Hopping on a plane tomorrow, might get to posting but first I need to get done packing.
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The gate swings open to reveal a rather striking man clad in tight fitting clothing clearly intended to accentuate his impressive physique. "Friends and faithful are always welcome here - please do come in." The man usher's you in past the walls of the priory before introducing himself. Although his eyes raise a bit when Kivyx walks past, he makes no remark. You find yourselves within a snow shrouded courtyard surrounded on all sides by cloisters. Although it is still bitterly cold, the wind cannot reach you here and the walkways are all partially covered by a roof supported by ornately carved pillars (a few of which bear some scurrilous marks of graffiti). Aside from the snow, there is little else here besides a few benches standing by the cloisters. "Welcome to the priory then! Name's Malvenos, and it is my absolute pleasure to meet..." he addresses Liath directly for a moment, "...all of you. You'll want to follow me to Father Ruan." After closing the gate and replacing the thick bar, Malvenos leads you to a plain wooden door upon which he knocks. After a few moments, he opens it and ushers you into a comfortable but plain office. Behind a large writing desk sits a frail old man. As you enter, he sets down the book he was reading and rises unsteadily to his feet. "To have braved a journey to the priory in this weather must place you among the ranks of either madmen or the truly faithful." The old man's voice barely rises above a whisper. He offers a faint smile, "Even if you are madmen you needn't worry - I'm easily deceived. I am father Ruan Gloyne and I welcome you. Travelers are rare these days, so you must pardon my excitement - as well as the current state of our accommodations, our guest quarters are a bit worse for wear and all of our folk are too busy preparing for the storm to tidy up for you. So then, I'm sure Malvenos has already pestered you, but you must tell me your names and what brings you to the priory."
About a minute after the bell is rung a small peephole slides open in the middle of the gate. An eye peers through it. From the other side of the door, the eye's owner speaks: "Travelers in this weather? My aren't we bold? I'd very much like to let you in but you know how the roads are these days - bandits and what not. State your names and business and I'll see what I can do for you."
And now it's time for a nice, relaxing stay at the priory where nothing will go wrong!
The final flight towards the priory is perhaps the most harrowing leg of the journey as you are beset by the absolute worst of the storm so far along with the howls of what you can only assume is some other wolf pack. Finally, nearly a full hour later, the trail breaks out of the trees. Ahead, the ground rises sharply and you can hear the distant sound of waves crashing on rocks and the clamor of the ringing bells. Barely visible through the driving snow you can a make out a large building standing hard against the cliffs - the Priory of Cymer. With the shelter of the trees gone, your only choice is to push on through the driving snow and dusky gloom towards the shadowy outline of a battlemented high wall and a gatehouse. Set into the wall is a single wooden gate embellished with some very intricate scrollwork which is entirely two difficult to admire in the current weather. Anyone checking the door finds that it does not budge, although a rope pull, leading to a bell in the gatehouse, dangles by the gate.
Once Kivyx returns to the group, the wolf greedily snatches the meat and sprints off into the forest with it's prize.
Although the storm continues to pick up in intensity, you can now all just barely hear what Colwyn mentioned earlier. Somewhere far off in the distance, bells chime out.
Here is the PFSRD entry for Handle Animal. Note the part that says If you have no ranks in Handle Animal, you can use a Charisma check to handle and push domestic animals, but you can’t teach, rear, or train animals. Also note the entry for "pushing" animals which requires a DC 25 handle animal - To push an animal means to get it to perform a task or trick that it doesn’t know but is physically capable of performing. RAW Kivyx simply can't influence the wolf at all, however I think this is a bit restrictive. The way I've been handling it "behind the scenes" was that if Kivyx beat the wolf's rearing DC, 15+CR (which he has) he'd be able to tangibly change the wolf's behavior, although it won't necessarily perform a specific trick.
The wolf's eyes dart between Kivyx and the meat, as the animal considers these two possible food sources. It has stopped it's retreat into the forest but also doesn't seem to be attacking, standing frozen in place. Waiting, watching, preparing, you can't entirely tell what it's next actions may be. Perception DC 10 (for Kivyx)//DC 15 (for everyone else): The wolf is very clearly eyeing the meat, as though it waits for Kivyx's retreat.
The wolf lunges at Kivyx as he lies prone in the snow, but luckily its gleaming fangs merely glance off the kobold's scales. After this attack, the wolf again pulls back into the forest.
Colwyn and Brevon both manage to land hits on the wolves, although the two hungry beast seem to quickly shrug off the pain. Kivyx's whistle fails to distract the wolves, however Liath also manages to regain her footing unharmed. Crowded by so many opponents, the wolves seek to withdraw back into the forest, however, Liath manages to slay the smaller of the two before it can escape.
As the larger wolf retreats, it's sharp eyes pick out Kivyx's hiding spot in the snow, and it instead changes course for it's next prey.
Interesting idea with the boons there, hmmm...
The larger wolf turns out to be surprisingly nimble, dodging even Liath's powerful blow. Meanwhile, the winds blow the crossbow bolts wildly astray. Sensing an opportunity, the two wolves simultaneously charge towards Liath, again dodging past her weapon. Although the smaller wolf is unable to get a hold on her with it's teeth, the larger of the two latches it's fangs around Liath's knee, savagely dragging her to the ground.
One of the wolves snarls - all he can think about is getting to a warm cave and ordering a steaming plate of Liath.
Ignoring the meat, the wolves begin to stalk around you, eyeing their potential targets. Although they move swiftly, they do not attack. Up close you can tell that one of them looks just a little bit bigger, more dangerous, hungrier.
As the storm wanes a little you can now all see what Colwyn had sought to warn you about. Two long, gaunt and black furred forms slip through the falling snow towards you. Their jaws hang open exposing long, sharp fang and their powerful shoulder muscles bunch as they prepare to leap among you. Wolves!
:
Thanks for your patience everyone - I meant to be back yesterday but got a bit wrapped up in things, I'll have a post up in a few.
I hate to hold everything up in this moment of suspense, but I'm extremely busy today and tomorrow, so posting will be a little sparse from me.
You've travelled for nearly five hours now and you find yourselves praying that the storm has reached it's peak. Snow now completely covers the trail - if you're even still on the trail. Conversation becomes more difficult as well - the howling winds whip bits of ice and snow into the mouth of anyone who dares speak out against them. Even worse, in spite of your best efforts to stay warm, frostbite and hypothermia are beginning to sink in, those of you without cold weather gear cursing your lack of forsight. Chilled to the bone, you can only hope that the Priory is at least somewhat close.
Colwyn: You almost can't believe your ears, but far off in the distance you can hear the clanging of worship bells! Although the wind makes it difficult, you would definitely be able to follow them towards their source.
You also notice something else, however - you're being followed. Maybe about sixty feet behind you something is stalking in the forest. A wolf perhaps? Or worse?
Another hour of travel and the only thing that seems likely is a snowstorm. Although certainly not a full blown storm yet, the swirling snow has now all but obscured the trail, hiding landmarks and making navigation difficult Survival DC 15:
The storm is only going to get worse from here. The path you're currently on curves in the same way as the coast, meaning that cutting through the forest might actually be faster due to shelter from the trees. Survival DC 20: See the spoiler above first. Although the forest in could in theory be a shortcut, getting lost would be much easier - not to mention the possibility of wild and dangerous beasts!
As you search the half-goblins, the winds begin to pick up in intensity, and the sleet starts to become full-fledged snow. The Half-Goblins' Loot:
Longbow Longsword Light Crossbow (x2) Short Sword (x2) Masterwork Buckler (x2)
Some sort of potions (x3)
27 sp Misc: Belt Pouches, Quivers, Bolts, Arrows Identifying the potions by taste (DC 16 Perception):
These are potions of cure light wounds. Identifying the potions by detect magic (DC 16 Spellcraft): These are potions of cure light wounds.
My current thoughts are for some sort of artistic type who's products are grotesque yet also of such visionary caliber that they've gained some popularity. The horrible secret of course is that the real artist is some otherworldly horror that's manifested itself as the character's eidolon. I know you didn't mention it, but I figured I'd ask anyways if there are any restrictions as far as summoners go (unchained required, no synthesists, etc).
Liath's weapon comes down so fast upon the archer that she is unable to even make a sound as she is felled upon the spot. The winds seem to howl in her place, sending another flurry of sleet tearing down the path. Having seen his only allies fall, the final remaining half-goblin begins to sprint off into the forest full tilt, hoping to outrun the lot of you.
Brevon: That's fine by me, although it might have some implications with regards to nighttime awareness.
Mechanically, we can either treat your meditation the same as regular sleep (the general exhaustion/focus of meditation imparts the same penalties to perception as sleeping) or allow you to be fully aware while meditating at the cost of some minor drawback-like effect (the Sleepy drawback for example: "Effect: You take a –2 penalty on saving throws against sleep effects."). I'm fine with whatever, so I'll leave the choice up to you.
Although Brevon and Kivyx miss their marks, Liath's inspired onslaught leaves her foe unconscious with a gaping wound upon its chest - soliciting shouts of rage from the other two half-goblins. As the winds begin to pick up again the remaining half-goblins retreat back into the woods to take cover behind the trees. While one is busy reloading his crossbow, the female fires off another arrow almost without even bothering to aim. This time, her arrow strikes true, nearly toppling Liath. Born by her fury, a primal shriek bursts from the archer's mouth.
Reminds me of Clive Barker's Undying, which I love. Hmmm, Undying is definitely food for thought. Not sure if I want to go the "whole family is cursed" route but there's definitely the basis for a story there.
All this talk of Hastur's got me wanting to run a Tatters of the King game! I'll definitely have to cook something up for this.
No worries. Also I just realized that I might not have been clear about the detect evil in my last post. The half-goblins do detect as evil, it's just their auras that are absent - I'll let you change your action if you want.
Good to hear - I have the 6th edition rules, but the game really hasn't changed much between editions and really isn't all that rules heavy to begin with. Learning Call of Cthulhu is more about getting into the investigative mindset than system mastery, which I actually think is one of the system's stronger points.
Probably won't be running this right now, but I just thought I'd see if there are any Cthulhu fans lurking out there who might be interested in this for the future. My thoughts were for a classic-era (1920s) game in which all the players were members of or affiliated with one disgustingly wealthy, exorbitantly high class family and have to deal with their own dysfunctional family members AND the typical otherworldly Lovecraftian abominations. Sort of a Kardashians vs. Cthulhu feel or (if you've heard of the play) Hay Fever with more tentacles. Little bit of comedy, little bit of cosmic horror, and a whole lot of drama. Any interest?
It's been almost 24 hours since his last post, anyone want to bot for Kivyx until we hear from him again?
Kivyx:
You detect no auras of evil anywhere within the surrounding forest - even the half-goblins before you are too weak to radiate evil. The the two crossbow wielding half-goblins size up their human opponents before withdrawing through the overgrowth to the path behind the barricade. The female sprints off to the side allowing the barricade to provide protection from Liath's ranseur, which clatters harmelessly against the felled trees.
Glad to hear all is well. Now, on to the game!
Probably should've mentioned, but I prefer players to bot for each other. You can either decide amongst yourselves who will handle this but it'd probably be easiest for whoever's available first to choose Kivyx's actions. Just post a desired action here and I'll write it into my next gameplay post and move Kivyx on Roll20 if one of you hasn't already done so.
For now just bot him - I'll get a replacement ready in case he doesn't show up. I'm at an event for the next five hours so you won't see me posting until after then - but after that I'll pick the pace back up.
After the gust of wind passes and the sleet settles, the view of the barricade is suddenly clear. Atop the wooden barricade is a scrawny bald female, her longbow already drawn in preparation for the cessation of the winds. With a hate-filled sneer she let's her arrow soar towards Liath. In spite of the magical protections, the arrow still manages to knick an exposed piece of flesh. After watching the arrow take a bite out of its mark, the odd woman jumps back down behind the barricade. Two other humanoids with ugly bulging heads and crossbows seem to have crept a little ways towards you in the undergrowth as well. They too take aim at Liath, although both of their arrows miss by a wide margin, not even coming close to the shimmering protective field surrounding the warpriest. One of them then stops to reload his crossbow, while the other, spotting Kivyx, retreats back towards the barricade. Knowledge(local) DC 15:
The creatures before you are half-goblins, a debased and twisted mongrel race. They dwell in the secluded, wild places of the world. Knowledge(local) DC 20:
Half-goblins are stealthy and fleet of foot. They can see in pitch darkness and are skilled riders.
Kivyx: You detect no evil within the surrounding 60 ft. of woods.
At the sound of Liath's battle cry, a head pops up over the barricade ahead, then promptly disappears. Not a moment later, a lone arrow cuts through the air and burries itself in the snow just in front of Kivyx and Liath. After the arrow, a powerful flurry of wind and sleet crashes through the forest. Wiping the stinging ice from your eyes, you prepare yourselves for battle!
:
Perfect, thanks.
The conversation of your fellow travelers eases the drudgery of the journey quite a bit, and before you know it you've made it (by all guesses) roughly halfway to the Priory. By now the wind and intermittent sleet have been slowly increasing in tempo, and although the countless boughs of the forest protect you from the storm's worst effects, it is undoubtedly cold and miserable. Colwyn: In spite of the weather, your sharp eyes and woodsman's knack pick up an oddity down the road. About 130 feet away from the party's current position, several fallen trees seem to block the trail.
Liath, you wouldn't mind updating your status line to include touch AC, flat-footed AC, saves, CMD, and perception? It makes it easier to have everything more uniform.
Colwyn: It doesn't take much to determine that the weather is bad. Based on your experience, however, you predict it'll only get worse - you'd do well to make haste for the priory.
Curses! Another thing I forgot - here's a knowledge check which anyone can roll either here or in the gameplay thread. As clergy of Darlen, Brevon and Liath would know the DC 10 information automatically. Knowledge(religion or local) DC 10:
The Priory of Cymer is a small backwater shrine named after a local saint. The priory was founded at the behest of Cymer (a visionary believer) who foresaw that a great evil would arise at the site. It never did and over the last few decades, the place has fallen out of favour with the populace of the nearby villages; now few worship there. Knowledge(religion) DC 15:
The curate at Cymer was once a member of an extreme sect - The Brotherhood of the Unalterable Way. The Brotherhood is an ultra orthodox sect of Darlenites famed for their unbending view of holy scripture and their practise of self-flagellation which they believe literally scourges sin from the body. Depending on whom you talk to within the clergy, becoming curate of Cymer Was either a reward for leaving the sect or a punishment for not doing so sooner! Knowledge(religion) DC 20: The priory is rumoured to be built above a network of caves; stonemasons sealed the caverns because they feared what might creep forth.
Also - now would probably be a good time to hash out default marching order.
The main gameplay thread is live! You'll be starting out having just hit the road to the Priory. Feel free to introduce your characters and whatnot, and get ready for adventure! If you haven't already, make sure your vitals are displayed underneath the name of your alias.
Dark, ominous clouds hand low in the sky behind you and a strong, chill wind plucks at your cloaks. The muddy streets of Swallowfeld lie behind you on the tree-fringed trail. Occasionally, small flurries of sleet and strong winds swirl about you. Ahead lie hours of miserable travel. Curiously enough however, although your reasons for traveling to the priory are yours alone, you managed to find three other companions interested in making the journey with you. Aside from the three, be they new faces or old friends, there is little else on the trail that might stave off boredom.
Sorry folks - the travels are over but the weight of decision had me slowed down. With such a small pool of stellar applicants it's been really difficult for me to make the cut but I've at last narrowed it down to the final four:
All the best to the rest, but those four can head to the Gameplay thread! EDIT: In all my prep it seems I overlooked perhaps the most obvious thing - pre-writing my first gameplay post - head to Discussion instead. As I mentioned, it is still the holidays a bit, so things will be nice and relaxed between now and New Years. Tomorrow I'll have Gameplay up for some character introductions.
Hopefully not so lonely anymore! Welcome aboard players!
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