"Does the Lady appoint them as police? Or are they voted into power? Why does anyone pay attention to them?"
Glutton puts one finger to her mouth and answers quietly, "Wig-waging about the Lady of Pain can draw her shadow. No she doesn't like to interfere much. Unless you threaten the Cage, then its the mazes, or the dead-book."
Glutton speaks up more, "There's like this council or something that factols make up. They make all the laws. It doesn't really matter, that stuff is all pointless."
Pandemonium
Glutton smile somehow widens, "Its good to be back!
Try as he may to dismiss the insidious winds, Throrgar is unable to ignore its bite and maddening howl - "This is what insanity must sound like" - he grumbles, shaking his head.
Most of you manage to handle the howling, maddening winds well, perhaps feeling a little on edge. Throrgar, however, is beggining to fray.
You suffer -1 to Int & Wis while exposed to the winds
You continue to trudge on, another four hours until you are all exhausted and at your breaking points and determine the only course is to shelter for the night.
Cheyanne notes the frustration demonstrated by Throrgar and tries to help him or keep out of his way as they make camp. The wind's constant, maddening wail is intense and a little frightening, but she tries to weather it as well as she can. "Irori help me...Irori help me...Irori help me" she chants to herself as she works.
As the hours pass she finds herself growing frustrated too as she tries to sleep, covering her head with her blanket and trying to block out the noise with her hands...
Glutton knew that her companions were starting to feel the effects and what that meant. She was careful to avoid getting in their way during this delicate phase. She focused on her alchemy tinkering with poultices powders, solvents and solutes, doing her best to shield her projects from the winds. Finally with stained hand she lay down to sleep.
If pressed, they'll agree to whatever's being said, but without any real enthusiasm, and without adding any substance to the talk. Once the group is up and moving, these characters follow along in an apathetic way. In a battle, however, they'll fight with real desperation - almost like berserkers. This is because while they seem hopeless on the outside, it's just denial of an inner turmoil. Deep inside, these berks
are about ready to crack and slip over the edge into hysteria, the third phase.
"Despairing" characters are automatically surprised in combat, even if the rest of their group is not. But once they're able to attack, they do so with a +1 morale bonus to both attack and damage rolls.
"This sucks!" The goblin grumbled.
”Gngngngn....I....loathe...this....place!” Avesska murmurs to herself. She grits her teeth and grips her blade tight against the maddening, incessant onslaught.
Throrgar simply wanders around aimlessly after they make camp, hesitating from one direction to the other, shoulders slumping in frustration.
Eventually he just sits down, staring into nothingness.
Waking up refreshed and largely unaffected by the winds Glutton puts a comforting hand on Throrgar's, "You see now how meaningless it all is, I'd say we can just sit here and listen to the winds but I don't think our friends will want that." She leads him along when the party is ready to break camp.
The next morning, when you wake up, sleep has abated some of the worst of the madness inducing wind- at least for what part of the night you COULD sleep, you didn't hear the wind. . . or you only dreamt of still hearing it.
As you break camp, and memorize you spells/do your morning prayers, the wind is back with a distinct and ever present thrum.
Last night was Gribblix's first night away from Sigil..ever. The loss bore deep into the goblin's psyche.
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Avesska slept little, and it seemed the maddening winds continued. Still nothing for it but to trudge on in this beleaguered plane...and to hurry these other berks on.
Her rabid eye considers them each in turn.
That minotaur, always looming so...loomily. The feisty little goblin...so...frustrating. The half-orc, mooning about wondering if everything needed to be wondered about. The human, most vexatious with his easy use of magic. And Glutton, gleefully chirping insanity like it was breaking bread. If Avesska didn’t kill something soon she might just bite her own toes off.
Cheyanne wakes, and then just lays there, wondering if the wind ever stops in this dreadful place...
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OH MY GOODNESS 40 posts!1! Over a weekend!!11!!11!!!!eleven!! Okay, I guess you guys do likey to game over the weekend. I picked the wrong day to go travelling. ^_^[/ooc]
As the minotaur flips a brace of coppers at a merchant in exchange for an odd pair of small ear-hole-shaped things, Rankev follows suit, figuring that if even the smelly minotaur is doing a thing, he should at least try to be as smart as him.
Later, as the Howling Winds of Madness buffer them, he keeps his own council, figuring that a hold on his tongue will translate to a hold on his mind.
Probably.
"Gah!" Rankev screams in frustrating frustration. "What an awful place this is!"
He knew that his meditation tea might get him out of this, but he wanted to save it...for the journey back.
Depending upon their personality, some weep as they rock, while
others grit their teeth and snarl curses. If touched, they'll flinch, but they can be drawn to their feet and led along. But no matter what, they won't open their eyes or uncover their ears. Obviously, then, they cannot fight, cast spells, or do much anything else useful while suffering from hysteria.
If taken to shelter, these bashers come out of the hysteria and act as if at stage two while away from the noise. But upon leaving the shelter, they'll immediately slip back into hysteria. It should come as no surprise, then, that they'll be extremely reluctant to leave the
sanctuary.
it go away. Instead, it manifests itself in some other manner: a nervous tic, a phobia, a mania, or some other such idiosyncrasy. Exactly what that idiosyncrasy is depends upon the person.
Players whose characters reach this stage should invent a quirk for their heroes. Ideally, it should be one that matches the character's personality and experiences in some way, or that somehow enhances them. As a simple example, a paladin might compulsively clean her armor, taking it apart piece by piece at every camp to wipe and oil, and even unconsciously polishing and picking at it while on the march. Similarly, a thief might keep one hand in his purse at all times, counting and recounting his coins by touch; or he might jerk a glance nervously over one shoulder every couple of seconds, even while supposedly relaxed.
Players can start with some such simple quirk, then change to something more distinctive later.
At this point, you start to feel a snowfall coming over you. You push on, but within minutes you can barely see in front of your face! You hear a howling in the distance, coming behind you- and not just the wind, but the sound like wolves coming for you, hunting you down!
Avesska scowls in annoyance - the strange cold powder falling from the sky is...cold... and wet. And obscures her vision. She peers, considering her companions.
”We make a circle, get the morose and mad in the middle unless they appear able to fight!”
"Let us do this then - no point in dwelling in this madness" - he replies to Avesska, his fist flexing once and again in anticipation, and perhaps something else..?
Drawing his shield, he stands at the ready, prepared to defend the others.
----------
The wolves are closer now, almost within the pitiful distance that this storm allows for vision. . .
Round 1
1. Rankev
2. Throrgar
3. Avesska
4. Gribblix
5. Cheyanne
6. Glutton
7. wolves
Glutton downs her mutagen bringing forth the daemonic version of herself. Her tail, ever helpful, places her dagger in her hand and then she moves towards the sound of the wolves.
The goblin readies his attack with his sickle.
]What kind of circle is that? the githyanki thinks as Glutton heads off.
Much as she likes to live in the now and make bold decisions, the choice here is to separate, or live. Unfortunately Glutton has already...separated. Cursing in her native tongue, Avesska moves to support the tiefling.
Round 1
Glutton drinks her mutagen and the party waits for the wolves to arrive. . .
The first to break through is a massive wolf, bigger than any you've seen before, and Rankev hits it with his force missile.
None of the wolves quite reach melee range, but they have all entered the narrow band of your vision.
Round 1
1. Rankev
2. Throrgar
3. Avesska
4. Gribblix
5. Cheyanne
6. Glutton
7. wolves
Status:
Throrgar 3 non-lethal
Avesska 2 non-lethal
Dire wolf: -4
Round 1
The goblin druid pivots himself between Avesska and Glutton-For-Punishment, and makes an attack against wolf immediately in front of the tiefling.
We must reduce their numbers lest we become overcome! the githyanki thinks.
Avesska steps forthright into the path of the nearest wolf recreating the ensorcelled snare of misery hacks at it with her blade...
[+1 mwk, +2 Str; +3 THF]
With a grunt, Throrgar takes a step ahead, and toward the large wolf. The step is followed by a strong punch, thrown in a wide arc.
"Hold the line!"
----------
Round 2
Throgar pops the dire wolf with a fist.
Avesska steps up and hits the (red) wolf.
Gribblex misses.
1. Rankev
2. Throrgar
3. Avesska
4. Gribblix
5. Cheyanne
6. Glutton
7. wolves
Status:
Throrgar 3 non-lethal
Avesska 2 non-lethal
Red wolf: -5
Dire wolf: -14
Glutton tries to force her dagger down one of the wolf's throat.
Round 2
Rankev blasts the dire wolf with a missile, but the four legged creature maintains it feet!
Glutton stabs the wolf!
The dire wolf tries to bite Throrgar:
and hits, tripping the Minotaur!
The other wolves attack-
Circling around at Chayanne:
miss!
One rushes past Throrgar to bite Rankev
miss!
At Avesska:
miss!
At Glutton:
miss!
At Gribblix:
miss!
1. Rankev
2. Throrgar
3. Avesska
4. Gribblix
5. Cheyanne
6. Glutton
7. wolves
Status:
Throrgar: 4/11, prone
Red wolf: -6
Dire wolf: -20
Round 2
The goblin druid jumps and scampers out of the wolf's jaws. Gribblix attempts to slice into the mad lupine attacking him.
Seeing how the wolves fumbled around in the darkness of Pandemonium Glutton is incited to recklessness. She charges through a pair of wolves and spins around in an pirouette bringing her dagger to bear against it.
She screams, "Die, die, DIE!"
Round 3
Gribblex misses again, but Glutton moves swiftly and buries her dagger in the wolf's skill, killing it.
Status:
Throrgar: 4/11, prone
Red wolf: DEAD
Dire wolf: -20
After drawing her Sansetsukon and taking a ready stance, Cheyanne strike at the two wolves adjacent to her as she steps towards Rankev. She doesn't speak, the stressed look in her eyes testament to her struggles against the maddening winds...
Round 1
,
,
Round 2
,
,
As the wolf passes him by, Throrgar takes a swing at it.
And from the floor, without getting up, the minotaur continues fighting, trying to remember his training as best as possible.
----------
Round 3
With four quick blows, Chayanne drops two of the wolves, then steps over to Rankev.
Throrgar hits the wolf (now blue) as it passes by, but misses when he tries to swing again!
1. Rankev
2. Throrgar
3. Avesska
4. Gribblix
5. Cheyanne
6. Glutton
7. wolves
Status:
Throrgar: 4/11, prone
Blue wolf: -6
Dire wolf: -20
Exultation fresh in her mind, Avesska stalks the next predator, swinging her dire blade...and missing.
[+1 mwk, +2 Str; +3 THF]
Round 3
Rankev's blast leaves the wolf critically wounded, but still on its feet!
Avesska swings and misses.
The Dire Wolf bites at Throrgar again:
but even on the ground, the Minotaur gets the shield in between his flesh and the wolf's teeth!
The wounded one lashes out at Cheyanne:
hit, but she keeps her feet!
the others chomp away at Gribblex:
and Avesska:
both miss!
1. Rankev
2. Throrgar
3. Avesska
4. Gribblix
5. Cheyanne
6. Glutton
7. wolves
Status:
Cheyanne: 7/10
Throrgar: 4/11, prone
Blue wolf: -12
Dire wolf: -20
Glutton practically skips around the battlefield and goes to stab another wolf being distracted by Avesska.