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During my group’s last rotation, I started STAP. TINH did not come off as dramatic as I’d hoped, but the group did develop a strong dislike for Vanthus, so all was not lost. This time I’m better prepared. BTW we are playing in Eberron.
Basil – Elan Psion/Ardent
Twiggy – Human Druid with Baby Wolf Companion
Erin – Human Factotum
Colostomy – Human Fighter
Sliver – Warforged Warlock/Wizard
The group, calling themselves The Forsaken, is asked to attend a ball in their honor after their defeat of the Lotus Dragons. While there, they get to hobnob with the rich and powerful of Sassarine (read generally ignored and viewed as a quaint sideshow). Several members of that august group offered membership to various members of the group:
· Worrin Lidu asked all of them membership in the Dawn Council
· Anteki Alresian offered Basil a position within Riedra (sub for Scarlet Brotherhood).
· Zasker offers membership into Zelkarune’s Horns to Colos.
· High Warden Lux Seoni suggests that Sliver offer himself for review by the Witch Warden guild leaders. She tells Erin that if she ever gets serious about the art to come as well.
Heldrath Kellani introduces herself as the mother of the woman they murdered. Lavinia introduces them to Avner Meravanchi and Woodson Bloodwhite, who are potential investers in an upcoming project of her’s. Towards the end of the night, Basil was being led off for a rendevous by Liamae, whom he had befriended, when he noticed another Liamae across the room. Basil did not get to act, however, because Colos called him over due to a failed attempt to poison Colos. He accused Heldrath and struck her when she denied any knowledge of the wrong doing. Due to his newfound celebrity and the Kellani fall from grace, Colos was escorted to his residence and kept under guard to ‘sleep it off’ rather than a more serious punishment.
The next day, The Forsaken went off to Kraken’s Cove to capture Vanthus and put an end to his schemes. They noted a strangeness to the forest and a rising plume of smoke just before a group of disfigured, mutated monkeys attacked them. The monkeys were quickly dispatched, though Colos was struck with an infectious bite before it was over. They make it to the cove and bear witness to the damage wroght by Vanthus’ plans. They enter the cave complex to find him and are attacked by mutated pirates. The Forsaken fight their way through the caves, though they consider withdrawing after encountering Ripclaw, to find a swordswoman fending off more of the mutated pirates. After defeating the pirates, the introductions are made and the swordswoman, Capt. Javell, tells the group that she sent her first mate off to kill Vanthus and his entire family. She then makes her escape. When we left off, the group was heading back to Sassarine in the Sea Wyvern, two of their members infected with a strange disease.
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Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love... true love never dies. You remember that, boy. You remember that. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things, because those are the things worth believing in. - Hub, Second Hand Lions
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I must apologize to all other DMs out there. I have no excuse for what transpired during my game. I choked. If this august body of GMs and Judges will give me one more opportunity, I will redeem my good (bad) name.
Basil – Elan Psion/Ardent
Twiggy – Human Druid with Baby Wolf Companion
Erin – Human Factotum
Colostomy – Human Fighter
Sliver – Warforged Warlock/Wizard
New to group
Kelendros - Human Swashbuckler
1st to what happened.
Keldaran a human Swashbuckler joined the group.
The Forsaken make it back to Sassarine in the Sea Wyvern, a renowned pirate vessel. At the dock they get things sorted out with the welcoming party of a squadron of guards and two navy ships that pull in after them. They are escorted through the crowds to a temple where they get healed up before forcing their way through the celebrating throng to Lavinia’s manor. The group turns into an area mostly clear of the crowd where they are ambushed by a group of street performers on stilts. Unfortunatly for the performers, they are no match for the Forsaken. They make it to Lavinia’s without any further trouble and Colos bursts through the front door to find a dozen Bullywugs laying in wait for them. Basil uses his power to create a darkness over the portion that are on the second floor, while the group on the first floor was defended against by the rest of the Forsaken. That combat goes very well for the heroes, who then rush upstairs to Lavinia’s room. As they open the doors to the room, Lavinia is struck by a warforged pirate (complete with eyepatch and head scarf, though no parrot) and his bullywug ally summons 4 goblins. Four rounds later, Lavinia has made it out of the room, Twiggy and Baby are below unconscious, the warforged is defeated, and the bullywug has jumped out of the window to try and escape, though, thanks to Kelendros, he fails to do so.
At this point I stopped the action and began the narrative. That’s right, no fight with the chief or the huntress. I have not explanation as to why I didn’t have them go through these fights.
2nd to my plans on the journey south.
I plan to make the journey to the isle brutal and pnishing. If allowed to continue running the game at least on PC will find the trip fatal. The Kellanis aren’t done yet. I’ll try to insure that Father Feres’s problem becomes a PROBLEM. Then Tamoachan may hav some additional inhabitants as well. Beefed up pirates and a hydra with a big chip will round out the dangers before they reach Journey’s End.
Gentlemen and Ladies, I await your decision.
PS: Basil’s player is our resident psionics expert and he is a very good player in general. He didn’t do any damage, but his contributions allowed the group easy victories the whole night. My dice were pretty cold as well. The Stiltwalkers only hit 3 times and although two of those confirmed for catching fire, the Psion was able to put out the fires that same or the next round. Instead of having the party meet smaller groups of bullywugs throughout the manor, I placed a large group at the entrance. The psion’s use of the darkness power kept him out of the fight, but it allowed the party to take the bullywugs in smaller groups. Plus, due to their 6 Int, I made Int rolls –v- DC 10 to have them change tactics. It took 3 rounds for 2 of them to succeed. Which was too late.
I think that I have thus far underestimated the group. I will correct this in the future.
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The morning that the expedition was to start began well. Avner Meravanchi, one of the major investors, was almost two hours late. He brought two menservants plus a horse, Thunderstrike, along with him and demanded that they be allowed to join the journey. After a few moments of him insulting everyone, Avner, his servants, and Thunderstrike were allowed on board and the Sea Wyvern left harbor. It took about half an hour for Avner to realize that there was a price for his additions; he would have to share his room, cargo space actually, with his additions. He stormed up to Captain Venkalie and went on a five minute tirade about his rooming arrangements. She waited through his verbal abuse, letting him tire himself out then calmly told Colos and Sliver to escort him to his new accommodations, a rowboat that the Sea Wyvern would trail behind it. At this time, before Avner could get himself into more trouble, Woodson Bloodwhite came up and said a few words in private to him. No one knows what was said, but at the end, Woodson gestured to the rowboat with one hand and to the hold with the other. Avner took a moment to gather his composure, apologized to the Captain, thanked her for her efforts on his behalf, then went to his ‘suite’ in the hold.
It did not take the crew and passengers on the Sea Wyvern to settle into a comfortable rhythm. The first week was full of calm seas and dull days. The next few weeks were almost as dull, but did include some eventful moments. On two occasions a yardarm was cut loose and nearly crushed a member of the Forsaken. Both times Skald was the only one in the area. Fort Blackwell was a welcome break from the monotony. Several days after that, Father Feres became horribly ill. HE had had a salad egg implanted inside him and nearly died, but Twiggy was able to save him. Finally, after four weeks at sea, a fog bank enveloped the ship. While in the fog, the ship was attacked by an ooze of some sort. The creature was defeated, though one passenger, Dannor Ead did die.
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It’s been a while since I last posted. We’ve made it through SWW and are now into HTBM.
- To help give the feeling of a long sea voyage, I used a day by day event sheet. I counted up the days, stopping to tell of events of note or just pausing to give the players a chance to interact before moving on.
- I replaced Rowyn with her sister, a Beguiler (with one additional level). I found that the beguiler’s bonus feats and abilities were a better fit for what I needed her to be able to do. At one point she was nearly caught so she killed a female passenger then Charmed and Suggested a sailor into getting married so that she could build a ‘love nest’ for them – read hide out – in the ship’s cargo hold. This gave her another month to try and kill the pcs.
- 1 player died. Colostomy was taken out by at Tamoachan by a girillon. I added two of them to beef up the encounter.
- I had 3 pirate ships attack. They used silent image of ships following the party and an enlarged fog cloud along with another silent image to come out right on top of the Sea Wyvern and Blue Nixie.
- I really liked the Sargasso. I thought the whole scenario was really creepy and I hope I did it justice. Since the group rested inside of a rope trick, I had the players run the npc left on the ship while the Vine Horrors attacked the ship in increasing numbers each night.
- To save the Sea Wyvern, the crew beached her and waited it out. In the morning they discovered that they were actually on a sand barge about 100 yards from the actual beach.
They have just made it through the tunnel and are about to encounter Olangru.