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Unfortunately the dramatic pause will have to continue. Stuff keeps piling up over here both in terms of university and personal life. I don't want to cancel any games but this might need to be a hiatus. I will let everyone know immediately when room clears up. My apologies for these problems.
No worries to those who are slightly slower on posting, this is going to be a long, slow game so I'd rather pace myself. On that note I'm sorry but I need to take a few days off. It's been quite hectic at work and events have been piling off. I expect to return on Thursday with a clear schedule. On that note, I want to ask how we should proceed? Should we try and quicken the pace or keep a slow and steady progression?
We are still a rather large group, should I recruit someone else?
No worries Arthorius! See you around the forums!
All the signs point to a fire, however the intense heat needed to fuse and melt metals and stone means it must have blazed with an unnaturally occurring heat. Something supernatural or malevolent most likely lay at the heart of this. Strips of tattered cloth, odor of burnt flesh... it would indeed seem that the burned corpses of the townsfolk no longer rest easy. No signs of a struggle exists however. Whatever disaster occurred, it was either swift and left no time for defense... or it was simply something that could not be defended against. Going to leave a little more time to make sure everyone's good with pouring into the tavern's front door.
With keen eyes, you move through the pitted main street of what was once a small community. Luckily, you spy nothing immediately threatening, though odd shuffling noises from within some buildings unnerve you. You could attempt to clear out the area but who knows how much time that could take. Of more concerning matters is the sight of the Fort's gates. Charred, bent and fused with the stonework, it seems that entry through there would be nigh impossible. However, another passage through the Tavern's cellar exists and it is not too far off. However, it lies in the direction of that dreadful moaning.
Sorry for the unfortunate streams of delays, but something has come up today and I'll be away from the blessed Interwebs. I'll be back!
The morning rises, bleak and dreary as the night before. Your preparations the night before leave you with the necessary equipment (simply inform me what you wish to purchase and you can assume a Ravenholdt servant acquired it for you at its listed price during the night) to carry out your task. Your objective will be to explore and secure Fort Ballick's perimeter. The journey is swift but unmotivating. Gray clouds and rain do little for morale. Soon enough, you arrive at the town's outskirts. From your spot within a small thicket you see only a charred, blackened ruin of what was once a community. On top of a small hill lies the Fort proper. It would seem that the easiest route to said Fort would be down the main street. Low groans seem to indicate that something at least still moves not to far from here.
Using the memories of those present and the books of the reserves, you get a general understanding of Fort Ballick and its former village. The Fort is a few hours by carriage from Ravenholdt. The first step would be to check the ruins around the fort. The place is probably crawling with unholy remnants. Then, the fort is divided into a series of floors of course: Ground Floor, 1st Floor, 2nd Floor, Ramparts and the Basement/Cellars. Supposedly you can access the basement levels from the town ruins.
I am currently at a 24h Board Game Event and will be back tomorrow to continue endangering your character's lives! See you soon!
so are you saying the manor house or any other location is of equal danger? Yes. It's a bit "meta" but I needed you to know that all the locales are viable options. The deeper you go the tougher it will get however.
"Hmmm, I had not envisioned an order, but perhaps it could be so. I would still suggest the Fort, simply due to its proximity and relative ease of getting there... Then again, the choice is yours."
Upstairs, you come across the source of the sound. A softly glowing, and softly singing crystal lies amid the debris. It seems to have a face with numerals and glyphs of some kind, though the language seems utterly incomprehensible. One particular symbol is glowing.
"The curse was begun by the Ravenholdts and I will have it ended by the Ravenholdts." He pauses. "As to our solutions... they remain shrouded for now. I had begun collecting information in our manor's library but I was only able to make off with a few pieces. They should be of small use if you need to research."
"Our town grows few in number, we are barely a few hundred remaining. Of these, two dozen serve as militia and guards. We never needed a military presence before and most of them died in the fires at Fort Ballick." "The Ley-lines are the key of course. If we can reclaim them for the Goddess, it will be a major step in repelling this evil. Perhaps some precursory scouting? I fear that rushing in head-on will only get us killed." "I will see to it that the merchants know of your arrival and to see what supplies can be found. Hopefully, forays will yield you some resources... the goddess knows what's been stolen or claimed from us." "This shall be your home while you are here. I will also ask that the blacksmith and alchemist know of your arrival and that you have my permission to use their forge and laboratory. I doubt they will object." He gestures. "Everything here is yours my family." "Now, where shall we first kindle the flames of justice?"
"Where to begin..." He gazes tragically at the fire. "I would have wanted you to escape all this. We were supposed to be strong enough to combat this evil..." He takes a seat in a musty leather armchair, a glass of strong alcohol now in his hands. He takes a large swig and continues. "This land is steeped in ancient magic and I will begin by explaining its peculiarities, though I'm sure by now you might be more or less aware. Raven's Hollow has been our home for over five centuries. Our ancestors fled here, evading persecution for praying to heretical gods. Alas, our goddess is oft misunderstood. The Lady of Ravens is a god of the dead, not of death... In any case, our ancestors fled here as you know. Here they founded the homeland they sought, free from oppression. However, this was not enough for our ancestor. Rumor has it he made a deal with terrible forces. What the deal was and with whom is only vague whispers and forgotten history but I fear this darkness that has come to our lands is linked. There are four Ley-lines in Raven's Hollow, and each was a shrine of worship for Our Lady of the Ravens. They lie fallow and corrupt now however. The first rested beneath the rocks and cliffs of the Plumes, within sheltered caves by the sea. Now, The Rasp as the people have taken to calling it holds little but sea monsters and shadows. The second shrine lay deep within the Ravenswood but bandits have run of the place... and much worse I fear. I have heard stories from the townspeople about the men and women of the farmsteads turning to cannibalism and worshiping bestial pagan gods in the depths of the forest. The third shrine was built into the foundations of Fort Ballick. The fort burned as did the hamlet around it some years ago, and the result is a charred inhospitable spit of land. The last one, as you may recall, lies within our manorhouse. It is the most dangerous of all... For you see, we had to flee. Flee from the clutches of those... things that came from below. The screams enough were to send us away and now ghostly lights play from the windows every night, reminding us that we no longer hold power... Something wants us. Wants all of us." He trembles as he finishes. "We must be rid of this darkness. Please, free us from this curse."
About to update within the hour. Sorry for the weekend absence.
I've been super busy at work (local game store) in Montreal setting up for a Warmachine tournament this weekend. Will post tomorrow morning (well, today technically) when I awake!
You all return to the carriage, the roadblock moved aside with care. The bodies burned and buried, your task now carries you back home. The Hollow Road eventually leaves the shadows of the Ravenwood and winds its way across the countryside, skirting hills and sunken marshes. Eventually, Ravenholdt looms into view. "There she is milords. Your once and former home. Lord Hierome and Lady Miriam bade me take you directly to their current place of residence. We'll be there shortly." A quarter of an hour later sees you outside the door of a small but evidently well furnished house in the middle of town. Compared to the rest of the settlement, this place was almost mansion-like. For as you crossed the town, the squalor and ruin became evident. Houses were empty and boarded up. The few citizens you crossed strode quickly about their errands, cloak wrapped and faces hidden. The only sound was the distant roaring from the tavern, likely the only promise of relaxation in this troubled town. As the driver helps you all out of the carriage and begins bringing down your luggage, a tall man steps out of the door. "You've answered the letter. Praise this day, our salvation comes at last." He looks out at the lot of you. "My Servius and Vera. Our cherished twins come home at last. Arthorius, it is quite a surprise to see you again I must say. It is Aeneas who will be most pleased. Randy, my son told me many things about you in his letters. It is good to see you home at last. The same for you Ivan. Drago tells me that our cold weather is not your favorite. Perhaps you will be the flame to warm our hearts. Cyrus, it is good to see our sylvan prince return. It is too long since we last spoke." Hierome seems immensely relieved. "Hierome, thank you for accompanying your family home. I think it is time we all had a little conversation. There are many things I have refrained from telling you, and there are many things the rest of you must know. Come, let us talk with Miriam in the study." You all join him and within minutes have found a chair or comfortable resting spot within the firelit room. "Firstly, I believe some of you may have questions. Please ask."
I'll be moving us forward to Ravenholdt. Just a heads up to everyone on the subject of posting, I usually ask that everyone posts once every 24 hours. This lets me know people are still here, aware of the campaign and moving the adventure forward. If you feel you have nothing to say in character, you can always try and move the adventure forward. A simple "Are we all ready? Ravenholdt is near." is all that is required sometimes so we don't fall into a lull. If you have posting restrictions, please let me know.
"I know not milord. Doom has come to our lands. That is all we know for sure. Speak with your family at Ravenholdt, I have a feelin' they'll know much more than I."
"Plague, disease, famine and worse milord. We were leather and cloth masks these days when we venture for long periods of time beyond the walls of Ravenholdt." A grim look mars his face. "And sometimes we wear them within the walls, when the poisonous smog hangs low. These days, even our Goddess seems unable to protect us adequately." He looks at the bodies. "I do suggest burning the corpses. Who knows what ails them."
Did you see the questions to the driver good sir? I had not, I am replying as we speak.
Vera's words are true. Bandits were never a problem before. As for the finger, it remains a mystery. Perhaps its former owner knew...
The finger's race eludes your knowledge.
One by one the bandits fall, cut down or tore apart by bestial claws. You stand among the corpses now, a stillness in the air makes you shiver as a chill runs down your spine. The final lingering ringing of steel fades away and all that remains is the whispering of the wind and a distant raven, cawing out. A brief but thorough search of the bandits reveals the following treasures, if one were to call them as such. As you gather the spoils of your victory the driver urges you to clear the roadblock and make haste. Ravenholdt is quite near.
It was brilliant, did good justice to the book. Also, these bandits are getting demolished.
Update will have to be tomorrow, got home waaay too late after seeing The Martian. Cheers!
I'm not sure either but I just check around when I posted. I'm in Montreal, so that's UTC -5:00 Eastern Time for me. Right now, it's 4:03 pm if you ever need a reference. I'm going to give a little more time for this first day.
Still missing quite a few posts. I posted yesterday at around 1h pm so I'm just reminding you that I skip your turns every 24 hours. If you cannot post on time, remember to either post in discussion or PM me ahead of time to inform me. Cheers!
Sure, difficult terrain would work as you squeeze through.
Feel free to do an if/then action. For example: Action if leader is not dead
I can easily work with that.
The bandits do not attack on their turn. Some of the bandits take 4 foot steps to get closer. Their leader speaks. "Tyras, Crune, check the carriage for medicine and food. That's the most importan..." His words are cut off as the player's begin a lightning fast onslaught. Randy leaps furiously besides one of the bandits and with a single stroke, cleaves a bloody path through his chest. The bandit at falls. Arthorius steps up and orders his tiger to strike. Servius assaults the nearest bandit but his powerful swing is met with only air as the bandit manages to dodge out of the way. Vanessa, Arthorius's tiger companion, lunges forward, claws gouging into leather but nothing more. I allowed the additional five foot step this time, but please check above. I had said that it would take a move action to descend the carriage, and I believe you cannot 5 foot step and move in the same turn. Ivan remains within the carriage but through the opened windows, launches a magic missile at the speaker, blasting him for some amount of damage. He then reloads his crossbow. Cyrus swiftly darts out of the carriage and moves to flank with Servius, having seen Cyrus fell his opponent. He dodges an attack of opportunity and lands a graceful blow to his opponent. The bandit stumbles, blood gushing from the wound, but does not fall. Vera sees two wounded bandits and a dead one, with three remaining bandits. She attempts to put the bandit beside the leader to sleep. The bandit's eyes droop for a moment before dropping like a stone to the ground. Heiron moves forward and finishes off Cyrus's target with a tremendous blow, smashing the bandit's face into a mess of snapped bone and crushed flesh. The bandit falls. "Damn you!" The bandit leader is evidently displeased. Two bandits have fallen, one is asleep and the leader is damaged by the spell. [larger]ROUND 2[/larger] The leader moves to attack Heiron.
The one besides the leader is still asleep. The one at remains there and attacks Vanessa.
The other leftmost bandit moves to and attacks Arthorius.
That was my thinking -- Tight Bonds for the twins makes sense even if they have been separated for years. Combat is up, just waiting on Vera.
A good beginning round of actions, I think Skaglick is my new favorite word. Some of these bandits are not going to live to see another day.
Actually it's my mistake. I said "may" not "must". Please ignore my previous post. Hoping you see this!
Flavorwise, I know that the Family traits may not always work. I don't want to limit them however. However, I had asked that one trait be from the family trait, that is true. I apologize for having missed that. Make sure you re-read character creation guidelines just in case. Also, gameplay is up.
Our home has fallen to darkness. You may recall it, a village of simple means and kind people. A place untouched by the evils of the world. Doom comes to us all however. It has been ten years now since the shadows have taken hold of our lands. The forests wilt and rot, the sea cliffs are overcast by storms and gripped by the grimy claws of those from the depths. The moorlands and hills are rampant with bandits. The dead no longer remain as such. Our lord's manor house has fallen to fiends and eldritch abominations. Our goddess is gone. As you can see, light no longer shines in the Hollow. I implore you family. Return to Raven's Hollow. Aid us in our hour of need. We beg of you. You have been gone for quite some time. Thoughts of your ancestral home flood your mind as the Sea Devil navigates through the storm-tossed reef surrounding the cliffs of Raven's Hollow. The captain bellows orders to his crew, promising them damnation if the Ravenholdts drown in these waters. His words bear weight, and the crew obeys. Half an hour later, the ship makes anchor at a weather-beaten jetty. The captain is paid and the Scions step onto the dry land once again. As the Captain begins to make preparations to sail off once again, you all begin your ascent. The Plumes are treacherous and the way is perilous. Luckily, the stone staircase is solid and after a weary climb, you reach the top. Not five minutes walk down the beginnings of the Hollow Road, a carriage awaits your presence. The driver, a gruff young man who does not provide a name invites you to embark. Your belongings are placed on the carriage's roof and room is made for everyone to either squeeze inside or sit beside the driver. The carriage begins its ride along the road, and an hour later you see the Ravenwood, dark and foreboding. Your memories betray you, for the Raven's Hollow in your mind was not so dark and accursed as this. The driver speaks. "Be mindful my lieges. Bandits have run of the road of late. Words will be meaningless, so be ready." The driver's words are almost ominous, for a quarter of an hour later, a fallen birch blocks your path. As the carriage slows to a halt, cloaked men step out from the underbrush. "Easy now strangers. Would'na want to hurt your pretty faces. Leave the gold and valuables and pray we don't take more." Perception DC 20:
You succeeded in spotting the ambush before arriving and have one round to either cast a spell or prepare an action before the battle begins.
Combat Directives
You may choose any square adjacent to the carriage as your starting square. Vanessa will begin on top of the carriage with the luggage. It will take a move action for her to disembark. When performing your actions, I do not require posting to be in initiative order. Once all actions are submitted, I run the combat to the best of my knowledge. If one of your actions becomes invalid I correct it to the best of my abilities. This is for ease of fluidity. Combats are major time sinks in PbP. Furthermore, every 24h is automatically a new round if we haven't yet moved on. Failure to post a combat round means you skip that round. No GM automating, this is still a horror campaign so we can assume your character simply failed to act. Please aid me by tracking your hit points and uses of abilities, conditions, etc. I am currently compiling your stat blocks into what is essentially a bestiary/npc statblock format and will put them up in the Campaign tab as well. On the Subject of Statblocks
Alright then, about to start the Gameplay tab. There's no turning back now.
I can easily integrate these kinds of backstories into the adventure! Cheers! Also, I'll be updating the campaign page with a few new bits of information. At this point I'm all ready to go, just need our last two check ins. If they don't show in 24h, I'll be going ahead with gameplay.
I believe we are still missing Heiron and Veronika.
Going to give us a little more time for everyone to dot in. We're missing quite a bit of the gang here.
Alias profile please :) And yeah, DD is totally amazing.
Continues discussing.
The discussion page
Hello everyone, it's time for the big decision. Well, normally it would be but I've looked after the characters and I'm loathe to cut someone from the group at this point for a few reasons:
So congratulations to: Servius
Before the actual campaign begins, I will invite everyone over to discussion. You will need the following:
Hence my 24h time extension :) !
Going to give us a final 24h. If we are just five, as I believe that is currently the case, I will probably just allow all five players. Still sad for no arcanist but what can you do. I prefer to bend the adventure a bit and make it all work than be a brick wall and have things break.
Well it's Saturday and I want to make the selection tomorrow or monday at the latest. How about we get a round of "sound off/dot" to make sure people are still interested.
I don't know who you're asking this to...
I didn't have enough to get a longbow and some of the other gear I wood like to have. Just wondering if the town has an armorer or general store etc. There will be.
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