Dungeon World PBP play (Inactive)

Game Master Elsine

My first time at the Lake of the Petals. A crystal clear lake in the heart of Stag's Leap's land, ringed by weeping willows, drooping so low that they scatter their leaves onto the lake's surface. In the fall, the whole lake is covered in the petals and children swim in the water one last time before it becomes too cold. It was a particularly peaceful time for me, before my uncle was killed by Ravagers and the relationship between the Stags and the D'Aroniques became strained. Before my sister journeyed into the Blightfields to avenge her dear friend, never to return. Before I set out on my own mission of vengeance, before my climb of purification, before forging my sword.

It was a simple memory, but a treasured one. If I could notice its absence, I'd be bereft.

burn damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Ron sprints towards Uxfaris, tackling him to the ground.

H&S (Str) or DD Str: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (6, 4) + 1 = 11

"Burn ye bastard!"

Ron holds on tight as the fire spreads.

I double posted, and the second post had burn damage 5 ... roll result 8. Let me know which set I should take.

Questions:
Is there a visible source of the light?
Are the remaining cultists still moving towards the aboleth door?
Is it obvious from my glance that the figures through the door are/are not cultists?

A recollection of Godscairn, the high temple of the Templars:

Stairs. At the time, Rhistel couldn't handle so many stairs. After throwing a fit of epic proportions, Danyal had decided to bind the recovering imp in linen and carry it. So it was that Rhistel got an adult's view of the ridge of mountains the Templars claimed to be the stone-veiled corpse of a dead God.

At the base of the mountain range had been a bridge, and Rhistel had watched Danyal produce the comb that allowed her passage past the Yellow Vance, the temple guard who fight back the giant carrion beetles that infest the range. The imp was, however, more than a little distracted by the moat of quicksilver God's blood.

The stairs ascended from the mote along what Rhistel was told was the God's arm to a second bridge, spanning what would be the God's neck, to the temple proper: a tall, crown-shaped building of living wood. There, Danyal shed blood under the scrutiny of a member of the Green Vance, those cloistered templars who prune the living walls of the temple.

Inside, at the end of an aisle of supplicants, Hebron's eye sits on a pedestal, looking out through a pane of polished rose quarts. Danyal took a bowl from the altar and filled it with the opalescent ichor flowing from the pedestal, and poured it over Rhistel's head, naming her Roshan.

They aren't stealing memories... but Aboleths now know these things about you, because you guys are about to upgrade yourselves from "Annoyance" to "Threat"

Ron

Congrats, you sent him third phase!

You grip his arm, hard, and feel it melt like putty in your hands as the two of you fall to the ground, his body following suit, any who are looking their way watch as The two cultists Uxfaris was touching melt into a slop, and collapse onto Ron, a tendril ensnaring a third cultist and drawing him in as well.

Ron,you feel tendrils of flesh wrapping around your limbs, trying to ensnare you. act fast, or you'll be caught inside.

Belym

No light source, more like every surface becomes painfully luminescent for a moment
Oh yeah
too dark to tell

The remaining cultist from the far side of the room joins the one you knocked aside in approaching you, knives brandished. what do you do?

Conwall and Roshan

the cultists Conwall terrified are heading for the dor, while a giant flesh-east engulfs ron, and Belym makes a stand against a pair of cultists. what do you do?

and, the room flares again, causing the door to boom as it creaks open more, and 1d5 ⇒ 1 Belym feels the wrath of the abhorent minds descend upon her.

Inside a beast huh, I bet there isn't much light in there with me. This may not work so feel free to retcon it away ... but it will be damn cool if it does.

Without thinking, Ron flashes green and red, really more red than green at this point.

Cast Shadow Walk: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (3, 5) + 3 = 11

The corridor outside where we just arrived.

Ron falls through as the portal opens inside Uxfaris.

Roshan thumps Conwall on the shoulder as he regains his feet, then scans the room. She sees the door is opening slowly, and that this is related somehow to the mental onslaught. She makes a logical, albeit unlikely conclusion, and lunges for the door, hoping to push it closed.

I don't have a great feeling about this question, but what move if any is triggered by slamming one's shoulder into the door?

Ron- Darn, I was hoping to trap you in there, but I'll allow it. guess he'll need to suff someone else in there.

Roshan- to be clear, the door that is beeing battered is 5 meters in diameter, and made of something denser than Iron. it is almost a million Kilos. you still ramming your shoulder into it?

What's the floor made out of?

So on the illustration: Roshan and Belym are over by the big pink door. The cultist that was by the door is dead, along with the two that were by Uxfaris' starting position. Uxfaris and the four cultists to the left have all merged into Mega-Uxfaris. So there are now three cultists near Conwall running for the pink door in terror. Conwall is still in his starting place. I'm out in the corridor outside the tan door. Is that all correct?

Not sure if the cultists get close enough for Defend to fire off before or after the aboleth's mental assault. Adjust as you deem appropriate.

As the cultists close, Belym unleashes her conduit, along with slashes from her flaming sword. [Ooc]Spend 3 defend hold for "deal damage equal to your level"; 21 damage in 3 packets. As the aboleths respond, she clutches her head...

Defy Danger Wis: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (2, 6) + 1 = 9

Okay, hear me out...

Roshan reaches the doorway and drives her iron longsword into the floor at the base of the door.
Defy Danger(STR): 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (2, 5) + 3 = 10
Blinding Light to temporarily halt the ritual?
Shield's strap through her chakram, and down over the sword's hilt. Talwar out, and driven into the floor on either side. Hebron's censure constructed, the chained visage of the dead God rises out of the floor, and turns to brace the door.

I look to the merged cultist monster in the middle of the room. I'm going to rush him.

Do I need to do anything before I can trigger H&S?

If not...

hack and slash: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (3, 6) + 2 = 11

I bring Catastrophe down on the monster, hard. I have an opening to make an extra brutal slash, but remembering what it did to Ron (do we know he got out ok?) I instead take a more cautious approach.

damage: 1d10 + 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (9) + (2) + 1 = 12

Ron

you fall to the ground, gasping for breath just outside the door. inside, you hear shouting. what do you do?

Belym

As with your allies, they learn of something important or sacred to you, before you are able to force the thigs out. what is it?

when you come to, there is shouting and Conwall is attacking a muating blob of cultist flesh, while Roshan is holding the Aboleth gait. you've no idea where Ron is. what do you do?

Roshan

you feel the dread-things assail you, but for the moment, your will is as unwaverig as the dead gods. you will hold them back, so long as you stand your ground.

Conwall

You tear flesh away from the core, and watch it wither, wile the flesh that you merely shred melts to liquid and rejoins the mass. the beast as a whole opens up, and tries to engulf you like it did Ron. what do you do

To be clear, it's bearing down on you, not, like melting around you.

Once he gets his bearings, Ron pushes his way back into the room. After a quick glance, he sprints after Conwall, moving to support the elven whirlwind.

Defend Conwall: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (3, 6) + 3 = 12

Almost forgot ...

Burn Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3

I'll spend two hold to halve the effect of the attack on Conwall (whatever that might do) and open Uxfaris up to Conwall, giving Conwall +1 forward against Uxfaris.

So, to be clear, the I'm not hitting the core itself? Also, it's seemingly immune to magical weapons?

More like... only slashing weapons are going to hurt this thing, because the only thing that damages it is cutting flesh off. sorry that was unclear

Is Catastrophe not a slashing weapon?

You did hurt it. . the barbs on Catastrophe shredded it some oo. i was using it as an opportunity to telegraph the traits. sorry for the confusion.

Oh, ok. I thought I didn't hurt it and it was reforming.

Roshan draws her crossbow and kneels in front of the censure of Hebron.
Defend: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (1, 5) + 2 = 8
Despite her efforts, she is not able impress her will upon the grounds. She knows she is about to be assaulted by a foe she can neither see nor fire upon. Daunted and desperate, she tries to keep her mind filled with prayer. "Ilsac, favored son of Hebron, grant me the steel to weather this test..."

A large cavern, in which hundreds of dwarves are gathered in small groups. Atop a dais at one end, Stonespeaker Sitlynn recites a passage in Elder Dwarfish; even those (like Belym) who can't speak the tongue feel the significance of the words.

As the Speaker finishes, four assistants strike the exposed granite node behind her with mallets; the low booming sound they make echoes perfectly through the chamber, reverberating for minutes.

When the last echoes trail off, all present erupt in cheers; Belym, Arika, and the three other Felstones, as well as those here from other clans, are now full adults.

=======================

Is the crack in the aboleth door still accessible? If so...

Conwall, you have an action,a nd Ron opened Uxfaris up to you. the halve effect is is that uxfaris is only threatening to get your non-sword-arm, instead of your whole body

Belym - there's a god in the way. I promise you'll find out afterward, but now might be a good time to find some way to hinder or hurt Uxfaris

Belym watches Conwall and Uxfaris for a few moments. Rocks don't seem like they'd do much good. Belym spots Ron still aflame, and an idea strikes her. She focuses for a moment; a layer of frost settles on her, as a barrage of ice shards fly towards the cult leader.

Overchannel Colossal Icicles (projectile, forceful, 2 piercing): 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (5, 3) + 3 = 11
Damage: 1d6 + 3d4 ⇒ (3) + (2, 1, 3) = 9

I'm hoping the cold will turn Uxfaris brittle, or at least make him a little more viscous! 3 more self damage from the Overchannel, 23/28 hp.

Sorry, I didn’t get the “new post” numbers on this one

With my sword hand still free, I slash my trapped hand free and keep hacking away at the beasty.

Slash and hack: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (6, 4) + 2 = 12

To paraphrase Nemo in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 2 “We... We cannot know what feelings our enemies have... But we may be certain at least, that Conwall. taught them terror.

For many humans living far from the great woods, Elves are something of a boogie man, monsterous killing machines, single soldiers destroying entire settlements. While much of that is exaggeration (for example it takes dozens of powerful spellcasters to convert even the smallest hamlet into a medium size hole in the ground) my unrelenting and precise slashes confirm the most horrifying tales of Elven prowess. If Uxfaris still has a bladder, he’s emptied it.

Damage: 1d10 + 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (9) + (2) + 1 = 12

Ron

That's enough to kill the aboflesh

Everyone

at conwall's dispay, the thing that was once Uxfaris winds away, leaving behind piles of flesh from Conwall and Belym's assaults [ooc]of the two, belym's was less sucessful, he didn't just completely walk off 33 points of damage)

We are eternal, Legion! the beast roars as it lunges for roshan with two psudopods.

For every one you put down, 100 more rise up to replace then. Embrace perfection it shouts from a mouth that tries to sink it's dagger-long teeth into Belym.

You will serve us. you will burn down all that you find beautiful, slaughter all who you love dearly, and you will do it willingly, gladly, when we are done with you! says another mouth with bile rising up into it's throat, the opening aimed at Ron

what does everyone do?

I'm confused. What is attacking us right now? Did these beasts come from inside the aboleth door? Or is this still Uxfaris?

Also, to everyone else, my current plan to put myself out isn't the best plan I've ever had. Anyone got any ideas?

Roshan pegs one of the tentacles with her infernal crossbow, then braces herself for impact.
Halving the effect or damage.

Still uxfaris. he's become a weird mass of claws, teeth, tentacles, who moved away from Conwall after C' tore him apart, and is now trying to get the rest of you?

Roshan: Finally, he gets to deal damage! 1d12+9, forceful messy (ignore one, along with halving the damage, forceful will probably end the Hebron icon, messy might inflict a debility)

I squint. It's not attacking me (it's DELIBERATELY NOT ATTACKING ME) which means it's afraid. If it was able to strike me along with the rest, it would.

I press the advantage and bring Catastrophe down for a final strike. hack and slash: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (4, 5) + 3 = 12

He's already afraid. It's time for him to be dismayed.

My blows rain down on the monster fast and furious. Even if this monster survives my assault, it's now clear that it has two choices: Abandon its plan and flee completely or stay here and be utterly destroyed.

daaaaaamn-age: 1d10 + 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (10) + (1) + 1 = 12

Tentacle'd: 1d12 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13 13 / 2 - 2 = 4 damage, Messy.

The floor creaks and Roshan slides back a few inches before her armor buckles. Per Armor of Wrath: skin contact with my armor is normally her current Wrath in damage. The templar grits her teeth and resumes her vigil.
Defend: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (4, 4) + 2 = 10
That result depends on if the possible debility is CON.

Taking a gambit from Roshan.

Spending last defend hold to deal my level in damage, Pierce 2, to the mouth talking to me.

Like lightning Ron rushes the palaverous maw, jamming Remorse down its throat.

7 damage, Pierce 2

Fire Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1

So help me Pelnore, if you kill steal this one...

As the abomination closes, Belym unleashes a torrent of ice at it, trying to drive it back.

Feels like this might need a Defy Dex to get this off in time...

Channel Avalanche (forceful, Hazard): 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (6, 4) + 3 = 13

perhaps it was Ron's spear tearing into his core, or maybe Conwall caught it with his last strike, but the thing that was once Uxfaris ceases moving, and withers.

Roshan feels a weight lift from her shoulders, the force trying to escape no longer able to move beyond whatever magic seals it. it is over.

and another stupid-boss passes without a bodycount...

I think we'll call EOS soon, but I think you guys still have one question to answer.

As the flames lick against his faceplate, Ron rushes towards some nearby shadows. He flashes red. I'll be back!

Cast Shadow Walk: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (6, 6) + 3 = 15

The river where we defeated Selwyn.

Ron stumbles out of the portal into the sunshine, and runs down to the river. He quickly submerges himself in the river, then sits up in the river and breathes deeply.

He stumbles back to shore and drinks a healing potion, before looking in the direction of Norwich. I'll be back to ye soon dearie.

After a moment's hesitation, he moves towards a nearby tree's shadow and flashes red again, more noticeably tinted with green.

Cast Shadow Walk: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (5, 4) + 3 = 12

The corridor outside the defeated Uxfaris.

Ron walks back in with a smile on his face, and dripping water. He walks up to Conwall to pat him on the shoulder. That one was yers me friend. Well fought.

Let's see if we cannae find something useful lying about.

I assume when you reappear, your outline is blue?

and everyone roll +2 for loot, or +3 if you are willing to use aboleth-y stuff (yes, totally stole this from McKhaos).

Roshan pushes to her feet and begins collecting her equipment. The illusion of Hebron collapses into a red fog that disperses quickly.

Ebil Lootz: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (2, 2) + 3 = 7

"Stay wary. There was someone inside..." Roshan leans across the opening to peer inside.

Ha, I completely forgot that mechanic. I think that first came about in Kobold campaign that Bastian and I played in with DM Mooshy, but I can't recall. Outlined in blue? As in blue mage? Ron is more of an internal fight between that Demon that wants me to go up to the mountain to fetch dragon tea (Red) and Larune (Green). He is absolutely Not Ok and desperately Needs Help.

C'mon Abolethy Stuff!: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (1, 4) + 3 = 8

I was making a blueshift/redshift joke

Ha! That’s a good one. Shame I don’t know no science.

I laugh with what little mirth I have left after such a brutal fight. That “one” was mine? I indicate the assorted limbs and heads hewn from the cultossus. Count the legs, the arms and heads, and then divide by five. That’s my score for today.

Abolith? More like aboless!: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (5, 5) + 2 = 12

Listen, I recognize that it’s suspicious to get six “12” results in a row. I must be stealing RNG luck from the players in my Sprawl game...

RE: Red & blueshift; I might be a huge nerd.

RE:Buttload o' 12's: It's cool, I believe you. and if you have found a way to hack the dice roller... well HMU, because... Na-Zo and velaris. Na-Zo doesn't deserve the amount of misses they roll.

Aboloot: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (1, 6) + 2 = 9

Belym enters the gap in the door, flaming sword out for illumination, and carefully approaches the two figures she saw earlier.

Shocked, but interested, Roshan watches Belym walk past (and under) her.

Roshan

circlet of eyes:A simple circlet that makes your eyeball pop out. This is not a problem, and you can continue to see through the eye just fine, like a spyeye (can be disorienting and dizzying if the eye rolls around on the floor). Reversible if the crown is removed while holding the eye (or anyone’s eye).

Ron

head of the Carcosan spire:None know from whence this spear of twisted white coral comes. Those who bear it too long find their minds full of alien dreams and begin to hear the strange thoughts of the Others. None are impervious. Used against any “natural” target (men, goblins, owlbears and the like) the Spire acts as a mere mortal spear. Its true purpose is to do harm to those things whose strange natures protect them against mundane weapons. Used thus, the Spire can wound foes otherwise invulnerable to harm. The wielder will recognize these twisted foes on sight—the Spire knows its own. this is only the head, but if you can hunt down the shaft, it may be useful.

Belym

Ring of Swimming: Wearer treats air as if it had the consistency of water. You can "fly" by swimming through the air, but the air is too thick to breath.

Conwall

choose between:

Boots of the Aristocrat: When you click them together, your clothes become clean, your skin becomes perfumed, and your hair is styled.

Tears of Annalise: Cloudy red gemstones the size of a thumbnail, the Tears of Annalise are always found in pairs. When swallowed by two different people, they bind the swallowers togethe —when either feels strong emotions (particularly sadness, loss, fear or desire) the other feels it, as well. The effects last until one spills the blood of the other.

as Belym slips under the door, she sees 5 figures. to are on the floor, one of them bleeding from the face, the other apparently sleeping. another is knelt beside the bleeding one, trying to stanch the flow. the other two take seats at the corners.

Thank you. I don't know how much longer we could have held them. one says, rising from his seat but, who are you?

My thoughts: Ooo, hey, cool spy gadget. Oh, the eye doesn't and shouldn't move. What if it's found and stepped on? Oh... well, better in Roshan's hands then...
...
Inb4 Conwall picks the boots.