The Horned Hunter

Karactus, the Dream Stalker's page

170 posts. Alias of Doomed Hero.


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Doomed Hero again. Might as well pitch my character concept, even though I know it will need to be reworked for the system.

Karaktus is a character I came up with for another high-power WotW game that ended before we could get out of the prison.

The premise is that he is a very weak demigod now remembered only by the savage hordes of the north and as a footnote in Mitra's holy texts. He was once part of the pantheon of gods worshipped by Mitra's original followers.

Now, he is a shadow of his former self. A nightmare creature who possesses a host, rises to try to take revenge against Mitra, is inevitably defeated and banished back to his lonely dreamscape until he can gather enough strength to try again years later. He's been caught in this loop for a long time.

This time will be different because he will be getting a boost in power from Asmodeus.

Karactus is inspired by the Horned King, the Master of the Wild Hunt, and the Unseele Sidhe. He's a kind of amalgam of the darkest Celtic myths.

Originally he was built as a gestalt Antipaladin/Nature Oracle. Obviously I'll need to rework him using the Mythos system, but that gives you an idea of his themes and mechanics. Go ahead and read the background in the alias if you'd like more information.


So, is this game dead?


Checking in. Hope everything's alright.


Woohoo! Glad we're nearly back. Hope your vacation was fun.


MorganFreeman wrote:

Checked out that translator, it seems more like pirate speak than Dwarf speak. Interesting though.

Thoughts on Seth. I'll decide by the end of the week if I am to shut down the second group. If I do, I would like to transfer Kessa over here. If not, someone can take over Seth.

Any word on this, GM?


That's what I get for posting before I'd seen the map. Guess I'll have to adapt my action.

Where's that wall of force?


Hey Bognus-

Have you seen this feat?


The 13 controlled by me are under orders to obey you. You can treat them as your own. If you go unconscious or something I can still command them, but other than that you're in charge.

"Warden!" Karactus said in Sergeant Blackerly's voice. "Have you met Bognus?"

Using Shadow Evocation to cast Telekinetic Charge on Bognus.

Once the map is up I'll toss the dwarf next to the wizard and let them have their fun.


Damn. I guess I should have thought about checking the exterior with jungle mind earlier. Sorry folks.


Can I use Jungle Mind to time our exit into the outside with whenever the guards on the wall are farthest away or not paying much attention?


"Yes." Karactus said, moving toward the large entrance door.

Still wearing Blackerly's face, he opened the door.


Karactus walked into the guard room and began dragging the corpses into the barracks. Soon he had quite the pile.

He raised his hands gently, letting the shadows deepen and crawl, throwing silhouettes of gnarled trees which were not there up onto the walls. Moss grew in the cracks between stones and black lichen clustered in the corners. The smell of loam and damp earth filled the room.

Desecrate

Then the corpses began to twitch and smolder. In moments every slain soldier had risen again in a mockery of their former selves. The whole barracks smelled like charred meat and the Forsaken Brand glowed on their chests.

Animate Dead. I can animate 13 of them with one casting. Not sure how many there are total though.

Karactus instructed them to arm and armor themselves with their equipment and sent them to join the others under Ulmah's command.

A bunch more 1 hit dice Burning Bloody Skeletons. Happy Birthday, Ulmah!


Karactus smiled warmly. "So rare to find such understanding in one so young."


I already have him a hand axe. I think we got one in an early encounter. If I'm misremembering, then any x3 crit weapon will do.

It bugs me that daggers are so bad at killing people in their sleep...


Karactus smiled. "Cleverness oft seems as madness to those who have never known either."

"Nuandis? Set thy pet to task, please."


"Yon sleeping soldiers do not matter. Sergeant Blackerly does not matter. Nor even the warden of this place. They are fools. Pawns."

"They shall die and stand before their god. It is their only purpose. So it is how they die that matters to my designs."

"Should they be slain by thee, when they go before their Lord they will know only that they were slain by a monster. They will be honored in the paltry heaven Mitra has crafted to delude them."

Seargent Blackerly's eyes hardened, his handsome features barely containing the wroth of the creature that wore his face.

"Should they be slain by a friend, then when they stand before that golden throne they will want answers. They will ask why."

"Then Mitra, Lord of Light, will be faced with a choice. To lie to his martyred faithful, or to tell them why I am here."

"And in that moment of choice, Mitra, Lord of Light, will remember what it is to doubt."


"We are in no hurry. I wear the sergeant's face. The sergeant himself is under our sway. The guard change is hours away yet. The only foes left in this prison are asleep. We are in as little danger as we are likely to be in until we leave." Karactus said patiently.

"There is purpose here, thought you do not see it."


"Will thou gain'st any kind of satisfaction from the slaughter of slumbering soldiers?" Karactus asked blithely.


From the doorway, Karactus held up a hand to hand Bognus. "Sergeant Blackerly has a mission to undertake."


I'm hoping that it will take you longer to strangle two dudes that it will to give the sergeant his marching orders.


The Sergeant watches for a momnet, then walks back up the hall, leaving them in the clutches of a monster.

Back in Blackerly's quarters Karactus handed the actual Sergeant a hand axe.

"Thou art going to sneak into the barracks and silently kill as many sleeping soldiers as thou cans't. If they wake, thou shalt fight them as though they were thy most despise'd foes . Thou shalt not apologize nor let them know what is happening, nor why. They shall die wondering."


Very cool.

Karactus is definitely into setting up ambushes as often as possible. This time took longer than I hoped it would though. I don't like that the rest of the party spent so long out of the action.


Karactus walked them up and around the hall, back toward the guard station, knowing his allies would be following.

I've moved myself on the map, but I can't move the guards.

Any time the rest of you want to spring the trap is fine by me.


"A couple of the prisoners were acting up earlier. I don't want to be at the gatehouse if they try something stupid." the Sergeant said. "Let's just commandeer the table around the corner."

Karactus turned to lead the soldiers to their deaths.


"I was hopin' someone would be up and wanting t' lose some money." Karactus said with Blackerly's smiling face. "How about we set up out here so we dont wake the rest of the boys."


MorganFreeman wrote:
Thoughts on Seth. I'll decide by the end of the week if I am to shut down the second group. If I do, I would like to transfer Kessa over here. If not, someone can take over Seth.

Good solution. Even if you don't shut down the other group, I for one wouldn't mind if Kessa wanted to jump ship and come join us.

We're obviously the superior villains after all.


"Attend here. I shall return presently."

Karactus moved out of the Sergeant's rooms and quietly made his way down the hall. He carefully opened the door, not hiding his presence, but taking care to be quiet.

If there's anyone awake inside, I'll motion them over.


"Awake." the Sergeant's doppleganger answered.

"Arm thyself, Thomas Blackerly." he said, gesturing to the weapons carried by the undead guards. "It is time to slaughter thy friends."


Karactus began putting on the Sergeants armor and weapons. It was almost ritualistic. As he moved he adopted more and more of the Sergeants mannerisms and appearance. A military bearing supplanted the predator's prowl and a stern benevolence took over his eyes where a cunning malevolence had been moments before.

By the time he was finished, he was the sergeant.

Disguise: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (8) + 22 = 30
Bluff (mimicry): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21

Use Magic Device (emulate and alignment), DC 30: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (16) + 20 = 36

He drew the sword, turning it over in his hand to look at the Mitran iconography and let the holy energies wash over him.

He smiled. "What is thy name, Sergeant?" he said in an impressive impression of the man's own voice.


+2 Adaptive Longbow
+2 Benevolent Breastplate
+1 Expeditious Heavy Steel Shield
+1 Holy Long Sword
Belt of Physical Perfection +4
Amber Spindle Ioun Stone

Ok, here's my suggestions-

I'd like to take the bow, armor, shield and sword. I can use them all, and I'm going to try to pretend to be the sergeant.

The stone should go to Bognus. If he gets mind controlled we're going to have a bad day.

The belt is the sticky one. I don't want to be greedy, but I think it would be best for it to go to me as well. Bognus doesn't get a lot out of Dex, and doesn't even have a Con score, so I think it would be kind of a waste for him.

Thoughts? Counter arguments?


Poof, no more Seth, like he was never there at all?

I might have a friend willing to take over the character, if we'd rather keep him in the group. Thoughts?


Either of you caster types feel like spell crafting this stuff? If it's Holy it might give us negative levels for carrying it, so I want to be sure.

"Are there other exits to yon barracks?" Karactus asked the Sergeant.


Since Seth is an NPC now, and everyone else in the group can't really use the Sergeant's gear, anyone mind if I take it for now?


"Yes." Karactus said simply. "And thou shalt help."

"Remove thy armor, shield, bow and sword."


"Agreed." Karactus rumbled.

Detect Magic. Anything in the room with an Aura?


I think we are all in the Sergeant's room. GM, can you update the Roll 20 site with our current locations?

Can anyone cast Improved Invisibility?


I post pretty frequently, and as the scout I'm pushing the action right now. You could definitely check more than once a day and probably find an update from me.

Weekends I'm online less, but during the week, I have Paizo up on my work computer between 6 and Midnight Pacific time (GMT -8).

If you ever want to push the game forward with some back-and-forth scouting posts with me, or if you want to make scouting rolls for me and let me know what I find out, that's fine too.


Things are a little slow here, but still moving along. I think our GM is a bit busy lately.

If your game ends up dying out due to lack of player participation, there's still opportunity for us in this game to find Kestrel being questioned elsewhere or in solitary confinement, or something like that.


"How long until the changing of the guard?" Karactus asked.


"Inside." Karactus said, ushering everyone into the Sergeant's room and shutting the door.

He scanned the room carefully. Detect Magic.

"Sergeant, speak of thy Warden. We would hear of him."


Karactus' Silence dropped over the hall, then he nodded to Bognus and opened the door.


Karactus nodded, holding up a hand for the others to hold while he approached the Sergeant's door.

Stealth: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (15) + 25 = 40

Checking the door. Is it locked?


"I will open the door and ensure silence. Nuandis will attempt her beguilement. Should it fail, Bognus will engage. I believe that is plan enough." Karactus said starting down the hallway again.


Karactus nodded and went back the way he came, but once he was out of sight he waited until he heard the Sergeant's door shut and the others leave the area.

Then he waved his allies forward.

"The Sergeant's quarters is our next target. He is alone."


"I was not the one who overheard it, Sergeant. Would you like to accompany me back to the cells? I would prefer you get the information directly than risk getting details wrong myself."


There might be a Chrome or Firefox add-on that will do that.


I'm going to try to lure the sergeant and maybe the other guards back to everyone else.

Sorry it's a one-man show right now. I'm going as fast as I can.


"Sergeant. I'm glad you are here. The prisoners were discussing an escape plan of some kind. I thought you might want to know." Karactus said crisply.

Bluff: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29

Just in case he has any kind of truth detection abilities or anything, I'm not actually lying...


What actual rank of the boss-guy?

Karactus had been trapped in the mind of a Mitran soldier for a lifetime. In many ways, he still was. He might not know the names of the current nobles or celebrities, but their military structures and traditions, he knew intimately.

Knowledge Nobility: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16


I'm the creepy one? In this group?

I'm kinda proud of that.

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