Hi guys,
I was really trying to avoid writing this message, but I've got to do it. Unfortunately I have to pull out of the game. Major changes at work have eaten away most of my free time, and I had a significant health scare a week ago that resulted in some major lifestyle changes. One of those is getting enough sleep, which is being strictly enforced by my loving spouse. Between extra work at home, and earlier bed times, I haven't had any time to focus on the game.
To top it off, we have 3 kids, one of whom is in therapy. Nothing major, but he has some things we're working on. We found out last week that our other two also need therapy (twin 2-yr olds), so we've been dealing with that now.
All that said, I'm in a good place. Our kids need some help, but nothing serious, and if I follow my doctor's advice, I should come out just fine vis-a-vis the health thing. I just unfortunately don't have the time to dedicate to running this game any more. I'm really sorry to leave like this. You guys are all awesome players, and I thoroughly enjoyed being your GM.
"Aye, I am truly the last. Believe me, these silver-haired monsters provided me enough proof throughout the years. Took special care to make sure I was the last - increased my value to them." He shakes his head as if clearing it. The chain belt falls to the ground, and his iron shoes are opened, revealing gnarled and stunted bare feet.
"They made me wear those for over a hundred years. Enchanted so I could not run away from them. The belt, well, what better way to keep rein on other slaves than to chain them up to one who couldn't escape?"
He spits on the boots, his face a mask of red rage. With effort, Caylonn calms himself.
He looks at Azorius, "There are no more here, but there will be soon, maybe a day or two. This group was one of the House's favored sons. He was sent here to buy vials of something they called "Essence of Madness". It's sort of a drug, but it's not addictive. They just picked up a shipment." he says while pointing at the large pack on the minotaur's back. "Apparently there was a fey who could harvest the ingredients to make the Essence.
"I'm not sure what they paid for it, but I know that other Houses will be following along trying to find their source. We should get out while we can, and collapse the tunnel behind us if that's possible.
A new map is posted at the "Current Tactical Map" link at the top of the page. I think I got everyone's actions/moves. Let me know if I need to adjust anybody before the bad guys get their turn.
Hi all, so Monday became Tuesday. But I have turned everything in as of 2pm EST, so hopefully I'll have time to finish the map and get it posted tonight.
This whole past week has been a huge blur. Appreciate everyone's patience.
Our company was sold on Tuesday, and due to the nature of the sale (and resulting government involvement) my department has been unexpectedly slammed with requests that are all due on Monday for a big meeting we have with regulators.
Most of my work is done now, so I'm sure I'll have time to post over the weekend. Apologies for the continued delay.
Tomas has stated that he is going to shoot, so he's initiating combat. Given that he's having trouble with the boards, I'll roll for him tonight if he doesn't get to it first.
Rau, let me know if you want your shot to go off or not.
Nobody is currently in combat. The drow standing on the wall had a chance to start combat via surprise round (his perception beat your stealth checks, so he could have attacked), but he chose not to do so. Instead of attacking, he signalled his allies that you were there.
If you guys want to attack, then you would go first, after which we would move into standard initiative.
Sorry for the confusion on this. Please keep asking if I'm still being unclear! :)
Thanks for the heads up, getting ready to post similar message myself.
We're heading out from Jun 15-23. I don't expect to have much, if any, ability to post while I'm gone. If that changes, I'll post here and let you guys know.
I've been slow too for a couple of weeks. Sorry about that, just been hectic around the house with school coming to an end, work going crazy, etc, etc.
I'll try to be better about hitting the boards and letting you guys know when I'm getting backed up.
One thing I forgot to mention is that current players can rebuild using Background Skills rules. Should be easy change I think, but let me know if there are any problems.
Anabete buries her head in Dayn's arm, refusing to look at any of you.
Tanner looks over at Dayn, and with a nod from the dwarf, begins speaking, "My village is called Greendale. It's in a small valley between some hills. There's about, um, about a hundred families. We're mainly farmers, got some cows and sheep. Chickens."
"But the God of our village lives with us. The men of the village built him a big house to live in. He's been protecting us for a long time. Sometimes, he tells our Headman that he needs some servants to help him. So we have a Choosing. People put names in a big barrel, and a few are pulled out. Sometimes it's one. I remember four one time."
"So they go to serve him in his house. Once they go in, they serve him forever, so they aren't part of the village any more."
His face looks serious for a moment, then he continues, "There was going to be another Choosing. Me and Anabete had our names in the barrel. Night before it was time to draw, my Pa got us up in the middle of the night. He led us out of the house, through the field, and into the woods. Gave me a small pouch of coins, then pointed out The Rose in the stars, and said we should head toward it, that it would protect us. We didn't want to go, but he made us. Made us promise to keep going until we found people who didn't live in the village. Said I could use my skills at working wood to find a master, maybe find a place to stay for us."
"We walked for a few days. One time, we heard people talking, so we hid. It was people from our village looking for us. But one of them said something mean about Pa. I was about to yell at him, but I didn't realize I was near a rose bush. I started to stand up, but the thorns poked me hard, so hard I forgot all about yelling at that man. After a few minutes, we didn't hear them any more so we kept walking."
Rau:
Kn (local): So you don't recognize "Greendale" or the specific valley. But you're pretty sure that a green, verdant valley a few days north of here would be recognizable to somebody. It's baffling that nobody knows about it - especially an Army scout (the one who found the children and brought them to Dayn) who's job is to know such things.
Kn (religion): No God you know about lives on Golarion in a house.
That said, the image of the Rose is interesting. It appears that despite the presence of a "God" in the village, Tanner's father still put his faith in Milani to watch over his children. Hope is one of her domains, after all. So is freedom, especially freedom from oppression and/or injustice.
Sense Motive: Tanner seems to be telling the truth. You do get the sense that his "hundred families" may be plus or minus a few, but even if you wouldn't want him counting your gold, you believe he's trying to relate his story honestly.
Dayn nods, "Aye, they're locals. Boy knows about Ustalav, but he didn't know about the war. He thought the Prince was still ruling out of Caliphas. Says his God - calls him 'The One Above All' - came to their village to protect them. Based on when he says that God showed up, I'd mark it right about the time the war broke out."
He looks at Thorek, "True, this reeks of something foul. And I don't know of anybody who's tried to find their village. As for me, I've been praying to Torag, hoping he'd help me figure out what to do."
Dayn grins at all of you, claps his hands together, and chuckles, "Guess the Forgefather came through for this old dwarf, eh?"
He stands up and heads out of the door you entered from.
A few minutes later he comes back in with two human children, Tanner and Anabete.
Dayn pats them both on their shoulders, "These are the people I told you about, they want to meet you, and to visit your village."
He looks past the children and speaks directly at you, "Tanner here is very concerned about his parents, as well as one of his friends in the village. Name of Lida. She was up for being Chosen to serve this time around."
Tanner sits first, Anabete sits beside him, but grabs Dayn's hand and pulls him down on her other side. She nestles up to him, but continues looking at you all.
OOC: Tanner is 13, Anabete is around 8-9. Both seem to be healthy, and neither one exhibits any obvious signs of distress, disease, or mental illness.
Yes, still here! I will be posting recruitment here for feedback, then plan to have it up for public view later this week.
I'll also be starting this group up again in a day or so. We will be playing while recruitment for additional people is happening. No need to delay any longer. This thread is showing up weird in my campaign tab, so I'm leaning toward starting a new game thread. Thoughts?
Dayn looks your group over, but maintains a stoic face. He finally squints a bit and glances at Thorek. "And to you."
He turns and walks into the shrine, "Come along, let's talk."
The interior of the shrine is a simple open room, with a grand staircase leading down into the earth. He stomps down the stairs without hesitation. The staircase descends 20 feet into a much larger room, roughly 80 feet long and 30 feet wide. At the far end of the room is a large altar shaped like an anvil with a roaring forge behind it. Even from this distance, you can hear the crackling of the fires. A dozen or so dwarves dressed similarly to Dayn can be seen moving around.
At the bottom of the stairs he turns right and heads into a room with a large table and several benches. Gesturing for you to sit, he retrieves a pitcher of water and several cups, setting them on the table.
He glances around, then sits down. "So here's what I know. Human boy and younger girl are brought to me by one of the scouts who follows Torag. Said he found them wandering around couple of miles north of here. Didn't have any food, shelter, water. Nothing you'd expect travelers to have. I took them in, gave them a room, had some of the other younger ones look in on them."
He shakes his head, "Kids didn't have any idea what they were doing. Told us that they fled their village because they didn't want to get Chosen to meet their God. Seems that every so often, their God sends word that he needs servants. So the town chooses somebody, and they get the honor of serving their God in person."
"I don't have any idea who their God is, and nothing they told me gave any clue - and believe me, I know 'em all. Only thing they could say was that he protected their village. After talking to them a while, it was obvious the boy - he's 13 by the way - didn't know anything about the war. He knew what undead were, but he's never seen one. And he's never seen a soldier of Lastwall either. I don't want to call him a liar, but if there's some village out there that avoided the Army and the undead, well, I want to know how they managed that. I'd have bet my beard we knew about every speck of civilization in this country before meeting these two."
"Anyway, village is supposed to be about a week north of here on foot, so maybe two or three days on horse. Supposedly has a few thousand people, which... I don't know. Something about this doesn't sit right with me. I mean, I get the feeling that something unnatural is happening, if you catch my meaning."
"That's my side of things. Boy's name is Tanner, girl is Anabete. You got any questions for me before I go get them?"
OOC: With that excellent Diplomacy roll, Dayn has decided to pretty much give you as much help as he can. As a "bonus" quest, he is going to ask you to learn about this God of the village and report whatever you find back to him.
Tynan stares for a moment, then fumbles around in his robes. He removes a small piece of leather with a dark scorched mark in the center. "Hmmm. Interesting."
He sets the leather on the table. "This is a protective ward that is set to dispel certain magics that target me."
Tynan looks at Azorius, "No offense, but I don't think you would be able to use any magic that would set this off. So I don't suspect you of anything."
"But as you obviously know something about what's happening, I'll be guided by your direction. Please return again at your convenience. I will be in the Tower for another 3 days before heading over to Grayce for a time."
OOC: Feel free to respond. We're moving ahead with the Boy and Girl quest below.
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The village of Shade is almost exactly like you expected - a bunch of villagers and common folk all crammed into an area slightly too small for them to live comfortably. The tents and tarps that make up Shade are also far too thin to hide sounds coming from within. This gives the entire area an unmistakable constant white noise that permeates the town.
A few quick questions result in directions to the shrine of Torag. You note that it appears to be the only building in the area (other than the Tower) made of stone. The smooth sides of the rock and the tight joints between the individual blocks are either dwarven or magical in nature. Likely magic since the building does not show signs of weathering or wear.
You knock on the door and a few moments later it swings open. A dwarf wearing a gray robe opens and beckons you inside the small entry hall. "Father Dayn Hammerkin, at your service, may it please the Father. How can I help you?" he asks in a typical gravelly dwarven voice.
OOC: It's clear that Dayn is a religious man of Torag from his garb and manners. You don't see anybody else in the entry hall, but there are several doors leading deeper into the shrine. That said, the building itself doesn't appear to be very big.
So trip is over and it was chaos. My wife and I are just not "extended-family" vacation people. We need a vacation from our vacation. I'll be posting tomorrow. We'll close up with Tynan and I'll get the start of the Girl and Boy going. Apologies for the delays.
Documents have been posted, and a link has been added to the main Campaign Information section at the top of the page. Let me know if you have problems accessing the folders.
I've got several more updates in the pipeline, so more is on the way. I'll post here when I upload new files.
Tynan reaches forward and turns the paper around to read it. His eyes widen slightly, and an involuntary shout bursts forth from his lips as he is thrust backward, falling to the floor in a heap.
He looks up, sees Azorius, and says, "My goodness, I must have fallen down. Good sir, care to help me up? I'm ever so glad you stopped by, I am Tynan, Magister of this Army. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, though I apologize for my present state. May I have your your name?"
Slight drops of blood can be seen at the corners of Tynan's eyes. The paper is scorched and burned, leaving no evidence of Azorius' writing.
A few moments pass and it becomes clear to Azorius that Tynan has no memory of recent events, the last thing he clearly recalls is turning in for bed the previous evening.
Azorius:
I'm going to assume your detect magic is still going. You would have seen a brilliant flash of abjuration and enchantment magic at the moment Tynan was thrown backwards.
OOC: In game terms, this functioned like a "Symbol" spell, Tynan got a save, but failed it (he's around 8th level, so that should give you a good idea about the strength of the spell)
OOC: The shout is clearly audible in the hallway, so those of you outside may re-enter Tynan's study if you so choose.
So a bit later than expected but I'm going to be making several updates in the Google drive tonight. I'll also make sure the link works on the Campaign page.
First update will be locations you can visit around the Fort, both inside the walls and in the Tent town that has sprung up around it.
Second will be a summary of the papers the soldier gave you.
Third will be a running list of NPCs and locations, along with a few notes so you can keep track of whos's who as we love along.
Will have story update tonight, so I'll post here again when the campaign docs are ready to go.
Tynan's face flushes for a moment, then he speaks, "It was the single most devastating event I've ever been a part of - my family was accused of consorting with creatures from the lower planes. They were brought up on charges, and evidence was presented against them. It was, difficult. But after I heard about their predicament, I was able to prove the so-called evidence was manufactured, and that the accusations were the baseless endeavor of a business rival who felt wronged by my father."
"I have to admit, when I heard him mention it, I immediately flew into a rage. Such behavior is not typical of me, and I am very surprised that I became so enraged so quickly."
"You say that your friend said a word, and that is what caused my reaction? I wonder, could you write it down for me?"
He turns to a shelf and pulls out a few pieces of paper and a piece of charcoal.
Tynan's face twists in surprise, "No, I have no enchantments upon me - at least, none that I have cast!"
He quickly casts detect magic and takes a few moments to inspect his body. Cursing, he looks at Azorius, "You say you found a man who was twisted towards dark ends? Where is he now? I would speak of this condition with him if he can shed any light upon what's happening. To be subjected to magical powers without any spells or items focusing the raw arcane energy - that's unheard of!"
He pauses, "Perhaps my earlier words and tone were a result of whatever is affecting me. If so, please accept my apology. I will endeavor to look into this situation and provide updates as soon as I get them."
Tynan watches as Volkar, Rau, and Thorek get up and head toward the door. He turns to Azorius, and after a long moment, begrudgingly responds, "Nothing of consequence, first thing in the morning I have a short list of spells I run through. What makes you think someone is trying to take advantage of me? We're surrounded by hundreds of soldiers, who would be bold, or foolish, enough to bring trouble to my table?!"
As he speaks, Tynan's voice loses its volume and starts becoming calmer. While he is still not as calm and friendly as before, he is certainly not as angry and aggressive as he was a minute ago.
Tynan glares at Thorek, then looks at Tomas. "What, you didn't hear what he said about my parents and sister?! And how did you even know about that?" he yells at Thorek. "They were good people, and those salacious rumors were proven to be false!"
He then gestures at Volkar, "Unintentional? That's a lie - why else would he bring up such sordid stories about something so personal?! They were my family! No, it was plainly intentional, and I bet somebody put him up to it. And I bet you're all in on it too - it's just one more conspiracy against me - seeing how I'd react after all this time. I'll tell you how I'll react - say something about my family of consorting with the undead one more time, and just see what happens!"
Tynan's face is flushed and his eyes are wide and darting about. His fingers twitch as he speaks, and it is very obvious that he is on the edge of some kind of breakdown.
Azorius:
You catch the lingering effects of both necromantic and enchantment magic
Hi guys, sorry for the delay, I posted something last week but it seems to have been lost. I'll get it up again tonight.
This is the third or fourth time I've had this happen. Is this something I need to know how to manage (aka what am I screwing up?) or is it something to do with the boards?
Tynan visibly recoils at Thorek's words and his face twists with rage. "I know we have just met, but I cannot tolerate such blatant insults and disrespect. It seems I was wrong about you. Please leave now."
Sense Motive or Perception DC 15:
It seems the word "osteociene" is what set Tynan off. At this point he is very angry.
Spellcraft or Know: arcana DC 15:
Something is affecting Tynan that is similar to a magical compulsion, but it's not quite the same thing and doesn't match any spell you know about.
The Colonel nods his head, and exits the room through a side door, followed by the rest of the soldiers. The one who escorted you to this room in turn leads you back through the hallways to your own quarters, though he provides directions to Magister Tynan's chambers.
The Magister lives in one of the towers with his chambers occupying the first and second floors, while he uses the basement storeroom as his library and laboratory. Moments after you knock on his door, Tynan opens it and ushers you all inside.
"Thank you for coming. I see everyone, so it seems you made it out without causing too many problems."
[b"In any event, the main reason I wanted to speak with you is to discuss a theory I've been working on. I told you I have visions sometimes, which led me to study divination - to try and figure out how these visions happen, and to possibly control or direct them."[/b]
"Part of what concerns me is that Ustalav... excuse me, Former Ustalav, was a land drowning under insidious forces. The Whispering Tyrant. His most powerful servants. Cults of demons and devils. The corrupted nobility and various civic leaders. Have any of you ever wondered why such evil is concentrated in this location? Or why The Whispering Tyrant thought this would be the best place to establish his empire."
He shakes his head, "I do not claim to know the exact answer, but after having so many visions and waking dreams since I came here 5 years ago, I think I have an idea."
Tynan leads you over to a large wall that has been painted white. Upon the wall are a variety of notes and pictures pinned in a systemic manner.
He points to one, "See, this is early in Golarion's history, before Gods really appeared to us."
He moves to the right, "Here is another picture that shows the early Gods, enjoying their power.
Moving one more time, he stops, "But here is what I wanted to show you. This image depicts the Gods fighting against The Destroyer. See here, this is Sarenrae, Asmodeus, Torag, Calistria, Desna. They're all here. But look at this..."
Tynan moves closer to the image of Rovagug and begins pointing out figures that appear to be fighting along side The Unmaker.
"Who are these beings that fight beside The Destroyer, and where did they go when He was cast into the Pit? Well, I believe some of those creatures fell to Golarion, and even more dangerous, I believe some of them fell right here - in Ustalav. And now, for some reason, the signs I see are pointing to a resurrection of some kind, or a rebirth if that word better suits your tastes. If my theory is correct, I am extremely concerned about exactly what might be 'resurrecting' here on Golarion - especially if it was one of the beings allied with Rovagug The Destroyer."
I'll also post a list of other locations you can visit. Some in the Fort (so controlled by the military), and several in the town that has arisen in the Fort's shadow (and is not controlled by the military).
If you are done with the Colonel, Magister Tynan said he wanted to speak with you. It's still early though, so you can head to see Tynan, back to your rooms, or go somewhere else. If somewhere else, let me know and I'll give you a list of possible locations to visit.
The Colonel nods at Thorek, "Of course, Master Thorek. I would expect nothing less from you, and should you encounter any issues from the men and women under my command, I request you let me know. And to be clear about this..."
He takes a few steps forward, then turns to address the soldiers standing in the room.
"This group is here under the seal of our Lord General, and on a mission of the utmost urgency. Extend to them every courtesy that you would extend to me or any of the other senior staff."
He turns back to you. "None would willfully disobey that order, you have my word on that. If there is nothing else?"
Sense Motive DC 21:
The Colonel is putting on a good show, but you can tell by his clipped tone and word choice that the orders he just gave don't mean much to him. His soldiers may follow the orders, but you wouldn't be surprised to find yourself the target of indirect delays, jokes, thefts, etc.
Thorek:
The paper mentions a young boy and girl who were found to the north of the tower, near the hills. They spoke of a village to the north that needed help, but a scout was sent to investigate and he returned with nothing to report. The boy and girl were last seen in the village outside the Fort. The scout is apparently still active duty and is based at the Fort.
A soldier knocks at the door and asks you to follow him. He leads you through the fort, past several sets of guards, and into a significantly nicer area. The floors are finished stone, and the walls are covered in a variety of artwork and tapestries. He leads you to a iron door, opens it for you, and gestures for you to enter.
The interior is covered in wood, with a raised chair in the center on the far wall. A military man, Colonel Uller you presume, sits straight-backed with his arms crossed over his chest. Several other soldiers stand to his right and left. The image of the Colonel sitting on the raised dias brings to mind tales of rulers who would raise their seats so they may still look down on those who stood before them.
Colonel Uller is a man with thick silver hair and a trimmed beard. He speaks in a direct tone, "I am Colonel Gerar Uller, commander of this Fort and the men who serve here. I have been ordered to assist you in your efforts. Though we have already defeated the armies that ravaged Ustalav, no doubt there are still some rats that need to be put down."
He gestures and one of the men moves forward with a sheaf of papers. He stops in front of you and offers them.
"Those are the latest reports from the surrounding areas. Some skeletons roaming a battlefield, a few kids found wandering in the hills, stuff like that. Shouldn't be any problem for people of your talents."
"If there are no questions..." he says as he rises, the note of dismissal clear for all to hear.
OOC: Sense Motives aren't necessary for the callous and dismissive way he's treating you. He's not quite insulting you, but he doesn't think much of you, he wants you to know, and he wants his subordinates to know. There are some other Sense Motives you can get though... But feel free to ask questions, just remember he's a Colonel in the army. :)
Sense Motive DC 15:
When Colonel Uller says "... defeated the armies that ravaged Ustalav..." you see one of the men standing beside him rolling his eyes.
Sense Motive DC 20:
When the soldier hands the papers over, he calmly flicks one of the pages that is slightly out of alignment from the others. As his back is to Uller and the other soldiers, you are certain nobody else saw the gesture.
