Dungeon World PBP play (Inactive)

Game Master Elsine

Now that the Godslayer's weapon is broken, does her blood still flow gold?

"Pity... You're broken. You see it. I certainly see it. Your last holdout: a bid of self-loathing to protect a rebelious, short-sighted coup for an abandoned throne. Yes, there was never anything more to you than your human nature, but you never needed more. Humanity is all there will be when the Gods' guttering fires go out. So... tell me how we get into the rebel Godling's base... and anything else I may ask, so long as I live... while you question what your existence will be once you run out of stories to tell and people to hear them."
Hopefully, the lie is the impenetrable wall, because I'm not sure where to go with the lie being one of the other two.

Belym sighs. "I owe Ron a lot. He was the first person who didn't run screaming, or worse, when he saw this power. But I don't see him choosing to settle in a dwarfhold. Or anywhere, really - he's more in his element now than he was in Norwhich.

Still, I know I've got a friend up here if I ever need one."

Conwall

Well... Scath's eyes dart down. and he spends a moment thinking. Must have been... for them to send assasins after you... wow he finishes. what do you do?

Roshan

now that you mention it, since her sword has been sundered, her blood has been gradually becoming red. her sanity also seems to be degenerating

Nothing but a second rate inquisitor. the walls are solid brass, well guarded. I spoke the truth, no need to lie. a group as mediocre as yours couldn't get in. she spits as your knives carve deeper You'll fail, Kaur, fail to stop the lady, fail to stop the mother, fail to save yourself.

what do you do?

Belym

Belym, I have to wonder, how many dwarves are left? why didn't your people go to another settlement? Thaddeus asks

Roshan passes Tom carrying a damp bag and a bucket. She thrusts the soul stone into his chest and stalks past.

I'll talk to you later, Lydus. I must oversee the death of the Godslayer right now. Tom tucks the jewel into his pack when getting close to Roshan.

He barely stomachs the treatment but the goal burns in his mind as the evil woman breathes her last. His focus is not lost as he begins a ritual to trap her soul.

Cast a Spell(Trap Soul: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (3, 2) + 3 = 8 -> forget the spell

You are now permanently our prisoner, Godslayer. You can save yourself from an eternal prison if and only if you speak, otherwise the gen with be your permanent prison lost to time itself with only the company of yourself.

Parley: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (3, 3) + 1 = 7

The deal being to talk or stay in the gem permanently.

** spoiler omitted **

Roshan passes Tom carrying a damp bag and a bucket. She thrusts the soul stone into his chest and stalks past.

I'm not statting that. you people have made me stat some weird things, but I'm not statting that.

Ron

The godslayer's armour is a breatplate and partial suit of chain mail, both made of gold-orange enameled steel. The stats are 2 armor, worn, clumsy, infamous, 3 weight

After he finishes with Belym, Thaddeus joins you by the fire. Ron, thank you for the opportunity. however, I would implore you, be wary around Roshan. She is an inquisitor, they are not an easy people. also, I was told you had set out with a mermain, where are they? he asks

Ron speaks low. Not an easy people. Yer a master of understatement Thaddeus. Sheridan. She died to a demon. He signs deeply. I am afraid that he is another in my long line of my grave mistakes Thaddeus. What will ye do now?

He watches Roshan work with some distaste.

Who has the broken sword? If nobody picked up the pieces, then Ron picks up the pieces.

Ron

Scath and I need to get going very soon. Einora has sent a number of expeditions toward the town since you've left. she is trying to force you to retreat. you need to dispatch her quickly, her siege was slowed in the night, but already this morning she launched an assault. he says, eyes afire. Then, I'll have to report to the archbishop, in the capitol, this is the latest in a series of troubling events. Who knows what Scath will do. what will you do, when the lady is defeated? Thaddeus asks. what do you do?

Belym has the shards of the sword.

" On this continent? Tens of thousands, probably. But it's a big continent, I've only ever met dwarves from two other holds. It's faster by far to find a new site close by. And ever since the Undercanal w...collapsed, we've tried to avoid combining holds - there are advantages to being more spread out. "

It's fairly obvious that 'collapsed' was not what she started to say there.

I'm not statting that. you people have made me stat some weird things, but I'm not statting that.

Apparently, it's a few day's work from being just another Leather Shield (+1 armor) but history will tell of the fate of Godslayers. All part of my Diablo-style Slayerslayer set bonus. A golden fleece, if you will.

We elves do nothing in half measures, I suppose.

Tom

No, you need me... without my information, you'll never get into Einora's hideout. so here is the deal. you resurrect me, release me from the gem, and return my sword, and then I tell you everything I know Jeslei counters, spite dripping from her voice. what do you do?

You'll need to give her some "Alone time", or otherwise show that you're willing to leaver her there

Belym

Thaddeus nods I understand. best of luck, and may Mersiel guide you he says, hand moving in a strange gesture which you've seen occasionally in the human lands before.

Conwall

Are you sure you'll be safe, if the... if your partners's family is this upset over this whole thing? Scath asks

Getting the feeling that this scene is winding down, is that correct?

And, Roshan, I'll probably stat that when you have a few days to work on it. is flaying your opponents going to be a theme?

What is my quest radar doing?

We'll have t' discuss our options.

Tom pulls out a crab trap from his gear from back in the coast, and drops the jewel inside. He lowers the trap and lets it sink into the marsh. There is a thin chord leading up to the walkway.

Tom then goes and repeats her claim to the group.

She'll probably take trophies from big fights, but this is just her needing a replacement shield, finding an enemy with tough skin, and punishing a heretic.

The blood thing will be habitual. Any strange colored blood she'll want to collect.

Tom, your quest is over, the godslayer is slain. and good to know about the blood thing.

I give a little shrug. I fight demons with a thin sheet of metal. I'm on my way to fight and kill a god. I don't spend a lot of time worrying about my safety. That being said, it's less about the scandal and more about consorting with humans. As I said, they were vile racists.

Roshan, make sure t' gather some blood for me as well. The church will be interested in a sample for their records.

After Thaddeus moves off, Belym spends some time inspecting the shards of the Godslayer's sword, seeing what she can determine of the blade's nature and history.

Spout Lore: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (1, 6) + 2 = 9

Conwall

It is good to know that you are not all like that. he reaches out toward Percival A beautiful trinket he says, before Percival flaps his wings and hops toward the outstreched finger. Scath's hand retreats. Perhaps trinket was not the word

Belym

touching the blade fragments with your conduit gives you flashes of memory. Deep loss, fear, rejection, all of which curdles into anger. A scene in tableu, a beautiful man lays bloody and mangled upong the floor of an ornate temple, scantily clad worshipers running, or stunned in abject horror as godsblood stains the pristine floors, the scent of lavender and sage mingled with the iron scent of blood.

another scene features the woman facing off against some serpentine horror, a six-armed abomination, wielding a flail, wicked dagger, broadsword, and eldritch energy, it almost gets the upper hand, before she buries the blade in him.

Again she is in battle, this time against a human(oid) opponent. he wields a incandescent sword, and shining shield, and wears a banner upon his back. both the banner and shield have the same sigil as Thaddeus' necklace on them. The two trade blows, neither able to grasp the upper hand, until he sunders her blade. the whole scene goes strange, there is shreiking and shouting, and when things are back in focus, Jeslei is there on the ground, driving the shattered end of the blade into her opponents corpse over and over.

the next stretch is emotion again, loss, confusion, sorrow, inadequacy. then from this darkness, a familiar voice says four words I will restore it.

what do you do?

"Thaddeus...Is Mersiel dead?" Belym asks the paladin. Assuming he's still close by. Otherwise, Tom gets the same question.
Bonus question: is the voice Einora's?

Wait, did Meriel kill themselves by breaking the sword that contained some aspect of themself in it? And Einora engineer it all?

Also, I would be gathering you to tell you what Jeslei said to me.

Totally fine with that question being addressed to/overheard by the whole party

I shake my head. Most assuredly not a trinket. He was my sister's. I don't know how he came to be in this place, but I'm thankful for him. He showed me the Godslayer's weakness. I give Percival a gentle pet as he returns to my shoulder.

Assuming Belym describes what she saw in her vision.

Tom pats his bald head and slides his hand back across it while thinking, I don't know much of this Mersiel, but the scene you describe seems like the woman we know as the Godslayer was given that sword - and her posthumous obsession with it matches it being a gift with divine providence... Tom glances at Conwall, I can't tell if it's tree related or not.

Tom continues after a pause, If that sword was a gift from Mersiel, with a portion of Mersiel stored in the blade... What if the breaking of the sword is what actually slayed the being in that vision - assuming it was Mersiel that was slain? So the Godslayer either finished the job or the deity did themselves in through a cruel machination of the universe.

Tom frowns deeply, And if Einora was aware of this... does that mean she inspired Jeslei's treachery for her own desire? Was this an act to defeat Ishvar, or an act to free the aboleths or those asmodeans?

Tom sighs, Perhaps I'm just tired and paranoid.

Would a Spout Lore or Discern Realities help here?

A few clarifications that might make this make more sense (Sorry). 1 Mersiel is female(ish), or at least take on feminine form. 2. Jeslei is the "She" in the battle scene, and it is her sword that is sundered

Belym

No, the Maiden still stands, the bulwark of the light, the commander of heavens armies, the highest judge and justice The paladin says, in a tone that suggests he has given that particular speech several times. one of his orders maxims perhaps.

Not yet, but soon whispers the same insidious voice from the vision. what do you do?

Conwall

It sounds like your sister sent him to you. beautiful craftmanship, even able to fly he says, putting his things back into his pack, along with a few demonic weapons.

Tom

It could be spout lore, but given the clarification, you may want to make changes

I got Jeslei right, but I didn't know anything about Mersiel.

Spout Lore: 2d6 - 1 ⇒ (6, 5) - 1 = 10 wow...

Tom says, Wait, wait, wait... Mersiel is female meaning it's not Mersiel in the vision. But who could it be..?

Tom

In the abbey, they covered the other faiths briefly. from Belym's description, you would guess that the man who fought Jeslei in the vision is none other than Anselm of the South, Knight ascendant and herald of the goddess Mersiel.

you also remember, from an old pirate tale, the story of the knight-ascendant's shield, Senhiir. it was lost when the godling was slain, and many have searched for it, none successfully. You would be willing to bet Jeslei kept it as a trophy

That's right!! The Epic of Anselm, beacon of Mersiel, felled in the battle of no survivors... well I guess that means there was at least one, Tom turns to Belym, F%!@ me if I find myself wishing Sheridan was here. He probably would have been able t' piece this together from the scraps of ocean lore better than me.

Hitting his fist into his palm signifying remembering something Tom continues, The sl- uh spice traders in the southern seas have a slang term for when a deal is in a deadlock máodùn. From what I understand it means shield-spear, as in when the strongest man with the strongest shield is struck by a man of equal strength with a spear of the same quality. But they only use this slang when the deal is about t' end violently right at the end - on the day of the actual trade something changes, and both sides are gripping weapons but don't want t' walk away either. A moment of contradiction frozen in time, where no one breathes and no one dares act.

Shockingly they spoke about this most dealing with the merfolk, we had amicable relations with their... erm... business.

Tom looks at blank faces for a moment, Well it must mean that the Godslayer Jeslei had slain Anselm, and survived that confrontation despite the bards. Anselm, the Southern Cross, the herald to Mersiel, possessed a shield forged by the Gods. If the Godslayer's complete sword struck it it might have caused the disturbance you saw, and broken both. There is no way a woman that covetous leaves the shield be with the body of Anselm.

I went a bit off book there, hopefully I didn't step on any toes. Do I know anything about Jeslei's sword before it broke? How long ago was all this?

Clarification: in my vision, did Jeslei have the sword during the first scene, with the god of (presumably) love?

Tom, you know from the vision that Anshelm sundered the sword with his own, in a deperate attempt to gain the upper hand, which means the sheild is likely intac. aside from that, wonderful

Belym, no, now that you mention it, she must have used anathema, or some forbidden magic to destroy him, and taken the sword (Or it's components) from him afterwards

Well we all know that now, but I like a bit of misinformation in legends.

" Thaddeus, you should warn your fellows. Einora isn't satisfied yet, and may try to move against Mersiel or one of your other deities." She glances around, looking to see if Ishvar reacts to that statement at all. " And Roshan... When Jeslei told you the sword was the source of her power? That was a lie. She killed her first god before she had the blade. "

Which unfortunately means the claim that only divine ore can wound her is true, according to the rules of Roshan's move.

I read that as the snake-thing killed the first deity and she killed the snake-thing with the sword. I didn't think she killed him for the sword.

Tom pulls the trap back up, Had some time t' think, Jeslei? I understand you don't like being left with only yourself, let's you think on how inadequate you really are. Tell me what you did with Anselm's shield, and who it was you killed to forge that divine sword from and I'll take you with us. Anything else, and I leave you with the one you hate most.

This is still part of the same parley I assume since I had to make good on the threat.

Ron

Scath and I need to get going very soon. Einora has sent a number of expeditions toward the town since you've left. she is trying to force you to retreat. you need to dispatch her quickly, her siege was slowed in the night, but already this morning she launched an assault. he says, eyes afire. Then, I'll have to report to the archbishop, in the capitol, this is the latest in a series of troubling events. Who knows what Scath will do. what will you do, when the lady is defeated? Thaddeus asks. what do you do?

Ron nods grimly. Once again I must ask you and Scath to stand firm against overwhelming odds. I'm sorry my friend, but you know we cannot retreat. Thaddeus, I've come to believe that Einora can only be killed by a divine weapon. Your sword... Has it been blessed by Mersiel?

Ron

we will hold the line, Ron. As long as we can. he draws his blade My blade does bear my goddess's blessing. Perhaps it will wound the false goddess. He hands it to you, and picks up one of the demons spears and cultists blades, trying them both out, before joining Scath on their mount and bidding you all farewell.

Back on the road

You make progress toward The Lady's hold, navigating the now Ghoul-less walkways and paths.

about an hour into the journey (And less than an hour out from the stronghold), you are walking through a patch of thick trees, when you spot a group of Einora's soldiers. a pair of large Siege-demons, a half dozen regular soldiers, and one cultist in prismatic robes. this could either be your welcoming arty, or another group sent to assault ghostmoor. They haven't see you yet, what do you do?

What does Jeslei say to my questions?

Flashback:

Ron wraps the sword in a bit of cloth and says his goodbyes to his friends. He then approaches Roshan.

This blade has been blessed by Mersiel. I hope it will harm her. He hands over the sword to the inquisitor. When we face her, I will focus on keeping you alive. I trust you will handle the rest. Have faith, Roshan, in the gods, yourself, and your allies.

End Flashback

Roshan gives the blade a sceptical look, brushing sweat from her brow and leaving a smear of golden dye across her forehead. "Belym has collected an assortment of shapes in divine ore. We may not be able to forge them, but with a little work we may be able to fashion some rudimentary hammers and maces."

~~~

Roshan kneels, keeping her silhouette obscured. She looks out on the troup of Einora's soldiers.
Discern Reality: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 1) = 5

She has to tug down on the front of the slayer's chainmail, still unused to such a weight pressing down on her gambeson. The mail has a plated cuirass and pauldrons that she's not yet accustomed to. Her red robes, accented in rose gold, make her look even more formidable, but the look is not yet complete, the leather for the shield is still tanning in a barrel under her pack.

What was Jeslei's sword made from?

As the patrol comes into view, Belym kneels, and tries to call forth another stone serpent from the swamp muck.

Summon Hazard Elemental: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (3, 3) + 3 = 9
Control: 1d4 ⇒ 3

I'll take an alternate tag.

There was a time when I would have rushed headlong into the battle, heedless of my squad's safety. I'm more cautious now. I measure out which for I'm closest to and scope the situation with Perceval's help.

discern realities: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (1, 3) + 3 = 7

What here is useful or valuable to me?

The town is defenseless. Do we have any choice?

I have heard of those demons, they ...

Spout Lore Siege Demon Weaknesses: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (3, 3) + 3 = 9

Tom

[ood]Mea Culpa, sorry, missed that[/ooc]

Very well. The shield is hidden in my quarters, in a trunk under my bed. I suppose it is your by conquest the godslayer says, more cooperative after her time in the swamp

Roshan

Do tell me, in what way are you and the group vulnerable to the enemy?

Conwall

Percival spots a series of rocks stretching from your patch of Marshway to 20 meters behind the warband. You might be able to flak them if you hurry.

Belym

Divine ore

the water around you solidifies into a serpentine figure, however, made of ice, the beast is too brittle to hold anyone, but its teeth are razor sharp.

Embodies blast instead

Ron

You fought these things once, back in your glory days. You recall them being very resilient to arrows, and strong enough to tear through two inch thick, cold rolled steel. you doubt you will be able to defeat them in the same manner this time, however, unless you've the ability to summon hundreds of gallons of heated oil.

~~~Before Leaving~~~

Tom speaks one last time to Jeslei, Then pray this leads t' our victory, because I will only release you when I return. And with that he lowers the trap back into the water.

Tom spends the remainder of the night in preparation and praying to Iisac, pledging to "Discover the truth of Anselm's Defeat" receiving a sense that pierces lies and feeling the direction of the shield.

~~~Now~~~

Go with haste, Conwall, Tom says speaking his blessing over him before he heads to strike the band.

Cast a Spell(Bless): 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (3, 4) + 3 = 10 +1 ongoing to Conwall.

I give a nod to Tom, then silently move behind the rock cropping. What foe is closest? I strike as soon as the main force makes their move.

Prepare an ambush. I'll draw them into these trees. Larune with me.

Ron and Larune exit cover when the enemy group is within range and both begin to glow with blue energy.

Cast Fireball Reckless with Larune's assistance at center of the group: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (3, 1) + 3 = 7

Draw welcome attention.

Damage ignores armor to all nearby center of blast: 2d6 + 1d4 ⇒ (4, 1) + (2) = 7

Ron squints as blue flame erupts in the middle of the enemy group. He glances to Remorse with a mix of fear and awe. What have I become?

Larune! Withdraw!

Ron remains in the open with shield raised.

She notices it too late: the thousands of gallons of heated oil. Ron's fire catches, and it's like new year festival at the illuminators' tower.

"The cultist wears a cloak of nightweave--a fragile silk cultivated in the wood of suicides--it will make them harder to... pin down." Roshan's face lights up from the blooming fireball. "F-fire-proof. The cloak won't burn. It's still a product of hell." She draws her crossbow and levels it at the enemy forces as if it were a balista.

Volley: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (6, 5) + 1 = 12
Divine Force: 1d8 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 1 = 6 Fired into the largest cluster of ranged attackers, it has a 10' radius Forceful blast. -1 wrath. It's also flaming. I think it only damages one though. Because crossbows are slow...
The bolt exits the crossbow like a bolt of lightning followed on its heels by a peel of thunder.

Belym, despite Roshan's warning, takes aim at the robed leader, and commands her elemental to do the same.

Overchannel Frost Giant's Wrath: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (1, 3) + 3 = 7
Damage, Forceful, 2 piercing: 1d6 + 1d4 ⇒ (4) + (4) = 8
Command Blast Elemental: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (3, 4) + 3 = 10
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 7

I'll take a complication on the channel. Also, can we get a description of the siege beasts, and the terrain?

That robed guy can also take your mind int' a separate reality where they all can live and communicate and try to possess your body. I knew there was something important I forgot t' mention... Aw hell, and Conwall is already gone.

How large are the siege demons? Are we talking like, 6-8ft tall, or could Conwall climb one's back and start messing up his head, a la shadow of the colossus?