GM Shahryār's page

Has it really been 8 days? Yikes...

Sorry, everybody. I've been dealing with some personal stuff lately and it's affected my posting in all my games. Every time I think about posting, I say "Nah, I'll get to it tomorrow" and this is where it got us.

So I'm putting the game on hiatus until I find the time and willpower to maybe get it back up again. Thanks to those who played and waited.

The rafter splinters under Gnasher's flail, sending shudders throughout the network. The pugwampis hang on, shrieking in dismay... but nothing happens. The gremlin taunting Bahram stands up, looks around, and begins to cackle.

Then the rafters collapse.

A deluge of wood, stone, and canvas collapses onto the floor. The gnoll skull chandelier shatters on a stone pew, spraying bits of bone across the chapel. When the dust clears, two of the three pugwampis on the rafters are still on their feet, although lightly wounded. There is no sign of the third, crushed under a pile of wood.

The remaining pugwampis continue to fire their arrows, although the balconies supported by the rafters begin to lurch dangerously. Redeemed and Zagathoth are both hit by their tiny arrows.

The rafters are now gone and two pugwampis are on the ground floor. Please note that moving through the rubble choked chapel counts as difficult terrain. Finally, if you are on a balcony, getting off of it before next round would be prudent.

Redeemed and Gath both take 1 point of damage. Party up!

You didn't knock down the beam, although it is significantly damaged. Just to be clear, you're attacking the rafter beam you're standing next to on the second floor?

Actually, the rafters on the first and second maps are the same. I just copied them onto the first one to show where the rafters were in relation to the ground. I apologize if this is confusing, but the nature of this fight is difficult to convey through text and flat maps.

The pugwampis on the rafters begin to laugh hysterically with Bahram's poor throw. One of them even pantomimes the motion to the others, looking around with exaggerated shock when his imaginary dagger travels directly backwards. This exuberance is cut short when Gnasher smashes his flail into the soft wood. The entire network of rafters vibrates and groans with the damage, causing the pugwampis to shriek with alarm. Another blow like that could bring it down.

Some of the pugwampis continue to fire arrows, but none find their mark.

Sorry about the delay. Party up!

Still waiting on Pinocchio and Priscilla.

The pugwampis respond with a fusillade of barbs fired from their crude bows. Most clatter harmlessly against the walls or pews used as cover, but one grazes Bahram. A thin trickle of blood flows down from a gash on his right arm.

When Bahram begins climbing the ladder, the pugwampis on the balcony above shriek and scamper onto the rafters. The rotting wooden “booths” on the balconies are inscribed with religious symbols, but the whole apparatus is in terrible shape and crumbling from dry rot.

Bahram takes 1 point of damage. Are all the positions on the map correct? Party is up!

ok I went back and re-read the GM description... No ladder mentioned... so at what point was Gnasher informed of the ladder and why didn't he tell the rest of us? I think Bahram will change his action based on the revelation that there was a ladder there.

Also assuming the ladder was spotted by Bahram, and he was closest and he went first then Gnasher will have to follow Bahram up the ladder.

also Bahram would have already determined it was not trapped

Adjusted Bahram based on above He is already up the ladder. if not then you all will wait for me then

Apologies. I used the description from the book, which didn't mention a ladder. I did, however, add a ladder to the map, assuming it would be seen. I'll be sure to add something like that in the description going forward, in case people miss it.

No problems here for revising your actions.

Next round coming soon.

Apologies for the delay. I lost power yesterday, which is less than ideal this time of the year in Michigan.

More of the room comes into view as Bahram moves cautiously into the ruined chapel. A thin balcony stands above the chapel floor some twenty feet high. Two rows of tall-backed wooden choir chairs dominate the southern reach of the balcony, which hugs the chapel’s concave walls. The balcony falls away—collapsed for a span of perhaps fifteen feet—just on the other side of the choir area. To the east, rickety time-worn wooden rafters stretch across the whole chapel.

Suspended across some of the rafters, a portion of the chapel upper works have been papered over like a wasp’s nest in an interwoven mish-mash of soiled tapestries, tablecloths, altar runners, and other bits of salvaged cloth, creating a sort of hanging “tent” in the rafters above.

Despite Bahram's best efforts to be stealthy, the knotted rope suspending the gnoll-skull candelabra jerks and jumps as a runty dog-like creature dressed in crude furs scrambles from far above to gain a foothold on the swaying skulls. The abhorrent gremlin makes a lewd gesture towards the rogue with a squeaky laugh. Suddenly, half a dozen more of the creatures pop out of hiding places along the balcony, sporting diminutive bows.

Really liking the posting, guys. I'll be unable to start the encounter until tonight. Hang tight!

The stele isn't on the map. Let's say that it's next to the statue.

The stele is a crude carving from the local sandstone. Its graven inscription reads: "A ghost of unholy mien was purged from this place by Theodephus Estrovan, servant of Aroden, 4691 AR."

She messaged me yesterday and I gave her the go ahead. I hope she shows soon.

Priscilla just PMed me, asking to rejoin the game. I'd like to give her a second chance, but I thought I'd ask you guys what you thought.

Map placed in the header.

As you move through the ruined nave, a pair of vestibules branch off to the north and south.

The north vestibule is laden with debris and would have once held a shrine and an altar, although time and vandals have removed any traces of these objects. The ceiling here has remained intact over the years, helping to preserve a bas-relief sculpture of a muscular humanoid with a pointed beard gesturing toward a huge mountain, his face a mask of mortal concern.

A similar statue adorns the eastern wall of the southern vestibule, in this case the bearded figure appearing on a hilltop to a group of robed pilgrims. The being holds up his hands, palms out, in a sign of peace. Though many of the faces and limbs on the bas-relief have been worn down or cut away, the expressions of those range from beatific to horrified.

A crude stone stele that seems to have been erected more recently than the abandonment of the monastery stands here as well. It appears to have an inscription, although the party is too far away to read it.

To the east, a short set of wide ceremonial steps leads down to a cavernous chapel in which the congregants would gather for sermons in happier times. The vibrant orange and red starburst of Sarenrae still stands behind a film of rusted rainwater and dirt along the north wall overlooking the collapsed altar. Between the stairs and the altar stand dozens of old marble benches, many overturned and even more broken into two or more pieces. A wide walkway bisects the pews, leading directly to the raised altar. Here and there a few clumps of the original red carpet along this thoroughfare hang on against rot and neglect.

Above the center of the chapel, dangling about ten feet from the floor, hangs a cluster of gnoll skulls in various stages of decay. Strung together like a ghoulish candelabra of twine and bone, the boulder-sized ornament hangs from the wooden rafters about twenty feet above the ground.

As the party creeps forward, Gnasher steps on a piece of broken pottery, shattering it. The giggling coming from the chapel immediately stops.

The "light" can't be revealed by your tokens, it has to be revealed by me. Pick a spot that you determine to be where your character is standing for that moment, and I'll reveal what he can see as soon as I'm able.

With that being said, I'll have a post up tomorrow morning.

You only know the group by appearance.

And unfortunately, with the loss of Priscilla and Mital, there are no more ladies in the party.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Okay. We're back on track. Thanks for the patience while we got some more players, guys.

Sorry about the delay. Crazy day followed by my IRL game.

Before Zagathoth, Gnasher, and Redeemed can enter the monastery, they hear a pair newcomers approach from the way they came.

Awesome. I'll get something up as soon as I'm home.

-Posted with Wayfinder

As soon as I get the caster from Choon, we're good to go.

It matters on how much you guys care about consistency. We could just punt and say that they've been with you from the start or I could find a way to add them as you enter the monastery. Either way works for me.

Like Choon said, rules can be found here.

I don't mind odd races, as long as they have a decent reason for being in Katapesh. :)

I wouldn't mind having both of you, although if Bahram is joining, Choon should play a full arcane of some kind.

How soon can you guys have your PCs ready?

Vishkanya are allowed, but psionics are not.

An eventual Arcane Trickster will suit our needs just fine, even if Priscilla decides to rejoin us.

Choon, the characters are currently:

Zagathoth, an aasimar Dawnflower Dervish bard

Redeemed, a human flame oracle

Gnasher, a gnoll bloodrager

Priscilla, a skinwalker empiricist investigator

Now how best would I add you? If only this had happened a week ago, you could have been in camp when the party returned. Let me think about it.

Not since Tuesday.

Before I open it to the general public, or pursue a character from the old recruitment, I'm going to see if I can drum up some interest from a game I'm playing in. I've been playing with them for a couple of years now and they're all great posters. Maybe something will turn up.

Here are the other arcane submissions from recruitment:

A half-elf arcane-blooded sorcerer

A half-orc illusionist mage

An elf ice mage

None of them really jumped off the page to me, and Vedic seemed a little too min-maxed for my tastes. Take a look and let me know what you guys think. If I don't get any endorsements, I'll start a quick recruitment thread. Try to have a new player by Monday.

If anybody has a suggestion for a player, I'm all ears.

Ideally, Priscilla will show soon and you four can keep playing until you find the new player. What do you all want to do?

So Nemeris has officially dropped out. Combined with Mital's continued silence leaves us without an arcane caster.

Should I fire up a recruitment post for 1-2 characters?

You make it to the monastery unimpeded.

Scrub brush and a light, patchy carpet of weeds invade the monastery through two huge fallen sections of the western wall. The exposed nave beyond is a huge hallway littered with bits of debris ranging from tiny rocks to enormous sections of collapsed masonry. Most of the roof above the long promenade is gone, but several jagged pillars remain. Some of the old red and orange tile work remains intact, but where walls and ceilings have fallen the decoration has cracked and faded.

The occasional hooting of baboons can be heard to the south and disturbing, child-like giggles echo from the east.

Roll20 map found here.

Ugh. Spent what time I had trying to get this darn map to align to the grid in Roll20. Still don't have it quite right. I'm going to crash and get a post up first thing tomorrow.

I've heard back from Priscilla. She's dealing with a loss in the family right now, but she should be back soon.

Nemeris should be back from vacation today. Hopefully we can get this game back in full swing!

Whether or not you took camels is up to you. And yes, they were baboons. That's my bad for not making that clear or putting a spoiler up.

Finally, each of you should add a potion of cure light wounds to your inventory.

You lie in wait, watching the monastery for ten or fifteen minutes. You don't see any movement, although hear the odd noise from deep inside - an animal call that could easily be a troupe of baboons.

Have you heard anything from Numeris since his trip? If he is around and planning to start posting regularly again we'd probably be fine with 5; if they're both gone that leaves us at 4 with no real arcane caster and we should maybe think about recruiting one.

At least, that's my 2 cp.

I have heard from him, although he certainly has some work to do. I'll wait until he's returned to judge him fairly.

I've messaged Priscilla as well. It's been a week since she checked in, but no actual posts so far.

What Knowledge(s) would apply to knowing anything about A) the temple, and B) the obscure local saint?

Knowledge (local) and (religion), respectively.

I still haven't heard from Mital. Should we consider looking for a replacement?

"Little, I'm afraid," Garavel confirms. "It was once a place of worship for the devoted of Sarenrae; specifically for an obscure local saint. However, preliminary scouting by Dashki has found that a covered hillock on the western approach will allow you to observe the location undisturbed. He also reports that he heard baboon sounds from inside. Be careful."

Zastoran gives Gnasher a look that would curdle butter, but says nothing.

---

The five of you assemble and begin heading towards the monastery, nearly an hour trek from the Sultan's Claw campsite. As you depart, the rest of the camp are breaking into their familiar routines. The Pactmaster guards and Garavel remain with Almah whilst Hadrod, Hadrah and Zastoran busy themselves with their duties. The mercenaries perform a thorough scout of the nearby area, checking for any signs of trouble. They also begin dismantling the burnt out wagon, salvaging what they can. Dashki keeps to himself, gobbling down a breakfast before heading out into the wilderness also, though in a different direction from that your party is taking.

As you draw nearer, you take position on the hill. The building looks structurally sound, although there are many holes in the roof and some of the walls. There are also signs of old towers which have now collapsed. Surprisingly, most of the windows still have stained glass panes intact. The only entrance to the building appears to be through two gaping holes in the western wall.

A guttural bark, not unlike a dog, sounds from someplace inside.

"Alright. We have an agreement. Garavel will speak with you tomorrow before you depart. Good luck." With that, Almah disappears into her tent.

---

In the morning, Garavel musters you all to ensure you understand your orders. He is accompanied by Father Zastoran who seems decidedly unhappy.

"The six of you are to explore and secure the ruined monastery," he reiterates, handing you a map. "Lady Almah does not wish to spend another night without a secure and easily defensible base of operations. If possible, we need to be able to move in tonight. Zastoran has prepared some healing potions for you, make sure you use them wisely - our resources are not unlimited."

Father Zastoran frowns as he moves amongst you, distributing small vials of an oily red liquid. "These will cure you of most wounds," he explains, glowering sternly. "They are very expensive. Only use them in an absolute emergency! With luck, you will not need them at all. I will be able to tend to any wounds when we join you this evening - If any fighting breaks out and you sustain injury, try to wait until then for any healing you may need. There's no sense wasting such valuable charms unless it's absolutely necessary."

You each now have one potion of cure light wounds.

"Any questions?" asks Garavel before you depart.

Okay. It's been a couple days. I'm pushing the scene forward.

I'm also giving Mital until the 4th to check in.

I hope everybody had a good New Year's Eve. Looking forward to getting this game back on track!

-Posted with Wayfinder

You'll each be getting a potion before the next adventuring bout. :)

I haven't yet heard from Mital and it appears that I can't send her a private message.

I have spoken with Nemeris. He's in LA for a week and half, so his posting will be pretty spotty.

I'll just bot both of them until they show up.

Aaaand I'm back!

"Thank you for finding and destroying this devil," Almah exclaims. "You have certainly proved your worth to me tonight. Zastoran!" The elderly priest of Nethys hurries over to where you are standing.

"See to their wounds," she instructs. Almah turns back to you. "This place is too exposed. Tomorrow I need the six of you to explore and secure a ruined monastary to the northwest. I will feel much better with a stone wall between me and these... things out there in the dark."

"Ahh...my lady," begins Zastoran deferentially. "I'm afraid that my powers of healing are exhausted. The fire..." he trails off, gesturing towards the burnt out wagon by way of explanation.

"Use some of those potions you're so fond of," she orders, annoyance creeping into her voice. "That's why I paid for them, isn't it? We need to find a secure base quickly and I'm not waiting another day." Dismissing the priest who heads back to his tent, an agrieved expression on his face, Almah turns once more to the five of you.

"I need you to rest tonight and prepare yourselves to explore this monastery tomorrow. With luck we will be able to move the camp inside those walls by tomorrow evening," she begins. "Also, we need to discuss your terms of employment in this venture. If the six of you are able to secure the monastery, I will grant each of you one hundred gold coins. Once we have secured all of Kelmarane - a further two hundred. I trust this is acceptable to you?"

I'm not pointing fingers at all (I know there's more I could have done to try to keep things moving) but it's been my experience as a player and as a GM that in PbPs the pacing depends a lot on the GM. You can't force people to post 1/day (though replacing them isn't always very difficult), but if the GM doesn't post once a day it does force people to also post less often (because they're waiting on responses). It also kind of sets the tone.

Again, I don't mean that as an attack or criticism, just some feedback. I look forward to seeing how the game develops in the new year.

I agree completely, which is why I'm going to really try and improve my posting rate.

I'm still here as well; I'm not terribly experienced with PbP, and fear I may have erred in making a character that is, to start, very reactive instead of proactive. I still look forward to continuing play, and perhaps we could try to set a post rate of once every weekday to get some momentum going in 2016.

I hear you. That's one of my New Year resolutions. I feel like I've been too lax in my posting and I've been setting a poor example for my players. Expect that to change.

Everybody still here? I'm planning on getting this game back on track soon (possibly even tonight), but I thought we could make sure people were still around.

Hope everybody had a good holiday.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, ya filthy animals!

-Posted with Wayfinder

No worries, Redeemed. The holidays are always slow going for PbP games.

Don't worry about it. Just assume you poke yourself a few more times, but the damage won't be relevant.

The return to the campsite with your disgusting quarry is without incident. Using the rope that restrained the goat, Dashki fashions a crude noose and hangs the pugwampi corpse from the top of his walking staff.

As you arrive back a Keleshite man, Hadrod, one of the animal keepers and camp cook, gives a shout of happiness and runs over to collect the goat, his wife, Hadrah, trailing him.

"Oh Rothbard, you rascal!" he scolds the animal. "Wherever did you get to? I was worried sick.."

"He's been worried sick, Rothbard, you silly creature!" Hadrah interrupts. "Wandering off like that!...You never know what might..."

"...be out there," concludes Hadrod, leading the goat away happily as he begins to pick cactus spines out of the creature's coat. "And look at you! All covered in thorns and prickles. Honestly, if it wasnt for these kind people..."

"If it wasnt for these kind people," continues his wife. "Who knows what would have happened!"

"Who knows what would have happened," agrees Hadrod. "Mister Nemeris, sir. I never got the chance to thank you for saving as many of my animals when the fire broke out. Thank you ever so much. And you friends too..."

"Don't forget to thank his friends too," admonishes Hadrah, smiling apologetically at the rest of you. "I'm sorry about him. He's terribly upset you see..."

"I was going to," insists her husband as the two of them wander off towards their tent.

"Well, you mustn't be rude. You know how you get...." The two excited commoners continue chatting as they leave you to report to Almah and Garavel.

"So," begins Almah as she and Garavel join you, peering intently at the limp body that hangs from Dashki's staff, "This is a pugwampi? A loathsome creature to be sure."

Thanks for the patience, guys.

"It isn't a trap," explains Dashki. "Remember that feeling when we got near the pugwampi? Like your skin was trying to crawl off and hide some place dark? Do you still feel it? You don't because there aren't any more pugwampis here." He nudges the corpse with his foot. "Now let's take this back and be done with it. The foothills are dangerous after dark as it is without hanging around out here."

I'll move the scene tomorrow. Just wanted to let you guys know I'm back.