Attic Whisperer

Zesdead's page

Goblin Squad Member. RPG Superstar 8 Season Dedicated Voter. Organized Play Member. 145 posts (11,641 including aliases). 2 reviews. 1 list. No wishlists. 1 Organized Play character. 7 aliases.


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The most talkative of the two Scathels shrugs at Salom's suggested question, "Yes... the Troth. Why, the Grasts now think themselves above such trivialities as our shared histories, our mutual allegiances and the eternal battle between Family... and those who are not of our blood?"

...it is the second of the Scathels, a lot more skittish than his companion, who seems to panic first. Maybe it is Moira's use of clairvoyancy, or maybe it is Rigo's imposing presence, but he interrupts the other to spit out a threat, "You... yes, you need to go back to Ammos an' tell 'im it's the Scathels what are the entertainers in this town, time for the bastard to slink back to his father and back up his own a+*%%!#@ where he came from". And, as he spits out his demand, his nose and mouth start to visibly protrude from his face... and, as he seems to grow shorter even than before, the stench of rat becomes almost unbearable...

Knowledge (Local) DC12:
There can be little doubt that the transformation exhibited by the Scathel halfling is that of one afflicted by lycanthropy... seemingly in control of his own bestial urges, the halfling stops short of exhibiting his true were-form.

Nice... the Paizo.com language filter doesn't approve of Richard Pett's potty mouth!!!


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AC 20, T14, FF16, F+6 R+8 W+10, HP 35/46, 1 CON damage, Initiative +2, Perception +4, Channel Energy 4/8, Bit of Luck 7/7, Agile Feet 7/7, Grit 3/4, Panache 2/3

Well... that was an interesting 'I don't know how long!!!!' I had drafted a brief discussion as to plans for Anody, Constance, etc but somewhere over the last couple of weeks it's gone missing - long story short, Anody should come with us as it gives the GM agency plus he's the only one set up to decipher all of the technological stuff we'll find... Constance should definitely leave Scrapwall as she is too recognisable as a Hellion follower there... and then we have the dog (staying with the Brigh priestess I guess) and the cat (coming with Criek)...

...going to see how stable the site is before I post any further!!!


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Gameplay post coming tomorrow - absolutely snowed under with work... but a little bit of downtime anticipated on the train in the morning :)


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A figure in the window watches from the Squealing Pig as Moira drives her newly acquired cart onto the pier. The horse she has paid so much gold for is increasingly unsteady on its hooves as the broad walkway out into the Lyme sways under the influence of the strong river currents here - yet it manages to make it as far as the steps leading below the main walkway and into Grace's hideout... and, were either Audria or Moira to notice the man watching from the dubious Cookhouse they would have seen him quickly draw the curtains and slip from view.

And so, it is late evening now - although Festival may well be a place that never truly sleeps - loading up the cart with Grace and her sister? and from there, up to Grast Hall?

Meanwhile, in a tavern not too far from the Urchin, a tobacco chewing fellow is regaling anyone who will listen the story as to how he just made the bargain of a century... and can afford to finally move from Toiltown into more genteel premises. But this is Castorhage, and folk would be well-advised to not brag about newly acquired fortunes lest they attract the wrong kind of attention... and Moira's cart owner will sadly end his night in an anonymous back alley with a knife in his back and his pockets emptied... yet another soul lost to the hunger of the Blight.


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Cautiously ascending the steps, the group find themselves in a most curious boudoir; a place surrounded by mirrors and 'decorated' with mangy cushions, silks, and hangings. Regrettably, the smell is an unpleasant mixture of herbal narcotics, of death and of recent sex... the atmosphere is far less than pleasant and, as such, the group's search is necessarily quick. Amongst the cushions are a fancy bottle of perfume, a mangled emerald-green dress with a fancy mouchoir in one pocket, a morbid collection of human teeth in a porcelain jug, a set of false teeth made from hippo ivory, a bald kitten floating in cloudy vinegar within a bell jar...

Perception DC12:
Examining the bell jar closer, the kitten is impaled upon a somewhat elegantly forged crossbow bolt.

...also, they find a ceramic cow with silver horns, a silver cut-glass claret jug depicting the moon defecating on the sun, a papier-mâché spectacle case with bronze-lined gargoyle filigreed reading glasses within, and a rather ghoulish papier-mâché leprechaun doll with glass eyes, moveable arms, real hair beard, and velvet gloves.

The mirrors that have been placed at various strategic angles, such that one can admire oneself from the locations where cushions have been scattered, are clearly worth a significant amount of money - some are plainly decorated whilst some, the largest of them, are framed with baroque depictions of nymphs in various erotic poses.

And, following Moira's concerns about the boy who supposedly came here - and the fresh blood which Grace and her sister were almost 'painted' with - she finds a trapdoor in the floor towards the rear of the boudoir. Latched closed, there is trail of blood between one of the piles of cushions and the hatch... and then nothing. Worse, looking through the pile of cushions, Moira finds more blood and a single human finger with a crested gold ring still attached. The flesh of the severed digit is still relatively pink... a fresh kill...


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7,000 posts and still going…

...and just as a bit of fun, here's a reminder of what was happening each time we clicked around the next thousand posts...

December 2014: 1,000 posts - Ziomarra accepts the call from Lady Heidmarch to retrieve the Sihedron.

Ziomarra wrote:
Ziomarra grins a mirthless smile and shakes her head. "Well, if I had been content to perform Harrow readings for tourists at two silvers a session, I would not have left Kaer Maga. And if I truly thought that secrets were meant to stay buried, I would not have petitioned to join the Pathfinder Society!"

April 2015: 2,000 posts - Teldon, having received a message that a contact who he fought dead is, in fact, alive and well, agrees to an arrangement that will, eventually, lead to Ravenmoor...

Teldon wrote:
"Excellent" Teldon exclaims. As he turns to face Kyrot his eyes meet Briana's and his gaze lingers there for a moment longer than perhaps it should. When he realizes what he's doing, he forces his attention to the tiefling and continues, "Please inform Lord Fairfax that it would be my honor and pleasure to represent him... but also mention that there are 1 or 2 particular items of great interest to another benefactor with whom I have a previous agreement and I will, of course, need to honor that arrangement."

October 2015: 3,000 posts - the group, minutes away from discovering Nalathi murdered in a shack used by a cult of Ghlaunder, fight an Aranea...

GM Zed wrote:
The spider creature recoils as Ziomarra fixes it with her gaze - yet, despite the sudden lethargy which grips it, it easily avoids Briana's Mace attack.

March 2016: 4,000 posts - Deep below the Crow, the friends find themselves fighting hellhounds in a labyrinth attuned to a dark corner of hell...

Briana wrote:
With Aristh and Zee's summoned butterfly taking the the fight to the second hound and Joanna and Teldon still facing off with the first, Briana decides that the best thing she can do for the moment is to hold her position lest she get in the way. Desiring to be proactive as well, she reaches out and places a hand on Teldon's shoulder to imbue him with a little extra insight on his next move.

October 2016: 5,000 posts - Seeking the next shard of the sihedron, the friends come to the aid of an unlikely guide...

“Joanna” wrote:

Seeing Teldon taking care of the last of the thugs, Joanna turns and rushes to help the stricken Kandamerus.

Feeling a little winded as her connection to the divine power of her goddess fades, she turns to the others.
“Do we have a way of tying them up,” she asks, nodding at the immobilized and charmed thugs, “any rope or something like that?”

June 2017: 6,000 posts - Fighting demons beneath the Lady’s Light, the friends are only moments from Teldon’s abduction and subsequent ensorcellment…

“Arsith” wrote:

This time, Arsith hits her target

Come to me, demon!I'll fight your evil with the power of beauty, of purity!

March 2018: 7,000 posts - In a brief interlude between fighting Illeosa’s honour guard, holed up in the Lady’s Light, and seeking out the Shard of Lust, Shadlah wonders aloud to her stone companion…

Shadlah Broken-Earth wrote:

Shadlah shakes her head, looking at the small pile of rocks that snuffles and waddles around her half-finished works. He says very little with so many words, she mutters in a voice that only the creature can understand, and the armadillo makes an odd chuffing sound in response, attempting to assimilate a half-formed figure into its abdomen.

She glances curiously at the coloured lights, asking, "Is this common practice among tshamek?"


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Moira

Grunwaldt bows graciously towards Moira, "Until later then... it's been a pleasure".

Alexis

The ticket seller tries to calm Alexis down, "Wait... wait... there's more to see", and he's right - as Alexis watches, a third golem - this one seemingly sewn together with an assortment of flesh, leather and hide - stumbles into the ring. Blindly flailing around, it blunders towards where the sackcloth constructs are kneeling on the floor, and it duly trips over...

...and to roars of somewhat cruel laughter, the stitching around the golem's neck tears and its uncomprehending eyes spin as its head rolls along the floor. Predictably, and to the hilarity of the audience, the leather creature clatters around the ring looking for its head.

Audria and Aishe

The pigs look momentarily surprised when Aishe returns... and then the prettiest, and quite possibly the plumpest, of the sows - pink with brown spots - oinks at him, "Asa... that's me... Asa and I know that name.... oh lord, I know that name!!!! Oh dear.... Oh!!! watch out!!!!"

...as bounding towards Aishe, the chained dog bares its teeth... and crashing into the man's ankles, tries to drag him down to the ground!!!

Initiative for Party and Enemy

Aishe, Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Audria, Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Pit Mastiff, Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

Initiative Order
Pit Mastiff then
Aishe and Audria

Pit Mastiff: Grapple vs Aishe: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27, Aishe is Grappled

Aishe and Audria may act now


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Moira's song draws quite an amount of attention from the other customers here in the Sugar-Plum... the atmosphere remains relatively mellow - the song is, after all, hardly a joyful affair - but there are mutterings of appreciation through the building... that is, until Audria and Alexis join in with their accompaniment. In a little less than a minute, the vibe in the bar has changed... worsened even... "Okay... Okay", miss Butterfly draws the discordant song to a close, "Please - no more... the Sugar Plum has a reputation to keep after all".

It seems that the proprietor is finally convinced that the group are not part of the establishment and, just possibly, they have Grace's interests at heart, "Okay, I'll help... anything to end that noise. I ain't never been introduced to Grace but I've heard the name around the place... she ain't exactly the kind of clientele I'd encourage but I'm not going to judge what floats other people's boats. You want to track Grace down then get yourselves over to the pig races and ask for Asa".

From somewhere over near the bar, another voice has started to sing - filling the quietness left by the abrupt ending of Moira's song... and soon it is joined by other singers, a tune that is apparently quite familiar to the drinkers here...

"Stay away from me everybody, 'cause I'm in my sin
I said, stay away from me everybody, 'cause I'm in my sin
You know I'm beggin' you, somebody give me my gin.
Stay away from me, unless you wanta big fight
Stay away from me everybody, unless you wanta get involved in a fight
I'll fight the army and the Queen's navy if I don't get some gin tonight..."


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Apologies for the brief pause... I was a' travelling and between flights, hotels and various work commitments, PbP took a brief back seat... your horrid GM is back now though!!!


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...and so, it begins.


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Apologies for slowness of posting - a busy Thursday at work and I've started playing Roller Derby one night a week... good news for you folks is that at some point I'm inevitably going to break a limb and then I'll have lots of time for PbP!!!!

Of course, other than the rudimentary directions that they had received on Festival, no-one in the group knows the way to BookTown... half-remembered suggestions from the staff at the inn tell of a need to either navigate their way westwards through the Sinks, something that they were warned off of attempting without a competent guide, or hiring a boat to take them along the Lyme - a far safer prospect... and, with healthy competition established between the many boatsmen calling out from the quayside, not an unreasonably priced one at a single Pilaster each for the fare upriver to BookTown...

For the sake of Brevity, I am going to assume you folks are happy to take a riverboat to BookTown rather than head into the Sinks... plenty of time for that particular delight later... Mwaaa haaa haaa

And, as hackney carriage drivers and boatswains across the land are wont to do, the group's guide regales his passengers with his thoughts, opinions and stories...

"Ahhhhh... first time to Booktown folks? You'll soon see... it has a unique smell, thst place, of old books and ageing parchment, of ink and learning. A place of towers and strange bridges between buildings, a place where the streets are cramped with a curious mixture of all walks of life. The bewigged legalese rubs shoulders with the punkawallah, who in turn flees from the eyes of his cruel master the overseer, clutching a fistful of legal papers. A handcart full of heavy tomes is pushed by a reed-thin man wearing a turban, a donkey sags beneath its load of new wet parchment... oh, you will see".

"There in the shadow of the tall buildings, men are slave to the books that they come to see, and every window is crammed with tomes and maps and manuscripts, pamphlets, codices, and weighty works. A narrow iron spiral stair through grimy windows? ...then both stair and window shall be crammed with books. Even the streets sing out in worship of the written word — scribes and bookbinders and printers compete for custom amongst the stalls of mapmakers and cartographers and legalese".

His tone becomes mock conspiratorial, "And buried beneath the gloss of respectability are the secrets, the antiquaries who fight over ancient tribal fetishes, the wizards who kill for spells that have never seen sunlight, and the twisted visionaries who organise trips to explore Between. Tell me, is this a place of knowledge, or is it the home of madness?"

A pause during which there is only the sound of the oars cutting into the water and then, "...or both?"

Drawing near now, having navigated past the canals of the Sinks and moving into the shadow of the TownBridge, the boatsman starts to look for a mooring point, "So tell me... what business have you in BookTown? Will you need a guide?"


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So, it looks like we have lost Locke - it's been since before christmas that he last posted on the boards. I recall that something similar occurred last year (around about the same time) and it was a good few months before he managed to get stuff straight and return to posting... that time around, the game was in a state where reintegrating him into the adventure was quite straightforward - this time around, a little less so. I think that I'll GMPC him for a short while more... but when we arrive at the next settlement, if the player hasn't resurfaced, I will be writing him out of the game.


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Rigo wrote:
Which gods are we using again?

A good question - The gods will be the standard Golarion fare (they're the ones that I am most familiar with and they generally fit quite easily into the Blight) with a few Castorhage specific deities thrown in... there are more gods, far more than I am going to share so early in our adventure, but here are the ones that even newcomers to the Blight would likely be aware of - indeed, the church at the village of Wicken was dedicated to Mother Grace...

GODS OF THE BLIGHT - a Primer for the Faithful

Father Canker (Brother Choke; The Silent Assassin) - God of Poison, Silence and Smog.

He is at your window, he swallows the breath of your children as he chokes them, sobbing as he does. Father Canker seems to be a god wholly of Casterhagi origin. He represents the ever-present danger to be found in the noxious fumes of the Canker and the choking smog of the city. Father Canker is not so much revered as placated, and many beggars and those forced to live in the lowest parts of the city along the banks of Sister Lyme where the mists rise highest and the sea breezes are at their weakest live in constant fear of the choking miasma that can come without warning and leave all it encounters dead where they lay.

Lord Shingles (The Shadow on the Rooftop; Sovereign of the Heights) - God of Builders, Gables, Rooftops, and the Sky

No city has a skyline like Castorhage, so it is no surprise that the city’s unique rooftop culture with its ubiquitous features and threats should spawn an awe in the people who live and work upon it. It is possible that Lord Shingles was originally just an obscure sky deity or perhaps some lesser builder deity associated with Dre’uain the Lame, but whatever the case, something about the Blight’s urban sprawl and ever-more precarious skyward expansion called out for a God of the Heights, and one appeared.

He is sometimes glimpsed at dusk and dawn, and there are many gable-maesters and spider-hunters who have claimed to have spent time with the god, though none can remember any details with which to describe him, other than that he feared no precipice or drop and somehow made them feel strangely calm and safe as well. Oddly, many thieves pay him heed and make offerings on rooftops for luck in their second-story endeavours, flowers, coins, and personal possessions, and the gables and spires of the Blight are festooned with his shrines.

Mother Grace (The Holy Mother; Mother of All) - Goddess of Family, Order, and Tradition

The most widely worshipped god in the City-State of Castorhage, the shrines, churches and cathedrals outnumber those of other gods by a dozen to one and are unequalled in their magni cence. Mother Grace is the goddess of the Royal Family and the official religion of the State. Other gods, saints, and religious figures are tolerated, and yet even this tolerance is occasionally tested with persecutions launched by the religious leaders of Mother Grace’s church with the backing of the Crown. Crusades on foreign shores — especially in and around Castorhage’s many overseas colonies — are regular and by no means driven by goodness, with many similar activities occurring on a smaller scale locally. Pillaging in her name, burning witches to her glory, and assorted murder and mayhem under the auspices of divine authority are her all-too-regular consorts. Throughout all of it, only one thing matters: order.

Sister Shadows (The Unseen) - Goddess of Alleys, Streets, Piers, and Pathways

In a city contorted by countless pathways and alleys, this goddess’s name is said almost as widely as Mother Grace’s. Her name is uttered by those who walk the broadest streets to those who dwell beneath the rankest piers closest to the Kiss of the Lyme and who have to “dance daily with Sister Lyme,” an old Blight phrase meaning to fall into the Great Lyme River, an act that is often a person’s last.

Largely unknown outside the Blight, some suppose Sister Shadow to be an aspect or divine servant of the shadow goddess Mirkeer. However, despite The Unseen’s similar affinity to the dark corners of the world, their similarity ends there. Sister Shadow is not a deity of the night and nefarious dealings in shadow, she represents the endless shadows, nooks, and crannies and the endless possibilities they represent for survival, success, and even satisfaction. She is a goddess of not only those innumerable hordes that dwell within the corners of the city, but the potential that the city represents for those same people she embraces. Many folk see her simply as a goddess of thieves and street gangs, but those who truly revere her see her as protector and inspiration for their lives and the chance — however slight it may be — to better them.


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Alexis Von Brant wrote:
My computer is returned to me! This is awesome!

Good to hear it.... nothing more dreadful than trying to type long passages of text on phones!!!

And ooooh, I'm having a little bit of fun with Uncle Marren... and now he's taken a shine to Moira - fun times ahead!!!


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Yasmin al Akbar wrote:
So is automaton 2 dead? It is still standing on the map, but the game text suggests it died.

Apologies, I left it up there by mistake when cutting and pasting some new automata onto the map. Automaton 2 is dead... deceased, it is an ex-automata... it is pushing up the daisies, etc. Oh, and it looks like the same goes for Automaton 6!!!!

Titania, moving to a position where she can prevent the automaton moving into the chamber proper, starts to weave her sword swings into a lethal pattern - again and again, her blade connects with the armour of the machine... metal upon metal ringing out as if it were a hammer upon an anvil. Fizzing and popping, this new automaton jerk slowly towards a halt...

Automaton 6 is at zero HP and disabled.

At the other end of the chamber, the second 'birthed' automaton - wreathed in electrical currents - is also showing signs of grinding to a stop...

GM Only:
Emerald Automaton 5 = 3/68 (+2 to stats and DR10/Cold)

Terse, the Steward asks Yasmin not to interrupt him, "All in good time, all in good time..."

Waiting on actions from Ea.


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"We will sing for you... after all, you are our first audience of the day".

The seats in front of the harpsichords are very close together, and when the girls sit upon them - side by side - it is immediately obvious that they are in fact conjoined at the torso... each girl has but the one arm - yet, as the sombre tune of 'The Young Rose of Castorhage' starts to weep from each of the instruments, it is clear this is no impediment to their beautiful playing...

The girl to the left starts the song, her voice lilting and melodic...

”Oh, who has not seen the Young Rose fade away… and yield in the sunshine of spring to decay,
and shed its soft leaflets and waste its perfume ‘re summer has ripened its beauty and bloom”

The second verse, is slower and sung in deeper notes by the second of the twins...

”Ah have we seen her... the brightest, the best - fade early away from the world that she blest and vanish from earth in her life’s vernal hour,
Ere had her charms displayed her magical power”

In unison, the harpsichords play a tune that rises in intensity and playfulness... before, with a discordant descent, slowing to a dirge. The first girl is singing again,

”Oh weep for she wept over the grave of the youth to whom she had plighted her first vows of truth’
He left her to fight for his dear native shore
He fell mid the brave and she saw him no more”

And then the final verse, with girls facing each other as they sing in unison, the tone is funereal.

”From that moment of anguish, no light cleared her gloom,
Her eye lost its lustre, her cheeks lost their bloom,
Her youth and her loveliness went to decay and like a young rose bud, she withered away”

The melancholy tune ebbs away until all that remains is an atmosphere of sadness...

It is a DC8 Will save to overcome the desire to leave - possibly saddened to the point of tears.

Standing, the girls bow in unison and, after taking any applause, introduce themselves as 'Elaine' and 'Blessed Arya', "You wish to know about our little circus? The Macabre? What is there to say... it's a fine little company that Long Lucy has assembled - we are very lucky... the finest in the land I should say!!!" The girls have a strange habit of finishing each other's sentences...

I'm going to need some Diplomacy (or any other appropriate Social Skill) rolls if you want to get any information - beyond the banal - from the girls.


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And a Happy New Year to all of you in the strange land of Rythes!!!


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Joanna Whitehall wrote:

Merry Christmas! Thanks to all of you for making this one of the best games I've ever played.

Also, since I think many of you will appreciate this, one of the best presents I've gotten this year is an Imperial Shuttle Lego set, but not just any Imperial Shuttle set, it's the original one that the released back in 2001. It's sealed, in the box, and if I were so inclined, I could sell it and make $200 easy. When I realized this, I immediately geeked out and had to call my mom to tell her since she gave it to me. She found it and wrapped it after misplacing it some years ago.

Needless to say, that baby's going together and sitting in my office at work. :D

And I've spent a good part of the day building the lower half of an AT-ST with eldest... and a volcano crawler with youngest - lego heaven :) Sadly, no lego for yours truly - just vicarious enjoyment...


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Shoanti Marked of Sarenrae; HP 40/40 4NL, AC16 T13 FF13, Saves: F+9, R+8, W+4, Initiative +3, Perception +9

And a belated festive greetings to all of you... family, some lovely food and a beer with the last of Capaldi's Doctor Who's - a great day and then today was out with the kids on various scooters, heelys and suchlike...


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Am sure that I am soon to succumb to the chaotic maelstrom of Christmas - so, in case I don't post here before the 25th, I shall wish everyone festive greetings...


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Also, for those folks who have enjoyed the Blight but don't watch the main page anymore... I thought I'd relay this missive from your horrible author...

Richard Pett, Dread Lurker of Kickstarters wrote:


Hello chums
I'm afraid I can't answer any of the questions on delivery, scoured is done and with the frogs but as for delivery I'm afraid I can't answer that one. I can say it's nasty though. I noticed over at Paizo and here that there are still a few questions coming up. In terms of the campaign and ap just to let you wonderful people know if you have any questions I'm still regularly watching these boards and the ones over at Paizo in case of questions, I have a set of new draft adventure outlines laid out on my PC for future use one way or another and I'm hoping 2018 will see some of those come to light. The support you've given the Blight is awesome and I want to make sure that her dirty streets continue to fester and grow so they can drag you in and never let go.
Huzzah!
Rich


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Zhern wrote:

You make a fair point, Zesdead. I would ask that you email zach@froggodgames.com about the books and let him know how the second shipment was damaged as well. We will fix that for you. Also, I have complained about the packaging as well and I believe that is going to change. I don't like bent corners either.

As for the list, I haven't gotten the final yet. I hold myself accountable for not getting back here to make sure you knew that it wasn't because I wasn't trying. I wasn't involved in The Blight until it was time for the 5E work so I don't have visibility into the Pathologies as they were system neutral. I do try to read the Paizo forums as much as possible but I do miss things. Jerry does a great job of funneling issues to Zach and me but I do drop the ball at times.

I'll get back with definite word but it likely won't be till after the Christmas holiday. Thanks for your patience.

Patrick
Frog God Games

Apologies if I came over a bit grumpy!!! Maybe a little bit of the Blight's corruption wormed itself into my soul and festered somewhat... it'd be good to know what is coming down the track with regards to the Pathologies and I do find it a bit strange that, after wrangling the beast that is the main book, the status of these seven small pieces is so hazy... but it's good to hear someone is on it... same for Scoured to the Bone, that's something everyone should be getting - and if it encourages folks to go out and buy Richard Pett's Crooked then that's a great thing...

As to the damaged books, I'll contact Zach but I feel guilty asking again and cutting out whatever profit the Frogs are making on this adventure... plus, if the packaging is the same then I'll probably end up with a third set of bent books!!!


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Shoanti Marked of Sarenrae; HP 40/40 4NL, AC16 T13 FF13, Saves: F+9, R+8, W+4, Initiative +3, Perception +9

Just want to push this little nugget of goodness into the light where you good folks can see it... Frog God Games are, for 24 hours only, giving away free downloads of the Blight adventure, Bloody Jack. I have run the module here on the messageboards and, I'm sure my players will agree, it is a deliciously twisted monster... I can heartily recommend that you head over to the FGG website and download it.

Holiday Season, Free Download of Bloody Jack

You might need to set up an account with FGG and log in before it works... I tried to add yesterday's festive treat without being logged in and it didn't work - logging in cured that particular problem...


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Salom Mortara wrote:
GM-level evil!

Hey!!! Who are you calling evil?!?!?! I am but an impartial observer... sorry? you wanted to know what was in my pockets? Oh... definitely not thumb-screws... and that rust -covered serrated thing? Nah, that's not a bone saw.... no, no, no... it's a... hmmmm... a ruler? yes, that's right - definitely a ruler...

It is only Aishe, his bolt thudding into the eel where its fin crests the waters, who manages to bother the creature... the rocking boat, the darkness and the thick scales of the beast all working against the group in their efforts to scare the monster away... Surfacing from the waters, a dark shape some ten feet from the aft of the drifting boat, Greel calls out, "Here!!! I'm over here!!! Help!!!"

Greel, Swim Check to Surface: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

Waiting on actions from Audria and Alexis.


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It's a very unusual 'snow before Christmas' here and the first time we have had a proper blanket of snow in our garden since we moved here four years ago... So, PbP took a back seat to snowmen, snowball fights, christmas tree decorating and watching Elf on Amazon (oh... and Mulled Wine too!!!)

Normal service shall be resumed today... although the kids are on a 'Snow Day' with the local schools closed!!!


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Shoanti Marked of Sarenrae; HP 40/40 4NL, AC16 T13 FF13, Saves: F+9, R+8, W+4, Initiative +3, Perception +9
DM Nate wrote:
@Kaelaah- lol, you know those skills have always been part of the core rules, right? As has been pointed out, it could have been worse: they could have waited until you were on the bridge and then cut it (or, one idea I considered before being merciful, grease the bridge up so it's slow to cross and then when you're halfway across ignite the grease).

Yeah... just reflecting on the fact that I can't remember ever building a character with those skills even though they're so obviously useful!!!

DM Nate wrote:
@everyone- if you don't think you can succeed at any of the current options you can always seek other options... if you're not sneaking or trying to move at night, you're only a few hours from Sandpoint... you could try to gather more resources there, if you can think of something that would help?

Yeah... Jetpacks!!!


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Alexis Von Brant wrote:
Sorry for the lack of posts yesterday. It was my disaster of a birthday.

Ahhhh... birthdays, the double edged sword!!! If you'd said, I'd have made sure the good folk in the Black Hold sang Alexis a song and wished her a happy birthday!!!

Not really ;)


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Moira Keening wrote:
Speaking of Aishe--how do you pronounce that? "I-she"? Roughly as the letter "H"?

I'm reading it as 'Aye... Ee... Sha" as in Death in Vegas' 'Aisha'.

The lyrics are grimly appropriate to the Blight:

"Aisha, we only just me"
"But I think you should know... I'm a Murderer!!!"


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Shoanti Marked of Sarenrae; HP 40/40 4NL, AC16 T13 FF13, Saves: F+9, R+8, W+4, Initiative +3, Perception +9

The sight of the Sarenrite symbol here, amongst the rubble and debris of the goblin stronghold, sends chills along Kaelaah's spine. Taking it from Sister Flinders, he carefully wraps it in cloth and ties it to his belt, "This could have belonged to a beloved of Sarenrae sister... one who fell into the hands of the goblins and whose end may not have been lamented. Tonight, I shall dream of that person... and commend their soul to the rising sun".

Lost in thought, Kaelaah assists with the search...


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And so, as Argosa's twin suns set over the city, Ravboom, Palomia, Vael and CL4P-TP start to consider their future... certainly, it is not the future they may have expected, marooned as they are on a strange planet with only the promises of the enigmatic elali to suggest that they could ever leave this place. But it is a future nonetheless - with Lomrick defeated, the threat of any future abduction must surely be minimal... and now, with their contacts in the coteries and other associations, with their skills and sharing a certain amount of companionship, maybe Zel-Argose - after all - could be home?

And what of Biggun? Taken by Lomrick and subjected to the klaven process, he will never quite be the same again - but large as he ever was, strangely compliant and with the drooling finally under control, it's kind of reassuring to have him around.


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Shoanti Marked of Sarenrae; HP 40/40 4NL, AC16 T13 FF13, Saves: F+9, R+8, W+4, Initiative +3, Perception +9

He doesn't let it show, but this new 'Marked of Gozreh' is a little troubling to Kaelaah...

And soon, they will forget Brother Roakkad... this new 'favoured' of the Storm and the Sea will likely take his place amongst us and displace the memory of him.

...and then, pulling himself together as he sees what is truly here, an injured boy - ill-treated by the villains of Thistletop and needing his help, he puts the thought of Roakkad to the back of his mind. Extending a hand, with the flames subdued, Kaelaah introduces himself...


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Well... as it isn't Thanksgiving around here (although us Limey's will gladly partake of your Black Friday tradition tomorrow) I had some beer, some veggie sushi and watched some football in the background whilst surfing the 'net. Not quite the epic family fun that you folks had... but I had the cat on my lap and my girlfriend chilling next to me... good times :)


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Awesome... I'm there!!! Bring your character sheets and your favourite dice... we'll get this AP finished before Cyber Monday!!!


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A couple of folks (including myself) have posted the question about the non-physical aspects of this KS - the seven Pathologies which were pushed towards the end of the KS as well as the 'Scoured to the Bone' Novella - on the Kickstarter Campaign page but there's been no word about them since September (if not before)... it would be good to know, especially as I am about to launch into my Levee campaign, a couple of things:

a) What are the Pathologies going to be? Titles, synopses, whatever...
b) When can we expect to see them?

Also, having read and enjoyed 'Crooked', I'd like that second slice of twisted fiction from Mr Pett. Does anyone have any insight as to what is planned for these 'treats'?

I'd post the questions over on the Blight KS page but I'm not convinced FGG are particularly looking at that these days.


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Creepers, you folks have given me a hard choice to make... nearly there, nearly there.


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The Smiling Pig has seen many new faces tonight, some who have come from the bloated city down river - and are like to never return whilst some, maybe not yet knowing it, are soon to find their destiny irreparably entwined with the Blight. The hour is late when the final customers, weary from the return journey from Castorhage, come through the door... Redmane welcomes the men into the tavern, pours them drinks and asks how their trip was - appearing morose, the eldest of the pair, hears the music end and, unbidden, stands near the fire and sings a slow acapella stanza...

"Rain tomorrow, but tonight the sky is clear, the stars shine.
Still, the rain’s coming,
maybe enough to drown the seeds.
There’s a wind from the sea pushing the clouds;
before you see them, you feel the wind.
Better look at the fields now,
see how they look before they’re flooded.
A full moon. Yesterday a sheep escaped into the woods,
and not just any sheep—the ram, the whole future.
If we see him again, we’ll see his bones.
The grass shudders a little; maybe the wind passed through it.
And the new leaves of the olives shudder in the same way.
Mice in the fields. Where the fox hunts,
tomorrow there’ll be blood in the grass.
But the storm — the storm will wash it away"
.

Louise Gluck, ‘Before the Storm’ (2008).

The mood, having swung from celebratory to something far more downbeat, is not - this time - abated by a new cask from Redmane... indeed, it is time now for the Smiling Pig to close... for tonight's customers to melt away into the autumnal night once more. As people leave the tavern or make their way to the inn's sleeping quarter, the light of the moon guides their path... until, the temperature unseasonably cool, drops a little farther as a dark cloud smears itself across the pale orb.

...a dark omen of change maybe?


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Quick reminder for anyone thinking about subjecting a character to the trials, tribulations or traumas of the Blight - the last boat to those dread shores leaves around twenty four hours from now...


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Situated near the centre of the sleepy hamlet of Wicken, the Smiling Pig is a typical country tavern… Smoke gently rises from the chimney of the thatched building as the autumn evening draws in, and a warm glow from the fire can be seen through the windows. Stepping through the heavy front door and directly into the taproom, visitors are greeted by the friendly smiles of the landlord and his wife - the enduringly jovial Redmanes, gnomes who have called this place home for longer than many can remember.

The bar is cosy with simple wooden tables and chairs arranged around the roaring fire which, tonight has a generously proportioned hog roasting on a spit over it. Well‐polished horse brasses and a few tarneished weapons provide the bulk of the decoration in the inn, although it’s the magnificent display of huge, prize‐winning vegetables that catches the eye of first-time visitors. The smells, the sounds and the fare of this place, a second home to many of Wicken’s folk, are somewhat parochial… and are cherished by all.

Many are the tales told here of the Blight, the great shame that lies no more than three hours hike from here… yet few of this place’s regulars have ever had cause to venture into the great city - and fewer still have come back untarnished by the experience.

This early in the evening, the Smiling Pig is rather quiet, in fact - beyond a pair of men, who from their attire don’t seem to be locals, minding their own business near the bar - the only other patron so far is Hervel, the villager who grew the enormous marrow that occupies pride of place at the centre of the vegetable display. A half-full tankard on the table in front of him and a rosy glow in his cheeks, Hervel is keen to talk to anyone who comes into the bar… and, as he does every year, he loves to boast of his prize-winning vegetables.

Welcome then to the Smiling Pig… a place for In Character Discussion during the recruitment phase of The Levee. Whilst the Recruitment thread should be used to discuss character builds, party options and suchlike, I thought it would be fun to have a parallel thread where you folks can get a little bit of flavour of the Blight (noting that it mostly will be told from the perspective of the villagefolk and, as such, woven with superstition, exaggeration and downright lies!!!) and also somewhere where you can expand on your own backgrounds, relationships and character.

So come on in… the fire is roaring, the cider is fine and the fare, whilst simple, is hearty.


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And so, having saved the city from one of the many monsters that stalks its dark nights, the group find themselves freed from custody... and with the nagging question as to why such a high ranking official might have secured their release - an especially pertinent question given the fact that his name had come up during the investigation of the Bloody Jack killings...

...and that, my friends, is where the GM sets down his quill and closes the book. I hope you folks enjoyed your time in Castorhage - I certainly enjoyed your characters :) I think it is a particularly fantastic adventure and I hope I did it some justice!!! I know folks here are applying to partake of my Levee AP... and so, with different guises, maybe we will walk these streets again!!!

If anyone wants to write epilogues or post-scripts for their characters then you are more than welcome to do so... I will leave the Campaign open for a few days before shuffling it into the Inactive pile. Further, if you want to chat in this thread about what was happening behind the scenes, then I am happy to expand on any parts of the story which seemed opaque to you...


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Palomia Kasic wrote:
Re: The Blight - Definitely interested but I'm going to have to see if a character concept forms that really strikes my fancy before I submit. Don't want to have a repeat of what happened with Ruby :\

Hoping your creative juices come up with something awesome!!!


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So folks, I thought maybe you might be interested in this horrible little tale that I'd like to tell. Your untrustworthy storyteller stands at the doorway, keys jangling at his belt and bids you to sit by the remnants of his fire...With a twitching brow and a faraway gaze, he wants to tell you about the Blight...


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So folks, I thought maybe you might be interested in this horrible little tale that I'd like to tell. Your untrustworthy storyteller stands at the doorway, keys jangling at his belt and bids you to sit by the remnants of his fire...With a twitching brow and a faraway gaze, he wants to tell you about the Blight...


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"The Blight?"

The Blight is a city; a vast corpulent, mad, ugly thing, but it is so much more than that.  Its veins seep into other places, drawn across the Between, which rips at its fabric and tosses it about like a child throwing a ball.  Maybe you have found a curiosity shop from the Blight crammed amongst the mighty tenements of some other city, a horrific character staggering along the streets of an otherwise normal town, or perhaps even a whole block perched within another city like a cuckoo in a nest. Her polite name is Castorhage; named after the grotesque Royal Family that rules here, a family even worse than those who would depose them. It has been called lots of other names, other oaths have been flung at her and her constituent filthy, chymic poisoned parts.  

From Sister Lyme to the chaos of Toiltown, through the throttling alleyways of the Jumble to the airy madness of the Hollow and Broken Hills, every facet has a story, and every story a dark edge. Yes, the Blight is a place, but it is a place that touches others, like a cancer, suddenly infesting a brighter place and poisoning it. There is no escaping its touch, and once it draws you in, you may never escape. Welcome then, to the city that Richard Pett's unlovely dreams have given to this world...
 
*****************
 
Having dipped my toe into the world of the Blight whilst telling the cautionary tale of Bloody Jackand his trail of wicked murder across the city and then of the Crucible and of dreams of fire that could consume a city, it is time to yield entirely to fevered visions… it is time to open ‘The Levee’…
 
’There was an ocean above us, held in by a thin sac that might rupture and let down a flood at any second.’ – Stephen King, Different Seasons (1982).
 
"What is 'The Levee'?"
 
The Levee is an Urban Horror Adventure Path (running across nine chapters and progressing characters to Level 10) that will send its players across, through and into some of the darkest districts of Castorhage… set against the inexorable turn of the seasons within the city, the players will feel themselves slowly drawn into plots, secrets and dreams that are far bigger - and far more catastrophic than anything they could have imagined.
 
"Where is Castorhage?"
 
Note that, as I have no other Frog God / Lost Lands Campaign Setting materials, I shall be running the Blight in Golarion… Castorhage is, in my world, a self-governing city state geographically located in the nation of Taldor… and replaces Cassomir on the map. Having said that, the adventure will be predominantly self-contained within the Blight so this placing of Castorhage within the Golarion map should only really impact those who choose to develop backgrounds that have them originating from far beyond the city… 
 
"Are there heroes in this story?”
 
The story starts with the players living their lives blissfully ignorant of the horrors of Castorhage, having grown up in (or maybe moved to) the small farming hamlet of Wicken, they will likely have heard rumours and stories – some of which are likely tall-tales whilst some shall be sadly true – of the city that squats at the edge of the sea some ten miles to the south of their homes… but none, at least until now, have ever had cause to venture there…
 
”…and what do these folk look like?”
 
I will select up to 6 players for the Adventure Path.
 

  • Characters start at Level 1,
  • All Paizo published classes are acceptable,
  • 15-point ability buy (no stat lower than 8 / higher than 18 AFTER racial bonuses / penalties),
  • Maximum HP for your class at Level One,
  • Core races only,
  • Two traits may be selected – note that selected players may change one of their traits to a campaign specific trait after recruitment has finished,
  • Average starting gold for your class,
  • Background Skills (from Pathfinder Unchained) may be selected,
  • Non-evil alignments only,
  • All character options must originate from Paizo published Pathfinder products or from products specific to The Blight.

 
Note that we shall be using Automatic Bonus Progression (from Pathfinder Unchained) and Hero Points within this game.
 
The Player’s Guide for the Blight introduces many options (feats, skills, equipment and even Prestige Classes) that will become available as the players progress through the adventure… and in the event of losing a character to one of the many dangers that stalk the wretched streets of Castorhage, there are several Blight-specific races / racial archetypes that may be of interest as well.
 
”Should we start then?”
 
I plan on holding recruitment open for around two weeks to allow people to build a character… in a couple of days or when enough players have got a submission together (or at least a good idea of what they will be proposing) then they are welcome to swing by the Discussion Thread where I am planning on running an IC thread for people to establish character, maybe build some relationships and also for me to feed in some information / misinformation about Castorhage…


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Shoanti Marked of Sarenrae; HP 40/40 4NL, AC16 T13 FF13, Saves: F+9, R+8, W+4, Initiative +3, Perception +9

I'm happy just to rush on in... I figure between all of the searching and exploring, there's not been that much time / focus to discuss what will happen when we do actually find something!!!

Flames start to burn along the length of Kaelaah's arms as the searching and exploration comes to an abrupt stop... turning to look at his fellows, he smiles and strides into the room...

Hoping that Kaelaah rolls well on Initiative and can get a decent gout of flame burning...

Grand Lodge

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Male Human Inquisitor 1, 10/12HP, AC17 T13 FF14, CMD15, F2 R2 W4, Init +2, Perception+4

Guillaume swirls the wine in his glass, a passable vintage for sure yet nothing upon the fine grape of home, and smiles as Karayan discusses his heritage... and then as talk turns to Lady Heidmarch's original selection of Pathfinders, he proposes a toast, "To the Society... to newly found friends... and to our paths crossing again one day..."

The next day, Guillaume has left before sunrise... his mind already set on a return to Magnimar and another stay amongst the monuments of the grand city. And maybe one day, adventure...


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Ravboom wrote:
Up to GM how much the mayo jar of gunpowder and scrap metal does

Oh, I think we can go for ultimate mess and destruction... the Gibbering Mouther is just a fun appetiser before the main event anyways!!!!

Arcing lazily through the air, the jar embeds itself into the fleshy mass of teeth and eyes that is the mouther... levelling the BoomGar, Ravboom squeezes the trigger and, to a chorus of crazed voices shouting their last, yellowed teeth, loose fats and sinew are detonated across a wide area... those unfortunates within the room, particularly Relas as he was so close, are smeared with the remnants of the creature - whilst dead eyes, hundreds of them, seem to watch the group from where they've landed and adhered to various surfaces...

Combat Over - Palomia can hang on to that spell / mythic surge... and Relas stops short of biting his own leg off!!!

There is only one other exit from this room - a set of double doors headed to the west...

Actions?


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Although many papers were lost to the destruction of the fires lit in the offices, there is enough evidence here to suggest that the extent of doppelganger influence into Castorhage is far more widespread than the fake Inspector Muncy at Kechler's Drop and the few 'factory workers' who died here... a cursory inspection suggests that they have been despatched to make new lives, for whatever nefarious reasons they may have, in all walks of life. A more detailed review, to determine the extent and maybe deduce the reasons, is suggested for a later time at Vera's... far away from the Office of the Watch's eyes.

And so, having gathered what they can discreetly carry from the warehouse, the investigators head out into the sunshine and to find Gar again. After so long in the relative dim of Currington's Clothiers - shut now and likely never to reopen - it takes a few moments for the groups' eyes to adjust to the unusually bright evening sun. Blinking, they see Gar standing amongst a small gang of young children - pointing back at the factory, at Amelia and at the rest of the group... but, looking away for a moment and then back, it was just a trick of the light - the alleyways are as empty as they have always been.

It is only then that they see him, splayed out on the floor where he fell, Gar lies still and unmoving - a gauntleted hand resting on his chest and a peaceful smile upon his face. His unseeing eyes are wide open, looking up towards the heavens...

Perception DC10:
There appears to be nothing untoward here - no one around, no injuries, no sign of a struggle... just an old man taken back into the arms of his god.

Heal DC10:
As far as it is possible to tell, Gar's death is natural causes... he was not a young man and, despite being fit enough for his age, events of the last few days had seen him exert himself more than he maybe could have withstood... in all likelihood, his heart has simply given out on him - and, in a small mercy, it was probably a quick end.


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Yeah... Gar's player isn't active on the boards right now - and Elliomander's player hasn't taken up all of the games that he left behind when he had to step away, It's no dramas... I'll wind any encounters down a little to take account of us being down on numbers...


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Proud dad moment... when your nine year old moves on from banal stories about what he did on his holidays to This!!!

...might get him to take over running my games - his villains are far cooler than mine!


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We are entering the final act of this blood-sodden Penny Dreadful of an adventure - and it's cool to see all of the threads coming together... I'm going to let you folks debate your next steps for a short while and then move us along. Note that I am going to be writing Elliomander out as an NPC as we exit Currington's Clothiers... and I'll keep running Gar for a while.

Amelia:
So, with Lilly finally rested, I'm planning on letting Gar take over as some kind of protective phantom... if you want to build him as Amelia's Phantom offline then I will make sure he becomes available to you before you next enter a combat situation...

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