citizens as they try to flee the demonic invasion. Meanwhile, the dragon’s battle is going badly for her as she is outnumbered and she takes to the skies. The balor lord follows and attacks her from behind. The last image you see before the vision fades was the Storm King standing before the ancient silver dragon, his sword lashing out and cleaving full through her neck, severing her head! Colorful pic for the image
16th day of Arodus 4713
12:10 pm
Then the world goes black as you find yourself back on the road to Kenabres a day away from your destination.
Ok, I personally hate it when GM takes hours to decide on characters after the end of recruitment, so I won't put you all through that. Thank you all for your applications (I was humbled by the number of applicants and the amazing concepts) but in the end, I just picked the 4 characters whose stories/concept/appearance/etc. most resonated with me, even if the party is not the ideal: tank/healer/arcane/skill monkey.
Without further ado, the party selected is:
Sabrina - Aasimar (Angelkin) Paladin (oath against fiends) (oath of vengeance)
Zarak - Half-orc Bloodrager
Aileen - Human Cleric (Herald Caller)
Elise - Human Merciful Cleric
Thanks for the post, Chess, and no need to apologize. I see your point but I really don't want to do lots of prep work to make the module more challenging for 5-6 players. I think 4 players with 20 pt buy and max hps is good enough to start.
Is there anyone else thinking of applying? If so, could you make a post? Just trying to see how many more I should expect or if the applications received are the only applicants.
Summary of Applicants with character sheets so far:
Voyla - Human Paladin (Shining Knight)
Sabrina - Aasimar (Angelkin) Paladin (oath against fiends) (oath of vengeance)
Manius: Human Inquisitor
Terry - Human Unchained Rogue
Lisandre - Aasimar (Idyllkin) Oracle of Life
Glyas - Human ranger (Demonslayer)
Cuthalian - Elf Fighter
Bollwerk - Tiefling Paladin
Faine - Human Arcanist
Zarak - Half-orc Bloodrager
Saquiel - Aasimar (Emberkin) wizard (Sword Binder)
Aileen - Human Cleric (Herald Caller)
Kodan - Human Hunter
Krogal - Half-Orc Druid (Nature's Fang)
Again, if I missed someone, please let me know. I've been enjoying reading your different backgrounds and motivations. You are making it difficult to narrow it down to 4.
Thanks, Helikon, Bollwerk is now included!
@Manius - As I stated, still don't know for sure if campaign will be non-mythic or mythic-lite. I've read posts where truly mythic party characters deal 1000+ points of damage per round each. And speaking from experience, I had 20th level PbP character on these boards with only 2 mythic levels and he routinely did 500-750 damage per round. It was so much so that I stopped using Mythic Power Attack, which is completely broken, to make the game more challenging, so we will see how I modify the mythic system or remove it altogether. I know the main concern for front-liners is that everyone gets the equivalent of pounce at 1st tier as a swift action, so that might be the main issue.
Summary of Applicants with character sheets so far:
Voyla - Human Paladin (Shining Knight)
Sabrina - Aasimar (Angelkin) Paladin (oath against fiends) (oath of vengeance)
Manius: Human Inquisitor
Terry - Human Unchained Rogue
Lisandre - Aasimar (Idyllkin) Oracle of Life
Glyas - Human ranger (Demonslayer)
Cuthalian - Elf Fighter
Bollwerk - Tiefling Paladin
Faine - Human Arcanist
Zarak - Half-orc Bloodrager
@hustonj - the recruitment thread I was in before was for a paladin but this is a team recruitment thread for 4 players.
@RHMG - thinking more about it, I haven't decided between toning it down or replacing the mythic system - I will have to see the party in action to determine how OP they are as is and with mythic abilities.
@Cuan - the reflavoring is fine - apologize I did not answer earlier.
Summary of Applicants with character sheets so far:
Voyla - Human Paladin (Shining Knight)
Sabrina - Aasimar (Angelkin) Paladin (oath against fiends) (oath of vengeance)
Manius: Human Inquisitor
Terry - Human Unchained Rogue
Lisandre - Aasimar (Idyllkin) Oracle of Life
Glyas - Human ranger (Demonslayer)
@Chess: Yes to background skills, no to VMC
@Vardan: If he's small, he's getting the halfling stat bonuses and penalties, not the angelkin stat bonuses. Otherwise, no.
Recruitment period will close in a week but I reserve right to move up date if I have plenty of applicants to choose from. I will provide at least 24 hour notice if I do so.
Hey all, I was just turned down for WotR AP as a player so it got my creative juices flowing. I'm looking to run a modified version of this AP. In the past, I've tried to run it here on the boards according to the book and I had to abandon it because the creeping through the tunnels until level 3 with the mongrelmen just to give the demons time to wreak their havoc disillusioned me. I want to try this AP again with the players starting at 3rd level coming in to save Kenabres to get that heroic feel, maybe scour for friends and families, or whatever reason you have for rushing into a burning city recently overrun by demons. Also, after reading the numerous posts on how unbalanced the mythic rules are, I am going to try the non-mythic route (with some replacements and the use of Hero Points, when we get there).
I am looking for 4 characters so here are the character creation guidelines:
Starting Level: 3rd level.
Abilities: We'll be using a 20 point buy. No ability may be lower than 7 or higher than 18 after racial modifiers and even so, only ONE ability may be lower than 10 after racial modifiers.
Classes: Anything from Paizo is allowed, with a couple restrictions:
-Barbarians, Rogues and Summoners use the unchained version.
-Gunslinger (only Bolt Ace) is allowed and No Occult/Psychic classes are allowed.
Races: Core and Tiefling and Aasimar only. To balance things, both Tieflings and Aasimars do not get their spell-like abilities.
Alignment: No evil.
Traits: Two traits, one being a Campaign trait.
3PP material: No
Hit Points: Max at all levels.
Starting Gold: 3000 gp
House Rules:
Combat Expertise is for free if you have 13 Intelligence and +1BAB
Power attack only provides -1/+2 damage, even with 2-handed weapons
Dazing spell MM feat is not allowed.
Spell perfection feat is not allowed.
Item creation feats cannot reduce the cost of your starting equipment.
I want heroic characters for this. Application should discuss why you would rush into a devastated city (what are your ties? and should weave in your selection of your campaign trait.
Unfortunately, the party cannot find any trails worth tracking, as it appears these jungle elves were quite intelligent about covering their tracks. With no other recourse and rather than wander aimlessly in the jungle, the party returns to the camp.
The party receives some accolades from the civilians at the camp, even though it is frowned upon by the mercenaries, for their role in driving off the elves. You continue on with your duties for the day. The dead elf's decomposing head is removed from his body and placed with the other heads to scare off the attackers.
At night, after sharing a meal, where you again receive supportive glances from the civilians, you retire to your rooms.
Baolo and Ialda:
You find a note on your bed. This one is not as cryptic as the last. It reads "Meet me outside the workshop at midnight."
So you manage to convince Mynafee the Station Manager to go hunting for elves, especially since you won't be sacrificing any of his men to do it. The mercenaries provide distractions of shoring up the north side of the perimeter and you sneak off.
Need some survival rolls to see if you can track the elves.
The mercenaries do not give chase. One of the remaining commanders, Boraz, approaches you and kicks the corpse of the wild elf. "These elves are not stupid. They are targeting our commanders with guerrilla hit and run tactics. Usually, they kill three of us to one of theirs, but today, it was even, 1:1. I thank you all for that. However, we can't keep up this war of attrition. Our numbers are gradually decreasing. I hope we can survive long enough to get out of here alive. I have no idea where these elves' camp may be. Thanks again."
With that, Boraz leaves you and the mercenaries proceed to say their respects over the fallen commander and proceed to bury him. What do rest of you do? Back to guard duty? Something else?
The Aspis agents move up 30' and take shots at the elves with their crossbows, killing the elf wounded by Bel and Baolo!
1d20 ⇒ 5 1d20 ⇒ 15 1d20 ⇒ 9 1d20 ⇒ 7 1d20 ⇒ 3 1d20 ⇒ 4
The two remaining elves seeing the onrush of the camp's defenses back up and disappear into the forest.
End combat or pursue? The mercs seem content to have driven off the elves...for now.
I believe total defense is a standard action, so Jon can take a move action. Thrynn cast a spell so he also takes a move action. Baolo's arrow is off the mark.
The elves seeing the mercs approaching take shots at them, wounding only one of them!
1d20 ⇒ 17 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8 1d20 ⇒ 2 1d20 ⇒ 2 1d20 ⇒ 12 1d20 ⇒ 1 1d20 ⇒ 10
Party is up again:
Ialda 140' away
Baolo, Thrynn, and Jon 170' away
Bel prone 200' away
