tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8069657699900298212024-03-18T01:16:55.636-07:00Snake's VenomA blog by Luke Garrison Green of Thrythlind Books and Games.
Here he discusses writing skills, reviews books, discusses roleplaying games and refers to Divine Blood, Bystander and his other books.Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.comBlogger833125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-807048676510510312024-03-13T21:35:00.000-07:002024-03-14T04:05:20.336-07:00Daggerheart Analysis<p>
</p><h1 class="wp-block-heading heading1">Daggerheart - What I've Seen So Far</h1>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading heading2">Template-Based Character Builds</h2>
<p>This will be familiar to players of D&D, Pathfinder 2e, Monster of the Week and similar systems where you choose from one of several existing classes, playbooks, ancestries, backgrounds, and the like. </p>
<p>The selection of templates here come in three categories:</p>
<ul><li>Classes</li><li>Ancestries</li><li>Communities</li></ul>
<p><i><b>Classes</b></i></p>
<p>Classes are built along lines familiar to D&D players with the following options. </p>
<ul><li>Bard</li><li>Druid</li><li>Guardian</li><li>Ranger</li><li>Rogue</li><li>Seraph</li><li>Sorcerer</li><li>Warrior</li><li>Wizard</li></ul>
<p>Most of these are what they appear to be, with Fighter and Barbarian bundled together across Guardian and Warrior, with one being more tanky and the other being more damage oriented. Cleric and Paladin are represented together by Seraph.</p>
<p>Each of these classes has subclasses similar to D&D with each currently having two options. These subclasses start with a "Foundation" ability, moving to "Specialization" and then "Mastery". I'm curious at this moment whether in the future each subclass will have multiple Specialization and Mastery options but currently there's only one to each subclass.</p>
<p>Each class also has two "Domains" which determine the selection of other skills they can draw from. This has similarities to both City of Mist's themebooks, with the exception that the Domains are hardlocked to each class, and Pathfinder's Class feats, with the exception that each class is going to overlap their abilities with other classes.</p>
<p>For example, Warrior and Ranger each have access to the "Bone" Domain abilities while Druid and Sorcerer all have the "Arcana" Domain. </p>
<p>Initially, a character will have two of these abilities but they will get more as they level up, with the ability to have at most five active at any given time, with a cost to switch abilities out if you suddenly decide you need X instead of Y. </p>
<p>This smacks a bit of Vancian casting, spell-slots and the like, however there are two closer mechanics, one of these also from Darrington Press. In Candela Obscura you have a list of items which you can declare you have at any point, but only up to three-items. Then there's Scion 2e, where you can buy as many Knacks as you want, but you can only have a number active equal to your ranks in associated Callings.</p>
<p><i><b>Ancestries and Communities</b></i></p>
<p>These represent the character's genetic heritage, what D&D currently refers to as Races. These have a basic ability like a Daemon's "Dread Visage" helping them to intimidate others. At current moment, there doesn't appear to be a list of future abilities connected to Ancestry similar to Pathfinder's Ancestry Feats. </p>
<p>Similarly, Communities are similar to Backgrounds in both D&D and Pathfinder and come with a similar power to those found in Ancestries. Again, there doesn't seem to be a sign of other powers based on Community as you level up. But this is no different from Pathfinder or D&D.</p>
<p><i><b>Analysis</b></i></p>
<p>It's familiar enough to D&D and Pathfinder that a lot of people are going to be comfortable with it. The use of cards feels a bit like a gimmick, but I imagine it will make parsing through abilities a bit easier for a lot of people since you can cut down to just your abilities rather than look through the entire book. Assuming more abilities get put out as the game moves on, this is essentially not too different from D&D/Pathfinder Feats or Scion Knacks. </p>
<p>From a design perspective it's also a good move since new classes will only require building the basic class features and subclass features and the majority of the abilities will come from the same pool. </p>
<p>All in all, it's easy for D&D players to pick up and appealing enough to those of us whose home games are more of the narrative variety.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading heading2">Health and Defense System</h2>
<p>The Health System is probably the most innovative part of this game.</p>
<p>First, the parts of the system that are elements I've seen before:</p>
<ul><li>Separate Evasion and Resilience is a thing that has been around for ages. Champions/Hero System has done it since the early 80s and it also shows up in Storyteller, Storypath, Cypher system, Mutants and Masterminds, and so on.</li><li>The combination of Stress and Wounds is also something I've seen before. Notably in City of Mist and Fate.</li><li>Armor as a resource that gets expended also is something I've seen in The Fellowship, Scion 2e, and several other such things.</li><li>Capped damage... and this is initially the one that stood out to me as the that's cool... appears in Scion 2e where the most you can deal with any attack is 2 Wounds... in a game where one Wound is enough to take out most enemies.</li><li>Low Health totals are a common build design for PbtA games, Fate, Scion 2e, World of Darkness, City of Mist, and several other games.</li></ul>
<p>It's the Damage Thresholds added in here that makes this most interesting thing and where it avoids the pitfalls that affect some of these other systems (note that Fate, MotW, Scion 2e, and City of Mist are the systems I consider my "home games" so yes, I'm pointing out their pitfalls.</p>
<p>The Damage Thresholds allow for the fun of rolling huge numbers and building significant differences between squishies and crunchies without making balance too difficult. </p>
<p>Capping the damage at 3 where all players have 6 HP at base means that you're never going to have a player be one-shot. It shares this feature with Scion 2e. Though Scion 2e has the options to spend extra success on other things beside damage, so allowing for a more scenery chewing, cinematic, superheroic style of fight (the developers of the game point to the fight between Kratos and The Stranger/Baldur at the start of God of War as what they wanted for Demigod tier combat). </p>
<p>However, the Damage Thresholds and rolling damage are likely to be more intuitive to players only familiar with D&D.</p>
<p>PbtA matches low Harm/HP counts with static damage: a knife will always deal 1 Harm, for example. Similar to Scion 2e, this prevents characters from being taken out in one blow ... you know, unless the static damage is something like 6 or 8... which feels like a bad choice on behalf of the GM. But not rolling damage can be a little jarring the first couple of times you encounter it.</p>
<p>Those are minor issues. Scion 2e, City of Mist, Monster of the Week, and Fate were all built in a world where the big risks were already apparent and demonstrated. The differences between them and Daggerheart is significant, but which you prefer is largely going to be a matter of preference.</p>
<p>Hero System and old Storyteller system is where the danger of separating evasion and resilience. Hero System tanks become incredibly difficult to damage even when you do hit them because their resistances cancel out all the damage. Building attacks to get around that tends to be expensive. Likewise, high Speed or Defense characters can be just impossible to even touch... though you can counter that with area effect attacks. </p>
<p>In a lot of Storyteller (World of Darkness, Scion 1e, etc) systems Dexterity got marked as a "God Stat" usable for both attack and defense and where their armor mechanics were far less reliable.</p>
<p>Daggerheart gets around both those major balance issues. It does have the potential for some psychological downside in that rolling especially high damage rolls may feel like you're wasting effect. However, it looks like part of how they do multiple attacks or area of effect is let you roll damage and split it up between multiple attacks as you desire. So if you did a massive amount of damage, you can apply the bulk of the effect on a main enemy and scatter the remaining damage to several of the minions around them.</p>
<p>As far as resisting goes... a Warrior is going to be a lot harder to damage once you hit them than a Rogue, but they will still have to deal with being slowly nickel and dimed down. High Evasion characters will avoid most attacks, without the risk being pasted by a single strike.</p>
<p>This reduces the scenario design burden on the GM since they don't have to worry as much about overwhelming the tanks or flattening the dodgers (or casters) in a single roll.</p>
<p><i><b>Death Move, not Taken Out</b></i></p>
<p>One side note is that Daggerheart does not use a Taken Out mechanic. When your HP go to 0 you have three options:</p>
<ul><li>Go out in a blaze of glory.</li><li>Risk a scar and resist death, scars are more likely the higher level you get.</li><li>Risk it all and roll hoping your Hope die is higher than your Fear die at the risk of dying flat out.</li></ul>
<p>This is in comparison to Scion 2e and Fate where getting Taken Out mostly just means that you are out of the scene and death is a matter of choice and negotiation between player and GM. This presents the players from being blindsided by death and getting drama out of defeat such as being captured or separated from the group. Or... they can let their character die if they feel it is narrative enough.</p>
<p>Daggerheart similarly has ways to avoid death blindsiding the group and derailing campaign progress with the need to introduce a new character and the loss of story arcs that had been built up. But death still remains a risk, similar to City of Mist or Monster of the Week. (Though Monster of the Week has a significantly dramatic resurrection mechanic.)</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading heading2">Action Resolution System</h2>
<p>The d12+d12 system is a bit interesting. You roll 2d12, each a different color called "duality dice". One of the dice is Hope and one is Fear. If your Hope die is higher than the Fear die, then you gain a Hope (the meta-currency of the game), but if the Fear die is higher, the GM gains a Fear (the GM's version of Hope). If the two dice are equal, that's a critical success.</p>
<p>They list Genesys as a Touchstone, and I can see it's DNA here. Genesys uses a number of signature dice and you roll large dice pools of positive dice versus large dice pools of negative dice generating and cancelling out resources. It was not nearly as bad as I expected it to be and, in fact, I found it quite a fun system to play, but it is intimidating to a newcomer. Heck, as implied, I was doubtful of it before I played it.</p>
<p>This is more similar to rolling Fate dice where you roll 4d6 where the sixes are each marked with 2 blank, 2 minus, and 2 plus sides. Add those together and you get a range of effect from -4 to +4. But again, they haven't listed Fate as a direct Touchstone, so I don't think this is deliberate. If it was Hope minus Fear the comparison would be almost exact.</p>
<p>As a note, this d12+d12 method creates a slightly higher chance of getting a critical hit. As seen here in an Anydice comparison, the chance for a critical hit on this method, where the dice roll the same number, has an 8.33% chance of success compared to a 5% chance with rolling a natural 20... and no chance for a critical failure.</p>
<p>The "with Hope" and "with Fear" also allows the GM to describe a success that yet promises coming danger (succeeding with fear) or a failure that yet gives a sign that all is not lost (failing with hope).</p>
<p>As a note, it appears that the GM rolls a d20 instead of d12 + d12. This means that they have a narrower and more swingy success rate compared to the far more consistent and reliable PCs. PCs are going to find their results cluster around a die roll of 13, making bonuses more impactful. This is a benefit of game systems that don't use a flat curve (single die).</p>
<p>The choice to make rolling pairs the critical hit result neatly avoids the downside of crisis resolution methods that avoid flat curves where critical hits are either very rare or else come about as a result of a player just spending tons of resources at once to turn a good roll into an amazing on as happens in Fate (granted, I love that a lot of the success and failure of Fate is hinged more on the player choice to spend resources than on random chance, but there is something to be said for the natural 20 moment).</p>
<p>Speaking of Fate and spending resources, this is the point where I point out that Daggerheart is a Fortune-at-the-End system. To explain this:</p>
<ul><li>Fortune-at-the-End: Barring a few special abilities, the die roll is the last step of an action resolution. Spending resources comes before you roll. D&D is Fortune-at-the-End</li><li>Fortune-in-the-Middle: Rolling the die is a middle step and the player can choose to spend resources after the die is rolled. Fate is Fortune-in-the-Middle.</li><li>Fortune-at-the-Beginning: Rolling a die would come at the start of the action, generating resources which the player then spends to accomplish things. 7th Sea is Fortune-at-the-Beginning as in it you roll dice at the start of a scene to generate "Raises" which are then spent as the scene moves forward.</li></ul>
<p>A good way to describe it is as follows:</p>
<ul><li>In Fortune-at-the-End when you are jumping a chasm, you gather yourself up and rush forward and then leap. The die roll happens once you are in the middle of the air and unable to do anything to alter the results.</li><li>In Fortune-in-the-Middle, you move forward taking some preparations, but die roll happens at the last possible moment you have to abort the choice. The die roll then basically determines just how much success is going to cost you. Do you abort and stay on this side? Or do you risk a minor injury to hit the other side? Will you need those resources later?</li><li>In Fortune-at-the-Beginning, the die roll happens before you decide to jump and you check to see if your roll gave you enough resources to make the jump... and then judge whether making the jump would leave you vulnerable to consequences.</li></ul>
<p>I tend to favor Fortune-in-the-Middle game play and have even tended to treat D&D 5e with Inspiration (when I remember it) as a Fortune-in-the-Middle situation. I also allow players to take the Help Out move in Monster of the Week in response to other players rolling poorly. </p>
<p>There's a psychological element to knowing that your failure comes because you chose not to use the resources to succeed and there's a question as to whether or not you made the right decision. Especially if you choose to spend and later find you lack the resources you need to follow through to completing the overall objective. To me, random chance deciding failure can feel just frustrating... but with this, it's my choice that caused the fail.</p>
<p>However, I'm not inherently opposed to Fortune-at-the-End.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading heading2">Narrative Initiative </h2>
<p>Daggerheart uses a Narrative Initiative style, this means that there is not a set turn order as you would see in D&D. Rather, the characters take actions as the players at the table, including the GM, feel that it makes sense for actions to occur. </p>
<p>Some versions of Fate use this method, but by and large the most common style of gaming that does this are Powered by the Apocalypse games and their descendants: Forged in the Dark or... it doesn't really have a generalization since only Son of Oak is designing with City of Mist's system... but lets call it "Made in the Mist". </p>
<p>Scion 2e uses initiative where there are Hero turns and Enemy turns, but the Heroes all choose who goes in which turn, so in one round, the players can decide the child of Kali takes the lead while the child of Loki sets up and then reverse that order next time where the child of Loki takes advantage of the set up to give the child of Kali an opening for a big hit.</p>
<p>This is probably where most players are going to have the most confusion about "whose turn it is". I've already seen second hand people responding to statements of "if there's no turns then it's not a game." But again, I point at the fact that there are numerous games that now play exactly this way.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading heading2">Meta-Currency</h2>
<p>There are several Metacurrencies in gaming. In fact, when you come down to it, most RPGs run on meta-currencies including D&D with it's spell-slots, hit points, and action economy, but mostly when a gamer refers to "meta-currency" they are going to be talking about points which are used to modify rolls or trigger effects.</p>
<p>Fate Points might be the ur-example of this type of meta-currency, but there might be something older. Fate points are used to activate Aspects either to make a task easier or harder. Both players and GM get Fate points to do this, and they can also use Fate points to add narrative elements.</p>
<p>Scion 2e basically does this but names the player meta-currency "Momentum" and the GM currency "Tension". 7th Sea has "Hero Points" and "Danger Points". Fabula Ultima has "Fabula Points" and "Ultima Points". But where they name Genesys, I'm suspecting they are coming at this from there and the original version of Genesys: Star Wars FFG with it's "Light Side" and "Dark Side" points.</p>
<p>One of the key things that make Meta-Currency work well or poorly is in managing the economy of the points. </p>
<p>Fate Point economy is largely controlled by the GM and players and it can be difficult to manage. Fate Points refresh at the start of each session but are also gained by suffering inconveniences based on your Aspects. However, Fate Points are so central to the game and most Fate advice points out that the game's success hinges on making sure to keep Fate points flowing into the characters as well as making it clear to the players that when they play up the downsides then they generate resources.</p>
<p>In Scion 2e, Momentum is gained when the PCs roll poorly or suffer consequences from their injuries or other conditions and Tension is generated when the PCs accomplish some success, keeping a good ebb and flow between the heroes and the villains.</p>
<p>7th Sea, Fabula Ultima, and Genesys also all have very clearly defined ways that the meta-currency is generated.</p>
<p>The only meta-currency strict D&D 5e only players probably have encountered is Inspiration which is basically a Fate Points poor cousin. It feels largely tacked on and the method of gaining is so poorly sign-posted that it was almost a decade of playing the game before I learned that you're supposed to get Inspiration when you play up the personality traits from your character's Background.</p>
<p>So, D&D players have experience with a poorly implemented, largely unnecessary to its system, and forgettable metacurrency. This has caused the idea of metacurrency to have a bad reputation with some gamers. So Hope and Fear may be a point that generates doubt and concern from some potential players. </p>
<p>That said, Hope and Fear are generated in very clearly outlined methods and they are both very central to the game so that they are not easily forgotten the way Inspiration is.</p>
<h1 class="wp-block-heading heading1">Overall</h1>
<p>Daggerheart draws from a lot of sources in terms of mechanics, but it so far blends things together quite well and most of the mechanics are fairly well-trodden ground, often with at least a decade of prior history.</p>
<p>I've seen games that cobble together mechanics from multiple sources rather shoddily... the 1st edition of Numenera comes to mind. This beta is much better condition that that game was finished.</p>
<p>It looks like a good half-step between games like D&D and narrative games. Probably hitting in the same general region as three of my home games (Scion 2e, MotW, and City of Mist) but just closer to D&D than Fate (my fourth home game).</p>
<p></p>
Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-15271968597712889022023-02-20T20:22:00.001-08:002023-02-20T20:22:04.670-08:00Caress Melani Raw Session Notes<p>Lost Mines of Phandelver/Tyranny of Dragons raw session notes</p><p><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/05/caress-melani-tyranny-of-dragons-yuan.html" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #993300; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;">Caress's Journal Page</a> <br /></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 1</h3><div>Met at Sad Larry's and interacted with some cruel bullies.</div><div>Sad Larry's is affected by Celestial magic, but there seems to be a curse on it. </div><div>We cleaned it to some degree but it became dirty far quicker than I expected.</div><div>Helped a boy find his dog. The dog was dead, but still happy to see the boy.</div><div>Hired by Gundrun Rockseeker, a dwarven miner to escort some supplies.</div><div>Explained matters to the local Sharess contingent.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 2</h3><div>Dead horse in the livery of our employer.</div><div>Shot up with goblin arrows.</div><div>Gundrun missing</div><div>Ambushed by goblins.</div><div>They were crispy</div><div>Tracked the goblin tracks back to a cave.</div><div>Defeated the outer guards.</div><div>Freed the wolves.</div><div>Fought in the Dark, used a dart</div><div>Many wilhelm screams</div><div>Flooded stream, we avoided it the second time.</div><div>Slippery and rocky slope</div><div>Ravyn felled</div><div>Yeemick has our employer, the human that hired us in the dwarf's name.<br /></div><div>Made a deal to kill Klarg</div><div> </div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 3 </h3><div style="text-align: left;">Fought and defeated Klarg</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mythram had Caress's back</div><div style="text-align: left;">Found bits of armor-crafting in crates with Lionshield Coster livery</div><div style="text-align: left;">Encouraged Yeemick to take up a career that isn't banditry</div><div style="text-align: left;">Came into town.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Leveled Up - Level 2: Blessed Warrior, Divine Smite, Spellcasting, +8 HP<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Caress paid her respects to the shrine of Tymora, heard about Agatha</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mythram went to the Lionshield Coster and Barthen's Provisions</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mythram discussed Zhentarim and the Red Brand bandit crew</div><div style="text-align: left;">We had a round of "what the fuck is up with that?"</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mythram asked Lyra about her powers</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lyra asked Caress about her paladin-hood</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mythram followed up with commenting on Caress being ace</div><div style="text-align: left;">Caress asked Mythram about her goddess</div><div style="text-align: left;">Discussion of Shar occurred</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 4 (I was absent)</h3><div style="text-align: left;">Attended to duties and rested at the inn. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 5 <br /></h3></div><div style="text-align: left;">Fought the Nothic</div><div style="text-align: left;">Fought the Glasstaff, Redbrand, and Bugbears</div><div style="text-align: left;">Was one-shotted by a Bugbear critical hit</div><div style="text-align: left;">Roused via a potion from Mythram</div><div style="text-align: left;">Had generally bad luck with hitting.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Used one of her darts.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Critical Smite hit a Bugbear to death</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 6</h3><div style="text-align: left;">Investigated the secret passage.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Found an armory.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Fought skeletons, took two hits, did not go down.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Was surprised by the bandits.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lyra ruined their ambush.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mythram and Lyra both took serious hits.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Healed Mythram</div><div style="text-align: left;">Full Shibari restraint on a Redbrand</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rescued Mirna, Nars, and Nilsa from prison.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Party comedically convinced the remaining Redbrands to leave the area.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Level 3</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 7</h3><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Traveled to Conyberry</div><div style="text-align: left;">It was abandoned.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Spoke to Agatha</div><div style="text-align: left;">She offered us a question in exchange for the Lucksister's gift and info in exchange for never bringing gods back to her place</div><div style="text-align: left;">Found abandoned Shar holy site, Mythram identified it.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Found body of a Dark Justicar and a body of Dark Moon monk.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Dark Moons are an almost impossible to join monk sect.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Justicars granted that title for killing a Selunite.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Not undead within sight.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lyra senses Strong Abjuration magic</div><div style="text-align: left;">Skeleton in bright blue coat, Ravyn recognizes order of the Blue Moon (Selunite knightly order) </div><div style="text-align: left;">Selunites and Dark Moons killed each other... Some Justicars killed by Selunites. No Selunites killed by Justicars</div><div style="text-align: left;">Relic of the Dark Moon heresy?</div><div style="text-align: left;">Selune created the sun at great cost to herself (Shar angered by her sister's pain?) <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Netherese established the first church of Shar may have corrupted the worship.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Statue of Shar, facing away from the door to rear right corner of the room.</div><div style="text-align: left;">No traps.</div><div style="text-align: left;">The monk was here to be empowered.</div><div style="text-align: left;">The Justicars laid siege to the Dark Moons</div><div style="text-align: left;">When the Justicars were fought off, the Blue Coats came next.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Something came after the monk didn't see what.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Revealed the secret to a "petty thiefling"</div><div style="text-align: left;">Says he'll kill Lyra if we let her out.</div><div style="text-align: left;">He wants to die, if he is released, he will crumble to dust</div><div style="text-align: left;">Statue rails cleansed and moved, monk crumbles to dust</div><div style="text-align: left;">Three spheres roll out. </div><div style="text-align: left;">When she touched the sphere a morsel of Divine Favor comes to me.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mythram thanks Shar</div><div style="text-align: left;">Received Bast's Foci <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Caress conducts funerary rites.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sleep at Conyberry</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 8</h3></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Scouting, good stealth roll<br />Raven imp invisible scouts<br />explosion goes now<br />Mythram takes aim<br />Caress blocks the door<br />Red Wizard steps out of the door and takes an arrow to the everything<br />Raven positions<br />Moonbeam in the door<br />Radiant Whip to the right<br />Zombies press forward through moonbeam<br />Eldritch blast over the shoulder<br />Ray of Frost over shoulder<br />Decapitating arrow<br />Whip it good<br />Who would you want to splash? The one that survived. It fails to continue surviving.<br />"There was some damage in this encounter"<br />Missed a hit<br />Took some hits<br />Zombies down<br />Ring of Protection<br />Short Rest<br />Can't find whose tower this is.<br />Camp away from the corpses<br />Mythram On watch<br />Hobgoblin demanding audience with orc bandit<br />"Join the black spider"<br />Mythram happens to watchman and intimidates the hobgoblin<br />Bounty against Lyra<br />"Smile as yuanti a way as possible"<br />Caress is still good at binding<br />Targor the Bloodsword, Successor to King Graal<br />Bounty is for the Glassstaff item<br />Raven spots orc cook, Mythram goes to investigate<br />And "oh fuck, adventurers!"<br />Strike, Cook is downed, Mythram posts at entrance.<br />Lyra readies herself for moonbeam<br />Targor struggles<br />Caress casts bless and Clawed Dance and moves to entrance<br />Javelin careens off Caress's shield<br />Moonbeam happens<br />Suddenly, Ogre ("Where did that come from!?")<br />Raven tells a joke, it was super-effective<br />Familiar scouts<br />Knockout Targo? (he's faking it)<br />Lyra sacred flames two orcs and terrifies ogre with fey step<br />Brughor Axe-Biter throws box at ogre<br />Does not remake the save.<br />Orc kicks the ogre out of the funny<br />Ogre great club and fear keeps it from hitting and pasting Caress<br />Ogre go laughing again<br />Orcs toss Javelins at Lyra, they miss, though she has to raise a shield via the Glassstaff<br />Reorienting<br />Raven sees through imp's eyes, didn't see anything much<br />Lyra casts burning hands and moves away<br />Brughor fails to snap ogre out of funny<br />Caress Smites with her whip, Ogre still thinks it's funny<br />Raven blind fires eldritch blast and hits the ogre<br />Orcs trying to get past the ogres, one manages it, the next two don't - blocked by Caress<br />Orc fails to hit Lyra with great axe<br />Mythram about to happen to orc slipper<br />Mythram happens to orc<br />Orc is regretting life choices<br />Lyra happens to Brughor due to Tasha's Mind-Whip "you have one of these"<br />Lyra Eladrin-bamfs Ogre fearage, but ogre resists<br />"He had some cunning plans in the works and now he can take a move, an action, or a bonus action"<br />Rending Claw of Bast removes the Orc Slipper and smites the Ogre again, Ogre still alive<br />Raven blasts Brughor with a blast and a half<br />Another orc slips by 21 vs 21, hits Mythram with an axe...<br />Next slipper fails, panicking looking for another Javelin<br />Mythram answers the orc's axe with a shortsword... "he approximates the texture of skittles"<br />The ogre goes down to a whip.<br />Raven obliterates Brughor, it is quite messy and does splash<br />Raven: "I do believe we won."<br />Caress ties up the surrendering orc... it is the most comfortable he's ever been tied up before <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 9</h3><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Note: I forgot to take notes.<br /><br />Head back to Phandalin slowly. On the second night, Caress takes watch and fails to note Targor escaping.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mythram tracks the everything and we follow Targor straight to Cragmaw Castle</div><div style="text-align: left;">Once again, we find Targor outside a stronghold arguing with guards. </div><div style="text-align: left;">This time he's killed instead of politely captured.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Guards start coming out and shooting at us. </div><div style="text-align: left;">Lyra bamfs into one of the guard posts and her bamf charms one of the guards</div><div style="text-align: left;">More people start coming to fight us.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Ravyn heads past Caress into the hallway </div><div style="text-align: left;">Caress moves around the corner to try to support Lyra.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lyra bamfs out to another place.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Some hobgoblins open a door to find Caress</div><div style="text-align: left;">Caress is now locked in engagement at the north.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lyra is Shield-spell tanking the south flank</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mythram and Ravyn are in the center</div><div style="text-align: left;">Ablative plot armor starts seriously ablating.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Caress has bad luck but holds.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Moonbeam starts taking out bandits.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There's chanting.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mythram stops the chanting with her rogue power: meat tunnel.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">One of the hobgoblins runs away and opens a door.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Now there's a grick</div><div style="text-align: left;">The grick starts eating bandits.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Ravyn goes down.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Ravyn's familiar kills her attacker</div><div style="text-align: left;">Caress heals Ravyn and then herself at the advice of everybody else</div><div style="text-align: left;">We start exploring the castle, kill two sleeping bandits </div><div style="text-align: left;">We open a door... there's an owlbear</div><div style="text-align: left;">Owlbear gets moonsinged and Caress convinces it to leave the castle and leave them alone.</div><div style="text-align: left;">King Grol opens the door and calls out that there are adventurers.</div><div style="text-align: left;">A doppleganger disguised as a drow tries to kill the person we're rescuing.</div><div style="text-align: left;">The imp stings him. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mythram breezes past all Grol and his wolf with dope-rogue-shit.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mythram happens to the doppleganger.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Ravyn's eldritch blast happens to the wolf. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The imp tries to stabilize Gundren.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lyra bamfs in and Moonbeam happens to Grol.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Crackety smite happens to Grol</div><div style="text-align: left;">We return to Phandalin and hear Gundren will eventually recover.</div><div style="text-align: left;">We report on quest completion.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Ravyn gets Harper invite.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Caress gets Order of Gauntlet invite.</div><div style="text-align: left;">First thought: Caress in Order of Gauntlet will be awkward.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Second thought: Caress in Order of Gauntlet will be hilarious.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Level up to 4</div><div style="text-align: left;">Charisma +2 to 18</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 10</h3><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Caress became a Cheval with the Order of the Gauntlet</div><div style="text-align: left;">Traveled to Thundertree, spent the night in Neverwinter</div><div style="text-align: left;">Arrived to Thundertree</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sign reading "plant monsters and zombies" with the sign of the Emerald Enclave</div><div style="text-align: left;">Getting swarmed by easily killed blights</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lyra rattled her moon beam around in a tavern and killed a bunch of ash zombies.</div><div style="text-align: left;">We're waking up all the twig blights</div><div style="text-align: left;">The druid in the area is annoyed at us</div><div style="text-align: left;">There are spiders.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Caress took a wrong turn and missed the bulk of the fight</div><div style="text-align: left;">Leave behind the twig blights to help with the giant spiders</div><div style="text-align: left;">Leap from one wall to the other... land flat on back...painfully</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mythram and Lyra killing the spiders</div><div style="text-align: left;">Druid becomes a dire wolf</div><div style="text-align: left;">Healed Mythram of poison</div><div style="text-align: left;">there's a dragon in the area</div><div style="text-align: left;">The Cult of the Dragon is in the area</div><div style="text-align: left;">We found the alchemist's goods and there's the elements of a couple of magical tattoos...</div><div style="text-align: left;">We're looking toward dealing with the cult at least, maybe the dragon. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 11 </h3><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Approached the house containing the cultists.</div><div style="text-align: left;">While talking strategy, tried to sneak forward and attracted attention.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Everybody started sneaking around while cultists came to talk to Caress</div><div style="text-align: left;">Caress tried to apply her Yuan-ti ability to Suggest... it didn't work</div><div style="text-align: left;">These cultists are very perceptive and nimble... they've been saying their prayers.</div><div style="text-align: left;">The cultists get mowed down</div><div style="text-align: left;">Reiodoth will offer to guide us to the mines if we deal with the dragon.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Reiodoth <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We approach the dragon, Caress casts Bless on Ravyn, Mythram, and Lyra</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lyra casts dragon breath on the imp and Ravyn</div><div style="text-align: left;">Caress steps forward and the dragon appears to challenge.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Negotiations do not go well.</div><div style="text-align: left;">The dragon breathes, Caress resists well enough, but Mythram is also hit in the cloud</div><div style="text-align: left;">Reposition to direct the dragon to face her</div><div style="text-align: left;">Dragon resists the laughter <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Dragon gets mind whipped and breathes in Caress's face, she resists...</div><div style="text-align: left;">Dragon gets Hexed</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sneak attacked</div><div style="text-align: left;">Great damn claws take down Caress and then Lyra gets bitten</div><div style="text-align: left;">The imp feeds Caress a goodberry, the dragon tries to flee</div><div style="text-align: left;">From prone, Caress takes an AoO and smites the dragon, which dies</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mythram harvests the remains of the dragon and several pieces of the dragon show to have more magic</div><div style="text-align: left;">Caress takes the Still Eye of the Dragon to apply to her shield</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 12 </h3></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Druid leads us to Wave Echo Cave<br />Forge of Spells / Lost Mine of Phandelver<br />Get Barrier Tattoo<br />Drow tracks<br />Cavern, dead dwarf<br />Caress is bad at investigation<br />Dwarf killed by spiders<br />Investigate pit<br />Attacked by stirges<br />Lots of stirges<br />Stirge swatting galore<br />Devil asks Caress for heals<br />Ravyn gets a stirge<br />Discovery of a ready room with animated skeletons<br />Mythram calls for Caress<br />Mythram and Lyra Dragon Breathing skeletons<br />Ravyn Mind Slivering one between<br />Effective dragon breath from Mythram<br />Skeletons in the hall have been removed by Lyra and Ravyn<br />Used Still Eye of the Dragon to cancel damage<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 13</h3><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Continue exploring encounter a room with ghouls.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Planned to funnel the ghouls toward Caress</div><div style="text-align: left;">Plan failed because ghouls are unexpectedly fast and strong (good rolls).</div><div style="text-align: left;">Ghouls are brought down.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Get a potion of vitality <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Short rest taken.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Ambushed by ochre jelly</div><div style="text-align: left;">Destroyed the ochre jelly </div><div style="text-align: left;">Back off to take long rest.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Return to mines and head to north passage.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Looks like the tunnels the jelly was wandering in.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Find a pool full of stagnant water.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Party says "nope" to poking the stagnant water.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Find a cavern into which the water flows then a guard station of bugbears.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Have fight.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Dealing with CoH tanker instincts... ooops...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 14</h3></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mythram sneaks to the cavern<br />Drow commanding bugbears<br />Caress Borrowed Mythram's Lantern<br />Caress moves forward to draw attention<br />Strikes the bugbear<br />Bugbear falls off the edge and takes more damage<br />Mythram shoots the drow with an arrow and moves into melee<br />Lyra drops an uncareful moonbeam<br />drow is actually doppleganger<br />bugbear tries to circumvent Caress, fails<br />Ravyn's blast eliminates the bugbear that Caress just whipped<br />Doppleganger flees<br />Bugbears press forward<br />Doppleganger dies to Lyra's mind whip<br />bugbear smashes into Ravyn<br />Imp stings bugbear<br />Caress smites a bugbear<br />Ravyn's mind sliver eliminates the last bugbear<br />begin searching area<br />Ravyn and Caress rest<br />Find gauntlets of ogre power on a dwarf skeleton (ogres of gauntlet power)<br />Sneak to the temple<br />Low voices<br />Start sneaking again<br />Lyra gets seen, fight starts<br />Lots of giant spiders<br />"Drow" wizard<br />Lyra and Mythram are webbed<br />Caress dewebs them with Rending Claw of Bast (Booming Blade)<br />Mage(Nezznar) casts darkness<br />Mage
monologues "You could have just surrendered you fools. I would have
kept alive long enough to learn who sent you. You can still give up your
patrons."<br />Lyra moonbeams the mage<br />Darkness falls<br />Lyra switches concentration to Dragon's Breath<br />Mythram happens to mage<br />Spider skittles forward and tries to attack Mythram<br />Ravyn blasts spider, gets into cover<br />Spider tries to web Lyra fails badly<br />Bugbear tries to bash Lyra meets Shield<br />Spider webs Mythram<br />Spider fails to web Lyra<br />Caress burns spider and dewebs Mythram<br />Bugbear beats feet.<br />Lyra shoves the next bugbear aside and moves under the spiders before enacting Dragon Breath the Animation Firey breath<br />Ravyn blasts a spider with help from Ijit... it's a hefty hit, but the spider is still alive<br />Bugbear misses Lyra<br />Spider attacks Lyra and gets shielded<br />Spider fails to web Lyra<br />Caress surges forward but fails to hit the bugbear<br />other bugbear continues to flee (brave sir robin, pitter patter of enormous feet.)<br />Dragonbreath is unleashed on the spiders<br />Spider falls on us, we are tangled up in dead spider bits<br />Mythram hits a spider and erupts it<br />Spider falls on Lyra again.<br />Bugbear attacks Caress and fails<br />Spider bites Caress<br />Caress destroys the spider and some of the damage spalshes to the bugbear<br />Spider falls on Lyra and bugbear<br />Lyra breathes on the bugbear, who makes an wonderful attempt to dodge, but dies anyway<br />Lyra Prestidigtate cleans Caress and herself (reverse that order)<br />Caress heals Lyra and herself<br />Find a spider-staff<br />Lyra finds a key to the door Mythram has already picked open<br />Unconscious dwarf found in locked room.<br />Found loot<br />statue has glass-eyes that look like gems, enchanted to crash the ceiling down<br />Dumathuin is a troll</div><div style="text-align: left;">Level 5 - Gain 2nd Level spells/Extra Attack</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 14</h3></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Boy with his dog has been picked up by the Emerald Enclave<br />Ravyn's imp "Idjit" shapeshifts into a rat named Mr. Snuffles.<br />Mythram notices people pointing at Ravyn<br />The seeker and old lady came to talk to us...<br />Larry lacks love <br />The Seeker proposes a game.<br />A...dating game.<br />The prize is a Ring.<br />Mythram investigates Sad Larry's and looks for a temple to Shar<br />Caress seeks the Order of the Gauntlet and encounters bigot, she discusses the minutia of her psychology education</div><div style="text-align: left;">I apparently stopped taking notes part way through... hmmm</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 14</h3></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">Dragon worshippers increase in annoyance and appearance<br />Lyra looking into Sad Larry's rooms<br />Supplicant especially insistent to come to him later for assitance myself<br />Bandits on every road<br />Wild animals<br />Most expensive bounty "The White" - unnamed "The White Dragon cultist"<br />depiction of a mask of a white dragon<br />Whitehawk Elara spoke to her about Timmy and she agrees with my concerns<br />Marcheon
Bhaide (vide) responsible for collating reports... very much like
commander's lieutenant, plate armored, very serious and mustached<br />Old
woman has illusion magic/under an illusion, a group of sisters that
share a disguise and sell items... considering a shield. Purchases it.<br />Mythram does religious service and checks out the Bloated Bounty<br />In the Bloated Bounty we deal in souls<br />Mythram dealing with devils literal and figurative<br />Breaking a monopoly on Dragon's Breath Ale in the Red Dragon Inn<br />Parade of ghosts singing sea shanties.<br />Triple masted behemoth with banners saying "The grand shanty"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 15<br /><br /></h3><div style="text-align: left;">Commander Artimisia Faulstus<br />Captain Garious Ironguts<br />The commander wants hull worms removed<br />Sharkbite Sam... Testing Fate is a dangerous drink<br />the shark steaks are excellent, hot and aroma<br />Hull worms replace bits of wood<br />Lyra got a bit very drunk<br />it was fun<br />used Lesser Restoration to sober her up before we tackle hull worms<br />"man sized worms"<br />Lyra offers breathing lightning<br />"going to put it in my mouth oh yeah?"<br />Hoots
Magoo (parrot) escorts down but doesn't want to get close to the worms
"worms at the front, I'm not at the front, I'm at the back"<br />sneaky giant hull worm<br />Caress moves forward as bait to draw out the worms<br />Caress successfully baits the worms....<br />all the acid <br />need shield master<br />Lyra breathes lightning<br />oww<br />Drop 25 Lay on Hands on self<br />Step back from the worms.<br />3 attacks of opportunity, all blocked<br />"This section of the hull hisses warningly" x3</div><div style="text-align: left;">Resist Acid, Cold, and Fire<br />This entire deck is worms<br />Lyra lightninged several<br />Fey-Step Winter to Frighten worms, one resists<br />Mythram steps up with more Lightning<br />too many worms<br />"we can kill the worms, but it will kill your boat" <br />Tell the commander we need a dry dock<br />"I'd prefer not to lose my retirement gift"<br />"How did you come to this ship, is it a curse of sorts?"<br />"It's a blessing in theory."<br />"Once your not the captain anymore, you get to join the crew"<br />Ironguts was mutined by Bloody Gracie<br />The commander received the ship as a retirement gift<br />the artifact is a feather<br />dry dock means can't pay us what she offered<br />Caress Cassie Wormreader<br />legendary pirate operating in the area of Luskan before the high captains took it over<br />Hinky about the attunements<br />For an hour at dawn and dusk, 100 ghost pirates manifest to do your bidding<br />act as unseen servants<br />Curse on the feather<br />lots of charges<br />"Mostly used for shielding and counterspelling. Or I did...When I was meatier"<br />duel Ringers for the performance<br />"insists she's not promiscuous, just loves people"<br />"Adventure!"<br />Larry's in a better state<br />the worm situation is a bit out of our hands because of how far it got... we'd sink the ship, so we'll have to leave that off<br />the "pooper" is a gaping angry void<br />beautiful immaculate decorating... horrible void of nothingness<br />"void your bowels"<br />giving more money get things fixed up<br />the "pooper needs more ominous name now"<br />"Pooper HAHAHA!!"<br />When you sit on the pooper, until you leave, you have the frightened condition<br />The leader of the local order of the gauntlet... they captured a castle <br />want us to investigate the matter<br />Teleportation circle at the center of the castle<br />prior adventurers are seeking healing magic with expensive components<br />heavy amount of funding to hire mercenaries<br />Castle Naerytar</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 16</h3><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"> very healthy looking castle here</div><div style="text-align: left;">the dragon is dead, the head cultist fled through the portal<br />Wormreader is a red dragonborn and always manages to avoid combat somehow<br />has artifacts<br />Ijit goes through the portal first<br />substantial altitude shift<br />portal is a permanent teleport circle locked to a specific location<br />portal is a roiling mist not unlike a fog machine<br />uphill deep into the woods<br />trolls with giant lizards kitted as hunting animals<br />skyharbor cliffs<br />Mythram knocks on the door<br />white kobold answers the door "what does it want?"<br />two kobolds<br />"they make the gesture"<br />"What does it want?"<br />Ravyn recognizes a gesture to Tiamat, poses as a cultist to get us inside.chef outfit and dragon cult mask<br />Ask what dragonspeaker we're representing<br />failed deception<br />Suggestion spell by Caress to ask for cooperation<br />fetch Lady Talos... but actually getting Thespin<br />Start casting Detect Poison and Disease<br />Mythram stealths into the hallway<br />demonic statues<br />free-standing suits of armor<br />Mythram sees incoming ambush<br />rushes to warn<br />brushes a suit of armor and is frozen<br />start fight<br />rush to free Mythram, Caress rolls under the target<br />Lyra hit by a bullseye (crit) of a sling bullet<br />four-armed troll<br />ambush drakes<br />cultist shuts the kitchen door<br />kobold stabs Ravyn<br />Ijit stings the Kobold<br />misses<br />Kobolds maneuvering<br />sling misses Lyra <br />Ravyn mind slivers a drake<br />Ambush drake rushes past Ravyn and Ijit<br />takes AoOs<br />hit twice<br />Caress calls out to Sharess and casts Moonbeam on the Troll<br />A cultist attacks Lyra<br />Lyra lightning-breaths several people again<br />Troll happens to Ravyn<br />Ijit kills ambush drake<br />Ravyn recovers Sneaky research<br />Kobold got a coincidental murdering from the Moonbeam<br />Cultist bursts out of the room and flees<br />Mythram breaks free of the ice<br />stabs the ambush drake<br />the troll laughs <br />Tasha's Hideous Laughter for the win<br />Ravyn flees<br />Ambush pounces Lyra and is shielded<br />Rending Claw of Bast to the ambush drake and kobold, kills both, moves up to the troll<br />Lyra breathes on the ambush drake and it dies<br />Troll smashes into Caress<br />Ijit kills a cultist in passing<br />and then another one deliberately<br />Ijit struck by a scimitar<br />Mythram steps up to the troll using the Quiet Eye of the Dragon<br />the troll successfully saves<br />stabs in with off-hand dagger<br />Ravyn uses the Eldritch Blast<br />hits one for two<br />Caress stab-smites the troll<br />it is down<br />Lyra thundersteps and then fus-ro-dahs the troll into the fireplace<br />ijit (fails to) kill the last cultist <br />last cultist flees<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 17</h3></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mythram kills the last cultist<br />still a hubbub<br />Caress steps into the courtyard and sees two kobolds<br />calls for them to surrender or flee<br />one does immediately surrender<br />Ravyn holding back due to lack of HP<br />Appearance of Talis the White<br />Heavy armor and shield<br />White dragon born<br />Wormspeaker sent you<br />Ramseer<br />Talis tells Mythram future children will remember her suffering<br />Mythram happens to guy in armor<br />a lot a lot<br />Caress heads back into the feast hall, goes over the table and heals Ravyn<br />Gives the whip enchantment as well<br />Ravyn does Eldritch Blast and hits one for two<br />Hexes someone<br />Kobolds wearing maid dresses<br />Mythram is attacked by a Veteran<br />Lyra plants moonbeam on Talis<br />Caress engages with the Veteran<br />Fanatic charges forward<br />strikes Caress<br />The still eye of the dragon flashes against the fanatic<br />Lyra punches Talis back into the moonbeam<br />Talis calls for an insect plague and Lyra counters<br />vanishes into a room to call reinforcements<br />Maelgot (Veteran) attacks, misses Mythram, grazes Caress, misses Mythram<br />Kobold attacks Lyra<br />Mythram kills Maelgot<br />Mythram happens to the fanatic<br />Caress heals Mythram, charges Veteran in the courtyard<br />Veteran attacks her and strikes, Still Eye fixes him painfully<br />Lyra does a mind strike<br />Talis resists<br />Lyra teleports next to Talis<br />Hero Kobold does Caress a major stab<br />kobold stabs Lyra<br />Mythram fires at Sorvic, misses<br />Caress makes a Rending Claw of Bast, splash damage kills the kobold<br />Main damage with smite doesn't quite kill Sorvic<br />Misty Step away<br />Sorvic pursues<br />stabs Mythram but misses Caress<br />Ravyn blasts a kobold and then Talis<br />Ring of Spell Storing unleashes Evard's Black Tentacles<br />Lyra counters<br />Helmed Horror<br />Lyra moves the moonbeam<br />misty steps away<br />Talis terrified<br />gets into cover<br />Talis burns in the moonlight<br />"There's a fucking helmed horror!"<br />Talis dispels the moonbeam<br />Mythram kills Sorvic and sneaks down the hall<br />Caress heals herself and moves to rejoin Ravyn<br />Mythram sneak attacks the helmed horror<br />Caress tries to hit it with a dart<br />dart misses<br />Talis killing someone off screen<br />Ravyn moves back into the field<br />Helmed Horror stumbles on Mythram<br />Lyra Fey Steps to range of the Horror, Thundersteps away<br />the Helmed Horror has magic resistance<br />Mythram disassembles the Helmed Horror<br />Lyra reports the secret door<br />Caress gets to the fireplace, can't find the secret door<br />Ravyn pops up and opens the door<br />there are two prisoners<br />one seems to be stabbed by a spear<br />Lyra gets in via teleportation and see more people<br />Talis steps out and surrenders to Mythram<br />calls for support<br />Caress moves to help tie up the villain, doesn't quite get there<br />Talis killed a rival cultist before fleeing<br />Lyra and Ravyn attend to prisoners<br />Nature's Wrath to restrain Talis and reinforces that with actual rope<br />Wand of Winter<br />Miresella Baldur's Gate scout<br />Craggnor ally of Varram the White<br />Brother Caemon been beaten around a bit</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 18</h3> </div><div style="text-align: left;">dead dwarven prisoner<br />elven scout in bad condition<br />human priest kept as sacrifice<br />tapestry of conjuration being put in bag of holding<br />seriously impressive library<br />found some Kobolds<br />Talis gave directions to the armory<br />Caress finding servants<br />Caress is bad at investigating<br />Lyra interrogating Talis <br />magic spear found<br />Dragonglean<br />10 unrecoverable charges<br />"Tiamat's eyes shine" to cast daylight for one charge<br />Talis offers letters of recommendation to a sky castle<br />Ravyn releases her<br />things I have to fill in in order to not look suspicious<br />message to give the red priest<br />red wizards<br />somebody in Thay is funding this cult<br />gives us letters of recommendation for the skycastle<br />Lyra and Mythram go upstairs<br />they find a trapped lock and trigger the trap<br />4000 gold pieces, scroll of scorching ray<br />suit of +1 chain mail<br />Mythram finds two nesting perytons<br />and cooperate in killing them<br />they don't successfully kill them in one go<br />one flyby attacks and knocks out Lyra<br />Mythram stabilizes her<br />Tapestry of gems<br />Lyra and Mythram discuss what to do with captives<br />village of Parnast<br />Savage Frontier<br />not far from Lurkwood<br />north of Mithral Hall<br />five tapestries depicting dragons<br />Blue attacking a desert campaign - Anauroch <br />Green poisoning elves - High Forest <br />White and Black circling a swamp with ruins - Mere of Dead Men <br />Red burning the Castle Ward - Waterdeep <br />fifth of Tiamat bedecked with gems - claws clutching Neverwinter, Waterdeep, and Baldur's Gate <br />not many ambush drakes left, secured in individual pens<br />three remaining ambush drakes<br />wyvern stables<br />long rest<br />the human servants are wanting to be free of the cult<br />tapestry teleports you somewhere within a 5 mile radius with a high probability of a big game animal nearby </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 19</h3><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Five Wormspeakers<br />Severin the Red<br />Galvan the Blue<br />Neronvain the Green<br />Rezmir the Black<br />Varram the White.<br />enormous amount of loot is moving through a flying castle<br />castle belongs to a cloud giant allied to the cult, currently docked near Parnast<br />small village<br />stable<br />shrine<br />not many residents<br />mighty castle<br />40ft walls<br />huge towers<br />blue ice and crumbling stone towers<br />giant's scale<br />large grey building - shrine stable <br />Shrine is brownish building west of square - shrine to elven seasonal deities <br />blue building - Golden Tankard<br />rest is all residential<br />Shrine has <br />Profaned statue to Auril<br />desecrated statue to Angharradh<br />Meiliki is freshly painted<br />Chauntea is dull chipped, neglect<br />Lyra suggests avoiding fixing things just yet<br />the Meilikki statue has been repaired recently<br />Elf/Human village<br />"man with the very king of mutton chops at the bar"<br />other person is doing his best to repair the shrine<br />Mythram sees someone slipping out to the castle<br />boy has instructions to report strangers<br />Aeflstan is in the castle<br />Mythram is terrifying<br />guy in command<br />mercenary, well-off, successful<br />not wearing cult accouterment<br />as leaving, he takes up a golden tankard and speaks to it, starting to drink<br />the castle has ogres<br />guard does not like us not giving the counter sign<br />seems annoyed with Lady Talus<br />guard is suspicious of Lyra<br />Lyra passes muster<br />Passwords:<br /><br />Cult: May she rise<br />Owner of castle: Hail <hard to spell name> (Blagothkus) <br />Ravyn recognizes the name<br />Cloud giant name<br />fairly common<br />"Hail Brad"<br />massive statues don't lash out at us on the way in when we use the password<br />enter as "allies"<br />everything is out scale<br />goal is to find Rezmir<br />giant footprints<br />seeing ogres<br />smithy, storage shed, stable<br />find an ogre to ask about where to find the "humie cult"<br />Mythram knocks<br />Lyra introduces us<br />we see one cultist in elaborate garb but no mask<br />directed to Rezmir<br />Lyra presents our letters of introduction<br />name slipped: Glazhael<br />dragon is in the castle<br />Rezmir wants to know if we want to talk to the dragon now and leaves us to make our own negotiations with Brad<br />record scratch Red Wizards<br />steal clear of the crumbling tower<br />dragon is lairing in icicle caverns under the castle<br />20 kobolds of varying colors working in the kitchen<br />Griffin looking over them<br />Griffin seems smarter than the average griffin<br />ogres with shiny helmets<br />very white plumes<br />Lyra approaches with "suitably deferential air and complements their uniforms"<br />we're introduced to Brad<br />given access to rooms<br />Giant is looking at the cult as "potential worthy adversaries"<br />bones of the giants ancestors are under the castle<br />given an armory to serve as a camp<br />nice masterwork pieces of armor sized for 20ft tall persons<br />storeroom is very magical<br />Rath Modar the Red Wizard is trying to ally with Tiamat to overthrow Szaas Tam<br />- Cultist of some importance, unknown specifics<br />- Rezmir is here<br />- Red Wizards of Thay<br />- Blagothkus (Brad) is here<br />- pair of closest giant allies have the rooms next to Brad<br />- Glazhael is in the tombs under the castle (part of castle)<br />- forbidden room in level above giants <br />Oesthelstan. Talis, Accoutrement, Rath Modar<br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"> </h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 20</h3><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">ogres use rope and grapnels to bypass the forbidden floor<br />Mythram is going to climb up the tower<br />safety rope with a lovely roll of 12 (6+2 + 1d4 guidance)<br />Spider-Mythram (crit success athletics to climb) gets to the roof <br />Lyra sees a space manipulation<br />forbidden floor might not actually exist<br />Mythram started to reach the floor... and then was suddenly on the roof<br />Mythram sees 4 ogres, massive siege engine, ballistae<br />Mythram secures a rope and pulls us up<br />we sneak along with a guidance from Shar guiding Lyra<br />find a hatch leading down to the forbidden room<br />Mythram climbs down a ladder and still some spatial warping<br />ladder goes to the floor below the forbidden floor<br />wooden structure incased in ice engraved with 18 runes<br />"titanic transmutation magic, a bit of conjuration as well"<br />applies forces to things: specifically the castle<br />little bit of evocation<br />giant rooms<br />secret door to the north<br />stairs to south<br />heading south downstairs to clear that direction<br />we feel it's part of the secret area<br />portraits of a female cloud giant and an embellished family tree<br />goes to the Red Wizard rooms<br />red wizard's door has "blazing hot abjuration"<br />Arcane Lock<br />need a special requirement to open that door<br />room has medium powered conjuration effect<br />Lyra finds a command word that will teleport us "somewhere else"<br />about 700 ft away<br />receiving point for a return teleport<br />back upstairs<br />looking at secret door<br />giant toilet<br />made out of magically permafrost ice and cleaned with prestidigitation... somehow less arcane than Larry's<br />approaching Red Wizards from the proper entrance<br />returning to room<br />Ritual cast Detect Poison and Disease<br />approaching RW<br />letter from Talis to Red Wizards<br />offering services of "someone" to the RW<br />Talk our way close to the RW and.... <br /><br />Caress gives look to see if people are ready<br /><br />surprise round happens <br />Mythram vaults up to the table and strikes Rath Modar heavily<br />Ijit targets invisibly<br />helps Ravyn with Eldritch Blast<br />Ravyn blasts Rath Modar twice<br />a camp bed folds up into something like a gargoyle<br />attacks Mythram<br />strikes twice, rending and biting<br />Lyra casts moonbeam<br />and pulls Rath Modar into moonbeam<br />Surprise round ends<br />Mythram stabs Rath Modar who dissipates a Illusory double<br />But he has nothing to stop him from Ravyn blasting him<br />Caress steps up onto the "dias" table and shoves the other mage into the moonbeam<br />misses with her whip <br />gargoyle "gravel gravel gravel" - summoner dead, it doesn't have to obey anyone now <br />Lyra Mind Whips the remaining wizard and Silvery Barbs her save<br />Moonbeam turns her crispy <br />Gargoyle leaves<br />Rath had a lot of nice spells<br />he was trying to raise Tiamat in order to gain political power<br />"his betrayal eyes are much bigger than his betrayal belly"<br />many letters to other Red Wizards<br />pocketing letters for the Gauntlet<br />a lectern with a book on it<br />"Beyond the Iron Gates"<br />treatise on devil summoning<br />last chapter describes a ritual that could bring Tiamat bodily out of the nine hells<br />Red Wizards are dumb<br />clean up battle back to room<br />long rest<br />Caress - First Watch, notice nothing<br />Mythram - Middle Watch, elven figure setting on window sill<br />came to see what "Talis sent our way"<br />"Talis chose her representations well"<br />Mythram: "I'd prefer to hire competent people and only do the job once."<br />bare more markings of the true path than any of the newcomers<br />yup, a vampire<br />Ravyn can read goblin which uses giantish runes, so she can work out the control runes <br />Rune Commands<br /><br />All-Clear.<br />Anchor.<br />Calm.<br />Cast Off.<br />Drift.<br />Home.<br />North<br />South<br />East<br />West.<br />Rise.<br />Sink.<br />Spin.<br />Storm.<br />Unveil.<br />Veil.<br />Widdershins.<br />planning approaches<br />steal from hoard and plant it in the giant's bathroom (Lyra's idea)<br />Grab silver goblets from bag of holding<br />grind them down<br />make four vials of holy water </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">Session 21</h3></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">2 vials to Lyra<br />2 vials to Ravyn<br />sneaking to the dilapidated tower<br />opening giant door<br />door cannot be made a jar<br />(pun is deliberate)<br />armory. storm giant sized armor<br />there is no down here<br />plenty of down outside<br />Mythram is sneaky<br />battlements overlook upper courtyard<br />ogres training with javelins<br />5 with javelins, 3 "training" in the mess tent<br />no stealth roll yet<br />Ogres on opposing wall, lower down than us <br />ballistae ogres technically watching the front gate, but currently floating so just relaxing<br />shiny helmet ogres looking alert<br />I think they're eating<br />door to tower is warded<br />sending Ibjeet scouting<br />Lyra, strong abjuration magic<br />Ravyn analyzes stuff<br />passworded Arcane Lock<br />decorative lock, the entire lock is from the spell<br />the password is not the Tiamat hand sign<br />3rd level Abjuration<br />past a Knock, but can be dispelled<br />Ibjeet sees a standard guard tower<br />2nd floor of tower, arrow slits are blinded<br />magical darkness and planks of wood<br />lots of handholds on this tower<br />the ogres overlooking us aren't suspicious of us prepping ropes<br />Mythram slips<br />we catch her on the rope (Caress, 19 Ath, Lyra 4 Ath, Ravyn 10 Ath)<br />Mythram recovers<br />Gets to inside tower<br />belays the rope and holds it<br />Lyra gets in<br />Ravyn next<br />Ravyn gets in no problem<br />Caress tries to hide the rope<br />16 on Sleight of Hand<br />wedged in mortar work<br />and then makes the climb in<br />we're all in the tower<br />condition to open the Arcane Lock is "be a giant"<br />function of the castle<br />Mythram sneaking to the drowsy day time vampire <br />Mythram sneakier than a vampire<br />pile all the spells on mythram<br />she sneaks up to the vampire<br />vampire is staked<br />vampire gurgles<br />vampire gets low initiative<br />oh, hello spawn<br />Ravyn heads up and shoots the vampire spawn<br />Caress dashes up to the next floor with everybody<br />Lyra mind whips the spawn<br />Ibjeet stings the spawn<br />Sandesyl Morgia incapacitated<br />vampire spawn spider climbs on ceiling across to over Caress and then drops <br />Caress and spawn both prone<br />Mythram slashes up one of the spawn<br />mind-whipped spawn can't shove Mythram out of the way <br />Ravyn mind slivers one of the spawn<br />Caress stands up, steps between the vampires and does Rending Dance of Bast to deal radiant damage of both<br />Lyra strikes the spawn with another mind whip<br />Lyra does a quickened Ray of Frost into the spawn's face<br />Ibjeet stings a vampire spawn and can't regenerate due to paladin doing kitty whipping<br />remaining spawn tries to shove past Lyra<br />and.... is unable to shove the weak sorcerer <br />Mythram happens<br />Mythram happens a lot<br />Ravyn moves the Hex from dead spawn to active spawn<br />Eldritch Blast at the spawn<br />Caress finishes last spawn<br />Lyra and Mythram find a decoy coffin<br />after an "embarrassing annoying vexing long time" to track it down<br />in crates<br />vampire crates<br />Nalani isn't in this game<br />Caress starts consecrating the vampire's grave<br />Sandesyl Morgia soundlessly expresses great terror<br />and then turns to dust<br />Caress and Mythram have religious discussions<br />Time to sneak back home and do the "not us, we're not the werewolf" bit<br />small bugout bag of 500 gold pieces and two potions of invisibility<br />time to climb back out<br />stealthy tattoos get out easy<br />well, got because Mythram as anchor gave advantage<br />Ravyn gets out due to belaying<br />Lyra falls, feather fall to ice lip<br />Fey Step to battlements<br />Mythram makes it across easy<br />Ibjeet unties the rope and leaves<br />sneak back to room<br />Red Wizards - down<br />"August Personage" - down<br />what's left:<br />white dragon<br />cloud giant<br />several ogres<br />the other cultists<br />2.5 hours later, spectral cloud giant appears<br />Divine Sense reports this as an undead<br />educated accent when she speaks<br />"please arrive no more than 15 minutes early" to a dinner show<br />"ghost probably, but also more in possession of wits and self-awareness"<br />more possessed of self/personality<br />less influential on physical world<br />Lyra detects magic of the necromantic school<br />turn up a little early<br />Prestidigitation on the courtesan robes from Lyra<br />Lyra long rests<br />everybody else short rests because not elves<br />lots of kobolds present<br />southern table for small/medium folk<br />cheeses and light breads to enjoy until dinner starts<br />came in, sat down, nibbles, guy came out of the red-wizards area<br />two stone giants, cloud giant, ghost giant<br />next session will be intrigue and dinner.... dintrigue<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-87622608344952607482023-02-20T20:15:00.002-08:002023-02-20T20:15:12.363-08:00Cover of Darkness - Caress Melani Journal - Session 21<p> <a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2023/02/hidden-space-and-serpentine-wiles.html">Hidden Space and Serpentine Wiles</a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress braced herself as Mythram's suddenly pulled against her at the other end of the rope. Lyra and Ravyn being pulled sharply aside in the same moment. The sorcerer glanced back toward the keep and then turned to the other adventurers.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Doesn't look like the guards have noticed anything strange about us yet."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The yuan-ti nodded and then breathed a sigh of relief as Mythram gripped the edge of the walls again and started their climb again, this time making it to the first arrow slit with little difficulty. Then came a tug on the rope to signal she was ready. The paladin hung back, waiting for the sorcerer and warlock to make it across before securing the rope on their end, hiding it in the mortar in a way to keep it clear of any sharp edges.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Ibjeet saw the arrow slits on the floor above this were the ones that were blocked by darkness and planks of wood," Ravyn said.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"We find the vampire, stake her and be ready, she'll probably have some other defenses," Mythram reminded them. "I'll move up ahead first, listen for my signal."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress nodded then reached out, whispering a prayer on her lips alongside Mythram's own and an incantation from Lyra, layering protective enchantments upon the rogue before they crept silently up the stairs. There was a long, stretch of stressful silence before an abrupt gurgling swept down towards them followed by a screech.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Mistress!!!"</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOp6o515bMrlIj308LkDSYEmjujqg5m0Z5lPkvEkUpIK6PBMpRqDYpWnkFsG_8bSDmsYTTCh11hYEsUDSns5vFGF3cM0gfMT4Pz0f7q5PB9dfzU7xUPAstanhjSEXfqeD7UVjU1pMYxo8t9SGsw-zp4XNNAulEpa1Zc9nD4RX_K5spKMEyYqD4STomA/s1920/vampireslayers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOp6o515bMrlIj308LkDSYEmjujqg5m0Z5lPkvEkUpIK6PBMpRqDYpWnkFsG_8bSDmsYTTCh11hYEsUDSns5vFGF3cM0gfMT4Pz0f7q5PB9dfzU7xUPAstanhjSEXfqeD7UVjU1pMYxo8t9SGsw-zp4XNNAulEpa1Zc9nD4RX_K5spKMEyYqD4STomA/w400-h225/vampireslayers.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Benefits of Stealth<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"That sounds like the signal," Ravyn said, rushing up the stairs and unleashing several blasts of eldritch power.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress wasn't much behind her, but simply sprinted, eyes latching onto the image of Mythram blocking the approach of a vampire spawn trying to reach her sire to remove the stake from her chest. It seemed as if the changeling had managed to get right up into the vampire's face before she was noticed. Behind her, Lyra came up the stairs and a flash of her silvery magic struck the spawn, slashing through her mind and disorienting her thought.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">It was then that the second spawn skittered across the ceiling and dropped down on top of Caress, knocking both of them to the ground. In a clatter of cold-blooded and bloodless limbs, the paladin watched as the rogue plied their swords against the first spawn who tried weakly to collect enough of her slivered will to shove Mythram aside but failing. Then Ravyn's own eldritch magic filled the eyes of the second spawn.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress got to her feet and shifted in between the two undead, lashing out with her whip and searing each of the beings with a painful spark of radiant energy to seal their healing wounds closed. Ibjeet zipped past her, stinging one of the creatures with their tail and darting away and Lyra unleashed a hail of rending mental energy and frost so deep it tears stone. She then moved up near Mythram, blocking another route to the vampire. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The remaining spawn tried to shove past the sorcerer but was unable to shift her aside. Mythram stepped forward and tore into the remaining spawn as Ravyn shifted her curse to the remaining target and blasted the spawn leaving it on it's last legs as Caress lashed out with her radiant strike and finished her off.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Okay, time to pour the holy water on the actual vampire," Ravyn said.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Wait!" both the religious warriors called out.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Killing her now will not accomplish much," Mythram explained.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"We have to find the coffin first."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">That task didn't take long, though they did find a decoy coffin that had no grave dirt first but Caress and Mythram both recognized it for what it was and they eventually found the proper grave deeper in the tower hidden within some crates.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Hmm, vampire crates." Lyra said, mysteriously.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Laying the vampire into her grave, Ravyn handed over the vials of holy water to Caress who proceeded to carry out the ritual funeral. As the prayer and ceremony pressed on, the vampire's eyes grew more and more frantic as her thousands of years of existence was drawn inexorably closer to its end over an hour that might have seemed an eternity to her.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And then she was dust.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"We've got to go quickly."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Soon they were climbing back around the tower, Caress stepped out first, landing lightly and eyeing the guards to see that the ogres still had not caught them in the act. She then set herself up to give a signal to the others so they could come across without worrying about being caught. Ibjeet untied the rope and flew back with it, leaving them to work their way back to their rooms.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The guards, missing all the suspicious activity, reached out and waved at them as they walked along the sunny battlements, looking as if they were just taking a walk to look out into the skies. Returning back to their room, they released a deep breath and started to come down from the anxiety.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And then the spectral image of a giant woman appeared among them.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"You are cordially invited...."</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDspi5HtacHh8sPD8t8BwIa_d9HUcOSunpN_f_z1vHr1VEomo4dm_YQ0UtLWUeDfjO6SZYzFnoisJijbKLA0u_Ehq0WfeZG6ybTDCMCGtfg-PlzoMR9fgq3l-qJJ_ls7SYIfQ6U-CAYSgbrpZ5Qhc0cSZu8BNy5w3z5KJwwWpT_yuLsrG3M2EIbzinAg/s1920/ghostgiant.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDspi5HtacHh8sPD8t8BwIa_d9HUcOSunpN_f_z1vHr1VEomo4dm_YQ0UtLWUeDfjO6SZYzFnoisJijbKLA0u_Ehq0WfeZG6ybTDCMCGtfg-PlzoMR9fgq3l-qJJ_ls7SYIfQ6U-CAYSgbrpZ5Qhc0cSZu8BNy5w3z5KJwwWpT_yuLsrG3M2EIbzinAg/w400-h225/ghostgiant.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's a big ghost.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/05/caress-melani-tyranny-of-dragons-yuan.html" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #993300; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;">Caress's Journal Page</a></p>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-63226714665928372712023-02-05T19:36:00.006-08:002023-02-20T20:15:54.441-08:00Hidden Space and Serpentine Wiles - Caress Melani's Journal - Session 20<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2023/01/danger-looms-large-caress-melanis.html">Danger Looms Large</a> <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress watched as Mythram scaled up the giant-sized bricks of ice kept magically frozen and resilient, beside her Lyra's eyes followed the process as well and produced a subdued "Hmm" as they watched the rogue seem to suddenly slipped on to the roof. The paladin almost hadn't noticed it, and probably wouldn't have if the sorcerer had not reacted.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Well, that's odd."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the distance, Mythram looked over the edge of the roof down at them with similar confusion.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"She... skipped the forbidden floor, am I right?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Yes, sort of a crimp in space, just...zip right along they went."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I think I just missed something," Ravyn said, reminding them that her sight and hearing were currently up with her familiar Ibjeet. "We're on the roof. And there are ogres. Mythram is lowering a rope."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">There were indeed ogres on the roof, tending a massive siege weapon, larger than anything she'd ever seen on the walls of Neverwinter or Waterdeep. Granted those had been defensive installations, built by people size like her and the elves. This thing, felt like a weapon of war and destruction.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvq-IQunWuTcpj1qRlNKia4ri0S-VXEk-vM97K4_tvdan_IcUNU5eJkcjR48qN4G9dOnqbi-fOfbSzzGeNIR8HB4BAEQst3eI1yKBpBGw-2kb6ycXM6Dh5RuB_rjQf-Snvf6ZeR-In5uCPfpU9h7ZpoZkAZ4YLz0C_xxNCzmMbkLsnVKC211qlYpmPQ/s1920/sneaksneak.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvq-IQunWuTcpj1qRlNKia4ri0S-VXEk-vM97K4_tvdan_IcUNU5eJkcjR48qN4G9dOnqbi-fOfbSzzGeNIR8HB4BAEQst3eI1yKBpBGw-2kb6ycXM6Dh5RuB_rjQf-Snvf6ZeR-In5uCPfpU9h7ZpoZkAZ4YLz0C_xxNCzmMbkLsnVKC211qlYpmPQ/w400-h225/sneaksneak.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sneaky sneak<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Mythram pointed ahead and gestured for silence before creeping forward, a whispered prayer to Shar that covered Lyra's approach behind them. She could feel the dark goddess's presence slip through the field of Sharess's blessing around her and she thought back to that cavern where Selune, Sharess, and Shar stood facing each other. Then she focused ahead, stopping at a hatch that Mythram leveraged open with her gauntleted strength.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">They dropped down through and landed in a small room. with a wooden apparatus etched with runes in the giant alphabet, a staircase leading down below...</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"And now the forbidden level is above us again," Lyra said with a sigh.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I thought I was being clever," Mythram said with a sigh.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"All-Clear, North, Veil, Drift..." Ravyn commented. "This is a command post."<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"You can read giant?" Caress asked.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I read goblin which uses the same symbols," Ravyn explained.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"There does appear to be something else here," the sorceress said. "Another twist in space it doesn't lead far."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"To the forbidden level?" Caress asked. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Maybe, but we don't know the command world."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Mythram turned back to look at them. "There's a secret door here... and it leads..."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The door was leveraged open silently and they turned to look at a giant seat for a man many times the size of their kind.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"It's a pooper." Mythram chuckled.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Made of magical permafrost and cleaned by prestidigitation."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Somehow still less arcane than the one at Larry's," Caress asserted. "So, it stands to reason..."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Mythram raised a hand for silence and listened. "There's a giant in the next room taking a bath."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Maybe just close it back up again and we go the other way?" Ravyn suggested.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"And the other way...?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Slipping to the stairs and down to the floor below, they came to a door.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Arcane lock," Lyra said as soon as she saw the door. "That's where this lies. The Red Wizards."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I thought it might be," Caress said.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"And the Red Wizards are where I think we should go next," Mythram said. "They're the most isolated."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I'm good with this," Ravyn said. "No one in their right minds believes they've stopped slaving people."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"One of these days, we should talk about the Serpent Kingdom sometime," Caress said, gesturing somewhere out to the west and north.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Not through this door, though," Mythram commented. "Let's head back up."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Some minutes later, they were at the common door to the chamber of the Red Wizards, Caress in her courtesan robes, whip about her waist as a lovely belt as it was designed to appear, dagger wrapped about with her hair. The only tell to the disguise was the shield at her back and she reached over to knock on the massive door and sighed when her forceful impacts produced a barely perceptible tap. She turned back to look at Mythram.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Let me just step up here." And the door resounded with the knocks from the rogue's knocking. Then they stepped back, allowing Caress to compose herself again.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"What is it?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"We bring letters to you from Wormreader Talis."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Then open the door and bring it to me, or do you brutes not know how to operate doors?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The yuan-ti's eyes arched briefly and she turned toward mythram who stepped forward to shove the door open letting the four of them walk in.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Well, out with it," one of the two wizards said. "You may approach the dais with these letters of yours."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"That one is yuan-ti," the other wizard warned.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Why not, their cult is colorful enough. Approach. Last I heard of this Talis, she certainly had no lofty title, what is it she asks."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Well..."</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34QeABQQ3feshjX0nzqPSqqPg1IAD58v72xP-szxQYAtyBDqQ1VLjb0adMRq8c5HmIYd5VWRgdla5ENMkopt7Byjw2k_YPeSqf9NoB-ubxQBPP-T-uTLoM7PrNbeDKsKa_I7v0mtt67Ck2GZgQtIdLGmZZezLE4j6JqVdJf946ZyEel5iX_64Y_8qvQ/s1920/redwizardsinthemoonlight.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34QeABQQ3feshjX0nzqPSqqPg1IAD58v72xP-szxQYAtyBDqQ1VLjb0adMRq8c5HmIYd5VWRgdla5ENMkopt7Byjw2k_YPeSqf9NoB-ubxQBPP-T-uTLoM7PrNbeDKsKa_I7v0mtt67Ck2GZgQtIdLGmZZezLE4j6JqVdJf946ZyEel5iX_64Y_8qvQ/w400-h225/redwizardsinthemoonlight.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surprise Round<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> Caress glanced slightly over her shoulder and Mythram moved. She followed swiftly behind the rogue, gripping her whip with a cry to Sharess as radiant energy lashed between the two wizards and especially striking hard into the arrogant man at the center. A beam of moon light struck down into the table moments before Lyra telekinetically pulled the wizard leader into it and two arcane bolts of eldritch power slammed into the wizard.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">A gargoyle leapt from its stationary camouflage to slash at Mythram who shifted away from it to slash at wizard, only to see an illusory double take his place as she stepped away from the moonbeam. However he did not escape Ravyn's blasts, and his body tumbled to the ground wetly. Immediately the gargoyle backed off and it seemed clear to Caress that with that wizard did it was no longer compelled to fight. She pointed off to a corner of the room and as it fled out of the way, she stepped up and shoved the second wizard into the moonbeam then slashing with her whip at the wizard, but finding the woman's tumble too erratic.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Lyra called upon a whip of a different sort, tearing through the woman's mind and she died in the moments afterwards, seared by moonlight and mind aflame.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Well, that went very well," Ravyn noted as the gargoyle turned the walls incorporeal and flew out of the castle to fly away.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"We should get a rest."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">--------</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the morning, Mythram turned to all of them and said, "All right. We need to discuss vampires."</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2023/02/cover-of-darkness-caress-melani-journal.html">Cover of Darkness</a><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/05/caress-melani-tyranny-of-dragons-yuan.html" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #993300; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;">Caress's Journal Page</a></p>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-68838753370365516752023-01-23T19:02:00.002-08:002023-02-05T19:37:37.502-08:00Danger Looms Large - Caress Melani's Journal - Sessions 18 & 19<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/12/to-point-of-exhaustion-caress-melani.html">To the Point of Exhaustion</a> <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It was a moment before Caress realized that the windows in the room were actually arrow slits. She looked about at the masterwork weapons around the room and the walls which Lyra had said were enchanted to disappear at a command. Tomorrow, this giant's castle was set to rise up into the sky and fly off to some unknown distant location at the behest of the cult leaders that had taken up residence here.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Let's tally the opposition we have here," Ravyn suggested. "The cultists..."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"...the Red Wizards in the room next to ours..."<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"...the mercenaries the cultists hired..."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"...the kobolds in the kitchen..."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"...that rather strangely too intelligent griffin..."<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"...the army of ogres..."</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> "...the cloud giant..."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"...and Glazhael in the tombs underneath the castle."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"We don't have too much time to act before this castle leaves," Mythram said. "And when that happens we'll be committed."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"We'll have to ride out the trip, or take over the castle and I would note that the idea of having a flying castle to operate out of is not a terrible idea."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Blagothkus only seems to tolerate the
cultists in hopes of eventually fighting Tiamat," Caress said. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Seems a reasonable motive." <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Perhaps we can use this to turn the residents here
against each other."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Similar to how
we played upon Talis's assumption we were servants of other Wormspeakers
to learn about this place," Mythram agreed.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I would definitely appreciate option that has us taking this castle without having to fight every person inside it," Lyra commented. "but also, we'll likely have to fight all these people eventually anyway."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"It does feel like a collection of villains bent on domination and carnage," Caress agreed. "But hopefully we don't simply alert the entire building in one action this time. At the very least I'm not a clanky walking alarm any longer."</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2023/02/hidden-space-and-serpentine-wiles.html">Hidden Space and Serpentine Wiles </a><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/05/caress-melani-tyranny-of-dragons-yuan.html" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #993300; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;">Caress's Journal Page</a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-24563979384936896212022-12-26T18:41:00.002-08:002023-01-23T19:03:17.156-08:00To the point of Exhaustion - Caress Melani - Session 17<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/12/welcome-brawl-at-lodge-caress-melani.html">Welcome Brawl at the Lodge</a> <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">There wasn't any time to take a break or recover from the conflict with the troll. No sooner did the four-armed killer's body flare up into flames after Lyra shoved them into the fireplace, than Mythram darted out to chase down the cultist that had fled the fight, taking him down with a single arrow. Unfortunately his cries had already alerted others and Caress could hear the shouts confronting Mythram.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Invaders! For what reason do you intrude on these grounds! Surrender now or your suffering shall be a lesson for the children in future days."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The cry of pain that followed, in a different voice, told Caress what Mythram's response to that was. For her part, the yuan-ti tapped into the divine font through her connection to Sharess and felt some of her injuries knitting closed. She darted out into the courtyard and caught sight of a pair of kobolds with feather dusters staring down at her.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I'd advise you to either surrender or flee," she called out in draconic, seeing one of the two drop to the ground in response.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I could use a little help," Ravyn called from behind her and Caress darted back to the warlock's side to provide her the healing she could. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2n4buPKiTsRMmPbP_xZXCYkIwNDgr3pn_tv09L7DD7iBot-ZQxpONryol2z87fIktiTcZV0UU85vTfNq5iaQBmt7yYO3jsxcq7_koQvTJg6TbU7Am-EPgySrsKBxwhs0rXPMzLhqje-nNdP80NmSm3UaIlrCbHh7n2yppJFsyngyLgW6a0KQK8-jLA/s1920/thewhitecult.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2n4buPKiTsRMmPbP_xZXCYkIwNDgr3pn_tv09L7DD7iBot-ZQxpONryol2z87fIktiTcZV0UU85vTfNq5iaQBmt7yYO3jsxcq7_koQvTJg6TbU7Am-EPgySrsKBxwhs0rXPMzLhqje-nNdP80NmSm3UaIlrCbHh7n2yppJFsyngyLgW6a0KQK8-jLA/w400-h225/thewhitecult.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blasts, Heals, and Blades<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <span></span><p></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Elsewhere she could hear the clash of arms suppressed expression of pain from where Mythram had taken the flank and Caress looked that way, planning her next action. Lyra stepped past and called down a shaft of moonlight into the hallway they could see through the courtyard. Ravyn stepped to the door fire bolts of eldritch power against a soldier that had come into the courtyard after Caress had left it. Then the room was filled with hailstones pounding both the warlock and the yuan-ti.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress struggled past the hail and slippery ice to reach the door, coming beside Mythram where the rogue was facing a cult-warrior that was showing the wounds that conflict had cost him. The warrior lashed out with his swords, Mythram dodging and Caress digging into the power of the Still Eye to soften the blow and castigate her enemy. Followed by another fanatic joining the first and stabbing out at the two of them as well. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the courtyard, the twanging sound of a crossbow was distorted by eldritch words of power to warp reality and turn a devastating blow aside. Lyra's cries could be heard alongside angry kobold voices. Ravyn blasted out again at the warrior in the courtyard as Mythram slow the two cultists engaging her and Caress who reached out to grab her shoulder and pour healing energies into the rogue before opening the door and charging across to engage with the warrior there and keep him locked down away from chasing anybody else.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress arrived in time to see Lyra move the moonbeam and shove a white-dragonborn into it, eliciting a shriek of pain. Ravyn peeked out from behind cover and blasted the warrior beside Caress, her hex biting into him as the blasts struck. Cursing, the cultist tossed aside his crossbow and drew his swords to strike the yuan-ti who deflected most of the barrage, but still one blow struck through, blunted somewhat by the Still Eye of the Dragon. A whispered shadow, flowed over her from Mythram's position, easing some of her wounds soon after.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The white-born cultist's voice rose in a horrific distortion that sought to form up into a hideous swarm, only for it to be countered by Lyra a moment before the sorceress teleported to beside the opposing spell-caster. Left without their original target, one of the kobolds filled with confidence and bearing a bloodied blade, charged beside the yuan-ti and cut into her. Hanging on by a thread, the paladin lashed out in a river of radiant energy flowing off of her hairpin dagger as she slammed it into the warrior with a burst of power, the wake of it charring the kobold to ash. In the flicker of the energy wave, she twinkled out of place and reappeared across the battlefield.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The cultist swordsman cursed and charged forward, suddenly finding himself between Mythram and Caress. There was a moment as he realized the poor position he had placed himself into before he lashed out with his swords drawing a line of blood from Mythram while Caress's shieldwork and barrier tattoo held the assault off for now. Through the doorway, they could see the blasts of Ravyn's eldritch powers and heard the death dry of a kobold along with the frustrated voice of the cult-leader.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">For a brief moment the sound of another thing attempting to push itself into the world only for the eladrin moon sorceress to reach out and shut the door on it. A moment later, Lyra shouted out.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"There's a fucking helmed horror!"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Mythram killed the warrior between them and then slipped quietly down the hallway. Caress quietly indicated she was heading back to the front room. Once there, Ravyn was heading to the door.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I think it's time to back off. Maybe tell Mythram we're leaving." </p><p style="text-align: justify;">There was a sound of wrenching metal and Caress moved to the door beside the feast table, ruined by the earlier hailstorm, and saw the helmed horror recovering from the arrow slammed into its side, projected by an enchanted bow. Whispering prayer and pulling out a dart, Caress launched it, trying to hamper the construct some. But the dart deflected off clattering uselessly and the paladin kept hold of her goddesses enchantment for later.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The construct took a moment to choose targets and opted to pursue to the rogue, just stumbling across Mythram. Due to the awkward contact, the construct failed to connect with Shar's devotee. A moment later, Lyra teleported nearby it and then, with a sound of crashing thunder, she rocked the thing, but noted that the magic had difficulty getting a hold of it.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Down the road, Ravyn noticed nobody was following and sighed expressively before turning back to join the battle and move her hex to the Helmed Horror. Then Mythram turned their blades on the Helmed Horror and tore into it, breaking it into non-functional pieces. Hearing the sound of grinding gears and rending metal, Caress made a blind run across the courtyard.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"There's a secret passage in the fireplace!"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress nodded, but when she arrived, couldn't spot the mechanism. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Where is it? I can't see it!" </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ravyn came in behind her and quickly found the latch, revealing a ladder down below where they found prisoners, one of whom had the cult leader's spear stabbed deep into him. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"We need a healer and my strength is exhausted," Caress called out.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I'll be there as soon as someone comes to secure this woman!" Mythram called out from the hallway.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"It's too late for healing," Ravyn called out as Caress was already running to meet with Mythram and release the enchantment she'd been holding and binding up the white-dragonborn in magical bonds which she then reinforced with her rope.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">With the adrenaline starting to fade away, the hope came that maybe they would be able to get a break here before the next crisis came down.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2023/01/danger-looms-large-caress-melanis.html">Danger Looms Large </a><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/05/caress-melani-tyranny-of-dragons-yuan.html" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #993300; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;">Caress's Journal Page</a></p>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-70558184992628604532022-12-17T14:00:00.003-08:002022-12-26T18:43:33.870-08:00Welcome Brawl at the Lodge - Caress Melani - Session 16<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/12/worms-and-ringers-caress-melani-session.html">Worms and Ringers</a> <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Castle Naerytar certainly looked like the sort of place that legend said you'd find a black dragon. There was a pervasive atmosphere of decay and a corrosive taste to the air that was beyond unpleasant. The Order of the Gauntlet guards within were more than happy to direct the group on toward the portal that the cultist leader had fled through. They all geared up to get ready for the trip, worried that the other side would be held against them by prepared cultists and perhaps another dragon.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Instead on sending Ijit through to investigate Ravyn reported that it seemed to be an unguarded exit and that there was nothing in the area aside from a nearby hunting lodge which currently seemed to be empty. Cautiously they moved through the portal.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"It's a little bit cold."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress nodded in agreement and shivered, wishing her tattoos helped guard her against the elements as well as it held off the bite of blades and fangs. Moving closer to the reported hunting lodge, they came to find it, standing tall with at least four levels of windows visible on the face. There was a great foundation of stone below a framework of wooden walls and high-arched roof with embedded windows. At first they could find nothing of interest, no activity even, but then they came to find the sign of trolls in the back rigging up a number of human-sized lizards for use as hunting animals.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Looking back, they saw the rolling mist circulating about the portal and then glanced ahead towards the hunting lodge. Advancing carefully, Mythram walked up to the door and knocked upon it. A moment later, the door was opened to reveal a white kobold sticking its snout out into entrance. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"What does it want?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">A second kobold stepped forward to the first and performed a gesture towards the party.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"No, they make the gesture, not us. What does it want?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ravyn, recognizing the gesture for what it was, a praise of Tiamat, takes the opportunity to step forward.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxbq4_2q9s9ZuJev2N5nZgjU4WAYFWjF4GKuvj_wQPGkDUdBqqweRP6znAhbq5I4SbfTOjxj8ZonQvdh3QDFZv10qMTsMbgk1d5dwaPtzDpM1kQuNAahR7YQOIUKNWapLAG80LfIBx8vGWGd5D2ca6FZx6KsGFv7L7MLYVFOyrv3N4Hmbw7P7kRShew/s1920/sneakymythram.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxbq4_2q9s9ZuJev2N5nZgjU4WAYFWjF4GKuvj_wQPGkDUdBqqweRP6znAhbq5I4SbfTOjxj8ZonQvdh3QDFZv10qMTsMbgk1d5dwaPtzDpM1kQuNAahR7YQOIUKNWapLAG80LfIBx8vGWGd5D2ca6FZx6KsGFv7L7MLYVFOyrv3N4Hmbw7P7kRShew/w400-h225/sneakymythram.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sneaky Mythram, Tricksy Ravyn<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span></span><p></p><a name='more'></a>"We're here to investigate the situation at the lodge, make sure everything is fine."<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> The kobold's seem confused at first but eventually allow the party in, and within they find a cultist of about human-sized wearing a mask and a chef's outfit standing behind a long table loaded with food. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Come and eat!" the kobolds said.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Well, we'd like to speak to the master of this place," Ravyn suggested.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Seeing the doubt of the kobold, Caress stepped forward and whispered that they were here to chastise Wormreader and that it would be better if they were allowed to act unimpeded. She dipped into her yuan-ti blood to coat the words in enchanting magics, but they didn't seem to stick very hard.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The kobold spoke of fetching Lady Talos, but Ravyn heard them mention the name Thespin.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress stepped back, eyeing the food and cultists as she tried to start the ritual to detect poison and disease. In the meantime, Mythram had snuck around to the next room and saw that a troll was getting ready to burst into the room. Rushing back, she fell afoul of a freezing trap, but yelled out her warning.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Immediately weapons were drawn. Caress rushed over to try and cut Mythram free with her dagger, enchanted by the favor of Sharess. Unfortunately the magical ice was resilient and she was unable to break the Rogue free and Lyra cast a spell to enchant her breath.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Back in the room, a kobold with a sling smacked a bullseye into Lyra, sending her reeling backwards. Which is when the troll burst into the room, flexing four powerful arms and leading a cadre of ambush drakes.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">One of the cultists slammed shut the kitchen door, fleeing the combat as soon as it began and the troll appeared. Kobolds slipped in stabbing Ravyn and trying to peg Lyra with more bullets. Ravyn reaches out with her mind to slash through the will of one of the ambush drakes. Another drake tries to push past her and Ijit, and both took the opportunity to wrack up the beast.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Standing beside Myhtram, Caress calls out a prayer to Sharess causing a shimmering beam of blue-green light to cascade down over the four-armed troll. It appeared like river water shimmering in the moonlight and burned the troll greatly just as Lyra unleashed a barrage of lightning breath upon the enemy. The Troll pushes through the pain to strike Ravyn with a barrage of claws and Caress reached with the power of the Still Eye of the Dragon on her shield to absorb one of the blows from across the room.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Regardless, the encounter left Ravyn in poor condition. Beside her, her imp friend slays one of the ambush drakes and she turns to address the troll with a magically enforced joke, causing the troll to seize up with incapacitating laughter while still lingering within the field of Caress's Moonbeam. Taking the opportunity, Ravyn flees contact with the enemy. One of the drakes leaps past the fleeing warlock to attack the moon sorceress only to be batted away by the Glassstaff.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress and Mythram are under assault by kobolds and ambush drakes in the meantime, and as Mythram breaks free from the ice, Caress kills the kobold and drake present before rushing to confront the troll. Ijit slays another cultist, and a second almost in passing. The troll breaks out of the laughter when the moonbeam burns it, and turns to slam into Caress, wearing the paladin down heavily causing her to loose focus on the Moonbeam. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Mythram rushes in wielding the power of her Quiet Eye to help force the strike, only to have the troll prove far more nimble than he seemed. This did leave him open to Mythram's dagger coming in from another angle however. Lyra's lightning breath chars most of the remaining drakes and kobolds though one bursts out of the room, forcing open the door that had been barricaded by the startled cultist earlier. Ijit zips after them in pursuit, killing one though falling to a lucky blow from the remaining cultist.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzHN9B60jz3opMeL0kGYrD3HV2BDPD0N--9uYnuFvimnAW6YwiMtaB68NusS1S1mK4u0SuygTlEqxR7WeKyVuifGzBNGMK7D30nhxXyiILLjFk_LxYzDDrWgGGWJ6fircQwsaZdlMgxiv2nUkg9OedVuhWpsHj6LEH6OsuKdt5-08YJaTWa3B1LVpmg/s1920/lodgebrawl.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzHN9B60jz3opMeL0kGYrD3HV2BDPD0N--9uYnuFvimnAW6YwiMtaB68NusS1S1mK4u0SuygTlEqxR7WeKyVuifGzBNGMK7D30nhxXyiILLjFk_LxYzDDrWgGGWJ6fircQwsaZdlMgxiv2nUkg9OedVuhWpsHj6LEH6OsuKdt5-08YJaTWa3B1LVpmg/w400-h225/lodgebrawl.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trolls hurt.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> Ravyn unleashes with her eldritch blast, drawing the trolls ire just long enough for Caress to step in with her enchanted hair-pin, as sharp and sure as any dagger, and channels the raw wrath of her goddess through it into the beast, weakening it to near the point of death, but already the troll seemed to be healing. Lyra rushes forward and calls down the force of thunder to cut through space-time and leaving behind a painful sound, bringing the beast to unconsciousness before using her telekinetic powers to shove the body into the nearby fireplace.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The last remaining cultist flees in terror calling for Lady Talos.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/12/to-point-of-exhaustion-caress-melani.html">To the Point of Exhaustion</a> <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/05/caress-melani-tyranny-of-dragons-yuan.html" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #993300; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;">Caress's Journal Page</a></p>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-49031009964141213232022-12-03T13:20:00.002-08:002022-12-03T13:20:10.756-08:00The Second Rounds - From Bazzozan to the Rise - Sessions 7-9<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><p style="text-align: justify;">(Going to summarize because I've missed several sessions on this and if I don't do this it'll be harder to do detailed narrative journals as I move on)<br /><br />After the battle with the gibbering mouthers, the Second Rounds moved around the town looking into things. At the edge of the town crematorium Esoh traded a schematic for a radiant bonfire creator in exchange for reputation and help as well as some bullets for Snype.<br /><br />Elara had a discussion with one of the local priests at the infirmary, a nice lady, but a little bit on the thirsty side. <span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Esoh and Imvenda also had an encounter with a tiefling by the name of Prolix Yusaf who wanted there help with a puzzle box that ultimately only had a couple of scrolls in it, but itself was a good extradimensional storage item. He talked about a woman he'd been sent to investigate, an elf working for a group calling itself the Consortium of the Vermillion Dream while he himself works for the Allegiance of Allsight. He is certain that she is up to no good. In an earlier conversation, the commander, Verin Thelyss talked about a woman trying to bribe his soldiers to take her into the Betrayer's Rise. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, Snype encounters Corenn, a drow woman from the Ashari with green dragon scales, a sorcerer of draconic heritage. She tells the kobold that she herself is a member of a group calling itself the Prodigals of the Scaled Tyrant and she's looking into rumors that the Chroma Conclave had been poking around in the area some decades ago and she is here to see if there are remnants of that group.The woman has troubles about her growing draconic powers, but is also wanting the do what she can to make sure the leftovers of that group are kept history.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Elara talks to Foghome, the firbolg druid at the abandoned temple to the Changebringer. He looks at the Jewel of Three Prayers and helps out with some thoughts and also helping provoke a vision. Later on, the party tells Corenn about the firbolg and she's shocked that there's been a priest of the Wildmother here this whole time and she never knew.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Snype, Esoh, and Imvenda take part in marksmanship contests at the barracks. Using their magic and rifle in place of a bow. Unfortunately for the orc challenging them, he seems beset with one bad circumstance after another. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Around the same time, they overhear and young scout dealing with depression over recent injuries and while a healer tries to encourage her about the potential arrival of prosthetics to replace her legs. The party initially doesn't pry but Elara does step forward in her role as a cleric and counselor to talk to the young woman and takes a badge to place at a memorial wall... in case the woman is killed soon.<br /><br />The party also speaks to Question, a tiefling of the Cobalt Soul and she talks about a bad experience she had in the Betrayer's Rise. There were voices calling for her to join them, and she couldn't handle it, opting to return to town. Her companions went on ahead and she hopes they're all right... surely they will be. Stalwart martial artists and warriors all.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The party also checks in with their rivals, who were involved in fighting the incursion of gibbering mouthers and demons. The other group is a bit chilled by what they've experienced, but still determined to make their mark on the world.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Not long after, they're approached by Alyosia Telfan who wants to hire them to take her into the Betrayer's Rise. They're suspicious of her and immediately track that she is not exactly honest about her desires. She spins a yarn about an ancient hero using Ruidus's power, but her information seems off and not quite right. And it's hard to tell whether it is deception or she has faulty information. Most likely a mix of the two. Regardless, they're not particularly warm to her request and give her a polite non-answer. At which point she immediately turns sour.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Heading up to the gate later in the week, the Second Rounds are trying to convince the guards that they have permission when the gates to the fortress burst open, releasing three gloomstalkers into the air. While the guards go in to help some injured knights, the Second Rounds battle the gloomstalkers. The fight starts with Esoh and Imvenda being paralyzed by the shriek of one of the beasts. But between Snype's rifle and Elara's guardian spirits, they're able to hold back the creatures, until the others shake it off. The tide turning, the stalkers try to flee and find themselves pulled out of the sky by several means.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The guards thank them for their aid and the group takes some time to recover from their wounds before pushing inward. They find themselves crossing over a chasm with whispering voices calling out to them to jump down and they'd catch the party. Not listening to it, the party pushes forward and notices as flesh, eyeballs, and teeth start to pour out of the walls and form up into more gibbering mouthers. Snype experiences some bad memories after one of Esoh's spells gives her acid breath.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Defeating those, they push on to a room where there initially appear to be a single way out, but it had collapsed long ago. They investigate and Esoh detects magic in the walls with a vase that calls for the sacrifice of something valuable and a wall marked with the insignia of Tiamat, modified to represent the Chroma Conclave. Snype, with the remnants of the dragon breath spell on her breathes on the wall, causing the black head to glow slightly. Followed up by Esoh lighting up each of the other heads by cycling her cantrips with her knowledge as a scribe.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Within they found a twisted laboratory with numerous corpses. Dragonborn, dragon-blooded, sorcerers, and other people bearing signs of draconic influence. All of them dead and experimented upon. Beyond is a chamber of terrible blades on a twisting floor. They are able to work out how to shut it off and in doing so is open a sealed door beyond which are three flaming draconic skulls that immediately set upon them as well as revealing a stairwell up from which screaming rises up.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">One fireball is countered, but another is released that brings some worry. Elara wards some off as Snype takes shots through the narrow door and Esoh uses her telekinesis to immobilize the last one so they can finish it off.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The study reveals a machine in which a sample of blighted draconic flesh has been infected with some strange, reddish material that is a mix of the organic and metallic. The material also seems to be creeping into the frame work of the the container holding it. The notes they find indicate this is a laboratory belonging to Raishan the Destroyer and that this experiment has been proven a failure and that she plans to leave this behind.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The party decide to destroy it the vase they found earlier, which causes the wall behind it to open and revealing another passage to a basillica in praise of the Betrayer Gods where four flames in humanoid form danced about. Stepping forward they danced with these entities, and, after some missteps and burns, each of them flew out to pieces of a great stained glass, lighting it up and opening the way forward to a deep pit.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">A third path led to a room bedecked in sticky silk which they set on fire, killing the abominations within and hearing an unearthly singing, they use it to find a secret door with... instructions on how to get past the basillica. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">(And with that, I'm caught up.)<br /></p>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-12969096750689873252022-12-02T18:18:00.011-08:002022-12-17T14:00:54.617-08:00Worms and Ringers - Caress Melani - Session 15 <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/11/shields-scales-shadows-and-shit-caress.html">Shields, Scales, Shadows, and Shit</a> <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The hull of the Grand Shanty was a bit too thoroughly infested for them to easily handle. Not in the sense that it would be difficult to kill the hull worms that had infested that part of the ship so much as it was that if they did kill the worms, then the ship would probably sink. They had replaced far too much of the structure of the ship. Though perhaps this needed explanation so rewinding a bit.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WcN7H9GLn4svUZ_tRCM6aXCciOv0gUD63Ukr5Wl_cGnwfmkgIBnybA0UCGtaV-MrxbIBCO9Sc71CLMVoZeHqz0qc-rSsZPHaUrwVhZXy1TftLrJo31d4KqrFpxN2kQSwaISXuNPvB10PxDmdxrmNlbW3HyeStYiqP25XqlRszKWE9FUiRsYViDskyQ/s1920/talkontheshanty.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WcN7H9GLn4svUZ_tRCM6aXCciOv0gUD63Ukr5Wl_cGnwfmkgIBnybA0UCGtaV-MrxbIBCO9Sc71CLMVoZeHqz0qc-rSsZPHaUrwVhZXy1TftLrJo31d4KqrFpxN2kQSwaISXuNPvB10PxDmdxrmNlbW3HyeStYiqP25XqlRszKWE9FUiRsYViDskyQ/s320/talkontheshanty.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talk on the Grand Shanty<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p>When they had been swept up by the parade of ghosts, they found themselves escorted into the heart of a sailing ship that had been converted into a tavern and inn. And the entertainments were quite top notch. The food and company were high quality indeed with a lovely man behind the bar by the name of Sharkbite Sam who had a lot of advice to give about what to order.<p></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Lyra decided to try Testing Fate, which apparently is a very intoxicating drink. Enough so that Caress wasn't entirely certain that it was merely alcohol in the drink. The sorceress certainly seemed to be having fun with it, though her dialogue got a little erratic for the next few minutes while they enjoyed the repast. The paladin took note, but didn't step forward to offer a cleansing for the moment, if Lyra needed it, she would ask... and later she did, when they took the job to clear the hull.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">For her own part, the yuan-ti looked over to find something heated, that seemed as if it would be heavily spiced and aromatic. She'd recently been making effort to be less self-conscious about eating in a public place like a tavern or inn. Yuan-ti like her could and did do the whole human chewing thing, it was just not especially comfortable, and she had to be careful not to put her fangs into a bad position. Also, her tongue was more geared toward sampling the air around her than tasting her food, so a lot of the flavors humans put into their food was lost to her. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">She took the shark steak she'd ordered and cut it into strips which she mostly swallowed whole. Not that that was a swift process. The looks she was getting indicated some of the people around her were curious or disturbed by the sight of a large lump of meat being pulled down her throat until it slipped under her chest. The meat held the heat wonderfully, and the spices gave a heady aroma that she continued to enjoy as she worked at swallowing each piece, one by one.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">From the meals, Caress sought out information about one of the jobs posted on the bulletin board. Brave souls needed for a dangerous task. Which brought her to her current state, covered in acidic spit and coming up from the hull to tell Commander Artimisia Faulstus, a stately tiefling woman in a wheelchair. Her infestation was already beyond what they could handle without destroying the boat and that she'd need a dry dock to have the creatures removed in a way that would allow replacing the wood of the hull.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the wake of this information they discussed the origins of the Grand Shanty as a pirate ship that she had been rewarded after capturing it as a "retirement gift" after her legs were lost. The ghost at her side was not the immediate prior captain, as that went to the honor of the werepanther woman that had mutinied against him. But he, as a past captain, was now tied in to the service of the ship as one of its ghosts. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress found the discussion awoke fond memories of reading the novels left in the Moonstone Mask by one adventurer or another and the number that spoke of the activities of famous pirates. In this case, she recalled the story of Cassie Wormreader and an artifact of great magic associated with her piracy and ship.She had been a legendary pirate in the days prior to when Luskan was taken over by the High Captains, and it seemed now that Caress was standing upon the deck of the boat that had belonged to this figure of her childhood reading.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"If it might help to defray costs, I can do some entertaining."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"You might have to duel Ringers for that," the commander noted. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Ringers?" Caress asked. And the tiefling pointed out another tiefling bedecked in tiny silver bells</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"She claims. According to her, each of the bells represents a former lover."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Well, that is interesting. From a perspective of faith."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">As their meeting came to an end, Caress walked up to the other tiefling. "Well met, I understand that you're...somewhat experienced."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"That's more polite than the usual. Lots of people like to call me promiscuous or perhaps uglier words. But I just like people."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"No judgment from me, I'm a Courtesan of Sharess."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Really now, Courtesan you say, not devotee or priestess or something so vague?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I am currently free if you wish to test my credentials...."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">It is much later when a knock comes on the door of Caress's room. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The group had been back to Larry's to voice the void opening up into infinite darkness that had replaced the pooper and how the general repair of the place has gotten much better. Lyra and Larry did confer that the entire toilets needed a more ominous title, perhaps "Pooper. HAHAHAHA!" instead of "Pooper, heh heh heh."<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">But that was earlier and now a Whitehawk Elara was waiting in a hallway. There was some obscured speech on the other side but it isn't long before Caress carefully steps out into the hall, a silky night robe draping to the floor and her hair hanging loose as she steps outside.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Whitehawk Elara," Caress says. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Good to see you Chevall," her eyes move toward the door, but reads the posture and nods, understanding, before moving on. "Recently a party of adventurers we hired cleared Castle Naerytar for us, slaying a dragon to do so. There is a teleportation circle and we're not sure what is on the other side. The party is recovering from their injuries and I'm afraid that my options to send an investigator are limited. There is a lot of call for the Order recently. If I were to provide you with some funds, are there mercenaries that you could employ to aid you in investigating the other side of this portal?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress looks down to the left then right before looking up. "I can think of a few, yes."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Excellent, come by the chapterhouse for the details when you can," she says, nodding.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I certainly shall, and we shall be on the tasks shortly."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Fare thee well, Chevall."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Ma'am."</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMWCd9haNHEthMOFLNj0h9nNdGPrhjVMJsCnyNyZuiilb1z1jALcx2t865HukUzm36aYY_BT208yofjH0767VfUoHKXzwt5jfIb9JaTFZb2xB89E7Y_yE-9LdQeeSFOFqcL-lEa7tkt309Ugr14eb2jz2QCTYcfALfXIP1WobyCYt2KS7JKgsxbOJxA/s1920/interupptions.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMWCd9haNHEthMOFLNj0h9nNdGPrhjVMJsCnyNyZuiilb1z1jALcx2t865HukUzm36aYY_BT208yofjH0767VfUoHKXzwt5jfIb9JaTFZb2xB89E7Y_yE-9LdQeeSFOFqcL-lEa7tkt309Ugr14eb2jz2QCTYcfALfXIP1WobyCYt2KS7JKgsxbOJxA/w400-h225/interupptions.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A duel interrupted.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress waited for the woman to turn the corner before turning back to her door and stepping inside, walking up to the tiefling woman tied upon the bed. "So, where were we?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Oh, I think round four," Ringers says in a lilt. "Might be needing a tiebreaker at this point."<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Silly," Caress says smiling as she sat down beside her. "My ties don't break. Now, do you wish me to continue?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/12/welcome-brawl-at-lodge-caress-melani.html">Welcome Brawl at the Lodge </a><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/05/caress-melani-tyranny-of-dragons-yuan.html" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #993300; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;">Caress's Journal Page</a></p><br /><br />Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-8299542493771744462022-11-14T16:39:00.002-08:002022-12-02T18:20:51.867-08:00Shields, Scales, Shadows, and Shit - Caress Melani Journal - Session 16<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><p style="text-align: justify;"> <a href="http://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/10/much-sadness-about-larry-caress-melani.html">Much Sadness About Larry</a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">(Hero Forge coming later... NaNoWriMo is a thing) </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress looks over the shield carefully and then back towards Lyra. "This shield allows me to do, what?" </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"It lets you transfer some of the pain of a blow to one of your allies."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The idea seems counter-intuitive and it was likely that the blank expression on her face betrayed that thought somewhat as the eladrin leaned forward to explain the matter a bit more clearly.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"A lot of us are in the backfields, out of the line of battle, and, not to put her under the the catapult," she glanced toward the warlock who shrugged and then let her continue. "But Ravyn is probably hardier than you are."<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress nodded, eyes glancing down to the side as she had to agree with that assessment. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"You have almost the most protection of us, but you're also far more often in the thick of things."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"When you're not fey-stepping into the thick of it." Caress felt as if she needed to make that comment.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Ah, but see, this is why I said you had almost the best protection of us," and she gestured toward the glasstaff. "And here's the best part of it. That magic in that shield is strong enough to further awaken the eye, so you just transfer the eye to the Shield of the Craven and there you go."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The yuan-ti straightened her back as she considered the argument. "You make a compelling point."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"It's something to think about anyway," Mythram noted. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Another thing to think about is that our encounter with those Dragon Cultists apparently isn't that unusual," Ravyn commented. "Rumors about them are pretty much everywhere. Seeing a person in a dragon mask heading off somewhere."<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Oh, yes, the Order has a Marcheon assigned specifically to collating reports on dragon cultist activity," Caress added. "There was one, known as The White that has a fairly significant bounty on him. I was told to keep an eye on it."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I think that is definitely something we should be doing," Ravyn commented. "Did you get any information about the dragon cultists?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I mostly gave my information. Marcheon Bhaide was going to check with the Emerald Enclave about the matter to confirm the report."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Well, the way you explained it before, the Cult of the Dragon is a group that targets young, impressionable dragons and convinces them to become dracoliches," Ravyn said. "But what I'm hearing is that these cultists are different somehow. They're not pushing the undeath thing."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"That is... concerning," Mythram commented.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I... may have a contact I speak to," Caress suggested. "I'll look into it. As an aside, I also spoke to Whitehawk Elara, the leader of the local Order chapter..."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Whitehawk...isn't that a median rank?" Ravyn asked. "This is a major city. Shouldn't the Neverwinter branch be commanded by someone of higher rank?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I am very new to this organization and the church of Sharess doesn't precisely have ranks," the yuan-ti noted. "Our hierarchy is far more...informal."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Neverwinter has gone through a few upheavals of late, and the current Lord is... let's say shifty," Mythram commented. "It's possible the Order isn't as welcome as it used to be."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Anyway, I spoke to her about Timmy's situation, she is aware of it and there is a standing order not to harass the apprentices of other allied factions," she explained. "But unless we have names and evidence, there's not much she can do but remind people of the rule. I plan to spread the word with my people as well."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Your... oh, you mean Sharessans."</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"So, we've got a few different leads to follow and we're making progress on Sad Larry's situation."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Yes, and the cleaning company seemed quite excited about getting the poopers (heheheh) in working order," Lyra reported. "And according to Larry, if we get the repairs complete it won't just unrepair itself afterwards."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"All right then," Mythram said. "Let's go see what... do you hear shanties?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"It does sound like it," Caress said, standing up and walking to the door in curiosity, the others starting to follow along behind the two. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/12/worms-and-ringers-caress-melani-session.html">Worms and Ringers</a> <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/05/caress-melani-tyranny-of-dragons-yuan.html" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #993300; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;">Caress's Journal Page</a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-63573389955897741452022-10-30T22:20:00.003-07:002022-11-14T16:41:09.156-08:00Much Sadness about Larry - Caress Melani Journal - Session 15<p><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/10/squashing-spider-caress-melani-journal.html">Squashing a Spider</a> <br /></p><p> "Five hundred coins to clean the latrines?" </p><p>Their party member seemed a bit incredulous at Ravyn's news though Caress nodded.</p><p>"They are quite... advanced in their..." her nose crinkled in visible distaste, "...state of decay."</p><p>"Larry seemed resigned to the news himself," Ravyn commented. "Which matches with what we've seen so far. Things unrepairing themselves. The disease and poison that Caress sensed in the kitchen..."</p><p>"Disease and poison which you said did not touch any of the food," Mythram noted directing her attention to Caress.</p><p>"Correct," she confirmed. "Nor was he willing to leave the tavern for sort of break or companionship. He spoke of a time when his son was cooking for them."</p><p>"I found some more about that," the rogue noted. "Larry's sons left the tavern and encountered... "</p><p>'Bad luck?" </p><p>"Not so much bad luck as it was that they were no longer blessed. If you've lived your entire life with divine fortune then normal luck feels bad to you. Something protects this place, there's marks here warning thieves away."</p><p>"I have to admit that I didn't think to ask about the tavern during my visit to the local chapter of the Order of the Gauntlet.</p><p>"How did that go by the way?"</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpVLcxGhbFKxb3hCfqKNlqu01b9_fU7TPB6e74or758y_IeGyj7Zj9H-KLHTJNZLW5g3lAmvcqspyWZQI7ta1xOuPv6gbcgzxVfExtlrMD-5FYagwX6QPP63UgenzP0scltuK5CZcpKWDh5yid-Wc-V8uT504KRndI0SMva4xJrnxUOjiyCR0rCQHlTg/s1920/sad%20larry.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpVLcxGhbFKxb3hCfqKNlqu01b9_fU7TPB6e74or758y_IeGyj7Zj9H-KLHTJNZLW5g3lAmvcqspyWZQI7ta1xOuPv6gbcgzxVfExtlrMD-5FYagwX6QPP63UgenzP0scltuK5CZcpKWDh5yid-Wc-V8uT504KRndI0SMva4xJrnxUOjiyCR0rCQHlTg/w400-h225/sad%20larry.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting at Sad Larry's<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <span></span><p></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>"Welcome, it is always good to meet new chevalls."</p><p>The leader of the local chapter was a follower Mystra, not the usual religion Caress thought of with regard to the order, but then again, neither was her own faith.</p><p>"Thank you, I hope to do what I can to fan the sparks of life and joy," she smiled and bowed politely. </p><p>"It is definitely impressive that you have managed to get past your natural proclivities and limited education."</p><p>Caress and the branch leader turned to look at the burly speaker sporting, predictably, a symbol of Helm proudly upon his armor.</p><p>"My... natural proclivities?"</p><p>"Yes, your, errr...."</p><p>"I fairly certain he means your yuan-ti heritage."</p><p>"Yes, I thought that might be it. And... may I ask, what do you think my education entailed?"</p><p>The man stuttered momentarily. "Oh, well, you know, a typical festhall education. You know...with... I'm sure you could explain it so much better."</p><p>"Well, certainly," she responded. "At first, I must admit that I struggled the gap between my emotional experience and that of... the majority of our supplicants. When I was an initiate I had to spend many hours in observation guided by one of the courtesans. It has left me a bit lighter in my knowledge of anatomy and medicine than most courtesans, but my lady's blessings bridge that gap, and I dare say that it gives me an edge in navigating the comfort zones of my supplicants..."</p><p>The man shuffled in nervous embarrassment as she spoke, until he heard mention of "anatomy" and "comfort zones" and the onlookers saw a smug, judgmental smirk come over his face.</p><p>"And can you tell me about how you... you said... navigate? These comfort zones?"</p><p>"Of course I can."</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqx0G0aUa7WYirGj7M8-7rmMdmhRVzn1Bh_-MD47bBriUBXqrhvP4k6aeuwGeu5HUj2krGgFU_L09ELMmhnmQRIU8aN6CuBTJo-s8oP8Iv81gQjUQhZwD_TRmOfVFDnSGSBbvx7dL9_p9bIT0d8SgdvdxW8_n9ouBG1eeJJg9d5zd6ltLr0z_lEtZBQ/s1920/gauntletjerk.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqx0G0aUa7WYirGj7M8-7rmMdmhRVzn1Bh_-MD47bBriUBXqrhvP4k6aeuwGeu5HUj2krGgFU_L09ELMmhnmQRIU8aN6CuBTJo-s8oP8Iv81gQjUQhZwD_TRmOfVFDnSGSBbvx7dL9_p9bIT0d8SgdvdxW8_n9ouBG1eeJJg9d5zd6ltLr0z_lEtZBQ/w400-h225/gauntletjerk.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What do you think my education consists of?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> ----<p></p><p>"I spent the next fifteen minutes discussion minutia of emotional well-being, consent, cooperative therapy, and conversational companionship."</p><p>"You... didn't talk about rope-binding or massages or the like?"</p><p>"No, of course not. I stuck to whichever topics would be of least interest to a militant inquisitor. Though I will admit that the other present Gauntlets found the situation most entertaining."</p><p>"Well, we've got some business coming heading for the Bloated Bounty coming up. Hopefully, we can pick up information on Sad Larry's situation along the way."</p><p>Caress nodded and paused, blinking deliberately.</p><p>"What else did you forget?"</p><p>"I was going to speak to the Gauntlet commander about the boy, perhaps get the other gauntlets to stop trying to exorcise the dog. I shall try to handle that in the meantime."</p><p>"Perhaps handle that later, are you staying here?"</p><p>Caress blinked twice and then shook her head. "I wold like to help Larry, but I'll be spending the night at Moonstone Mask."</p><p>"What's that?" Ravyn asked.</p><p>"One of the premier festhalls in the city," Caress responding. "Very secure. A lot of aristocrats attend. I can arrange a room for you if you like."</p><p>"No thank you," Ravyn said. "It's less about being secure than it is about being woken up by a rich asshole singing at 3 am."</p><p>"Ahh, fair point.</p><p><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/11/shields-scales-shadows-and-shit-caress.html">Shields, Scales, Shadows, and Shit</a></p><p><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/05/caress-melani-tyranny-of-dragons-yuan.html" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #993300; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;">Caress's Journal Page</a><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/10/squashing-spider-caress-melani-journal.html"></a></p>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-88862139804877217142022-10-17T21:46:00.007-07:002022-10-30T22:21:23.610-07:00Squashing a Spider - Caress Melani Journal - Session 14<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/09/plans-ghoulish-and-guarded-caress.html">Plans Ghoulish and Guarded</a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ravyn and Caress sat and caught their breaths, attending to their injuries as Mythram and Lyra scoured the cavern for any sign of interesting things. Somewhere in the darkness of a passageway, another doppleganger passing as drow lay in a mindless heap, body catching up to brain in the race toward death after the sorcerer had ripped their mind to pieces. Bugbear corpses lay about the scene of the fight. destroyed by forces divine and eldritch.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I think that this may be what they were looking for," Lyra suggested as she indicated a long dead dwarven corpse embedded mostly into the mud. "These gauntlets have a bit magic to them. I think they might make someone stronger."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"My first thought is to give that to Caress, but..." Mythram looked over to the yuan-ti.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Sharess guides my arm, I'm not sure enhanced strength will do me much good." </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Yeah that's what I thought," the rogue said. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Well, we'll set aside for a bit later," Lyra said. "And I guess the next question is to which direction we should turn to after this." <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"It looks like this passage will give us another route past those doors from before," Mythram said, pointing past the doppleganger's corpse.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpnqhwWnBKxuoT2R-pzBgFclIgECc8viIkHxSWVXjOj2E2Y7K3be2CzCMSJxDw98vSi-l1gOKjSNJci3XZkulAbiRSb4MSJXHKU4hVtycrf76mpd4pDkiVnxypxmaLEc9NW_M7uRAOc4HZ0AJjgt8q6bZzny4FPpBCp9EUao0DV_SmxuJBU66BM2mkxQ/s1920/restandrecon.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpnqhwWnBKxuoT2R-pzBgFclIgECc8viIkHxSWVXjOj2E2Y7K3be2CzCMSJxDw98vSi-l1gOKjSNJci3XZkulAbiRSb4MSJXHKU4hVtycrf76mpd4pDkiVnxypxmaLEc9NW_M7uRAOc4HZ0AJjgt8q6bZzny4FPpBCp9EUao0DV_SmxuJBU66BM2mkxQ/w400-h225/restandrecon.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rest and Reconnaissance<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"The big ones set up to be very portentous and noisy when opening?" Ravyn asks.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"That's them."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"That seems like a good next step." Lyra said. "Are the two of you good?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I am... becoming stretched thin, but I am good for now," Caress noted. "Lead on, if you will."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The sound of low voices drifted through the stone halls as the adventurers crept forward and saw the passage open up into a massive temple room with a towering dwarven statue set with gleaming gem-like eyes. Lyra edged her way forward, trying to get a good look into the dimness beyond Mythram's lantern light. Unfortunately, the eyes beyond weren't those of a doppleganger wearing a drow likeness, but that of an actual drow, and the mage turned to catch sight of the approaching adventurers.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"You idiots," he shouted to a pair of bugbears. "Stop them!"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">There wasn't much worry to start as the bugbears rushed forward, but then the spiders scuttling about on the ceiling made themselves known, spraying Mythram and Lyra each with webbing, though Ravyn dodged out of the way of bundle of sticky threads as Caress rushed forward to cut free Lyra and Mythram each with a radiant lash of divine power.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"You could have just surrendered, you fools."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Sure we could have, but that wasn't going to happen." Lyra called out.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I would have kept you alive long enough to learn who sent you at least. There's still time, you can still give up your patrons."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">As the mage monologued, a thick, magical darkness descended upon them and choked off all sight. Caress could hear Lyra's eyes rolling as she sighed loudly and cast the spell to summon her moonlight down upon the mage that had decided that he didn't need to reposition after blinding his enemies. There was a shriek of pain and the darkness cracked almost as soon as it had appeared. Almost immediately, she was casting another spell to grant herself the breath of dragons.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And then Mythram's arrow flew past Caress's shoulder and planted deeply into the mage's throat, taking the Black Spider down in a moment. Angered, one of the spiders skittered down into the passage's ceiling and snapped ineffectually at Mythram only for Ravyn to blast it heartily with a purplish blast and then duck behind cover.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Lyra then dodged aside another projected thread of spider silk, and unleashed the magic of her Glassstaff to repel the morningstar of one of the bugbears. The spider spitting its web at Mythram was more successful, and wrapped up the rogue again, but that was short-lived as Caress's radiantly imbued whip lashed upward and slew the spider immediately above her, sparks from the attack burning away the webs about Mythram.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Looking between the burning spider and the dead mage, one of the bugbears fled out the massive doors, not stopping to look over his shoulder. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The bugbear that had battered against Lyra's arcane shield was telekinetically lifted and shoved back, opening space for her to step into the temple underneath the other three spiders and unleash a torrent of flame from her mouth. In the eruption of light, Ravyn took the chance to send a bolt of eldritch might cascading across the battlefield into one of the spiders. Its exoskeleton cracked and leaked ichor about, but it held onto life.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Stubbornly, the remaining bandit growled and tried to bring his morningstar crashing down on Lyra, but she simply stepped aside of it as it's blow failed to land. More spider webs flew through the air, but Lyra either dodged them or summoned a shield to block the threads, leaving her untouched. Though they made Caress's approach difficult and she failed to find a good opening to strike the bandit, her whip cracking wildly off-target in the confusion of motion.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Gouts of fire are unleashed and one of the spiders shriveled up crashing down upon Lyra and Caress, leaving them tangled in its fragmented pieces. Yet another spider falls prey to the rogue's arrows, falling from great height onto the sorcerer. Taking the opportunity, the bugbear bandit swung his morningstar against the enemy who hadn't shown a history of summoning magical force fields, but even tangled in spider corpse, Caress managed to block the blow. Unfortunately it left her open to the bite of one of the spiders, as poison sapped her strength and burned into her veins.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKERUFMLkZL-AfL2mRecg9rxjUaI31rY0NqbPAzWdoKmyacl5PLuZTsTxc61sNq9kcqyR9AnrPPBrsyfaFnCa3U7nYdK9mFKwh23ASjYOeslH3BmkvXOlK6S1sMf-oXDAfwYP8NVSOMGAfNUtUuPR616iX1vJoHE5UXOWzeGvfS2LgbEGzYgcpsqohQ/s1920/blackspiderdown.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKERUFMLkZL-AfL2mRecg9rxjUaI31rY0NqbPAzWdoKmyacl5PLuZTsTxc61sNq9kcqyR9AnrPPBrsyfaFnCa3U7nYdK9mFKwh23ASjYOeslH3BmkvXOlK6S1sMf-oXDAfwYP8NVSOMGAfNUtUuPR616iX1vJoHE5UXOWzeGvfS2LgbEGzYgcpsqohQ/w400-h225/blackspiderdown.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Black Spider is down.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The courtesan returned the strike, however, burning the spider with her own might and searing the bugbear with the divine fires that stripped off in the speed of the moment. The final spider corpse crashes to the ground and while Caress was able to avoid this one, it tangled up Lyra and the bugbear in its death throes. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Lyra was the first to shake free of the new entanglement and turned to breathe upon the bandit who was still contending with limp, clicking arthopod legs. He made a valiant attempt to dodge out of the way, but it wasn't enough and he landed in a seared and burned lump upon the floor.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Well, I've got spider ick everywhere... no, wait, no I don't." And in a blink of an eye, Lyra was as clean as if she'd walked out of a Neverwintan spa. "And let me help you with that, Caress."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Oh, thank you, I imagine it's quite hard to get that blood out." the yuan-ti returned before addressing her and Lyra's wounds in return.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the meantime, Mythram was working on an old rusted door, moving to find the dwarven prisoner they'd come to rescue lying senselessly on the bed.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"What are you... you've come question me again? What do you want...You're not my captors."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"No, we've been hired by your brother."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The dwarf looked past the rogue at the eclectic group and sighed. "I see, looks like my brother managed to find far better mercenaries than we had a right to expect."</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/10/much-sadness-about-larry-caress-melani.html">Much Sadness About Larry </a><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/05/caress-melani-tyranny-of-dragons-yuan.html" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #993300; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;">Caress's Journal Page</a></p>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-76195497695008625382022-09-19T20:56:00.001-07:002022-10-17T21:52:01.206-07:00Plans Ghoulish and Guarded - Caress Melani Journal - Session 13<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/09/bounded-waves-caress-melani-journal.html">Bounded Waves</a> <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">"Ghouls, eating bones." Mythram said quietly as she closed the door again. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Those are dangerous undead as I recall," Caress noted.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Cunning and vicious creatures that arose from a pact with Orcus. Their claws can cause bodies to freeze up and leave them vulnerable to being devoured," Ravyn said. "I've read a few books now and again and the subject has come up."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Then we'll want to prepare before we move in," Lyra suggested.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I have a charm I can cast upon myself to keep the claws of the dead and fiends at bay," Caress said. "I would have to cease my focus on the blessing of protection I gave Mythram." She gestured toward the slight silver shimmer around the rogue.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"It's probably a good idea, but there's a second exit and this one..." </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The rogue looked toward the door that lacked a lock and opened into the room.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"We're not going to be barricading it."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Perhaps, we set up on this one and barricade the other, if you can get to it safely," Ravyn suggested.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I should be able to do that," Mythram agreed.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The plan in place, Caress let the divine power flow into her whip and stood at the door ready to open it and Mythram stepped away. Ravyn moved to the intersection a moment later where she could keep watch on both groups. Then the sound of pitons hammering around the corner came clear. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Let evil wash away like a river carries away stagnation to the sea," she whispered and opened the door.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Almost instantly, a ghoul launched across the room and lashed out at her, struggling to fight through the dragon-blooded tattoo and the blessing of Sharess and failing miserably. But as she watched, Caress saw the other ghouls burst through the barricaded door out the other side of the room. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBA99LC61cU4Vcuwb5x3-JfahUbDF2cDONl6ejDk_g6-T4H_LeiXXvuz3JabXLdg5uSBt66w8ILRdHiTSqBI_IRE7Jdml4Ijtwhj7I-y3XtEdJTfXxSw-fTHAoKKzyydwaYh-24eAkc3RPbq1K0unGkYRfjmO07AwdZNgEwpPxtbhKzgh-xZufTwkOA/s1920/ghouls.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBA99LC61cU4Vcuwb5x3-JfahUbDF2cDONl6ejDk_g6-T4H_LeiXXvuz3JabXLdg5uSBt66w8ILRdHiTSqBI_IRE7Jdml4Ijtwhj7I-y3XtEdJTfXxSw-fTHAoKKzyydwaYh-24eAkc3RPbq1K0unGkYRfjmO07AwdZNgEwpPxtbhKzgh-xZufTwkOA/w400-h225/ghouls.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a ghoul plan, and it went ghoulishly.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <span></span><p></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">A blast of power passed over Caress's shoulder into the face of the ghoul facing her as Lyra's moonbeam appeared within the room. The other two ghouls scampered out of the paladin's line of sight and the sound of skirmishing carried to their ears as Mythram cried out and returned her attacker's blades. Caress lashed out with her whip at the one in front of her as Lyra and Ravyn rushed into the dark to help Mythram, Ravyn guided by her imp's eyes.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The moonbeam vanished though the yuan-ti could see glimmers of it through the other door along with flickers of shadows as the rest of the team contended with the remaining ghouls, but the one in front of her held her attention. The sound of eldritch blasts and screaming ghouls echoed through the corridors, at least until the sound of bloodthirsty undead was cut short. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">She and the ghoul traded blows in the mean time, though the creature remained unable to reach through the twin protections of her tattoo and blessing before she lashed out again, calling out to Sharess and channeling the power of her connection to the divine font through the whip and incinerating the beast.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"That could have gone better," Mythram said as they regrouped in the middle of the room.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"It was a sound plan."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Yeah, but for now, I think we need a rest."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"It does seem a ghoulish idea to continue after that," Lyra concurred.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"A short break, then we'll discuss whether to rest further or move into the dungeon," Mythram agreed. "Set the imp to watch, in the mean time."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I can do that." Ravyn noted.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Unfortunately, it was at the end of the hour when the imp rushed back into the room, injured and distressed. They rushed to the door to see a massive sludge of tan color, an ochre jelly.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Don't cut it!" Ravyn shouted. "It'll split into two!"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"That's... a bit of a problem for me," Caress commented, looking toward her whip a moment before Lyra stepped by and filled her with with arcane energy. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Enjoy."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">A moment later the Eladrin was out the door and unleashing a blast of ice on the monstrous jelly and Caress could feel how to do the same and waited until the path ahead of her was clear of her allies. Arrows and blast of eldritch power battering and piercing the creature while Lyra rebounded its assault with the shield radiating out from her glassstaff and unleashed another torrent of ice before fey stepping away leaving it open for Caress to breathe as well and bring the beast down.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"All right, I was all for exploring further until that happened. We're pushing too hard, we should call it recuperate."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress nodded. "But how far back, to the room we found the dwarf? Or shall we go further back to the forest."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I'd say out of the cavern entirely, just keep an eye on it in case anybody leaves in the night."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The night passed without event and then they were back into the mines, taking a different route at this time. They passed through several of the branches that had been in the process of being worked clean. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"It occurs to me that we could wander around here, never encountering the other group, report back that it's clear, they do the same, and then there's a battle when both the people we report to head out here not expecting to meet anyone."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The rest of the party sighed and glared at Caress.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"It was a thought."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Passing through the abandoned tunnels, they came to a stagnant pool that was turgidly trickling further north. Pausing a moment, Caress whispered a prayer to reveal the presence of poisons and disease, remembering that they suspected the presence of spiders with their enemies. But there seemed to be nothing nearby. They moved from there into some of the areas of the mines that had been worked out and converted into more regular corridors until they came to a room where deep voices were arguing in goblin.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Squaring up at the door, Caress enchanted her whip again and then opened the door... and found the image of five bugbears that turned to look at her before shouting "intruders."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And then the battle was joined again.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The enchantment of Lyra's dragon breath spell filled her again, and she let loose as she slipped forward into the middle of the group, taking a slamming blow to her shield, the magic of the Still Eye of the Dragon shielded her from some of the impact, afflicting her attacker with the dread of judgment.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Some of the bugbears slipped past the paladin, ducking under her whip to strike hard into Ravyn, unfortunately in hitting the witch the warrior received a blast of hellish face-melting pitch that eliminated the problem as Caress weathered another blow maneuvered to release another blast of dragons breath on the bugbears.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5QJXshyfOTFQzm_Gng6lpn3mhPeeKdbe33oKXBvsBKEMjW4FEiKjFLtwgTAuapP4U5ryGVpOSsmWMnRSsQcvRB8-UTcZ3E3FxGt_rX_fZdDeqHkIMDWOUl1bdDPIPxIrbFX075C74MiHDAGQGs2j7b6X5TCtBMmKpHLchAHZ80mgHsPu6-pmxHLJ4g/s1920/bugbears.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5QJXshyfOTFQzm_Gng6lpn3mhPeeKdbe33oKXBvsBKEMjW4FEiKjFLtwgTAuapP4U5ryGVpOSsmWMnRSsQcvRB8-UTcZ3E3FxGt_rX_fZdDeqHkIMDWOUl1bdDPIPxIrbFX075C74MiHDAGQGs2j7b6X5TCtBMmKpHLchAHZ80mgHsPu6-pmxHLJ4g/w400-h225/bugbears.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That could have gone better.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Mythram kept ducking in and out of sight, landing arrows into vital areas and with the aid of her imp, Ravyn's eldritch blasts caved in the rib-cage of one of the foes. As the fight came to a close with the death of the last guard, Caress and Ravyn caught their breath. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Another short rest, perhaps." </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/10/squashing-spider-caress-melani-journal.html">Squashing a Spider </a><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/05/caress-melani-tyranny-of-dragons-yuan.html" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #993300; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;">Caress's Journal Page</a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-58653236540977596612022-09-18T18:34:00.005-07:002022-12-03T11:18:22.071-08:00The Second Rounds - Fleshy Madness - Session Six<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/05/call-of-netherdeep-second-round.html">Journal Page </a> <br /><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-second-round-arrival-at-bazzoxan.html">The Arrival at Bazzoxan</a> <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The Second Round woke up after a night of rest and came down into the common room of the Ready Room, seeking out Delez Demona to ask the bartender where they might find the commander of the garrison. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Well, that would be Verin Thelyss, he's been here some years now," the bartender said. "If you're looking for mercenary work, I can definitely tell you they'd be interested."<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"All right," Elara asked. "Where can we find him."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Delez blinked and pointed out the door. "That'll be him right now. Oh no..."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The group turned around and looked to see a tall drow running alongside two guards, an orc and a goblin, heading for the gates of the Betrayer's Rise.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Immediately, the party started to rush forward, coming to a long stretch of road leading up to the gates with a number of buildings along either side. Down the far end of the road, five monstrosities were burbling and sloshing their way slowly forward. The creatures were mobile puddings of flesh, teeth, and tongues that gurgled a cacophony of jarring vocalizations that rattled skulls and thoughts.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The few citizens that had been near this end of town had barricaded themselves inside as the guards launched forward. Verin turned to see the Second Rounds and Rivals coming up behind him. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Mercenaries?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I don't think we have time for that conversation."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"You're absolutely right," he nodded. "You lot, to the infirmary and protect it. The rest of you with me. Bar the way to these beasts!"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Using her magic to add speed to her step, Esoh launched forward ahead of Elara and the guards while Imvenda took to the air. Snype didn't have to hurry so much and stepped out into the street before sighting down her Whitestone musket and firing down the street into one of the beasts. Two rounds impacting the creature solidly and scattering gelatinated muscle and sinew in every direction with a fine scattering of teeth and bone shards.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjArBCyDmCK2uoDn3RZTA0XfxMeMzw9MwFVaPQtXSKY38TO7CwoS9r5GAx0Wba2lo_uRIo49aFuZdFhDQHeWGfvQuSpfng-E2eWYco1c_S6W_YN-C9uRrTY8_wH-vUXCWex8WqZ5bpeTKvKNwAbqht2cMtxtZSXkKZ-WFuOEjq23_2hbvbpNDDMXYlRQ/s1920/tobattle.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjArBCyDmCK2uoDn3RZTA0XfxMeMzw9MwFVaPQtXSKY38TO7CwoS9r5GAx0Wba2lo_uRIo49aFuZdFhDQHeWGfvQuSpfng-E2eWYco1c_S6W_YN-C9uRrTY8_wH-vUXCWex8WqZ5bpeTKvKNwAbqht2cMtxtZSXkKZ-WFuOEjq23_2hbvbpNDDMXYlRQ/w400-h225/tobattle.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To battle!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">As she came into position, Esoh redirected her magic to enchant Quoth, giving the familiar and ability to shriek out a breath of arcane force. Elara and Imvenda were still moving into position before Dermot stepped out of an alley briefly. "There's more over here! I have to get back to that fight, but Luxon guide you!"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The cleric's blessing washed over them as the Elara launched a blast of holy fire and Esoh intoned a terrifying sound over one of the beasts, tolling it's death. Unfortunately, the bizarre nature of the creatures proved to shrug off the concept of death and allowed them to slurp around the radiant cascade. Though it left the creatures open to Imvenda's cascade of eldritch power.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Which was when the manes started pouring out of the alleys and started shambling their way into the streets to lunge at the guards and mercenaries, drawing attention away from the gibbering mouthers that were still sluggishly pushing up the lane. When of the monstrosities erupted with the impact of a bullet propelled by the Hammer of God that Annaalch had built for Snype days prior. The radiant energies carried by the projectile seared the mouther to ash and vapor.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Quoth flipped down and unleashed a cascade of rippling force out over the the mouthers as the guards and Elara cut through the Manes and Esoh summoned another rippling wave of translucent, colorless force pinning down two of the mouthers and then vanished in a puff of mist up to a balcony away from the maddening sound of the creatures.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">A pair of screams lilted out from one of the nearby buildings one of which was interrupted by a gurgling death cry just before a shimmering temporal echo of Verin slipped across the lane to burst into the building and slay the demon within.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Quasits!" he called out.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Imvenda swooped down to ground between the mouthers before unleashing magic to send herself bursting back into the sky as a bolt of lightning with a ripple of thunderous sound that tore into the monsters. Further up the street, a lightly armored dwarf bundled around the corner towards the mane stumbling its way towards Snype.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I got this one, boss!" The dwarf roared as his scimitar lashed through the demonic creature, nearly bisecting it. The scimitar remained stuck in the creature and the dwarf levered the weapon around to direct the monster away and keep its claws out of his body. Behind him, Snype fired again and unleashed another barrage of divine empowered bullets tearing into another mouther.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Quoth swooped by again and lashed the remaining mouthers as Elara pulled back a pair of guards that had pushed too far forward. She called a burst of divine energy again, which the maddening cacophony diluted the divinity away before it could touch the monsters. A moment later and the warlock summoned another thunderclap shattering the stone ground and further damaging the remaining mouthers. One of the creatures was telekinetically grabbed and pulled in by Esoh, bundling the remaining creatures together for Esoh to unleash her arcane forces destroying all but one of the mouthers.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Another scream nearby, brought attention to another threatened civilian as Verin summoned a new shimmering temporal echo to attack the remaining mouther and reduce it to shreds as Snype ran to the building the screams came from and blasted the quasit there into oblivion. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">There was a few moments of peace as it became clear that the incursion had been fought off and only a few straggling fights could be heard falling silent through the city.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Thank you for your aid, these creatures got past the gate guards..." he paused for a moment and looked at the scattering of bones and teeth. "They may have been the guards. It wouldn't be the first time the demons have turned our fallen against us. I can hope you came here looking for work, we certainly have need for anyone willing to fight that we can."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"We're willing to help, but we have a quest of our own," Elara explained. "And it's pointing us into the depths of the Betrayer's Rise."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Ahh, well, you wouldn't be the first group asking permission to get in," the elf said. "There's a group of your order," he pointed to Imvenda and Esoh and their Cobalt Soul robes. "They went into the Rise some time ago, though one of them is in the tavern waiting for them to return."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">He didn't sound particularly hopeful of the group's chances of returning.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Aside from Question, there's a sorceress, Corenn from Tal'Dorei asking about dragon sightings or history in the area."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Were their dragons here?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Hard to say," Verin commented. "Dragons are ancient and clever beings. I haven't specifically heard of dragons in the area, but that doesn't mean they haven't been."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"With demons, the last thing we need is the followers of Tiamat showing interest here."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"That's certainly the truth, but on that note, there is one other person, an elf named Aloysius who claims to represent something called the Consortium of the Vermillion Dream." He paused and frowned. "She's made several attempts to bribe my guards to accompany her into the rise."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"That's... troubling. Though as a note, besides us, there's going to be at least one more group asking you permission."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Ahh, that would be the other group who went to protect the infirmary, well, I'm sure I'll be speaking to them soon, then. In the meantime, feel free to take sometime to recover from the battle and enjoy what the town can offer"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"We were wondering if there an artificer or something similar nearby, there is a design I'd like to present to them to help with some of the demonic flora in the area."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Well, you'll want to speak to the arcanists in the barracks, or perhaps the Allertons, Reynard keeps the crematorium running."</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-79739261714279373052022-09-06T19:25:00.006-07:002022-09-19T20:57:54.184-07:00Bounded Waves - Caress Melani Journal - Session 12<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-cult-and-dragon-caress-melani.html">The Cult and the Dragon</a> <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Caress looked over the flowing images of cats stalking and lazing along a river bed as they sat in the camp. The druid was leading them by twists and turns that maybe a ranger could follow, but which already had her turned around. She wondered if Lyra was having an easier time keeping track of things given she hailed from the Feywild, but had to admit that she'd only heard vague stories about that place, it might be perfectly signposted and easy to navigate.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She focused herself again on the images now embedded into her skin and wondered if the images had come from her or if they were something that Reidoth had built into the enchantment. Would the images be shadows for Mythram or the moonlight and rays for Lyra. And then there was the question of what it could possibly be for Ravyn. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGDGP9pHpDerX_G4ii-OmkX5FXQj8FuUXR10wo57aLF5nwxI8y4_IVcxelp-3l2b1Lsnbl7eI8B6hHhUf9AiP7rgOzkH-EAaOWVFi_1mvpyTsD92o7ueuv6STRyu-hYbHYdqwzKt2pONKytQKEcPjunQ8GCYqNsWsRrvtjnqMyR8BmwUU1cDNLvxbX6w/s1024/Caress%20Melani%20tattoos-portrait.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGDGP9pHpDerX_G4ii-OmkX5FXQj8FuUXR10wo57aLF5nwxI8y4_IVcxelp-3l2b1Lsnbl7eI8B6hHhUf9AiP7rgOzkH-EAaOWVFi_1mvpyTsD92o7ueuv6STRyu-hYbHYdqwzKt2pONKytQKEcPjunQ8GCYqNsWsRrvtjnqMyR8BmwUU1cDNLvxbX6w/w400-h400/Caress%20Melani%20tattoos-portrait.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tattoos with dragon blood and magic for ink.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">It wasn't ink though, it was magic, pure and simple. She could feel it thrumming just under her skin. It wasn't a heat or the feeling of shock that came from a wizard's lightning. It was a sort of vibration not quite in the physical world. It was similar to what she felt when she reached out to the divine font through Sharess's grace. But not quite the same... the proper words eluded her. There were always people that could speak better than she did when it came to important things like this. She was charming and had a sense for what people needed to hear and be guided through. But when it came to anything technical or knowledge-based it was a matter of "it's like this but not exactly like that." </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Caress sighed. Yuan-ti were renowned, perhaps infamous for their clever minds and she constantly felt like she was disappointing people within moments of meeting them. Perhaps it was something to work on. In the meantime, she'd continue her task of protecting people and helping them work through the worries they faced. Other people could be intelligent and lore-masters. It wasn't in her to do be that person. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We'll reach Wave Echo cave in the next dawn," Reidoth declared then, bringing Caress out of her reverie. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I'll prepare then for the trials ahead."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><hr /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The stirges came down out of the cavern ceilings and swarmed around Caress. She had been watching for spiders and drow after they found the body of the dwarf earlier, not these things. She dodged the first few, but there were just so many of them and some of the creatures slipped in. When her turn came, she lashed and seared two out of the air even as others slipped past her to harass the rest of her team.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lyra had apparently enchanted Mythram and herself as the rogue swooped in breathing a cascade of chill air out of her mouth to bring down more of the abhorrent bloodsucking creatures. Ravyn's imp appeared out of nowhere and attracted more of the creatures. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When the last of the beasts had fallen, she took her magic to address the wounds suffered by herself and Ravyn. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Let's keep going." Mythram said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Understood, but so you're aware I don't think I could heal much more without a rest. Perhaps we should be cautious in case we encounter a bunch of skeletons or the like."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A minute later and they were facing skeletons. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQ8A9jSy4niqW0r2l_2h_OBsZmoO6ylwOrq91QDUWBfjGnHJJuIvVK7V_ZxFgRzUKH6IeoF5i3PSZuzVWSkXGqsxm__UGR8XeXyDqIoDT5-SzjsMLXjwkKFhVlompyHTucW2Ps6ruYigJoqfu_xcOLVrEv-d0bqWUUv2XOTOXO33YUlLkfRlzPmwGkA/s1920/skeletonsagain.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQ8A9jSy4niqW0r2l_2h_OBsZmoO6ylwOrq91QDUWBfjGnHJJuIvVK7V_ZxFgRzUKH6IeoF5i3PSZuzVWSkXGqsxm__UGR8XeXyDqIoDT5-SzjsMLXjwkKFhVlompyHTucW2Ps6ruYigJoqfu_xcOLVrEv-d0bqWUUv2XOTOXO33YUlLkfRlzPmwGkA/w400-h225/skeletonsagain.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dwarven skeletons now.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/09/plans-ghoulish-and-guarded-caress.html">Plans Ghoulish and Guarded</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/05/caress-melani-tyranny-of-dragons-yuan.html" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #993300; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;">Caress's Journal Page</a></div>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-9286825105976624232022-08-29T18:50:00.003-07:002022-09-18T18:35:55.442-07:00The Second Round - Arrival at Bazzoxan - Sessions Four and Five<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/05/call-of-netherdeep-second-round.html">Journal Page </a> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-second-round-south-through.html">South Through the Wastes </a> <br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;">(going to be skimpy because I was stupid and waited for too long and my brain leaked all the details) <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The Second Round and Rivals of Destiny came into the Emerald Loop and had a moment of respite among the merchants that had stopped there for the evening. Tarre went about doing the mundane tasks of camping as Annalch puttered about with her alchemy set and tried to process the fact that her mothers were now dead. As for the heroes of the two adventuring parties, they gave the merchant some space and moved about on their own interactions.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Imvenda and Snype had interactions with the small family of goblins that lived upon the horizonback turtle that was stopped at the crossroads for a moment, while Esoh went to the assorted merchants to purchase a driftglobe and discuss things with the other merchants and Elara interacted with the Rivals. Among other things, coming to the conclusion that they needed to alternate scouting and guard duty, with the hope that the scouts would encounter problems away from their clients.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Over the next few days, the groups encountered a drow scout named Justice and his moorbounder being beset by a pack of hostile and wild bristled moorbounders as well as the site of a battle between the Aurora Watch and several demons. Unfortunately, the Aurora Watch were on the losing side and there were a pair of shadow demons along with several quasits sitting in wait for anybody that investigated the scene. The fight got dicey in a couple of places, but eventually the Second Rounds were able to put down the demons and lay the bodies to rest, collecting the dog tags. In the same couple of days, the Rivals encountered a bandit clan that they had to fight off twice and dissuade from interfering with their travels.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">At the end of the travels the image of Bazzoxan appeared ahead of the towering spires of Betrayer's Rise, the cursed fortress that had housed the legions of the Betrayer Gods' minions back in the days of the Calamity and was now the site of a renewed influx of demons. The guards are quick to let the mercenaries into the building talking about how much they could use the help and after some exploring the group starts to congregate in the city's only inn, called The Ready Room.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">They paused a moment to work out a help for an orc trying to aggressively weed a garden of demonic weeds and passed along hearing a drow mother lecture her children on what they needed to do in case she was killed. The city was filled with clearly abandoned buildings and the population that remained seemed to involve far more soldiers than any healthy city should have. Everybody seemed downcast and grim, whether they were in despair or holding to tight determination, cheer was far and away from this besieged realm.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">As the group looked up to the spires, Elara had flashes of memory of coming through the city sometime long ago in her prior life, before the demons poured out of the mines. It had been on the watchlist as a former Betrayer God stronghold, but wasn't active at the time. Esoh remembered vividly being in the city as the first rampage of demons had torn through the town... just before her past life had died. Imvenda's sword whispered quietly into her mind and Snype vaguely remembered the sound of beating wings.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/09/the-second-rounds-fleshy-madness.html">Fleshy Madness </a></p>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-7036189705435216932022-08-27T14:48:00.004-07:002022-09-01T08:48:18.658-07:00Kanti Messner / Godfrey Mason / Lesley Tinker - Changeling Lore Bard / Celestial Warlock<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePhKq-kV669mU8TJMqdjIrQDp3qancPrK35S0nxcUSQ-SWxyjXm3xPvw1JncWYjqwPfpGHZBOl_uICpj2uLiFmAf6gU3-4VVCdbkJj8x6TbmoJlwlWKksKmhao0WZQgEi3TDucDcSnrwJbL2vlJBOkYXPflNk0YciwJk2xDN596p648SAAuUOmYxv3Q/s2048/kantimessner2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1448" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePhKq-kV669mU8TJMqdjIrQDp3qancPrK35S0nxcUSQ-SWxyjXm3xPvw1JncWYjqwPfpGHZBOl_uICpj2uLiFmAf6gU3-4VVCdbkJj8x6TbmoJlwlWKksKmhao0WZQgEi3TDucDcSnrwJbL2vlJBOkYXPflNk0YciwJk2xDN596p648SAAuUOmYxv3Q/w283-h400/kantimessner2.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><p><br />15th Lore Bard / 5th Celestial Warlock, Changeling Far Traveler</p><p>Personas</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Kanti Messner - German female half-elf, usually fronts. Tends to be reserved and prone to expecting deception.</li><li>Godfrey Mason - British male dwarf, tends to be a lot more aggressive</li><li>Lesley Tinker - American non-binary shadar-kai, tends not to hang around for danger, does most of the crafting.<br /></li></ul><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">Patron: Book of Exalted Deeds<br /></div><p>
Str: 12<br />
Dex: 16<br />
Con: 12<br />
Int: 17<br />
Wis: 18<br />
Cha: 22<br />
<br />
HP: 140<br />
AC: 16 (Glamoured Studded Leather Armor)<br />Spell Save: 20<br />
Bardic Inspiration: 6d12<br />
Speed: 30 ft (60ft Fly - Broom)<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><br />
Proficiency Bonus: +6<br />
<br />
Religion: Catholic, Patron Saint: Brigid<br />
<br />
Height: Variable<br />
Weight: Variable<br />
Hair Color: Variable<br />
Eye Color: Variable<p></p><p></p><p>Changeling Features</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Changeling Instincts: Deception, Intimidation</li><li>Shapechanging <br /></li></ul><p>Armor Proficiencies: </p><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Light Armor</li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;">Weapon Proficiencies: </div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Simple Weapons</li><li>Hand Crossbows</li><li>Longswords</li><li>Rapiers</li><li>Shortswords</li><li>Firearms</li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;">Tools: </div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Harmonica</li><li>Guitar</li><li>Violin</li><li>Bandalore</li><li>Lute</li><li>Harp</li><li>Sentinels of the Multiverse </li><li>Jewelcrafting<br /></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;">Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Languages: Common, Draconic, Sylvan, Primordial, (Also allowed for
background reasons but unlikely to come up in the game, German-Native,
English, Latin, Sanskrit, Ancient Greek)</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Skills</div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Acrobatics (Skilled) +9 (+10)<br /></li><li>
Animal Handling (Jack of all Trades) +7 (+8)<br /></li><li>
Arcana (Lore, Expertise) +15 (+16)<br /></li><li>
Athletics (Jack of all Trades) +4 (+5)<br /></li><li>
Deception (Changeling) +12 (+13)<br /></li><li>
History (Lore) +9 (+10)<br /></li><li>
Insight (Far Traveler, Expertise) +16 (+17)<br /></li><li>
Intimidation (Changeling) +12 (+13)<br /></li><li>
Investigation (Bard, Expertise) +13 (+14)<br /></li><li>
Medicine (Jack of all Trades) +7 (+8)<br /></li><li>
Nature (Skilled) +9 (+10)<br /></li><li>
Perception (Bard) +10 (+11)<br /></li><li>
Performance (Bard) +12 (+13)<br /></li><li>
Persuasion (Far Traveler, Expertise) +18 (+19)<br /></li><li>
Religion (Lore) +9 (+10)<br /></li><li>
Sleight of Hand (Skilled) +9 (+10)<br /></li><li>
Stealth (Bard) +9 (+10)<br /></li><li>
Survival (Jack of all Trades) +7 (+8)<br /></li></ul><p>
<br />
Feat:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Actor</li><li>Eldritch Adept: Merciful</li><li>Skilled</li><li>Spell Sniper</li><li>Telepathic<br /></li></ul><p>Class Features</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Bard</li><ul><li>Spellcasting</li><li>Bardic Inspiration (6d12)</li><li>Jack of All Trades</li><li>Song of Rest (d10)</li><li>College of Lore</li><ul><li>Bonus Proficiencies</li><li>Cutting Words</li><li>Additional Magical Secrets</li><li>Peerless Skill<br /></li></ul><li>Expertise <br /></li><li>Font of Inspiration</li><li>Countercharm</li><li>Magical Secrets</li></ul><li>Warlock</li><ul><li>Otherworldly Patron: Celestial</li><ul><li>Expanded Spell List</li><li>Bonus Cantrips</li><li>Healing Light (6d6) <br /></li></ul><li>Pact Magic</li><li>Eldritch Invocations</li><ul><li> Eldritch Sight</li><li>Merciful Spell</li><li>Misty Visions</li><li>Gift of the Protectors</li><ul><li>Andraste Thosar (Bladesinger)<br /></li><li>Errant Ways (Seeker Warlock) </li><li>Kelmar (Arcane Archer/Hunter)</li><li>Ketsarra (Light Cleric)<br /></li><li>Mikken (Kensei/Scout) <br /></li><li>Peren Thosar (Alchemist)<br /></li></ul></ul><li>Pact Boon: Tome<br /></li></ul></ul><div style="text-align: left;">
Spell Slots: 4 (1st) 3 (2nd) 3 (3rd) 3 (4th) 2 (5th) 1 (6th) 1 (7th) 1 (8th)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Warlock Slots: 2 (3rd) </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">
Cantrips:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Eldritch Blast (Spell Sniper) <br /></li><li>Guidance (Pact of the Tome)</li><li>Light (Celestial Warlock)</li><li>Mage Hand (Warlock)<br /></li><li>Message (Bard)<br /></li><li>Minor Illusion (Bard)<br /></li><li>Prestidigitation (Bard)<br /></li><li>Resistance (Warlock)<br /></li><li>Sacred Flame (Celestial Warlock)<br /></li><li>Spare the Dying (Warlock)<br /></li><li>Thaumaturgy (Pact of the Tome)<br /></li><li>Word of Radiance (Pact of the Tome)</li><li>Vicious Mockery (Bard) <br /></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;">Spells:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>1st Level</li><ul><li>Comprehend Languages (Bard)</li><li>Cure wounds (Bard) <br /></li><li>Guiding Bolt (Warlock)</li><li>Healing Word (Bard) <br /></li><li>Hex (Warlock)</li><li>Protection from Evil and Good (Warlock) <br /></li></ul><li>2nd Level</li><ul><li>Detect Thoughts (Telepathic)</li><li>Lesser Restoration (Bard) <br /></li><li>Mirror Image (Warlock)</li><li>Shatter (Bard) <br /></li><li>Tasha's Mind Whip (Warlock) <br /></li></ul><li>3rd Level</li><ul><li>Aura of Vitality (Magical Secrets) </li><li>Clairvoyance (Bard)</li><li>Counterspell (Magical Secrets)</li><li>Daylight (Warlock)</li><li>Sending (Bard)</li></ul><li>4th Level</li><ul><li>Polymorph (Bard)</li></ul><li>5th Level</li><ul><li>Conjure Volley (Magical Secrets)</li><li>Hallow (Magical Secrets)</li><li>Legend Lore (Bard) <br /></li><li>Mass Cure Words (Bard)</li><li>Scrying (Bard)</li><li>Summon Celestial (Magical Secrets)</li><li>Wall of Light (Magical Secrets)</li></ul><li>6th Level</li><ul><li>True Seeing (Bard)</li></ul><li>8th Level</li><ul><li>Mind Blank (Bard)<br /></li></ul></ul></div><p>Gear</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Attuned </li><ul><li>Book of Exalted Deeds</li><ul><li>+2 Charisma</li><li>+2 Wisdom</li><li>Condition Immunities: Blinded, Charmed, Frightened, Deafened, Disease, Petrified, Stunned</li><li>Halo</li><ul><li>Fiends and Undead have Disadvantage on Attack <br /></li><li>Advantage on Persuasion with Good creatures</li><li>Advantage on Intimidation with Evil creatures</li></ul></ul><li>Stone of Good Luck</li><ul><li>+1 to Saving Throws and Ability Checks</li></ul><li>Instrument of the Bards: Oxford Harmonica </li><ul><li>Spells cast via the Harmonica that cause Charmed inflict Disadvantage on the saves <br /></li><li>Cast Each Once per Day: <br /></li><ul><li>Detect Thoughts</li><li>Fly</li><li>Invisibility</li><li>Levitate</li><li>Protection from Evil and Good<br /></li><li>Sending<br /></li><li>Wall of Light </li></ul></ul></ul><li>Magic Items not requiring Attunement<br /></li><ul><li>Blank Book whose pages refuse to hold ink <br /></li><li>Broom of Flying</li><li>Burglar's Dagger <br /></li><li>Foliage Ring <br /></li><li>Glamoured Studded Leather</li><li>Heward's Handy Haversack</li><li>Horn of Blasting <br /></li><li>Pipes of Haunting </li><li>Portable Hole<br /></li><li>Rapier +1</li><li>Wand of Magic Missiles</li></ul><li>Unattuned Instruments of the Bard</li><ul><li>Anstruth Harp <br /></li><li>Doss Lute</li><li>Fochlucan Bandalore</li></ul><li>Non-Magic Items of Note</li><ul><li>.45 Revolver (2d8+3 damage)<br /></li><li>24 Bullets<br /></li></ul></ul><p><br /></p>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-48102517006888945302022-08-21T20:01:00.010-07:002022-09-06T19:28:45.090-07:00The Cult and the Dragon - Caress Melani Journal - Session 11<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/08/deep-seeded-blight-caress-melani.html">Rite to Blight </a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Follow me along carefully, and avoid those bushes there, they're full of twig blights," Reiodoth declared. "Beyond this next building are the cultists."</div><p style="text-align: justify;">"All right," Mythram said. "I'll climb up on the the walls here and we can approach quietly.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress nodded and tried to slip quietly around one of the ruined corners, though the clanking sound of her armor's scales clacking against each other chimed loudly, through the abandoned village, causing several voices to call to each other in alarm and concern. Behind her Caress heard the exasperated sighs of her party as she took a deep breath and stepped forward trying to channel everything she could about the sinister reputation of yuan-ti in general.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Hello, I suspect we might have aims that align with each other," she said, letting the magic slip off her forked tongue... and slid right off the mind of her target as he glanced down at the buckler she was trying to keep out of line of sight.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"What's that symbol on your shield?"<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Ahh, well, it was a good plan while it lasted," she said as she pulled the hair pin down and set a golden energy into it. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ravyn's purple blasts ripped past over her shoulder into the cultist, staggering him. Silvery fire came down from on high which the cultists luckily escaped, Caress stepped forward stabbing with her divinely guided hair-pin dagger to eliminate one cultist. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Defilers of the rituals!" a cultist shouted angrily as he ran forward, only to be cut down. by an arrow from Mythram.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress heard the sound of Lyra's teleport and the sound of cultists being struck down by her friends' magics. Pushing through the door, the courtesan saw a pair of the cultists and drew one of her darts to lash out at them a moment before chilling breath washed over the lot of them, eliminating them.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqHSSy0-NvfkzaTUMR922nEVLBqlQ10LXib-0VuzOAaz9dreQlksDN_93FBIXQU8l1QKeRWQEZ4IlUXyUqF8x-iTn2nXF7pvLuDkWQ7uc_wdemu_RIhMvLRL96MQKikdHUd-O6Raa_kTRIxQ3UuqdXwRdFVld2lQZm6nqP2S62l0L_e9mf4wz7ux9uw/s1920/cultists.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqHSSy0-NvfkzaTUMR922nEVLBqlQ10LXib-0VuzOAaz9dreQlksDN_93FBIXQU8l1QKeRWQEZ4IlUXyUqF8x-iTn2nXF7pvLuDkWQ7uc_wdemu_RIhMvLRL96MQKikdHUd-O6Raa_kTRIxQ3UuqdXwRdFVld2lQZm6nqP2S62l0L_e9mf4wz7ux9uw/w400-h225/cultists.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boring conversation anyway<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> Sliding forward, a snake with a disappointed mien shifted into the shape of the druid who looked about at the fallen cultists as if wondering what he had been concerned about.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Well, perhaps this is possible, after all." He suggested.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"But if we're talking a dragon, we should probably take a rest and approach it at full strength."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"And I would suggest waiting until you see Venomfang return with a meal before you approach, but I shall provide you with protections from poison and these..."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">He held out a palm holding some berries.</p> <hr style="text-align: left;" /><p style="text-align: justify;">
The party slipped forward quietly following the druid's lead as they approached a ruined building with a small tower outside of which were the scattered dead bodies of giant spiders. Watched as Lyra enchanted herself and Ravyn's imp with dragon breath before she whispered a prayer to Sharess, laying down a blessing of protection upon the other three and druid similarly protected them from the touch of poison.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Remember, the berries won't give you too much healing, but they can be used to bring someone back to their feet."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Right, I think we've got it." Lyra commented. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"All right then, Caress, take point."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The yuan-ti nodded and stepped forward, not even bothering to hide as she moved toward the gate and waited. She didn't have long to wait before a green dragon the size of two oxen flew up and over to land in front of her.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Who dares intrude on the land of Venomfang!"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Greetings, I am Caress Melani, Courtesan of Sharess, and I was wondering if I might encourage you to relocate to some other lair, further away from settled lands where you might feed on game rather than people's livestock."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Who are you to demand anything of a dragon?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress looked at the dragon and cocked her head. "I believe I already answered that question?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The dragon snorted and loomed over her. "And where is the offering that you are bringing me to buy your pitiful life?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I am offering you the chance to leave quietly and peacefully."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I see you bring no offering then!" And the dragon started to rise up and take in a deep breath.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Well, can't say I didn't expect this," Caress said with a sigh as she unfurled and cracked her whip, filling it with golden power. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Before she could react any more, a cloud of noxious gas washed over and around behind, enveloping Mythram as well. Coughing at the burning sensation as the gas filled her longs, Caress glanced over her shoulder briefly before darting forward and pivoting around the dragon, cracking her whip at it to draw it's attention, though the enchanted whip only skittered off of the dragon's scales harmlessly.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The sound of an eldritch joke carried through the trees, drawing a brief snort from the dragon, but the creature shrugged off the spell even as Lyra appeared across on the dragon's other side and lashed out through her mind into the dragon's psyche, and ripped through it, stunning the beast and hampering its attention. It had enough presence of mind to turn and unleash a breath of poison into Caress's face again, staggering her. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">In response the yuan-ti lashed out with her whip again, this time, it found a line between the scales which she drew along, flooding the leather with her will and effort and burning a line along the beast's hide. A growl erupted from the beast a moment before an arrow and purple bolt of eldritch power both found their own points of purchase. And then the imp and sorceress unleashed their own draconic breath, chilling the beast's body and settling ice into it's joints.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In a rage, it lashed out at Caress, the first claw threw her shield far out of position and rocked her back on her heels leaving her open for the next claw to rake across her torso everything was dark as she collapsed to the ground bleeding even as the dragon world about and crushed his jaws around a shimmering shield from Lyra's staff.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZKpzn1B33YeLovr2i2BpxHVraF9bhA1p8-zg-XsPrWM3PX0lCDs4fJfnVnjG2kquNQy-q0hVtZ07jt7hBzzOvpovO7ZiyJqoc7oH8MIhq7wbwPqOwnMMEGEBxomp9XHInPp2B7HEp3CTrdFw8mnzr1DZpbgrAMpIuKQKvQt_4ZY90ES31TEVCTKXXA/s1920/Scene.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZKpzn1B33YeLovr2i2BpxHVraF9bhA1p8-zg-XsPrWM3PX0lCDs4fJfnVnjG2kquNQy-q0hVtZ07jt7hBzzOvpovO7ZiyJqoc7oH8MIhq7wbwPqOwnMMEGEBxomp9XHInPp2B7HEp3CTrdFw8mnzr1DZpbgrAMpIuKQKvQt_4ZY90ES31TEVCTKXXA/w400-h225/Scene.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dragons hurt<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">She was only vaguely aware of the surroundings as an eldritch blast skittered off into the air and another arrow sank into the beast ahead of a blast of pure ice erupting from Lyra's mouth. Meanwhile the imp crept closer to where Caress held tightly on to life. The dragon ripped into Lyra again, drawing a line with his claw and then savaging her with his fangs even as the imp shoved a goodberry into Caress's mouth and suddenly everything came suddenly into a sharp focus again.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">A moment later the dragon was trying to lift up into the air and Caress lashed out with her glowing whip, ripping a line along one of the already existing injuries and the outpouring of her paladin's divine wrath causing the dragon to collapse in a shriveling mess to the ground some feet away, Pushing herself to her feet, she stumbled over to where Lyra lay and poured all of her healing power into the sorceress before leaning back to a wall and praying for some relief to her own injuries.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"What the heck is this?" Mythram asked as she considered certain parts of the dragon that she'd managed to recover as the beast's venomous body devoured itself.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/09/bounded-waves-caress-melani-journal.html">Bounded Waves</a> <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/05/caress-melani-tyranny-of-dragons-yuan.html" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #993300; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;">Caress's Journal Page</a></p>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-66797740241992793512022-08-21T13:41:00.011-07:002022-08-23T05:05:00.060-07:00One DND - Playtest Materials - Character Origin<p style="text-align: justify;">So, in attempt to explore what I think and feel about the recent reveal by Wizards of the Coast regarding new mechanics for choosing races, I'm working on this blog post.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Let's start with the good bits:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">The language and formatting make it far more explicit that backgrounds are malleable.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Ability Scores are no longer tied to race, but rather to background.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">The section on mixed races makes it clear that physical description is entirely cosmetic. </li><li style="text-align: justify;">Races no longer provide a languages.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Everybody starting with a Feat and Feats being flavorful.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Simplified grapple rules and adoption of common house rules.</li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;">Starting with the least important of these to get out of the way. Backgrounds have always been malleable. The current 5e PHB already has a section about making your own backgrounds or modifying them to be more exactly what you desire. However, the language now lists building your own as the first option, so it is clear right from the get go. This is very important for a audience that is used to choosing from a menu rather than making their own thing. Equally important is the fact that there is still a large list of pre-written backgrounds provided. The biggest mistake generic RPGs do is failing to provide pre-written examples and templates that let people just plug and play. So, all in all, this isn't a change, but a clarification.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The next section addresses some of the past issues of bioessentialism that the game has dealt with. A lot of the RPG industry is moving away from lineage as a mechanical thing and I find this to be a largely positive change. As it stands, the upper ranges available to PCs already stretches credulity, not because of the upper limits possible but because of the consistency with which that performance is achieved. The fact we're already into performance that defies practical neurological and musculature limits makes the older insistence that this is tied to species even more odd.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now, as to the physical characteristics being cosmetic. There's a lot about the mixed race bit that is irritating, but I'll get to that later. For now, we'll focus on this. What the section says is that a character with mixed blood can choose elements from either side of their heritage to describe their appearance. This is basically something you could always do, but it is good to see it in print. Now, I kind of wish that they'd just gone further with this and made it clear that you can do this with any of the lineages of the book. I am generally going to push for narrative and mechanics to be unpinned from each other. So, if say someone wanted to play a dryad it would relatively easy to do that by pairing elf or eladrin stats with druid or ranger by modifying some of the descriptive text involved.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">No one is born speaking a language under normal circumstances. This is something that has to be learned over time. Now there are cases where this is a phenomenon that makes sense, such as with many elves and tieflings, but those can be handled just by using that explanation for why they might have a particular language. As such the fact that languages are no longer attached to race is great. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Getting a Feat at first level is very cool and something that I've played in home-games quite often. Feats are great, they can provide such a lot of personality to a character. Especially in combination with some of the reworked feats presented here. There's a couple examples here of Feats that have been modified from existing versions, such as defining Lucky granting Advantage or Disadvantage, meaning that it is no longer is useful to spend more than one Luck point on a single roll since Advantage and Disadvantage don't stack. Or Tavern Brawler now being useful. The only Feat of the presented group that remains underwhelming is Savage Attacker which has neither a compelling mechanical advantage nor roleplaying element to entice me to be interested in it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Also included here is a simplification of how grapple and shove works. Either can now be used in the place of an unarmed strike and on hit, it just happens. This will vastly speed things up for people that want to use grapple, grappling itself is now more effective, inflicting disadvantage on attacks against someone other than the person grappling you and granting grappled people a chance at the end of each turn to escape without needing to spend an action. This also comes with a lot of common household rules being brought in like 1s being an instant fail and 20s being an instant success. This is with the written caveat that it doesn't make impossible things happen. They've made an effort to be very clear on what is going on and it is the clarity I most appreciate.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div> <hr style="text-align: justify;" /><div style="text-align: justify;">So, those out of the way, let's hit some of the things that I'm a bit dissatisfied with.</div></div><div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">Inspiration is still kind of bleh. Moreso now that you can't stack it.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Languages should have all been attached to backgrounds or all on their own.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Racial languages are still a thing.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Lifespan is unnecessary</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Half-Elf and Half-orc have been removed.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Dragonborn don't need a rework given Fizban already was designed on these philosophies.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">The approach to mixed ancestry feels a bit lazy and stumbles into some distasteful implications.</li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;">As always, Inspiration feels like a tacked on, easily forgettable mechanic. I've played with a lot of games that use meta-currency in narratively exciting ways and this feels like it was put together in half-an-hour by somebody that heard about meta-currency. This mechanic currently is the one I've least seen in operation and the easiest to forget. The apparent solution they've had to getting people to remember this exists is to further undermine its poorly implemented intention to encourage roleplay by granting it autotmatically on a natural 20. This isn't to say that meta-currency rewards on a roll can't be done well. Momentum getting rewards on a failed roll is an extremely potent tool convincing people to try difficult things. But this change amounts to "if nobody's buying the candy, we should just put it in everybody's bag".</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Regarding languages, I can sort of see what they were doing by having Background give one language with Common and a third language just being picked on their own. It feels like they were trying to account for the guy who was a soldier for one country, but also picked up a second language due to some thing unrelated to soldiering. But it feels very unnecessary. For the purpose of worldbuilding, you might want to have a background like "Knight of Grindlekeep" having a language specific to what is spoken in Grindlekeep, or maybe a language used in the courtly rituals there. That makes perfect sense. But for a lot of more generic backgrounds like "Soldier" or "Artisan" it doesn't make sense to name a particular language.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In addition, the existence of racial languages is an understandable business decision with its weight of tradition, this is said with all the weight of cynicism towards companies placing good taste and morality on a back shelf. Because this is very deeply unsatisfying. This is less of a problem in settings like Krynn or Greyhawk where the lineages are heavily isolationist from each other and communities that have heavy mixing are rare. It is stands out as incredibly odd in a setting with such cosmopolitan cities as Waterdeep, Silverymoon, Luskan, or Neverwinter. It makes even less sense for several of the nations of Eberron. Even in cases where there is an extremely homogenized nation such as the Talenta halflings in Eberron or Evereska in Faerun, you'd expect those societies not to call their language "Halfling" and "Elven". The sad part is that in some cases the racial language has a proper name. Espuar is the proper name for Elvish in Faerun and Krynn has two or three dialects of Elvish. Some will note that it's easier to remember "Elvish" over "Espuar" but that's not really the case, it's just a matter of using the word enough times for it to stick in memory. So that's a non-argument.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm not seeing the practical use of having proscribed lifespans. This is entirely a cosmetic affair, and there are numerous examples in the fiction of where these averages are blown out of the water. Granted most of them are those that have encountered or were born with some major magical influence. Such as Dove Falconhand, a human ranger who is practically one of the daughters of Mystra and generally ageless. Having walked around the Realms for centuries. This is a repeat problem that D&D does: hey, look at this cool character concept which you have no way to even come close to reproducing as a playable PC. It gets extremely frustrating. Especially for a stat that has next to zero impact on the game. And someone might bring up the handful of effects that cause aging. The answer to that is to treat unnatural aging as a condition, perhaps as levels of exhaustion that can only be removed via Greater Restoration. There's no need to have lifespan be a stat.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A casualty of the approach of mixed races taken here is the elimination of half-elves and half-orcs. Now, I certainly support renaming these groups, but I think they should be included. Half-elves and half-orcs have always felt had a distinct identity of their own and it's odd that there aren't entire cities and communities that are predominantly one or the other of these two people. Look to Silverymoon, where the elves and humans have lived among each for so long. That city should be predominantly half-elven. There are similar areas that should have a large number of half-orcs as well. These people have different metaphysical involvement with the world at large than the other three people, and perceive the world in very different ways. Renaming these two races absolutely makes sense because the names are very cringe-worthy, but keep them around.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the other hand, the rework of Dragonborn isn't really necessary because they recently received a full workover in Fizban's. Especially since the version included in the UA is a bland, reductive version of what was in Fizban's. A reprint is not a bad idea so that people aren't required to get Fizban's, but completely invalidating the very recently punished Fizban's is in bad taste.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now, back to mixed races. As some other people have said, it looks as if Wizards has tried to correct one problem by stumbling headlong into another. On the one hand, the approach they took of saying to just choose one of the two parent kinds as the game stats and modify the physical description to taste. I'm going to be honest here and say "take stats and apply your own fluff" is a thing I've done for the entirety of my TTRPG experiences, as I started with HERO System back in the late 80s (I'd read through a lot of AD&D stuff and watched brothers play, but the first game I played was Champions). And this sort of approach is exactly how Narrative games sort of do it. But it just feels different when a game that includes very specific racial character packages as official does it. Especially when this means you'll be taking traits that don't feel appropriate to your character concept.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">As adverse HERO or Fate, where the game says "here are mechanics, make what you want", D&D is a game that says: "here are elf stats, if you want to take elf stats and pretend you're something else, cool, but mechancially you're an elf"... and that just feels terrible. It's like a pat on the head to a child playing pretend. <br /></div><p></p><hr style="text-align: justify;" /><div style="text-align: justify;">Going to ideas on some things I'd suggest. </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><strike><b>Acknowledge Fizban and Monsters of the Multiverse:</b> Make sure to inform people that those lineages are perfectly suited to being used and give a mild sidebar on converting, which is basically a matter of moving the ASIs from Lineage to Background.</strike></li><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">This is actually in the UA document.</li></ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Languages: </b>The current flagship setting is Faerun which has around ten language families, some of which have subfamilies. Discuss the concept of naming languages for the different nations and regions and use a sampling of Faerunian languages as an example of this.</li><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">Establish Common as "a language that is shared by everybody in the party" rather than a Common tongue spoken by everybody in the world. Between the players decide on a language from the setting which they all speak. Then each player chooses two other languages.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Establish this an option for people that want more interaction with languages. For other tables note that it's fine to just ignore language entirely if you don't want to deal with it.</li></ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Sidebar on Optional Lifespan: </b>Have a sidebar noting lifespans as entirely cosmetic and optional. If you want to have a human that's been around a thousand years, go for it, that's a very interesting story hook. What have they been doing all that time? This is also, as I've already said, a story-note that has been used several times in the D&D fiction. This could be a matter of 20-30 words just to bring it to the players attention as a thing that they can do.</li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;">The mixed race issue is a more difficult issue. There's no real easy way to handle this that won't step on some sticky issues that people deal with in real life. There was a suggestion to have a list of traits to pick and choose from, in which case I would perceive the core lineages in the same way as the pre-written Backgrounds as helpful templates showing how to build a lineage. In this case, I would suggest bringing back the "Custom Lineage" with a 2nd ed Skills & Powers-esque list of traits to include, but there's a problem with that. Maybe call them "Heritage Feats" or "Lineage Feats" that you can only take when building your lineage or heritage.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Dungeons and Dragons lacks something that generic games or narrative games have that makes this build your own approach very prone to problems and requiring lots of GM involvement and oversight. There's no central benchmark from which all lineages and classes are built. Every class and every lineage is built by eyeball and testing. It's not just a matter of plug and playing different modules to get the flavor desired because the modules are not equivalent. Try to value each of the traits available would be hugely complex and require a long list. I again point back in time at Skills & Powers toward the end of 2nd edition. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I wish I didn't have to say this, but it is a factor: such a heavy overhaul would also impact their bottom line as it would upset many people that would feel it invalidate recently purchased books like MotM, Van Richten's, or Fizban's. Others would find it overhauls their expectations of the game far too much and if handled poorly you'd have a repeat of the situation with 4e where a perfectly good and fun game received an undeservedly bad reputation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That said, it does cover other things. Looking to elves again. It is canonical that not all elves do the trance. The trance thing is specifically connected to those elves that are among the souls that are constantly reincarnating out of Avandor to come to the prime material planes to handle things going on here. Elves that have cut themselves off from the Seldarine do not trance, they sleep. Half-elves, sleep, not trance. So, where trance is very specifically something that not all elves do within the fiction (there are several examples within the novels), why is it an assumed situation with all PC elves? If you were to somehow do the modular situation, you'd be able to address the situation of non-Seldarine elves more easily. At the very least it feels like a side-bar or section about homebrewing variants is called for.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">I would also like to note that the game mechanic functionality of Trance is pretty much identical to a portion of "Deathless Nature" from the Reborn. So it's not like WotC isn't taking modules and plugging them in as they fit. They do the same for Fey Ancestry on goblins and elves, Powerful Build on several creatures, and a few other things. Again, though, I don't see WotC making a list of "Lineage traits/feats" and adapting a Custom Lineage that allows you to take around 3 Lineage traits as a way of handling mixed blood or supporting ease of homebrewing. For the simple fact that they're a large company by the standards of the hobby (they're pretty tiny on the wide scale, though) and they're terrified of losing customer base.<br /></div></div>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-66915506391523913832022-08-08T17:58:00.005-07:002022-08-21T20:02:37.490-07:00Rite to Blight - Caress Melani Journal - Session 10<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-bandit-kings-pets-caress-melani.html">The Bandit King's Pets</a> <br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;">"Caress Melani, I do hearby grant you the rank of Cheval, welcome to the Order of the Gauntlet," Daran Edermath declared with a concise set of gestures and the passing over of a small badge depicting the iconography of the Order with empty places that might later hold representations of increased rank. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I am glad that you changed your mind about my offer, I think you will do well in the order."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress smiled politely and nodded, brushing back a lock of hair in a good artifice of coquettish manner. "I wonder whether the rest of the Order will agree with your estimation, sir."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"And why did you accept the offer then?" the man asked giving her a knowing look.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"It occurred to me that if anyone might need a courtesan's grace, it is those who give so much of themselves, and hold so much tightly inside," she smirked in a mirror to his own expression. "Some might uncharitably suggest I see a... business opportunity."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The old half-elf blushed briefly, taken aback by the response, but chuckling in response. "Regardless, your heart is that of a defender, and that is the important thing. You will find a good place in with the order. Where do you plan on heading next?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Tonight I shall attend to my own duties," she said. "And on the morrow, we are making the trek to the ruins of Thundertree."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I see, be careful on that, I've heard rumors that the land there is cursed."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"All the better reason to investigate, then." Caress responded.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><hr /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">That evening, Caress came down in her comfortable, diaphanous robes and set up on an empty seat near the fireplace in the Stonehill Inn. She'd considered the effort of learning a musical instrument in the past, but even though she was a competent singer, her strength as a performer was recitation. There was something in the simple telling of a tale that agreed with her yuan-ti sensibilities. Perhaps it was simply that dancing and singing invited her to push too hard on her attempts to emote in manners accessible to other peoples.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBi7qP0fyLzB0ZY5Tnu_yN6V_uK6_3gw9KOMxe4YVJetn-oJaPh-39YK15KWyUAUgZ-kxRcIBmLd4Fjkw3HwyUTwXkBCAksPRG7x1Z-5LWwHfNN5yb9sV43p53Di3jH9Ov51Opz0aYKfFYIJEX4lzZ7ot-7VR4OHf5tQzCHTZzU0eraH7qztsURouppA/s1920/stonehill.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBi7qP0fyLzB0ZY5Tnu_yN6V_uK6_3gw9KOMxe4YVJetn-oJaPh-39YK15KWyUAUgZ-kxRcIBmLd4Fjkw3HwyUTwXkBCAksPRG7x1Z-5LWwHfNN5yb9sV43p53Di3jH9Ov51Opz0aYKfFYIJEX4lzZ7ot-7VR4OHf5tQzCHTZzU0eraH7qztsURouppA/w400-h225/stonehill.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A night at Stonehill Inn (references a short story by Mythram's player)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> So she sat down and began to recite the ballad of Mage and the Panther. A story regarding the Time of Troubles that focused more on the growing love between the mortals that would ascend to be the current gods of Magic and Death. Unfortunately, told to the end found the two growing apart, but it was still a pleasant story for the most part. <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"And for respect of the Lady, she cast aside her name;<br />Midnight was no more and Mystra was once again."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">She paused turned toward her sparse audience with a thoughtful look. "And it is here I suspect the love of Kelemvor and Midnight was doomed. I fear that Midnight did more than give up her name. But that is only a supposition."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress took a breath and pushed back into the recitation. She'd been told at one point these little asides were what made her recitations so entertaining, though her voice instructor had always hated it </p><p style="text-align: justify;">She watched as a woman walked up to her table and sat down at it. She recognized the widow they had rescued from the manor, Mirna Dendrar, and found a place to break off the recitation and turned her attention to the woman.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Yes, might I help you?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I don't know why I'm here... I'm not really...about women."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress smiled and leaned forward. "I can provide many services. Some physical, others more to do with providing a ear to bend." </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The yuan-ti leaned back to a straight posture again and looked about the tap room. "Would you prefer to continue this conversation in private?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Mirna thought for a moment and then shook her head. "I just want to someone to talk to."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress nodded and glanced briefly toward the innkeeper. "Tea or wine?"<br /></p><hr />
<p style="text-align: left;">The trip west and north was quick and there was a night spent in Neverwinter before they came to the village to find a sign speaking of "plant monsters" and zombies.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Whoever had posted the sign had certainly not been kidding. At least so Caress thought as she stabbed radiant-imbued dagger into the chest of a corrupted, ambulatory bush, shriveling it up within the divine light. There were plenty of these twig blights around, raised up out of some lingering corruption along with the ash zombies that they'd also encountered and which Lyra had scoured clean away from the face of Faerun.</p><p style="text-align: left;">However, the sign didn't have much to say about the giant spiders. Caress heard Mythram fighting as she tried her best to get over and across the walls, failing the jump and landing painfully on her back. Behind her, a cascade of moonlight slammed down around the twig-blights she'd just left and she could hear them shrieking as they died in the light... their scream being joined by Mythrams. Getting to her feet, Caress moved over to the rotten wall and pulled herself over it, landing beside the Sharran and reaching out to purge the spider's poison from her veins.</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJrxqKUyxC0wHUzF5IYGgp5AdEXWYMmfTj-QrV2XdDqlLKgvpvz0cF8ZH-ArL0OPpGVcYgJZ4x3fDAliPGn4cKHw_mXIaN6anE_Z48bLkGDCd1zI4YtPsTBdsSwJEQjDmNOpns9EyTHXWUbxhff-X3RFbLDaCIZtH_prvn7waUaH2fXQyG186cZIzQLA/s1920/thundertree.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJrxqKUyxC0wHUzF5IYGgp5AdEXWYMmfTj-QrV2XdDqlLKgvpvz0cF8ZH-ArL0OPpGVcYgJZ4x3fDAliPGn4cKHw_mXIaN6anE_Z48bLkGDCd1zI4YtPsTBdsSwJEQjDmNOpns9EyTHXWUbxhff-X3RFbLDaCIZtH_prvn7waUaH2fXQyG186cZIzQLA/w400-h225/thundertree.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blights and Zombies and Spiders Beyond, Oh my<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> A moment later and the rogue was landing a telling blow just moments before the ray of moonlight flowed down from above and shriveled the beast up. Which left them to speak to the druid that had the task of monitoring the infestation of blights and zombies at Thundertree.<p></p><p style="text-align: left;">"It's a wonder Venombite hasn't come down to see what all the fighting is about. Him or that cult over there, worshipping him."</p><p style="text-align: left;"> Did you just say that the cult of the dragon is here?" Caress asked.</p><p style="text-align: left;">"The cult of the dragon?" Ravyn asked, taking out quill and journal as the yuan-ti turned to look at him. </p><p style="text-align: left;">"As the name suggests, a cult obsessed with dragons," she explained. "They have a practice of traveling about trying to sell dragons on the idea of becoming a dracolich."</p><p style="text-align: left;">"They're definitely a menace," the druid said. <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">"Well, maybe we can shove this cult on a bit, and perhaps the dragon?" Lyra said.</p><p style="text-align: left;">"If you could it would certainly make my job easier," the druid noted.</p><p style="text-align: left;">"It would be irresponsible to have a group of the cult of the dragon so close to... any settlement," Caress commented.</p><p style="text-align: left;">"Are we really certain that we can handle a dragon?"</p><p style="text-align: left;">"He's kind of a young dragon," the druid commented.</p><p style="text-align: left;">"First things first," Mythram noted. "We were sent here to retrieve some belongings from a house here. Can you direct us to the Alchemist's shop? We'll discuss the other matters later."</p><p style="text-align: left;">"Sure, and maybe this way you won't go waking up every bundle of blights in the area."</p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-cult-and-dragon-caress-melani.html">The Cult and the Dragon </a><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/05/caress-melani-tyranny-of-dragons-yuan.html" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #993300; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;">Caress's Journal Page</a></p><p></p>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-70300938707857532772022-07-24T18:25:00.007-07:002022-08-08T18:01:08.142-07:00The Bandit King's Pets - Caress Melani Journal - Session 9<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/07/moonlit-laughter-caress-melani-journal.html">Moonlit Laughter</a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Some builds borrowed from the Hero Forge community library with minor alterations: Goblins, Hobgoblin, King Grol, wolf, various paladins, and doppleganger. </i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Targor proved slippery than expected, or at least Caress proved to be a poorer guard than expected, as the hobgoblin lieutenant slipped his bonds on the second day back to Phandalin. However, this did give the party a clear trail to follow which led them straight to the place that they had been seeking: Cragmaw Castle. They once again came upon Targor arguing with a guard, but this time they did not politely take him prisoner. Instead as they noticed Caress's noisy approach, an arrow from Mythram removed him permanently from their concern.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">At this point, the guards called out an attack and everybody moved forward. Lyra vanished in a swirl of unseasonably red and yellow leaves reappearing within a guard post along with two goblins, one of which was charmed by the sudden appearance of the beautiful fae creature. The other was less impressed. Unfortunately, the guard outside ignored Ravyn's spell, only to be killed by a blast of hellish fire as he struck the Warlock. Caress darted around the corner to support Lyra, though unfortunately her clattering approach warned the bandits and the wily goblin dodged aside of her blessed dagger.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFB4lP070Shq6wPlDMt1n6iPyOCkm3jcvGmENFQRuYmYn-PfBSoD0ifMRFm7fZ7Y89WFK2zCfuKtqJLMwOZIvhTIgMpSlf-aD-OJRyzatlSq0BOyV15ZW8DArdCBnC5NeVSrR8vn7qFrwevbiwEdnohRvJaGLPRJaPdwMUovlCMfzQEhdwsKmjW3udw/s1920/grick.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFB4lP070Shq6wPlDMt1n6iPyOCkm3jcvGmENFQRuYmYn-PfBSoD0ifMRFm7fZ7Y89WFK2zCfuKtqJLMwOZIvhTIgMpSlf-aD-OJRyzatlSq0BOyV15ZW8DArdCBnC5NeVSrR8vn7qFrwevbiwEdnohRvJaGLPRJaPdwMUovlCMfzQEhdwsKmjW3udw/w400-h225/grick.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where'd the grick come from? </td></tr></tbody></table><br /> Lyra vanished again, moving to the source of more noise and unleashing a cascade of fire upon the dining room of the goblins, apparently killing the head cook in the process. Though the eladrin did run afoul of a deadfall trap in the process. <span></span><p></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ravyn and Mythram moved into the center of the hallway, finishing off the central guards and moving out of the line of sight of the southern arrow-slits just as a door opened and presented Caress with several hobgoblins even as goblins spilled in to assault Mythram and Ravyn and the dining room started trying to bash its way through Lyra's arcane shields.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Caress managed to stay firm with some healing aid from Mythram. Though she was having some issues getting a solid blow on the bandits, she switched from the dagger to the whip for the increased range, but dropped the dagger in the process. Ravyn's eldritch blast slammed one bandit into a wall, the force twisting his bones into bizarre shapes though they were still finding their resources and luck spread thin. A moonbeam cascaded down at Lyra's command supporting first Caress and then herself, burning through several bandits.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In another room, they heard chants to Maglubiyet, but that was quickly cut off as Mythram drew a bead on the chanter and released an arrow straight for them. A moment or two later and one of the bandits battling Caress broke off and opened a door, after which the sound of an animalistic shrieking and a hobgoblin screaming echoed through the halls. Caress found her enemies finally starting to find holes in her defenses even as she whittled them down.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">A grick burst into the room pursuing a hobgoblin who was then killed incinerated by the radiant forces of Lyra's moonbeam, leaving the rest of the living beings here to deal with a monster angry that his beloved master had been killed. The beast set upon Mythram almost immediately harrying the rogue and warlock.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Making a break for it to fall back to where she could have range, Ravyn tried to get clear of the melee, only to be pursued by a bandit that dropped her. A moment later though and the imp that had been helping the adventurers by whispering secrets into their ears broke out of its invisibility to stab the goblin that downed their master. And then Caress, finally clear of foes, darted around the corner to heal the warlock. She started to look to Lyra who had exhausted the charges of her staff's magic for the day but was advised to heal herself by Ravyn and Mythram.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The remaining goblins fled the grick, getting cut down in their flight as Lyra stepped out, looking heavily battered and unleashed a burst of fire to reduce the grick to cinders and the final bandit was slain in flight by one of Mythram's arrows. After which the party took a moment to hole up in the barracks and catch their breath before moving deeper.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Some cursory exploration found a desecrated shrine to one of the many Faerunian gods and two sleeping hobgoblins whom Mythram slew, pointing out that Caress's suggestion to tie them up was too dangerous with her making too much noise. Then they opened the door with the owlbear. At first they just locked the door back up in the room. But calling upon Sharess's blessing, Caress managed to convince the Owlbear to just leave and they weren't interested in killing it. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Unfortunately, in trying to clear out of the Owlbear's line of egress, Lyra ran afoul of a massive bugbear, apparently King Grol, who called out to a confederate to "finish quickly" as their were adventurers. The owlbear burst out, fleeing a moonbeam and shoving Mythram and Caress across the room as it fled the castle out into the forest. Hearing sounds of violence and struggle, Ravyn sent her imp past Grol to see what was going on and interrupted a drow trying to slit the throat of their employer.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Mythram kipped up and breezed past King Grol and his wolf snarl, practically melting through them in an absurdly precise acrobatic display before coming up behind the drow and unleashing a swirl of steel that took the killer by such surprise that they dropped their disguise to reveal that they were a doppleganger. Which left Caress to fill the door and block Grol's access to Lyra and Ravyn, just as Lyra teleported again to move to where the imp and Mythram were dealing with the doppleganger. After shifting her moonbeam to come down upon Grol and his wolf. The eladrin turned her attention to trying to save the life of the dwarf as Mythram danced around the doppleganger.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pjVD9cOB15fLG9TWsttQr-cIa5rSdawYQWJgZQwAUs2Ria1A1Wv092PLDEfdGJgNG3_vsarqDPxNwt47JMd6nxnlKO8QQoTz5TJlO9lfz_eDMO3-Kxt0y5rztQgpZEK5zDyFbhKucAUZAqKlEVgLZM3oRqQTRfubPIrFgEPDmbNmqsWb5cPH4o7CAg/s1920/grol.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pjVD9cOB15fLG9TWsttQr-cIa5rSdawYQWJgZQwAUs2Ria1A1Wv092PLDEfdGJgNG3_vsarqDPxNwt47JMd6nxnlKO8QQoTz5TJlO9lfz_eDMO3-Kxt0y5rztQgpZEK5zDyFbhKucAUZAqKlEVgLZM3oRqQTRfubPIrFgEPDmbNmqsWb5cPH4o7CAg/w400-h225/grol.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rogues gonna rogue.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>From over Caress's shoulder, Ravyn's eldritch blast tore through the wolf and Grol fended off Caress's whip once, twice, but not a third time before the smiting the beast. Ropes of celestial twine erupted from the swirls of Caress's whip wrapping about the bandit king's arms and legs, but the warrior shrugged them aside easily a moment before a blast of powerful ice lashed out from Lyra and slew the bandit finally.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">That left them to see to Gundren and wrap up the investigation of the bandit lair before making their way south to Phandalin, short one prisoner, but up one rescuee. The LuckSister Garaele promised to look after the dwarf though she lacked the power to cast the spell that would hasten his recovery. Likewise they received accolades and rewards from Daran Edermath and though the mayor was quick to minimize their importance and gain the credit for himself.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the aftermath, several interesting invitations came to the party. A Harper pin was passed on to Ravyn and Daran Edermath suggested that he might be able to induct Caress into the Order of the Gauntlet.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">"I'm not certain I'd quite fit into your group," Caress said. "I think I shall maintain a relationship with the Gauntlet as supplicants rather than comrades." She was considering that paladins of Tyr, Torm, Hoar, and especially Helm might not be especially welcoming to a courtesan of Sharess.<br /><br />"Well, if you change your mind, Daran," said. "I may be retired but I can provide you with the rank of Chevall."<br /><br />"I shall... consider... " Caress said.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutjVOg-zcPx3zH7JvkMC0CK_mmTXTVvFxDCr1BkuSYJotrRF9H3gxQ79ptYIsJN0HG0RG40Lqy9CTJT9bECubi6gfvFuj9idfF6x0UFBWIxCOC1f7YLYyCvAXtz_UUEbKYGx8oWM07l_plG0L9UB-Xsg5B8DUGgAHCaDq3CU1DGaiiZ0f1ojMXmKLqg/s1920/orderofthegauntlet.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutjVOg-zcPx3zH7JvkMC0CK_mmTXTVvFxDCr1BkuSYJotrRF9H3gxQ79ptYIsJN0HG0RG40Lqy9CTJT9bECubi6gfvFuj9idfF6x0UFBWIxCOC1f7YLYyCvAXtz_UUEbKYGx8oWM07l_plG0L9UB-Xsg5B8DUGgAHCaDq3CU1DGaiiZ0f1ojMXmKLqg/w400-h225/orderofthegauntlet.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Would the Gauntlet really accept me?</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/08/deep-seeded-blight-caress-melani.html">Rite to Blight </a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/05/caress-melani-tyranny-of-dragons-yuan.html" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #993300; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;">Caress's Journal Page</a></p>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-21454885540707107342022-07-10T21:37:00.005-07:002022-07-24T18:25:47.264-07:00Moonlit Laughter - Caress Melani Journal - Session 8<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/06/remnants-of-ruin-caress-melani-journal.html">Remnants of Ruin</a> <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The shrine is a question that would have to wait for later. No one still lived that knew the whole truth of the matter, save the gods, and they weren't likely to reveal such information upon demand. In the meantime, they had more tasks to look into in this part of the region. More straightforward rumors of unwise ruins explorers and bandits. And that was something that both needed attention and which they could attend to right now. So, after a rest in the hollow remnants of Conyberry, they headed south to Old Owl Well. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Caress was not much of a student of history, but this well was one that turned up rather frequently in tales of battles both ancient and rather closer to the current time. She wasn't sure why the place was a focus of conflict so often, but it was, and that history apparently went all the way back to the days of the Netherese and their empire of floating cities and magocratic tyranny. The Netherese had made enough of a headache of themselves in recent history, it would be unfortunate if anybody decided to try to renew their efforts to conquer and oppress the Realms.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As they approached the tower, the spell of corpseflesh wafted down from the ruins. Caress and Mythram split in two different directions, moving stealthily along the walls before Ravyn's imp flitted invisibly forward to scout out the situation. Already Caress had a line of sight on a handful of zombies shambling at some task visible through breaks in the crumbling stone walls. Ravyn pantomimed some strange hand signals that Caress took to be a count and something about a hat or hair? The wiggly hands and gestures toward Lyra and raising her arcane focus seemed to indicate that the person with the hat? hair? was some sort of spell caster. Caress nodded and readied her whip and shield for the signal to be given.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWG7qohnjMacC5o4v2Ng1QCDEFqaaiBlO1BxAPCb9sVXISxEegtQHWxVszR25CQwitcr2J0y4fqHEV5ps_qM4mdiI74TD5wIBOC__XJ9N4yzOtBB_1SX_jVvWqtnVypfvvmnX7ZN7R6vq5ktoO0vjC49hBzUDTYkWkQsvgV8l-BVF6VyZcUGg5e0VQ9A/s1920/zombiesbymoonlight.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWG7qohnjMacC5o4v2Ng1QCDEFqaaiBlO1BxAPCb9sVXISxEegtQHWxVszR25CQwitcr2J0y4fqHEV5ps_qM4mdiI74TD5wIBOC__XJ9N4yzOtBB_1SX_jVvWqtnVypfvvmnX7ZN7R6vq5ktoO0vjC49hBzUDTYkWkQsvgV8l-BVF6VyZcUGg5e0VQ9A/w400-h225/zombiesbymoonlight.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zombies by Moonlight<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The signal was the descent of shimmering silver striking down from the sky onto the tent that presumably held the caster. Immediately, the yuan-ti courtesan rushed forward to the entrance of the tower, ignoring the strangled cries of pain that erupted from the tent. Once there, she found a small mob of zombies wielding shovels and picks interrupted their work and slowly turned to face Caress. Behind her, a bald man with a red robe tore out of the tent into the courtyard where his troubles were cut short by an arrow that Mythram had been holding ready.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">As the zombies pressed forward they battered against Caress's shield as her allies positioned themselves behind her. The blinding pillar of moonlight shifted from the tent behind before parting the sky above and dropping down into the mass of the zombies just in front of her. Lashing out with her Sharess-blessed whip, she struck into one of the zombies, whittling them down as the moonlight burned down into them. The sheer press of dead zombies battered at her and she felt scales dislodged and flesh bruised as rotten, cracked nails tore at her, trying to get past her shield and scale mail. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As the last of the mob fell to the barrage of moonlight, blessed weapons, arrows, and eldritch force, Caress stepped back away to catch her breath and tend to her injuries. In the meantime, the others scanned the site, finding some documents that had been untouched by the moonlight as well as an enchanted ring that reportedly carried some form of protective enchantment. The mage was a Red Wizard of Thay, making the entire thing that much more distasteful and suspect, but whatever the man might have been here to do, they weren't going to be able to get any answers from him now. Hopefully, this wasn't something that would come back to haunt them in the future.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This left just the bandits to attend to down at Wyvern Tor. They traveled a little ways off and camped for the night. Mythram later reported that an orc hunting party passed in the night, but otherwise everything passed calmly and the hunting party never found them, or at least decided the party wasn't worth disturbing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The next day, they approached a cave at the foot of the cliffside at Wyvern Tor and found a hobgoblin angrily speaking to a disinterested orc watchman.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">"You must let me in to see Brughor Axe-Biter. You simpleton bandits should make haste to join the Black Spider and ally yourself with King Grol's aims. King Grol who has placed a bounty on the adventurers that will almost certainly be making their way to this place even now. Do you think that your depredations have gone unnoticed?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was at this point that Mythram's arrow lodged itself into the watchman's face. Now the hobgoblin turned to face them, growing quiet and putting his hands forward in a sign of surrender. Caress set her whip onto her belt as she stepped forward to tie the man up as deftly as the party had grown used to. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">"You're the one who carries the bounty!" Targor said as he saw Lyra step forward.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Bounty of 25 Gold," Mythram said, reading a scrap of parchment. "With a rather poorly drawn likeness of you Lyra." <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Why specifically, does she have a bounty?" Caress asked, smiling as Yuan-Ti as it was possible for her to do so. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The hobgoblin hesitated a moment before answering. "Presumably because she carries the Glassstaff."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"That seems a rather poor bounty for something like the Glasstaff," Lyra noted. "Your average mercenary would be more likely to sell it off than turn it in for the price you're offering."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Hmph. You underestimate the value of getting a good reputation with King Grol and the Black Spider."<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"So, you work for this Black Spider, then?" Ravyn asked.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Bah, I am Targor the Blood-Sword, successor to King Grol. I'm far more than some petty mercenary." Almost immediately the hobgoblin's expression revealed that he had regretted his words and had given away too much information. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Raven's familiar slipped invisibly into the cave, bringing word of more bandits and Mythram stepped away from the interrogations as she turned toward the cave and started to look into the cave. She hit the cave mouth just at the wrong moment as an orc cook turned to see her silhouetted against the night sky and then the alarm was given.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Caress finished up securing Targor and shoved him to the ground as she grabbed her whip and jumped to the mouth of the cave a moment before Lyra's chanting voice called down a new shaft of moonlight upon the head of the orcs within. Caress's chanting joined the Selunite sorceress's as she called upon Sharess's blessing to boost the efforts of Mythram, Ravyn, and herself. The Sharan, meanwhile pulled back from the entrance to let Caress take the mouth.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Confident that she could handle a few orc bandits, the yuan-ti paladin was suddenly a bit less confident as an ogre charged through the moonlight, barely noticing the singing radiance to come into the cave and start winding up the greatclub to smash down upon Caress. From behind her, Ravyn's voice took on an eerie tone as she spoke a joke of questionable humor, but the nature of the joke mattered little as the magic behind it drilled heavily into the ogre's mind and set a barrage of hideous laughter that sent the ogre tumbling to the ground.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzG8FkEwQlpUe7GcQ6U2OLBHcSmzE2DiTJaUiGGmSAgl1de2iHCE-xPg2djCYZb-2YHOpI9rXtdl8mxivLnDIIEg3BHOZJGPJ10wWNTLS5na7AkG7VlZRO6ntRdTmMbIdta5jVv4KKjFrwYt-4MrdJk-utTxqBddlVJletL3Qihy01UgZh6Og4HmQHLg/s1920/laughtiup.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzG8FkEwQlpUe7GcQ6U2OLBHcSmzE2DiTJaUiGGmSAgl1de2iHCE-xPg2djCYZb-2YHOpI9rXtdl8mxivLnDIIEg3BHOZJGPJ10wWNTLS5na7AkG7VlZRO6ntRdTmMbIdta5jVv4KKjFrwYt-4MrdJk-utTxqBddlVJletL3Qihy01UgZh6Og4HmQHLg/w400-h225/laughtiup.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King Laugh will not be denied<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Try not to hurt him if you can avoid it!" Ravyn called out. "It'll break the spell!"<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Orc or Targo?" Mythram called out.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Targo." Caress returned, interested in keeping the fight as one-fronted as possible.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mythram nodded and darted over to pound her the pommel of her shortsword into Targo's face, who responded by badly pretending to be unconscious. More orcs appeared hesitating at the barrier of the moonbeam which was searing into the flesh of the orc cook, only to have fragments of the sacred flame peel off and lash into their mortal flesh. The Eladrin then stepped forward and vanished into a burst of dust and moonlight, leaving the ogre's laughter to suddenly take on a terrified urgency.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Behind them, an especially burly orc appeared and grumbled, picking up a box and hurling it at the ogre. The ogre's laughter hesistated a moment before it reasserted itself fully, leaving the orc to curse the situation. Seeing what was coming, Caress lashed out with her blessed whip, striking the ogre and tensing as the pain drove the ogre to try the bonds of the spell again and fail again. When another orc shoved through the moonlight and kicked the giantkin, however, that did the trick and the beast reared up with his greatclub to smash into Caress... only for the ogre to glance toward Lyra and a flicker of panic sent the club veering aside and missing Caress.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">A moment later came yet another joke and the laughter took hold of the ogre yet again. From behind the great laughing beast, orcs tossed javelins trying to strike the sorceress who dodged the first strike and used the claimed Glasstaff to block the remaining two from striking her by raising a crystalline dome of force.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The familiar continued to search the cave for more enemies and anything useful, Ravyn sending her own vision into the creature to guide it, but could find very little of use. Lyra stepped forward and unleashed a cascade of silvery fire, killing the orc cook and searing the ogre, who continued to laugh. She considered fey stepping away but choose to stay where she was for the moment, and then the orc warlord, presumably Brughor, tried and failed again to snap the ogre out of his enchanted laughter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Caress's whip whirled twice over her head before lashing out with a golden smiting light that burned into the ogre's very spirit, but he giantkin held on to life, even as the joke refused to release it. An orc then scrambled past the yuan-ti only to make a horribly incompetent attempt to strike Lyra with the great axe. The next two orcs similarly tried to leap over the ogre's body, but were shoved off by Caress. Behind the paladin, Mythram lashed out with her blades, bringing the orc in their back ranks to regret his life choices.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Hey, you, with the boxes! Try one of these!" Lyra called out, a flash of silver erupting from her eyes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Similarly arcane sparks erupted from within Brughor's skull and he clutched at his head, howling in pain and shock. In that moment, all his cunning plans were torn asunder and he could only focus on the simplest of actions. He was only barely aware that the source of his psychic torment had teleported away from the front lines.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Caress glanced over her shoulder to see Lyra escaping the battle and the orc standing immediately behind her and lashed out with her whip again, a stray fragment of Sharess's radiance dislodged from the whip as Caress focused the bulk of its attention forward. This fragment slipped into the rear orc's mouth and seared the bandit's skull from the inside out, overcharging the soul such that the very eyes burned out like a charred cathedral. And then he slumped forward as the bulk of the smite slammed down into the ogre, which still stubbornly clung to life.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">An eldritch blast lashed out from Ravyn, striking hard and accurately into Brughor as the orc still struggled with the psionic assault. Another orc slipped over the laughing ogre and brought his axe down into Mythram as his partner panicked and looked about for a spare Javelin. Gritting her teeth, Mythram lashed out with her shortsword, striking the orc deeply and watching as the life left the bandit's eyes. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ahead, the whip cracked again, and the ogre's laughter ended in a choking death rattle as the Yuan-ti cracked her whip to clear the blood from its blessed length and stood straight in the entrance, casually eyeing the remaining bandits, Brughor and one other orc. And then an eldritch blast cut over her shoulder, messily imploding Brughor's rib cage and splattering him across the cave. At which point the remaining orc dropped his weapons and backed away, hands empty.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I do believe we've won." Ravyn said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Caress stepped forward to tie up the orc in what was possibly the most disturbingly comfortable way he'd ever been tied up before. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"You... you can let me go. I'll go into exile. You'll never see me again."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The party discussed it a moment, before agreeing to let the orc leave... once they'd had a chance to recover. But as for Targor... Targor was directly related to their kidnapped employer. He'd be coming with them to Phandalin.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-bandit-kings-pets-caress-melani.html">The Bandit King's Pets</a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/05/caress-melani-tyranny-of-dragons-yuan.html" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #993300; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;">Caress's Journal Page</a></div><span><!--more--></span><span><!--more--></span>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-15935457983310708672022-07-02T11:08:00.008-07:002022-08-29T18:52:11.449-07:00The Second Round - South through the Wastes - Session Three<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/05/call-of-netherdeep-second-round.html">Journal Page </a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/06/the-second-round-jewel-of-three-prayers.html">The Jewel of Three Prayers</a> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-second-rounds-meetings-and-prologues.html"><br /></a>The first couple of days travel were fairly relaxed, though the grim nature of the surroundings did damper a lot of the calm. Passing between the spines erupting from the ground here and there with increasing frequency to the east as they approach the sheer mountains looming there. The first encounter of note they had was with a troop of six Aurora Watch soldiers and their scout Devin, a drow woman who also was an exceptional cook. They exchanged news with the patrol about the surroundings. The patrol did seem to think there wasn't that much going on that was above the normal, but Devin pointed out that they'd seen a gloomstalker in the distance. <span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Snype was alerted by this, having seen the taxidermied body of a gloomstalker from the days of Vox Machina's conflicts with the cult of the Whispered One. It is a shadowy, winged monster with paralytic shrieks that raises the dead and seeks to kill and consume beings. She also alerted them that gloomstalkers are sensitive to bright lights. Noting down the concern, they continued speaking and were told that there were two other Aurora Watch patrols in the area. They set down for the night and picked up the next day.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">It was a couple of days later when they encountered the second of the local patrols. The sound of battle carried to them from down the road and they soon came to see another group of veterans beset by a pack of demonic manes. The group immediately leapt into action with Imvenda taking to the skies and Elara summoning a shaft of searing moonlight down from the sky to incinerate two of the manes and Esoh dropping a bonfire of necrotic flame upon another before toppling it with a telekinetic shove. Snype advanced to shoot one of the distant demonic spirits leave the near one for Tarre who was set up to smash the first one that came near her. The manes were being destroyed one after another by the group but then a massive form appeared around one of the massive spires. A hezrou chuckling sinisterly and diverting the eldritch blast unleashed on it by Imvenda.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The veterans tried to hold back away from the hezrou and its aura of stench as the manes were continuously destroyed before their distraction could be used to the hezrou's benefit. Irvan Wastewalker found his attacks frustrated as his poison could find no purchase on the demons and he had to be pulled out of the range of the hezrou's stench by Galsariad's dunamancy. In the back, Anaalch's horse bolted at the scent of demons and broke free of the reins, tipping the cart over and spilling her to the ground and drawing Tarre away to handle that.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcwHCaj-yDQgNC8CK7P5Oql0XQ6Q8M37db52-Or-kMFTXMXmEENpqBY_WB01hvOFNAIyzEvizWPi3nc9WFUK1yNhe_bKX7NbnOZV7oBVlofSByEHlu75HmLk-hoCNKp-xvR22xvEcUmIzgXaNGEbI2tBqXLCm6vhQc7a-TEqIC8RJ3xgn8SmFQuDuEg/s1920/hezrou.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcwHCaj-yDQgNC8CK7P5Oql0XQ6Q8M37db52-Or-kMFTXMXmEENpqBY_WB01hvOFNAIyzEvizWPi3nc9WFUK1yNhe_bKX7NbnOZV7oBVlofSByEHlu75HmLk-hoCNKp-xvR22xvEcUmIzgXaNGEbI2tBqXLCm6vhQc7a-TEqIC8RJ3xgn8SmFQuDuEg/w400-h225/hezrou.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guiding Bolts, Bullets, and Necrotic Fire<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">With the manes eliminated, the veterans were having trouble striking the hezrou, with one of them succumbing to the demon's stench and retching their lunch out onto the ground. But the Rivals and Second Round poured moonlight, eldritch forces, expert marksmanship, and scribe modified spells into the creature. Wearing it down bit by bit, the hezrou was sent back to the Abyss by Maggie Keeneye's giant's maul. Things began to calm down as the essence of the souls bound up into the manes were leashed as glowing motes up into the sky.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The patrol reported that it felt like more things were leaking out of Bazzoxan recently, but maybe that was just there own feelings. Also, one of the drow bemoaned having missed the festival of merit and one of the human soldiers spoke of not having seen Rosohna in close to two years. Their last leave they were only able to get to Asarius. After healing the soldier who'd been overwhelmed by the hezrou's stench, they moved on until it was time to set down for a camp.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">As they neared the Emerald Loop caravan stop, a dip in the road revealed an overturned wagon. Imvenda and Esoh's raven Quoth did an aerial circuit and Snype circled about as well. Seeing signs of tiny but numerous lightning strikes, which Esoh immediately associated with stories of will-o-wisps that sometimes could be found in the region. She also saw that the wagon was marked with the same symbol and crest as the wagon they were current protected, owned by the Gramemist merchant family.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Being told about the potential of invisible spirits, Elara called upon the light of Sarenrae to cover the wagon with a scattering of sparkling light that clung about a floating ball of light and immediately the spirits attacked, dropping out of invisibility in order to strike the adventurers. The wisps were nimble and hard to nail down, but over time and with help from Dermot's blessing and the Faerie Fire cast by Elara and Anaalch combined with the devastating area effects cast by Esoh and Imvenda, they were </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhdJO221gk4hk274GQV8tk4v4VdxwqB3kVh_iC77dzk23i0ECp-fRti0gfAposEtcIRj6wFvH1ExupDq0YH55E6pYHQnTYfx36xaPbFBS2iUyUNQqgaBeLTdeedJVR2FcGVt4R0HDlkjmT-GxTG211WR0ZT2awC3wmAMwRkTKrWxjvy3gcfqWbDA8EQ/s1920/wisps.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhdJO221gk4hk274GQV8tk4v4VdxwqB3kVh_iC77dzk23i0ECp-fRti0gfAposEtcIRj6wFvH1ExupDq0YH55E6pYHQnTYfx36xaPbFBS2iUyUNQqgaBeLTdeedJVR2FcGVt4R0HDlkjmT-GxTG211WR0ZT2awC3wmAMwRkTKrWxjvy3gcfqWbDA8EQ/w400-h225/wisps.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hexblade vs Wisps<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />able to whittle down the wisps one by one, though Maggie, Imvenda, and Esoh suffered much from their attention.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">As the wisps were shattered finally, the spirits of two women, a drow and a hobgoblin, drifted up whispering "thank you" and then seeing Anaalch looking up at them. Their eyes widened and they managed a wave and gesture before dissipating on to the ether.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Anaalch looked on in confusion and building tension saying "Moms....?" in the wake of their disappearance.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-second-round-arrival-at-bazzoxan.html">The Arrival of Bazzoxan</a></p>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-34360117582427072042022-07-02T09:19:00.003-07:002022-07-02T09:19:34.346-07:00Monster of the Week: Anthology<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I have started running Monster of the Week one-shots, the idea is to build out a world story by story and I'm currently using this as filler for when other people can't make a game.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mysteries:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul><li><a href="http://thrythlind.blogspot.com/2022/06/the-haunting-of-new-signika-monster-of.html">The Haunting of New Signika</a><br /></li></ul></div><p style="text-align: left;">Hunters</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;">Kylie Brown - The Mundane</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Tess "Tinmother" Richter - The Flake</li></ul><p style="text-align: justify;">Phenomena</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Cursed Possessions - Items which function as apertures into the mortal world to allow dangerous ghosts influence.</li><li>"Angry Letters" - Purple, eldritch letters cut into objects by the rune awl. They seem to have some level of animation and agency. Can be scooped off objects and trapped in containers.<br /></li></ul><p>Creatures</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Hunting Ghosts - Puppeted forms of past victims of the Cursed Possessions</li></ul><p> Objects </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> Rune Awl - A handle that can produce a subtle supernatural blade which can be used to chisel eldritch writing into things. Used in Big Magic rituals.<br /></li></ul>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-806965769990029821.post-42596746036174138832022-06-29T21:27:00.003-07:002022-06-29T21:39:10.910-07:00The Haunting of New Signika - Monster of the Week: Anthology<div style="text-align: justify;">On the edge where the city was creeping into the fields, two cars drove along a road that had been freshly paved probably no longer than a season past. They passed along several sites of carefully marked and roped off lots. A handful of them were active construction sites, laying the foundation or raising the skeletal framework of a house to be. In other cases the materials had been delivered and lay stacked in weather-proofed containers waiting for a crew to be assigned. In one or two places, a building stood nearly complete but the cars drove past these up to the only house within sight that lay entirely complete. They pulled side by side into the driveway as people exited them. A tall and thin woman smiled as she stepped out of the small, cube-like black car and waved to the two people stepping out of the silver four-door car.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Mark, Erica, I you're pleased with the way the house turned out. I think you chose one of the best of our floorplans." Her silver-grey hair was neatly kept and lay against her sandy-bark skin as she smiled broader than her face seemed able to fit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"It's beautiful, Pepper." The speaker was a plump, round woman not much older than twenty, certainly no more than twenty-five. Beside was a similarly young man with a healthy but soft face and a pair of round glasses that slipped down his nose until he pushed it back up.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"So, it's ready for the furniture and everything?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"That's right, by the time you're married and back from your honeymoon, the movers will have delivered all the furniture and everything else. Then you can move things around as you want at the pace you want.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Two floors and a basement, right?" the young man asked.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"And six bedrooms on the second floor," Pepper confirmed. "You must be planning a large family."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"For now it's guest rooms," Erica said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Yeah, we don't have any plans for children or more partners yet." Mark added. "But it's a hope for the future."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Worse comes to worse we get offices and they stay guest rooms."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I'm sure everything will come off fine," Pepper said with a smile as she stepped to the side. "Congratulations. You're officially homeowners..." </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">She stepped off the driveway onto the lawn and stumbled slightly, looking down at the slightly squishy feeling that came from her foot stepping onto the grass.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Looks like we better go around to the paving stones, I don't think the turf has taken to the ground yet."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">She didn't look down to see the sticky crimson fluid that oozed out of the edges of the turf square she had stepped on.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">--------</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Hello, Aunt Tess, what's up?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Hey, Kylie, I was wondering if you might drive me out to that new development. New Signika." </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I guess, what's over there?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">"A haunted house of course. What else?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">"A haunted..." there was a long suffering sigh as Kylie shook her head. "Fine, I suppose you have all the gear you need?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Everything but a car, that's right. So bring that, I can carry everything else into it."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ten minutes later and Tess Richter was sitting beside Kylie in her car as they drove out past the neighborhoods they were familiar with and into the lots of New Signika. There were a few more finished houses and quite a few more in various stages of construction, but it was still very much a place that was in between being one thing and another. That Liminal edge between settled and fallow.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Coming up to the house, they found a silver four-door car in the driveway and the two stepped out. Something prickled at Kylie's worries and she found herself wandering to the gated fence as Tess walked up the door and knocked on it, listening to the sound of clattering from within the house.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Hello, just... just go away."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I'm hear about the post on the forum, you were talking about troubles?" Tess said as the door partially opened to reveal a nervous and wide-eyed young woman staring at her through the crack in the door.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Wha...what are you talking about?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Listen there was a forum post about this house, with pictures and everything saying you were having a haunting. I'm very much an expert in this sort of thing."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"You...you are? An expert."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Absolutely, my niece and I have absolutely dealt with at least one strange phenomena already and we absolutely survived it, as is obvious."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kylie meanwhile leaned down to see a weird sort of glowing purple light. And then there was a clatter from the yard as the gate slammed open, clearly driven by wind and knocking Kylie back on her ass into the squishy soft lawn. She reached down and came up with a leather bound handle in her hands and a slick covering of blood all over her hands.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Aunt Tess!"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The nervous round woman stepped out, leaving the door open behind her, and walked across to see where the noise was coming from. "What are you doing over there?!"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">"What am I... why is there blood in your lawn?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">As Kylie Brown and the young homeowner argued, Tess Richter slipped into the house and walked back to see the source of the clattering sound before. She walked past a wide living room and to the kitchen in the back of the first floor and saw the entire contents of the kitchen scattered about the floor. She had long enough to take in the absolute mess.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Standing up, she looked around seeing swirls of purplish letters all about the room, and grabbed a jar and started trying to scrape the purplish letters into the jar. She almost managed it before it shook free and then all the clattered item lifted up as the house shook like it was the center of an earthquake. A spoon launched itself forward, slamming into her forehead and the jar clattered back, unleashing most of the letters back into the world. Though she managed to keep one of the letters in the jar.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Outside, Kylie rushed past Erica and shook at the door only to find it locked. While shaking at the door and trying to force it open, she missed it as the porch light started flashing wildly, up until it burst into a blinding light. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I told Mark we shouldn't have asked for help! It's mad now!"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A moment later and the door had popped open and Kylie found herself being shoved into the house and locked within. As her eyes cleared she found a strange lock that could only be opened from outside and called back into the house for her Aunt Tess. She turned about in time to see a blinking corpse shambling closer to her Aunt and shrieked, pointing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Turning about, Tess dodged around the reaching ghost and laid eyes upon a strange mirror hanging upon the wall. It had an unsettling aura and she reached out with it to slam it down upon the shambling corpse and the whole of the specter is sucked up into the mirror, but not before the ghost could reach out to touch her and she felt herself being drained away.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We need a second mirror!"<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Got it." Kylie rushed upstairs and searched about, grabbing a hand mirror from a restroom she was about to rush down when she noted the raw and bloody rib cage upon the floor and screamed as she rushed down to hand the mirror to Tess who immediately set about rigging the second mirror facing the first. The house started shaking again and the two stared at each other.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We've got to go."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Wracked with pain, Tess moved forward, Kylie seeing her trouble and guiding her forward insistently. But that left them separated as the door slammed shut again just as Tess made it out. As the house continued to shake and rumble, Kylie rushed for the back door and slammed outside into a backyard that was drowning in blood. She hesitated only briefly before squishing onto the lawn and rushing for the fence. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There was a sense of something pursing her, gripping her shoulders and head as she pushed herself to leap over the gate and stumbled out to the driveway, seeing that Erica was still huddled within her silver car, lost to all sense.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We've got to get you to the hospital, now!" Kylie shouted as Tess tossed the mirror contraption in the back.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"No, no, we need to go to the hardware store first."<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Listen..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"There's a pharmacy there anyway."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Fine, but then we're going to the hospital."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rushing to the hardware store, it was clear that Tess's condition was worsening and the mirror behind them was shaking. But as they arrived, Tess rushed to the hardware store and grabbed a tub of resin, holding off the alerted staff with way more money than what she had grabbed was worth. And immediately she worked to drown the mirror in the resin. Creating a sealed layer revealing a bunch of angry purple letters and a screaming corpse.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kylie ran into the pharmacy grabbing a first aid kit and then looking about to see corpses shivering and flickering all over the place and shambling in her direction. As she freaked out, she rushed for the door, shoulder checking one of the corpses away to head to her Aunt Tess, who was looking very on the edge.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tess was a bit too weak to voice her confusion at why Kylie had just shoulder checked an old man, and then she was being rushed back into the car by a suddenly purple-eyed Kylie and they were rushing to the hospital. Kylie drove like a woman possessed and didn't notice it when the tire gave out and had her driving on the rim for almost six kilometers and the car rolled to a stop outside the hospital.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sometime later, they were at Aunt Tess's house, patched up and trying to recover. Tess was analyzing the handle that Kylie had found and discovered a
mostly invisible blade, like an awl, sticking out of the handle, formed
of the same purple light as the letters. It seemed to hold no
malevolence the way the mirror did, a tool of some sort, neither evil
nor good. Her eyes and mind gleamed at the possibilities of reverse
engineering this tool into a full school of knowledge.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">She was distracted when the doorbell rang and Kylie answered to reveal a Detective Constance O'Reilly outside with a notepad. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We had a report that there was an assault at a strip mall earlier today. The description seems to point to you."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"What the..."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"You shoulder checked an old man, Kylie."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Oh, that was real? Sorry, my Aunt was in a bad way and I was trying to get her some help quickly."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I see, and how did she come to be in such a bad state, and why didn't you just call for an ambulance?" <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kylie took a deep breath and tried to explain the situation with as literal irrational supernatural incidents as possible. Meanwhile, Tess supplied some other information while she put forth a request on the Autumn Falls blog seeking some instructions on sealing spells and the like. The detective kept eyeing Tess as the conversation continued and it seemed clear that as much as she felt they were telling the truth, that she didn't particularly trust the woman shifting about in the back muttering poems about eternal imprisonment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once the detective was gone, the two set about working more, with Tess immediately setting up the ritual she was piecing together, drawing elements of the malevolent force to be trapped into the mirror permanently and forever. Over the course of the ritual, however, purple light was ripped out of Kylie's eyes, causing her to call out in pain and gripping her face, but the ritual seemed to complete as cleanly as possible, summoning a collection of other cursed items this entity had been reaching out through and clattering the mirror to the ground with a sealed monster within.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As Kylie and Tess recovered completely, word would come about Mark Calliope's body being found torn apart and Erica being taken in for a treatment with a therapist. Word would go out that the police were searching for an unknown murderer who had terrorized the young couple... but no word of ghosts or curses would ever reach the news.<br /></div>Luke "Thrythlind" Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14389523527659987023noreply@blogger.com0