Soda machines.
What, did you give them the fiendish template?
yep after that and a few more devious plots I had them afraid ... anytime Conan's soundtrack came on the stereo.
A soundtrack to be feared my friends, a soundtrack to be feared - specifically by players...
Withdrawals setting in....
Having prodded Her Clothes-lite Majesty, she assures those who peruse her Live Journal all is well, but she is "busier than a squirrel next to a Planter's factory" with the Real Life Monster.
She anticipates posting another update at her earliest opportunity, so be patient gentlecritters. :)
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Black Days of Kor Kammor
Game 18 ½
I'm working on Game 19, so this is just an appetizer.
I honestly don't have many details on this "session," because it didn't happen at my normal gaming venue. I was hanging out with the players of Quince, Tiera and Glidda, when it was revealed the other Heralds were going to be gone for longer than I had thought. Quince's player decided to take this opportunity to ask around about Glidda's temple, and the demon attack on it. This lead to research by Quince and Tierra in Hallowfaust, which left them convinced that the demons were working for a higher force, likely a mortal spellcaster of considerable power or a demon prince. That news was sent to glidda, along with an update that everyone else was missing.
Glidda, then, got a wizard to do her a "favor," teleporting her to Hallowfaust. There she joined in the research, and attracted Aaston's attention. She maintained a friendly flirt, but nothing more, which began to drive him into obsession (he doesn't deal well with rejection). This caused him to pressure Tiera for information on Glidda, though the two don't know each other that well. Tiera became suspicious, and sent her spirit totem to spy on Aaston. Though the totem's descriptions of Aaston's activities were sparse, they were odd enough for Tiera to bring them to Danar.
Danar then goes to Quince, to ask his opinion of Tiera's abilities as a spy, as she does not want to accuse a major guildsman on an outsider's say so without strong evidence. Quince, being too dang straightforward, suggests they just go ask him about the research, and see how he reacts to Danar's polite inquiry. Since Danar has tons more Sense Motive than Aaston has Bluff, and he has no warning she's on to him (the normal politics involving lots of beating aroudn the bush), he is caught by surprise. Even so, he starts to get around it when Quince asks, point blank, if Aaston has broken any unforgiveable laws of Hallowfaust. Aaston plays offended, but danar sees through him and orders his arrest. Aaston leaps at her, and Quince crosses blades with the now-outlaw necromancer.
Tiera and Glidda burst in, having followed Quince. Then Danar's guard bursts in. Then Aaston releases all his undead experiments to cover his escape, and flees the city. His most cunning creation is a series of ghouls who he has molded to look just like him, garbed in identical clothes. As a dozen of these rush about, Aaston manages to escape the city.
Glidda and Quince convince Danar to let them go after the other heralds, with a group of Stygian Guards. Tiera decides to stay in hallowfaust, unconvinced Aaston is the only problem in the ranks of the guildsmen.
Not sure where they are, but convinced glidda can find them, two more Heralds head into the woods around Hallowfaust.
End game 18-and-a-half
Yay! I'm glad that Aaston got what was coming to him! Great session!
Hey folks!
Yeah, I'm alive though busy, busy, busy. I had originally planned to just work this info into game 19, but seeing as it's been a month (now I'm falling behind how often we actually play them game, I *had* been catching up) I thought I should take extra time to crank out this snippet.
And we have NOT seen the last of Aaston. He got away clean, after all, and still has a lot to answer for...
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Black Days of Kor Kammor
Game 19
A stunned silence creeps over the group, broken only by Mhyssi's sobs, and even they begin to fade. Daronelle leaps in to try to dig Juiren free, and Voronex gamely goes to help. But the task is clearly impossible. Daronelle and Voronex dig through the rubble for several minutes, but there is too much rock to even find Juiren's body. The Twins try to comfort Mhyssi, the three collapsed in a silent hug. Auriji, stoic, stands watch.
After a few minutes, Mhyssi stands and pulls herself together. The Heralds are now lost, keep in the ancient mines, and wasting time searching for Juiren isn't going to help. Mhyssi asks Voronex if he can tell how deep they are, and he confirms they're hundreds of feet below the surface, lower than the base of the mountain. This is the Deep Rock, and aberrations rule such places. In all honesty, a vampire foe is not at the top of their concerns anymore.
Mhyssi sets her posture, pulls her sword, gets the Heralds ready to move. She doesn't issue orders, instead asking questions and letting the answers guide the party. No one, even Daronelle, believes they can find Juiren's body, so they agree it's time to move on. Ryssa takes point, quietly scouting, while Daronelle brings up the rear. A grim determination settles over the group.
From the site of their arrive in the collapsed (and now closed) shaft, there are dozens of tunnels. Voronex guesses which paths lead up, whispering his information to Lyssa, thus informing Ryssa as well. The caverns are rough, wet rock that look like piles of sand. Crystals of a hundred hues sparkle in the torch light and fungus in cracks and across the ceiling flutter as if struck by wind when the group's illumination strikes them.
Covered in blood (though healed, they aren't washed) and sweat, the Heralds are easy to find through Scent, and keep taking tunnels with air currents flowing out. As a result, their scent as wounded prey is sent throughout the lower Deep Rock complex. The smell reaches a large colony of monstrous centipedes, who stalk down and attack the heroes. The 8 Large vermin burst out from two cross-corridors, and sting and bite at the heralds. However, their poison never effects anyone, and the Heralds win handily. With no serious injuries.
Deciding more advanced scouting is called for, Ryssa begins stalking through the darkness, well ahead of the Heralds. Eventually she a chittering noise in the caverns, before her. Eyes straining with darkvision, she creeps ahead slowly. Ryssa wants to get within 60ft so she can identify the possible threat. In the main group Lyssa warns the other Heralds, who ready to sprint into battle.
Ryssa finds herself at the lip of a small cliff. Stretching out before her is a vast, curved canyon of rounded rock columns, thin waterfalls, and large interconnected rock. Within the network of pools, evil-looking needle-toothed fish swim, each with a dangling natural green light probe. The fish bathe the whole cavern in the dim, greenish light, dancing on the walls as moving flickers through the rippling water. Crawling across the floor are dozens of beetle-like creatures, with carapaced bodies, multi-jointed legs, and long feathery feelers. None are within 60ft of Ryssa and the green light is dim and full of shadows, so Ryssa can't see the crawlers clearly. In a pool near here, Ryssa can clearly see what appears to be an old, skeletal hand, long since picked clean of flesh and now petrifying.
They back out and the Heralds confer. Mhyssi recommends caution, given the large numbers and unknown power of the crawlers. Voronex agrees, but isn't sure they have an option. The cavern has many in-bound water-ways and its openness suggests it's a major junction for the natural caves. If there *is* a passable way up, this is the most likely place to find it. Auriji feels caution is a mistake. Caution sent them into the hidden passageways that led to the fight with the delver, and that got them lost and Juiren killed. Caution, the barbarian women opines, is the way to a slow death.
"Lets us fight boldly, and either win through with glory, or die with bloodlust in our hearts and smiles on our faces."
Daronelle is hurting at the loss of her cousin, and wants to kill *something*. The Twins, oddly, are feeling the need to *do* something as well. The group respects Mhyssi and her advice, and all agree it may be a mistake, but they don't want caution. They want to leap into the cavern, kill everything that attacks them, and fight there way out of the deep rock. Mhyssi smiles at them, and agrees. If they are going to die, they'll do it on their own terms. Mhyssi intones a war-chant to the glory of Hyarl (prayer), and the Heralds charge, screaming, into the cavern/.
(Aside: At this point the Twins' players says "Wow, how dramatic of it. Aren't we going to feel like idiots if they're just giant beetles and flee from us?" We all laughed. That's *not* what happened.)
The creatures turn at the sound of the Heralds, and immediately begin to swarm toward them, chittering and clacking, waving their feathery feelers in great excitement. Voronex, who was working on a description of the creatures before, suddenly recognizes them.
"Rust monsters!"
The party has a conniption fit, as weapons are swapped and plans suddenly change. Voronex breathes a mighty gout of fire, clearing a whole cone of the creatures, but others keep coming. The Twins use grease spells and their (leather) whips to slow the creature's charge, but can't stop it. Auriji flips Majah Gada, and begins using the butt-end as a club. Mhyssi yells for Daronelle puts her weapons away entirely, and run ahead to find a way out - preferrably one they can block to prevent the rust monsters from following them.
There is, just, enough room for voronex to make reasonable flying passes, so he begins to do so. This keeps up above the rust monsters, and lets him breath on sections of them, but the cavern is still full of the creatures. The trick is not just to kill them, but do so before they ruin Mhyssi, Daronelle or Auriji's armor. Even so, the group begins to feel they'll make it out without too serious a loss of equipment.
Then, one of the fish leaps out of a pool, and bites down on Lyssa. She screams, and slips on the fungus-covered floor. The fish appears to be made of living crystal, and is much harder and stronger than it looks. Suddenly, the fish are leaping out all over. Dozens of them spring from the water, trying to slide their needle-sharp teeth into soft spots. Mhyssi realizes once the rust monsters have eaten any metal, the fish must take the flesh and blood of now unarmored targets. Only bones remain, in the bottom of the pools.
Daronelle is tumbling, dashing and leaping through the vast chamber, carrying a torch and looking for a likely way out. She finds an angled shaft with water pouring out of it, and slides up to see if it can be climbed. As she does so, her torch touches the water...
And turns to stone.
Daronelle screams to keep away from the water. Voronex hears just as he's about to dive through a waterfall (even as a good flyer, he has a limited number of turn options and wanted to line up a particular cone for breath weapon). He hears her, but still flies through a partially-filled waterfall square. He fails his Reflex save to stay dry by 1, and then fails his Fortitude save to not petrify by 1. The rolls were so close (and he spent an action point on the terrible Fort save), rather than turn entirely to stone, his left hand is caught in the water and petrifies (-2 Dex).
Now the fight takes a new tone. The party has been leaping over pools and running beside the waterfalls, staying dry but not being worried about a little dampness. Now, suddenly, their carefree attitude ends. A single slip could mean death by petrification. The twins quickly decide to trip a rust monster into a nearby pool, only to discover the aberrations are immune to the water's effect, and the fish ignore their armored hides.
The rust monsters begin to crowd the heroes, and Voronex no longer dares fly, as he might pass through a waterfall on a poor turn. He takes the rear of the party, hammering with his morningstar (which quickly loses its spikes and becomes a club) and his already-stoned fist. The twins grease the sides of the path the Heralds are taking (eventually running out of 1st level spells, and then casting the spell with 2nd and 3rd level slots). Mhyssi focuses on using magic missle to finish off wounded rust monsters, and directing the group to stick together.
Lyssa spots an area with very little water, and screams for Daronelle to check it out. It's a rise in the cavern floor, thus the water doesn't flow up into it and the ridges can provide some cover against attacking rust monsters and crystalfish. Daronelle, now with sun-rod in hand, dashes over and confirms not only does it seem safe, there's a narrow rock chimney they might be able to climb up.
The Heralds rush for the clear area. Mhyssi sends Voronex ahead, as if he falls his wings can save him. This leaves Auriji and the Twins to hold the rear in melee, and the Twins can't do real damage with their whips. Auriji tries to hold the position with the butt of her spear, but just can't do enough damage. Suddenly, she tells Mhyssi to hold the back with spells for just a moment. Mhyssi fires off two scorching rays (action point) to keep the rust monsters back, while Auriji runs to a pool and thrusts the metal head of her spear into the waters. Since a Fort save is called for on equipment, I have her rolls one, and she gets a natural 20.
On the other hand, Auriji *wants* her metal spear head to turn to stone, and I don't want to penalize her for being clever and rolling well. So, the metal head first turns to grey granite, then at the last second as she pulls it out becomes sparkling crystal. Auriji now rages, charges back into battle with a crystal spear head, and begins to kill rust monsters left-and-right.
Voronex, and then Daronelle, climb up the chimney of rock. It isn't an easy climb, but they manage to get up out of the lower cavern, into an upper chamber. Voronex sees that the rock here was worked once, roughly, collapsing a more gentle ramp into a vertical drop. He looks out over the glowing green cavern of rust monsters and crystalfish. From this vantage, he can see rubble across the far wall, where the cavern has collapsed and expanded over and over. He realizes the rust monsters are eating the rich natural ore out of the walls with their delicate feelers, and as the ore is eaten the rock walls collapse, revealing more ore. Meanwhile, the underground rivers pour down from points all over the mountains, but by the time they get here can petrify, suggesting some great magic exists within the rock, and only the crystalfish have adapted to it.
Remembering the rune that marked the passage to the delver/gargoyle chambers, voronex whispers to himself "Rust Plague." He can't imagine a worse fate for a dwarven mine. But the rust monsters are small, despite being numerous. Why didn't the dwarves just drive them out in leather armor and sharpened wooden spears?
As Daronelle yells the upper chamber has a way out, V decides it is a question for later. For now, the other Heralds still need to escape. He throws down a rope, and tells them all to start climbing. Daronelle tosses her sunrod partway down the tunnel out and draws her blades, guarding V from any new threat at this level.
The Twins begin to climb the rope, Lyssa having trouble (bad rolls, but we chalked it up to her bitten arm.) Mhyssi decides Auriji is going to have to carry Lyssa, and takes over guarding the rear. She casts spiritual weapon so she can fight rust monsters without losing her metal magic items or short sword (as she's now in black leather armor, and lost her greatsword to the delver already), but also has the sword drawn for emergencies. Auriji puts away her longspear and fires up the rope, catching Lyssa when she loses her grip and falls.
Mhyssi is holding the bottom of the rope alone. Ryssa gets to the tops, and uses animate rope to get the rope to wrap around Mhyssi's waist. V can't haul her up until Auriji and Lyssa are off the rope, however. The crystalfish begin to hop out of the pools, forming a slow, vast swarm headed Mhyssi's way. She tries to drive it off with a sound lance (her last third-level spell slot for the day), and kills one swarm mass, but its only a third of the total crystalfish. The swarms overrun the rust monsters without damaging them, and Mhyssi suffers dozens of bites as Auriji finally gets to the top, and she and V haul Mhyssi to safety, bleeding but not quite unconscious. Her short sword is gone, but no other metal lost.
The group take a breather, and Mhyssi burns what few lower-level spells she has left to heal them. As this drains her cleric powers, and the heralds are still injured, this brings home the loss of Juiren more firmly. The Twins and Mhyssi has nothing but a few arcane cantrips. Everyone is wounded. Auriji doesn't even have a rage left. But, given the rust monsters *might* be able to climb, given time (they are scrabbling and clawing at the bottom of the rock chimney) the heralds decide to press on, trusting to V's endless breath weapon, and their own weapons.
Except Mhyssi, who doesn't have a weapon beyond a dagger anymore. Daronelle offers her a short sword, but the scout only has two left and is built on two-weapon fighting, so Mhyssi declines. The Twins have only daggers and whips, and V is down to a club. Then, Auriji produces a battle-axe she has been carrying (without ever using) since the group left Liberty. Thus armed, Mhyssi takes point behind Daronelle, as the Twins are a bit wrecked emotionally.
The group continues through the wet-sand looking stone, ignoring crystals and being suspicious about fungus. They find a large chamber that has many old, brittle rust monster carapaces in it. Many show signs of wooden weapons being used to do them in, making V wonder aloud why the dwarves couldn't deal with the "rust plague." They created a lower area to hold the rust monsters, and obviously could kill them. Why abandon the mine? No one answers.
Not much further along, Daronelle finds signs of tracks. They appear dwarven, but are coated in thin lairs of clay, and show signs of spiked boots. Voronex identifies the spikes as likely belonging to tomiknackers, a kind of evil dwarf-like fairy. They often make mischief in mines, but are normally rooted out. If these showed up after the place was abandoned however, they might have taken up residence. He can't explain the clay, however.
Nor does the mystery last long,. The Heralds come to another larger cavern, this one showing signs of dwellings having been set up with old mining equipment. As they try to pass quickly through, the tomiknackers stagger out of the doorways and deep shadows, moaning for help even as they attack. Each appears to be only half flesh, with half their body turned to clay. (Coal goblins with the half-golem, clay template). The heralds swing into battle, but discover the creatures cannot be hurt by slashing or piercing weapons. Voronex's fire works normally, and he tosses his club to Auriji, who does good damage with it two-handed. As the creatures start fighting with sudden bursts of speed, Mhyssi direct Daronelle and the twins into particular positions, the tomiknackers follow, and then suddenly Mhyssi has tricked them into all lining up in a big cone. Voronex sees the opportunity, and dashes over to attack. His fire scorches all remaining foes, and they drop. The fight is over.
As the chamber is defensible, and there is bedding and food, the heralds opt to stop here for the night. V finds a tomiknacker journal he can read, and discovers they moved in centuries ago. After a generation or two, they discovered the petrifying waters from below were changing them with each generation. They drank only the "sweet water" (non-magic), but proximity to whatever has created the petrifying rivers slowly turned them into living clay. They wished to leave, but the "King of Broken Swords" wouldn't let them. He demanded they forge for him, in endless tribute.
There is also a crude map, showing the forges, and the way out. Sadly, the only way up to the Mines is through the Great Hall of the King of Broken Swords. With no clue what that creature is, the Heralds set guards, and try to sleep. The twins seek comfort with Mhyssi, but she gently rejects them. Mhyssi, however, asks Voronex is she can share his bunk, and he agrees. They take no physical actions, just sharing the comfort of mutual warmth.
End Game 19.
Excellent...purely excellent. Love the cinematic feel that you have produced here. Hungry for more!
Once again, I am totally speechless...
(Just kidding on that actually)
Wonderful work with that episode Dungeon Grrrl! I really love the fact that the crystalfish encounter was essentially just a Rust Monster Encounter with an odd background presence (i.e. the Crystalfish). Like so many of these deviously wrought encounters you have brought us before, sometimes a 'background' is part of the show. The petrifying waterfall and pool was another stroke of brilliance. A very good way to reinforce the magic and wonder of the Deep Places like that. Magic and Wonder and Fear of what they are going to run into next, to be exact.
Now just to wait for whatever the King of Broken Swords is going to be.
I can hardly wait.
Excellent! Good call on the crystal spear!
MORE! must have more! C'mon DG, Fix this gamer junkie up!
good call, they seem to get the short shrift as disposeable "Oh Crap!" moments all to easily forgotten after the next fight. Excellent use of difficult terrain as well. Calcifying pools and crystalline fish...sweet.
Gotta meet the king of broken swords...sounds quite appropriately sinister.
I love that the bite on the arm was the excuse that Myrrsi had for falling while climbing the rope. Excellent game session. I am also looking forward to finding out what the broken swords is all about. And what did he or it need to be forged for all time?
I am drooling so profusely for more Kor Kammor that my slobber has burst into flames!
Or maybe thats just the poison....?
After what you said on your LiveJournal...I am eager awaiting more Black Days!
As a fiendishly curious snake, will we ever see the Dungeon Grrrl treatment be given during a Pathfinder AP? I think Hook Mountain Massacre, as run by Dungeon Grrrl would be a most illuminating (and likely horrifying...but in an awe-inducing way) experience.
I'm not trying to pressure you DG, but I would honestly love to see you do so.
After what you said on your LiveJournal...I am eager awaiting more Black Days!
As a fiendishly curious snake, will we ever see the Dungeon Grrrl treatment be given during a Pathfinder AP? I think Hook Mountain Massacre, as run by Dungeon Grrrl would be a most illuminating (and likely horrifying...but in an awe-inducing way) experience.
I'm not trying to pressure you DG, but I would honestly love to see you do so.
Perhaps, but if she does a RotR Campaign Journal I can't read it since I'm in a RotR campaign. <:(
A note on overcoming massive high-CR challenges in Kor Kammor.
The first thing people reading these journals must realize is that my players are smarter than me. Oh, I'm a fair quick when I need to be, but I can't out-think four to six friends at once. So they often manage to bypass or delay challenges I thought would destroy them. Dealing with Agdrenel on the pirate ship is a good example. They didn't fight her so much as drive her off through good planning, circumstance, and luck.
Second are action points. Players tend to have a fair pool of them, and save them for major encounters. An action point lets you take an extra standard action, or act as if you had a feat you don't for one round (as long as you qualify for it), or add dice to your d20 roll. Judicious use of action points can bring a character's effective CL up by two or three, especially if they blow a lot in one fight.
And finally, there is the synergy of playing with the same bunch for years. This helps players work together and design characters well-suited for the kinds of games I run. It also means players tend to know where I'll allow them to be creative with rules, and where I won't, so they can get the most out of any situation. I don't *want* to pull a TPK, and players know I have a weak spot for dramatic, swashbuckling actions. I may bend the realism of my games from time to time to save the heroes from disaster when one decides to ride an Egyptian statue through a wall to escape certain death in a pit of snakes, but we're all okay with that.
So you see, dearlings, I don't *need* to fake it.
But since you asked so kindly, let me powder up and get some lip rouge, and I'll have another KK installment by next weekend.
After what you said on your LiveJournal...I am eager awaiting more Black Days!
As a fiendishly curious snake, will we ever see the Dungeon Grrrl treatment be given during a Pathfinder AP?
My running it is a lot more likely than my journaling about it. I run a lot of games, but clearly barely have time to journal one of them, and half of each entry is taken from computerized notes!
But I suppose when I get done commenting about this campaign, I might make a new journal for something AP related.
Why, whatever do you mean? Tease? Surely not!
Then again....
...WE WANT MORE!..WE WANT MORE!..WE WANT MORE!...
C'mon DG, Don't make us break out the torches and pitchforks! More sex! More violence! More...all the other stuff!
I think you touched on the most important parts Donovan Vig.
Simply wonderful stuff, DG. Thank you for sharing. I'm going to make some popcorn when I read the next bit!
Wonders how Dungeon Grrl is doing IRL and if things are ok...
Dammit, another awesome story dies a premature death...
Dammit, another awesome story dies a premature death...
Bwaaaas mightily at this most unfortunate turn of events, if true...
I've asked her this very thing a few times on her Blog on Live Journal, shes been crazy busy just keeping up with that. Seriously, how many people get 50-150 replies to one blog post?
So I definitely sympathize, but will wait patiently for more Kor Kammor.
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Oh my lovelies, how it wounds me to have left your desires unfulfilled for so long. But fear no the Black Days aren't done yet! Though this took MUCH longer than the quick week-of-work I promised, it is finally ready!
Black Days of Kor Kammor
Game 20
Far down, in the depths of Guttek Khir, far below the veins of blue iron and mithral, the Heralds of Dawn move toward confrontation with the King of Broken Swords. They have been long separated from their allies, lost one of their own, and suffered terribly at the hands of gnoll undead, rust monster, and mystic petrifying waters. Voronex's left hand is rock, Mhyssi has lost all her swords, and the Twins are beginning to suffer nerve attacks as they contemplate the cost of failure.
Through the bowels of the mine that were lost to rust plague the heralds have trod, into the lands of the tomiknackers, poor twisted creatures of living clay enslaved to the KoBS (King of Broken Swords). So far have they fallen that they must pass through the tomiknacker forges and the throne room of the KoBS, just to reach the chambers in the roots of the mountains. Even there, they still wait to face Agdrenel, the Vampire Queen of Pirates and their sworn foe, and all the foul rotting things she has commanded rise from their graves and serve her.
But at least, point out the Twins, it'll all make for a great puppet show someday.
Rested, and now fully healed (though that already leaves Mhyssi low on clerical spells), the Heralds make it up through the tomiknacker forges, and Voronex inspects them. They are crude, and the nearly-finished weapons they have laying about have no edge, and little temper. Though not up to the skill of dwarven or goblin smiths, tomiknackers are better than this, and Voronex wonders aloud what a king needs with thousands of useless weapons. Auriji shrugs, and says he just likes breaking them, hence the name King of Broken Swords. Mhyssi agrees that's *possible*, but usually people get such names for more impressive reasons. The Twins agree.
From the forges, without disturbance, the group work their way to a large stone doorway, where the tomiknacker map say the chamber of the King of Broken Swords lies. Above the doorway are carved runes in the abyssal tongue, which the Twins read for all to hear. "Let No Thing Grow But Decay"
Beyond is a vast cavern, in what Voronex identifies as an old magma chamber. The floor is a rolling, blistered mass of volcanic rock, and huge piles of glittering metal lay about. A wet smell, of mold and mildew and rust, fills their nostrils and coats the back of their throats.
Though the piles at first seems to be a vast treasure hoard, as a dragon might have, it is soon obvious that they are mostly made of broken and rusting weapons. The topmost layers, with the least corrosion, are crude tommiknacker weapons never meant to be used in war. But beneath them in the deep rust are the occasional sign of dwarven forging. Magnificent axe-handles and fine crossbow gears still linger on in the pile of decay, their masterful construction reduced to a few bits of oxidized metal and splintered wood.
Hundreds more broken blades hang by chains from the stalactites and vaults of the cavern's ceiling, the links and blades creating soft clanking and rattling. From them water drips endlessly, causing the sound of constant light rainfall. It makes a mist in the air, and throws dampness everywhere. The water is red with rust before it even falls, and forms rivulets and small pools before sinking into the porous volcanic rock.
The piles of weapons are piled around a massive stone slab, on which more rusting weapons are heaped about. A single shaft of smokey red light shoots down from the ceiling to illuminate a perfect, unblemished, golden greatsword. It is buried in the rock slab at angle, tilted to the same degree as the light coming through the ceiling, as though the sword had cut through the mountain from peak to root and left a light-shaft behind it. Beside the sword, though not within arm's reach of it, is an immense chair of mold- and moss-covered stone. Severed limbs and rotting bones from generations of tomiknackers are scattered about the slab, making a radius away from the King's throne.
For here sits the King of Broken Swords, and upon seeing him no doubt exists in the minds of the Heralds who he is. The size of a large human, he is lean but corded with muscle. Ancient armor clads his frame, and from it hang a voluminous cloak and long, thick streamers of cloth. His head is broad and face flat, with no nose and huge yellow orb-eyes. His skin is the grey of wet stone, his mouth a broad gash across the whole of his face, pinned by his own fangs into a constant scowl. A long staff, with massive bladed staff-head, sits across his knees. Huge black bat-wings furl and unfurl, their tattered membranes gilt in red-gold runes and rings piercing the lower edges.
Mhyssi makes a Knowledge (religion) roll, and aces it. With fear in her tremoring voice, she whispers so the nearest Heralds can hear her.
"Death slaad."
The King of Broken Swords stands, and where his foot touches the stone, new moss spreads, and a nearby sword collapses into red dust. His voice echoes out, like the groan of a dying man betrayed by friends.
"The moon turns swiftly, and for once in a hundred years my domain does not fail me. The spindle canon yearns to bring order to my chaos, and I must break it. Fall to your knees and grant me my tribute."
Voronex steps forth, voice calm and cold.
"We are no tomiknackers, swathed in fear and subservience to throw our forge-craft at your feet, Burster of Blades. We face you, the Heralds of Dawn, firm and proud. We wish but to pass to the upper halls, and mean you no insult or injury. Grant us your leave, and we shall take ourselves rom this place without further comment or disturbance."
The King tilts his head, and casually twirls his blade-staff. His eyes brighten, as if he had not truly seen the Heralds before this. His head tilts back, and lifts up slightly from his shoulders with the sound of bones cracking, his neck actually lengthening. His cloak flairs and mighty wings unfurl.
"For a mark of an eon have I sat, King of Broken Swords and warden to the Blade of the West Wind. In all that time, none have entered my chamber, but to bow or die. For trespass, you shall all suffer. The dwarf's life is forfeit, and the elves must remain here to serve me. You, daughter of the clans and you dvatorin, may go– though I shall brand you so that you will remember this moment for all your lives."
Auriji rankles, but Mhyssi steps up before any other actions are taken.
"Mighty King, I am Mhyssiveren Heart-of-War, Battle Daughter of Hyarl Lord of War. These lives are mine. Ask any other service of me in recompense for this intrusion and you shall have it, but know I shall not give over my divine lord's conscripts."
While Voronex shoots Mhyssi a look (he's not a fan of being laid claim by a god of giants, no matter the priestess who does it), the Twins begin to edge to either side of the group, ready to dive behind piles of rusting weapons when the fighting starts.
A long pause, and Mhyssi throws an Intimidate check. She rolls a natural 20. The KoBS opens and closes his wings once, then sits back in his throne.
"I was mistaken, Heart-of-War."
Mhyssi sighs in relief. The King continues.
"None may go. You all die."
With a finger, the King of Broken Blades flicks a mote of darkness at the Heralds, which grows in a second into a maelstrom of magic energy. From it step two hulking brutes, big as ogres and thick as dwarves, with flat, lizard heads, deep blue skin, and long bone claws arcing from their meaty fists.
It's on.
Auriji gets initiative, rages, and charges a blue slaad with her crystal spear. She Power Attacks for 5, doubles it with an action point, giving her +20 damage with her 2-handed weapon, and scores a solid hit, dealing 30 or so points of damage, almost half the blue slaad's total.
Daronelle dashes forward next, and slashes at the same one, doing less but taking it past half hit points.
Voronex goes airborne, and heads for the King of Broken Swords, while the Twins separate and start stealthing their way towards the King's throne.
The blue slaads attack, one focusing on Auriji and the other drops a <I>chaos hammer</I> on Auriji and Mhyssi. As Mhyssi is neutral good, she is damaged and slowed, but chaotic good Auriji is unaffected.
Then, the King goes.
He focuses on Voronex, and casts implosion. While Voronex's mighty Fortitude save prevents him from dying, the Heralds suddenly realize just how out-matched they may be.
The Twins recognize the implosion spell, and know it's close range. They scream for everyone to scatter, and move quickly *away* from the death slaad King of Broken Swords.
Mhyssi realizes Auriji has no intention of fleeing, and *might* survive the implosion, but if left alone she'll surely be torn apart by two blue slaads. However, since implosion is a concentration-duration spell, Mhyssi decides there is another way to deal with it. She almost targets the KoBS with a sound lance, to disrupt its concentration, but her high Religion check to ID it reminds her death slaads are immune to sonic damage. Unsure what else might be effective, she unleashes magic missile, hammering out about 20 points of damage.
The Concentration check to keep the implosion is DC 30, and the King's check a +15. He fails the roll, and loses the implosion. That, of course, draws his attention to Mhyssi.
Auriji figures *she* has to deal with the blue slaads, to let everyone else deal with the King. She also sees the blue slaad are healing, and decided to focus everything on the damaged one. She is already in melee, so takes a full attack routine, discovering to her pleasure the crystal head of Maja Gada is giving it magic bonuses to hit and damage. She pegs one of the slaads twice, nearly dropping it.
Daronelle has also decided the King of Broken Swords is the major threat, and runs up to the dias to make an attack at him. Though her Spring Attack prevents her from taking an attack of opportunity from her run-by slice, she doesn't manage to damage the death slaad.
Voronex unleashes a fiery breath at the King, and does some damage. The two blue slaads flank Auriji, one of them hitting her three times on four attacks and taking more than half her hit points, the other maneuvering close to Mhyssi.
The King of Broken Swords turns briefly away from Mhyssi to Daronelle, and casts animate object on seven Medium broken swords, which immediately leap up and begin flipping, jumping and cartwheeling towards her. None hit the first round, but as there are seven of them Daronelle knows it's only a matter of time until one does.
The Twins keep moving up stealthily, through the piles of broken blades. Each also becomes invisible.
Mhyssi grabs a less-rusted than most greatsword, and throws it with whirling blade in a line that catches both blue slaad and the King. She damages the blues, but the weapon does nothing to the KoBS (and shatters off his armor).
Auriji does another Power Attack, doubling its value with an action point, and swings and kills a blue. She cleaves into the second one, damaging it badly as well. Then she rolls a natural 20 on her second attack and hits (but does not crit) even on her second attack at -5, damaging the second blue.
Voronex is not near the King (due to flight maneuverability restrictions) and sees Auriji is in trouble. He buzzes the remaining blue slaad and hits it with a weakening breath, bringing its Strength way down. Right after the slaad takes four swings on Auriji but only hits once, even so, she is near unconsciousness.
Daronelle tries running through the cloud of animated blades, but one crits her on an attack of opportunity, and she doesn't risk running past the rest. To get back to the KoBS, she'll have to outrun the blades. One the King's move, they continue to leap and spin toward her, though none hit her.
Meanwhile, the King has had enough of Mhyssi, and hits her with Power word, Blind, taking away her sight (and spell targeting) for 1d4+1 rounds. Mhyssi can't currently cure her blindness. Desperate, she casts true strike.
Auriji has a bad round, and does not put down the remaining blue slaad. Daronelle manages to get around to the King of Broken swords and hits him, but does not penetrate his DR. She does see he is healing as well, and cries out a warning. Voronex swing back around to breathe on the King again, discovering frost isn't any more effective than fire.
The remaining blue slaad takes down Auriji, though she isn't dead. Unhampered by fear of Mhyssi interfering again, the King of Broken Swords lets loose a <I>Word of Chaos</I>, hitting both Daronelle and Voronex. They are both confused, stunned, and deafened. Voronex falls out of the sky onto a pile of broken, rusting weapons, and is cut up.
The twins were also in the word, but as chaotic creatures were unaffected. Ryssa jumps up and hits the King with a touch attack, releasing a touch of idiocy and, most importantly, dropping his Charisma by 5. (And becoming visible)
Mhyssi burns a 3rd level sorcerer slot to fire a scorching ray at the last blue slaad, and with her true strike (which ignores the fact that being blind, everything has concealment) nails it with one ray, and kills it.
Auriji bleeds. Daronelle lies motionless. Voronex does both.
The King of Broken Sword roars in rage, and turns on Ryssa. Now limited to 3rd level and lower spells, it attacks her with its long bladed staff. It hits her twice in three attacks, and takes more than half her hit points. Lyssa leaps to her twins aid, and uses a whip to trip the King. (Becoming visible)
Mhyssi still can't see, but she remembers where Auriji was, and stumbles over a blue slaad corpse to find her. Daronelle begins to babble incoherently, while Voronex takes wing to flee from the King of Broken Sword at top speed.
The King rolls away from the Twins, and hisses. He claps his hands together loudly, and the shockwave forms a rift in reality, from it a new form, a seven-foot red beast with huge, clawed hands steps forth. A red slaad has joined the fray. Seven blades cut at Daronelle, who isn't moving anymore, and a few begin to cut her.
Ryssa falls back towards the far edge of the dias, and Lyssa produces a stale blueberry tart, and throws it in the red slaad's face. As a Tasha's Hideous Laughter spell. Despite it's +4 bonus for type, the red slaad's face cracks into an uncomfortable shape, and it begins to laugh mercilessly.
Mhyssi reaches Auriji, and hits her with the last cure spell she has left. This gets Auriji up, still enraged, and she leaps up and charges toward the red slaad (over Mhyssi's protestations that Auriji should drink a healing potion). Daronelle turns to one of the blades attacking her and hacks at it, but does very little past its hardness.
Voronex gets a moment of clarity, and wings back toward the King of Broken Swords. He yells for Lyssa and Ryssa to get Daronelle back, and give Mhyssi guidance. He takes a full flight move back, and uses an action point to breathe on the red slaad, injuring it. The red slaad laughs.
The King of Broken Swords advances on Ryssa, but has to go around Lyssa to get to her. Because Lyssa has Whipmistress (house rule feat, Whipmaster, allows you to take attacks of opportunity with your whip within 10 feet) she trips him again. But he has enough action to stand and, to her horror, spends an action point of his own to adjust and backhand her, dealing damage and stunning her for a round.
Ryssa scrambles further back, and yells at Mhyssi to shoot for her voice. (We then realize Ryssa has placed herself *exactly* on the far side of the KoBS from Mhyssi, right down a row of squares). She then throws up an invisibility sphere catching herself and Lyssa.
As a cloistered cleric, Mhyssi has access to the Knowledge domain. She moves toward the dias and uses her 3rd level domain spell she prepared, clairaudiance/clairvoyance at an "obvious location," just short of Ryssa's voice. I go ahead and have her roll Listen check and then a 50% miss chance to see if the spell lands in the square she wants it, and it does. We then have a brief debate about whether a blind cleric can see with that spell. Since it seems independent of the caster's own sense (it works *almost* as if they were there), we allow it.
Now, Mhyssi can see the King of Broken Swords again. Then Mhyssi uses an action point to cast her 2nd level prepared War domain spell, spiritual weapon. The spell forms a force replica of the sword stuck in the dias (much to Mhyssi's surprise), and begins to swing on the King.
Auriji charges the red slaad, Power Attacks, doubles it with an action point, and rolls a critical hit with a spear. She deals more than 70 hp of damage to the already injured red slaad, and kills it.
Daronelle spins and moves to close on the King, and voronex drops to the ground and starts to gibber uncontrollably.
The King of Broken Swords lobs a fireball at the invisible Twins. Though they save, the damage is enough to knock out Ryssa. Lyssa spends the round stunned.
Mhyssi runs up and charges up a pile of broken blades onto the dias. Weaponless, she decides to grab the golden greatsword imbedded in the rock. It fairly flies into her hands, and she turns to face the death slaad, who's eyes go wide with mixed shock and anger.
Auriji charges the King of Broken Swords, Power Attacks, and stabs at him, but can't penetrate his armor with her lowered attack bonus. Daronelle has a moment of clarity, and moves at best speed away from the fight, using an action point and her high rate of speed to outrun the animated swords following her (in hopes next round she can draw and drink a healing potion). Voronex can see the Twins and knows they are in trouble, and is driven to attack the death slaad, so he does a short hop and catches the King in a weakening breath, hoping to enrage the death slaad and draw it's attention away from the invisible jesters.
It works. The King bellows and uses and action point to move to Voronex, then takes a full attack action. Auriji manages to hit him on an Attack of Oppoortunity, but the King drops Voronex. Lyssa recovers, and drags her unconscious and invisible twin to the far corner of the dias.
Mhyssi moves up on the King, her spiritual weapon averaging just enough damage a round to match his fast healing. She uses an action point to cast true strike again, and swings down with the golden greatsword. Which, it turns out, is axiomatic and bane vs evil outsiders. Her hit does more damage than the King has taken yet, and he bellows in mixed pain and fear.
Auriji dashes around to flank the King, and stabs at him missing despite not Power Attacking. Daronelle is forced to flee the King, but this at least keeps her away from the animated swords. Voronex bleeds, unconscious. The King turns on Mhyssi, making a bladestaff/bladestaff/bite full attack, and taking more than half her hit points.
Knowing his Wisdom is low, Lyssa hurls a confusion at the King, and catches just him in it, but he saves. Mhyssi remembers that, as a celestial bloodline, she has smite evil once a day, and uses it to hammer on the King of Broken Swords with the Blade of the West Wind. She nails him, and deals 30 or so points of damage, but that (along with all the other damage he's taken) only drops him to about half hit points. However, suddenly Mhyssi can see again.
Auriji decides that, with hi DR (which she has to get past, unlike Mhyssi who is bypassing it), it's better to Power Attack and miss often that hit more for less damage. She keeps stabbing with Maja Gada, but again can;t connect with his AC.
Daronelle gets lucky, and gets to act normally, She drinks her last healing potion, which she had been keeping for her cousin in an emergency back before he was killed. Voronex stabilizes.
For a few rounds, Auriji, the King and Mhyssi hammer at each other. Lyssa binds Ryssa, and Daronelle stays away from the blades chasing her, slowing arcing around the room back toward the dias. Though it's two-on-one, and Mhyssi has a blade that deals an extra 4d6+2 per hit on the King, he is clearly going to drop Mhyssi before she drops him. To make things worse, Auriji's rage ends, and she stops being a major threat.
Seeing it may all end, Auriji throws Maja Gada to the side, burns an action point to gain Improved Grapple for one round, and grapples the King of Blades (on his last round on being weakened from V's breath). She yells "Run!" to Mhyssi, hoping the other Heralds of Dawn can escape.
Daronelle comes charging by, plucks up Voronex, and runs past with him. The King makes a terrible roll to escape Auriji, but it's obvious she won't hold him another round. Lyssa throws her whip at the King and uses an action point to cast animate rope causing it to snake around him. Mhyssi refuses to flee, and burns an action point to regain her Smite, and stabs at the King again.
Auriji again spends a point for Improved grapple. However, the king has his full +20 grapple bonus back, and shrugs her off. But he fails the DC 21 Str check to burst the whip around him. Lyssa grabs Ryssa's whip and throws it at him, again casting animate rope on it. Mhyssi again Smites. Auriji draws Phrit Fi and Power Attacks, but can't get past the King's DR even when she hits.
The King successfully makes a Concentration check to cast fly, and shoots straight up, taking an Attack of Opportunity from Mhyssi. Lyssa realizes he can fireball them at will form the air, and yells it *is* time to run, picks up Ryssa and gets moving.
Mhyssi screams in defiance, and casts whirling blade to throw the Blade of the West Wind at the King of Broken Swords. And since that counts as a melee attack, she burns *another* hero point, and reuses her Smite. Having been hammered for several rounds when he couldn't reply in kind, the King is much weakened. The blade strikes true, and he falls.
It's another few rounds before Daronelle can stop running from the animated swords.
An Aside: Treasure
A King's Ransom
Sadly, I don't have all the treasure the heralds eventually gathered from the King of Broken Swords, but it's fair to say that in addition to his double treasure value, all the treasure from the past several no-treasure encounters was piled around his chamber. Certainly, this is where the Blade of the West Wind (Vekivaard) and Mhyssi made their acquaintance.
I'm pretty sure this is where Auriji got the Bracers of Nrod (which allow a weapon to be a returning throwing weapon) and Vornonex got his dragonsteel ring (boosting his auras by +1, and having them stay on even if he's stunned or KO'd). Daronelle picked up Boots of the West Wind (which give you a ten foot "5-foot step", based on something from the Arms and Equipment Guide) and the Twins took Boots of Transposition, which allow them to swap places.
There was also some magic glamored armor for a lot of characters, wands, some rings of old dwarven manufacture – I just can't remember it all I am afraid. But the players though it was worth it, and that's good enough for me.
I'll go and read in a second! Thanks DG!
Let me just say....spectacular!!
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32
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Weird - my post from last night never made it.
Let's see, I started by quoting "It's on." and then leaving a few lines for dramatic effect, and to let the coolness of that moment repeat itself. Then I spouted admiration for a while, mostly about the superb balancing of the combat - on a knife-edge of multiple deaths and yet ultimately a victory. I believe the word awesome was used at least once.
I ended by thanking DG for another top-class update. Cheers DG! It was worth waiting for!
YAAAAAAAAAA! DG's back, and with another great episode! Loved the fight scene! Epic!
Black Days of Kor Kammor
Game 21
Quince and Glidda, along with a troop of Stygian Guard, charge out into the forests around Hallowfaust, seeking to track down Aaston if at all possible, and find and support the other Heralds of Dawn. Quince is particularly troubled as he allowed himself to be separated from Auriji, who he is very much in love with, and he now fears she's in serious danger. (On the other hand, he philosophically notes to Glidda, if you fall in love with a barbarian warrior woman, you'd *better* be able to emotionally cope with her being in danger, since she's not likely to settle down to a life of baking and cleaning).
The group is not far behind Aaston, but tracking through dense forest takes more time than fleeing through it. Glidda's lesser soulspark draws on the souls of ancient rangers to track Aaston as best it can (using the Malleable Soulspark house-rule feat, which allows you to change out one of your soulspark's feats when you bind it).
But Aaston did not ignore the possibility he might have to make a run for it, and one of the advantages of undead minions is you can bury them in the dirt in case you need them later. His path runs past such a prepared place, though it is oddly Quince who notices unholy runes marked on the rocks scattered around a clearing. Realizing what this must mean he bellows out a warning, as shallow-gravers (a kind of ghoul) burst up from a few inches under the soil and attack.
The undead attack in a wave, and Quince moves to guard Glidda as the Sygians form a fighting circle. Dozens of gravers stagger forward, hungering to taste the flesh of the living. Glidda has her soulspark aid her by harrassing foes to grant her an AC bonus, as she herself attacks with lightning gauntlets backed by bracers of disruption. When she does get hit, Quince uses his knight abilities to take half the damage.
Though the fight is long and hard, the heroes win out after a few minutes of tooth-to-sword battle. They take off along the trail again, but move more cautiously, and thus more slowly. It takes them two days to track Aaston, and a few more unremarkable undead ambushes slow them and drain their resources, but never come close to killing them. In the end, Aaston's tracks lead them to an old stone fortress the Stygian Guardsmen confirm was an outpost of the old Hollowfaust civilization, long ignored by the current guild leaders.
And there, they find a massacre.
There is no sign of Aaston, but a dozen other guildsmen, and twice that number outsiders in necromancer garb, lay scattered about the fort. There is clear sign that the fort was being rebuilt, likely by undead labor, but there are no undead here. What there are is large pens one *could* keep undead in, and more than thirty dead humanoids, mostly human and elven. The signs that these guildsmen were plotting to build an undead army to attack Hollowfaust is troubling. The fact that more than half the bodies are drained of all blood is even more troubling.
Also, Aaston's body is not among the corpses here, but there is sign he'd been present recently. The massacre itself was no more than a day old.
While the group splits up to search the whole fort, once a ruin but obviously turned into a fair complex over months of nonstop lifeless labor, Quince finds a young woman sobbing in a cell. He is suspicious, but speaks to her gently. She claims to have been Aaston's lover from Hollowfaust, who trusted him only to be lured her and turned out to appease the more sexually voracious of the necromancers and some of the intelligent undead. Quince asks her if she can tell him what happened at the fort, and she says she can, but needs a drink of water.
Quince happily tosses her a water bag, and she whimpers, and says she is too weak to drunk for herself. Quince sympathizes, and says he'll get a healer. Then, the girl moans, which turns into a laugh. A healer, she says, can't help her. Aaston bit off more than he could chew. (The girl laughs.) In the end, she says, he got his-and then he made sure she got hers.
Then, the girls flies at Quince's throat, vampiric fangs flashing.
Quince is *not* caught off guard by the attack, but *is* surprised how strong and fast the attacker is. A rogue vampire spawn, wracked by bloodthirst and with no guidance to help her understand what she has become, the girl just hammers and tears at him, instinctively trying to get at his throat. Quince calls on the spirits of his fore-mothers to guide his blade, and successfully scores hit after hit on the spawn. When she decides to flee, the fact he is difficult terrain prevents her from shifting away from him, and allows him to trip her. When she gets up it provokes an AoO, and he trips her again. This continues for a few rounds, the spawn being tripped on an AoO then stabbed on his round. In the end, Quince kills her.
When Glidda shows up, drawn by the sounds of battle, she is a little taken aback by how cold and harsh Quince's killing blow is. Quince explains that a merciless death was the only mercy he could offer the girl. Glidda uses disrupting bracers to ensure the undead spirit is gone, and they pray together for the girl's soul.
Meanwhile, Glidda found a map with a route from the keep to an old mine entrance, apparently part of a vast mine complex in the nearby mountain. The route is clearly marked on how to get carts back and forth between mine and fort, and Quince and Glidda agree this shows a strong enough connection to warrant investigation. The Stygian Guard, however, feel this rebuilding of the fort, treachery of so many guildsmen, and sign of a rogue vampire, MUST be reported back to Danar. This may, in fact, be the force luring the city's undead away.
As Qince agrees that is a reasonable point, and decides to go back with them, THEN out to the mines, the sun goes down. And as it does, the fort is attacked by a flock of ghoul stirges. Quince and Glidda rally the men, and engage in a fighting retreat, first trying to hold all the doors and windows, then falling back to the main hall, then retreating down into the cellar. It's a tireless, merciless all-night battle, and surviving it takes most of Quince and Glidda's healing potions. But they survive, and in the first rays of dawn the stirge flock flees.
Quince notes that his blade seems to serve better tonight than any other (the player kept rolling *really* well), and Glidda suggests calling on his matron ancestors may have worked – it's how her powers work, after all. Quince asks if she can explain her powers betterm, and she agrees to do so on the way to the mine.
For now, Quince is convinced the mines cannot wait. He instructs Glidda and the Stygians to go back to Hollowfaust, though as he expects Glidda decides to stay with him. As the guard head back to carry word of the troubles here, Quince and glidda head to the old dwarven mines.
DMs' Note
At the same time I was running this, Tiera was in charge of an investigation to root out a conspiracy within Hollowfaust. For some reason I don't have any of those notes, so I can't really go into details. Suffice to say she did discover a link in Hollowfaust, showing that Aastonw as part of a rogue group within the guilds themselves, and that he recently found a new mentor in deeper necromantic magics.
Part of the point of this game was to bring Quince and tiera up to the other herald's main level (9th), and give Glidda a chance to catch up some (8th). Oddly, Quince chose this level as a place to take a prestige class–the Incarnum Blade. After this game, Quince *really was* calling on the long line of women heroines in his family to guide his blade, which I thought was neat.
Black Days of Kor Kammor
Game 22
Exhausted, the Heralds rest. They fortify the entrances to the throne room of the King of Broken Swords as best they can, and the Twins spend much of the night searching for treasure (and they find a lot). There is no question of going on the next day – too much healing is called for, and the room still needs searching. The group agrees most things won't bother them here, and anything that does can be shown the dead body of the King, which should scare it off.
Toward mid-day (they guess, based on when Mhyssi got spells back from Hyarl), Auriji seeks Mhyssi out. The barbarian woman kneels before the elf (putting them about eye-to-eye) and gives her full name, Auriji Fyr Jasiem Fyr Guintin Fyr Rikkiitik, Daughter of Onyx, Spear of the Jaguar, Free Blade of the Trackless Empire. Then, Auriji swears herself to the lifelong service of Mhyssiveren, Warlord of the god Hyarl, the Heart-of-War, Slayer of Death. Auriji offers up her spear and dagger.
Taken aback, Mhysii nonetheless takes the weapons. She turns them in her hands, and inspects them. She then asks what Aruiji demands in return for her life, loyalty, and skill. Auriji answers only to be shot true at Mhyssi's enemies, honed to a sharp edge, and placed safely in her sheath when not needed. Moved, Mhyssi hands Auriji back her weapons, and says these come now from her, and every drop of blood they shed will be blood shed in Mhyssi's name. Mhyssi tells Auriji she is now the Lance of Hyarl, first of the Heartblood Guard.
(An aside, these two didn't get together on any of this in advance. Both in and out of character, they were making it up as they went along. It feels like a ritual, but both in and out of character they were making it up as they went along. It *became* Mhyssi's loyalty ceremony, however, when she expanded her "Heartblood Guard").
Unless I mention it otherwise, for the rest of the campaign you can assume Auriji is to the left of, and slightly behind Mhyssi.
Voronex then takes Mhyssi aside, firmly. He respects her, and has told her often enough that she is free and independent enough he's not going to claim she can't make her own decisions. But he wants her to know first, she is NEVER to lay claim to him in the name of Hyarl again. And second, if she raises an army in the name of a Giant God of War, there may be consequences she's not foreseeeing. Mhyssi agrees to his demand to never claim him, and asks if he'll always give her his best, unedited, unadulterated advice and opinions. Voronex gruffly agrees. Mhyssi goes to Auriji, and (where the whole group can hear her) let's Auriji know that no matter what Mhyssi claims in the future, Voronex is *always* to be considered a friend, and allowed, armed, into even her most private councils and chambers.
Auriji agrees, and slaps Voronex, her blood brother, on the back. Voronex mentions that somehow, being given free access to Mhyssi still makes him feel like he's working for her, but sicne she's not asking anything of him now he doesn't have any way to complain about it. The Twins agree Mhyssi is definitely learning tactics.
The Heralds sleep in shifts, carefully taking turns on guard. (Since she only used clerical spells, even Mhyssi takes a watch). The next morning they finalize treasure division, refocus on their mission, and head up from the deep places of Guttek Khir toward the mine levels controlled by Agdrenel, the vampire pirate queen and their sworn foe.
It takes more than a day to climb up the Howling Stair, a double-helix spiral staircase constantly moaning with winds blowing up one side and down the other.
From the Howling Stair, the Heralds find themselves in the Fortress of Walls, the secret "hidden" sections of Guttek Khir that access the deep places. Given their poor luck in the Fortress of Walls the first time, the heralds agree to risk moving into the main passages of the dwarven mine, taking their chances with Agdrenel's forces.
And take their chances they do. They've gone no more than a hundred feet when a patrol of gnoll/ghoul gnouls comes across them. A pitch battle ensues, but is never really in question. Armed with new magic, at least one level, much more confidence, and Mhyssi's new offensive cleric spells, a band of 6 gnouls is no longer much of a challenge, especially since they don't manage to surprise the Heralds. The only real doubt is if a gnoul will get free to spread a warning about the Herald's location, and thanks to the Twins whip-tripping any that try to run for it, none do.
The bad news is that the Heralds are largely lost. As if falling into the deep places hadn't been disorienting enough, the Howling Stair's hundred's of twists has turned them around enough to have no clue which way is North. And, of course, they don't know how far they are from the mine sections they left before falling into the deep places. Voronex manages to use his innate depth sense to tell the party they are *higher* than the mine entrance they came in, but thirty or forty feet *deeper* than the entrance they originally spotted, but otherwise the Heralds are basically wandering blind.
Mhyssi, however, *thinks* she knows which way is West but can't explain why. The Twins, however, point out the "Blade of the West Wind" might well include being able to sense West. Rather than keep in in her wrist charm, Mhyssi decides to carry the golden greatsword in hand. As time passes she begins to think it's humming to her, though she can't make out anything than a vague, sleepy sense of sound. However, when she explains this to the other Heralds, and starts calling the weapon Vekivaard, a name none of the other Heralds recognize, Voronex decides the sword *is* communicating with Mhyssi, if on a very basic and limited level currently.
Wandering through the mines, the Heralds come across two more gnoul patrols, some monstrous centipede, an ash-rat swarm (left over from the days of the great smelters, Voronex supposes), and an undead-eating avolakia (a worm/bug aberration, MMII). With all these fights the Heralds are never at close risk of losing, though as the only major healer Mhyssi has to conserve resources very carefully. (Though Voronex's healing aura can bring everyone to 50% hit points, which is a major resrouce-saver. Auriji mostly just went around at half hit points, since that still gave her more than the Twins for example).
Another couple of days pass, time being marked by when Mhyssi gets new clerical spells. Then, the Heralds hear loud noises ahead on one chamber, and Ryssa and Daronelle go to take a look. They find a chamber filled with undead–more than two dozen gnouls, at least one shadowy, incorporeal creature, a dozen or so short, squat skeletons covered in iron bands, and for or five pale humanoids Ryssa identifies as lesser vampires.
The chamber also has twenty or thirty still-living humans, apparently the remains of a caravan. About half are in cages hanging by chains from the ceiling, listless except for when the flickering shadow coems near them (when they begin screaming in terror). The other humans are strapped to wooden devices of torture, including a number of women in stocks. The vampire spawn visit and abuse the women regularly and casually, promising the pain and humiliation can end of the women agree to give themselves over to the vampire's kiss. One of the vampire spawn is clearly the sister of one of the living women, taking great pleasure in sitting in front of her and offering the kiss even as male vampires abuse the woman in stocks.
A few bodies twitch in a corner, clearly having been mounted and torn apart by the gnouls. The corpses aren't entirely dead, beginning to jerk with undead vitality. The pile is well-lit by glowing spells, and referred to regularly by the vampires. (In fact the chamber is only lit so the human captives can see the horror around them).
Ryssa almost pukes, but manages to control herself (barely). Daronelle is sharp-eyed enough to notice a single grey-skinned, long-limbed elf in a cage among the human captives. His wounds are more extensive than the humans, but he also seems more alert and less affected by the horror around him. Daronelle suspects he is a winter elf (an elf that has lived so long everything in life is uninteresting and drab, and who thus seeks greater and greater depravations to amuse himself), but his eyes remain bright, while winter elves' turn cloudy.
Ryssa and Daronelle make their way back to the Heralds and a debate ensures. The Twins have no interest in attacking the slave pits, and point out their main target, Agdrenel, isn't even present. Mhyssi is emotionally driven to either rescue or kill of the prisoners, but is unwilling to leave them to endless torture of body and soul. Auriji recommends an assault on the slave pits even if Agdrenel isn't there at the time. Auriji reasons the slaves can grab old mining implements and fight for their lives, which should at least occupy some of the gnouls if Agrdenel does show up. The Heralds element of surprise is very likely gone, so creating a distraction of armed slaves running through the mines is a good strategic decision. Daronelle argues that if Agdrenel is raiding caravans, the threat here is too great to take on alone. She wants to head back to Hallowfaust and put together a small army to clear out the mines, rather than risk they get killed and no one know what is going on here.
All eyes turn to Voronex.
The malformed, fire-blooded dwarf sighs. Hollowfaust, he points out, already knows something is going on, and shows no sign of sending an army out to deal with it. Besides, as a city of necromancers they might learn the Herald's lore *more* quickly if they were to be killed dealing with the threat. Further, the torture and violation the humans are currently suffering cannot go unanswered, even if the answer is a suicide mission to free them.
Voronex turns to the Twins, and tells them if they want to pull out the time is now, rather than when the Heralds are counting on them. Auriji is shocked he'd single them out, but Voronex reminds her the Twins warned the group they would not risk capture at Agrdenel's hands. The Twins *beg* Voronex to reconsider, and turn the Heralds away from this fight, but despite their most convincing efforts he is adamant. Then Lyssa asks Daronelle if she'd go with them, but the scout won't leave her comrades, even if she thinks they are making the wrong call. Ryssa silently sobs with fear, but Lyssa confirms the Twins will back the Heralds on ther assault, The Twins fear with no known way out, their chances are worse on their own, while if they attack they may at least hope to be killed in a way that will make it difficult to reanimate and enslave of torture them.
However, Voronex does decide they *must* wait until after a night's sleep. While Mhyssi objects, Voronex won't risk an assault without all spellcasters at full strength. Auriji concurs, and Mhyssi decides the whole point of a First Guard and unedited advisor is to listen to them, and acquiesces. The Heralds find a safe nook for the night, and prepare to attack the Slave Pits of the Vampire Pirate Queen in the morning.
End Game 22
Brilliant. I always feel like I should be taking notes when I read this journal.
Before I start oozing 'Praise for Dungeon Grrrl' out of my nose I had better get this out! I absolutely love how you leave it completely up to the players on a situation like this! (Sure, perhaps you want them to save the folks, we don't know and we won't tell either!) The players and characters really have to decide whether they want to save these people and whether their quest is worth even completing if they leave these people behind to suffer horribly and die.
Getting characters to make moral choices is often a hard thing for a GM to manage, which once again you show that you do it with a style and panache that is far beyond the normal curve. Well done again, DG!
That's an entirely fair question, and I think the answer is "a little of each."
First, the players all agreed when the game started to give Mhyssi a 2-level boost, because they felt the player was trying a character build that was underpowered. That's not at all uncommon for us, as a group, and 1 or 2 levels is the standby. (And, fairly often, bloodlines are the key, though we did exactly the same thing for a sha'ir character, based on feeling that class is underpowered, and a savant, IIRC). Obviously haveing +2 levels can hel;p a character be the center of attention.
Second, some of the other *players* focused on Mhyssi, and some of them don;t care much about the focus of the plot as long as they get to play a role and face a challenge. Auriji's player, for example, doesn't *want* to be the focus of the plot, and shies away from any effort to do so. But she *loves* being an *aid* to the focus of a plot, which is why she swore herself to Mhyssi. And, once two characters are both focused on the concerns of one character, that character tends to take up spotlight time. Similarly, Quince's player sees his character as being on a personal journey, to prove himself worthy of his family's trust, and specifically asked me not to introduce external elements tied to his character.
Third, and here is some of the bias, the player's *last* character, in the previous game (which I didn't even run) was a multiclass healer/warlord. She turned out to be the ultimate background character, who the player loved playing but who was never the focus of anything. I think myself (and Voronex's player at least) wanted to make sure Mhyssi didn't also fade into the background just because she was mutlclassing again. (I'm not sure she's ever played a single-class character. I may strongly encourage her to do so in my next campaign. I love her to death, but bard/druids, barbarian/ranger/rogues, and sorcerer/monks do take a little more effort for me, as a GM to run.)
Lastly, since the characters fell to trust and defend Mhyssi quickly, she became an easy early focus. There are other plots boiling in the background at this point, which I think I have already hinted at, and some of which I know come up sooner rather than later. I try to have metaplots on games shift from one character to another, but that process takes time. I *do* check in on player's satisfaction with their involvement in the campaign periodically, and one of the reasons Black Days was the one journal I decided to post,w as that ll the players loved it especially well. (It's a special, nifty, everything-went-right campaign, rather than an entirely typical game for us.)
Oh, and Mhyssi's player takes good notes. All of these posts are compiled from notes long after the fact, and thus there may be things said and done with other characters I don't remember, since those players and I failed to write them down.