Wow....this long and no one has commented yet?
Thats a first. I've been very busy, so....thats a lame excuse.
Anyway, I've always liked that your players made that decision back at the beginning of the game (to up Mhyssi's level a bit to compensate for her lack of specialty). I am a proponent of not strictly keeping the entire party at the exact same level, as long as the game works out well and one person isn't completely overshadowing the entire group, its fine.
From what I've seen, Mhyssi seems to get beat up just as much as anyone else in more fights in spite of her extra levels, so...
And the whole spontaneous idea to swear to her by Auriji's player, that is a great one DG! I've occasionally had things like this happen in a game, but the backstory to everything these PCs have been through makes it all the richer.
Black Days of Kor Kammor
Game 23
In the forge-levels of Ghuttek Khir, the Heralds of Dawn prepare to raid the Slave Pits of the Pirate Vampire Queen, Agdrenel. After fleeing to the Fortress of Walls, losing their healer, being plunged into the depths of the dwarven mine and defeating the death slaad that dwelt there, the Heralds are at long last fully healed and fully rested, and ready to tackle the Slave Pits with a full complement of spells and shiny new magic items.
The Slave Pits are a vast chamber, once a major smelting shop. Many tunnels, airshafts and drop-tunnels to move ore and tools enter and leave the central room. More than two dozen gnouls (gnoll ghouls in sexual sadist armor) work to restore the old forges, and set up large barrels to catch the blood of dozens of tortured locals and prisoners from a caravan. Five lesser vampires run the chamber, commanding one shadowy incorporeal undead and twelve "iron skeletons"–dwarven bodies of yellowed bone reinforced with bands of iron.
The vampires alternate between ravaging and abusing the most comely of the caravan prisoners, and casting spells over the barrels of blood the gnouls continue to gather. Many of the prisoners are forced to drink the blood of their fellows, having leather hoses shoved down their throats and blood poured into metal funnels at the open end. The desperate cries and screams of humiliation from those prisoners not gagged or having other things shoved into their mouths drowns out all other noises.
Piled in one corner, where fires would once have heated huge cauldrons of raw ore, lies a squirming pile of eviscerated corpses, all both mounted and gnawed on by the gnouls and their spiked attachments. The pile is well lit, and from time to time a vampire takes blood from one of the barrels and flicks it over the corpse-heap in a foul perversion of sprinkling holy water. The bodies in the pile still twitch and flutter, their guts and severed tendons beginning to coil and wrap the whole pile of undead flesh into a single, pulsing mass. The shadowy undead flickers often between screaming prisoners in cages and the unspeakable, growling mass of raw undead flesh.
One prisoner does not scream, even when vampires or shadow draw near him. Long of limb and gray of skin, his features are those of a long-uncaring winter elf, save only for his bright, intelligent eyes. He suffers extensive injuries, a few likely from his capture, but most recently long cuts and terrible bruises designed to break his will. But he remains alert, flexing and relaxing each muscle in turn to prevent cramps, watching the movements of his captors and scanning the room for any change in circumstance. In addition to having been stripped down to a pair of tattered leather pants, beaten and caged, his hands are bolted together, a cruel iron screw piercing between the bones and holding the hands back-to-back and making any complex gesture impossible.
Despite the agonizing pain, the grey elf works the bolt back and forth when he is unobserved, pulling and prying to free his hands even at the cost of a bloody, brutal wound re-opening.
The Heralds, meanwhile, make ready their assault. At Auriji's suggestion, they have fashioned leather collars for them all, to protect from vampire teeth. Mhyssi has no need for a crude version of a collar, as she still has (and puts on) her slave collar, a tightly-fitting mastercraft piece of black hide with metal studs. Voronex cannot get any gorget or similar armor to fit well to his malformed form with the material the Heralds have at hand, but does have Mhyssi create holy water, which he then soaks into a thick scarf to wrap his neck, for what protection that may offer.
The plan of attack is simple. First, Mhyssi hits the best-dressed vampire with her biggest spells, and keeps casting as long as she can. Then, Voronex and Auriji leap in to hammer at every undead in reach, while Daronelle, Ryssa and Lyssa work to free and arm the prisoners. If possible the shadow is to be avoided, and if not anyone who finds something that can hurt it is to shout out the information to the others. Voronex will stay close to any freed fighting prisoner, to allow his healing aura to work on them as best it can.
After that, if possible, retreat with prisoners to a defensible position in the tunnels they have chosen. They cast defensive and augmenting spells on themselves (an action they have rarely been able to arrange in advance since coming into the mines), and draw their weapons. So prepared, the Heralds bellow their defiance and charge into battle.
Mhyssi burns an action point for Divine Metamagic, and burns most of her turn attempts for the day to Maximize a scorching ray, firing all three at one vampire (on which she spotted a bosun's pipe, which she decides means he's the lead vamp here since Agdrenel is a pirate. She's right). That unfortunate undead takes a flat 72 hp of fire damage, and is destroyed. (Since vampire spawn aren't immune to damage once forced into gaseous form, I allow them to be destroyed by some kinds of damage at negative hp equal to their Charisma. Fire is one of those. Full vampires lack this weakness.)
Voronex and Auriji enter the fray just behind Mhyssi. Voronex breaths fire in a large area, catching many gnouls and two vampires, while Auriji sets herself up at a natural bottleneck between the undead and Mhyssi, using her magic spear Majah Gada to skewer the shadow. It is deeply harmed by the crystal blade, and flees from her.
Daronelle dashes into the room at high speed, and heads for the gray-skinned elf. She figures either he'll be an ally, in which case she wants him freed early in the fight, or he'll turn against them, in which case she wants to kill him early in the fight. Ryssa and Lyssa sneak in through another entrance, remembering to not trust shadows to conceal them as vampires and ghouls see in total darkness.
The vampires respond by throwing darkness spells about, and two fly up to attack Voronex, successfully clawing at him on airborne charges. The others rush Auriji, only to discover her Blind-Fighting feat makes her hard to hit even in total black. Other udnead rush toward the Heralds, but can't reach them on the first round.
Mhyssi uses daylight to dispel the darkness, and as most heralds have both everburning torches and coins with light on them the vampires can't create magic black fast enough to negate the illumination. Voronex ignores the vampires dogfighting him, as he has a chance to catch most of the gnouls in a massive breath attack. They're so clumped he decides to burn an action point for the Maximize Breath Weapon feat, letting him to a flat 30 points of fire damage to all the targets, but delaying his breath weapon being usable again for four total rounds. Even so, hitting so many targets he deals more than 200 total hp to the enemy forces, and everyone agrees it was a good gamble.
Auriji rages and begins hammering on a single vampire. Though Maja Gada is not as effective against the spawn as it was against the shadow, it does hurt the undead.
Daronelle makes a running leap up onto the cage of the grey-skinned elf, and strikes at the rusting lock with an adamantium short sword (recovered from the KoBS, as I recall). Bypassing the cage's hardness, she slices through its thin bars. The elf thanks her, and introduces himself as Gres Grekis, of the Nightlances (a well-known elven mercenary company). He asks if she can cut his hands free, and Daronelle decides to slow her lightning raid long enough to do so (again, with her adamantium weapon). As a result, gnouls surround the cage she and Grekis are in.
Lyssa and Ryssa begin freeing the women in stocks, with Ryssa using grease and a whip to form a weak defensive peremiter. Currently only the dwarven skeletons are paying any attention to them, so she can hold for a few rounds.
Two vampires decide to ignore Auriji, and instead fly up to attack Mhyssi. They are surprised by her good AC (with magic vestment and shield both running), and do only a little damage. She responds by drawing Vekiwaard and hitting both of them, and two gnouls, with [i
whirling blade[/i], it's axiomatic damage harming them all and destroying the gnouls.
Voronex lands in the center of the dwarven skeletons, and smashes on with his mace. As they turn on him, his fiery aura burns each that claws at him. Auriji decides Mhyssi can handle the vampires on her, and leaps down to engage gnouls.
Daronelle is about to get into a fight at the cage without the advantage of speed, when Gres Grekis begins casting spells. A duskblade, he uses his arcane channeling to combine a unarmed strike (with Imp Unarmed) with a shocking grasp. Then he follows this up with a Quick Cast seeking ray, all at the same gnoul, killing it. He scoops up Daronelle and uses an action point to cast jump and leaps from the surrounded cage to the top of a farther cage. He then quickdraws one of Daronelle's spare weapons, and thanks her for the rescue. Slightly flustered, she tells him he's welcome, and then swings down to cut open the cage they're on.
Lyssa and ryssa continue to free slaves, and encourage them to arm themselves. While the slaves are weak and mostly unskilled (though one woman surprised everyone by turning out to be a caravan guard, and begins smashing iron skeletons with the board of wood that held her in her stocks, raging for a few rounds), and using inspiring quips to help the mob take down the ancient dwarven skeletons. Those too frightened or weak to fight are protected by Lyssa with an invisibility sphere. Voronex continues to hold the center of the lien against iron skeletons, and keep as many prisoners in his healing aura as possible.
Mhyssi is forced to fight two vampires in melee, and holds her own but can;t kill them quickly even with Vekivaard. Auriji finished off the undead around her, but sees the shadow wisking down a shaft, and with a whoop leaps after it.
Daronelle begins fighting as running battle from cagetop to cagetop, slashing at a vampire harassing her and gnouls down below. Though she does little damage, she does keep freeing prisoners, enraging the vampire which continues to focus on her. Gres Grekis burns an action point to cast cats grace on himself, then leaps down and raids the longsword from one fo the dead vampires. As he spies Mhyssi, he yells in uncharacteristic frustration, and runs up to assist her, scorching rays flying.
The last iron skeleton falls, and voronex orders Lyssa and ryssa to get the prisoners moving to safety. They do so, and he turns to block the way from the remaining dozen or so gnouls. The vicious undead mob him, saping his strength with their touch and trying to paralyze him. Ryssa and Lyssa follow order and abandon him to his fate, moving the rescued prisoners around the edge of the room. This unfortunately takes them by the flesh pile, which snakes out long coils of flesh to enwrap Ryssa. The Twins scream in horror, as Ryssa begins to be dragged toward the pulsating mass of undead flesh.
Auriji runs after the shadow, throwing her spear when she has a strait line of sight, and grabbing it up again as she runs after the fleeing shade. Finally it dashes into a large open room where, as she feared, it finds two brethren. The three shadows turn to face her, and Aruiji readies Maja Gada to face them alone, and ensure they don't make it back to the slave pits to attack her friends.
Mhyssi is surprised at Gres Grekis' aid, but the two of them quickly put down all but the last vampire spawn. Seeing Voronex in trouble, she rushes to aid him, and yells for daronelle to get Ryssa free. Gres tries to stop her, putting a hand on her shoulder and yelling "That sword! Where did you find..." but she tears free of his grasp and yells "Fight now, questions later!"
Daronelle is still dealing with the last vampire, but risks an attack of opportunity to leap over it and get to Ryssa's side. She tries to slice the jester girl free, but is instead entangled by the flesh tentacles herself. Both women find themselves being drawn inexorable toward the pulsating pile of undead flesh, as their weapon and gear is stripped away from them by its horridly strong appendages.
Lyssa, in a near panic, continues to usher the freed prisoners to the tunnel leading to the fall-back, but she also screams, at the top of her lungs for Auriji (who she knows to be the strongest of the Heralds, and thus possibly able to pull the flesh pile's victim's free).
Auriji hears the cry (with a great Listen check), but is too busy to come aid, She is a whirling dervish of shadow-death, slicing with her crystal spear at their black, flickering forms,. But when they do hit her, they drain both life and strength, and it seems a question if she can defeat all three before they drain her to immobility.
Freed of having to heal prisoners, Voronex allows himself to unleash another torrent of flame breath, killing several already-wounded gnouls. However, the remaining undead manage to pin him, and prepare to mount him with their spiked armor probes. At the same time ryssa na Daronelle are pulls into the mass of undead flesh, their legs and lower torsos sucked into the cold, putrid mass of slime and guts, as the tentacles continue to disarm and pin them. The tone of their screams changes.
Mhyssi arrives, and opts to aid voronex first, hoping he can help her get Ryssa and Daronelle free. She uses her smite evil to smash one gnoul and burns an action point for a second smite evil to slay a second foe. This frees voronex, who scrambles up to stand by her. Gres Grekis makes his presence known by smashing two more gnouls with scorching rays, though he does so from the safety of a cage-top.
Daronelle, clad in only her magic items and a few strips of tattered tunic, manages to make an escape Artist check, and uses her 10-foot step to move away from the undead flesh mass. Ryssa is pulled entirely in, her screams cut off, though Lyssa begins screaming for her.
Auriji slays two shadows, and finds herself dueling only the original insubstantial foe. It circles her, staying out of reach but waiting for her to show weakness. Now with a 5 Strength, Auriji has trouble even moving in her armor and gear.
Daronelle takes over moving freed slaves out of the room, while Lyssa, Daronelle, gres grekis and voronex pour damage onto the undead flesh pile. Though Gres at first declines to hit it too hard for fear of harming Ryssa, Lyssa assures him that a swift death is preferable to what Ryssa is suffering. The heralds all unleash everything they have, but discover Ryssa is suffocating. Lyssa thus takes a huge breath, puts a dagger in each hand, and uses her boots of transposition to swap places with Ryssa.
And then, suddenly, its over. The flesh mass explodes, sending wet vitials and stringy man meat across the room. Lyssa finishes a scream she had held in, and then collapses. Daronelle leads the prisoners to the fall-back, while Voronex makes sure the room is raided for anything of value. While doing so he finds a suit of black chainmail, which Gres Grekis identifies as his, from before his capture. Without question, Voironex hands him the bundle of weapons, gear and armor, then directs him to help search the room. And without question, Grekis follows the order.
As the room is cleared, Auriji staggers up the corridor she fled. She is ashen grey, but mobile. And, she carries armor and weapons (and a ring) made out of pure shadow, the equipment stripped off the dead shades she faced. She tells Mhyssi that no foe escaped, which makes Mhyssi smile and congratulate her Lance of Hyarl.
Bloodied, battered and abused, but victorious, the heralds and their new arms-length ally head to the fallback point to see to the prisoner's needs, and assess their situation.
O.O
At the moment, the only thing I have to say is WOW!!
Horrifying and heroic. Definitely consider me awed by that session.
I actually recall being surprised how *fast* it went, relatively speaking. I don't think it took any longer than the battle with the King of Broken Swords. Of course, the Heralds initiated things for once, and went in with spells up and weapons readied, and that can be a real time-saver.
Thanks for the feedback!
Wow. That was a great update. I loved the part about the elf.
It just blew up because it was done for. Cliche, I know, but still sometimes fun.
Gres Grekis is a new short-time PC, for yet *another* players who didn't expect to be available long-term.
Holy crap. It's been what, like a month?
16th Sept - 22nd Nov = two months and change, too long, Sir Cleaver of Kobolds. ^^
It's official. If I don't see another entry soon, I'm breaking out the torches and pitchforks.
Burn it down! Burn it down!
hubbub hubbub hubbub
<starts snuffling around looking for rusting old posts to eat, and PC weapons>
Burn it down! Burn it down!
hubbub hubbub hubbub
What the?...they've stolen my store of torches and pitchforks! Guards, guards!
/Distracts the guards with the old "Werewolf?/ There wolf/ There castle" joke.
/Distracts the guards with the old "Werewolf?/ There wolf/ There castle" joke.
*Distracts villagers with "Warwoof?/Door woof/Door castle" joke.
That's a strange, foreign accent. Maybe you needs a-lynchin' too.
That's a strange, foreign accent. Maybe you needs a-lynchin' too.
I'm an undead kobold lich. What did you expect?
Lynch the lich! Krisp the Kobold! Arrrrrr!
Lynch the lich! Krisp the Kobold! Arrrrrr!
Pwn the Punners! Die!
A passing sorceror just taught us villagers the Dance of Joy. When Dungeon Grrrrrl returns, you may dance it with us.
I grow concerned.I agree, this is a very long and uncharacteristic absense. :(
Hmm...a shame we don't know her email. I hope she's alright.
It's getting to the point where I'm thinking we should ask the Postmonster for help. ;) :(
Postmonster, help! A demi-Lord is in danger! >_>
Okay, this is getting serious. How many votes to ask the Postmonster to intervene? Send an email or something? I'm not sure if it's allowed.
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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Gwen (DungeonGrrl) is not only a member of our community, she's also a Contributor (PF #13). I'm sure that the Paizo staff has contact information for her. (And I'm also pretty sure she wants to keep that information as private as possible.)
I'm dropping a note to Mike S., letting him know our concerns.
Gwen (DungeonGrrl) is not only a member of our community, she's also a Contributor (PF #13). I'm sure that the Paizo staff has contact information for her. (And I'm also pretty sure she wants to keep that information as private as possible.)
I'm dropping a note to Mike S., letting him know our concerns.
Gawds I do hope she is alright - not a peep since September!! :(
Gwen (DungeonGrrl) is not only a member of our community, she's also a Contributor (PF #13). I'm sure that the Paizo staff has contact information for her. (And I'm also pretty sure she wants to keep that information as private as possible.)
I'm dropping a note to Mike S., letting him know our concerns.
Appreciated, Chris, but hold up a bit. I'll send a note to Gwen about your concerns, but let's not send out the search party just yet. If she asks me to share something with you, I will.
Mike
I've got the torches ready. Let's get this search party started! ;)
And we've got the pitchforks :)
Booze ish covered here *hic*
I got some catapults.
You look right?
Starts turning over rocks, looking inside of trees and behind avalanches.
One of two things methinks: either she's done with Paizo for some reason ... or things have gone Badly...
ATM I feel like a heel for not cracking on this earlier. Let us hope that Gwen is s'okies...
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Starts turning over rocks, looking inside of trees and behind avalanches.
One of two things methinks: either she's done with Paizo for some reason ... or things have gone Badly...
ATM I feel like a heel for not cracking on this earlier. Let us hope that Gwen is s'okies...
It's not Paizo it's more she's just completely off the net. Her LJ account hasn't been updated since about the same time.
It's not Paizo it's more she's just completely off the net. Her LJ account hasn't been updated since about the same time.Starts turning over rocks, looking inside of trees and behind avalanches.
One of two things methinks: either she's done with Paizo for some reason ... or things have gone Badly...
ATM I feel like a heel for not cracking on this earlier. Let us hope that Gwen is s'okies...
Well, let us hope that those who read these boards that know her IRL filed a Missing Persons on her or something. IIRC she had a Bad Crowd thing going on a few years ago ...
*bumps in hopes of some one Knowing Something*
Mike, it's been a month. Were you able to get through?
I haven't heard from her.
Mike
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Black Days of Kor Kammor
The End
It is unbeleiveably sweet how many of you have been so concerned, and I am very sorry to have worried you. That was never my intention, and had Mike S. not sent me an email that got through the most stringent of my personal filters, I might not have ever realized it. So, from the bottom of my heart, I am sorry to have dropped off the face of the messageboards.
I am likely not going to have much of a presence here from now on, due to changes in my personal life. I am fine, and happy, but lack the free time or will to tackle discussions online atop of those I have in meatspace. It's not that I don't love you all, it's that I have had to prioritize and this is one of the things I love that was below the cutoff. Again, please accept my most humble apologies.
That does, however, leave one unfinished bit of business, and that's the Black Days.
When I begin this storytime, BDoKK was ongoing, though many weeks behind my posts. Since then, it has ended, as it was designed to. I wish I had the time and will to post about ever game session, but I just don't. However, I am also unwilling to leave you entirely hanging, especially given the positive feedback I have consistently received. So, here is a quick recap of the campaign, followed by the last game session.
The Heralds of Dawn discover not long after their adventures in Hollowfaust that the Goblins all follow a single goblin king, know as the Marrow Lord for his tendency to crack open and eat the bones of his foes. More than a century old, the Marrow Lord is behind the growth of goblin power, and the state of the southern lands at the beginning of the campaign. He is also responsible for killing Mhyssi's family (to prevent a prophecy that her line would "Bring the Herald of His Destruction"), and for controlling the demons that stole the Erossium, the holy statue Glidda was searching for.
The spell component pouch Mhyssi got from her hobgob owner, Kittur, contains among its powders and ichors a rare Silver Lotus seed, which Mhyssi simply ignored because she does not need it for anything. But it is needed by the Marrow Lord to ascend to godhood, which is why Bhog Bloodbeard was willing to risk war to retrieve it.
After a few more adventures, the goblin nation moves to war, invading the Westlands to gain access to the last living silver lotus, which is in the homeland of the Spring Elves. Mhyssi forms a mercenary company to help in the fighting, and everything takes a military turn for several sessions.
Deep in the Fortress Mountains, holding an ancient Traveler stronghold, the Heralds come across a more-than-ancient dragon, a creature so old it has no teeth or fire left. The hobgobs seek to enslave it, and the Heralds manage to kill it, an act only possible because Voronex has drtagon blood. In its death throws the dying dragon reveals that Voronex is the Pyre reborn, the living embodiment of the progress of knowledge. He may become a god on the last Great Eclipse (the Black Day), or that role may go to the Morrow Lord.
The goblins are turned back, but Mhyssi is captured by the Morrow Lord and her Silver Lotus seed taken. Voronex leads the Herlads to recover her from Urj Hundor, the Goblin Seat in the dread southern lands, despite a warning that her return will cost the world more than she can repay. In the effort, Glidda is killed and her spirit enslaved to serve the Marrow Lord as her Ghost Consort, and Teria and Daronelle captured, enslaved, ravaged, killed and reincarnated. Because they are given new names, are broken of their will and take new bodies, Voronex and the Heralds believe them dead and safely in the afterlife.
The Heralds rush to find how Voronex or the Marrow Lord could become a god, as only one will be able to do so. Mhyssi discovers that with her sword, she can summon angles to fight in righteous wars once every decade. It was this sword, and it's power, Gres Grekis had sought, and he continues to be an on-again, off-again ally of the Heralds as he seeks to convince Mhyssi to sell or trade the sword to him.
There are steps Voronex must take, from building his first temple to slaying a demons, and as he takes them the Marrow Lord takes similar steps. The two race toward godhood, knowing that a final confrontation is inevitable. According to a angle of lore, one of the two WILL become a god by end of the year.
Finally, word reach the Heralds that the Marrow Lord has laid siege to Beidien, the City of Light on the edge pf the Last Ocean and home to the Fountain of Divinity. While the fountain has no power when used by most mortals, it is the final step in achieving godhood. The Marrow Lord has meet all other requirements – if he drinks from the fountain, he will become the Dark God of Bloodshed.
The walls of Beidien are held by the Eternal Gates, which prevent any foe from bypassing their entryway. They do not, however, prevent things like spells, catapult stones or firepots from going past. The Undefiled, the defenders of Beidien, tried to hold the walls of the city and use ranged attacks to destroy the Marrow Lord's army. However, the Marrow Lord's forces managed to kill more than half of the city's defenders, and destroy it walls. Once the Eternal Gates are breached, nothing will lay between the foul goblin army and the guts of Beidien.
The Heralds arrive just in time for the Marrow Lord to try his Great Gambit – he uses the power of the Erossium to turn a broad group of Beidien's population into his loyal lovers. They turn on the Undefiled, as they are already INSIDE the Eternal gates, and try to overthrow the defenders and open the Eternal Gates from the inside. Among those present are the reincarnated Tiera and Daronelle, who mean no harm when they passed the gates, but are affected by the Erossium to loyally fight for the Marrow Lord. Voronex recognizes them with his spirit-sight (gained as part of his march towards divinity), and leaps in front of Teira to prevent Auriji from landing a killing blow. This slays V, and Auriji is nrealy killed by Daronelle until Quince slays both of the former Heralds. Mhyssi summons her angle army, and turns the battle of the fountain to the heralds victory, but just barely.
Freed, the spirit of Teira returns as a shaman spirit totem for Mhyssi and informs her that all may not be lost. While the Eternal Gates stand, though there is no wall around them, the Marrow Lord cannot enter. Voronex is already here on the other hand, and being dead need not stop him from becoming a god. There is a ritual that must be done, and the Undefiled cannot help. Indeed there are nearly no Undefiled left, and those that are must hunt down the last of the Marrow Lord's Beloved Betrayers. And if Mhyssi is interupted, the ritual at the fountain will fail, assuring victory for the Marrow Lord.
Humtum, having lived here in shame for months, promises to protect Mhyssi with his life, and Voronex as well. With this act, he finally becomes a true Dwarven Defender. That leaves just Quince, Auriji and Gres Grekis to defend the Eternal Gates. As Gres Grekis prepares to teleport away, Mhyssi tosses him the Blade of the West Wind, (Vekivaard). She promises it is his if he does his best to defend the Gates. After a moment he tosses the sword back to her, and she is disappointed. Then, Grekis states if they win, he'll take the blade and any other prize he wishes from Mhyssi. If he fails, he'll be dead and she need not consider what other desires he might have.
With a smile, Mhyssi agrees. She and Humtum rush V's body to the Fountain, to make their fallen friend a god.
Quince, Auriji and Gres Grekis turn and march to the lowest level of the Eternal gates. The magic of the Gates has never been broken – as long as its entrance hall is held, no force can bypass it through any means. But the gates themselves can be forces open, if not destroyed. These three must hold the first room of the Eternal Tower for no less than fifteen minutes, and better for twenty. The doors of the eternal gates are indestructible to mortal forces, but there is no indestructible lock or bar. Heavy wooden bracing holds it shut, but that won't stop the hoard of the Marrow Lord for long.
Seeing the death of Voronex has not broken the will of the defenders, the marrow Lord orders the advance.
A minute gets eaten up by bugbears slamming a battering ram against the door. Another minute is eaten up by a wall of force Gres conjured up from an item. Then, the wave of frenzied humanoids rushes forward, like a living tide of goblin anger. The defenders must hold not a round less than thirteen minutes.
(This was one of the longest fight's we've ever run in this campaign, and it was three against thousands. It far outdid the previous record-holder, which was the battle of the Ill Wind. Other players got to run villain champions, so they'd have something to do. Nothing less powerful than a bugbear was actually directly represented. Instead, each of the three defenders suffered 8 goblin attacks every round, to represent the crushing hoard trying to take them down -- mostly with ranged attacks. Those attacks required 20s to hit, and while on average the defenders took only 1d6+1 every other round, it did add up.)
The Marrow Lord opts to soften the defenders with waves of bugbear attacks, holding back his Champions until the trio is already weakened. He sends in his Spitting Hammerers first, 120 bugbear barbarians charging in with red rage already flowing through their veins. Quince is foremost of the defenders, with Auriji right behind him. Her reach with <i>Majah Gada</i> means no Hammerer can get around Quince to flank him without her getting a shot at them first. Similarly, Quince gets a shot at anyone trying to get to Auriji or Gres. Gres Grekin stays in back, alternating between his <i>wand of lightning bolt</i> (easily making his UMD checks) and the weaker beads of his <i>necklace of fireballs</i>. For two solid minutes, the Spitting Hammerers, followed by the rank-and-file bugbear warrior charge into a whirling churn of death. The heroes are driven back by suicide-bull rush attempts, but lose only ten feet of their standing. Quince holds the line and takes the brunt of damage, while Auriji (with whirlwind attack) and Gres (with the fire and lightning) actually do most of the killing. In the end, the goblinoid troops actually fail a morale check and fall back. With <i>Breach</I> giving Quince 1 point of healing for every foe he turns away from a siege, he ends this section of the fight with very little damage one him. Aruiji burns a large healing potion. Eleven minutes remains to their minimum victory conditions.
The Marrow Lord sees his bugbear army simply lacks the power needed to overcome the three defenders. He calls up his arlkang siege-troopers. The huge goblinoids include a few of the Marrow Lord's champions, Uharkis the Sanguinite (a spirit shaman), Hegga Mother (a female barbarian), Chur and Juks (twin hooded assassins), and Fettik the Foul (blackguard). They march forward with 90 massive arlkang, many of which have dire glaives. These do not charge, but march quickstep up the stairs while Uharkis dispels the area attacks Ges tries to mow them down.
The offensive power of Hegga Mother and Fettik challenge Quince and Auriji for the first time. The arlkang champions can't be killed in a single round, and are able to deal damage to the two melee defensers. Uharkis focuses on Gres Grekis, trying to pin him down until Chur and Juks can flank him. Gres discovers his own offensive magics no match for the Sanguinite, and drives in to engage in melee himself. While rank-and-file arlkang are no match for any of the trio, they are enough of a threat they can't be ignored. For the first time they can get past Auriji and Quince, threatening the duskblade, showing that they have a low-level of spell resistence. Nearly overwhlemed, Gres burns his 2 daily Quick casts for 2 <i>doom scarab</i> spells, followed by a 6-die fireball bead. This clears many of the arlkangs and gives him a boost of temporary hit points.
Quince challenges Hegga Mother, pinning her down and drawing her agrression away from Auriji. He discovers Hegga has a low AC, so he uses Combat Expertise to raise his AC, and with it and the DR from his shield, he's soon beating her in the hp exchange, though this takes most of his focus. Aurji is forced to dance about to prevent Fettik from stepping inside <i>Majah Gada</i>'s reach. Fettik does sic his fiend follower on Aurji, placing it so she can't prevent them both from being inside her attack range. However, she triggers <i>Majah Gada</i>'s one minute of holy damage, and uses a full attack to smash the fiend to pieces -- then burns an action point for an extra action and sets to receive a charge. Enraged, Fettick charges her, and takes a tremensdous blow.
Gres Grekis gives up trying to reach Uharkis, instead allowing Chur and Juks to reach him. They both miss, as Gres expends his <i>crown of protection</i> for +4 AC for 1 round. Gres then swings his greatsword, power attacks, casts up a 3d6 <i>blade of blood</I> (taking 5 hp in the process), and uses Arcane Strike to add +3 to attacks and +3d4 to damage. As a result, he strikes Chur for 2d6 (base) +3d6(blade of blood) +3d4 (Arcane Strike) +1d6(flaming weapon) +1d6 (shock weapon) +15 (+3 Strength, +10 Power Attack, +2 weapon) = 8d6+3d4+15; and rolls 58 points of damage. Chur fails a DC 15 Fort save (through it takes four rolls for him to fail, Auriji uses her TACTICS! Talent to good effect to force rerolls), and dies of massive damage. Gres damages Juks somewhat with his remaining attacks from his full attack routine.
Though winning the dual with Hegga Mother, Quince sees Fettik is badly wounded. Deciding one dead for is better than two wounded ones, he charges Fettick and lands a mighty blow, killing the blackguard. Hegga charges Quince, taking an attack of opportunity from Aurji but putting a critical on Quince. Gres takes serious damage from Uharkis, but manages to kill Juks before the two can flank him. The Heralds regroup, and surround and kill Hegga Mother.
Many minutes have passed, and the ritual os more than half done. (As an aside Humtum holds a narrow bridge from the main city to the Fountain of Divinity by himself against Beloved Betrayers for part of this time as well, eventually dying in the effort to protect V).
Enraged, the Marrow Lord orders in his most powerful forces, the host Consort and her ravaged (tortured to the point of death then healed so often they gain powers much like undead despite being fully alive) Scything Princesses. When the Scything Princesses appear on the steps, they force a fear save from all the defenders, Auriji fails, and turns to flee on her next move. Gres Grekis succeeds, but feigns failure. If Auriji flees, he has no belief the tower can be held. Quince, with the highest Will save of the campaign, succeeds. Further, he moves right after the princesses. Bellowing a <i>Call to Battle</i>, Quince gives Aurtiji a second save with a bonus, and this one she makes. Quince clears the area around the defenders, and steps forward, he fears if the Princesses are allowed to stay on the steps, they will unleash their fearful cries every round, until he runs out of knights challenges to restore Gres and Auriji. However, despite his best effort, he cannot fight through the arlkang to reach them.
Auriji sees the problem, and fixes it the way only a barbarian can. She burns an action point for an extra partial action, and leaps past Quince, over the arlkang's heads, down the steps, and into the mist of the Scything Princesses. Then she takes her full round action to maximize her power attack whirlwind attack, striking all four Princesses for massive amounts of damage. Then, they go, and ignore their scream to instead rip Auriji to shreads. She is left barely alive.
Gres sees there is little chance of continuing to hold, and seriously considered fleeing. He even takes a move action away from Quince, but can't bring himself to open the back doors of the tower, braking the mystic protection of the Eternal Gates. Instead, he burns an action point for a partial action to cast <i>regrouop</i>, bring Auriji back to his side. Then he lops his last bead from his <i>necklace of fireballs</i> at the Princesses, rolling well above average on a 10d6 attack. The Princesses are all killed, Auriji near death, and Quince is cut off from the remaining defenders.
Glidda appears in all her necrocarnum glory, and offers Quince a chance to switch sides. Every man in his family has failed at heroism she points out, and there's no need for him to break with family tradition. Tortured at the sight of an old lover turned to evil, Quince agrees. Suspicious, Glidda makes hium swear to serve her loyally and true, on his blade, honor and blood of his family, He does so, as Auriji screams at him for being a traitor, and Quince marches towards Glidda. Also suspicious, the Marrow Lord uses divination to see if Quince has truly given up honor and duty, and is surprised to discover he has.
Of course, when Quince reaches Glidda he runs her through, breaking Breach and detonating the old artifact within her. As they both die, the truth becomes clear to all. Quince had given up honor, as he was forswearing everything he just took an oath on. Like every man in his family, he broke a vow, failed his family's high standards, and betrayed the woman he loved. He just did it to save the world.
From there I am afraid it's pretty broing. The marrow Lord charges forward himself, and after a few minutes of combat kills Auriji and Gres Grekis. But they delay him along enough for voronex to become a god, which takes the form not of a dwarf, but of a great flame dragon. Mhyssi rides V back to the gates, where they drive off the marrow Lord, who now knows he will never be a god. V raises Gres Grekis and Auriji, but cannot restore the others to life. The Heralds officially disband, and Mhyssi leaves V forever, as she serves another god.
Auriji and Mhyssi form the Whiteblades, a mercenary company for hire in memory of Quince.
Greg Grekis becomes a loyal follower of Voronex, and invents gunpowder. As innovation explodes outward from Beidien, a new Renaissance begins to spread across Kor Kammor.
End of campaign. The next Kor Kammor hasn't started yet, but is to take place 100 years later. It is called "Six Schools of Kor Kammor" and explore what happens when arcane, divine and scientific begin competing for genius minds.
For the foreseeable future, this is goodbye. I love you all, and hope you keep gaming with your friends and loved ones!
DG
Black Days of Kor Kammor
The EndIt is unbeleiveably sweet how many of you have been so concerned, and I am very sorry to have worried you. That was never my intention, and had Mike S. not sent me an email that got through the most stringent of my personal filters, I might not have ever realized it. So, from the bottom of my heart, I am sorry to have dropped off the face of the messageboards.
I am likely not going to have much of a presence here from now on, due to changes in my personal life. I am fine, and happy, but lack the free time or will to tackle discussions online atop of those I have in meatspace. It's not that I don't love you all, it's that I have had to prioritize and this is one of the things I love that was below the cutoff. Again, please accept my most humble apologies.
That does, however, leave one unfinished bit of business, and that's the Black Days.
YAY!! Many thanks for wrapping up DG.
And many sorrows at your departure, although it is VERY understandable that Real Life takes precedence.
May flights of herald angels sing thee to thy rest every night and guide thee through thy remaining days.
Or, if you prefer, fair well, until time and will permit your return. :)
No apologies needed! Thanks very much for taking the time to finish this off. While I'd have loved to read long, detailed accounts of all of that, this is far better nothing, and I for one find it highly satisfying. Well done to you and your players for an entertaining and inspiring campaign.
Holy. Crap. That was EPIC!!! Thanks a ton for finishing it. I'm gonna copy all this story into a compilation, and reread it over and over. Thanks for staying with us this long, Dungeon Grrl.