I spun a "Dark Side of the Force" kind of aspect into Alpharius's moment of ascension which Riding Bull did not include originally. I felt it apt to remind that there is another side of the coin when it comes to gaining such power. And I admit that I was inspired by the effects of a certain tunnel to Alpharius in a certain magical place that we are currently exploring in our game...
This also serves as a reminder that while this Journal is based on events of our game, it is in the end filled with sort of fan fiction moments that sometime go against the actual events. I consider this to be fine and this is why somewhere around end of book 2 I stopped correcting Tomi for anything but spelling, allowing him his creative freedom.
In game their Mythic Powers came from old powerful scrolls from (true neutral source) elemental planes (written in Thassilonian), basically turning them into Fantastic Four (with no seen or felt strings attached) when the 4 pages were activated. Llamashtu or wrath had no part in it. So no "other side of coin" is actually supposed to be there as the powers came from true neutral artifacts.
I felt the urge to clear this as it was quit a different feel I got from what I read earlier today compared to how it was played out in game.
But as always, I really enjoyed the write up :)
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I love the Christmas write-up. My player was being FAR more evil and subtle about it.
For our Rise of the Runelords campaign, GothBard ran a drow paladin of Sarenrae. As a "character-builder", she took Craft:Toys so that she would be less threatening. During the course of the AP she rescued one Nikolai, then became mythic and took the mythic trait that allows other people to worship you. I started referring to her as "Saint Rae'Sheleth".
Along comes Jade Regent. Torath (another player) decides he's going to *play* Nickoli as a paladin of Saint Rae'Sheleth.
It took us a while to see what he was doing.
- He was giving away toys made in the image of those Saint Rae'Sheleth had made. In other words, toys made by elves.
- He was traveling across the Crown of the World. In other words, the North Pole.
- As a paladin, once he reached a high enough level, he would become a saint. "Saint Nick". (He even started going by Nicholas, very subtly, just so we'd start calling him Saint Nicholas.)
Yes. My player decided to become Santa Claus. WITHOUT telling any of the other players. It was awesome to watch realization dawn on each player's face in turn over the course of several sessions.
I spun a "Dark Side of the Force" kind of aspect into Alpharius's moment of ascension which Riding Bull did not include originally. I felt it apt to remind that there is another side of the coin when it comes to gaining such power. And I admit that I was inspired by the effects of a certain tunnel to Alpharius in a certain magical place that we are currently exploring in our game...This also serves as a reminder that while this Journal is based on events of our game, it is in the end filled with sort of fan fiction moments that sometime go against the actual events. I consider this to be fine and this is why somewhere around end of book 2 I stopped correcting Tomi for anything but spelling, allowing him his creative freedom.
In game their Mythic Powers came from old powerful scrolls from (true neutral source) elemental planes (written in Thassilonian), basically turning them into Fantastic Four (with no seen or felt strings attached) when the 4 pages were activated. Llamashtu or wrath had no part in it. So no "other side of coin" is actually supposed to be there as the powers came from true neutral artifacts.
I felt the urge to clear this as it was quit a different feel I got from what I read earlier today compared to how it was played out in game.
But as always, I really enjoyed the write up :)
It might have not been Lamashtu herself.. maybe it was Alpharius's conscience acting up? Maybe he was sub-consciously telling something to himself...? WE MIGHT NEVER KNOW! DUM-DUM-DUMMMMMM!
Seriously, Alpharius loves his darkvision and surprise strikes but this is just a too good chance at character-building I could not let pass :) just what does it mean for our heroes when they realize they truly and irrevocably are more than human? (or dwarf. Or elf.)
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ALPHARIUS + HARSK + GREATER SCRYING = DELICIOUS RP
“For this to work, I need to know as much as possible about your brother”, he started to explain. “In an ideal situation, I would know him personally. That or I’d have a lock of his hair, or at least a picture of him.”
I snorted. “Just look at me, and imagine I have frost blue eyes and silver hair. And no facial scars”, I offered. That made the cleric smile. “That is actually helpful, given that you are twins. Now give me your hands. Tell me more about him.” Again, we locked both our arms together over the mirror like paladin-brothers, and I began to recount facts about my brother. Things about his character. How he thought, how he acted. How he followed Pharasma. How he trained, and how he preferred the greatsword. Harsk took it all in, nodding. Finally, he closed his eyes. “Let us try a connection.”
46. SILVER MIRROR, GOLDEN THRONE
Enjoy and please rate & comment :)
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One of my favorites! ..and no, it's not the fever talking :)
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Why do I have the sudden urge to cackle evilly and maniacally?
One of my favorites! ..and no, it's not the fever talking :)
Thanks! Raising the bar every chapter..
Why do I have the sudden urge to cackle evilly and maniacally?
There will be no happy ending for Alpharius :(
.. but that's fine cause it makes for better drama
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After three long weeks of silence, the Strangers are back! Some business is concluded, bridges are repaired and the search for the Runeforge begins.
I could not see Harsk past the huge brutes but the pale-faced magus was between three of the giants, evading, striking but not parrying. Her scimitar crackled with such energies that it looked like she was carrying a spear of lightning. With another ear-splitting, hair-rising crack she slaughtered the first assailant. She allowed the momentum of her movement carry her over the smouldering remains of her first victim and followed by letting loose a bolt of lightning from her free hand at the one I was in the process of gutting to death. It exploded into bits.
“I thought you’d never wake up!” She yelled at me and Alfred between breaths and ducked one swing of a wooden club. Show-off.
47. SILENT WAIT OF THE SEVEN FACES
Please rate and comment. And enjoy :)!
In next week's episode,
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Dragon hunting, yay!
The beast screeched and gained some altitude. It was turning, coming to a dive. “By Cailean, I know that creature”, Alfred gasped as he gazed to the air, “This is the most feared, mythic dragon of all Varisia!”“And you wanted to have an afternoon adventure to hunt that thing”, I huffed in anger at the sellsword.
48. STRANGE, DANGEROUS PASTIMES
Please enjoy, rate and comment :)
In next week's episode,
See? What you NEEDED was a bard who'd completely forgotten ALL of the clues, and instead randomly chose to lead your party to the sleeping dragon.
Some GMs get all the luck! Players following the plot, doing what they're supposed to do, grumble, grumble, grumble...
See? What you NEEDED was a bard who'd completely forgotten ALL of the clues, and instead randomly chose to lead your party to the sleeping dragon.
Some GMs get all the luck! Players following the plot, doing what they're supposed to do, grumble, grumble, grumble...
We're just puppets of our dungeon master :(
Also, Ring of Feather Falling: Best. Purchase. Ever. I never asked Riding Bull whether he remembered Alpharius carrying one when the dragon snatched him and flung him to the pit. Doubly so if he didn't.
Oh and the amount of butthurt and dismay around the table (this was played during a live session) when Alpharius chose NOT to take a final shot at the dragon's back. So much fun. (after the game I calculated around 10-15% chance of actually hitting it as it had cast Displacement on itself and had a ridiculously high AC to boot. Mythic bastard.)
I will *never* understand why everyone's purchases don't go:
(1) Magic Weapon
(2) Ring of Feather Fall
(3) Cloak of Resistance
(4) Now, on to the armor and so forth...
I've seen *so* many lives saved by that simple little ring!
Oh the bards still sing songs of Alpharius the Chicken all around Varisia. Alfred doesn't recall telling the tale but somehow it just got out there.
And no.. I didn't remember that ring, but then again.. I really didn't want to kill Alpharius did I? Considering it was during the live session where I posted something silly on this thread with Tomi's account :P
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The story continues as the party takes a breather after facing the white dragon.. but for Alpharius, the journey becomes that much more personal!
Kudos to Riding Bull for delivering easily the most nerve-wrecking session (at least for me as a player and Alpharius as a character), and it wasn't even a fight! Bricks where truly shat that day and I hope I've been able to convey that properly.
Taking it all in, my blood froze like a stream during first chills of winter.There is a red carpet on the floor, and rubies are sewn to it.
That was how Harsk had described the throne room in which my brother had sat like a bored royal. I pushed past Alfred, each step harder than the last, but I willed myself to the doubledoors and touched them with my palms.
I’m seeing a man, lounging on a extravagantly decorated golden throne.. surrounded by riches, gold, gems, rubies. He is in a throne room. I can’t make out any windows. Gods, I have not seen so rich decoration in my life.
I shivered in a mixture of emotions. Within was a room made of solid gold. The red-gold carpet made a path to the other side, where stood a lone throne. There was someone sitting on the throne but I could not see who.
Enjoy!
Oh, geez. I'm dismayed to tell you that Riding Bull made up the barracks whole cloth... and did an utterly magnificent job!
Looking forward to seeing your rematch with the dragon... along with Alpharius' impressions of the Runeforge.
Should be AWESOME!
Yeah OOCly we knew from the start that this was a 100% GM created sidequest to put some actual effort in Alice getting the celestial armor rather than her just finding one from the markets.
Of course the spin and how it turned out with Garnet was not expected :) Riding Bull did a beautiful job there.
And yes, writing the 50th chapter will be a challenge. We've been inside Runeforge for four sessions now (including one 12+ hour livesession), and I think it'll take us at least two more to get out...
LOL. Don't get me started. My WotR group is still stuck back in what? July? Because life keeps interfering with writing.
I need to become a hermit.
But then I'll have nothing to write about.
*SIGH*
Yeeeah I'm really satisfied how this session turned out, given that I had tasked Alice's player to create a MAP where he'd think she could find a celestial armor. He had not heard the description of Harsk's scrying at the time of making the map. I had then of course prepared something for the map.. and then completely forgotten about it (this was easily 6 months back).
So when at the start of session I start to hear their discussion divert towards "Lets not pursue the dragon for now! How about this map I got?", I panicked and tried to pull something together, knowing what Alice's player would expect from the trip..
2-3 hours later and I'm grinning inside for the twists I managed add on to it.. Even the set up of the ruby toyed with their heads as I hoped. There were couple flaws in details of Thassilonian continuation that I gave them (via speak with dead mainly), but knowing how well the players remember details, I didn't worry too much :)
LOL. Don't get me started. My WotR group is still stuck back in what? July? Because life keeps interfering with writing.
I need to become a hermit.
But then I'll have nothing to write about.
*SIGH*
I think I have the time to write.. but I want to see how the run in the runeforge ends before I decide *how* to write it.
I imagine it will be something like
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The Strangers are back for the 50th chapter of the story! There are scores to be settled and a certain Runeforge to be entered..
A heartbeat later the cavern shook and we heard rumbling of an avalanche in the distance, followed by an angry roar of a legendary white dragon.“Here we go again”, I sighed and pulled a dragon-bane arrow from my quiver. Harsk bellowed a challenge in the name of his goddess, swearing we would not let the dragon flee with its life for a second time.
Enjoy!
Got inspired. What do you think of this visual illustration?
What is Alpharius currently wearing & equipped with?
EDIT: And here's the template if you want to use it for your own characters!
Got inspired. What do you think of this visual illustration?
What is Alpharius currently wearing & equipped with?
EDIT: And here's the template if you want to use it for your own characters!
LOL. What a fun toy!
Well, I'm immensely enjoying your tale, and I've read about xxx in the obits.
I just run Firefox with Flashblock and NoScript and that site where you post your adventures makes it REALLY hard to mark anything as a favorite without allowing every script under the sun.
Just saying....
Got inspired. What do you think of this visual illustration?
What is Alpharius currently wearing & equipped with?
EDIT: And here's the template if you want to use it for your own characters!
LOL. What a fun toy!
Well, I'm immensely enjoying your tale, and I've read about xxx in the obits.
I just run Firefox with Flashblock and NoScript and that site where you post your adventures makes it REALLY hard to mark anything as a favorite without allowing every script under the sun.
Just saying....
Hmm.. so you're saying I should pay for Wordpress to have the ads removed ;) ? Though seriously, I'm not aware of other scripts WP tries to stuff down our throats other than those pesky ads. I've been toying with the idea of getting a premium plan for my blog though.
LOL. Exactly the opposite -- I adamantly oppose sites that render themselves nigh-unusable through ads and then say, "Hey, if you give us money, we'll stop the ads and make ourselves useful!"
95+% of all sites I visit I can cherry-pick which scripts to allow and everything's fine.
The other 5% (WP apparently among them) allow ads within ads within ads so deep that you can click "Allow All" 3-4 times, still not be done, and still not be able to click that darned "Rate" button...
Just de-lurking to say that this is a fantastic journal, especially considering that you aren't even a native speaker. Do you have any plans yet which AP you're gonna start next? Kudos!
I'd say we are saving that discussion for now. As we are bunch of newbies, there is sort of curiosity to go ahead and try a full blown sandbox campaign. After experiencing how much work it takes to just prepare AP sessions, I'm sceptical any of us has really time to run one.. So after a while we might go back to AP's.
But that is just my current opinnion. I know certain ranger player is dreaming a bit of some worldbuilding :)
Just de-lurking to say that this is a fantastic journal, especially considering that you aren't even a native speaker. Do you have any plans yet which AP you're gonna start next? Kudos!
Thanks Monrail!
Like Riding Bull mentioned, we really don't know yet. Or, the thing we know is that in the next campaign Riding Bull is playing and someone else is DMing ;).
I'd love to build a world for sandboxing, but also there have been some thoughts about trying Dark Heresy from the Warhammer 40k universe. I'd be happy to try GMing in that too given my somewhat extensive understanding of said universe.
Also, here's Alice's gear. The player behind her knows his Photoshop :O :O
Oh that Mark on Alice.. Can't wait to see how you write that event up :D
Oh Dark Heresy could also be an option.. But after buying the rule book it quickly hit me how easy Paizo has made starting the hobby for group of 30-something nerds with a lot of open source material to study at little spare time, instead of requiring everyone to own every book from get go. Over the span of this campaign me and every player has slowly collected hardcover and digital paizo material, but I wonder if everyone is willing to buy new books for new system or if they want to continue with what they already own and have wrapped their head around.
so cheers to Paizo for getting us in to this hobby.
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It's ALIVE!
The Strangers enter the
The wood beneath disappeared and I stared into the eyes of darkest nightmares made real only five feet from me. Instinctively I flinched and began to pull back, but I remembered that it didn’t really see me and kept my palm firmly on the door. It was an enormous, seething perversion half a spider and half a bat. It’s long, chitinous front legs scraped and struck the entryway. Parts of its fleshy, oddly transparent wings had made it out of the portal, but it was stuck, unable to fully come through with the sturdy door and the small space around it confining it. But by gods it was eager. Saliva dripped from its sharp, protruding fangs, but perhaps most horrifying was that no sound issued from its bat skull-like head. It pushed forward, inch by inch, like a newborn coming from a womb, but with cold, murderous determination. It was hungry.In retrospect throwing the coin into the portal didn’t seem such a good idea.
Enjoy and please comment!
OOC comment: Damned Aura of Despair :D
Also: Yay! We didn't kill a potentially hostile NPC!
I'm a bit worried about the pace of your writing Tomi! At this speed we will have new rulers South of Brevoy before this tale reaches its climax!
I'm a bit worried about the pace of your writing Tomi! At this speed we will have new rulers South of Brevoy before this tale reaches its climax!
Hey now, hey now! I need at least one campaign writer who's even slower than I am! Otherwise my readers get uppity! :-P
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When faced with undead, evil horrors, always, always bring a Harsk.
The nightshade pushed one last time, raging against us and the constraints of the portal, and it finally got out. Its fleshy wings spread out to cover the entire portal room. It prepared to embrace us and take us to a night of eternal evil.Still, a lone, stout source of light stood against it. “NO“, Harsk bellowed and a chain of light crackled from his form, enveloping and binding the undead in an instant. The nightshade tried to force its wings and limbs at us, but the chains held firm, if only momentarily. It howled in despair and anger, and phlegm and Alice’s blood spattered against Alfred. We had only one chance.
52. THE HUNGRY DEAD, UNCOVERED
Yay, we're back yay
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Damn this one was a joy to read! Great flavor added and combat well summarised with just enough detail. Now stop excusing about lack of RP (you had plenty of it in this one and the session was literally combat only) and bring on the Wrath! :)
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Well, the upcoming chapters will be more straightforward and thus nicer to write.. and then a certain witch will enter and make things that much more interesting ;)
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Comment as a player: Alice's mythic ability Flexible Counterspell (Su) is our official Get out of jail Free card. Lich trying to Deafen AND Blind Alpharius? Nope. Lich trying to Finger Alice to Death? Noooope.
See he should've led with some light telekinetic spooning first.... and probably bathed in Axe body spray :-)
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Indeed :D. The only Axe he got now was Alfred's..
Though I think Alice is into guys who are more.. alive.
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Yeah Lichs today have it so much easier on the dating scene, even if a chick says he looks awfully pale and smells like s#+@, all he's got to say is "I'm in Jane's Addiction/Radiohead" no more questions after that :-D
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From the Ravenous Crypts, into the Halls of Wrath..
I kicked the aberration in its ugly face, and it stumbled a step back, allowing me a clear line of sight to the center of the training hall.There, Alice appeared from the cover of invisibility. Standing with her legs wide apart, her free hand extended high up in a fist, she looked like she was holding something heavy from falling on her. Her outline shimmered in colours of orange, red and yellow, as if she was in a skin-fitting cocoon of protective energy. There were half a dozen adepts of wrath around her, and she was alone with them. They turned to her and charged. Crazy woman was all I had the time to think. But I saw her face, and she was smiling.
She opened her hand. Destruction blanketed her and the adepts as the world around her exploded.
Enjoy! And please comment!
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God, it brings a smile to my face every time I come back to this page and see a new entry. Keep'em coming Tomi!
God, it brings a smile to my face every time I come back to this page and see a new entry. Keep'em coming Tomi!
Thanks RavenVoron! I'll keep em coming!.. until the campaign ends or something awful happens.. :x
Just de-lurking to say that this is a fantastic journal, especially considering that you aren't even a native speaker. Do you have any plans yet which AP you're gonna start next? Kudos!Thanks Monrail!
Like Riding Bull mentioned, we really don't know yet. Or, the thing we know is that in the next campaign Riding Bull is playing and someone else is DMing ;).
I'd love to build a world for sandboxing, but also there have been some thoughts about trying Dark Heresy from the Warhammer 40k universe. I'd be happy to try GMing in that too given my somewhat extensive understanding of said universe.
Also, here's Alice's gear. The player behind her knows his Photoshop :O :O
Is the donut ring a ring of sustenance by chance? :)
Is the donut ring a ring of sustenance by chance? :)Just de-lurking to say that this is a fantastic journal, especially considering that you aren't even a native speaker. Do you have any plans yet which AP you're gonna start next? Kudos!Thanks Monrail!
Like Riding Bull mentioned, we really don't know yet. Or, the thing we know is that in the next campaign Riding Bull is playing and someone else is DMing ;).
I'd love to build a world for sandboxing, but also there have been some thoughts about trying Dark Heresy from the Warhammer 40k universe. I'd be happy to try GMing in that too given my somewhat extensive understanding of said universe.
Also, here's Alice's gear. The player behind her knows his Photoshop :O :O
It indeed is :D
EDIT: Also, the updated set of Alpharius (during the quest in the Runeforge) Clicky
*chuckling* Those are quite fun to look at.
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You know, sometimes when we play I keep hearing this song play over and over in my head.. (you Brits at least should understand the joke)
Anyways, the story continues! Into the heart of vanity the group ventures..
Enjoy!
“By the goddess I need a beer”, Harsk groaned, lying down on his back, letting wisping, gently flowing energies envelop and caress him. We had emptied healing potion into his torn, blackened throat, and yet again the powers of his deity did the rest. The god-touched was hard to kill, and I was thankful for it, even though I didn’t really think about it then.
“That was a disgrace”, I hissed angrily. “Walking to an ambush like that.” My nerves were taut like a drawn bowstring. “We need a plan. A solid plan.”
“We go back there and kill the casters”, Alfred replied calmly, keeping his eye on the tunnel that led to the wing of Pride. I was dumbstruck. “What? That’s your plan?”
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This one was a beautiful session full of surprises, twists and turns. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed playing and writing about it!
The last succubus, flying only strides behind, howled in anger and despair when she saw what the holy warrior did to her sister, and dove down like an eagle, now completely heedless of any danger. Harsk, covered in crimson, turned to face the onslaught and held his bloodied, awe-inspiring sword high. That's bravery, rooted in religious fervour. Alfred lives for the thrill, but Harsk.. he has a goddess on her side. "FOR IOMEDAE!" He shouted and struck once, powerfully, unstoppably, the blade swinging in a clean arc. It sung as it connected, and the demon's head came tumbling down, neatly separated from its body. The dwarf spat on the headless corpse for emphasis and muttered a curse under his breath. He really should've become a paladin, I thought, remembering something similar happening ages ago in a farm near Sandpoint.
The way you captured Saffron here is.. wonderful! You deliver justice to a character that is played differently compared to the rest of you guys :)
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And thus we bring the fifth book of the AP to a close...
“I’d be interested in the wing of Greed”, Alice interjected, missing the irony, “if only to gain more insight into the powers of Karzoug, and what he can throw at us.” She tried to appear the reasonable woman in the middle. Alfred guffawed. “Now that I can approve.” I frowned at Alice, then turned my attention over to the god-touched. He had not said a word, and was still examining the blade of Flametongue, scowling at the tiny runes of Pride and Lust that had been burned to it.
“What do you have to say, Harsk”, I asked him gruffly. His eyes never left the blade. “We might as well start with bringing the wrath of my goddess to his subjects here.”
Then, towards Xin-Shalast!
PS. Ordikon was a wimp.
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Summer break is over and the sixth book begins with some downtime.. but it allowed me to move Alpharius' own agenda forward. Some nice RP ensued. NobodysHome should enjoy this as the idea he gave to GM Riding Bull begins to unravel..
Why would he be there? It can’t be. At the heart of evil. Sitting on a golden throne in the empire of greed, unbound, unguarded. Dark thoughts began to materialize, even darker possibilities. Potential answers to the question why. I refused to believe any of them. He is a prisoner, and I will save him. Or I would bring him back to the fold. He was still my blood. I chose to wear that resoluteness like an armor. Or else I’d go mad.
I should’ve been distressed, but I remembered something, and let out a laugh. Harsk looked at me, puzzled. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing”, I replied, still smiling. I had just wasted at least six hundred gold sails. I didn’t give a damn.