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4: An NPC makes us level up mid combat, in exchange for services. I know parts of the plot, plently of exceedingly not nice entities would be all over stopping what is happening.
I think he maybe concerned with this being probably a TPK. As a GM, TPKs when the players werent really at fault just are... bad feelings.
Trying to make pacts with Eldritch entities while unconcious!
I have a major/master in theoretical Biophysics (mathematical modeling), which was rather math heavy.
Unconcious dreams: Ah f*@! it, oh Lord in Iron, let my remaining allies hit, or make the so hot they become cold resistant! I mean, look at Horn he is really handsome! If he survives he shall become a mighty armored murderbear! So big that maybe I can mount a Ballista on him! Her allies only hear confused mumbling.
Has very vivid dreams about profane gifts.
So, maneuver critique
Least bad option is likely for Mia to drag Kriemhild down the stairs, Krokod to fire bolt. A funny option is for Kessir to create water on the stairs (hopefully after Kriemhild and Mia got semi away). It shoudl freeze rapidly, and just because these buggers are frost skeletons, it doesnt say that they dont slip on ice! Acid splash shoudl also work, unless kessir has bludgeoning arrows his bow wont do much.
2 chest to be opened later. And the way up, possible location. Kriemhild announces as she readies to move up.
Hmm, Hypothermia and disease can kill more people on a campaign then swords, especially if you add in malnutrition, like, individually these things arent that threatening, but if they all pile up an individual can get pretty messed up, like, becomes stationary and forces the group to halt and stuff Kriemhild opines Is there anything preventive we can do to not catch it? She continues
Enemies here are passed out, continueing south She flashes a winning wholesome and slighty tusk-marred smile at the half orc Hi!
Dont mind me, just a half orc merc busy improving the attitude of the not yet captured bandit idiots.
I take this as you yielding! She moves over to bind the puking man!
She does not yet notice that something may be wrong with her!
Kriemhild drops her Bloodrage, being unwilling to spend it on a door. Prey is holeing up, if they dont yield, use the big red boom on them. Takes some time to setup. She speaks loudly as she boinks the door some more
Compared to the average crazy axe murderer, Kriemhild is probably on the nicer end. Especially with all the offers of accepting surrender, but she is also more competent about the whole handle an axe issue, or at least she hopes so.
Gorrum says HI Kriemhild Bloodrages, steps on the crops on the fallen and unleashes a massive blow with her battleaxe! [ooc]I took the liberty of moving that character away
My new favorite Cantrip (specifically for Skalds) is summon instrument. Why? A) Instruments like Contrabasses etc. are pretty buyount, and make for reasonable improvised rafts as well as "hmmm, I need a 5 feet long stick to poke that suspicious floor tile".
Guten Tag, may I talk about the blessings of Gorrum your Lord and Saviour? His blessings allow me to do this! Kriemhilds turns bestial, and strikes out with inhuman force!
Just noted that the ability to determine what color the light spell has while casting it (how I had it played in several games) is actually GM fiat, since the spell itself doesnt say so and there arent any rules about it! The number of times we set up "fire a green light arrow into the sky to signal for extraction" things, even in reltively higher level games, was actually quite significant. Now, Dancing lights lets you play will o wisp simulator, which is a funny bluff, but I am unsure if we have that either, and an enemy has to know what a will o wisp is for that to work. It is still very amusing what you can do with cantrips. My oher favorite was put a beehive in a box or sack, have burly person throw it, sneaky cantrip person casts open/close.
Kriemhild seeks to distract by first hitting a window twice with her axe, before turning on a dime and opening the door.
THe backgrounds on the maps are gone for me...
Can you make it glare in a vile purple, or an angry red, or a sickly green? And then we shout like "bwhahahaha Abyssium arrows! Enjoy the poisoning you t$!$s!"
Kriemhild switches to battleaxe and shield.
Look, when you cant be silent, you just need a louder distraction!
Quick, I remember a trick, does anyone of your magiky type have the ability to make remote sounds? Ghost sound? Or so? We make the sound of a ruckus here, and then smash through a window or other entry on the other side!
Still in cover, Kriemhild shouts in a
Kriemhild instinctivly tries for something that is perhaps bluff or perhaps intimidate?
She then moves forward and throws her last javelin into the eney
It goes wide as she grabs her Bardiche with both arms again.
Eh, Scars build character! And I dont leave friends behind. Thats like... Look She pauses You dont leave your buddies on the battlefield, not unless they give a signal for "I do a heroic sacrifice, skedaddle the f$!$ away". Linge, can you make Horn noisily run around while we all take cover? If they think its a bear, we may still have surprise! She has a quick idea, one that wont help if the enemy actually investigates the trails in the snow, but if they do that, they leave their fortified position!
Kriemhild grabs Mias body and drags her to Linge.
Kriemhild looks at her heavy equipment, chuckles as says alright, this is scout one, attempt to recon-neuter, but I am concerned my tendency to shout orcish warcries may betray me.
She does a very maginally better job at being "a sneaky git" then Mia.
technically not a flashback because Kriemhild is asleep: You have been watching me for a while Belana? The old warrior addresses the demonic woman, as he tugs Kriemhild in, but does not draw his sword You have grown more perceptive Askold. Good. Does your sword being sheathed means you will come willingly? The demonness answers I appreciate that you let me say me goodbyes, so to speak, and that you are willing to only take me, and noone else. Askold answers with his hand on his sword grip. By your own Gorrumite convictions, you cannot allow yourself to be taken without a fight. Yet, while I am confident in my victory, you arent weak or unaware enough that I could capture you quietly. I thus propose that you fight me elsewhere. the succubus speaks casting a glance over her shoulder. Why are you... Askold pauses Considerate? Treat mortals about 30% better then they would expect, and they will fight thrice as hard for you, without needing all that much supervision. And well, very reasonable and well founded mortal expectations of demonic behaviour established by the bug and the goat by copious precedent sets a really low baseline for that. It is similiar to how it works in places like Irrisen, Cheliax or Nidal. The demoness answers chuckling to herself.
Flashback continuation: Wow Askold, you have seen a lot... young Kriemhild says to the grizzled Kellid. What were the 3 biggest surprises in your career? She inquires Well, number one is getting captured by a Blade of f$~@ing midnight and living to tell the tale. He pauses
I stood accused of consorting with demons once for having been released by that demoness. I expected a sham trial, but... I got "legal counsel" that actually argued well and got acquitted. Never expected Iomedeans to not be colossal hypocrites. Now that I look back, I think the Demoness tried to get me convicted of consorting with demons, sentenced to death, and then gallantly free me from imprisonment on the eve of my execution. Would have song Nocticulas praises for the rest of my probably very short live, but it didnt happen. He pauses once more. Think before you judge. Any idiot can kill, especially kill one who is within your power. It takes wisdom to not kill, and to see clearer. The warrior spoke, looking around as if perhaps picking up something on the peripheral edge of his vision, and then discarding it as random night noise. I knew a warrior named Mahrevok, real beast of a man, could kill a Schir in under 6 seconds. Also a total a$~$$+*. Everyone looked over the fact that he was a total a+~**!* because he was that great at killing.
Dont tolerate a~*#~$*s, and dont be one Kriemhild.
That, pretty good life advice. Thanks Askold. Ill go to sleep now! Kriemhild spoke. The old veteran rarely spoke much, and just said more then he had in several weeks. I sure hope ol Askold giving me live advice, as if saying good bye isnt omnious and... she thought as she rolled herself up in a blanket.
I was toying with the idea of her having been told the name of that Succubus, but then it was like "the hell is she doing to do with it? It wont be a true name, and she wont have contact entity, and I dont think any demons even show up in this ap" the scene was I hope nicely written though. What she may remember from it is that Some things that are very nasty like to trade for secrets.
I dont think I need to kill you. You regard yourself as dead, probably a long time ago. Even before we effortlessly dispatched you. You were a man once, then something broke you. So you tried to break others, better to hurt others then to be hurt? And with each time you struck at the weak, you died yet a little more inside, until nothing was left but a bandit, raider, cheat and liar. You provoke me because you wish for death, do you not? To be honest with you, its a main reason why I deny death to you. She shrugs again Gorrum teaches that broken blades can be reforged, sometimes, and be used against the one who broke them. I dont see the strength in you for that. She gags him. GM approval flashback: So a younger Kriemhild, still pretty buff but younger asks the mercenaries assembled around a campfire When we capture enemies, what do we do with them? Depends, are they mortals? What are their motivations to fight us? Ransoms and exchanges are profitable, killing them typically isnt. Eating them gets you ghoulified so dont. Oh, and dont torture, if your torture, you have to kill later. The entire point of taking prisoners is not needing to kill them, someone who is your enemy today, maybe your ally in the next battle. He will have plenty of reasons to dislike you, you hurt him, perhaps killed his friends, damaged his pride. Dont add torture to that, and treat prisoners like you want to be treated by them if you are captured. An old mercenary, a longtime veteran of the worldwound wars, replies But what if they have secrets? And we need them! Kriemhild asks If you wish to look at a map, do you first claw at it to improve its legibility? If you wish to have someone talk, do you rip is tounge out to make him more talkative? Torture damages the one you torture, particularly over prolonged times. And what will he say? Anything to stop it. Anything he wants you to hear. Now, far better to politely open the mind and read it. If someone was taken captive, someone wants to live, and something else too. Offer him this something else, if you can afford it, and make a trade. The old mercenary answers, the words not quite being his own That sounds, almost too nice? Kriemhild inquires These words were spoken by the least nice person I have ever exchanged words with, after I asked her why I was not being tortured, which I was very much expecting to be. I negotiated my release, she wanted certain secrets, not even of my own troop, and in exchange freed me. The mercenary speaks If she freed you she must have been nice! Kriemhild answers She sure looked nice, but always remember that Succubi are personifications of Chaos and Evil. the merc says You were captured by a Succubus? Did you... Kriemhild is both surprised and also blushes If you think I could afford, or have on me, the Litheria blossoms to make that survivable? No. You recognice I am alive right? Also, I was her prisoner so even if I had some blossoms she would have taken them from me. I lucked out she was Nocticulan, not Baphometan or Deskarite, and then lucked out that she had more hunger for secrets then for souls. Look, you probably cant just suggestion someone into giving you all of his secrets, but she didnt need to do that with me either. I spilled the beans voluntarily, and she was frankly polite, if scarily attentive. I cross referenced some of her markings later, Blades of Midnight Coven, they are like, to the Midnight isles what the black talons are to Andoran. Dunno if she pegged me for later recruitment or something, thankfully never saw her again, other then in dreams. And demons, with very few exceptions, cant dream or enter dreams.
Its actually the safest way to render someone unconcious? Punching, particularly if I am punching, can do far more lasting damage. You see, I dont really choke of the air, its the blood flow to the brain that gets interrupted for about 6 seconds. Doesnt really work on outsiders and other things that dont need to breathe though. Kriemhild shrugs
And hopefully does not commit an anathema against Gorrum, but Gorrum may be lenient on account of the bandit inciting treason, which he also hates. That guy is a t%@%, tried to talk me into murdering you for a clearly not serious offer of "joining as a general". Which does however show that we are dealing with amateurs. Does Frozen throne ring a bell to anyone Irriseni maybe? Also, they are lead by a male, so perhaps some pretty low tier raiding group? If its Irrisen I still have not the foggiest idea as to how they got here. She says to the party.
You misjudge your options bandit Kriemhild replies You had the option to stop being our prisoner, and start being our asset, changing sides when captured is common among mercs, and incentives could have been made. She pauses I stand for the Lord in Iron. If I kill, I do so in glorious battle, fangs bared, claws sharp, weapons ready, face to face and shieldwall to shield wall. Your offer of betrying my allies? Kriemhilds voice intensifies, getting more louder, although its cold fury not shrieking.
You have shown weakness, repeatedly, first by your capture, then by your weak, feeble and insulting offer. You who only by the mercy of my friends lives in the first place, friends you would have me slaughter. Perhaps your associate will choose wiser. Enjoy your night.
*!§*%§* *%*&*&*$ Some creative swearing in Orc follows.
Note: Unless under domination etc. none of my character would ever attack, let alone CDG, another player character. what kriemhild is going for is a suprisingly subtle yet effective ploy, by basically belittling the capabilities of the enemy, without neccessary stating their her or her factions capabilities are greater, she seeks the foe to reveal more of his.
Frozen throne? Isnt that a term for Irrisen? Not the worst employer for mercenaries, but pretty shifty reputation and highly racist?
General? B%#!+&%&. Squad leader maybe, he is grasping for straws, but I think I can work him.
Think a bit more clearly, what long term use does that frozen throne have for you if it wins? And what happens to you if it loses?
Frozen throne? Irrisen I think? They are like, the 4rth most powerful nation this side of the spine of the world? After the Worldwound, Cheliax and the Caliphate? Empty f%$#ing night if cold is all that that frozen throne got the demons will eat them alive. She pauses I mean, all the ice fae against all the demons sounds like a funny thing to hypothesize about, my money is on the horned freaks though. Unmatched mobility, and from what I get Demons are tougher matchups for Fae then the other way round. One of the Kellid tribes of Sarkoris called in favors with the unseelie Fae against the Demon invasion, and the Fae showed up only to get basically rekt. The only ones who made a dent were the wild hunt. There are some Raghdan holdouts in the lakes lost to the sun, but the take home message from Fae vs Demon fisticuffs is that Fae cant fight Demons in the open.
And why the f+!@ would that frozen throne of yours mess with Taldor? Its way too far off from Irrisen to be administered, and while the Taldanes dont have the supernatural allies the Chelish have, arent supernatural themselfs like the worldwound, or have both all the money and all the fire magic like the Quadirans, they arent to be trifled with either. Your logistics are going to be a complete s!#+fest, and that will probably be it. Taldor didnt survive for as long as it did by being nice, fair and pleseant. Wouldnt surprise me if the lions blades do the sane thing and order some hits on whoever is sitting on that frozen throne of yours, I doubt that her invasion is all hat popular internally, as Irrisen rarely invades things, and change always has a conservative backlash She shrugs Lets see if I can goad him into revealing more of their capabilities, incluing how the f*&@ they got here and how they supply themselfs.
Bad idea Kriemhild says matter of factly I get trying to escape, its what I would do in your situation, I even mark it as in your favor that you are trying to rouse your ally, but well... She looks at the bandit neutrally We may as well have a chat right? Beats getting choked out by a half orc who weighs twice as much as you do, and most of that being muscle? I am a mercenary, the difference between me and a bandit like you is that I am better armed, that I am getting paid, and that I can show my f#~#ing face. Now, have you considered what all of that cold will do to like everyone and everything if it spreads? Lack of caravans, food, and loot because everyone is starving? Now, if you shout that will... limit my option to non verbal and painful. Your options, include non painfull. After all, deserters can be welcomed, within reason.
You ok Mia? The unflappable mass of muscles named Kriemhild approaches Your holding up pretty well, given that you got hit pretty hard, then had some emotional damage, then got hit some more, all of that in un...
F#$@ing nobody has any idea what they are doing. Not the s&!+nuggets responsible for this whole mess of icy b!~*~!&~, not their henchmen, not the gods, and also not us. Heck, my god Gorrum frequently wakes up without knowing which demons arse he will end up kicking this day, my goddess Callistria wakes up not knowing whom she will f+@~, and if she do so in a fun way for that whom or not, and well, Desna is Desna.
We should be using the lighter armors as sleeping pyjamas, I got one fight left in me before resting, but I dont think its the same for you folks. Kriemhild shrugs as she walks around the downed bandits and closes the eyes of those who are dead.
I frequently roleplay "OMG I killed the first sapient being I can emphathise with", but... Kriemhild is a CN Gorrumite with some Desna and Callistria on top, who comes from a hard place, and always envisioned herself as a mercenary if her opera dreams dont work out. She doesnt view some bandit as worthy enemies, so she doesnt particularly enjoy killing them.
I am wearing armor he is not, so he is faster. And you cant really throw a Pilum non lethally, or at least I cant. Kriemhild shrugs The others said it better then me, these people ambushed a caravan, used necromancy, ice magic, and are likely in league with whatever causes this weather. Do you have an idea how many people will starve if things are not... unf!%!ed?
As Kriemhild inspects her Pila, she notices it has broken inside of the Kabob.
NO RUNNING CUKA BLYAD!
Able drawing a pilum, Kriemhilds unleashes a devastating throw with her throwin weapons.
Oi cast Boink! Sweet dreams!
Move 10 feet forward, which is 20 feet of movement, free action rage, standard action attack, making use of their flatfootedness. 5/7 rage rounds remaining.
Well hello there Kriemhild lets her muscles and copious assortment of arms play
Clearly, absolutely nothing untoward has happened here, roight roight? Would be a shame if there were any... Incidents. Now, how about you totally legal and aboveboard travellers tell some other totally legal and aboveboard travelers what is going on here? Exchanges of information are always useful in such a... different önviroment?
Let us push on then, clean the lodge, or reunite with it if lucky.
I can still rage for a fair bit and am undamaged Kriemhild states How is Horn?
Oh, I have some vacancies in a wotr game where I took over as GM. It is here, the party likely needs a level 9-10 mythic 3-4 arcane caster, current team is a paladin, a shaman, and probably an oracle. |
