Awesome artwork. I was just thinking how I hoped a hydra would show up in this adventure and then this! I really like what I'm seeing here. These azure dreams of an Ire of the Storm / Seers of the Drowned City campaign are looking more and more like they're going to come to fruition...
Level Up Completed! Astraea is now an Oracle (Stargazer) 3. -HP goes up by 6 (5 from HD plus 1 CON) to a total of 22 maximum hit points.
So, between the new spell and both new revelations, I now have three new offensive options. Hooray! All of them are limited-use, but since I'm also on buffing and healing duties, I think I'll be okay. Let me know if anyone sees any discrepancies. As for the loot from earlier, I'd be happy to take the potion of tongues, and I'll carry the other one (remove disease?) if nobody else wants it.
I'd check out Carrion Hill (Lovecraftian horror), Feast of Ravenmoor (creepy backwoods cults), and The House on Hook Street (nightmare landscapes and occult shenanigans). All three of those are fantastic.
"You're, uh- you're welcome," Astraea nervously replies to Zoreck, keeping her eyes on the gnoll-like creatures. They still seem to be on edge. Unsure how best to help her friends with the weird devices, she instead turns her attention to these creatures that seem to share their circumstance. She knows they will not understand words, but perhaps a few nonthreatening gestures might keep them calm.
Astraea drifts among the stars, utterly at peace, as if floating upon the surface of a still lake. In this dreamscape, her eyes are not shattered glass; the wonders of the heavens unfurl before her, beckoning to her with their mysteries, all of it colorful and beautiful and clear. Blood and rot and sickness and evil are far away from here, distant, half-remembered remnants of a world left behind. She is glad to leave them behind; like the sorrowful looks in her parents' eyes, like the eerie stranger in the strange robes with his silver symbol dangling about his neck, they are things best left in the past. She has no desire to waken. She has no desire to return to a world of rot and ruin. Were it more than a dream, she would remain among the stars forever, alone in all the universe... but somehow one with all of it. Her lingering illness disagrees. She is torn from the stars by a sudden sharp pain in her chest and a hacking cough, forcing her into a sitting position. She rubs idly at her eyes, groaning, and sighs.
*sigh of relief* ...Okay, I think we're gonna be all right. Seems everybody's still around after all. I had a moment of existential GM crisis, but it's passing. False alarm. Game's still on board. I'll try to get the first Flashback post up tonight or tomorrow.
Astraea turns the pouch of coins over in her hand, briefly considering taking it along- but thinks better of it. She commits to memory that it is there, but does not wish to take money that someone could, hopefully, be coming back for. She spots Rikkan pick up the stone and offers him a smile. "A fond memory?" she inquires as she finds a seat. "Maybe I'll take one for myself."
"That's more like the Julen we know and love!" Xai whispers, smiling in approval of Julen's rhyme. "But try to keep the volume low. We don't know what kind of help that goblin's calling out for. Watch yourself."
Calwen:
Upon cross-examination, whatever the webbing that Bacarov had mentioned before is- it appears to be natural, perhaps from a larger spider of the sort your drow brethren are so fond of- it's not exactly the same thing as the strange, vaguely-magical substance that you took from Armand's place of death. Deeper and deeper the rabbit-hole goes... Warshawski and Bacarov:
- - - - After 250 miles and more than a week of travel, Ravenmoor is finally within reach, and the mystery of Elias Kyle's disappearance- not to mention the missing taxes owed the city-state of Magnimar- is surely soon to be solved. The environs grow no kinder as you begin this final leg of your journey. The dreary bog-lands seem to almost radiate heat and moisture. An hour or so after breaking down camp and continuing to follow the bend of the Lampblack river, you begin to hear the occasional flapping of wings and the cries of birds flapping overhead. You already came to understand the "moor"- now you understand the "Raven." A whole unkindess of them flies overhead at one point.
By your estimation, you are right on track to arrive at your expected time, a bit before noon. The morning hours go on, and soon, you can practically feel the town drawing near. GM Rolls (no peeking):
The trail leads away from the river for a short while, circling around a particularly hopeless patch of muck that seems to go on for a quarter-mile before finally looping back around toward the river. Over the sound of your own footsteps and the running of the nearby waters, you suddenly hear a voice calling out: "Aaaaaaapplesaaaaaauce! Aaaaaaapplesaaaauce! Here, boy! C'mere, 'fore I hafta tan yer hide! I'll do it! Y'won't get no treats fer a week! Aaaaaaapplesaaaaaaaaauce!" It sounds like a child. You hear a whistle, like the sort a boy might use to get the attention of a dog. Warshawski: A voice, as if carried upon the wind by the spirits, whispers to you: in the bushes. on your right. hungry.
While we're still waiting on Mr. Marsh to report his findings, let me just say that I am thoroughly enjoying the Wiki so far. This is turning out so much better than I had imagined, and you guys are making my first time GMing a PbP game really wonderful. Thanks, everybody!
With the glassworks in sight, Xai sticks close to the others and tries to discern whether or not the front door seems like a safe way to enter.
For decades, the tiny village of Ravenmoor has existed quietly on the upper reaches of the Lampblack River, far from the centers of civilization in Varisia. Linked to the outside world only by an overgrown, mostly-forgotten trail, the villagers are comfortable with their isolation. Their ways are humble, quaint, and at times odd, and when travelers come, they find the town awkward and unmemorable. Certainly, the lack of a village inn, the oppressive humidity, and the bug-infested moors and swamps that surround the village do little to encourage visitors. When a clerk in the city of Magnimar discovers that, due to a clerical error, the village of Ravenmoor hasn't paid taxes in years, a tax collector is sent to the distant community to settle accounts with its mayor. When the tax collector fails to return, however, a group of adventurers must travel to the town during its Founders' Feast celebration to investigate his disappearance. Did he really make off with the taxes himself, as the villagers suspect? Or did he never make it out of Ravenmoor at all? Welcome, adventurers! Fate has conspired to bring an early end to not one, but several of the Play-by-Post games that I have been participating in... while this is saddening news indeed, there is a silver lining: I now feel confident enough to start up my own! For my first turn GMing a game in Play-by-Post format, I've decided to run one of my favorite Paizo modules, Feast of Ravenmoor. It is an investigation/mystery/horror adventure for 3rd-level characters, set on Golarion in an obscure backwoods village in Varisia. I'm looking to recruit 4-5 players interested in a game centered more on investigation, roleplaying, and quietly-building horror than kicking doors down and killing tons of enemies... though that's not to say there won't be any combat involved. I would prefer that everyone be able to post at least once a day, with the concession that should you be absent for longer than that, I can GMPC you until your return. Since this is a module, it won't be nearly as long-lived as some PbP games (which is why I chose to run it instead of an Adventure Path- it won't be so daunting for a first-time PbP GM like me), but it'll still probably take a fairly long while to complete considering the format of play. With that in mind, please understand that I'd really like to bring on players who'll be in it for the long haul. Also, a word of warning: this adventure contains some pretty grisly content that more squeamish players might find disturbing. While I don't want that to discourage anyone from playing in this, I think it's only fair to let you know ahead of time that there may be some "R" content. Worst case scenario, I can always put the "gory details" into a spoiler that one can click at his/her own risk. Character specifications:
-Character level 3. At this level, your character should have had a successful adventure or two, and is well-known enough around Magnimar to have some reputation in the adventuring community (as it is)... but you're far from a household name. -Average HD (+1) for HP beyond level 1, like the PFS standard. -15 point-buy for stats. I know most people prefer 20 or 25 for point-buy, but I feel that the lower power range better preserves the spooky flavor of the adventure... so embrace the challenge! I fully expect you to roleplay your stats appropriately, so if you dump a particular stat below 8, you had better actually play that up! -3,000 gp starting wealth. -Any good or neutral alignment allowed. I will consider allowing a Lawful Evil character so long as they can be trusted to work with the party and won't disrupt gameplay. Note that your characters probably shouldn't be expecting a huge payday out of this mission, so if you're the type that only works for money, it might be a tough pill to swallow; I would suggest considering other motivations. -Core and Featured Races only, though I encourage human characters. Humans just seem to work better in horror-themed adventures; darkvision tends to spoil things sneaking up on you in the night. ;) That said, I'll entertain just about any race if the character is interesting enough. -All official Core, Base, and Hybrid Paizo classes are allowed. Please try to avoid character types that focus on multiple minions- an animal companion, familiar, or eidolon is one thing, but any more than that and this will get out of control very quickly. In order to preserve my sanity, try to keep your character concepts relatively simple, mechanically speaking. The less I have to stop and look up, the better. -Two traits, one from each category, though a third can be taken if you also choose to take a Drawback. Please only use traits from this listing from Ultimate Campaign. I actually don't particularly like traits in my games, but I'm going to give them a shot here since most PbP games enable them. That said, please actually make sure they make sense for your character's background/personality. Including a reference to them in your backstory will net you bonus points in my book! -When building your character, try to keep the mood and theme of this module in mind. There is not a great deal of combat in the early-goings of the adventure, and social skills will be just as important as fighting prowess here. Also, as a note, characters who are followers of the goddess Desna might find some interesting RP opportunities here, so consider that if you're planning on submitting a Cleric or the like. -Please include a solid backstory for your character, as well as a physical description (feel free to link an image if you have something that represents your character well- in fact, if you have an image that fits your character better than the avatar you pick for you alias, I can use it to represent you on the battlemaps). How your character is perceived will affect NPC interactions considerably. Since this is a module being run stand-alone rather than a long-term campaign, personality is probably more important here than a background full of potential plot hooks, but I'm certainly not one to discourage such things! -This adventure is set up to treat your characters like a team, so if you'd like to discuss amongst yourselves some ways that your characters might already know one another, go for it! I'm all for interconnected background and shared histories. House Rules:
-Monks have a d10 hit die and full-BAB progression. I know it doesn't fix all of the problems the class has, but at least it satisfies the issue I have with the uber-dedicated martial artist having less hit points and being less skilled at fighting than the Gunslinger. Plus, it helps with qualifying for Feats earlier. -Rogues' Trapfinding adds their Rogue level (as opposed to 1/2) to Perception and Disable Device checks involving traps. Note that this only applies to Rogues; any other class or archetype that gains Trapfinding still only adds 1/2 their applicable level. Again, I know this doesn't "fix" the Rogue class, but it's something. -We will not use Hero Points, but I may give you a slight push on an attack roll or skill check that otherwise would have just missed its target if I am particularly impressed with the ingenuity or description behind the maneuver. This usually equates to a +1, and never goes higher than a +2. Don't rely on this- it's entirely subject to my whims, after all! Bwahaha and all that. -I'm not really that harsh a rules lawyer, so far as GMing goes. If you have any ideas or suggestions that go outside the box a little, I'm willing to listen. I'm getting the hang of Ditzie, so we'll probably use that for battlemaps. For any extremely simple encounters we'll probably just go mapless to save time. If we finish the module and there is sufficient interest in continuing onward, we'll level up to 5 and move on to he next module I'd like to run... probably Carrion Hill. But let's not worry about that just yet... In the meantime, show me your best!
"If Drexel is headed westbound at 40 miles and hour, and Rhona is headed east at 13 miles an hour..." ...They collide with the force of a million exploding suns? |
